Kum Back
Encyclopedia
Kum Back is the first bootleg
album by The Beatles
, released in September 1969. The album is an early mix of what would become 1970's Let It Be, taken from an acetate
prepared by the groups's producer, Glyn Johns
. It is one of the earliest commercial rock
bootlegs, the first being Bob Dylan
's Great White Wonder
, which was released in July of the same year.
, England. "I've Got A Feeling
", track seven, was recorded on January 24, 1969, and is probably the earliest recording on this album.
prepared an early mix of what would eventually become Let It Be around January 28, 1969. It was probably used for reference when the actual mixing was underwent. Several other acetates seemed to have been pressed at the time. It has also been rumoured that John Lennon
had taken one of these pressings to America during a 1969 visit, then traded it for several unreleased recordings he did not own. Lennon later spoke about the record: "They say it came from an acetate that I gave to someone who then went and broadcast it as being an advance pressing or something". Apart from this quote, the original story is very hard to verify as being true.
out of Buffalo, New York
. A reference to the earlier broadcast is mentioned in the WBCN airing. A third broadcast of any of the Kum Back recordings was performed by CLKW Windsor
/Detroit, which featured only the version of "Let It Be". WMMS, out of Cleveland, apparently aired "Two Of Us" some time in 1970. The WBCN broadcast is the source for the actual LP.
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
album by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, released in September 1969. The album is an early mix of what would become 1970's Let It Be, taken from an acetate
Acetate disc
An acetate disc, also known as a test acetate, dubplate , lacquer , transcription disc or instantaneous disc...
prepared by the groups's producer, Glyn Johns
Glyn Johns
Glyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.-Career:He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, The Ozark...
. It is one of the earliest commercial rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bootlegs, the first being Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's Great White Wonder
Great White Wonder
Great White Wonder, or GWW, is the first notable rock bootleg album, released in July of 1969 and containing unofficially released recordings by Bob Dylan. It is also the first release of the famous bootleg record label Trademark of Quality...
, which was released in July of the same year.
Recording
All tracks on Kum Back were recorded during the Get Back/Let It Be Sessions of January 1969, and all were recorded in the basement studio of 3 Savile Row, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. "I've Got A Feeling
I've Got a Feeling
"I've Got a Feeling" is a song by The Beatles, from the 1970 album Let It Be. It is one of the songs on the album from the Rooftop Concert...
", track seven, was recorded on January 24, 1969, and is probably the earliest recording on this album.
Release
The first appearance of a vinyl copy of the recordings appeared on the black market sometime in January 1970. Many conventional record stores also began to carry the album that same year.Sources
Glyn JohnsGlyn Johns
Glyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.-Career:He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, The Ozark...
prepared an early mix of what would eventually become Let It Be around January 28, 1969. It was probably used for reference when the actual mixing was underwent. Several other acetates seemed to have been pressed at the time. It has also been rumoured that John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
had taken one of these pressings to America during a 1969 visit, then traded it for several unreleased recordings he did not own. Lennon later spoke about the record: "They say it came from an acetate that I gave to someone who then went and broadcast it as being an advance pressing or something". Apart from this quote, the original story is very hard to verify as being true.
Radio broadcasts
WBCN, out of Boston, was one of the first radio stations to ever air the mix. Apparently, the station obtained a reel-to-reel copy of the original mix, then aired a recorded broadcast on September 22, 1969. Rolling Stone Magazine then reviewed the broadcast. However, WBCN was not the first station to air the acetate, the first being WKBWWWKB
WWKB is an AM radio station in Buffalo, New York that operates on a frequency of 1520 kHz. It is owned and operated by Entercom Communications. The station carries a progressive talk radio format. Declaring itself as A New Voice, A New Choice, The Voice of the New Majority; WWKB carries a number...
out of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. A reference to the earlier broadcast is mentioned in the WBCN airing. A third broadcast of any of the Kum Back recordings was performed by CLKW Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
/Detroit, which featured only the version of "Let It Be". WMMS, out of Cleveland, apparently aired "Two Of Us" some time in 1970. The WBCN broadcast is the source for the actual LP.
Track listing
Personnel
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
: Rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, lap steel guitarLap steel guitarThe lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
, harmony vocal, lead vocal - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
: Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, lead vocal, harmony vocal - George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
: Lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, rhythm guitar, lead vocal - Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
: DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Billy PrestonBilly PrestonWilliam Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
: Electric PianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
See also
- The Beatles' bootleg recordings
- The Beatles' recording sessions#Get Back Sessions
- Let It BeLet It Be (album)Let It Be is the 12th and final studio album released by the English rock band The Beatles. It was released on 8 May 1970 by the band's Apple Records label shortly after the group announced their break-up....