The Beatles played their final concert, on a London rooftop, 50 years ago today

[Vince Evert]

Editor’s Note: This article, written by Josh Terry, was originally published in 2014. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary concert, we’re re-publishing it today.

Fifty years ago today, The Beatles played their final show ever.

Back before elaborate album rollouts and surprise releases, the Liverpool quartet spontaneously previewed songs from their forthcoming album Let It Be to scores of Londoners, staging an impromptu 42-minute set on the rooftop of Apple, their label, on Savile Row.

Before Metropolitan police eventually halted the performance, filmmakers captured not only the memorable set, but also the reactions of its attendees and those in the nearby area. While the January 30th, 1969 event luckily made its way onto the Let It Be documentary, the unannounced rooftop concert ultimately signaled the last time people would see the Beatles perform together live.

Getting The Beatles to play any kind of a show during that time was surprising, considering they officially stopped touring in 1966. This was partially due to the legions of loyal fans drowning out their concerts, as well the obstacle of not being able to perform some of their new material’s more complicated arrangements live. Despite their fatigue with playing traditional gigs, the band wanted to continue premiering and recording new music.


For the rest of the article check out the link:
https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/01/beatles-rooftop-concert/

 

[Horsa]

Oh! I'm gutted. You mentioned that concert & my favourite Beatles song without sharing my favourite Beatles song. That's soon rectified though. Here is my favourite Beatles song.

 

[shawnbm]

Love Get Back and Don’t Let Me Down. Ah the food ol’ days

 

[Horsa]

Love Get Back and Don’t Let Me Down. Ah the food ol’ days

I guess that was a Freudian slip & you needed a snack.

 

[Vince Evert]

News gets better if you're a diehard fan (as I am):





https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/movi ... -film.html

Peter Jackson to Direct Beatles Film


By Sara Aridi
Jan. 30, 2019

The director Peter Jackson, known for the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies and the new WWI documentary, “They Shall Not Grow Old,” has a new project on his hands: an archival documentary on the Beatles.

The film, which is still untitled, will cull from roughly 55 hours of never-released footage of the band’s 1969 studio sessions that led to their final album, “Let It Be.”

The announcement of the movie comes on the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ final show, that much loved performance on a windswept roof in London.



“This movie will be the ultimate ‘fly on the wall’ experience that Beatles fans have long dreamt about,” Jackson said in a statement. “It’s like a time machine transports us back to 1969, and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together.”

The footage of the new film will be restored with the same techniques Jackson and his producers used during the making of “They Shall Not Grow Old.” The project has been approved by the former band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison.

The “Let It Be” recording sessions were captured in an accompanying 1970 documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, which highlighted the group’s tenuous relations leading to their breakup.

Once Jackson’s movie is released, the Beatles’ management company, Apple Corps Ltd., will also rerelease the original 1970 film.

 

[Horsa]

News gets better if you're a diehard fan (as I am):





https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/movi ... -film.html

Peter Jackson to Direct Beatles Film


By Sara Aridi
Jan. 30, 2019

The director Peter Jackson, known for the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies and the new WWI documentary, “They Shall Not Grow Old,” has a new project on his hands: an archival documentary on the Beatles.

The film, which is still untitled, will cull from roughly 55 hours of never-released footage of the band’s 1969 studio sessions that led to their final album, “Let It Be.”

The announcement of the movie comes on the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ final show, that much loved performance on a windswept roof in London.



“This movie will be the ultimate ‘fly on the wall’ experience that Beatles fans have long dreamt about,” Jackson said in a statement. “It’s like a time machine transports us back to 1969, and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together.”

The footage of the new film will be restored with the same techniques Jackson and his producers used during the making of “They Shall Not Grow Old.” The project has been approved by the former band members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison.

The “Let It Be” recording sessions were captured in an accompanying 1970 documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, which highlighted the group’s tenuous relations leading to their breakup.

Once Jackson’s movie is released, the Beatles’ management company, Apple Corps Ltd., will also rerelease the original 1970 film.

That's great news. Thank you very much for sharing. I like most of their songs. I'm a fan though I wasn't even thought of when they were singing. My parents always played & sung Beatles songs & I had to sing Beatles songs in High School. I guess I just caught the bug.

 

[Vince Evert]

really stylish fan home-made video of the recording sessions to 'Get Back' -

 

[shawnbm]

Very much looking forward to it!