On January 30th, 1969, The Beatles went right to the top. Top of the building and put on a historic 45 min concert, which would be their last ever. But what a concert.
Who Had The Idea to Play on the Roof?
The Beatles first choice wasn’t the rooftop in the beginning. Ideas ranged from an amphitheater to a cruise ship; the rooftop concept is often credited to Ringo Starr after a lunchtime discussion.
It was designed to be an “honest” live performance, free from studio polish, aiming to restore band unity and provide a climax for their film Let It Be. Despite reluctance from some members, John Lennon famously said, “Let’s do it,” breaking the tension.
The Cold Concert
A bitter 45 degrees and a crisp, windy Winter day in London. John wore Yoko Ono’s fur coat, Ringo wore his wife’s red raincoat. Paul McCartney dressed up in a suit, and George Harrison had on a long black fur coat
The Rooftop was the Apple Corps headquarters rooftop in London.
The four Beatles and Billy Preston arrived on the roof at around 12:30 pm.[When they began to play, there was confusion nearby among members of the public, many of whom were on their lunch break.
News of the event spread, and crowds began to congregate in the streets and on the flat rooftops of nearby buildings. Most responded positively to the concert, but the Metropolitan Police grew concerned about noise and traffic issues.
Key Details of the Rooftop Concert:
Location: 3 Savile Row, London (Apple Corps rooftop).
Songs Performed: Multiple takes of “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “One After 909,” and “Dig a Pony”.
The Crowd: Surprised commuters and office workers on the street below.
The Police: Officers arrived to stop the performance due to noise complaints.
The event marked the end of the band’s live performances and featured in the 1970 film Let It Be and the 2021 docuseries The Beatles: Get Back.
Rooftop Concert Spoofed By The Rutles
The Rutles were a British parody band created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes from Monty Python fame. In the 1970s, to satirize the career of The Beatles. Featured in the 1978 mockumentary film All You Need Is Cash, they portrayed four musicians—Ron Nasty (Innes), Dirk McQuickly (Idle), Stig O’Hara (Ricky Fataar), and Barry Wom (John Halsey)—who mirrored the Beatles’ rise to fame. George Harrison even does a cameo in the movie.
Born in Mt Clemens, Screamin’ Scott has been a part of the Detroit airwaves for 30-plus years. With 40 years of experience in radio. When he’s not out on the streets for WCSX, you can find him devoting time to local charities with his, “Screamin Angels”; and for 16 years with Rock 4 Tots charity. And last 10 years with his local band, “Chit!.” Screamin Scott likes to write about nostalgic Detroit area memories, classic rock, and local metro Detroit topics.
Screamin’ Scott
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