George Harrison’s rendition of The Beatles’ Get Back hailed by fans as ‘really cool’ version

A rendition of Get Back with George Harrison on vocal duties has been hailed as “really cool” by listeners.

Fans of The Beatles are not in short supply of quality bootlegs and demo renditions of all-time great material, not least Get Back. A rare session featured Harrison performing the song, which is performed by Paul McCartney on Let It Be, the final album released by the band. A YouTube upload of Harrison’s version of the song, recorded during the making of a Doris Troy album at Apple Studios, has been hailed by listeners. Some have suggested the rough cut, which lasts just two minutes, should be procured for future releases of Let It Be. Many believe the song to be of a quality suitable enough to be a bonus track for the album, while others argue the song showcases just how underrated a vocalist Harrison was.

One fan wrote: “George sings exactly the way he plays the slide guitar. Absolutely love this.” Another added: “George actually does something really cool with this song.” A third added: “George is beyond underrated vocally! I will scream this until the day I die.”

Others believe this version is a “testament to the strength of the song” rather than Harrison’s performance. One person suggested: “I think it’s a testament to the strength of the song that George would record Get Back, especially considering that the group wasn’t on the best of terms with Paul after the breakup. To record Paul’s song, considering these factors, is a major compliment in my book.”

Another disagreed, adding: “Or a testament to that the public is always responsive to the story that they did not get along very well by the end, while the truth seems to be that they still got along very well. If you are open to the idea they did get along, there is plenty of evidence that they did.”

A third pointed out this version of Get Back from Harrison is not his attempt at covering the song, but a vocal guide for Troy, who was part of Apple’s crop of musicians. Nevertheless, Harrison received praise from members of the public for his performance.

One person wrote: “It’s amazing to see how each song of the Beatles could be so different if performed by a different member. They all had such different styles, but together they worked so well.”

Another added: “It’s cool to hear George doing it, and he definitely puts his own spin on it, but it also underscores how strong Paul’s voice was. No one else could belt out a song and make it sound so effortless.”

A third shared: “Sounds very All Things Must Pass-ish with the trumpets… I don’t remember any trumpets on Let It Be though, so I’m thinking this happened during the All Things Must Pass recording sessions. Great job, I’ve never heard it before! Thanks so much!”

You can listen to Harrison perform Get Back below.