Beatles' Last Performance

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Aug 29, 2000 4:06 am

On August 29, 1966 The Beatles played their last concert, to a paying audience, in Candlestick Park, San Francisco. Approximately 25,000 tickets were sold for this event. The last song of their set was Long Tall Sally.

anon · Post by **anon** » Tue Sep 12, 2000 1:03 pm

Did Paul used his Rickenbacker 4001S during his last performance on stage with the beatles ?
I keep on believin' that he didn't use his 4001S, but the bass was here in Backstage, I've seen it on a photograph at Candlestick Park,SF.
Did he use the 4001S?

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Sep 15, 2000 9:09 am

Based on the research I have conducted to date, Paul McCartney did not use his Rickenbacker 4001 at Candlestick Park. The Hofner got the nod with the 4001 waiting in the "Wings", so to speak, just in case the Violin Bass wasn't up for the task.

terry · Post by **terry** » Fri Sep 15, 2000 2:34 pm

Peter,

I know this isn't quite Rickenbacker-related, but I have need for your invaluable Beatles research. Can you tell me, or do you know, when Sir Paul's trusty 1963 Höfner 500/1 bass was insured for £2 million? Even an approximate date, or even a year, would suffice. Much appreciated if you could Help! me nail that down just a bit. I believe it was sometime after "His Holiness" flew his famous Höfner on the Concorde across the pond to Mandolin Brothers in New York to have its intonation adjusted in 1995. Thanks in advance for any info.

Gary_Cost · Post by **Gary_Cost** » Thu Oct 05, 2000 11:10 am

Paul used the Hofner w/o pickguard just 8 days earlier in Cincinnati, Ohio. There was no Ric on stage (for Paul)

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Sat Nov 11, 2000 8:14 pm

Gary, Do you mean 1993? That was Paul's last tour of the U.S. On the 1993 and 1989/90 tour Paul's 4001S did make the trip. This is documented in both the World Tour Guide books and the July 1990 issue of Guitar Player magazine. Guitar Player states that the 4001S was backstage in its roadcase. It should also be noted that the 4003/5 LH JG was the back up 5 string bass behind his WAL during the 1989/90 world tour.

One last thing. When Paul was promoting "All the Best" in 1988, he did a few gigs with his pre-world tour band. On those shows he played the 4001S. This is confirmed by issues of his fan magazine, Club Sandwich.

Gary_Cost · Post by **Gary_Cost** » Tue Nov 14, 2000 9:43 am

Brian; My post regarding Paul using the Hofner w/o pickguard in Cincinnati, Ohio is from August 21, 1966! My cousin played bass for us and he also had a Hofner like Paul's. But when the Beatles came out and we noticed the pickguard was gone, we were all 'puzzeled' as to why? Paul had no Rickenbacker on stage during this show.

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Wed Nov 15, 2000 12:48 am

OOPS! Sorry Gary! I don't know why their is no pickguard on the Hofner, but I assume it is for a very simple reason, like it cracked or something. I believe his RIC was with him on the last tour. I have seen a photo of Paul backstage holding his RIC. I can't be sure if it is on the "66" tour or not, but it looked to be from that tour. It would have been nice to see out there.

tom · Post by **tom** » Sun Feb 11, 2001 11:36 pm

Paul had the bass on that tour, Ive seen pictures of it laying flat on its back not in a stand on the drum riser floor, I dont think he ever used it, theres no pictures of him using it live in 66...
tom

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Feb 12, 2001 4:23 am

Paul said (in his 89 tour magazine I think) that although having his Rickenbacker in the mid-sixties, he preferred his Höfner Bass for live, because it was his trademark, and Paul without Höfner would look like early Charlie Chaplin without his hat and walking stick. That could as well be a reason that you see him using it in the roof performance during Let it be and in the Revolution promo video (but in the Hello Goodbye video he used the Rick, I think).

tom · Post by **tom** » Tue Feb 13, 2001 2:20 am

I think he looked pretty cool in early wings concert photos with the stripped Rick 4001S. I would love to have a video of some of the live shows from that period. I've seen one little short part of a clip from a concert where Wings were doing the song Wild Life. He had lots of attitude, like he got his wind back after the Beatle breakup.