On this day The Beatles filmed promotional clips for ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Revolution’ at Twickenham Film Studios.
They arrived at the studios at 1.30pm and worked until evening. The set, at the studio’s stage one, had been assembled over the previous three days.
Only The Beatles’ lead and backing vocals were recorded live, although instruments and amplifiers were set up. The Musicians’ Union had placed a ban on miming, and the live vocals were an attempt to hide this.
The completed films – two for each song, both in colour – were directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, whom had worked with The Beatles on the clips for ‘Paperback Writer’ and ‘Rain’ in 1966.
‘Hey Jude’ was the first to be made, and featured Paul McCartney seated at an upright piano, John Lennon and George Harrison on a nearby podium with guitars, and Ringo Starr positioned on a drum riser behind them.
A 36-piece orchestra was also assembled, the members wearing white tuxedos, and 300 extras were brought in for the finale. The latter had been recruited after 20 students handed out leaflets in the area, and The Beatles’ assistant Mal Evans invited a number of fans from outside EMI Studios.
At least three takes of ‘Hey Jude’ were filmed, and the most commonly-seen promo was an edit of takes one and three. In each of them McCartney sang along to the studio vocals, and ad-libbed live during the extended ending.
The ‘Hey Jude’ film had its world premiere on 8 September 1968 on Frost On Saturday, presented by David Frost. To make it seem as though The Beatles were on the programme, David Frost visited Twickenham on this day to record an introduction.
We made a film in front of an audience. They had brought people in for ‘Hey Jude’. It wasn’t done just for David Frost, but it was shown on his show and he was actually there when we filmed it.
The group also performed the David Frost show’s theme tune, written by George Martin and titled ‘By George! It’s The David Frost Theme’. Afterwards Frost appeared on camera to introduce the ‘Hey Jude’ performance.
Beautiful. Absolute poetry. Welcome back to part three, as you can see, with the greatest tea-room orchestra in the world. Right? Beautiful, beautiful. Absolutely, beautiful. As you can see, making their first audience appearance for over a year, ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles!
At that point The Beatles broke into an impromptu rendition of Elvis Presley’s It’s Now Or Never, although this was edited out of the broadcast.
For the ‘Revolution’ clips The Beatles overdubbed a new vocal track onto the studio version. Paul McCartney performed the scream during the introduction, and the ‘shoo-be doo-wop’ backing vocals from the slower, then-unreleased ‘Revolution 1’ were sung.
The only contemporary UK screening of the ‘Revolution’ clip was on the BBC’s Top Of The Pops on Thursday 19 September.
Also on this day...
- 2022: The Beatles: Get Back wins five Emmy Awards
- 2014: Ringo Starr hits out at Islamic State ‘Beatles’ jihadis
- 2003: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga
- 1992: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Circus Maximus Showroom, Las Vegas
- 1989: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles
- 1964: The Beatles live: Milwaukee Arena, Wisconsin
- 1963: The Beatles live: Gaumont Cinema, Worcester
- 1962: Recording: How Do You Do It, Love Me Do
- 1960: The Beatles live: Indra Club, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I was at Twickenham. Film studios. 4th September 1968. Mal Evans gave my friend and I a ticket each to the recording of hey jude. Fabulous day.
can you add more….how cool!
I was there too, the fellow with the tambourine. A lovely woman came up to me on a bus the day before, told me about it and gave me a sheet of paper that gave me entry to the bus taking people to the film studio. I was the first one to get on the stage in take 1. cheeky New Yorker that I was.
Hi Joel. I hope you don’t mind me getting in touch. I’m working on a community heritage and education project with The Exchange in Twickenham around the films and promos the Beatles made at Twickenham Studios. In particlular we’re looking for people’s personal memories to include in a special exhibition later this year. I came across your comment here and wondered if you’d be willing to let us know a bit more about your experience on the Hey Jude shoot?
There’s more details about the project here:
https://exchangetwickenham.co.uk/contact/exhibitions/
along with details about how to get in touch with us.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Guy
Project Manager, The Beatles in Twickenham
Your name is mentioned in a rather new Beatle book titled, One, Two, Three, Four, The Beatles in Time by author Craig Brown. We see more of you with the tambourine in the alternate version that’s included on the DVD collection 1 plus.
For years I’ve wondered about the lucky people who were there. absolutely fantastic and such a cheerful thing to watch during these troubling pandemic times…
I was 10 years old when Hey Jude was shown here in Canada.. we saw it on The Smothers Brothers show.. but in Black and White…
cheers,
Joe, from Toronto, Canada
Does anybody know if Michael Owen was at the David frost show when the Beatles sang hey Jude .
Does anybody know if that’s Michael Owen on the set of hey Jude on the David frost show as an extra.
Dianne Baldry – is that Dianne Barry that was – it’s Margaret here from Wigan – used to be your Beatle penpal if that is you. Would love to hear from you
Who are you in the video, Dianne?
I love this video and always wondered who these people were and what was their experience like jamming with the Beatles to the classic, “Hey Jude”. Can you share this so that I can imagine such an honor. And which one were you in the video?
How do I connect with extras in the film of Hey Jude and Revolution. I remember Lady Madonna being broke out into that afternoon, which would be awesome because it means ther is live Beatles footage of them performing that, unless it was trashed. I’m the boy above the tambourine inthe Sgt. Peppers coat close to Ringo. I’m American and came over the day before with Lily Evans (I think) on an airplane. I think they put me in a costume so they could easily keep track of me, scared about possible “kid napping” of an American minor. I was 12. They returned me safe and sound. Everybody was wonderful. Ringo was so nice.
Hi there. I hope you don’t mind me getting in touch. I’m working on a community heritage and education project with The Exchange in Twickenham around the films and promos the Beatles made at Twickenham Studios. In particlular we’re looking for people’s personal memories to include in a special exhibition later this year. I came across your comment here and wondered if you’d be willing to let us know a bit more about your experience on the Hey Jude shoot?
There’s more details about the project here:
https://exchangetwickenham.co.uk/contact/exhibitions/
along with details about how to get in touch with us.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Guy
Project Manager, The Beatles in Twickenham
Every time I see the Hey Jude promo film I am in awe of all the people
surrounding The Beatles. I was only 10 when I saw it on the Smothers Brothers show.
My sister came running in the room screaming, The Beatles are on TV, The Beatles are on TV.
We all stood around the set watching and listening and I remember our dog “tippy” jumping up on
everyone trying to get attention, but sorry Tippy, all eyes were glued on the TV.
Did they let you keep the jacket they gave you to wear?
So many fantastic smiles on everyone and we love the guy with the horn rimmed glasses too..
cheers, from Toronto Canada
Joe
Hey Boy, I was just watching the video again today and saw you next to Ringo! How cool! Did you know about it and fly over especially for the filming? Do you know who the girl was that was sitting on the piano bench with Paul while he was playing?
Hi Dianne. I hope you don’t mind me getting in touch. I’m working on a community heritage and education project with The Exchange in Twickenham around the films and promos the Beatles made at Twickenham Studios. In particlular we’re looking for people’s personal memories to include in a special exhibition later this year. I came across your comment here and wondered if you’d be willing to let us know a bit more about your experience on the Hey Jude shoot?
There’s more details about the project here:
https://exchangetwickenham.co.uk/contact/exhibitions/
along with details about how to get in touch with us.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Guy
Project Manager, The Beatles in Twickenham
Dianne
We are working on a documentary about that day in Twickenham.
Would you be interested in talking about it on camera?
PjH
Hi just come across your old post .can you help me .did a young Michael Owen appear on the David frost show .when the Beatles played hey Jude it looks like him on the video
Seems odd that they would go to the trouble to do the Revolution promo to only have air once in the UK.
Does anybody know who the strange old guy at he end of Hey Jude annoying Paul is?
I don’t remember his name, but Paul takes about him in the commentary for 1+. He was a local drunkard and possibly homeless man who was hanging out nearby, so they brought him in. He kind of ruins the video but at the same time makes it better.
He looks like a man who used to wander the streets of London’s Soho back then (1968). We all called him ‘Rosie’ in reference to his penchant for floral adornments, although I think he usually wore carnations as in the video. Not sure how he made it out to Twickenham though.
His Name was Bill and helped the beatles with magical mystery tour
What I’d like to know is who’s the creepy dude in the baby blue turtleneck giving somebody the stink eye at 6:52? The look on his face seems out of place for the occasion.
This Bill ‘Rosie’ seems to pop up all of a sudden in this video at 5.36. He is crouching right behind Paul McCartney who is playing the piano. It is remarkable that there is no such person in this gathering at 5.16. Where does he come from and why is there a piece of cardboard pinched under his right armpit? And what is the black object that he is raising in the air with his left hand at 6.31 and again at 6.50? Is it a bottle? Why is he showing this? This object is gone at 7.14.
He is wearing three ‘carnations’, Two red ones and one white. The white is behind his left ear at 6.24. Is there a connection with the red carnations and left handed guitar made of white carnations on the cover of St Pepper? What is the connection to the carnations in the booklet accompanying the Magical Mystery Tour album? Three of the Beatles wear red carnations, while Paul wears a black one.
But what puzzles me the most is that this Bill ‘Rosie’ touches the right shoulder of Paul twice. First at 7.26 and again at 7.36. Paul seems to be a bit annoyed already at 7.27. But then this ‘local drunkard and possibly homeless man’ holds his hand above the head of Paul McCartney. Possibly he does that already at 7.32, but definitely at 7.42. And then at 7.46 he looks upwards and points his left hand forefinger to the ceiling.
Maybe he was a producer or something seems like he was trying to get them to stop playing
The video is a combination of Takes 1 and 3 of three takes, which accounts for the discontinuity.
Who is the young man that looks like a younger George Harrison, or George’s Son at 6:59?
I was there with my sister and parents. We spent a month vacationing in England and few days before we were in line to see “Yellow Submarine”. A man with a clipboard approached my dad and we got an invitation to the filming. The day arrived and we boarded a bus at Victoria Station which took us to the studios. I was 11 and my sister was 12, and in one scene I can pick myself out. For two kids from Los Angeles who loved the Beatles it was an amazing adventure.
Not in this take, but another. Watching the video now, I remember on one of the takes I got up there quickly and was sitting on the stage next to Paul’s piano bench. I reached over and touched the red velvet dinner jacket like it was the cloak of turin. Several young women were crowded around and one was pinching my leg so I would get out of her way. OUCH! She meant business.
Hi Tom. I hope you dodn’t mind me getting in touch. I’m working on a community heritage and education project with The Exchange in Twickenham around the films and promos the Beatles made at Twickenham Studios. In particlular we’re looking for people’s personal memories to include in a special exhibition later this year. I came across your comment here and wondered if you’d be willing to let us know a bit more about your experience on the Hey Jude shoot?
There’s more details about the project here:
https://exchangetwickenham.co.uk/contact/exhibitions/
along with details about how to get in touch with us.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Guy
Project Manager, The Beatles in Twickenham
Hi Guy.
Dont know if you are still working at the Exchange. My very good friend Gary Crowley has been doing quite a few event s there over the past 9 months or so.
Im thinking of doing something on the Hey Jude shoot – did any other members of the audience get in touch with you. and would you be up for a chat about it in near future. Im Feltham originally but live in Cobham now so quite local. PjH
It sounds like there were more Americans there than Brits.
What an honour to be there on that night you lucky people
Just one of those perfect moments that few were blessed to part of.People coming together and everybody being so respectful at one time and place in history.
Curious if that is the “Mrs. Mills” piano from Abbey Road that Paul is playing. Did they transport it to Twickenham from EMI or was it a studio piano? It looks like Mrs. Mills.
Hi Mike. The Mrs Mills piano is a much taller and older-looking upright – a Steinway Vertegrand. That was used on Lady Madonna and probably other songs like Lovely Rita. The piano being played on this promo is a Challen, and I’m assuming it was moved from Abbey Road to Twickenham for this promo. I visited Abbey Road Studios late in 2021 and can confirm they have two of these Challens, and still have the Mrs Mills piano. To further confuse things, the piano on the recording of Hey Jude is a Bechstein grand that lived at Trident Studios, where this song was recorded.
>> That video of Hey Jude has always had a special place in my heart. The song itself is my all time favorite song not only from the Beatles songs, but the dearest ever. It reminds me of my Dad everytime I think of it. He gave me the EP with Hey Jude on the A side and Revolution on the B side. I miss you, Dad. Thank you for sharing your love for The Beatles with me, your younger son. And thank you, Paul, for writing a song that brings together family generations.
I wonder if they jammed, since live instruments and amps were set up? Does anybody have the unedited footage, or was it lost to time?
I have always loved this song and video…America was in such turmoil when this was released. It’s almost a spiritual feeling singing this song.
At 2:47 Paul and John make an awkward eye contact. It kind of appears that Paul was intentionally staring at John to get his attention about something. Finally John, who had been distracted by something in the front of the band, looks over at Paul. Its seems as if Paul was expecting something from John. John looks a bit startled and gives Paul a “What’s wrong” kind of look with a slight shoulder raise. The encounter lasts about 5 or 6 sends and ends when John has to sing the back up part at 2:55.
Does anyone know what that was about?
my interpretation is that Paul gave John a special look and John thought he was signalling that it was time to go into the coda though it was too early in the song. John was crossed up for a moment but of course Paul was too much of a pro to screw up his own song like that.
When “The Bible” mentions that these were filmed, was there actually a version created on 16 or 35 mm film? The versions we are familiar with, were recorded on 2-inch Quad videotape in the PAL colour video format. That would be amazing if there is a film-originated version that hasn’t been aired or seen by the public.