With a groove inspired by the music of William DeVaughn and Lauryn Hill, The 7:45s deliver a hearty, horn-laden rendition of ‘Don’t Let Me Down’
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On 30th January 1969, The Beatles performed their iconic rooftop concert in Central London. On top of the Apple Corps building on Saville Row, the concert was the last public appearance of The Beatles before they unofficially disbanded.
Fifty years later, Manchester soul collective The 7:45s have commemorated this iconic moment with a performance in a live rooftop session overlooking the city’s Northern Quarter. They partnered with audio-visual duo Word of Mouth who filmed the performance, replicating the ‘grain’ and aspect ratio of the original footage which featured in the Let It Be film (1970). Word of Mouth support Manchester’s independent music scene by curating live video sessions in bespoke locations across the city.
The 7:45s performed the aching love song ‘Don’t Let Me Down’, recorded by The Beatles with Billy Preston in 1969 and featured on their final album Let It Be (1970). Somewhat refreshingly, the group add their own flavour to the song, crafting it into a warm, soulful jam.
The brainchild behind the arrangement was Sam Flynn, the group’s bandleader, songwriter, and bassist. Flynn, a PhD musicology student, says: ‘It works so well in a soul style because it basically already is a soul song. The guitar riff, the chord sequence and the impassioned vocal are all characteristic of soul.’ Flynn continues: ‘Rock and soul were developing at the same time and you can hear that in The Beatles’ music. For example, “Got to Get You Into My Life” is a like Motown single and Aretha Franklin’s cover of “Let It Be” came out before The Beatles’ version because McCartney wanted her to sing it. So doing “Don’t Let Me Down” in a soul style makes perfect sense!’
With a groove inspired by the music of William DeVaughn and Lauryn Hill, The 7:45s deliver a hearty, horn-laden rendition of ‘Don’t Let Me Down’. Listen below!
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(Image Copyright: The 7:45s)
