The Beatles

Timeline More from year 1968
UK release date:
Nov 22, 1968

About

From thebeatles.com:

The Beatles or “The White album” as it became better known was released on 22nd November, 1968 on the fifth anniversary of their second album, With The Beatles. A total of 34 new tracks were released in 1968 and 30 were contained on this one double-LP.

Following the recording of their single “Lady Madonna” in February, the Beatles flew to Rishikesh, India for several weeks of meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi during which they enjoyed a prolific period of song writing. Recording began at Abbey Road on 30th May and studio work occupied most of their time until the final session in mid October.

The colourful artwork that had adorned Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour albums was absent here. The double wallet merely had words The BEATLES embossed on the front cover. Early copies also had a individual number stamped on the front. Inside the package along with the two discs wrapped in black inner sleeves were four individual photographs of the guys and a folded poster containing a photo-collage with the lyrics to the songs on the reverse.

The Beatles was the group’s first album to appear on the Apple label. The change from Parlophone to Apple had first taken place with the release of the “Hey Jude” single in August, 1968.

Despite the fact that it was a double album it entered the UK chart at no. 1 and occupied that position for eight of the 22 weeks it spent in the chart. The US situation was even more impressive with a nine week stay in the top spot during an initial chart run of 65 weeks.

That was the tension album. We were all in the midst of that psychedelic thing, or just coming out of it. In any case, it was weird. Never before had we recorded with beds in the studio and people visiting for hours on end: business meetings and all that. There was a lot of friction during that album. We were just about to break up, and that was tense in itself.

Paul McCartney – From “The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years” by Barry Miles
From Facebook – October 1968 Photo by Linda McCartney / Linda Enterprises Ltd. © Paul McCartney (https://www.lindamccartney.com/)

Last updated on September 26, 2021

Related bootlegs




Related songs



A Beginning

Officially appears on Anthology 3



Birthday

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Blackbird

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)




Cry Baby Cry

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Dear Prudence

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Don't Pass Me By

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Down In Havana

Unreleased song


Etcetera

Unreleased song



Glass Onion

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Good Night

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)



Helter Skelter

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Hey Jude

Officially appears on Hey Jude / Revolution


Honey Pie

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


I Will

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


I'm So Tired

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Julia

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Long, Long, Long

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Los Paranoias

Officially appears on Anthology 3


Martha My Dear

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)



Not Guilty

Officially appears on Anthology 3


Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Piggies

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Revolution

Officially appears on Hey Jude / Revolution


Revolution 1

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Revolution 9

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Rocky Raccoon

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Savoy Truffle

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Sexy Sadie

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)



The Way You Look Tonight

Unreleased song


What's The New Mary Jane

Officially appears on Anthology 3




Wild Honey Pie

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)


Yer Blues

Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)

Related films


Hey Jude

1968 • For The Beatles • Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg


Revolution

1968 • For The Beatles • Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg


While My Guitar Gently Weeps

2016 • For The Beatles


Back in the U.S.S.R.

2018 • For The Beatles • Directed by Alasdair Brotherston


Glass Onion

2018 • For The Beatles • Directed by Alasdair Brotherston

Related sessions


Recording "Revolution 1"

May 30, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


"The Beatles" (aka the White Album) sessions

May 30 - Oct 18, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Revolution 1"

May 31, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Revolution 1"

Jun 04, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Don't Pass Me By"

Jun 05, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Don't Pass Me By"

Jun 06, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Revolution 9"

Jun 10, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Blackbird", "Revolution 9"

Jun 11, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Revolution 9"

Jun 20, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Revolution 1", "Revolution 9"

Jun 21, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Mixing "Revolution 1", "Revolution 9"

Jun 25, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey"

Jun 26, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey"

Jun 27, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Good Night"

Jun 28, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey"

Jul 01, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Good Night"

Jul 02, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

Jul 03, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

Jul 04, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

Jul 05, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

Jul 08, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

Jul 09, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Revolution"

Jul 10, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Hey Jude / Revolution


Recording "Revolution", recording and mixing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

Jul 11, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)




Recording "Cry Baby Cry"

Jul 16, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Cry Baby Cry", "Helter Skelter"

Jul 18, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Sexy Sadie"

Jul 19, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Don't Pass Me By", "Good Night"

Jul 22, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)



Recording "Sexy Sadie"

Jul 24, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Jul 25, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Not Guilty", "Mother Nature's Son"

Aug 09, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Anthology 3


Recording "Sexy Sadie", "Yer Blues"

Aug 13, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)



Recording and mixing "Rocky Raccoon"

Aug 15, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Aug 16, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)



Recording and mixing "Sexy Sadie"

Aug 21, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Back In The U.S.S.R."

Aug 22, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording and mixing "Back In The U.S.S.R."

Aug 23, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Tape copying "Revolution 9"

Aug 26, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Tape copying "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Blackbird", "Not Guilty", "Revolution 9"

Aug 27, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Dear Prudence"

Aug 28, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Dear Prudence"

Aug 29, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Dear Prudence"

Aug 30, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Sep 03, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)



Recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Sep 05, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Sep 06, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Helter Skelter"

Sep 09, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Helter Skelter"

Sep 10, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Glass Onion"

Sep 11, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Glass Onion"

Sep 12, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Glass Onion"

Sep 13, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "I Will", "Glass Onion"

Sep 16, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Mixing "Helter Skelter", recording "I Will", "Cry Baby Cry"

Sep 17, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording and mixing "Birthday"

Sep 18, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Piggies"

Sep 19, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Piggies"

Sep 20, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Happiness Is A Warm Gun"

Sep 23, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Happiness Is A Warm Gun"

Sep 24, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording and mixing "Happiness Is A Warm Gun"

Sep 25, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)



Recording and mixing "Honey Pie"

Oct 01, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Honey Pie"

Oct 02, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Savoy Truffle"

Oct 03, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Recording "Martha My Dear", "Honey Pie"

Oct 04, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)



Mixing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", recording "Long Long Long"

Oct 07, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)









Mixing "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "I'm So Tired", "Cry Baby Cry"

Oct 15, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)



Tape copying "Yer Blues", "Don't Pass Me By"

Oct 18, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)


Remixing "The Beatles"

First half of 2018 ? • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (50th anniversary boxset)

Related interviews



I Enjoyed The Memories It Brought Back

Nov 01, 2018 • From MOJO



Paul recalls inspirations of LP

Nov 30, 1968 • From New Musical Express


Interview with Radio Luxembourg

Nov 21, 1968 • From Radio Luxembourg



Paul on the next album

Jul 20, 1968 • From Melody Maker


Interview for The Kenny Everett Show

Jun 09, 1968 • From BBC Radio 1


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