I love studying everything in art and creativity.
I love writing and talking about cultural events that teach us about creativity and competence.
And I love dissecting how much I need to learn to keep on achieving peak performance.
It was almost 6 years ago when I found the video. I watched it 100x.
And I took notes.
The video is now blocked on copyright grounds, but I’m glad I got to watch it because I discovered so much about creating.
The video is the very last concert ever performed by the Beatles in London.
It was spur of the moment. On the roof of the recording studio they were working in. It was January 30, 1969, the dead of winter. I can only imagine how cold they were.
They brought their instruments and they just started performing.
It was on the fly. Without telling anyone. Once people heard the music, they were crowding the streets and climbing on fire escapes.
But what makes it so interesting to dive into is everything that was going on behind the scenes.
The Beatles had become more famous than they could’ve ever imagined.
But at this point in time, the band was essentially dead. They all hated each other with a passion. And they never performed together again. There were so many tensions.
Paul McCartney was suing the band over royalties. George Harrison, a few weeks earlier, had quit the band because he was so sick of John Lennon controlling the music writing. And they almost replaced him, but he eventually came back and performed with them on the roof.
But nonetheless the Beatles were competent creators. And I think we can learn so much from not only their music, but the way they built such an incredible legacy.
They’d been together for 12 years. And they performed together tens of thousands of hours all over the world. They were even performing 20 hours a day in Germany before the world even knew who they were.
The Beatles musical journey is an incredible story of creation and competence.
They all hated each other, yet they were the best at what they did. Together. Everytime.
And it’s because they were constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity.
What I did on this episode of the podcast was totally on the fly. It wasn’t planned. And my audience might hate me for it. Or they might love what we did and want more.
You’ll never know unless you try.
Even If you’re not a musician, these same creative principles can be applied to any creative person’s process. A creator never rests. They’re always looking for the next way to push the boundaries, no matter what’s happening.
And we all need to constantly be stretching our creativity.
To always be in the “beginners mindset”. You can be forgotten quickly. It doesn’t take long.
As for the Beatles, they will be remembered forever. They are at the top of all peak performers. And always will be. But if we’re able to step back and analyze their failures and successes, I bet we can improve our own lives while we’re at it.
At the end of their performance on the roof, John Lennon, says, “On behalf of the group and ourselves, I hope we pass the audition.”
This is the last line the Beatles ever say to an audience.
It’s time to start living like every moment is an audition.
This episode was my turn to audition.
Links and Resources
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Paul McCartney
John Lennon
George Harrison
Yoko Ono
Phil Spector – the producer of the album Let It Be
Ringo Starr
Jimmy Fallon
The Roots
Jay-Z
Kanye West
Behind the Music
The Rolling Stones
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards
Charlie Watts
Richard Ben Cramer
Brian Epstein
Curious Mind by Brian Grazer
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – a documentary directed by Ron Howard
Eye Contact by Brian Grazer
Tom Bodett
In Conversation: Quincy Jones
Andy Warhol
The Comedy Store
Robin Williams
Jay Leno
David Letterman
Spielberg on HBO
Break In – Ice T’s first appearance
George Lucas
Judy Blume
Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan
Ep. 340 – Don McLean: Why You Should Follow Your Instincts
Ep. 343 – Tony Rock: The Process to Get ANY Idea Off the Ground
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