Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
Ebook232 pages3 hours
The Beatles on the Roof
By Tony Barrell
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this ebook
At lunchtime on a bitterly cold January day in 1969, the strains of guitar chords could be heard in the streets surrounding London’s Savile Row. Crowds gathered – At ground level and above. People climbed onto roofs and postboxes, skipped lunch to gather and listen: For the first time in more than two years, The Beatles were playing live.
Ringing from the rooftops, disturbing the well-to-do ears of the tailors below, they upset the establishment and bewildered the police. It was filmed by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who hoped the footage would act as the finale to a celebratory TV special. When it finally surfaced, it was in the bleak, tumultuous documentary Let It Be. And The Beatles would never play live again.
Tony Barrell examines the concert within the context of its time. He speaks to those who were there: the fans, film-makers, roadies, Apple Corps staff and police. He explores the politics of 1968, when peace gave way to protest, and how music promotion began to collide with cinéma vérité and reality TV. The Beatles on the Roof makes essential reading for anyone interested in the band’s reinventions and relationships, revealing why the rooftop concert happened at all, why it happened the way that it did, and why it would never happen again.
Ringing from the rooftops, disturbing the well-to-do ears of the tailors below, they upset the establishment and bewildered the police. It was filmed by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who hoped the footage would act as the finale to a celebratory TV special. When it finally surfaced, it was in the bleak, tumultuous documentary Let It Be. And The Beatles would never play live again.
Tony Barrell examines the concert within the context of its time. He speaks to those who were there: the fans, film-makers, roadies, Apple Corps staff and police. He explores the politics of 1968, when peace gave way to protest, and how music promotion began to collide with cinéma vérité and reality TV. The Beatles on the Roof makes essential reading for anyone interested in the band’s reinventions and relationships, revealing why the rooftop concert happened at all, why it happened the way that it did, and why it would never happen again.
Author
Tony Barrell
Tony Barrell is a British journalist who has written frequently about pop music and popular culture for the Sunday Times (UK), among other publications. He lives in London.
Related to The Beatles on the Roof
Related ebooks
The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001 The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film (Revised & Expanded Ebook Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Revolver: How the Beatles Re-Imagined Rock 'n' Roll Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beatlemania! The Real Story of the Beatles UK Tours 1963-1965 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Beatles: Celebrating 50 Years of Beatlemania in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnd in the End: The Last Days of The Beatles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Beatles: Acting Naturally Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Beatles: Here, There and Everywhere Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney and Wings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fab Four (Solo Years): Pop Gallery eBooks, #9 Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Fab Four FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Beatles ... and More! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5THE BEATLES in LIVERPOOL, HAMBURG, LONDON PEOPLE | VENUES | EVENTS | THAT SHAPED THEIR MUSIC: From 'Be-Bop-A-Lula' to 'Beatlemania' Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOnce There Was a Way Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Later Years, 1966–2016 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Hard Day's Night: Music on Film Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Beatles! The Inside Story Behind the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band by Kerry Kensington Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Precious and Few: Pop Music of the Early '70s Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Meet the Beatles: A Cultural History of the Band That Shook Youth, Gender, and the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bob Dylan: Performance Artist 1986-1990 And Beyond (Mind Out Of Time) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Big British Bands: Pop Gallery eBooks, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBecoming Artists: The Beatles' Rubber Soul Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNight Moves: Pop Music in the Late '70s Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Beatles At Shea Stadium: The Story Behind Their Greatest Concert Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The British Beat Explosion: Rock n Roll Island Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings50 Licks: Myths and Stories from Half a Century of the Rolling Stones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs Vol.1: From Savoy Stompers to Clock Rockers: A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNever Enough: The Story of The Cure Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Clash on the Clash: Interviews and Encounters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Music For You
Me: Elton John Official Autobiography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Strange Loop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Songwriting: Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure: Tools and Techniques for Writing Better Lyrics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & The Dark Heart Of The Hippie Dream Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Circle of Fifths: Visual Tools for Musicians, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Music Theory For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Easyway to Play Piano: A Beginner's Best Piano Primer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Guitar A Beginner's Course Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Jazz Piano: book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Singing For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bowie: An Illustrated Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Play Ukulele: A Complete Guide for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Everything Songwriting Book: All You Need to Create and Market Hit Songs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becoming a Great Sight-Reader–or Not! Learn From My Quest for Piano Sight-Reading Nirvana Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hal Leonard Pocket Music Theory (Music Instruction): A Comprehensive and Convenient Source for All Musicians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Singing Coach Secrets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Piano For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Music Theory For Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Complete Piano Rags Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Popular Lyric Writing: 10 Steps to Effective Storytelling Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related podcast episodes
Episode 164: “White Light/White Heat” by the Velvet Underground 0% found this document usefulET - Steve Vai + Sebastian Bach: On this episode, Eddie Trunk broadcasts from one of the most iconic hard rock landmarks in Los Angeles, The Rainbow! First, he chats with guitar extraordinaire Steve Vai who discusses his upcoming Big Mama Jama Jamathon and Generation X... 100% found this document usefulThe Doctor Said You Were Dead and I Say It’s Senseless: Prince’s death was traumatic for all of us who loved him. 0% found this document usefulShine On You Crazy Diamond: Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd 0% found this document usefulThe Beatles - Part I: Bill and Brian have finally decided to do it! Here it is, us talking about the Beatles. But how could we do just a single album? Where would we start? Every album they put out could be featured on the podcast, so now they will be. This is part 1... 100% found this document usefulThe Beatles In Los Angeles From Pan Am To Pandemonium Part 2 0% found this document usefulTalking Mal Evans with Ken Womack: Talking Mal Evans with Ken Womack 0% found this document usefulNikki Sixx: Nikki Sixx 0% found this document usefulLegendary Music Journalist Lisa Robinson 0% found this document usefulJames Dean Part 1: From The Quiet Dirt 0% found this document usefulThe Mythos and Story of The Smiths 0% found this document usefulKnopfler & The Straits 100% found this document useful
Related articles
Long And Winding Road UNCUTArticle
Long And Winding Road
Jun 19, 2020
18 min readAbracadabra! UNCUTArticle
Abracadabra!
Jul 15, 2021
25 min readTHE MAKING OF PAUL McCARTNEY’S FLAMING PIE GoldmineArticle
THE MAKING OF PAUL McCARTNEY’S FLAMING PIE
Aug 24, 2020
10 min readTHE BEATLES Revolver: Special Edition UNCUTArticle
THE BEATLES Revolver: Special Edition
Oct 13, 2022
8 min readHere Come The Nice UNCUTArticle
Here Come The Nice
Aug 19, 2021
2 min readThe Who As Advertised! GoldmineArticle
The Who As Advertised!
May 24, 2021
Released in December of ’67, The Who Sell Out, judged against the flower power psychedelia of albums like Sgt. Pepper by The Beatles, Their Satanic Majesties Request by The Rolling Stones and Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane, was an outlier,
17 min read“It Was Typical Of George To Draw People Together…” UNCUTArticle
“It Was Typical Of George To Draw People Together…”
Mar 19, 2020
23 min readDark Globe UNCUTArticle
Dark Globe
Mar 19, 2020
11 min readWhile Their Guitars Gently Weep Guitar PlayerArticle
While Their Guitars Gently Weep
Jul 27, 2021
3 min readMagical History Tour New Zealand ListenerArticle
Magical History Tour
Nov 21, 2021
5 min readBeep Beep Yeah New Zealand ListenerArticle
Beep Beep Yeah
Feb 13, 2022
6 min readStill At Large Guitar PlayerArticle
Still At Large
Jan 9, 2024
5 min readSigns Of Life UNCUTArticle
Signs Of Life
Oct 17, 2019
12 min readSale Of The Century Classic RockArticle
Sale Of The Century
Jul 21, 2020
18 min readThe Beatles: London 1963 Amateur PhotographerArticle
The Beatles: London 1963
Apr 2, 2019
In 1963 Norman Parkinson arrived at the President Hotel in London's Bloomsbury to photograph The Beatles. His commission had come from Jeremy Banks, a freelancer and associate editor of Queen magazine, a title aimed at the glamorous Chelsea Set. Park
1 min readThe Show Must Go On: Can A Band Continue Without Its Lead Singer? The GuardianArticle
The Show Must Go On: Can A Band Continue Without Its Lead Singer?
Nov 2, 2020
2 min readAllthings Must Pass Revisited GoldmineArticle
Allthings Must Pass Revisited
Aug 30, 2021
11 min readWho’s Best? GoldmineArticle
Who’s Best?
May 24, 2021
6 min read“I Wish I Knew I Was Paul McCartney. It Would Be So Much Easier…” UNCUTArticle
“I Wish I Knew I Was Paul McCartney. It Would Be So Much Easier…”
Nov 12, 2020
18 min readThe Beatles The Beatles: Get Back GoldmineArticle
The Beatles The Beatles: Get Back
Oct 5, 2021
2 min read“The Quiet One? He Wasn’t Quiet At All…” UNCUTArticle
“The Quiet One? He Wasn’t Quiet At All…”
May 20, 2021
12 min readJakobDylan UNCUTArticle
JakobDylan
Jun 17, 2021
3 min read“McCARTNEY TOO FAR… GOES ” UNCUTArticle
“McCARTNEY TOO FAR… GOES ”
Nov 12, 2020
2 min readThe Making Of The Beatles' Swan Song GoldmineArticle
The Making Of The Beatles' Swan Song
Sep 18, 2019
11 min readStudio Lines Bass PlayerArticle
Studio Lines
Jan 4, 2022
4 min read“Mick Wanted Me” UNCUTArticle
“Mick Wanted Me”
Dec 8, 2022
2 min readPedals... Total GuitarArticle
Pedals...
Nov 19, 2021
1 min readHey Jude JULIAN LENNON GoldmineArticle
Hey Jude JULIAN LENNON
Sep 6, 2022
14 min readAllman Brothers From The Beginning GoldmineArticle
Allman Brothers From The Beginning
Feb 24, 2020
14 min readThe View From Inside Paul McCartney's 'Secret' Grand Central Station Show NPRArticle
The View From Inside Paul McCartney's 'Secret' Grand Central Station Show
Sep 10, 2018
3 min read
Related categories
Reviews for The Beatles on the Roof
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
2 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Beatles on the Roof - Tony Barrell
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1