Beatles & Outlaws: Ken Mansfield Comes Down From The Roof
Ken Mansfield has been “in the room” for several major cultural watershed moments. After a meteoric rise through the ranks at Capitol Records in the 1960s, where he worked with artists like Lou Rawls, The Band, and The Beach Boys, Ken was personally chosen by The Beatles to head their Apple Records enterprise in the US. He happened to be working at the Apple offices in London during the sessions that were captured for the Let It Be album and film, including their now famous live concert finale on the roof. Ken, long dubbed “the man in the white coat” was one of just a handful of people on that roof with The Beatles on that historic day – a day that long defined his illustrious career in the music business.
A few years later, Mansfield found himself in the midst of yet another musical reformation as his simultaneous production of the Waylon Jennings’ album Ready For The Country and Jessi Colter’s smash single “I’m Not Lisa” helped solidify the “Outlaw” sound as Country artists reclaimed Americana music from the overproduced and over-commercialized Nashville machinery. Join us for this expansive conversation – which traces Ken Mansfield’s professional and personal journey – from the farm country of Idaho to the Hollywood Hills – to the “top of the world” a time or two. As he chronicles in his recent book, The Roof; The Beatles’ Final Concert, Mansfield returned to that London rooftop to contemplate the impact of that day, those musicians, his varied experiences and relationships, and what it all might mean all these years later.
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“Meet Ken Mansfield” Song List
Song Clips Found In This Episode:
Opening segment
The Beatles – Twist and Shout (“Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years” soundtrack)
John Lennon – “We were four guys…” (The Beatles Anthology 1)
George Martin – She Loves You (Off The Beatle Track)
Badfinger – Day After Day (Straight Up)
The Beatles – “Like Making an Album…” (Let It Be Super Deluxe – Get Back – Apple Sessions)
The Beatles – Don’t Let Me Down (Rooftop Performance, Take 1)
The Beatles – I’ve Got A Feeling (Rooftop Performance, Take 2)
Waylon Jennings – (I’m a) Ramblin’ Man (Nashville Rebel: 1970-1974)
The Beatles – She Loves You (The Beatles Anthology 1) (Prince of Wales Theatre, London, 4 November 1963)
John Lennon – “Rattle your jewelry.” (The Beatles Anthology 1) (Prince of Wales Theatre, London, 4 November 1963)
Set One
George Harrison – The Inner Light (Alternative Take Instrumental) (Wonderwall Music)
The Beatles – Flying (Magical Mystery Tour)
Harlow Wilcox & The Oakies – Groovy Grubworm (Groovy Grubworm and Other Golden Guitar Greats)
Pee Wee King And His Golden West Cowboys – San Antonio Rose (Pee Wee King And His Golden West Cowboys)
Pee Wee King And His Golden West Cowboys – Steel Guitar Rag (Pee Wee King And His Golden West Cowboys)
Stan Kenton and His Orchestra – Stompin’ at the Savoy (Contemporary Concepts)
Peggy Lee – Spinning Wheel (Peggy Lee)
Ravi Shankar – Duhn / Fast Teental (The Monterey International Pop Festival)
Lou Rawls – Love is a Hurtin’ Thing (The Monterey International Pop Festival)
Big Brother and the Holding Company – Down on Me (The Monterey International Pop Festival)
The Who – My Generation (The Monterey International Pop Festival)
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Rock Me Baby (The Monterey International Pop Festival)
Otis Redding – Respect (The Monterey International Pop Festival)
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Pride of Man (Quicksilver Messenger Service)
Steve Miller Band – Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around (Your Saving Grace)
Otis Redding – I Can’t Turn You Loose (Live at the Whisky A Go Go)
Booker T. & The M.G.s – Hip Hug-Her (The Monterey International Pop Festival)
Cannonball Adderley – Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Capitol Records 1942-1992 Fiftieth Anniversary)
The Fame Gang – Grits and Gravy (The Fame Studio Story: 1961-1973 – Home Of The Muscle Shoals Sound)
The Beatles – Kansas City / Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! (Live at the BBC)
Focal Point – Sycamore Syd (94 Baker Street: The Pop-Psych Sounds Of The Apple Era 1967-1969)
Sands – Listen to the Sky (Treacle Toffee World: Further Adventures Into The Pop Psych Sounds from The Apple Era 1967-1969)
Lovers from the Sky (Alternative version) (Good As Gold: Artefacts Of The Apple Era 1967-1975)
James Taylor – Knocking ‘Round the Zoo (James Taylor)
Black Dyke Mills Brass Band – Yellow Submarine (Apple single)
Billy Preston – That’s the Way God Planned It (Apple single)
The Beatles – Oh! Darling (Jam) (Let It Be Super Deluxe – Rehearsals and Apple Jams)
The Beatles – Can You Dig It (Let It Be Super Deluxe – Get Back – Apple Sessions
The Beatles – Ob La Di, Ob La Da (Esher Demo) (The White Album 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
The Beatles – Dig It (1969 Glyn Johns mix) (Let It Be Super Deluxe)
The Beatles – Get Back (Rooftop Performance, Take 1)
John Lennon – “We were performers…” (The Beatles Anthology 1)
The Beatles – Dig a Pony (Rooftop Performance)
The Beatles – For You Blue (Take 4) (Let It Be Super Deluxe – Get Back – Apple Sessions)
The Beatles – Something (Abbey Road)
The Beatles – Carry That Weight (Abbey Road)
The Beatles – The End (Abbey Road)
Set Two
Waylon Jennings – Nashville Rebel (Nashville Rebel: 1958-1969)
Willie Nelson – Under the Double Eagle (Outtake) (The Complete Atlantic Sessions)
Willie Nelson – Me and Paul (Wanted! The Outlaws)
Willie Nelson – Ou Es-Tu, Mon Amour? (Where Are You, My Love?) (Teatro)
Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson – A Good Hearted Woman (Wanted! The Outlaws)
Willie Nelson – Willie’s After Hours (The Complete Atlantic Sessions)
Waylon Jennings – Are You Ready for the Country? (Are You Ready for the Country?)
Willie Nelson – Texas Flood (Milk Cow Blues)
Waylon Jennings – Ladies Love Outlaws (Ladies Love Outlaws)
Waylon Jennings – Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out Of Hand (I’ve Always Been Crazy)
The Beatles – Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows (Love)
The Beatles – On The Day Shift Now (Speech) / All Things Must Pass (Rehearsals) (Let It Be Super Deluxe – Rehearsals and Apple Jams
The Beatles – One After 909 (Rooftop Performance)
The Beatles – Teddy Boy (1969 Glyn Johns mix) (Let It Be Super Deluxe)
The Beatles – The Long and Winding Road (Let It Be 2021 50th Anniversary Stereo remix by Giles Martin & Sam Okell) (with Orchestra Overdub)
Joel Paterson – Good Night (Let It Be Acoustic! Joel Paterson Plays The Beatles Again)
The Beatles – Good Night (The White Album 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Soapbox
George Martin – The Pepperland Suite (George Martin: In My Life)
Closing
Phil Keaggy & Rex Paul – Full Circle (True Tunes podcast theme version)
IF YOU LOVED THIS EPISODE, don’t miss:
Eric Earley (Blitzen Trapper) + Sacred Psychedelia on the Jukebox (w David Bunker)
DOE (plus Stevie Wonder on the Jukebox!)
Royce Lovett (plus Gospel Hip Hop on the Jukebox)
Audiofeed Festival Lineup Announcement and Interview
Terry Scott Taylor’s Beautiful Mystery
Natalie Bergman’s Jesus Music for a New Generation
Myron Butler and the Legacy of Andrae Crouch!
Andy Zipf Solo Acoustic Performance on True Tunes @45RPM
45RPM: Phil Madeira and Love Songs
Bruce Cockburn: Kicking at the Darkness for Fifty Years (and counting!)
From The Vault: Michael Been of The Call
Marc Byrd (Hammock, God of Wonders, etc)
Phil Madeira on Expanding Horizons
Kevin Max Considers Boundaries
See the full list of previous episodes HERE