Hear Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunite on Dolly Parton's 'Let It Be'
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The Beatles are back together — in a manner of speaking — and now you can hear their new song.
Dolly Parton has reunited the two remaining members of the Fab Four on her just-released cover of the band's 1970 hit "Let It Be." Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr joined the iconic country singer in a new recording from her upcoming album Rockstar. Peter Frampton and Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood also appear on the track.
Rockstar (out Nov. 17) will be Parton's 49th studio album, and features 30 tracks and even more special guest appearances.
The supersize album primarily consists of classic rock covers, though Parton wrote a few new songs for the project as well, including the single "World on Fire" and the promotional track "Bygones," featuring Rob Halford of Judas Priest. Parton has also already released covers of Queen's "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" and Heart's "Magic Man," featuring Ann Wilson.
Other collaborations from the upcoming album include "Every Breath You Take" with Sting, "Wrecking Ball" with Miley Cyrus, "Heart of Glass" with Blondie's Debbie Harry, "Stairway to Heaven" with Lizzo, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" with Pink and Brandi Carlile, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" with Elton John," and "Free Bird" with Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year. She initially rejected the nomination, citing her lack of experience with the rock genre. "Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don't feel that I have earned that right," she tweeted. "I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out."
However, Parton reconsidered upon receiving more information about the honor. "I am honored and humbled by the fact that I have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," she said. "Of course I will accept it gracefully. Thanks to everyone that voted for me and to everyone at the [Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]. I will continue to work hard and try to live up to the honor."
Kate Green/Getty; Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty; Gareth Cattermole/Getty Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Dolly Parton
In her initial statement, she also explained that the nomination inspired her to work on a rock project that might justify her induction. "This has," she wrote, "inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock 'n' roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do! My husband is a total rock 'n' roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one."
McCartney wrote "Let It Be" near the end of the Beatles' tenure in the late 1960s, and the song ultimately gave its name to the last album that the group released (Abbey Road was recorded after Let It Be, but released eight months earlier due to mixing delays). The song was inspired by a dream McCartney had about his late mother, Mary. "Let It Be" reached No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 in the U.K., and has since been covered by legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, John Denver, and Bill Withers. The Beatles' recording session for the song was captured on film, and can be seen at the end of Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary.
McCartney and Starr have worked together on several occasions in recent years, most recently on the latter's 2020 song "Here's to the Nights," from his EP Zoom In. Before that the pair collaborated on a cover of John Lennon's "Grow Old with Me" on Starr's 2019 album What's My Name. The former Beatles last performed live together at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 2019, when Starr appeared as a surprise guest at the last show of McCartney's Freshen Up tour. McCartney and Starr performed "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" and "Helter Skelter" together.
Listen to the new "Let It Be" cover above.
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