The Roof: The Beatles’ Final Concert

191 Pages·2018·2.73 MB·English

by  Ken Mansfield

ECHOES FROM
ACROSS THE POND AND THE PAST…

“There is something quite Lennonesque about Mansfield’s soul-searching—
his tales are astonishingly clear and vivid.”
—KEVIN GIORDANO, BarnesandNoble.com

“Ken Mansfield and I unknowingly shared the experience of the famous
Apple rooftop session. Ken was not only working for the Beatles through
their heyday, he was also their trusted friend. There is no one better equipped
to tell the Beatles’ story truthfully—and more important—factually, from the
inside.”
—ALAN PARSONS, Alan Parsons Project, Multi-Platinum producer and
engineer to the Beatles/Pink Floyd
“Ken Mansfield worked in our offices in London and we crashed at his pad
in Hollywood. We all hit it off immediately and he became an instant
member of the Apple team. Even the Beatles took to him straight away. He
is one of the few insiders left that bore witness to the highs and lows of those
insane days when we ruled the world.”
—JACK OLIVER, former president, Apple Records (1969–1971)
“Ken Mansfield brings us a new and closely personal perspective not only on
the Beatles, but on a whole cast of characters. I lived through those Apple
years with Ken and we became friends. It is a pleasure to experience so much
of it all again through the accuracy of his storytelling and the clarity of his
memory.”
—PETER ASHER, Peter & Gordon/A&R chief, Apple Records/producer-
manager (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King)
“Ken has a unique gift. He can take you in the room and have you sit with
the folk he knows and make you one of the gang, part of the plan. And
considering these folk include the Beatles, that is some doing. I respect the
affection he has for our game, and what he brought to it will get you.”
—ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM, manager and producer, Rolling Stones

A POST HILL PRESS BOOK
ISBN: 978-168261-757-1
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-68261-758-8

The Roof:
The Beatles’ Final Concert © 2018 by Ken Mansfield All Rights Reserved
Published in association with the literary agency, WTA Services LLC, Franklin,
TN.

Cover design by Ryan Truso
This is a work of nonfiction. Events, locales, and conversations are reconstructed
from the author’s memory. These stories have been retold as faithfully as
possible, but all stories are those of the author and as such may be subject to
discrepancies in details from actual events. However, in all cases, the author has
attempted to assure that the essence of events and dialogue are as accurate as
possible.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and
publisher.

Post Hill Press
New York • Nashville posthillpress.com
Published in the United States of America
IN DEDICATION AND
FOND REMEMBRANCE

Alexis Mardas Alistair Taylor Billy Preston Brian Epstein Debbie Wellum Derek
Taylor Doris Troy George Harrison George Martin Jackie Lomax John Lennon John
Tavener Larry Delaney Linda McCartney Mal Evans Maureen Starkey Michael
Gibbins Neil Aspinall Peter Ham Ron Kass Stanley Gortikov Tom Evans Not a bad
apple in the bunch.
Something in the way they moved…me.

A TABLEAU OF CONTENT
PROLOGUE: Colorado From Here

INTRODUCTION

FIRST FLOOR
The News That Day
Four Bar Intro

SECOND FLOOR
Planting the Apple Seed
Over There
The Cart Before the Corps
Apple Blossoms
US to UK
The Apple Meetings

THIRD FLOOR
The Mayfair District
3 Savile Row

FOURTH FLOOR
Building Pressure
The Calm After the Storm
Sgt. Preston, Holy Heart of The Band

FIFTH FLOOR
Roofer Madness
Set ’Em Up, Jo Jo
THE ROOF
A Day on The Roof
Moving Pictures
And the Band Played On…
Taking It to the Roof
Street Scene
Missing in Action

BRICKS AND MORTALS
Rough Mix
Rooftop Redhead
Get Back Girl
Oliver With a Twist
Gentle Giant

EPILOGUE: I Went into a Dream

Endnotes

Acknowledgments