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The Beatles Rooftop Concert coming to streaming

No CD and vinyl announcement at this stage

By Paul Sinclair

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61

The famous ‘Rooftop Concert’ – The Beatles’ last live performance on the roof of 3 Savile Row, London on 30 January 1969 – is coming to streaming as a standalone live album.

Of course, this iconic event features in Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s Let It Be and Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back but in both documentaries the music is interrupted by cut-aways to vox pop interviews on the street below and policeman wishing to gain entry to 3 Savile Row!

Now, for the first time, the complete audio has been mixed in stereo and Dolby Atmos by Giles Martin and Sam Okell, which means fans will hear all of the music and chatter during the 40-minute set with none of the interruptions.

The Beatles perform live in public for the last time on the roof of 3 Savile Row, 30 January 1969

While there is no confirmation of any physical product at this stage, this announcement surely all but guarantees this will happen and SDE expects this to be issued on CD and vinyl (and possibly blu-ray) – with or without accompanying video – later this year. Controversially, only one track from the Rooftop Concert was included last year’s Let It Be box set, which was widely put down to Disney having contractual exclusivity thanks to their deal with Apple to host the Get Back ‘three-part event’.

Get Back: The Rooftop Performance is available for global streaming tonight at 9pm PST / 12am EST (which is tomorrow at 5am GMT).

Tracklisting

Get Back: The Rooftop Performance The Beatles /

    • Audio: Stereo / Dolby Atmos [TRT: 40:00]
      1. “Get Back” (Take 1)
      2. “Get Back” (Take 2)
      3. “Don’t Let Me Down” (Take 1)
      4. “I’ve Got A Feeling” (Take 1)
      5. “One After 909”
      6. “Dig A Pony”
      7. Jam/excerpt of “God Save The Queen” (tape change interlude)
      8. “I’ve Got A Feeling” (Take 2)
      9. “Don’t Let Me Down” (Take 2)
      10. “Get Back” (Take 3)

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61 Comments

61 thoughts on “The Beatles Rooftop Concert coming to streaming”

  1. POST IMAX NOTES FROM A STEVE HOFFMAN FORUM MEMBER:

    Wow!! I just caught the Get Back Rooftop Concert IMAX showing and the Q&A with Peter.

    Very impressive.

    Note: this is from my phone, so expect typos, sentence fragments, etc.

    For those that are curious, it’s the mini doc from Episode 1, the concert and interview footage, the downstairs playback and the Jan 31st credits. Runs about an hour.

    Facts from Peter:
    Unique IMAX sound mix by Giles – done at the only IMAX mixing studio in the UK – which is at Twickenham. “Gone full circle” as Peter says. Peter was not able to attend – sent the materials to Giles.
    He’s unable to view it himself – there’s no IMAX in NZ. Was rather jealous of us – “This is the pity Peter segment of the Q&A”.
    He has interviews with most of the people filmed recently – showed a current one with one of the police officers. (“No one has seen this, I think”) He’s hoping it will be on the Let It Be video release as a bonus – if it happens. It didn’t sound like a sure thing from Peter.
    Gave a lot of credit to Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Peter said, as a director, I would have read them the riot act a couple of times.
    Confirmed there’s no plans from Disney for an extended cut, but also urged us to contact Disney and Apple for a longer cut. He said it can’t hurt to ask, and they listen to things like that. He said he’d like to add about 3 or 4 hours more. Uncut performances, etc.
    He’s restored everything and turned it over to Apple.
    We were missing audio in Seattle for the start of the Q&A – it was before the showing, not after. We got audio just as Peter was showing his iPad with the 10 concert cameras – it was the full audio – and would show the cameras “winking” on and off. It was from this iPad view of the 10 camera footage that Peter got the idea for the split screen.
    The swag was a poster, backstage lanyard, and coupon cards.

  2. Well, it’s great that we can listen to the full Rooftop concert in such stunning quality; I don’t mind the Giles Martin remixes even though I was born in the 60s and prefer buying the physical product. However, I can’t help feeling that this is a prelude to a possible vinyl (only) release of the Rooftop concert ! Where there’s Beatles, there’s a sale. However, following the development of the “MAL” software by Peter Jackson’s company (which allows the breaking down of a mono track into its constituent parts), there might be a possible remixing of the earlier Beatles albums where it was once thought impossible. Depends whether Giles has been asked by Apple to experiment on, say, Rubber Soul and Revolver and see what the results sound like.

    1. Abbey Road studios have been working on de-mixing technology for years, not sure how far ahead Peter Jackson’s software is (and I really hope it’s named after Mal Evans!) but judging by the incredible sound quality on Get Back I suspect he is a few steps ahead of the boffins at Abbey Road. If MAL can extract the audio and Giles Martin can get to work on creating natural-sounding stereo mixes of the pre-Sgt Pepper albums that would be quite something. While we’re waiting for that can we get a Peter Jackson reboot of Shea Stadium, Magical Mystery Tour and a hugely extended cut of the Beatles Anthology series please?

  3. Having listened to it I’d like to see the best takes (without the chat and tuning up etc) released on a ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ style vinyl E.P. with book (I think the original ’Let it Be’ album came with a photobook(?) and the full warts and all concert on Blu Ray.

  5. After these piece meal releases, what more can Apple release? Yes, the Beatles sell to newer generations, but they don’t care about physical box sets and the like. Apple’s physical product buyers are the baby boomers, that are dying off. Of course, there will be a box set of the roof top concert; probably with 3 additional CD’s, that will contain 4 track EP’s, which could easily fit onto one disc! According to Giles Martin, the older Beatles recordings can’t be remixed, due to technology limitations. We’ll see how long those limitations last, for fans (like me) are always looking for new product and will more than likely, buy it and whatever else, comes down the pike. (Unfortunately, there are people on this site, that know what a great box set would entail and their suggestions will never be heard.) I’m sure the Apple exec’s can rationalize their marketing strategies, but from an outside perspective, there is some very poor planning indeed. Thanks for everything, Paul.

    2. Couldn’t agree more. They really are skinning fans alive with the Get Back/Let It Be stuff. Leaving the roof gig off the Let It Be box set, just so they can cash in on it separately a couple of months later? They really did learn a few tricks from Allen Klein, didn’t they?
      That said, Giles and Sam have done a grand job on the rooftop audio. But Giles is talking out of his flat cap when he says earlier Beatles material can’t be remixed. What about the Rubber Soul and Revolver songs on the Yellow Submarine Songtrack? Also, a certain top quality Japanese bootleg label has already done Rubber Soul and Revolver.

  6. Thanks for the info Paul. I would prefer a physical release but couldn’t resist listening via my daughter’s Apple Music subscription. Great to hear in full without the interview snippets. I enjoyed the whole show and was impressed with the sound. Billy Preston really adds something in my view. Pleased they left in John’s funny comment at the end.

  7. Look, just put the let it be cd boxset and the get back film(s), the let it be film, the rooftop concert audio, and the get back book in a big box and take my money – i am sick of this piecemeal dribbling of content…………….. it has been 53 years…..just let me have it all in a big box that i can be buried in when i die.

    thank you.

    1. Agreed, the drip feeding to maximize the cash in on sessions from over 50 years is ridiculous.

      Giles Martin’s comments about not being able to fit the whole gig into the LIB boxset as it took up too much ‘real estate’ is embarrassing and laughable.

      Just be honest it was left out to cash in on later.

      I’ll still buy the lot but don’t feed us BS reasons for why it’s being released separately.

          2. I do find it funny that this is being covered on this site now. Yes, it’s The Beatles. But I remember how somebody mentioned that the original unmastered Steven Wilson remix of Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick was available as a download for purchase – and Paul dissuaded posting a link…
            That’s also several years ago and to my understanding, said mastering has still not been released on CD!

        2. Yes, why do the news services and/or the producers keep confusing the public as to how this is available? The current news today as we write here, on January 30th 2022, at 3 AM US Pacific Coast Time, is the proverbial [new] 60 Minute Rooftop Concert debuting in selected IMAX Theaters. Were talking the live movie of the Rooftop Concert. Lets not get ahead of everyone else talking of future remixed CD’s or only other [audio versions, without the motion film.]
          *I’ll say it again – There are now weak announcements and teaser news articles from an array of unheard of media services, that the New 60 Minute Version of the Rooftop Concert Film, r than playing in IMAX Movie Theaters, is to be streamed on all platforms by 9PM Sunday night January 30th 2022. Where do they define what other platforms…?
          *Will this be streamed on Disney+ tonight at 9PM January 30th 2022…?

          No media is defining yet as at 3 AM Sunday morning what streaming services are making this available. utDo they have to keep the last

  10. Can someone please explain why the rooftop concert is so eagerly
    awaited ? I have always thought it doesn’t really qualify as a concert
    as it is 3 or 4 songs repeated to fit visuals for the film . I know it’s the last
    physical time they played together so i understand its significance, but as a standalone
    product to just listen to i don’t get it . I am a beatles fan and watched the disney+ in awe at what jackson did.

    2. Absolutely agree with this. I adored the Disney+ series and found it fascinating but a complete film of the concert..? If they worked through a load of different tracks I’d get it but there are only, what 5, individual songs and the others are retakes. I just don’t see the point. Having said that if it appears on Disney+ I will of course watch it.

  11. They love to dangle the streaming carrot first on the “Get Back” campaign while leaving the old school/hardcore fans to wait…..for the eventual physical release. I can see it now; CD/LP release paired with the re-release of the Get Back documentary (in expanded form) in late 2022.

    1. You may have a long wait, the new era Disney aren’t fond of physical releases one need only look to the fact Star Wars hit The Mandalorian isn’t available physically after several years of streaming.
      And I hate to break it to Beatles fans but that franchise is far more of a money spinner than the above rooftop gig…

      2. … and yet Disney are releasing the full Get Back film physically next month – after only about three months of streaming.
        The rooftop gig audio will undoubtedly be released physically – the only question is whether it’s with something “Get Back” related by Disney or something “Let It Be” related by Apple.

      3. Yet the docuseries gets released on a physical medium less than three months after its premier on D+ (come early February). The audio portion is all Universal/Apple Corps. control. I agree with others; this piece-meal campaign is annoying.

  12. To see it on film, in full, was fab… but does anyone want to listen to three stabs at Get Back in one live performance? This should have been part of last year’s Let It Be box set for sure… does it really warrant an album in its own right?

  15. A lot of us have seen and heard this performance many times before.
    Why are we getting 40 minutes and not more if there is more footage?
    Bit of an issue these days with supply around the world.
    Where I am most new releases aren’t available at the release date.
    I’ll just wait and see if it gets into the stores here and decide there and then.

    1. The concert lasted 40 minutes. They can’t magically make it longer. There may or may not be a new edit with new shots of the band playing replacing policeman knocking at the door of 3 Savile Row, but it’s not like they did Strawberry Fields Forever up there and it’s being withheld!

  16. I just read an article in Rolling Stone quoting Giles Martin who stated that the full concert wouldn’t have made sense as part of the ‘Let It Be’ super deluxe. What on Earth was he thinking?

  17. Just read the press release and there’s also a cinema screening on Sunday of the Rooftop, in full. I presume it’s a new edit rather than a direct lift from Get Back, which suggests maybe there is a CD + Video set in the works, we shall see.
    Bunch of other events happening too, including an exhibition at the R&R Hall of Fame (wherever that is) including original clothes and instruments. That sounds appealing, hope it includes some choice items from Glyn Johns’ amazing 1969 wardrobe, Mal’s Anvil, Magic Alex’s rotating Bass, George’s furry boots etc. I hope that comes to the UK, maybe they could install it at the basement of 3 Saville Row, how cool would that be?

      1. I’ll also be going to a local IMAX Sunday in Los Angeles at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Looking forward to future commentary on the film in this forum. Expecting a different cut from the Disney series as well. In fact, we may be virtually going to the same show, as I hear Peter Jackson is going to place a video call to the theatre afterwards.

    3. R&R HOF is in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. It’s a fantastic place to visit. The Beatles’ exhibits include John’s Epiphone electric guitar from this 68-69 period, his green Sgt Pepper suit, the signed acoustic guitar he used in bed w/ Yoko in Montreal, one of Ringo’s Ludwig drum kits, the Strawberry Fields mellotron, etc. You can stand within 12 inches of each of these items and look at them thru protective glass. Goosebumps aplenty..!

  18. If memory serves, wasn’t the remastered Anthology audio series exclusive to Apple? There has since been no physical release with the old fat box versions still for sale. I do hope we get the roof top concert physically on CD as I don’t do bootlegs and it’s about effing time. For whatever reason it wasn’t included, it’s inclusion in LIB 50 would’ve been so perfect.

  20. May be of interest to know Amazon Uk today confirmed a new estimated arrival date for my order of  “The Beatles: Get Back – Blu-ray Collector’s Set [Region Free]” as being February 28 2022 – ie the advertised release date. Good news. No delay!

  21. And, of course this material immediately appeared (as both 44.1Khz/16-bit and 96Khz/24-bit audio) on free download sites. Obviously, as soon as pressing plant queues permit, Universal will offer the material on physical product. But it appears that in 2022, that supply chain problems for CD (and in particular vinyl) box set manufacture and distribution are worsening. I can’t recall having so few releases on pre-order. Of course, I ordered the Beatles “Get Back” Blu-Ray set, the forthcoming Marillion album, and a Sony Music 3-CD + Blu-Ray boxed set which has fallen into indefinite limbo, due to problems getting the set manufactured. Note: I didn’t mention the name of the musician.

    1. I’ve just effectively delivered audio for a large-ish CD set that will have a 4LP condensed vinyl version to appear simultaneously… which means November! Madness… (and no, it’s not a Madness box :-D )

  23. So if you don’t stream, which I refuse to do you are out of luck. Spotify sound is rubbish and I do not subscribe to Apple Music and Amazon are just plain annoying with constant prompts to sign up. Fortunately I do have a reasonable bootleg but I would like to hear it properly.

  24. Hopefully it will be available to buy as a download album from tomorrow (U.K. time) looking forward to hearing the full Atmos mix. So by ‘three parter’ did they mean Get Back Disney+ series/Blu Ray set then Get Back : The Rooftop Performance Streaming/Physical set and possibly ‘Get Back’ The Original Film/Physical set?

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