The Beatles – « Let It Be… naked » – Billy Preston s’exprime

C’est ce lundi qu’a été commercialisé le nouvel album des Beatles, « Let It be… naked ».

A l’occasion de cette publication, le pianiste invité par les Beatles lors de ces sessions, Billy Preston, a accordé une interview au journal « TV Guide », entretien que nous vous retranscrivons ci-après.

TVG: So it doesn’t bother you when people only want to talk about the Beatles?
Preston: It’s fine with me that people still call to talk about it. It’s still important to me. [Working with them] was a great honor. I appreciate it and I am grateful for it.

TVG: So much is happening at once ? Let it Be… Naked, The Concert for George, The Ed Sullivan Shows Featuring the Beatles and Lennon Legend.
Preston: Yeah, you just have to get it all. (Laughs)

TVG: Do you agree with the decision to change Let it Be and remove Phil Spector’s work?
Preston: I do. Everyone probably has a different approach to [the album] and hears it in different ways. There’s so much there to work with, and doing different things to [the music] will make it different and interesting. Now we get to hear the other versions they recorded of the different songs.

TVG: This was essentially Paul McCartney’s project. Ringo Starr gave his approval and so did George Harrison before he died. Do you think it was fair to change it without John Lennon?
Preston: Oh, I don’t think it would have mattered. He was adventurous anyway, he would have tried it. He would have been for it.

TVG: You played at the Concert for George. Was that tough?
Preston: It was wonderful because a lot of old friends were there who had worked with George and it was like a homecoming. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner at his house and his spirit was there with us, it was a wonderful kind of fellowship.

TVG: Was there any sadness?
Preston: I cried when I saw the film. There were certain moments, looking at his picture and hearing those songs. Paul and Ringo, too, we were all crying, we all shed tears.

TVG: What was your most important musical contribution to the Beatles?
Preston: Actually, I’d say it was a spiritual contribution. At the time [during the recording of Let it Be] they were unhappy. They said that when I came, I kind of gave them a lift. They got together, settled down, stopped arguing and had fun for a change. That was the best part for me.