The Documentary: The Beatles' Final Concert

This programme tells the story behind The Beatles’ final public appearance - a short `rooftop concert’ which took place at their Apple Corps headquarters in central London on 30 January 1969 - exactly 50 years ago.

With contributions from many who witnessed the historic performance, including director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, photographer Ethan Russell, engineer Alan Parsons, technician Dave Harries and from Ken Wharfe - the policeman who was sent by his superiors to 'turn that noise off’. The documentary explains how the rooftop concert was conceived as a return to the band’s rock and roll roots.

A documentary crew filmed The Beatles rehearsing and recording new material for an ‘honest’ album, free from the studio wizardry that had dominated their recent work. The experience pushed the group to the point of disintegration, but they needed an end to the film - so on 30th January 1969 the band climbed five stories to the top of their Apple Corps headquarters and played their last concert together. In the middle of the normally quiet London corporate offices, the raucous concert created pandemonium as fans realized what was happening and rushed to vantage points along the streets and rooftops of the neighbouring buildings to catch a glimpse of their heroes, before complaints from several local tenants forced the police to 'pull the plug’.

The 42-minute concert would go down in history as the final performance by one of the most influential bands of the 20th century, and was itself a moment of rebellion that helped shape the world.

• A Ten Alps Production for BBC World Service
• Producer: Des Shaw
• Executive Producer: Bob Geldof

Publicity contact: EM3