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. Full Show Notes, Music List, and a special Ken Mansfield Playlist are available HERE or at TrueTunes.com/BeatlesRoof If you would like to support the show, please consider joining our Patreon community or dropping us a one-time tip and check out our NEW MERCH!