Both recordings were made during a period when the four members barely wanted to be in a room together. The thing is you can really tell this when listening to the original. The performance is slow, lethargic and so loose that it sounds like it could collapse at any moment. Paul's a bit full on with his harmony, and it's not John's greatest vocal either. Maybe that's why Phil Spector dropped it from "Let It Be", although it would have been a better option than "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae" for sure. I can't get into it - it lacks that tight-knit delivery and closeness that we all associate The Beatles with.
But the "Naked" version........ Ah. It's beautiful. If only the technology of 2003 existed back in the 70s. "Let It Be.... Naked" was Paul McCartney's vision of what the album should have been had Phil Spector not put on his choirs and various orchestras into some of the tracks. "Maggie Mae" and "Dig It" were taken off and replaced with this wonderful version of "Don't Let Me Down", made up of two performances of the song the band did during the infamous rooftop concert.
The track is given a lift by a subtle change in tempo and a higher key, but what makes it so much better than its 1969 counterpart is how brighter it sounds. You can sense that the atmosphere whilst performing this version was a lot less tense. George's lower harmony vocal in the chorus is a nice little addition, the instrumentation is tighter, the singing is terrific...... Everything sounds better.
Oh, and that bass playing by Paul after the final iteration of the title until the end of the song. Absolutely glorious. I'm very sure John looks at him as if to say "Damn....." in appreciation, but he can't because he's still singing. Oh well.
Watch them perform it, by clicking on thiiiiiiiiiis.
