The goofing around and grins reveal the Beatles full of mischievous fun as they work on the last album they released – while being in the death throes of the band.
An upcoming film depicts the recording of Let It Be in January 1969 – compiled from around 60 hours of unseen footage and 150 hours of unheard audio.
Conflict had led to George Harrison leaving briefly and a move to Apple studio – and by the September release of Abbey Road they were effectively over.
But these images show them far from being at loggerheads as Paul McCartney and John Lennon hold hands and laugh.
John jokes to an engineer: “We’re bl**dy stars, ya know!”
Linda McCartney and Yoko Ono relax as the band perfect the album released in May 1970.
The film, The Beatles: Get Back, shows John, Paul, George and Ringo Starr as they plan their first live show in more than two years, on January 30, 1969.
Macca recently admitted the film “reaffirmed” he was not to blame for the split, which became official by the end of 1970 when he filed to dissolve their business partnership.
The 78-year-old star said: “It proves my main memory of the Beatles was the joy and the skill. I bought into the dark side of the Beatles breaking up and thought, ‘Oh God, I’m to blame.’ I knew I wasn’t, but it’s easy when the climate is that way to start thinking so.
“At the back of my mind there was always this idea it wasn’t like that, but I needed to see proof.
“There’s a great photo Linda took, of me and John working on a song, glowing with joy. This footage is the same. All four of us having a ball.”
Before introducing a teaser, director Peter Jackson said they were “halfway” through edits. He added: “It’s really great stuff.”
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