The Beatles' rooftop concert
51°30′37.5″N 0°08′23.0″W / 51.510417°N 0.139722°W
Impromptu concert by the Beatles | |
Venue | Apple Corps headquarters rooftop, London |
---|---|
Date(s) | 30 January 1969 |
Duration | 42:00[1] |
The Beatles concert chronology |
On 30 January 1969, the Beatles performed an impromptu concert from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row, in central London's office and fashion district. Joined by guest keyboardist Billy Preston, the band played a 42-minute set before the Metropolitan Police arrived and ordered them to reduce the volume. It was the final public performance of their career. They performed nine takes of five new songs as crowds of onlookers, many on lunch breaks, congregated in the streets and on the rooftops of nearby buildings to listen. The concert ended with "
The entire performance was filmed and recorded, and footage was used in the 1970 documentary film Let It Be and the 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back. The first performance of "I've Got a Feeling" and single takes of "One After 909" and "Dig a Pony" were also featured on the accompanying album. On 28 January 2022, the audio of the full rooftop performance was released to streaming services under the title Get Back – The Rooftop Performance.[3] In February 2022, Disney released the entire concert sequence as presented in The Beatles: Get Back in IMAX as The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert.
Background
Although the rooftop concert was unannounced, the original intention behind
There was a plan to play live somewhere. We were wondering where we could go – "Oh, the Palladium or the Sahara". But we would have had to take all the stuff, so we decided, "Let's get up on the roof."[9]
– Ringo Starr, 2000
Paul McCartney and Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the director of the project, continued to hope that the Beatles would end the recording sessions with a live performance in front of an audience.[5] According to Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn, it is uncertain who thought of a rooftop concert, but the idea was conceived just days before the actual event.[8] In Preston's recollection, it was John Lennon who suggested it.[10]
In his autobiography Sound Man, audio engineer Glyn Johns said the idea for the concert was his. He recalled that it originated from a lunchtime discussion, when Ringo Starr mentioned that there was a great view of London's West End from the roof and took Johns and Lindsay-Hogg up to see it.[11] Mal Evans, the Beatles' road manager, recorded in his diary that the idea came about "after we'd taken a breath of fresh air on the roof after lunch" on 26 January.[10] Peter Jackson's documentary series The Beatles: Get Back shows Johns and Lindsay-Hogg presenting McCartney with the idea and McCartney being excited about it.[12]
Starr was initially determined not to play, and Harrison was reluctant.[13] The 29 January audio tapes for Lindsay-Hogg's production capture McCartney pleading with Lennon that a live performance was essential to maintain the Beatles' connection with their audience, and the band members merely needed to overcome their stage fright.[14] In a group discussion at the end of that day, Harrison talked enthusiastically about the upcoming show for the first time and joked about performing for an audience of chimneys.[15] Consistent with a decision he made during the Twickenham rehearsals, however, Harrison declined to have any of his songs included in the set.[16]
Preparation
Evans organised the building of a stage on the Apple rooftop and the setting up of the band's equipment.[17] The instruments used during the performance were Lennon's stripped-back Epiphone Casino, McCartney's signature Höfner "violin" bass, Harrison's new, custom-made rosewood Fender Telecaster,[18] and Starr's recently acquired Ludwig drum kit, plus a Fender Rhodes electric piano for Preston.[19] Johns and assistant engineer Alan Parsons purchased women's stockings from a local Marks & Spencer store to protect the microphones from the winter wind.[17] Plans to hire a helicopter to capture aerial footage were abandoned.[17]
The audio was recorded on two eight-track recorders in the basement studio at Apple[20] by Johns[21] and Parsons.[22] Lindsay-Hogg's crew used six cameras to film several angles of the performance.[17] In addition to cameras located on the rooftop with the band, one camera was placed, without permission, on the roof of a building across the street;[23] a camera was hidden behind a two-way mirror in the reception area of the building, ready to capture any disruption caused by the loud music; and two cameras were on the street to film interviews and reactions from passers-by.[17]
Performance
Until the last minute, according to Lindsay-Hogg, the Beatles were still undecided about performing the concert.[24] He recalled that they had discussed it and then gone silent, until "John said in the silence, 'Fuck it – let's go do it.'"[25]
The four Beatles and Preston arrived on the roof at around 12:30 pm.[26] When they started playing, there was confusion nearby among members of the public, many of whom were on their lunch break. As the news of the event spread, crowds began to congregate in the streets and on the flat rooftops of nearby buildings.[27] While most responded positively to the concert, the Metropolitan Police grew concerned about noise and traffic issues,[27] having received complaints from local businesses.[22] The film cameras captured police officers Ray Dagg and Ray Shayler[28] arriving at Apple to stop the performance.[22] Apple employees initially kept the officers in reception and refused to let them up to the roof, but reconsidered when threatened with arrest.[27][23]
According to Johns, the band fully expected to be interrupted by the police, since there was a police station not far along Savile Row.[29] The authorities' intervention satisfied a suggestion made by McCartney earlier in January, that the Beatles should perform their concert "in a place we're not allowed to do it ... like we should trespass, go in, set up and then get moved ... Getting forcibly ejected, still trying to play your numbers, and the police lifting you."[17]
The officers ascended to the roof just as the Beatles began the second take of "Don't Let Me Down".[23] During the next number – the final version of "Get Back"[30] – McCartney improvised the lyrics to reflect the situation:[22] "You've been playing on the roofs again, and that's no good, 'cause you know your Mummy doesn't like that ... she gets angry ... she's gonna have you arrested!"[31] Acting on the police officers' instructions,[30] Evans turned off Lennon and Harrison's guitar amplifiers mid-song, only for Harrison to turn his amplifier back on in defiance. Evans then turned Lennon's back on as the band continued to play.[2]
The concert came to an end with the conclusion of "Get Back". McCartney said "Thanks Mo", in response to applause and cheers from
Set list
Get Back – The Rooftop Performance | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Apple | ||||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 38:28 | |||
Label | Calderstone Productions | |||
Producer | Glyn Johns and George Martin | |||
Compiler | Giles Martin and Sam Okell | |||
The Beatles chronology | ||||
|
The rooftop concert consisted of nine complete takes of five Beatles songs: three takes of "
All tracks are written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted:
- "Get Back" (Take 1) – 4:43
- "Get Back" (Take 2) – 3:24
- "Don't Let Me Down" (Take 1) – 3:22
- "I've Got a Feeling" (Take 1) – 4:44
- "One After 909" – 3:09
- "Dig a Pony" – 5:52
- ") – 0:26
- "I've Got a Feeling" (Take 2) – 5:35
- "Don't Let Me Down" (Take 2) – 3:30
- "Get Back" (Take 3) – 3:47
The first performance of "I've Got a Feeling" and the recordings of "One After 909" and "Dig a Pony" were later used for the album Let It Be.
Legacy
The Beatles' rooftop concert marked the end of an era for the group. The group recorded one more album, Abbey Road, for which work started the following month, but in September 1969 Lennon left the band.[40] At the time, many observers believed that the concert was a trial run for a return to live performances and touring, with the band re-engaging with their rock 'n' roll roots.[41] The concert footage provided the climax of Lindsay-Hogg's documentary, originally planned as a TV special but released as the Let It Be film in May 1970, a month after the Beatles' break-up.[42]
According to author James Perone, the concert achieved "iconic status" among fans as the Beatles' final live appearance; and in the history of rock music on the level of the
The Rutles' "Get Up and Go" sequence in the 1978 film All You Need Is Cash mimics the footage of the rooftop concert, and uses similar camera angles.[45] In January 2009, tribute band the Bootleg Beatles attempted to stage a 40th anniversary concert in the same location, but were refused permission by Westminster City Council because of licensing problems.[46]
In
In the 2007 film
The music video for
U2 paid homage to the Beatles and this concert in their video for "Where the Streets Have No Name", which featured a similar rooftop concert in Los Angeles, 1987.[51] U2 also performed a similar rooftop concert on their 'U2 at the BBC' day on 27 February 2009 [52]
McCartney played a surprise mini-concert in midtown Manhattan from the top of the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater on 15 July 2009, where he was recording a performance for the Late Show with David Letterman. News of the event spread via Twitter and word of mouth, and nearby street corners were closed off to accommodate the crowd.[54]
Personnel
The Beatles
- John Lennon – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar; lead guitar on "Get Back"
- Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
- George Harrison – backing vocals, lead guitar; rhythm guitar on "Get Back"
- Ringo Starr – drums
Additional musician
- Billy Preston – electric piano
See also
References
- ^ Bennett, Ross (30 January 2014). "20 Things You Need To Know About The Beatles' Rooftop Concert". MOJO. Archived from the original on 12 February 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
The performance itself began at around 12pm on a bitterly cold Thursday lunchtime and lasted for 42 minutes. Approximately half of the gig is shown at the end of Let It Be.
- ^ a b c Everett 1999, p. 222.
- ^ a b Willman, Chris (27 January 2022). "Beatles' 'Rooftop Performance' to Be Released as a Streaming Audio Album". Variety. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Lewisohn 2010, pp. 306–07.
- ^ a b c The Beatles 2021, p. 119.
- ^ Irvin, Jim (November 2003). "Get It Better: The Story of Let It Be… Naked". Mojo. Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
- ^ Miles 2001, pp. 330, 331.
- ^ a b Lewisohn 2010, p. 307.
- ^ The Beatles 2000, p. 321.
- ^ a b Babiuk 2002, p. 240.
- ^ Johns 2014, p. 129.
- ^ "The Beatles: Get Back Part 2: Days 8-16". Disney+. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ Miles 2001, p. 332.
- ^ Sulpy & Schweighardt 1999, p. 295.
- ^ Sulpy & Schweighardt 1999, pp. 298–99.
- ^ Sulpy & Schweighardt 1999, pp. 298–99, 301.
- ^ a b c d e f The Beatles 2021, p. 195.
- ^ Babiuk 2002, pp. 239, 241.
- ^ Everett 1999, pp. 217, 221.
- ISBN 978-0-9785200-0-7.
- ^ a b Sulpy & Schweighardt 1999, p. 301.
- ^ a b c d Perone 2005, p. 5.
- ^ a b c "The Beatles: Get Back Part 3: Days 17–22". Disney+. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ In the Q&A session with Peter Jackson before the 30 January 2022 IMAX showing of the rooftop performance, Jackson said it was "about a half hour".
- ^ The Beatles 2021, p. 193.
- ^ The Beatles 2021, p. 196.
- ^ a b c "Beatles rooftop birthday: It's 40 years since the fab four's last ever concert". BBC. 30 January 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the originalon 1 November 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Johns 2014, pp. 129–30.
- ^ Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ a b Miles 2001, p. 333.
- ^ "Ringo Starr will keep on drumming, but forget about a memoir: 'I'm not doing a book'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ISBN 0 600 60033 5.
- ^ Everett 1999, p. 219.
- ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 334.
- ^ Sulpy & Schweighardt 1999, pp. 303–04.
- ^ Womack 2014, p. 235.
- ^ Lewisohn 2000, op cit., p. 312.
- ^ Sulpy & Schweighardt 1999, pp. 302–03.
- ^ "Paul McCartney: 'I Want to Live in Peace'". Life Magazine. 7 November 1969.
- ^ Perone 2005, p. 6.
- ^ Everett 1999, pp. 215–16, 221, 277.
- ^ Perone 2005, pp. 5–6.
- ^ Perone 2005, pp. 4–5.
- ^ "Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rutles!". CD Review. 12 (1–9): 80. 1995.
- ^ Banerjee, Subhajit (30 January 2009). "The Beatles rooftop concert: It was 40 years ago today". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 September 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ Suebsaeng, Asawin (30 January 2012). "8 Videos to Commemorate the Beatles' Final Concert, 43 Years Later". Mother Jones. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-7407-9218-2.
- ^ "斉藤和義、新曲PVでポール・マッカートニーを熱演". Natalie (in Japanese). 6 April 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "スペシャ「MVA」大賞はカエラ、サカナ、RADWIMPSの手に". Natalie (in Japanese). 10 April 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-7119-9198-9.
- ^ "U2 play surprise rooftop concert". 27 February 2009.
- ^ "Manchester Piccadilly Hotel Roof – 30th January 1991". One of the Three - The James Band Archive. 30 January 1991. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ^ "Paul McCartney Stuns Manhattan With Set on Letterman's Marquee". Rolling Stone. 16 July 2009. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012.
Sources
- ISBN 978-0-87930-731-8.
- ISBN 978-0-8118-3636-4.
- The Beatles (2021). The Beatles: Get Back. London: Callaway Arts & Entertainment. ISBN 978-0-935112962.
- ISBN 978-0-19-512941-0.
- ISBN 978-0-14-751657-2.
- ISBN 978-1-55652-733-3.
- ISBN 978-1-56976-534-0.
- ISBN 0-7119-8308-9.
- Perone, James E. (2005). Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-33057-5.
- Sulpy, Doug; Schweighardt, Ray (1999). Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles' Let It Be Disaster. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-19981-3.
- ISBN 978-0-313-39171-2.