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Accomplished author and ex-Apple Records U.S. Manager, Ken Mansfield takes the reader on a “not so magical mystery tour,” inside Apple’s building at 3 Saville Row; centering on the pivotal moment of January 30, 1969, when The Beatles performed their final concert on the roof of that building to a select group of onlookers, of which he was one.
In my exclusive interview, Mansfield told Elmore, “The moment they came up on the roof something happened. All the drama, all the dissention… John looked over to Paul and Paul looked over to John. It was like…we’re all mates here, a great live band, and this is the heart of who we are. They went up there to play without a sound check, but they left with a soul check.”
Apple was to be The Beatles Utopian business venture…the center of their universe…a virtual one-stop for art, music, clothing and societal progress, complete with an in-house-recording studio for Apple artists. Unfortunately, it turned into organized chaos (long on creativity, but short on business acumen).
Mansfield expertly steers the story between uber-fan and committed corporate executive, and since The Beatles were responsible for 50% of parent company Capitol Records income, he was charged with strict orders to “keep the band intact.” He fixates on the colorful, dedicated folks who comprised Apple, as well as his trusted relationship with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, in what had become an ongoing firestorm of personality clashes, leading to a not-so-civil breakup. Also highlighted is Mansfield’s spiritual connection to the fifth-floor roof where it just wasn’t business as usual, but indeed the end of an era. Filled with facts that will impress the most ardent of Beatles fans, along with several poignant remembrances of Apple staff and musicians (e.g. Billy Preston, Alan Parsons), The Roof (The Beatles Final Concert) is a must-read for any new or seasoned Beatles enthusiast.
—Bob Girouard
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