January 30, 1969 BEATLES Concert on Apple roof top

Do you have any pictures of what the Apple building and the location of the Ziggy cover look like today that you can post?

 

What strikes me is how powerful these little Fender amps are! In the scenes filmed from street level - and it does sound live and not dubbed in - they are still pretty loud! How many stories has this building?

When I first saw those rooftop concert clips last year, it was so good I nearly cried! I hadn't seen a clean copy of the film since the early 70s. Even though I would enjoy of course a complete, unedited version of the concert, I just love the direction and editing of those particular scenes - the shots chosen, such as this fabulous little old Englishman with his pipe clutched firmly, hands in the pockets of his coat, and so swiftly climbing those service stairs like he knew exactly where to look out for the "swinging London action"!

 

I think they had a PA system on the rooftop, so it wasn't just the amps. Though those Fender amps are pretty loud when turned up!

Love the tone George got from his rosewood Tele on the rooftop-- what a beautiful guitar

 

>I think they had a PA system on the rooftop<

Did they, Toby? I always tried to look up for a PA in those photos (my wife has the box) and I can't seem to find these (aerial view a few posts above).

 

PA columns at the very front left and right of stage almost at the roofs edge.
See picture in post #13.

P.S. PA columns of the day , not today's PA cabs. From what I can tell these are probably Fender PA columns.

Brian Epstein had a deal with Vox , so they used Vox amps pretty exclusively , but after Brian passed Fender sent them a load of things , hence the Fender PA, etc.

 

It is indeed miraculous that they put in such a spirited performance and got some takes worthy of inclusion on the official release (with a little help from their friend Phil) under the circumstances. Indeed, I know of nowhere else where "Got a Feeling", "One After 909" and "Dig a Pony" are better.

Wondering if the stage configuration with John in the middle - unlike all their previous performances during their touring years where it was always George - happened completely by chance, or was it intentional? Perhaps George - knowing they wouldn't be doing any of his songs (and I think being the Beatle most opposed to doing the performance in the first place) - simply preferred to stay off to the side and keep as low a profile as possible. Though once he got into it, he seemed to be having as much fun as the others.

 

I took this picture of 3 Savile Road in May 2006. It's not the best shot due to the angle and the traffic sign that got in the middle of all the good shots, but I wanted to catch the whole building, including some of that wonderful London sky.

 

I was on another forum the other day and someone posted what the weather was on that day in London. I think the high temperature was 50 (Fahrenheit). If this was done around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, it was probably just under 50 degrees. The combination of the the misery of the weather and the relationships could have resulted in something much less in what came out on film. They look and sound so cool.

 

1968 Fender Telecaster

from a great site:
http://www.thecanteen.com/harrison1.html

1968: 1968 Fender Telecaster solidbody; Serial #235594: This guitar, rosewood with a maple middle, was a gift from Fender and one of only two made, and arrived at EMI Studios one day in December, having made the trip from the U.S. in its own BBC coach seat. Used extensively on the Let It Be sessions and prominently seen and heard at the Beatles' last public performance -- the rooftop concert. After the breakup, Harrison performed a bit with Bonnie & Delaney and gave this guitar to Delaney Bramlett. In 1998 Bramlett, in what I consider an act of monumental ingratitude, offered it for auction through Bonham's but withdrew it after his asking price of $200,000 was not met. In 2003 he offered it again at a Hollywood auction, insisting that Harrison had recommended he sell it before somebody killed him for it. Ed Begley Jr., bidding for Olivia Harrison, bought it for more than $470,000, including taxes and premiums. So the fabled Rosewood Tele has come home.

 

Amazing stuff. I think the Jefferson Airplane also did something similar at the time.....back in the day

 

Thanks Glenn, I didn't know they looked like that.

 

It actually happened at 12:00 PM American Time..the unsuspecting crowd below looked up in confusion,and the Police were called..apparently,The Beatles didn't have a performance O.K. to perform up there,and was causing quite a ruckus up there...the cops came to cut them off right about the time they'd went into "Get Back",the last song on the list (Good timing,HUH?)..you can hear on the film Paul singing to the cops "GET BACK!",looking directly at them..they'd then went downstairs,eventually..I think they'd even got ticketed for causing a disturbance,too,if I remember correctly! Michael Boyce

 

12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time would have been 5:00 PM in London. 12:00 PM Pacific Standard Time would have been 8:00 PM in London. Either way, it would have been getting dark or already dark at that hour in January.

 

Err,That's right..D'OH!! Thanks for setting me straight on that!! Oh,Well! Michael Boyce

 

Tell us what else you remember about that day. And what the sky looked like at this hour.

 

Daylight rules.

 

How cool would it have been to be on the street below to hear that performance?!?! Though, I'm sure no one there at the time would have guessed how significant that performance was.

I always wonder if the people on the street REALIZED they were hearing a live performance from the Beatles or just thought it was recorded music playing loudly. Though I would guess most people in the area would have known about the band and would have guessed it was live?

 

Oh look out, get back...under the rooftop threadcrap...

 

They did...a few months berfoe the Beatles.

 

His beard kept him warm.

 

so did U2 for their Where the Streets Have No Name video

 

Boring!! been done, couldn't they come up with something a bit more original than copying this segment from 'Let It Be'

 

"It's been done."