The amazing thing to me is it this song didn't even exist a few weeks before. They wrote, arranged and performed it live in front of people in just a few weeks.
Billy Preston is a legend amongst Beatles fans. He and the band became friends before they were famous while playing regular slots in a Club in Hamburg, Germany. He played on the Let it Be album and they asked him back to play on the Abbey Road Album. They'd already been talking about adding new blood to the band when Billy turned up and was a perfect fit. There was talk of him joining but the band split shortly after, unfortunately.
They stopped touring in August 1966 so for them to play this concert on he roof in cold weather and play so well is a testament to their talent. Billy really topped off the sound. He was so talented.
Watching the Get Back documentary, it's wild how much the creative mood of the band improved once Billy Preston started rehearsing with them. They basically offered him band membership on the spot.
Clarifying what I said earlier, Billy Preston is one of only two humans on planet Earth who have played in the lineups with not only the Beatles, but also the Stones. The other musician, also a keyboardist, was Nicki Hopkins, whose keyboard work you can hear performed on the Beatles song Revolution.
In the midst of all the turmoil the band was going through, on the brink of breaking up, animosity plaguing their personal and professional relationships, for a brief moment they set all of that aside and provided one of the greatest events,...moments...in their entire legendary history.
I love that your mother sang gospel with Billy P! Those were the great days of gospel, today it seems like one big show. You have a rich musical heritage!
Now you got me started. What I love about this, is they're all plugged straight into a couple little Fender amps. No effects needed if the songwriting is strong. George played lead, but no solos. Just beautiful melody parts that gave the verses a dreamy feel. These guys were so badass without having to sell themselves as such.
My first time in London about 5 years ago - this was my first stop finding this building. It was very cool - it's a furniture store now. This rooftop gig was short until the cops shut it down but was incredible.
I often "Imagine" what it would be like to see the four of them on a stage with today's sound technology. Though throughout their career they were required to for many reasons, I'm sure there would be no lip syncing.
What I also loved about the singles released they were credited as "The Beatles with Billy Preston" on the label. They loved Billy, Lennon wanted to make his part of the band.
Playing on a rooftop without permission of the city officials to do so. Created quite a traffic jam below. People were saying is that the Beatles? Free concert for the lucky ones who happened to be walking by. It was a great publicity stunt also. Must have felt kind of nice to the four Beatles also. They in a sense were performing live here. That's something they hadn't been able to do for a number of years.
This is a John song through and through, but of course everyone contributes mightily to the end result! This rooftop performance was the last time The Beatles ever played together in public! They went back in the studio months later and did Abbey Road!
One of my favorites, somewhere there is a video of the entire rooftop concert where they played a handful of songs, with clips of people down below on the street looking up trying to figure out where the sound is coming from, and cops coming up to tell the to shut it down, etc. check it out, it's a great piece of rock history.
At the 1.50 minute mark you can see Yoko sitting in the right corner of the shot. New to your guys channel, subscribed early October 2022 (about the 1.13K mark). You guys are great to listen to and really do a great job analyzing music. Also, congrats on being willing to do your own research on Elvis. Enjoyed your reviews of his stuff as well. Cheers.
This roof concert was illegal and a surprise to everyone. They got shutdown by the police. Their last time playing together and they got shutdown. As someone who made his way through a few garage bands back in the day I can recall being shutdown by some authority a few times. I can imagine they did as well in the beginning. For me that makes this an appropriate and more poetic finish.😎
This was never released as a single - should have been. I don’t remember ever hearing it on the radio… Hear me out: there are TWO generations who have no idea how incredible, how unbelievable their music is. The owners (Jackson estate??) should release a single on Top 40, exactly as they are, every 6 months, I think they’d be hits again. They don’t have to dominate - I think they’d knock the socks off all unfamiliar. Whaddya think? 😏
Hey guys, if your mom sang with Billy Preston, hats off. You two were raised right obviously, but that love for music was geinectaly passed down! For Mom , For George , please react to two songs from the concert for George. An all star tribute filmed at the Royal Albert Hall, a year after George left us. Billy Preston kills it, singing " My Sweet Lord" and " Isn't it a Pity" please find time for those! ❤✌️
John wrote this, but, as with their work practice in recording each Beatle contributing creatively. That was them. John is the majority writer of this if not sole writer of this song. A brilliant song and was a B side to the Get Back (Paul) Beatles single in '69.
If you love this song, you will definitely love Oh Darling. Paul sings that song, and he practiced this song so he could sing higher than John. He wanted to show John what he could do
John Lennon wrote the song (guitar, melody, lyrics). They worked out the vocal harmonies and George does the guitar lead fills, and Ringo's drumming is always real solid.
Just have to say John wrote the lyrics and tunes on all of his songs as did Paul on his. They might've tinkered with stuff once the band heard the song but the basic song was in place tune and most of the lyrics.
One of their many true masterpieces! Why is it hard for you to believe Lennon wrote the whole thing - you don’t think he was capable?? he was a FKG GENIUS. > Check Jealous Guy, Imagine of course, So This is Christmas, Beautiful Boy, … A journalist once expressed surprise to Ringo about a song by Lennon, and Ringo said “John has a LOT of soul.” Don’t Let Me Down was a B side on a single (either Get Back or Hey Jude) and I couldn’t believe no one ever mentioned it - I loved it instantly. I’ve always associated this with “Dear Prudence” because they were relatively ignored at the time, but mind blowing in their beauty, simplicity , sentiment and passion. (Also: I can’t find you reviewing “Oh Darling” -wtf you waiting for?😉 Hang onto your hats!)
Love the smiles while they're playing. They'd been talking about an impromptu concert for a few days. They wanted to play somewhere that they didn't have permission to be, to see if they could rile the police. It almost didn't happen, but at the last minute John said let's do it. And the police did finally show up and ask them to turn down the volume a bit. I think this is the last time they ever performed live.
A quick shout out to Billy Preston, who has the distinction of the only other human being on the planet who played in lineups for BOTH the BEATLES and THE STONES!!!! He was a legend in his own right! Literally soothed the band and kept it from breaking up (they knew him from their tour days with Little Richard, in whose backup band, Preston used to play) and provided a solid keyboard presence they could really have used for live performance. Remember, by this time, they had not been touring for 2+ years. John actually approached Paul (like he previously did with Yoko, to which Ringo would famously reply “Ah, come on, John, she’s NEVER going to be a Beatle”) about asking Billy to join the band. McCartney’s response was “Don’t we already have enough trouble already without adding another band member?” And yes, John is singing to Yoko in the song. Incredible to imagine if you could just get the Beatles with Preston in the lineup on stage what kind of concert band they would have become. He wouldn’t have hurt in the studio, either.
Hey guys, here is a piece from the Documentary Get Back. They're rehearsing/creating the song. This is a week or two prior to the rooftop concert. Check it out ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-385eTo76OzA.html
You know they knew they still had it! They just wouldn't put the effort to patch things up personally? What a shame, could have had another album or 2?
Happy New Year to all….I would love to watch y’all react to the best cover of this great song: John Meyer & Keith Urban - Don’t Let Me Down - Live (Guitar Sweetness)
Beatlemania (screaming girls) ruined this bands ability to tour, but they made so much more great art in studio because of it, it's hard to imagine it turning out any different. These guys worked as hard recording as most bands do on tour, and it shows, obviously.
This song is so bittersweet. They are are lads again, enjoying playing together, but they were on the verge of breaking up for good and they knew it. You guys should listen to "A day in the life" from Sgt Peppers Lonely hearts club band". A lot of people smarter than me regard it as their masterpiece.
Ringo is left-handed but played right-handed which makes his playing even more remarkable. Entertainers have often performed in spite of their struggles. Bobby Darin (Somewhere, Beyond the Sea) was in near constant pain. Elvis and his(il)legal drug dealing DOCTOR. Hank Williams, Sr. (and Jr.) battle demons and f'ing bad luck/choices. It's also remarkable how many performers have died at the age of 27(self-fulfilling prophecy sometimes?) Robert Johnson most notably early. He was said to have made a deal with the devil at the crossroads.
I never knew ringo was left handed. I’m a drummer so that is remarkable after watching him play. I can play left handed a little bit but I get confused when I start doing drum fills. 😂😂😂
Like many drummers, attempting to emulate Ringo wasn’t as easy as it appeared. “The problem is Ringo is a left handed drummer playing a right handed kit,” said Phil, “and as a result his drum fills are counter-intuitive and difficult to reproduce exactly.”
Ringo's Gran made him right- handed unnaturally as was often done in those days. Left-handed people and red-heads were "of the devil" and treated poorly without real cause. Superstition, pft.
It's a shame Billy didn't get more camera time on the rooftop performance. I think that's the only really good shot of him during the whole concert. You can just see his head bobbing behind Paul later in the vid.
Why did you guys stop doing Beatles? I’m guessing copyright, but you have to fight through that s. Also (I’m sure somebody else mentioned it, but Billy Preston KILLS on the rooftop concert version of Get Back. You will lose your mind!
Roof Top. Unanounced. They shut the town down durning lunch. I believe it was the lat live performance they ever did. Just that more special. Never be another!
I love that you guys are showing respect and recognition to Mr Billy Preston "our momma knew Billy" "played gospel" I love to hear that. Barely any of the other reaction channels even know he's there.
Paul is really happy mainly because the police had just made their way to the roof to shut it down. He was hoping to be forcefully cuffed and led away, they wanted any publicity they could get. Actually, the police said, would you mind turning it down a bit, after this next song.
An excellent John Lennon song is Dear Prudence. An excellent George Harrison song is Here Comes the Sun. An excellent Paul song is Here There and Everywhere, An excellent Ringo Song is Octopus' Garden. Here's a tip. Typically whoever sang lead wrote the song. Most versatile band ever.
That was 55 years ago today. I love the Beatles and I'm going to watch Get Back today y in its entirety. Speaking of Billy, John wanted Billy to become a permanent member of The Beatles.
If you liked this roof top song then please listen to "I've Got a Feeling" from the same roof top concert, but this time a McCartney vocal. And what a vocal it is!!
It's amazing how many absolutely killer songs the Beatles recorded and in so many styles. They were the epitome of the saying "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts". They were all very talented guys and they produced great material after the Beatles (well, Paul, John and George did), but IMO, none of the solo material equaled the best of the Beatles work, which I think was due their ability to feed off each others ideas and strengths when they were collaborating, along with a probable sense of competition with the other members when they were doing solo songwriting, which ultimately produced stronger material....that's just my own personal theory. 😁
Sorry but I have to respectfully disagree. I think George did music as good as the Beatles in fact MY SWEET LORD was the first post Beatles song to reach #
You are seeing the Beatles at their most joyous--performing together. The looks of joy, appreciation and support were there from day one. And that joy comes through in their music. Follow the changes, particularly in bass and drums, and you'll be delighted. Paul originally played guitar, and plays the bass melodically and syncopated, perfectly supporting the record. Likewise Ringo is always varying his drumming to support each section--not flashy, but adding to the record.
