Beatles On The Rooftop

I’m sure you’ve all seen this before — The Beatles’ last public performance:

The live concert idea culminated with the Beatles and [Billy] Preston performing 30 January [’69] on the rooftop of the Beatles’ Apple Building at 3 Savile Row before a small audience of friends and employees. The performance was cut short by the police after complaints about noise.

What a fabulous little mini-concert, considering the drama that was taking place between them at the time. Parts two and three.

Disclaimer: I have been suffering from a rather nasty case of the flu for the better part of this week which, according to the KUR Charter of Proper Conduct, allows one to post content that is not in the least bit related to FZ.

Snif.

28 thoughts on “Beatles On The Rooftop”

  1. As a pioneer of the fabulous party game, “Six Degrees of Frank Zappa”, I declare this video Zappa related by 2×1 degree (Lennon appears on “Playground Psychotics” and the same recording is on the Lennon live album, and Ringo IS FZ in 200 Motels. Or “Head”? Or both? I don’t remember) But… what do The Tubes have to do with Zappa?

    Zappa to Whitney Houston in 4 steps or less – anyone?

  3. To connect the Tubes to FZ is easy: The Tubes stole Uncle Frankie’s use of sped-up voices (end of What Do You Want From Life?), and Zappa stole the “On guitar….” intro for each bandmate even if they didn’t play guitar, from the Tubes!

    (for proof listen to The Tubes show on Wolfgang’s Vault from The Record Plant ’74 (which FZ must have heard the FM rebroadcast of back in the day, and then there’s a sdb from (i think from a european concert) either ’78 or ’79 (sorry can’t remember which) where Frank introduces each band member as “on guitar…” (on guitar, Tommy Mars, on guitar, Ed Mann…, etc.)

    and Zappa gets namechecked on the song “Tubes World Tour” (i think that’s the one), from a different Tubes show on Wolfies from New Years Eve, 1975. I’m sure they both listened to each other, though neither one would admit it (well Zappa anyway).

  4. Tubes to Zappa:

    Tubes, produced by Todd Rundgren, who also produced Grand Funk, which was also produced by Frank.

    Or

    Tubes, produced by Todd, who played with Jack Bruce in Ringo’s All Starr Band. And of course Jack played with Frank.

    Or

    Tubes drummer Prairie Prince played with XTC; Andy Partridge played with Mike Keneally; Mike and Frank.

  5. Tubes drummer Prairie Prince played with XTC; Andy Partridge played with Mike Keneally; Mike and Frank.

    Prairie Prince made an album w/Mike Keneally (+Andy West+Henry Kaiser) called The Mistakes, so you don’t even need XTC there.

  8. Frank Zappa>Chester Thompson>Zawinul & Shorter in Weather Report on “Black Market”>John McLaughlin on “In a Silent Way”, “Bitches Brew” etc.>Drummer Narada Michael Walden from Mahavishnu’s “Visions of the Emerald Beyond” produced Whitney Houston. Ta Da!

    Thanks for producing the Tubes link, Michael Pierry. My Tubes knowledge is feeble.

  11. I prefer The Rutles playing, “Get Up And Go” on the roof-top of the Rutle-Corps building!

  12. Didn’t the Tubes have a Beefhaert song on one of there albums? And I believe they played some FZ/Mothers tunes in the beginning.

  14. [quote comment=”3961″]To connect the Tubes to FZ is easy: The Tubes stole Uncle Frankie’s use of sped-up voices (end of What Do You Want From Life?), and Zappa stole the “On guitar….” intro for each bandmate even if they didn’t play guitar, from the Tubes!

    (for proof listen to The Tubes show on Wolfgang’s Vault from The Record Plant ’74 (which FZ must have heard the FM rebroadcast of back in the day, and then there’s a sdb from (i think from a european concert) either ’78 or ’79 (sorry can’t remember which) where Frank introduces each band member as “on guitar…” (on guitar, Tommy Mars, on guitar, Ed Mann…, etc.)

    and Zappa gets namechecked on the song “Tubes World Tour” (i think that’s the one), from a different Tubes show on Wolfies from New Years Eve, 1975. I’m sure they both listened to each other, though neither one would admit it (well Zappa anyway).[/quote]

    The Tubes readily admit their Zappa influence. Bill Spooner is also a MASSIVE Beefheart fan (he covered ‘My Head Is My Only Home’ on the Tubes ‘Now’ album and even persuaded Van Vliet to play sax on ‘Cathy’s Clone’ and harmonica on ‘Golden Boy’ from the same album). THe Tubes also covered Zappa and Beefheart in their early shows.

  15. [quote comment=”3973″]Remember the infamous alternate use for vacuum cleaner? Frank is a singer. And Bennie Hill sings about vacuum cleaners.[/quote]
    Myself, Hans, I was thinking “Läther” and “Sofa”: see here 🙂
    Update: bollocks, YouTube link is dead.

  16. Jamez sez:

    [quote post=”1024″]The Tubes readily admit their Zappa influence. Bill Spooner is also a MASSIVE Beefheart fan (he covered ‘My Head Is My Only Home’ on the Tubes ‘Now’ album and even persuaded Van Vliet to play sax on ‘Cathy’s Clone’ and harmonica on ‘Golden Boy’ from the same album). THe Tubes also covered Zappa and Beefheart in their early shows.[/quote]

    That makes sense. It was cool when i ‘discovered’ that FZ had copped some stage banter from the Tubes in return though. He must have listened to that FM broadcast at some time!

  17. [quote post=”1024″]Frank Zappa>Chester Thompson>Zawinul & Shorter in Weather Report on “Black Market”>John McLaughlin on “In a Silent Way”, “Bitches Brew” etc.>Drummer Narada Michael Walden from Mahavishnu’s “Visions of the Emerald Beyond” produced Whitney Houston. Ta Da![/quote]

    Or three steps to Whitney: FZ > Ralphe Armstrong (a few 1976 concerts) >Drummer Narada Michael Walden (with Armstrong on Mahavishnu’s “Visions of the Emerald Beyond”) produced Whitney Houston

  18. Zappa to Captain Kangaroo (“Mr. Green Genes” doesn’t count)
    Zappa to Don Ho
    Zappa to Bobby Goldsboro
    Zappa to Dick Cheney
    Zappa to Julia Child
    Zappa to sunken Argentine battleship The General Belgrano
    Zappa to (insert non sequitur here)

  20. [quote comment=”3972″]Didn’t the Tubes have a Beefhaert song on one of there albums? And I believe they played some FZ/Mothers tunes in the beginning.[/quote]

    Quite right. On their album, NOW, The Tubes performed a cover of Beefheart’s “My Head is My Only House (Unless It Rains)”. They also performed other Beefheart songs live. They also performed covers of Zappa’s “King Kong” and “More Trouble Every Day”.

  22. I came here to the rooftop to get some fresh air. It got a little stuffy at the ZPZ “post”-grammy party. Ahhh . . . this is much better!

    Nice post. I haven’t seen this video in years! Wonderful piece of filming & recording for its time. I love how polite the British police are with the whole scene. At the :55 mark of part two, Lennon & McCartneys harmonies are so sweet. A goosebump inducing moment (I didn’t see that coming!).
    I forgot Billy Preston provides some excellent keyboard,as well.
    Thanks for memories!
    [quote comment=”3965″]is there a part four?[/quote]
    Yes, in part four the constables come back when Yoko does a one-note 4 hour vocal solo, causing some fans to jump off the roof. 🙂
    [quote comment=”3969″]Let’s up the ante a bit shall we? How about: Frank Zappa to Benny Hill in six steps for instance?[/quote]
    Here you go. Zappa played with John Lennon, who played with Billy Preston (see above), who played on “Duets” album by Elton John, who recorded with Kiki Dee who performed on the Benny Hill Show! Is that 5 moves or 6?

  24. Hugh ROCKS!!! I was trying to make a Yakety Sax/Boots Randolph connection, which is a pretty weak link, and it was a dead end for me, but led to another question – Zappa to Elvis?

  25. [quote comment=”4137″]Hugh ROCKS!!! I was trying to make a Yakety Sax/Boots Randolph connection, which is a pretty weak link[/quote]
    Indeed, and I too had been going down the Yakety Sax route. Kudos, Hugh! 🙂

  26. [quote comment=”4137″] . . . another question – Zappa to Elvis?[/quote]

    Zappa to (200 motels) Keith Moon to (Tommy the Movie) Ann Margaret(covered in bake beans – yum!) to (Viva Las Vegas [movie]) Elvis.

    Thanks Birdman & Barry. I’ll take your praise and raise you . . .

    How about Zappa to physicist Stephen Hawking in 6 moves or less?

    I ‘ve decided to have Yakety Sax as my funeral song instead of a Zappa song!

  27. Matt Groening did the cover of of the Frank Zappa PLays the Music of Frank Zappa, and was a Zappa house guest. Stephen Hawking was a guest voice on the Simpsons.

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