McCartney Times

This wasn’t the first time a non-Beatle had joined the Fabs’ ranks. Harrison had used the same method during the contentious White Album sessions, having Eric Clapton join the group for “White My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

“It’s interesting to see how nicely people behave when you bring a guest in, because they don’t want everybody to know they’re so bitchy,” Harrison explained in the book The Beatles: Anthology. “Suddenly everybody’s on their best behavior.” Preston arrived at Apple studios on Jan. 22, just as the Beatles were working on their song “Get Back.” After being welcomed by the group, the keyboardist was quickly invited to contribute.

“He got on the electric piano, and straight away there was 100 percent improvement in the vibe in the room,” Harrison recalled. “Having this fifth person was just enough to cut the ice that we’d created among ourselves. Billy didn’t know all the politics and the games that had been going on, so in his innocence he got stuck in and gave an extra little kick to the band. Everybody was happier to have somebody else playing and it made what we were doing more enjoyable. We all played better, and it was a great session.”