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The final show saw perhaps a slightly more energetic performance than usual from The Beatles, and was longer than their usual 20-25 minute duration. They barely paused between songs, although their on-stage patter was notably looser and less scripted than normal.
Although I didn't fancy my chances of making a brilliant recording of the concert, one thing in my favour was the great distance between the stage and the stands at this particular venue. Because of this, I guessed I might be able to capture sound from the stage without picking up too much of the non-stop screams and shouts of the fans coming from the stands. The fact that it was an open-air gig also helped. In an enclosed auditorium it would have been impossible to pick up the sound of the music without picking up too much crowd noise.
When the last of the supporting acts came off stage I went out on the field ahead of the boys. When John, Paul, George and Ringo ran out across the grass a roar of approval went up from the stands and, as they did a quickie tune-up on stage, each chord they played caused a further roar.
One of the US deejays in our travelling party, who I had prevented from recording an earlier concert on the tour, saw me holding my mike up in the air and mimicked my words of warning back to me: 'On Brian Epstein's orders there must be no recording of the performances. Please turn off.' With a finger to my lips, I indicated to him to shut up, I didn't want extraneous voices on my 'official' concert recording.
Up on stage one of the boys yelled 'Hello' to test his voice mike and in another moment the group tore into Chuck Berry's Rock And Roll Music.
John, Paul, George, Ringo & Me
Particularly revealing are McCartney's comments before Paperback Writer, during which he questions the group's future; and Long Tall Sally, which may have carried a veiled reference to the withdrawn 'butcher' artwork for Yesterday... And Today.
Thank you! Thank you very much everybody, and hello, good evening. We'd like to carry on with a song, not surprisingly, by, er, written by George. And this song was on our Rubber Soul LP. And the song is called If I Needed, er, Someone!
Thank you everybody, thank you. We'd like to carry on now, er, carry on together, at will - one together and all for one - with another number that used to be a single record back in, er... long time ago. And this one's about the naughty lady called Day Tripper!
Thank you! Thank you. We'd like to carry on with something that's very old indeed. And this one was recorded in about 1959, and it's called I Feel Fine.
Like to carry on with a song from Yesterday... And Today. And this was a single as well. And it features Paul singing a very nice song called Yesterday.
Thank you very much everybody. Thank you. And it's, er, it's a bit chilly. We'd like to do the next number now which is a special request, for all the wonderful backroom boys on this tour. And the song is I Wanna Be Your Man, and to sing it, Ringo!
Thank you Ringo. Lovely working with you, Ringo. We'd like to do another song now from our BBC [sic] album. And this ones called "He's a real Nowhere Man, sitting in his nowhere land". Oh yeah!
We'd like to carry on, I think. We're not really sure yet. I'd like to carry on, certainly. Definitely. Well, shall we just watch this for a bit? Just watch it. The next song is called Paperback Writer.
Thank you very much everybody. Everybody, wonderful. Frisco, butchered. We'd like to say that, erm, it's been wonderful being here, in this wonderful sea air. Sorry about the weather. And we'd like to ask you to join in and, er, clap, sing, talk, do anything. Anyway, the song is... good night.
Just before leaving the stage, John Lennon teasingly played the opening bars of In My Life, before running off to join the rest of the group backstage.
The Beatles were quickly taken to the airport in an armoured car. They flew from San Francisco to Los Angeles, arriving at 12.50am. During the flight George Harrison was heard to exclaim: "That's it, then. I'm not a Beatle anymore."
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These days alot of old bands like to proclaim their "Farewell Tour" to the public in hopes of garnishing much higher ticket sales. Often it's been very effective but the fans caught on when many times the bands ended up playing two, three, or even more so called "final tours".
That said, can you imagine how packed the arenas and stadiums would have been in 1966 if The Beatles had made an announcement that it was their final tour? Ticket scalpers would have had a field day!
Here's a recording of Day Tripper from the Candlestick Park concert: http://www.thebeatlesrarity.com/2009/03/12/the-beatles-rarity-of-the-week-76/
I was 9 years old and in love with their music. My Dad took me to this concert.I could barely hear them above the screaming ninnies. Still it was an exciting evening I'll never forget.
There is a comment by George above saying they took pictures. Has anyone seen any picture from this concert? I have only one.Thank you to Happy Nat for providing that Day Tripper clip.
They did bring their own cameras to document the end of 4 years of gruelling world tours and everything else. You can see published pics of them taking the stage snapping away. HOWEVER!!!!! If there is ONE picture I want to see, they had their roadie Mal Evans take THE final picture and I can't find it anywhere. I HAS to be a personal shot that they kept for themselves...... They all 4 went to the front of the stage and turned their backs to the audience and "pop". I'd LOVE to see that. It's also cool that before the final song, Paul did his "it's time to go to bed" speech then suddenly got nastalgic about it all. Instead of jumping into I'm Down", which was their closer the last 2 years, he hit a G note on the ol' Hofner and slammed into Long Tall Sally, their big show stopper from their Hamburg days......."One more time for just us there, lads?!!"
A small correction: Emperor Gene Nelson, who emceed the concert, was morning disc jockey at 1260 KYA. There was no such station as KSFQ-FM.
Super Harlow
1260 KYA Radio
San Francisco, Calif.
So sad such poor attendence... if they only knew ...three years later came the impromptu concert on top of the Apple office in London it was the last time the Beatles played in public. Soooooo sad (sigh). I dream of what could have been. Would it have changed the outcome for John. I was too young to ever see them and for this I'm jealous and sad...the rebel Rolling Stones almost broke too thank god their still going strong drawing huge crowds of all ages to their concert imagine nearly fifty years. That could have been the Beatles too such a shame...
Hi do you no if there are any copies of THE BEATLES LIVE AT CANDLESTICK PARK 1966, ive been told there are some and would love to get one for my husband also what sort of price would it be.
many thanks June
It's never been released officially, but it's widely available on bootleg. Try torrent sites. Don't pay for it.