Disney+'s The Beatles: Get Back documentary series is primed for an imminent streaming release - but how old were each of The Beatles during the Get Back sessions? Peter Jackson's ambitious new documentary releases on November 25th, 2021, with the 3-part miniseries promising to challenge fans' long-held beliefs regarding how The Beatles' final album Let It Be was made. Much of Get Back's archival footage has been pulled (and restored) directly from Michael Lindsay-Hogg's 1970 documentary of the album's making, prompting audiences to query how old each of The Beatles were during this tumultuous time in the band's history.
Originally conceived as a feature film, The Beatles: Get Back now consists of three episodes with an ambitious runtime of over seven hours in total. Much of this timespan is dedicated to Hogg's original work, which forms the backbone of Jackson's poignant documentary after The Lord of the Rings director spent four years restoring the old footage. The documentary's final cut covers 21 days in the studio with the Beatles as they rehearse for a forthcoming album, concert, and film project, that climaxes with their infamous full 42-minute rooftop concert on London's esteemed Saville Row.
Though Lord of the Ring's Peter Jackson himself dispels many of the rumors regarding the infighting and tension that plagued The Beatles across 1969 and 1970, Get Back is nonetheless peppered with the realities and pressures of the studio recording process of yesteryear. The Beatles: Get Back does not shy away from the public belief that Let It Be was marred by tensions between the band members, and instead presents never-before-seen looks at controversial events such as George Harrison's brief resignation from the band. As a result, here's how old each of The Beatles were during the 1969-1970 Get Back sessions.
John Lennon - 29 Years Old
Born on the 19th of October 1940, John Lennon was 29 when he recorded Let It Be alongside the other Beatles members. Lennon's focus when The Beatles: Get Back sessions were filmed had undoubtedly shifted away from creating music for The Beatles, with his marriage to Yoko Ono and protests against the Vietnam war overshadowing his time working on Let It Be. This is perhaps why Lennon is often quoted as stating that he hated the album's title track, which he felt was a message in direct opposition to both his anti-war efforts as well as the band's usual style.
Paul McCartney - 27 Years Old
Two years Lennon's junior, Paul McCartney was 27 years old at the time of recording Let It Be, making him the second-youngest Beatle. Footage of the then 27-year old McCartney lecturing his fellow bandmates after a row during one of the Beatles documentary sessions has become synonymous with the group's latter-year struggles as they came to terms with their changing individual ideologies. McCartney was also involved in a series of business disagreements with his bandmates during the Let It Be sessions, which eventually became one of the primary factors of the dissolution of The Beatles in 1971.
George Harrison - 25 Years Old
As the youngest member of The Beatles, George was just 25 years old during the tumultuous Let It Be sessions. While Harrison saw significant personal growth as a songwriter across the late 1960s, his compositional presence on Beatles albums remained limited to two or three songs, increasing his frustration and, according to sources closest to the band at the time, significantly contributing to the band's break-up. One of Harrison's iconic last songs and soundtracks with the Beatles is likely to be featured in The Beatles: Get Back, when he, McCartney, and drummer Ringo Starr recorded his song "I Me Mine" for Let It Be.
Ringo Starr - 29 Years Old
Despite being the joint-oldest Beatle member, Ringo Starr is consistently referred to as the most genial member of the group across their reign despite a brief, little remembered ten-day hiatus from the band. The other Beatles often put aside their differences when working alongside Starr, with George Harrison famously covering his drum kit in flowers as a welcome-back gesture before recording The White Album. The Beatles: Get Back will likely showcase this affable side of Starr, who recently released another EP 50 years after recording for Let It Be concluded.