The Apple scruffs were a loosely-knit group of hardcore Beatles fans who were known for congregating outside the Apple Corps

Apple Corps

Apple Corps Ltd. is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. Its name is a pun. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year...

 building and at the gates of Abbey Road Studios

Abbey Road Studios

Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 during the waning days of Beatlemania

Beatlemania

Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...

 in hopes of seeing or interacting with the band members.

In February 1968 during the recording of "Across the Universe

Across the Universe

"Across the Universe" is a song by the English group The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the various artists charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969, and later, in different form, on Let It Be,...

", two Apple scruffs (Lizzie Bravo and Gayleen Pease) who were standing outside the Abbey Road Studios were invited in on the spur of the moment by Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...

 to perform backing vocals on the track.

The Beatles' song "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window

She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" is a song written by Paul McCartney and performed by The Beatles on their album Abbey Road as part of the Abbey Road medley.-Origin:...

" (Abbey Road, 1969) refers to the day that some of the Apple scruffs climbed into Paul McCartney's house through an upstairs bathroom window and raided his wardrobe for a pair of trousers which they took turns wearing. They also stole a framed photograph, which they later returned at McCartney's request.

Following the break-up of the Beatles, George Harrison

George Harrison

George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...

 wrote a song titled "Apple Scruffs" which appeared on his solo album All Things Must Pass

All Things Must Pass

All Things Must Pass is a triple album by George Harrison, recorded and released in 1970. The original vinyl release featured two LPs of rock songs as well as Apple Jam, a third LP of informal jams...

.

In 1985, one of the Apple scruffs, Carol Bedford, published a memoir of her experiences as a fan, Waiting for the Beatles: An Apple Scruff's Story.