đ ON THIS DAY: UK single release: Hey Jude (1968)
The Beatles second â and final â UK single of 1968 was an all-time classic. âHey Judeâ, with âRevolutionâ on the b-side, was also the groupâs first on their Apple label.
The single was issued as Apple R 5722, although the catalogue number followed Parlophoneâs convention, and the rights remained with the EMI subsidiary.
Furthermore, Philips were sub-contracted to press a number of extra copies, as EMI were unable to meet public demand. The Philips copies had the Apple logo on the label, but had a press-out centre with three prong. The Apple/EMI version had a solid label.
Hey Jude spent 16 weeks on the UK charts from 7 September. It spent two weeks at number one from 11 September, before being knocked off by Mary Hopkinâs Those Were The Days, produced by Paul McCartney and released on this day as Apple 2.
At seven minutes and 11 seconds, Hey Jude was the UKâs longest number one single until 1993. Its success encouraged artists and radio stations alike to throw out the unwritten rule that singles should be no longer than three minutes.
đ ON THIS DAY: Bob Dylan turns The Beatles on to cannabis (1964)
On 28 August 1964 the future of rock ânâ roll changed forever, when Bob Dylan introduced The Beatles to cannabis.
The Beatles were staying at the Delmonico Hotel on Park Avenue, near Manhattanâs Central Park. According to Derek Taylor, 200,000 incoming calls were received by the hotel switchboard during their two-day stay. Fans stood eight-deep outside, held back by barricades, and the lobby and corridors were patrolled by police officers. Nobody was able to visit the Beatlesâ sixth floor suite without full authorisation.
The band were relaxing after the first of two dates at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, and were enjoying room service dinner with Brian Epstein and Neil Aspinall. In the hospitality suite next door, Taylor entertained reporters, photographers and celebrities including Peter, Paul and Mary, the Kingston Trio and radio DJ Murray the K, all of whom were hoping to meet and maybe party with the Beatles.
The two parties were introduced by a mutual friend, the writer Al Aronowitz, at New Yorkâs Delmonico Hotel. Dylan was driven from Woodstock by his road manager Victor Maymudes, picking up Aronowitz on the way.
Police officers prevented the trio from entering the hotel elevators until Mal Evans arrived to usher them upstairs. The Beatles warmly greeted the American guests, and drinks were offered.
Dylan expressed a preference for cheap wine. âIâm afraid we only have champagne,â Epstein apologised, although there were other expensive French wines and Scotch and Coke. The Beatles began asking Evans to get some cheap wine, but Dylan got stuck in to what was available. They also offered him purple hearts, but Dylan and Aronowitz declined and suggested they smoke grass instead.
đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatles meet Elvis Presley (1965)
The meeting of two great musical acts of the 20th century took place on this day: The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
This was The Beatlesâ fifth day off at 2850 Benedict Canyon, the Beverly Hills mansion they rented from Zsa Zsa Gabor during a break in their 1965 tour of North America. Despite the tight security and attention surrounding the group, during the day Paul McCartney and chauffeur Alf Bicknell managed to leave for sometime. McCartney wore a disguise as the pair did some sightseeing around Los Angeles.
"We met Elvis Presley at the end of our stay in LA. Weâd tried for years to, but we could never get to him. We used to think we were a bit of a threat to him and Colonel Tom Parker, which ultimately we were. So although we tried many times, Colonel Tom would just show up with a few souvenirs and that would have to do us for a while. We didnât feel brushed off; we felt we deserved to be brushed off. After all, he was Elvis, and who were we to dare to want to meet him? But we finally received an invitation to go round and see him when he was making a film in Hollywood." â Paul McCartney
It took place at Presleyâs mansion at 525 Perugia Way, Bel Air, Los Angeles. The Beatles arrived at 11pm and were greeted by Elvis in his large circular living room. The room was bathed in red and blue light, and contained a colour television, jukebox, crescent-shaped couch, games tables and a bar.
On August 27, 1967, Brian Epstein, the man who managed The Beatles, was found dead at his home in London. He was just 32 years old.
Epstein had been struggling with insomnia, depression, and his dependence on drugs, particularly in the months leading up to his death. His death was later ruled an accidental overdose of Carbitral.
For The Beatles, losing Brian was devastating. He had been their manager since 1962 and played a crucial role in turning them from a Liverpool club band into the biggest group in the world.
Without Epstein, The Beatles suddenly had to navigate their career without the man they trusted to handle the business side of their lives. His death marked the beginning of a very differentâand increasingly difficultâchapter for the band.
đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatles take LSD in Los Angeles with The Byrds and Peter Fonda (1965)
24 August 1965 was The Beatlesâ second day off during their five-day break in the 1965 North America tour. They rented a house owned by Zsa Zsa Gabor at 2850 Benedict Canyon, Beverly Hills, where they were visited by a number of people.
This was the day on which John Lennon and George Harrison had their second LSD experience. Ringo Starr tried the drug for the first time, although Paul McCartney did not partake on this occasion.
"I had a concept of what had happened the first time I took LSD, but the concept is nowhere near as big as the reality, when it actually happens. So as it kicked in again, I thought, âJesus, I remember!â I was trying to play the guitar, and then I got in the swimming pool and it was a great feeling; the water felt good." â George Harrison
Among the visitors on this day were Eleanor Bron, whom had appeared with The Beatles in Help!, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby of The Byrds, and Daily Mirror newspaper journalist Don Short.
"There were girls at the gates, police guards. We went in and David, John Lennon, George Harrison and I took LSD to help get to know each other better. There was a large bathroom in the house and we were all sitting on the edge of a shower passing around a guitar, taking turns to play our favourite songs. John and I agreed âBe-Bop-A-Lulaâ was our favourite â50s rock record. I showed George Harrison some Ravi Shankar sounds, which Iâd heard because we shared the same record company, on the guitar. I told him about Ravi Shankar and he said he had never heard Indian music before. You can hear what I played him from The Byrdsâ song âWhyâ. I had learned to play it on the guitar from listening to records of Ravi Shankar." â Roger McGuinn
Indian music and LSD were key influences in the changes in The Beatlesâ music between 1965 and 1968. The drug, in particular, played a pivotal role in the groupâs studio experimentation for Revolver and Sgt Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Band.
đ ON THIS DAY: John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell (1962)
On 23 August 1962 John Lennon married Cynthia Powell at the Mount Pleasant register office in Liverpool.
Brian Epstein was the best man, and George Harrison and Paul McCartney were also in attendance. Absent was Johnâs aunt Mimi, who disapproved of the union, although Cynthiaâs half brother and his wife were there.
As soon as the ceremony began, a pneumatic drill outside the building opposite drowned out all that was said; when the registrar asked for the groom to step forward, Harrison did, which only added to the farce.
At Epsteinâs expense, they celebrated afterwards at Reeceâs restaurant in Clayton Square, eating a set menu of soup, chicken and trifle. Reeceâs was where Johnâs parents Alf and Julia had celebrated their own wedding in 1938.
đ ON THIS DAY: Ringo Starr quits The Beatles (1968)
Tensions had been building within The Beatles for some time during the recording of the White Album. On this day matters came to a head, and Ringo Starr left the group.
"While we were recording the âWhiteâ album we ended up being more of a band again, and thatâs what I always love. I love being in a band. Of course, it must have had moments of turmoil, because I left the group for a while that summer. I left because I felt two things: I felt I wasnât playing great, and I also felt that the other three were really happy and I was an outsider. I went to see John, who had been living in my apartment in Montagu Square with Yoko since he moved out of Kenwood. I said, âIâm leaving the group because Iâm not playing well and I feel unloved and out of it, and you three are really close.â And John said, âI thought it was you three!â So then I went over to Paulâs and knocked on his door. I said the same thing: âIâm leaving the band. I feel you three guys are really close and Iâm out of it.â And Paul said, âI thought it was you three!â I didnât even bother going to George then. I said, âIâm going on holiday.â I took the kids and we went to Sardinia." â Ringo Starr
That day The Beatles were booked to record in Abbey Roadâs studio two; the session began at 7pm, and ended at 4.45 the following morning. The argument occurred during rehearsals for Paul McCartneyâs âBack In The USSRâ, which the three remaining Beatles went on to record without Starr.
đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatlesâ final photo shoot (1969)
The Beatles united for a final photographic session on 22 August 1969. It was also the last occasion in which all four members were together for band duties; thereafter their only meetings were business-related.
"It was just a photo session. I wasnât there thinking, âOK, this is the last photo session.â" â Ringo Starr
The shoot took place in the house and grounds of Tittenhurst Park, John Lennon and Yoko Onoâs home in Sunninghill near Ascot, Berkshire. The couple had moved in earlier in the month on 11 August, although they had bought the 72-acre estate on 4 May 1969.
The photo shoot took place two days after their final recording session together. The photographers were Ethan Russell and Monte Fresco, with additional pictures taken by The Beatlesâ assistant Mal Evans. Some low-quality film footage was also shot, some of which is thought to have been shown on the BBC Two arts programme Late Night Line-Up on 19 September 1969, during an Abbey Road special.
"Linda shot some 16mm footage on my camera. That turned out to be the last film taken." â Paul McCartney
Yoko Ono and a heavily pregnant Linda McCartney appeared in some of the photographs. Also at the shoot were Apple Corpsâ press officer Derek Taylor and Paul McCartneyâs sheepdog Martha.
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You can save ONLY ONE of these four Beatles songs. Which one survives?
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đ ON THIS DAY: UK single release: Hey Jude (1968)
The Beatles second â and final â UK single of 1968 was an all-time classic. âHey Judeâ, with âRevolutionâ on the b-side, was also the groupâs first on their Apple label.
The single was issued as Apple R 5722, although the catalogue number followed Parlophoneâs convention, and the rights remained with the EMI subsidiary.
Furthermore, Philips were sub-contracted to press a number of extra copies, as EMI were unable to meet public demand. The Philips copies had the Apple logo on the label, but had a press-out centre with three prong. The Apple/EMI version had a solid label.
Hey Jude spent 16 weeks on the UK charts from 7 September. It spent two weeks at number one from 11 September, before being knocked off by Mary Hopkinâs Those Were The Days, produced by Paul McCartney and released on this day as Apple 2.
At seven minutes and 11 seconds, Hey Jude was the UKâs longest number one single until 1993. Its success encouraged artists and radio stations alike to throw out the unwritten rule that singles should be no longer than three minutes.
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đ ON THIS DAY: Bob Dylan turns The Beatles on to cannabis (1964)
On 28 August 1964 the future of rock ânâ roll changed forever, when Bob Dylan introduced The Beatles to cannabis.
The Beatles were staying at the Delmonico Hotel on Park Avenue, near Manhattanâs Central Park. According to Derek Taylor, 200,000 incoming calls were received by the hotel switchboard during their two-day stay. Fans stood eight-deep outside, held back by barricades, and the lobby and corridors were patrolled by police officers. Nobody was able to visit the Beatlesâ sixth floor suite without full authorisation.
The band were relaxing after the first of two dates at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, and were enjoying room service dinner with Brian Epstein and Neil Aspinall. In the hospitality suite next door, Taylor entertained reporters, photographers and celebrities including Peter, Paul and Mary, the Kingston Trio and radio DJ Murray the K, all of whom were hoping to meet and maybe party with the Beatles.
The two parties were introduced by a mutual friend, the writer Al Aronowitz, at New Yorkâs Delmonico Hotel. Dylan was driven from Woodstock by his road manager Victor Maymudes, picking up Aronowitz on the way.
Police officers prevented the trio from entering the hotel elevators until Mal Evans arrived to usher them upstairs. The Beatles warmly greeted the American guests, and drinks were offered.
Dylan expressed a preference for cheap wine. âIâm afraid we only have champagne,â Epstein apologised, although there were other expensive French wines and Scotch and Coke. The Beatles began asking Evans to get some cheap wine, but Dylan got stuck in to what was available. They also offered him purple hearts, but Dylan and Aronowitz declined and suggested they smoke grass instead.
Read full article: www.beatlesbible.com/1964/08/28/bob-dylan-turns-thâŚ
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đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatles meet Elvis Presley (1965)
The meeting of two great musical acts of the 20th century took place on this day: The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
This was The Beatlesâ fifth day off at 2850 Benedict Canyon, the Beverly Hills mansion they rented from Zsa Zsa Gabor during a break in their 1965 tour of North America. Despite the tight security and attention surrounding the group, during the day Paul McCartney and chauffeur Alf Bicknell managed to leave for sometime. McCartney wore a disguise as the pair did some sightseeing around Los Angeles.
"We met Elvis Presley at the end of our stay in LA. Weâd tried for years to, but we could never get to him. We used to think we were a bit of a threat to him and Colonel Tom Parker, which ultimately we were. So although we tried many times, Colonel Tom would just show up with a few souvenirs and that would have to do us for a while. We didnât feel brushed off; we felt we deserved to be brushed off. After all, he was Elvis, and who were we to dare to want to meet him? But we finally received an invitation to go round and see him when he was making a film in Hollywood." â Paul McCartney
It took place at Presleyâs mansion at 525 Perugia Way, Bel Air, Los Angeles. The Beatles arrived at 11pm and were greeted by Elvis in his large circular living room. The room was bathed in red and blue light, and contained a colour television, jukebox, crescent-shaped couch, games tables and a bar.
Read full article: www.beatlesbible.com/1965/08/27/the-beatles-meet-eâŚ
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đ ON THIS DAY: Brian Epstein dies (1967)
On August 27, 1967, Brian Epstein, the man who managed The Beatles, was found dead at his home in London. He was just 32 years old.
Epstein had been struggling with insomnia, depression, and his dependence on drugs, particularly in the months leading up to his death. His death was later ruled an accidental overdose of Carbitral.
For The Beatles, losing Brian was devastating. He had been their manager since 1962 and played a crucial role in turning them from a Liverpool club band into the biggest group in the world.
Without Epstein, The Beatles suddenly had to navigate their career without the man they trusted to handle the business side of their lives. His death marked the beginning of a very differentâand increasingly difficultâchapter for the band.
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Should âMaxwellâs Silver Hammerâ have been on Abbey Road?
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đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatles take LSD in Los Angeles with The Byrds and Peter Fonda (1965)
24 August 1965 was The Beatlesâ second day off during their five-day break in the 1965 North America tour. They rented a house owned by Zsa Zsa Gabor at 2850 Benedict Canyon, Beverly Hills, where they were visited by a number of people.
This was the day on which John Lennon and George Harrison had their second LSD experience. Ringo Starr tried the drug for the first time, although Paul McCartney did not partake on this occasion.
"I had a concept of what had happened the first time I took LSD, but the concept is nowhere near as big as the reality, when it actually happens. So as it kicked in again, I thought, âJesus, I remember!â I was trying to play the guitar, and then I got in the swimming pool and it was a great feeling; the water felt good." â George Harrison
Among the visitors on this day were Eleanor Bron, whom had appeared with The Beatles in Help!, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby of The Byrds, and Daily Mirror newspaper journalist Don Short.
"There were girls at the gates, police guards. We went in and David, John Lennon, George Harrison and I took LSD to help get to know each other better. There was a large bathroom in the house and we were all sitting on the edge of a shower passing around a guitar, taking turns to play our favourite songs. John and I agreed âBe-Bop-A-Lulaâ was our favourite â50s rock record. I showed George Harrison some Ravi Shankar sounds, which Iâd heard because we shared the same record company, on the guitar. I told him about Ravi Shankar and he said he had never heard Indian music before. You can hear what I played him from The Byrdsâ song âWhyâ. I had learned to play it on the guitar from listening to records of Ravi Shankar." â Roger McGuinn
Indian music and LSD were key influences in the changes in The Beatlesâ music between 1965 and 1968. The drug, in particular, played a pivotal role in the groupâs studio experimentation for Revolver and Sgt Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Read full article: www.beatlesbible.com/1965/08/24/lsd-los-angeles-byâŚ
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đ ON THIS DAY: John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell (1962)
On 23 August 1962 John Lennon married Cynthia Powell at the Mount Pleasant register office in Liverpool.
Brian Epstein was the best man, and George Harrison and Paul McCartney were also in attendance. Absent was Johnâs aunt Mimi, who disapproved of the union, although Cynthiaâs half brother and his wife were there.
As soon as the ceremony began, a pneumatic drill outside the building opposite drowned out all that was said; when the registrar asked for the groom to step forward, Harrison did, which only added to the farce.
At Epsteinâs expense, they celebrated afterwards at Reeceâs restaurant in Clayton Square, eating a set menu of soup, chicken and trifle. Reeceâs was where Johnâs parents Alf and Julia had celebrated their own wedding in 1938.
Read full article: www.beatlesbible.com/1962/08/23/john-lennon-marrieâŚ
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đ ON THIS DAY: Ringo Starr quits The Beatles (1968)
Tensions had been building within The Beatles for some time during the recording of the White Album. On this day matters came to a head, and Ringo Starr left the group.
"While we were recording the âWhiteâ album we ended up being more of a band again, and thatâs what I always love. I love being in a band. Of course, it must have had moments of turmoil, because I left the group for a while that summer. I left because I felt two things: I felt I wasnât playing great, and I also felt that the other three were really happy and I was an outsider. I went to see John, who had been living in my apartment in Montagu Square with Yoko since he moved out of Kenwood. I said, âIâm leaving the group because Iâm not playing well and I feel unloved and out of it, and you three are really close.â And John said, âI thought it was you three!â So then I went over to Paulâs and knocked on his door. I said the same thing: âIâm leaving the band. I feel you three guys are really close and Iâm out of it.â And Paul said, âI thought it was you three!â I didnât even bother going to George then. I said, âIâm going on holiday.â I took the kids and we went to Sardinia." â Ringo Starr
That day The Beatles were booked to record in Abbey Roadâs studio two; the session began at 7pm, and ended at 4.45 the following morning. The argument occurred during rehearsals for Paul McCartneyâs âBack In The USSRâ, which the three remaining Beatles went on to record without Starr.
Read full article: www.beatlesbible.com/1968/08/22/ringo-starr-quits-âŚ
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đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatlesâ final photo shoot (1969)
The Beatles united for a final photographic session on 22 August 1969. It was also the last occasion in which all four members were together for band duties; thereafter their only meetings were business-related.
"It was just a photo session. I wasnât there thinking, âOK, this is the last photo session.â" â Ringo Starr
The shoot took place in the house and grounds of Tittenhurst Park, John Lennon and Yoko Onoâs home in Sunninghill near Ascot, Berkshire. The couple had moved in earlier in the month on 11 August, although they had bought the 72-acre estate on 4 May 1969.
The photo shoot took place two days after their final recording session together. The photographers were Ethan Russell and Monte Fresco, with additional pictures taken by The Beatlesâ assistant Mal Evans. Some low-quality film footage was also shot, some of which is thought to have been shown on the BBC Two arts programme Late Night Line-Up on 19 September 1969, during an Abbey Road special.
"Linda shot some 16mm footage on my camera. That turned out to be the last film taken." â Paul McCartney
Yoko Ono and a heavily pregnant Linda McCartney appeared in some of the photographs. Also at the shoot were Apple Corpsâ press officer Derek Taylor and Paul McCartneyâs sheepdog Martha.
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