We wish......
On this weekend in 1976 (April 24th to be exact) , Paul and Linda were hanging out with John and Yoko at his New York Dakota apartment and watching Saturday Night Live. Lorne Michaels (the shows producer) came on air and made an offer asking The Beatles to come down and play three songs live....NBC would be willing to cough up $3000 (The Beatles were now broken up for 6 years, and at this point people were already offering millions for the band to reunite).
Lennon and McCartney talked about hopping a taxi over to NBC studios to blow their minds (how sweet would that have been!), but they decided they were too tired and it was too late. Sadly, this we the last time John Lennon and Paul McCartney would see each other face to face.
Later (on May 22nd) Lorne came on again and upped the offer to $3200 plus hotel accommodations. Then in the first half of the next season (on Nov 20th), George Harrison showed up and tried to claim all the money himself. Michaels said that if it was up to him, George could have the money, but NBC wouldn't agree.
Here is the video of the original offer. Below is the audio alone.
When Paul McCartney appeared on the show on February 13th, 1993 he and Lorne were seen talking about the offer during the monologue.
Paul was also on SNL May 17th, 1980.
Ringo Starr hosted the show on the anniversary of John's death on December 8th 1984.
Sadly, John Lennon never appeared on SNL.
Also on April 24th (in 1968), The Beatles brand new company Apple Records turned down the offer to sign a new artist: David Bowie.
Below is a few mp3s...the SNL offer, The Beatles rehearsing "Two of Us" (first slow acoustic, then fast electric), and a rehearsal of "Stand By Me" from the very last time John and Paul were in a studio together in on March 28th 1974) more info on that session here.
THE BEATLES
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
JOHN LENNON
PAUL McCARTNEY
GEORGE HARRISON
RINGO STARR
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