On the birthday of ‘Hey Jude’ we have gifted you with fun facts

The Beatles‘ classic hit ‘Hey Jude was released today, August 26th, in 1968 so we have complied all the fun facts that you might not know. 

The single features on four of The Beatles albums, 1, Past Masters, Anthology 3 and Love. In this song Paul McCartney sings main vocals and plays both the piano and bass. All other band members sing back up vocals with John Lennon on acoustic guitar, George Harrison on electric guitar and Ringo Starr on drums and tambourine.

It is the biggest selling debut release for a label ever and is The Beatles most commercially successful single. With simple lyrics and a catchy tune it has become a community type album that is easy for crowds to sing along to.

‘Hey Jude’ was a song with a perfectly timed message. On the same day as its release anti Vietnam war protesters clashed with police on the streets of Chicago, US, at the National Democratic Convention. It was a year of violence, political turbulence, and civil unrest.

The revolutionary number brought people together with a message of reassurance and consolation. In a summer of hate and despair Tim Riley, author of several Beatles books, called it “a song about a communal experience” – as much about friendship as about love. And that it “had kind of a magnetic hold on people, and people couldn’t get enough of it.”

1. ‘Hey Jude’ evolved from a song Paul McCartney wrote for John Lennon’s 5-year-old son Julian because his parents were getting a divorce and it was originally titled ‘Hey Jules’.
2. At the time it was released it broke the record for the longest single running at 7 minutes and 11 seconds.
3. For the final scene in the music video approximately 300 fans were gathered in Twickenham Film Studios, allowing The Beatles to fool the Musicians Union into believing they were performing live, however everyone but Paul McCartney mimed the majority of the song.
4. The track was The Beatles’ first single to be released on Apple Records, the label the band founded.
5. Julian Lennon purchased the recording notes for the song for £25,000 at an auction in 1996.
6. Their producer, George Martin, thought that no one would play the song because it was too long, to which John Lennon said, “They will if it’s us”.
7. Paul McCartney was driving on his way to visit Julian Lennon and his other when he begun writing the song and a month later he played the song to Jon Lennon for the first time.
8. The single has sold over 10 million copies in the United States alone. topped the charts in 12 countries, and at nine weeks is the longest #1 hit of the Beatles in the US.
9. The Guardian rates ‘Hey Jude’ as The Beatles’ biggest crowdpleaser
10. When a cricket match between England and Australia in 2017 was rained out the crowd sung the classic hit as the players left the field which Shane Warne commented as, “The only good thing that came out of [the match].”

Bonus: The phrase ‘Nah’ appears 240 times across the song.

Check out the official music video of The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude:

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