The Turtles – Let Me Be

The Turtles – Let Me Be / Almost There

A classic slice of mid-1960s American pop-rock from The Turtles, pairing the group's 1965 hit “Let Me Be” with the earlier track “Almost There”. “Let Me Be” was written by P.F. Sloan and produced by Bones Howe, and was recorded at Western Studio in Hollywood during 1965. It became The Turtles' second major US single, reaching No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1965.

“Let Me Be” captures The Turtles at an important point in their development, combining jangling guitars, folk-rock influences and a strong pop melody with a more assertive lyrical attitude. The song was written by P.F. Sloan, whose compositions were closely associated with the socially conscious side of mid-1960s pop, and its defiant character gives the record a little more edge than a straightforward teen-pop single.

The B-side, “Almost There”, was written by Turtles vocalist Howard Kaylan and originally appeared as the B-side of the group's debut US single “It Ain't Me Babe”, released by White Whale in July 1965. That original single reached No. 8 in the US, helping establish The Turtles before “Let Me Be” followed later that year.

This particular UK Pye International pressing pairs “Let Me Be” with “Almost There”, giving collectors two early Turtles recordings from their breakthrough period on one 7-inch. A neat example of the band's transition from their folk-rock beginnings into the bright, melodic pop sound that would soon produce classics such as “Happy Together.” The UK Let Me Be / Almost There issue is documented as a 1967 Pye International 7-inch, catalogue 7N 25421.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Let Me Be

Side B

1. Almost There