{"id":19218,"date":"2021-12-14T17:23:05","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T22:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=19218"},"modified":"2021-12-15T11:42:40","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T16:42:40","slug":"the-beatles-get-back-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/the-beatles-get-back-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"Come Together: Lessons in Creative Collaboration from The Beatles"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

In January 1969, The Beatles were under intense pressure. Having scheduled a live performance in just a few weeks\u2014their first since they quit touring in 1966\u2014Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr needed to produce some new music, fast. And camera crews were hanging around to capture it all in intimate detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter Jackson\u2019s new documentary, The Beatles: Get Back<\/a><\/em>, captures a group facing its toughest creative challenges yet, but coming out the other side with some of its finest work, all culminating in one last legendary live show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This eye-opening look at the inner workings of a classic creative collective also yields some powerful insights about teamwork and creative collaboration<\/a>. Here, we partnered with Alice Carleton, Ceros\u2019 Head of People Potential, to see what we could learn from both the squabbles and the breakthroughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead, But Don\u2019t Be a Jerk About It<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the twilight of The Beatles\u2019 decade of dominance, the McCartney-Lennon songwriting partnership was a whole lot more McCartney than Lennon. As the latter retreated creatively from recording sessions, McCartney became a more forceful presence, frequently dominating rehearsals with his recommendations. Often, he\u2019d outright tell the other members how their parts should be played.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Paul\u2019s a musical genius, so his suggestions usually contributed to iconic final products. But, musical brilliance aside, Paul McCartney doesn\u2019t make a great manager of people. The cost of his domineering was considerable, as it was one reason that George Harrison temporarily left the band. He didn\u2019t give much space for his collaborators, namely Harrison, to explore their own visions\u2014visions that were brilliant in their own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Takeaway<\/strong>: Don\u2019t let the certainty of your vision ruin a good thing. Trust in your collaborators and give them space to take creative risks. Make room for different points of view and styles of communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When in Doubt, Change Up the Scenery <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Early sessions in Get Back<\/em> seemed, quite frankly, like a slog for the group. New song ideas were hard to come by, and rehearsals for existing songs weren\u2019t as sharp as they could\u2019ve been. Harrison appeared to be the most dissatisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hated where they were recording, for one. Twickenham Studios, a sound stage at which Ringo was filming a movie right afterwards, didn\u2019t feel right, and as a condition of his return to the band, he requested a move to Apple Records, the band\u2019s office in London\u2019s West End. Though a bit of a logistical nightmare, Apple yields far more fruitful (heh) sessions than those at Twickenham. The group is sharper, more nimble, and more communicative, proving that sometimes, a little change of scenery can go a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Takeaway<\/strong>: If things are feeling stale and uninspired, switch it up! Work from a new location, move on to a different segment of the project, share feedback in a new format. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embrace New Blood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s another notable pivot point in the sessions when The Beatles ask Billy Preston, a keyboardist from Little Richard\u2019s backing band, to sit in with them. Harrison felt like an external presence might help hold the band accountable\u2014and that\u2019s exactly what happened. In addition to bringing the best out of the bandmates, Preston himself made outsized impacts on both Let It Be<\/em> and Abbey Road<\/em>. He played electric piano on a number of tracks, even contributing a memorable solo on \u201cGet Back,\u201d and he was right there playing along at the band\u2019s memorable rooftop showcase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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