Finale and aftermath
The Beatles went from ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ straight into ‘Get Back’, the final song. The performance nearly ended during the first verse after Evans, at the police officers’ request, turned off Harrison’s, then Lennon’s, Fender Twin guitar amplifiers. McCartney and Starr carried on performing, and a furious-looking Harrison remonstrated with Evans before turning his amp back on. Evans then turned on Lennon’s too, allowing the guitarists to continue.
Making an effort to keep the peace, I switched off the power, starting with George’s amplifier, just as they were about to break into a new number. Then George got a right cob on. I put the amp back on. They played that last number and finished.On the way up to the roof, they arrested me, with one of the policemen putting me in his book. Paul, being the public relations man that he is, apologised to the police and got me off the hook.
The beat during the ‘Get Back’ coda was nearly lost, but The Beatles managed to see the song through to the end. As a climax to the concert and film it could scarcely be bettered, with McCartney brilliantly ad-libbing: “You’ve been out too long, Loretta. You’ve been playing on the roofs again, and that’s no good, ’cause you know your mummy doesn’t like that. Oh, she gets angry. She’s gonna have you arrested! Get back!”
In the end it started to filter up from Mal that the police were complaining. We said, ‘We’re not stopping.’ He said, ‘The police are going to arrest you.’ ‘Good end to the film. Let them do it. Great! That’s an end: “Beatles Busted on Rooftop Gig”.’We kept going to the bitter end and, as I say, it was quite enjoyable. I had my little Höfner bass – very light, very enjoyable to play. In the end the policeman, Number 503 of the Greater Westminster Council, made his way round the back: ‘You have to stop!’ We said, ‘Make him pull us off. This is a demo, man!’
I think they pulled the plug, and that was the end of the film.
The police presence ensured that The Beatles would play no more on the roof. The concert over, McCartney thanked Starr’s wife Maureen for her enthusiastic cheering with a simple “Thanks Mo”.
I always feel let down about the police. Someone in the neighbourhood called the police, and when they came up I was playing away and I thought, ‘Oh great! I hope they drag me off.’ I wanted the cops to drag me off – ‘Get off those drums!’ – because we were being filmed and it would have looked really great, kicking the cymbals and everything. Well, they didn’t, of course; they just came bumbling in: ‘You’ve got to turn that sound down.’ It could have been fabulous.
Anthology
Then, of course, there was John Lennon’s immortal closing quote: “I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we’ve passed the audition.” Both these comments were used at the end of ‘Get Back’ on the Let It Be album, although the version of the song was not from the rooftop performance.
McCartney was the first to leave the roof, followed by Preston, Starr, and Harrison. Lennon stayed behind briefly to talk to Yoko Ono, who had watched the entire show from the sideline.
Around half of the Apple rooftop performance was used in the Let It Be film. Furthermore, edits of ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’, ‘One After 909’ and ‘Dig A Pony’ all featured on the Let It Be album.
The final ‘Get Back’ take was included in the Let It Be film, and appeared on Anthology 3 in 1996. Almost the entire performance, intercut with the police intervention and voxpops with members of the public, was included in the 2021 documentary Get Back.
An edit of the two ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ takes was included on 2003’s Let It Be… Naked, due to John Lennon getting the vocals wrong at different points in both. That album also contained an edit of the rooftop performance of ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’ and a version recorded on another date.
After leaving the rooftop, The Beatles assembled in the control room of the basement studio to hear the recordings. They initially wanted to record the remaining songs that afternoon, but due to delays in bringing down and setting up their equipment, the decision was made to continue recording the following day.
Didn’t John play a few bars of I Want You (She’s So Heavy) while they were changing he tapes?
Not the whole band, just him.
Did you not include it, because it wasn’t the whole band, or didn’t you know?
Anyway, you’ve got a great website, really useful resource.
Thanks!
It was an omission – I also left out A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody and God Save The Queen, but I probably should have been more complete. I’ve added a paragraph about the off-the-cuff songs below the main song list, though it should be stressed that these weren’t proper performances.
Do you have a complete list of all the people who were on the roof at that time?
No. The Beatles and their associates are known, but I’m not sure about the members of the film crew.
I noticed that the birthday song on youtube was recently removed from the rooftop concert and replaced with the Paul McCartney version. I loved the original. I do see the rooftop concert on vimeo however the birthday song is not included. Perhaps something about copyright issues? Can the birthday song video from the rooftop concert be ordered somewhere?
I have a question.
There’s a bootleg with a stereo versions of the Rooftop Concert?
In response, McCartney mumbled something about cricketer Ted Dexter, and Lennon announced: “We’ve had a request from Martin Luther.”
John shouts something while Paul says in a posh voice “Well, thank you very much. It looks Ted Dexter has scored another.” Then John says “We’ve had a request from Martin and Luther.” There’s definitely an “and” in between “Martin” and “Luther”. I downloaded the bootleg off the internet.
From listening to the bootleg, there is a loud American voice, one of the crew. Who is it?
That probably would’ve been the director Michael Lindsay-Hogg who was an American.
While Conway Twitty may have made ONE recoding of “Danny Boy” the song is much older, having been written by Frederic Weatherly in 1910, and first recorded by someone named Ernestine Schumann-Heink in 1915.
It says that George sings a few lines on I’ve Got A Feeling and they were his only vocals during the concert, which was stated in Mark Lewisohn’s Beatles Sessions book, but it’s not quite true, because George can clearly be heard singing on Don’t Let Me Down as well, so much so that at one point he almost drowns John’s vocal out. He only sings in the choruses of Don’t Let Me Down though.
I would like to hear George drown out a Lennon vocal.
Are you sure it wasn’t Paul?
John Paul and George sing a great gospel-like 3 part harmony on the choruses of Don’t Let Me Down.
https://soundcloud.com/coxalicious/dont-let-me-down-heard-from
i have reel tapes of street interviews and found this, where george was much louder on the amps and could be heard on the street.
I noticed that error too, because, as you said, he is clearly singing on “Don’t Let Me Down” and even the footage can verify this.
7 December, 1968. Jefferson Airplane Rooftop Concert filmed by Godard 😉
The Airplane did a rooftop concert a month earlier (December 7) at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. The Beatles followed, followed by U2 and two other groups whose names I cannot remember. So you see, the Beatles did not start that one.
The video for this link been removed. On this link it says Jefferson Airplane played their Roof Top performance on Tuesday, November 19th 1968. The Beatles weren’t the first group to play on a rooftop but their performance was far better! https://bestclassicbands.com/jefferson-airplane-rooftop-nyc-1-16-18/
At the end, John says “I hope we passed the audition!”
What does he say right before that?
@Imagination Troubador “I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and…” It’s on page two of this article.
Just prior, we hear a female yell,”Yay”. That’s Maureen Starkey, then we hear Paul say,” Thanks MO, to her…into John’s “I’d like to say…
I visited the Casbah Coffee Club this year. and the guide, Rogue Best said Paul Thanked Mo, meaning Mona Best, who ran the club in the early days. How clear is it really that he was talking to Maureen?
Very clear. Rogue wasn’t there, and Maureen – who was frequently referred to as the shortened “Mo”- was. She is sited in reports and articles of the event as having been quite enthusiastic in her cheering , as can be heard in this case. There would be no reason for Paul to be making such an obscure “thanks” at this late date in their careers.
Considering that she was there on the roof and had just cheered the finale of the song, probably 100%.
“On behalf of ourselves and the group”
I’ve Got A Feeling on Let It Be… Naked is an edit of the two rooftop performances isn’t it?
Am I wrong or this was technically their longest lasting gig?
No, they used to play for well over an hour in Liverpool and Hamburg in their early days. It was only when Epstein started managing them that their shows typically lasted around half an hour.
in reply to Gainsbarre, indeed George voice can clearly be heard singing on Don’t Let me Down as back up vocal but not drowning out John’s voice.
i’d like to know what john said before they sang “Two of Us”…
“‘I Dig a Pygmy’, by Charles Hawtrey and the Deaf Aids… Phase One, in which Doris gets her oats!”
George Also sings The “All I Want Is” intro and outro on Dig A Pony…
Hi, I’m glad you mentioned George’s small stunt of kneeling before Lennon.
Out of curiosity, do you know why they did this? Was it just a bit of fun (they both smiled at each other afterwards), or was it something else? Thanks!
Is the Alan Parsons mentioned above the same as the “Alan Parsons Project”?
Yep. Also it’s the same guy who engineered “Dark Side of The Moon” by Pink Floyd.
Does anyone know about the beautiful wood planks on the roof? Were they placed there? I can’t think they were always there. They seem to have been cut to fit. Does anyone know if they still exist? Someone have a souvenir?
If ever you found one you could make a guitar out of it like ZZ Top did
Someone knows if with the beatles touristic tour you can see also the Apple building?
Isn’t that tour in Liverpool? Apple was located in London.
Just saw the photo looking down for the first time – what a great shot! Any idea where it was taken from – did someone climb up somewhere to take it? wow.
RE: “I’d like to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition.”
This was John, correct? I’ve heard several Beatles fans say it’s Ringo.
It was absolutely John. You can see him speak the words at the end of the Let It Be film.
Before beginning the song “Two of Us” during their impromptu rooftop concert at Apple Headquarters, Jon Lennon quipped “I dig a pygmy by Charles Hawtrey and the Deaf Aids, phase one in which Doris gets her oats”.
Hey, just saw Ron Howard’s “Eight Day’s A Week.” Save your money. The “Anthology” is better, though Opie has a few good moments. He shows good Rooftop Concert video. I’ve seen “Let It Be” many times, and somehow Howard has footage (I think) that isn’t fan-sourced but another camera’s shots. I always wondered about why they were never shown by now – I thought they were destroyed. If any of y’ll know: were multiple cameras used by the director of “Let It Be” on the rooftop? If so, was Howard using unseen footage (or am I imagining this)? I think I read/heard McCartney wanting a fresh edition/digitalized version of the Rooftop Concert. Were there two or more cameras on the roof? Granted, Lindsay-Hogg most likely chose the best shots. But still….
Yeah, I watched it and definitely saw Rooftop footage I’d not seen before. That – for me – justified purchase of Eight Days A Week, LOL.
Is there a complete 42 minute version available on video anywhere? I’d sure like to see the whole thing.
Was on my birthday. I always remember this great concert. Thanks Beatles!
I Wonder: Who else have been singing and playing on the roof of Savile Row since the Beatles in 1969?
Did the Rutles enter the roof? And who else?
I have! Back in 1981 when I was in a band myself, me and a bandmate had a free day one day so we did the Beatle sites. When we got to Savile Row, No 3 door was ajar, as the place was a building site at the time. So we opened it and walked right up to the rooftop, sang a chorus of Don’t Let Me Down and went back down stairs again.
My impression when we got there was how small the space was up there.
But what a great experience for a huge Beatles fan like me
In Steinkjer, a city in Norway, we have a Beatles tribute band called: Bærre Beatles.
We attended the roof in September 1996 and sang (with one guitar) One after 909.
What a feeling!
Bjørn Edward Diesen
Does anyone know if they planned to do other songs had the performance not been stopped?
Worked at Andre Bernard as hair stylist, took my lunch walk through Burlington Arcade then stood outside Mr Fish the kipper tie boutique and listened to Get Back. Wearing my Lord John Bo Brummel jacket. Went home and hoped to see it on TOTP but not on. Great to see it in Ron Howards production.
Such great days working in Mayfair in mid to late 60’s.
Don’t quite know why, but One After 909 always struck me as the highlight of the rooftop concert.
What videos have clips of the concert besides “Let It Be”?
I once saw most of the rooftop concert on YouTube and haven’t been able to find it since except for Don’t Let Me Down and Get Back. I wonder where I can find it again
Does anybody can say what John Lennon´s sing when he sing Don´t Let Me Down by the first time? There are some weird lyrics I am nor able to understand…thanks a lot in advance
John sings “An no le re zi ga bli blu ji go/Ooh she does, yeah she does” after the second chorus of “Don’t Let Me Down.” Hope this helps!
Where did the Fender Rhodes piano go to?
Has PC503 ever been interviewed about having to stop the concert and whether he had mixed feelings about it?
I have always been wondering about how anyone would complain about a free Beatles concert. Here is arguably the greatest rock band ever playing live and for anyone to listen to. Can you imagine the price of a ticket if it was in a concert hall. Playing live for the first time in a long time and the last time ever and people complaining about the noise. Damn , I would have climbed straight up the outside of the building just to look and listen in awe.
Agreed. If I recall correctly most people on the ground enjoyed the free concert, but there are always those who would complain about something even if it’s a free meal.
We see over and over the claim that the coat worn by Lennon was borrowed from Yoko, yet we see him wearing it all through the Get Back series. It fits him properly. If it had been her coat it would have come down to below her knees and the sleeves especially at the shoulders, would have been ridiculously huge.
The entire rooftop performance is in episode 3 of Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” miniseries.
Twin Reverbs aren’t exactly “tiny little amps.”