The Beatles' rooftop concert
On the 30th of January 1969, the Beatles performed a concert from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row. The idea for this event emerged just days before the actual performance. George Harrison had walked out of rehearsals on the 10th of January and set conditions for his return. He demanded they move from Twickenham Film Studios to their own basement studio. Paul McCartney and director Michael Lindsay-Hogg hoped to end sessions with a live show. Ringo Starr initially refused to play while Harrison remained reluctant. Audio engineer Glyn Johns claimed he conceived the plan during a lunch discussion. John Lennon reportedly suggested it according to Billy Preston's recollection. Mal Evans wrote in his diary that the concept arose after fresh air was taken on the roof. Peter Jackson's documentary shows McCartney reacting excitedly to the proposal.
Mal Evans organized the construction of a stage on the Apple rooftop. The band used specific instruments including Lennon's Epiphone Casino and McCartney's Höfner violin bass. Harrison played a custom rosewood Fender Telecaster while Starr utilized a Ludwig drum kit. Billy Preston added a Fender Rhodes electric piano to the mix. Engineers purchased women's stockings from Marks & Spencer to protect microphones from winter wind. Two eight-track recorders captured audio in the basement studio below. Six cameras filmed multiple angles of the performance from various positions. One camera sat without permission on a neighboring building roof. Another hid behind a two-way mirror inside the reception area. Street-level cameras recorded interviews and reactions from passersby. Plans for aerial helicopter footage were abandoned before execution.
At around 12:30 pm, four Beatles members and Billy Preston arrived on the roof. Confusion spread among public members taking their lunch breaks nearby. Crowds gathered in streets and on flat rooftops of adjacent buildings as news traveled. Metropolitan Police officers Ray Dagg and Ray Shayler arrived to stop the noise. Apple staff initially blocked access but yielded when threatened with arrest. Officers ascended just as the second take of Don't Let Me Down began. McCartney improvised lyrics about mothers disliking roof playing during Get Back. Evans turned off amplifiers mid-song only for Harrison to restore his own sound. The concert ended after the third take of Get Back. Rain fell while Starr played wearing his wife Maureen Starkey's red raincoat. Lennon joked that he hoped they had passed the audition.
Nine complete takes of five songs filled the forty-two minute set. Three versions of Get Back appeared alongside two each of Don't Let Me Down and I've Got a Feeling. Single takes included One After 909 and Dig a Pony. A short version of God Save the Queen closed out the session. The first performance of I've Got a Feeling made it onto the 1970 album Let It Be. Footage from the event formed the climax of Michael Lindsay-Hogg's documentary film. Audio released on the 28th of January 2022 under the title Get Back , The Rooftop Performance. Track times reflect the streaming version released in 2022. Lennon sang lines from Danny Boy after One After 909 concluded. He also quoted A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody following I've Got a Feeling Take 2. A false start preceded Dig a Pony while a brief jam followed the initial Get Back take.
The audio recording and film footage reached various formats over decades. First releases arrived in May 1970 with the studio album Let It Be. Footage appeared in the documentary film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg for Apple Corps. Anthology 3 included the third live performance of Get Back in 1996. Let It Be... Naked remixed the 1970 album to include edited versions of Don't Let Me Down. The 2021 special edition added brief jams recorded during tape changes. Disney released the concert sequence as The Beatles: Get Back , The Rooftop Concert in February 2022. Streaming services received the full audio under the title Get Back , The Rooftop Performance. Capitol Records and Universal Music Enterprises partnered with Apple Corps for distribution. The IMAX release featured remastered visuals for theatrical presentation.
Author James Perone argued the concert achieved iconic status among fans in 2005. He placed it on par with Monterey Pop, Woodstock, and Altamont festivals. Many observers believed the event served as a trial run for future touring. Lennon left the band in September 1969 after work began on Abbey Road. The Rutles mimicked the footage in their 1978 film All You Need Is Cash. Harrison guest-starred in The Simpsons episode Homer's Barbershop Quartet in 1993. U2 paid homage through their 1987 video Where the Streets Have No Name. Manchester indie band James performed a similar gig on the 30th of January 1991. McCartney played a surprise mini-concert from the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee in July 2009. The Bootleg Beatles attempted a 40th-anniversary show but were refused permission by Westminster City Council.
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Common questions
When did the Beatles perform their rooftop concert at 3 Savile Row?
The Beatles performed their rooftop concert on the 30th of January 1969. This event took place from the roof of their Apple Corps headquarters located at 3 Savile Row.
Who organized the construction of the stage for the Beatles rooftop performance?
Mal Evans organized the construction of a stage on the Apple rooftop. He also wrote in his diary that the concept arose after fresh air was taken on the roof.
What instruments did each Beatle use during the rooftop concert?
John Lennon played an Epiphone Casino while Paul McCartney used a Höfner violin bass. George Harrison played a custom rosewood Fender Telecaster and Ringo Starr utilized a Ludwig drum kit.
Why did the Metropolitan Police stop the Beatles rooftop concert?
Metropolitan Police officers arrived to stop the noise because confusion spread among public members taking their lunch breaks nearby. Officers ascended just as the second take of Don't Let Me Down began and ended the performance after the third take of Get Back.
How many complete takes of songs were recorded during the Beatles rooftop session?
Nine complete takes of five songs filled the forty-two minute set. Three versions of Get Back appeared alongside two each of Don't Let Me Down and I've Got a Feeling.