Articles
Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman on holiday in Portugal
December 11 - End of December, 1968
“Yellow Submarine” premiered in the US
Nov 13, 1968
“The Beatles” double-album postponed by one week
Early November 1968
Paul McCartney spends time with Linda Eastman in Scotland
November 5 - Mid-November?
A TV ad project to promote “The Beatles” double-album called off
End of October / early November 1968
Paul McCartney visits The Cavern
October 25, 1968 ?
Paul McCartney spends time with Linda Eastman in New York
October 20-31, 1968
Fall 1968
“The Beatles” double-album announced
Sep 28, 1968
Designing the “White Album” packaging
September - October 1968
Paul McCartney invites Linda Eastman to London
September 1968
Paul McCartney attends Neil Aspinall’s wedding
Aug 30, 1968
Apple Records is officially launched
Aug 11, 1968
Mick Jagger hears “Hey Jude” for the first time
Aug 08, 1968
“Yellow Submarine” general release in the UK
Aug 04, 1968
“Thingumybob” series premieres on UK TV
Aug 02, 1968
The Apple shop in Baker Street closes down
Jul 31, 1968
The “Mad Day Out” photo session
Jul 28, 1968
“Yellow Submarine” world premiere
Jul 17, 1968
Paul McCartney on promotional duties for Apple in Los Angeles
June 20-25, 1968
Paul McCartney celebrates his 26th birthday
Jun 18, 1968
Paul McCartney directs promo film for Grapefruit
May 26, 1968
Paul McCartney attends Andy Williams’ concert
May 21, 1968
The Beatles promote Apple Corps in New York
May 11-15, 1968
Apple publishes an ad to find new talent
Apr 19, 1968
Mar 29, 1968
February 19 to March 26, 1968
Paul McCartney attends a Scaffold concert
Feb 10, 1968
Feb 08, 1968
Paul McCartney at the Playboy Club
Feb 05, 1968
Apple Corps open offices in London
Jan 22, 1968
Rumors about a third Beatles film
First half of 1968
The Beatles attend Grapefruit press launch
Jan 17, 1968
What happened for Paul in 1968
From Wikipedia, here is what happened to The Beatles in 1968:
In February 1968, the Beatles travelled to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh, India, to take part in a three-month meditation “Guide Course”. Their time in India marked one of the band’s most prolific periods, yielding numerous songs, including a majority of those on their next album. However, Starr left after only ten days, unable to stomach the food, and McCartney eventually grew bored and departed a month later. For Lennon and Harrison, creativity turned to question when an electronics technician known as Magic Alex suggested that the Maharishi was attempting to manipulate them. When he alleged that the Maharishi had made sexual advances to women attendees, a persuaded Lennon left abruptly just two months into the course, bringing an unconvinced Harrison and the remainder of the group’s entourage with him. In anger, Lennon wrote a scathing song titled “Maharishi“, renamed “Sexy Sadie” to avoid potential legal issues. McCartney said, “We made a mistake. We thought there was more to him than there was.“
In May, Lennon and McCartney travelled to New York for the public unveiling of the Beatles’ new business venture, Apple Corps. It was initially formed several months earlier as part of a plan to create a tax-effective business structure, but the band then desired to extend the corporation to other pursuits, including record distribution, peace activism, and education. McCartney described Apple as “rather like a Western communism“. The enterprise drained the group financially with a series of unsuccessful projects handled largely by members of the Beatles’ entourage, who were given their jobs regardless of talent and experience. Among its numerous subsidiaries were Apple Electronics, established to foster technological innovations with Magic Alex at the head, and Apple Retailing, which opened the short-lived Apple Boutique in London. Harrison later said, “Basically, it was chaos … John and Paul got carried away with the idea and blew millions, and Ringo and I just had to go along with it.”
From late May to mid-October 1968, the group recorded what became The Beatles, a double LP commonly known as “the White Album” for its virtually featureless cover. During this time, relations between the members grew openly divisive. Starr quit for two weeks, leaving his bandmates to record “Back in the U.S.S.R.” and “Dear Prudence” as a trio, with McCartney filling in on drums. Lennon had lost interest in collaborating with McCartney, whose contribution “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” he scorned as “granny music shit“. Tensions were further aggravated by Lennon’s romantic preoccupation with avant-garde artist Yoko Ono, whom he insisted on bringing to the sessions despite the group’s well-established understanding that girlfriends were not allowed in the studio. McCartney has recalled that the album “wasn’t a pleasant one to make“. He and Lennon identified the sessions as the start of the band’s break-up.
With the record, the band executed a wider range of musical styles and broke with their recent tradition of incorporating several musical styles in one song by keeping each piece of music consistently faithful to a select genre. During the sessions, the group upgraded to an eight-track tape console, which made it easier for them to layer tracks piecemeal, while the members often recorded independently of each other, affording the album a reputation as a collection of solo recordings rather than a unified group effort. Describing the double album, Lennon later said: “Every track is an individual track; there isn’t any Beatle music on it. [It’s] John and the band, Paul and the band, George and the band.” The sessions also produced the Beatles’ longest song yet, “Hey Jude“, released in August as a non-album single with “Revolution“.
Issued in November, the White Album was the band’s first Apple Records album release, although EMI continued to own their recordings. The record attracted more than 2 million advance orders, selling nearly 4 million copies in the US in little over a month, and its tracks dominated the playlists of American radio stations. Its lyric content was the focus of much analysis by the counterculture. Despite its popularity, reviewers were largely confused by the album’s content, and it failed to inspire the level of critical writing that Sgt. Pepper had. General critical opinion eventually turned in favour of the White Album, and in 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it as the tenth greatest album of all time.
As a solo artist, Paul McCartney became a producer and produced several artists published on the new Apple Records label (like Mary Hopkin or the Black Dyke Mills Band).
On personal matters, he ended his five-year relationship with Jane Asher. He then spent some months with Francie Schwartz, who was offered a role at Apple and was brought into various sessions of the White Album. In September, he recontacted Linda Eastman, who he first met in 1967, and by the end of the year, they decided to get married and create a family.
Last updated on September 27, 2021
Singles released in 1968
By The Beatles • 7" Single
Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)
By The Beatles • 7" Single
Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (US - 1968)
By The Beatles • 7" Single
The Beatles 1968 Christmas Record
By The Beatles • 7" Single
Una Sensazionale Intervista Dei Beatles
By The Beatles • 7" Single
Albums Paul McCartney contributed to, released in 1968
And The Sun Will Shine / The Dog Presides
By Paul Jones • 7" Single
By James Taylor • LP
By Cilla Black • LP
By Cilla Black • LP
Sour Milk Sea / The Eagle Laughs at You
By Jackie Lomax • 7" Single
Thingumybob / Yellow Submarine
By Black Dyke Mills Band • 7" Single
Those Were The Days / Turn! Turn! Turn!
By Mary Hopkin • 7" Single
Films released in 1968
1968 • For Various Artists • Directed by Tony Palmer
1968 • For The Beatles • Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg
1968 • For The Beatles • Directed by Tony Bramwell
1968 • For The Beatles • Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg
1968 • For The Beatles • Directed by George Dunning
Sessions
"Post Card" session - Improvisation with Donovan
November 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Post Card (US version)
Mixing "Hey Bulldog", "All Together Now", "All You Need Is Love", "Only A Northern Song"
Oct 29, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Yellow Submarine (Mono)
Tape copying "Yer Blues", "Don't Pass Me By"
Oct 18, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Mixing "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", "It's All Too Much" and cross-fades for the White Album
Oct 16-17, 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)
Oct 14, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording and mixing "Julia", "Dear Prudence", "Wild Honey Pie", "Back In The U.S.S.R.", "Blackbird"
Oct 13, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Oct 12, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording and mixing "Savoy Truffle", "Piggies", "Don't Pass Me By", "Good Night"
Oct 11, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Oct 10, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Early October 1968 to early December 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Post Card (UK version - Stereo)
Oct 09, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording "Long Long Long", "I'm So Tired", "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill"
Oct 08, 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)
Oct 05, 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)
Oct 03, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Oct 02, 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)
Mixing "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "What's The New Mary Jane", "Glass Onion", "I Will"
Sep 26, 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 "Happiness Is A Warm Gun"
Sep 24, 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)
Sep 20, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Sep 19, 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)
Mixing "Helter Skelter", recording "I Will", "Cry Baby Cry"
Sep 17, 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)
Sep 13, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Sep 12, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Sep 11, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Sep 10, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Sep 09, 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 "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
Sep 05, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Filming "Hey Jude", "Revolution" promo films
Sep 04, 1968
Recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
Sep 03, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording "Those Were The Days" in other languages
September 1968 ? • Songs recorded during this session appear on Le Temps Des Fleurs (Those Were The Days) / Turn! Turn! Turn!
Aug 30, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Aug 29, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Aug 28, 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)
Aug 26, 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)
Recording "Back In The U.S.S.R."
Aug 22, 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 "Yer Blues", recording and mixing "Mother Nature's Son", "Wild Honey Pie"
Aug 20, 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 "Rocky Raccoon"
Aug 15, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording and mixing "Yer Blues", recording and mixing "What's The New Mary Jane"
Aug 14, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording "Sexy Sadie", "Yer Blues"
Aug 13, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording and mixing "Not Guilty"
Aug 12, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Anthology 3
Aug 12, 1968
Recording "Not Guilty", "Mother Nature's Son"
Aug 09, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Anthology 3
Mixing "Hey Jude", recording "Not Guilty"
Aug 08, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Anthology 3
Aug 07, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Anthology 3
Aug 06, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Hey Jude / Revolution
Aug 02, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Hey Jude / Revolution
Aug 01, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Hey Jude / Revolution
Jul 31, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Hey Jude / Revolution
Recording and mixing "Hey Jude"
Jul 30, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Hey Jude / Revolution
Jul 29, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Hey Jude / Revolution
Recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
Jul 25, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Jul 24, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording and mixing "Everybody's Got Something To Hide...", mixing "Good Night"
Jul 23, 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)
Jul 19, 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)
Jul 16, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Mixing "Revolution", recording and mixing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", recording "Cry Baby Cry"
Jul 15, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording "Those Were the Days"
Late July 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Those Were The Days / Turn! Turn! Turn!
Jul 12, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording "Revolution", recording and mixing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
Jul 11, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Jul 10, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Hey Jude / Revolution
Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
Jul 09, 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 05, 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 03, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Jul 02, 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)
July - October 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on James Taylor (Stereo)
Jun 30, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Thingumybob / Yellow Submarine
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"
Jun 27, 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)
Mixing "Revolution 1", "Revolution 9"
Jun 25, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
June 25-26, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Sour Milk Sea / The Eagle Laughs at You
Recording "Revolution 1", "Revolution 9"
Jun 21, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Jun 20, 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)
Jun 10, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Jun 06, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Jun 05, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Jun 04, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
May 31, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
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)
Late May 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Anthology 3
Recording "I'm The Urban Spaceman"
March 1968 ? • Songs recorded during this session appear on I'm The Urban Spaceman / Canyons Of Your Mind
Feb 28, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Step Inside Love / I Couldn't Take My Eyes Off You
Feb 15, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)
Recording and mixing "Hey Bulldog"
Feb 11, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)
Recording and mixing "The Inner Light", recording and mixing "Across The Universe"
Feb 08, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)
Recording and mixing "The Inner Light", "Lady Madonna"
Feb 06, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)
Recording "Across The Universe"
Feb 04, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Anthology 2
Feb 03, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)
Feb 03-15, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)
"And The Sun Will Shine / The Dog Presides" session
Early February 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on And The Sun Will Shine / The Dog Presides
Recording session with Roger McGough & Mike McGear
January 20 or 26, 1968 ? • Songs recorded during this session appear on McGough & McGear (Mono)
Jan 12, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)
Jan 10, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Yesterday's Sunshine: The Complete 1967-1968 London Sessions
Songs written in 1968
Officially appears on Thingumybob / Yellow Submarine
Officially appears on McCartney
Officially appears on Off The Ground
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Unreleased song
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Unreleased song
Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on The Beatles (Mono)
Officially appears on Abbey Road
Officially appears on Abbey Road
Officially appears on Abbey Road
Officially appears on Abbey Road
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Officially appears on Abbey Road
Interviews
Paul recalls inspirations of LP
Nov 30, 1968 • From New Musical Express
Interview with Radio Luxembourg
Nov 21, 1968 • From Radio Luxembourg
Interview for "All My Loving" documentary
Nov 03, 1968
You know what I'd love to do? Produce an album for Elvis!
Sep 14, 1968 • From Melody Maker
Interview for New Musical Express
Aug 17, 1968 • From New Musical Express
Jul 20, 1968 • From Melody Maker
Andy Gray talks to the Beatles, 1968
Jul 13, 1968 • From New Musical Express
Interview for BBC's "Look North"
Jul 01, 1968 • From BBC North region
David Frost Presents… Frankie Howerd
Jun 16, 1968
Interview for The Kenny Everett Show
Jun 09, 1968 • From BBC Radio
We have a handful of songs and a band called The Beatles
Jun 08, 1968 • From Melody Maker
Interview for The Village Voice
May 16, 1968 • From The Village Voice
NYC Press Conference Announcing Apple
May 14, 1968
May 14, 1968 • From WNDT
Interview for The Tonight Show
May 14, 1968 • From NBC
May 13, 1968
May 13, 1968
Mar 27, 1968
Five years since the start of Beatlemania - Paul McCartney talks to RAY CONNOLLY
Feb 24, 1968 • From Evening Standard
I Still Say Beatles' 'tour' Was Entertaining
Jan 06, 1968 • From New Musical Express
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