Showing posts with label Saville Row. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saville Row. Show all posts

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Beatles Song: Get Back

This Beatles song was written in the studio on January 27, 1969 and the surprising fact is that it was recorded the very same day. McCartney admits he just grabbed the lyrics off the top of his head. This initial recording was used for the Let It Be album. The single version was recorded the following day. The song is also played at the Rooftop Concert on January 30, 1969 on top of Saville Row, headquarters of Apple Corps.

The song is performed in the film Let It Be, and a second version is also heard in the film, a version with different lyrics, ones concerned with the overcrowding of Pakistani families in London flats. McCartney was accused of racism, although he said he threw the lines into the off-the-cuff version because he was against such living conditions. Lennon commented on numerous occasions that he believed the line "Get back to where you once belonged" was a reference to Yoko Ono.

The song was released as a single in the UK and U.S. on April 11 and May 5, 1969 respectively. The album and single versions are different inasmuch as the single adds additional bars, starting with Ringo's drums, whereas the album's version ends more abruptly.

McCartney sings lead, with Lennon providing backing on the chorus. McCartney plays bass, Lennon lead, Harrison rhythm, Starr drums, and Billy Preston keyboards. George Martin was especially impressed with Preston's playing on the Let It Be tracks. Lennon can also be heard in the background on the album, saying "Picture the fingers." He was using his white( stripped down) Epiphone Casino, and was enjoying playing lead at this point.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Monday, February 2, 2009

Beatles News: 3 Saville Row to Be Sold

Among nostalgic Beatles facts comes the following: the former headquarters for Apple Corps at 3 Saville Row in London is to be sold. The Beatles purchased the property in 1969 in order to make it the headquarters for their multimedia compan, which was never successful as originally envisioned.

The building was built in 1735. A tribute concert by the Bootleg Beatles was to be played on the rooftop on January 30, 2009 on the 40th anniversary of the Beatles rooftop concert on January 30, 1969. London police cancelled the concert for safety reasons.

The current property owners of 3 Saville Row expect their asking price will be driven up considerably because the building is one large piece of Beatles memorabilia.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Friday, January 30, 2009

Beatles History: 40th Anniversary of Rooftop Concert

Today, January 30, 2009, marks the 40th anniversary of the Beatles last public performance. On January 30, 1969, the Beatles performed the following songs on the top of 3 Saville Row in London, which was headquarters for Apple Corps, Ltd.

Don't Let Me Down
Get Back
I've Got a Feeling
I Dig a Pony
One After 909

The concert was done to provide an ending for the film Let It Be. The group had originally planned for the Let It Be project to be a rehearsal for a live concert, but individual band memebers could not agree on a venue. By the end of filming, the rift among the Beatles had grown wider, and the group simply wanted to get the project over with.

The impromptu concert cuased a stir on London streets, with hundreds of pedestrians on the streets below (and adjoining rooftops) stopping to listen and watch the performance. The London police made efforts to stop the performance, which continued nevertheless. In Anthology, the Beatles said that being hauled away by the police would have made an even better ending to the film.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Monday, January 26, 2009

Rooftop Tribute Concert Cancelled

File this under a Beatle fact that may not come to pass. Tentative plans had been made for a band called the Bootleg Beatles to perform on top of 3 Saville Row in London on January 30, 2009 to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the famous rooftop concert by the Beatles that ended the sessions for Let It Be. The Westminster Council has put tight restrictions on the Bootleg Beatles and conditions under which they can perform, and the show is, as of now, no longer scheduled. BBC Radio plans to broadcast an early morning event at Saville Row when fans gather to commemorate the occasion.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)