The Roof: The Beatles' Final Concert

by Ken Mansfield

HE WAS THERE! Apple Records former US manager Ken Mansfield takes a touching and comprehensive look back on one of Rock’n’Roll’s most significant events, while bringing an insider’s perspective to the days leading up to those 42 fascinating minutes of the Beatles monumental Rooftop Concert. There are moments in time that cause us to stop and take notice of where we were and what we were doing when they happen in order to commit the experience to memory—how it made us feel, who was there with us, why it felt important. January 30, 1969 was one of those moments. There are those who were on the periphery of the event that day and heard what was going on; but as one of the few remaining insiders who accompanied the Beatles up onto the cold windswept roof of the Apple building, Ken Mansfield had a front row seat to the full sensory experience of the moment and witnessed what turned out to be beginning of the end. Ken shares in The The Beatles Final Concert, the sense that something special was taking place before his eyes that would live on forever in the hearts and souls of millions. As the US manager of Apple, Ken Mansfield, was on the scene in the days, weeks, and months leading up to this monumental event. He shares his insights into the factors that brought them up onto that roof and why one of the greatest bands of all time left it all on that stage. Join Ken as he reflects on the relationships he built with the Fab Four and the Apple corps and what each player meant to this symphony of music history.

Genres: Music, History, Pop Culture, Nonfiction

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2018

About the author

Ken Mansfield is the former manager of the Beatles’ Apple Record Company and an award-winning producer. Ken is an ordained minister and public speaker who appears at churches and colleges across the nation.

Reviews

[Patrick DiJusto · Rating 3 out of 5]

A chaotic and badly written (or badly edited) account of the events leading up to and immediately after the Beatles Rooftop Concert on January 30, 1969.

The book was clearly released in time for the 50th anniversary of that event.

The author is Ken !Mansfield, the US manger for Apple records; essentially the liaison between Apple and Capitol Records in L.A. He spent half his working time in London, and happened to be in the Beatles offices on Saville Row when 'the boys' decided to go up on the roof and record some songs.

The first half of the book is a coherent account of how Mansfield got a job at Capitol Records, how he met the Beatles in 1965, and how he started working for them in 1968. Mansfield then talks about filming the Let It Be movie when the Beatles were creatively exhausted from having just finished the White Album, and how they needed an ending for the film. They talked about filming a concert in a Tunisian amphitheater, or on a cruise ship, or in a country pub somewhere in England. All these ideas were shot down by George Harrison or John Lennon, who never wanted to do the movie in the first place. So they ended the movie on the roof.

Mansfield does manage to spoil one of the great moments of the Let It Be movie. He reports that the young police officers sent to "shut down" the concert actually had no intention of doing so. They were Beatle fans, and were thrilled by what was happening! Still, there had been a noise complaint, so they had to put in an appearance.

That's the first half of the book. The second half is a badly edited mishmash of reminiscences of the people who worked at Apple.

The book is ultimately unsatisfying, because it leaves you wanting more. I'd have appreciated more details about the concert itself, and fewer badly written memories

[Snazzyjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible. I liked the middle part where he focused on his relationships with the Beatles and the nuts and bolts of how the Rooftop Concert played out both in planning and in execution. However there’s a lot of fluff in the beginning and end. It was like viewing the event as if we were a fly on the wall. However the personal anecdotes of Ken’s personal life and experiences weren’t as interesting. Once the rooftop concert is over, the rest of the book is a snoozer. If it was just about the concert and the lead up I would’ve rated it 5 stars instead of 3.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal account by Ken Mansfield - former US Manager of Apple Records - of his time with The Beatles and Apple in the late sixties. Central to his story is the Beatles' rooftop concert on January 30 1969 on the roof of the Apple building at 3 Savile Row, London, UK, which Ken witnessed first hand. The Roof is an agreeable mixture of (music) history and personal reflections. Highly recommended.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is as much the story of Apple Records as it is the story of the rooftop concert. That's not a terrible idea for a book but it wasn't the book I was hoping to read. The book was also a little bit more about Ken Mansfield than I needed it to be. But for a hard-core Beatles fan, it's a must read, and has plenty to hold your interest. I saw the Let It Be film immediately after finishing this book, and realize I was seeing the film, which I'd seen before, in a different light. I'm glad I read it, and I look forward to reading The Beatles on the Roof, another book about this concert.

[Kal Smagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Ken Mansfield's writing and how he captured his time with the Beatles in the 1960s and afterward. He tells good stories and my favorite one was how he went out to buy a coat on the day of the rooftop concert...on a chilly January day in London. I've looked for him, and found him, in the famous photos of that rooftop concert we've all seen. He's wearing the white coat.

Ken wrote a good book. Beatles fans will enjoy it!

[Ralphz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Beatles memoir, this time from the head of Apple Records in America, who found himself on the roof at 3 Savile Row in London for the Beatles' final performance.

Ken Mansfield rose up the ranks and fell into the Beatles' circle just as they were playing out the last act. He is witness to recordings and the legendary last show.

But his writing is a little off-putting to me. Florid and repetitive, it's just not very trustworthy. And, as I keep finding out with memoirs, facts sometimes conflict with memories. For example, some of Mansfield's impressions are challenged by the recent "Get Back" documentary. For example, it wasn't as tense as he thought at Twickenham (a little but not without great moments) and the Bobbies called to stop the rooftop show didn't "have fun being there," they were given the runaround by the Apple staff.

He keeps on saying how fortunate he was to be there - and says it and says it again. Take out the repetition and it's an even shorter book.

It's OK, and offers some new (uncertain) memories, but it isn't really mandatory.

[kaley · Rating 3 out of 5]

“My companions are the fields, ravines streams, a bothersome younger brother, and a dog named Blackie. Our toys are things we find abandoned alongside the country roads on our long walks to the local schoolhouse and usually have something to do with sticks, stones or string. life is simple. I am bored. I have no idea how blessed I am growing up here . I am different, but don’t know why I know that something is missing deeply needed or waiting in the distance. There’s something beyond these windswept Hills, but I have an experienced enough life to imagine what it could be.”

“It was a once in a lifetime occurrence that will live on, not only in their memories, but also deep in our heart.
Talk about a day in our lives!”

[Zach B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: As a lifelong Beatlemaniac, musician, former engineer and producer, and overall nerd for music I loved this book and fully admit my bias. Mansfield relates cherished memories and reflections not only of that legendary moment on the roof in January of 1969, but also his love for the people that made that period in time so special. His wistful recounting of The Beatles final live performance is thoughtful, thorough, and infused with the cheeky charm that only being in the orbit of the Fab Four at their zenith can bring. A must read for Beatles fans and lovers of modern music history alike.

[Alessio Gori · Rating 4 out of 5]

THAT final concert by someone who was there

It's a good, easy read and gives us a bit of insight, not only into that iconic final concert, but into some of the goings on at Apple Corps and amongst the Beatles themselves around that time. I would have liked a few more details about the actual concert (it covers a couple of chapters only) but this isn't necessarily a negative point. Beatles fans will be familiar with some of the stories in the book but there were definitely a few I hadn't heard before featured here.

[Paul Dinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great fan story about being present at a great moment in rock history. If you take on this level, you will enjoy it. It tells you minute by minute how those twenty some minutes of a concert came together from a plan to an actual happening and how it got stopped. Also what it meant to the world. Over all this is a great nostalgic look back at a great moment in the history of rock music.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a Beatle’s fan. Sorry! My taste for the British tend more towards the Eric Clapton’s, the Sting’s and the Neil Gaiman’s. I am a fan of music 🎵, though! How it’s conceived, executed, recorded, produced, distributed; the whole shebang!! This book has convinced me to take a more serious look into the Beatle’s contributions. Now I’m eager to follow up this reading with that new Peter Jackson Fab Four documentary coming out in 2021!

[Chris Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I came across this book, I wondered how an entire book could be written about a this relatively short period of time. I was not disappointed in the output. Excellent details from someone who was there. Probably something just for Beatles fans (of which I’m one), I’ll leave it up to general music fans to decide if it appeals to them. If it does, don’t pass on it.

[Alex Rivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Beatles fan I found this book 50% interesting 50% full of minutia and an excessive amount of metaphors.
Yes the author was up on the roof, one of the photographs he is in, he's chatting with Kevin Harrington while the Beatles are playing!!

The chapter where the describes what and how the "concert" was put together was good, the rest is just filler material...sorry.

[Dave Capers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more a memoir of Ken Mansfield's time at Apple than a blow by blow account of the famed titular performance. Still a worthwhile read for those interested in that era of musical history and included some interesting trivia like some other proposed locations for the concert (the Sahara Desert was one choice).

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, two stars if you are a Beatles fan, probably none if you are not. Horrible writing -- no chance to make a pun or spin a Beatle lyric is missed -- and surprisingly little detail beyond that it was a lot of fun working at Apple. The actual concert is covered in only a few pages that are WRITTEN BY SOMEONE ELSE.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an interesting perspective of the Beatles during the time Ken Mansfield was a Capitol Records exec and US Manager of Apple Records. Only one chapter focuses on the rooftop concert. The remaining chapters are interesting accounts of Ken’s interaction with the Beatles and those around them at Apple. His friendship and admiration of Mal Evans is touching.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was excited to get this book and then bored to death when I had to read about the history of Apple, the building it was in and all that other boring crap. I gave up on the book well before the end, sad to say.

[Taylor Tingey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This took me forever to read.

It’s the type of retelling of the event that you’d get if you met Ken at a bar - scatter-brained and extremely reiterative.

But I suppose it’s cool to read a firsthand account.

[Bryan Borgman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another top notch book reflecting on his time with the Beatles and Apple.

[David Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read about a historical event, from a unique perspective. Recommended!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably not the most exciting book about the Fab Four but how many people can say they were on the roof of 3 Savile Row that day....not many.

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Mansfield's third book about The Beatles and Apple. This is a wonderful, entertaining and informative look at Let It Be and their last concert. Excellent, as usual from Mr. Mansfield.

[Stephen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. .

[Jonathan Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was not expecting the religious stuff at the end, but I enjoyed the book, I think especially since I'm more or less the same age Mansfield was when he was there.

[Steve Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great perspective from a key player

I enjoyed reading of Ken's involvement in the grand story of the Fab Four, a trip back in time worth reading.

[Chet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much rambling -- even the chapters on the Beatles are not very interesting. Nothing really new here for Beatle nerds.