The Let It Be Mystery

Over the last years there have been a few very informative books available, that list all of the available outtakes of The Beatles (see here for the titles, if you don't know, which books I mean).

But in my oppinion, there is one track, that has been ignored by the authors. It's a mix of "Let It Be", that is found on the disc "Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 6", released in 1991 by Yellow Dog Records.

Of course this could be a forgery, as some have assumed, but I don't quite agree.

I don't have much knowledge about the technical possibilities to change a recording.

I have taken the time to examine the song closer and I think this has to be a real alternate mix. Here are some things I found out (SV = officially released Single version, UM6 = version on "Unsurpassed Masters 6"):

• The drum track throughout the SV is much more audible than on UM6

• On the SV the "Uuuuuuh" background vocals starting at around 1:20 are more audible

• On the SV at around 1:35 there are brass overdubs audible far in the back, that don't seem to be on UM6, and on UM6 there is an organ audible at the same time, which is not on the SV

• The guitar solo + brass overdubs appear at around 2:00 in the middle of the stereo on UM6, in the SV there is the guitar solo in the right channel and the brass overdub in the middle left of the stereo

• At around 2:40 the hi-hat on UM6 is in the middle and the drum is on the right channel, on the SV they are both in the middle

• The chorus on the SV at 3:10 is appearing alone for the first few seconds, on UM 6 the brass overdub is already audible. Following that is a louder cello overdub on UM6

• At around 3:20 there is little bit of guitar audible on the SV, that doesn't noticebly appear on UM6

• The backing vocals at around 3:20 are at the same place in the stereo on both versions, whereas the overdubs seem to be at different places in the stereo in both versions

These are my examinations. As I wrote above, I don't know much about recording technique and how to change an existing recording. But is it really possible to place instruments at different places in the stereo without the master tape? My guess is that it COULD be Stereo Remix 1 from Take 30, made at Jan. 4, 1970. Mark Lewissohn mentions in the "The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions" book that SR 2 was taken for the single version. But what is the source for this alternate version? "The Recording Sessions"-book doesn't mention that acetates of both mixes were made, but who knows...?