Filming "Hey Jude", "Revolution" promo films

On this day, The Beatles filmed the promotional clips for “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” at Twickenham Film Studios. They were joined by a 36-piece orchestra and an audience of 300 people.

The “Hey Jude” film was to have its world premiere on September 8, 1968, on the TV show “Frost On Saturday“, presented by David Frost.

David Frost was present on this day in the studio, to film some sequences and let the spectators think this was a live recording at the time of the broadcast. It was also a nice trick to fool The Musicians’ Union, which had placed a ban on miming. In this regard, only The Beatles’ lead and backing vocals were recorded live and taped on top of the existing vocals on the track, to guard against mistakes.

Three takes of “Hey Jude” were filmed, the end result film using an edit of takes one and three.

As some point, The Beatles performed the “Frost On Saturday” theme tune, written by George Martin and titled “By George! It’s The David Frost Theme“. Afterwards, David Frost appeared 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!

David Frost

They also played an impromptu version of Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now Or Never“, but this was edited out of the broadcast.

For the “Revolution” clip, The Beatles overdubbed a new vocal track onto the studio version. It was broadcast on BBC’s Top Of The Pops, on September 19, 1968.

The two films were directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. The next time The Beatles would be at Twickenham Film Studios with Michael Lindsay-Hogg would be in January 1969 for the “Get Back” sessions.

From The Beatles Monthly Book, October 1968, N°63:

On previous occasions in the past year or two, The Beatles had made little films showing themselves recording, walking around and so forth with their record playing in the background. Naturally, some of these ran into trouble with the telly people because the fellows came pretty close to miming sometimes, and THAT is a terrible Deadly Sin so far as the unions are concerned. You are not allowed to mine to records on telly.

This time The Beatles decided to avoid all the problems by producing a full-scale LIVE performance, done in colour, at Twickenham Film Studios and intended for showing all over the world.

The day before Neil and Suzie got married at the end of August, I was asked to start making all the shooting arrangements with Michael Lindsay-Hogg, a television and film director who has been involved in plenty of big pop shows in the past.

It was Thursday night. By the following Wednesday we had to get together the technical crew, no less than 300 extras and a 36-piece orchestra. In between there was the August bank holiday week-end, which meant it was hard to get hold of half the people we needed to reach to set things up.

How did we get that code of 300 extras together? We got 20 students to distribute invitation leaflets for us. The result was that all sorts of walks of life were represented – postmen, railwaymen, teenagers, senior citizens. I recruited a bunch of Beatle people from outside the recording studio and told them they would be welcome to join us all at Twickenham and bring along a few mates.

Paul decided he would like a ‘twenties atmosphere at Twickenham so the musicians of the orchestra were dressed up in smart white tuxedos and colourful carnations for the occasion.

And very evident amongst the gathered – together 300 was old Billy from Soho. Billy is a real character. If you’ve walked around Wardour Street or Old Compton Street in Soho you may have seen him, possibly with a bottle on his head, selling or giving away flowers. And like as not, he will have pulled out a photograph he’s very proud of. It was taking months ago and shows him with The Beatles in a film cutting room – when the fellows editing “Magical Mystery Tour”. The photo went into the Daily Mirror at the time. So old Billy just had to be in on the “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” filming.

The Beatles arrived at Twickenham around lunchtime – 1:30 PM. The line-up was Paul, playing an upright piano, George on bass, John on guitar and Ringo on drums. PLUS the 36-piece orchestra PLUS 300 singing extras to join in the big build-up on “Hey Jude” towards the end of the number.

While lights and cameras were being set up, Paul entertained on the piano. He hadn’t really planned to do so, but old Billy came up on to the stage and yelled, “Come on, Paul, give us some of the goold old songs”. And Paul did just that!

Mal Evans

Session activities

1. Hey Jude

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • Take 1

2. Hey Jude

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • Take 2

3. Hey Jude

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • Take 3

4. By George! It's The David Frost Theme

   Recording

5. It's Now Or Never

   Written by Aaron Schroeder, Wally Gold, Eduardo di Capua

   Recording

6. Revolution

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • Take 1

7. Revolution

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • Take 2

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