Rockstars arrive like this…Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees at LAX Los Angeles.
Let’s go get…Billy Preston
The legendary Apple Records rooftop concert January 30th, 1969
Ladies and Gentleman….The Beatles- Billy Preston on keyboards.
Billy Preston’s rooftop performance at the MGM Backlot. 1977 -8 years after The Beatles last public performance.
I could hear this performance at my house, I live that close to MGM.
I’m surrounded by rockstars…I’m trespassing. Peter Frampton who is still basking in Frampton Comes Alive success, is on one side of me, while Billy spins around in circles… Welcome to My Life…
We are all- Staying Alive
Get Back with Billy, trumpet in hand.
Billy Preston exiting the rooftop, Here Performing Get Back. He is attached to a crane by way of a cable and harness. Soundtrack is booming loud in this shot. This song was performed twice on the 1969 rooftop.
Billy at this time was his own smash hits. His songs were always on The Radio… “Outta Space,”Going Round in Circles,” and ” Nothin for Nothin” are all big hits. Billy also played with The Rolling Stones in 1976, the year previous to his role in “Sargent Pepper.” The Stones let Billy do his stuff on the “It’s Only Rock and Roll Tour.” Ron Wood was the newest figure in The Rolling Stones back in this time. He left that legendary band that amazingly still performs, unhappy lack of credit for “Melody.”
Guess who’s in this picture I took…The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton. They had to duck when pyro is ignited. I was there but we could see this from my house. Cover of my next book, I’ll take there as only I can do. No release day set yet for my 3rd book.
Hollywood Gold…A land where Rock Stars, Movie Stars, and Giant Robots can be found side by side. All you have to do is climb these fences.
“My Life”
Let’s live this together in June Gloom that surrounds me as I punch keys in Liverpool weather. A British Invasion took over the infamous MGM Lot 2 in 1977. The year prior- King Kong, the 40 ft Robot, was the big star. But promoter Robert Stigwood, CEO of RSO records wanted to capitalize on the Mega success of Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees. To do this, Robert decided to unite big bands on this backlot in a film titled “Sgt. Pepper”
Just prior to this film, Robert produced Saturday Night Fever. During shooting of Sargent Pepper, those Bee Gee guys filmed a video for Robert titled “Staying Alive.” I watched as the stars left their main set in Heartland and mover further into the backlot where the TV series Combat was filmed. I happened to be in a church steeple often used in war that was a balcony of sorts to overlook the backlot. Low and behold below before my eyes and ears – a rock video is being made, long before MTV.
A dream come true for this long haired teen age boy. I was the most popular kid in school “when I showed up,” anyways. My priority and allegiance has always belonged to this film factory first. I went to school for drugs and to develop my film and rolls of pictures shot on Hollywood’s backlots.
My photography teacher once asked, “How do you get these pictures?” My answer was simple “with a camera sir,” somethings are better left unsaid. This was the music scene in 1977, I will hold you by the hand and take you to see the artists that dominated the Radio Waves and album stores.
If a girl wanted to go with me, all she had to do is climb a fence, easier said than done. Kids at school knew I was a “can’t miss party!”
I would see stars who partied all night and lip synced all day. No real lines, just happy yet sometimes tired faces. Peter Frampton had been promised the Beatles would get involved with this film but they never did. That upset Mr. Frampton who grew up in England idolizing that band. Who didn’t…
The only star with lines is George Burns who was coming off the feature “Oh God.”
The first day on the set was a press conference with all the heavyweights in our Small Town Square, now for this film named Heartland. As the stars unite for promotional obligations on day one, tiny friction occurs. The Bee Gees aren’t happy- Peter gets top billing. When it is Peter’s turn to promote, he is tripped while walking up to the podium, by a Bee Gee who stuck his leg out. Probably Barry who was one of this shows producers. Turns out that band wanted Andy Gibb to play Billy Shears.
Two Alpha Dogs don’t fit in the same room. We have a whole summer ahead and already not every body is happy, welcome to “Day One.” Peter would later claim he wouldn’t have done this film had he had know the Beatles were not involved. George Martin lied to him. Worse royalties were disappearing at an alarming rate. Little did I know then, Peter had reached his Azimuth in fame and fortune, a shop decline is what would be next for this Cover Boy of the 70’s.
At the premier in NYC on 7/13/1978, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr did attend. When George Harrison was asked about this he responded “I think they ruined there careers, asking them to be- The Beatles.” True, I would concur, but these bands were already catapulted too close to sun and other situations involving fame, insane money and drugs would begin a downward spiral.
George, you said it best –All things Must Pass. Nothing lasts forever.
At the end of this film, looking backwards, I would say “We all had a real Good Time.” I did anyways….
Written and lived by…Donnie Norden
Phantom of the Backlots 