For her last concert at the 30.01.1969 the Beatles would have been able to choose quite a spectacular stage. They opted for the easy way out: It’s the roof of their Apple headquarters in London’s Savile Row.
The sky is grey at this noon on the 30. January 1969. It is cold outside and in the faces of the Beatles, it looks bleak, as they occur sequentially on the roof. Actually, felt is, in fact, already with the “Fab Four” – the boys have not much to say. Musically, it doesn’t work anymore already, even though the Beatles have released only two months her White Album with success. But on this record they have played more side by side than with each other. Also man is on the rocks, it been a while, what is John’s relationship with Yoko Ono, no one can suffer.
With: Yoko Ono
Live on stage you haven’t been for two and a half years: The musicians, the shouts of the Teens went on the nerves – it is also your music in the last few years, so complex that they no longer play live.
But Paul still believes in the Beatles, and brings the Band at the beginning of January 1969 to the Studio. A last attempt to keep the original Spirit of revival: to write new Songs together, jam and improvise the Whole thing at the end is crowned with a Live Gig. This results in a film should be documentation with the promising title “Get Back”.
Soon, however, The Studio Sessions: in the run-up to the Rooftop Concerts are the one and only – musical and human – disaster. Yoko Ono mixed vigorously, and George Harrison together on the other hand plays better with his new pals Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan – he appears only rarely in the case of the “Get Back”Sessions. However, the camera of the filmmaker Michael Lindsay-Hogg running with – in the end, he has 130 hours of film material in the box, this is not meant to be for the most part, to the Public. Because the suspect not, is how bad it is already the Beatles. Despite all the differences, the Band wants to but this last Gig yet.
Nylon tights against the icy Wind
The film footage of the last live performance should take place according to the initial plans in London’s famous concert venue “the Roundhouse” – or better yet, in a Roman amphitheatre, on a cruise ship or in the Sahara. In fact, Location Scouts have been traveling around the world. But the Beatles want to operate is not a great effort, and leave their instruments on the roof of their Studios.
In 1967, the world was for the Beatles in order
There are seven degrees and a really nasty Wind on this January day. The sensitive Studio microphones need to be protected, there is wind protection but not enough. The sound engineer Alan Parsons runs a Laundry business next door and buys a pair of tights – so the microphones have to be wrapped.
While waiting to get the musicians in the vestibule, cold feet. Ringo has no more desire. And then John says: “Oh shit, let’s do this now!”
“Above us only sky.”
Paul McCartney steps out with a full beard, a suit and tie on the roof, the Wind pulls at his mane. The others follow: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and finally, John Lennon has passed in a thick fur jacket, the Yoko Ono to him. Now you stand there in the cold Wind on the roof of the five-storey house, the only splash of Colour is Ringos pop orange rain coat. In the Background a couple of figures standing around a handful of invited guests – otherwise, you can look out over the rooftops of London. Paul will later say: “We did literally Nothing. Above us only the sky was. It was nice”.
Finally, without the screaming Teens…
Hardly anyone knew of the concert. But when the first notes of “Get Back” from the roof of the house down, rattle, passers-by and people from the surrounding houses closely. The crowd is getting bigger and bigger, some climbing on the neighboring roofs. Down the road you can see nothing of the Beatles. You can hear – and recognize – only. The fact that the most famous Band in the world gives a Free concert in the middle of London, not everyone down there on the street. “It’s horrible, I want this to stop immediately,” said a business man from next door. An older passer-by doesn’t mean, you understand the sense of it. Most, especially younger women, however, are completely thrilled and find it “fantastic” and “great”. Another was pleased that there is such a thing “at the present time in this country.”
The police station is in the vicinity
Up on the roof the Beatles rocking in the corner star Billy Preston sits still soul on the Fender Rhodes Piano. Somehow the guys on the ropes a bit. John smiles, even a couple of Times to Paul over there, although he almost fingers freeze off. Five cameras, the concert, record, in addition, on the opposite roofs, and down the road. There it is always full, the traffic collapses. Sound mixer Dave Harries is happy to be a hole in the belly, because that’s exactly what they wanted to achieve: the traffic stop and the West End, “just blow away”. The police station is just a couple of houses – and so, more and more police officers come up with stripes and team cars.
An icy Wind sweeps over the roof, as the Beatles play
You could end the event immediately, let the spectacle but still run. It was only when the complaints about the noise from the neighborhood are getting louder and louder, and the traffic is always chaotic, the police officers access to the house and get the Beatles literally to the roof.
The amplifier, the concert is over
The Band is playing just another Version of “Get back”. Roadie is Time dependent Evans, immediately the amplifier of George and John. He obeys. Immediately George turns around and turns it back on. John after him. This is a Song you want to play to the end. It warns you that you might be arrested. “That would be a great ending for our Film,” says Paul. “Let’s just do it! Great! ‘The Beatles at the Rooftop arrested Gig’!” Even Ringo would have found it cool if cops would have yanked him away from his drums: “Everything was filmed. It would be great looked, with weggetretenen pool, and so on.”
The police officers let you grant – and so the Beatles play their last Live together Song to end. 42 minutes after the concert has started, the event is over. The most famous concert of pop music history is coming to an end. The Beatles have set a recent milestone – and they create it finally, the Film “Let It Be”. The Film comes out in may 1970 in the cinemas – and in 1971, receives an Oscar for best film music.
Poster for the 40-year anniversary
Of the 42 minutes of the presentation about half of which is seen in the Film – some of the Songs were repeated, only “Get Back” comes two Times. After the final chord John Lennon adopted his famous closing words, which is reminiscent of the laborious early days of the Beatles: “I want to thank you in the name of the Band and ourselves, and I hope we passed the Audition.”
“The Beatles on the rooftop”: The full Setlist
Back (five versions)Get
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
Don’t Let Me Down (two versions)
I’ve Got A Feeling
One After 909
Danny Boy
Dig A Pony (two versions)
God Save The Queen
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody