The Beatles—Hey Jude
I found this compilation of singles at a record store in the summer of 2022, never having known of its existence.
The Beatles’ record label Apple and infamous label executive Allen Klein created the Hey Jude compilation out of necessity of a prior contract with Capitol Records. The album spans the band’s career from 1964 to 1969, with all the singles featured being non album singles. The original title “The Beatles Again,” until the soon to be title track “Hey Jude” began climbing the charts, the name was changed days before release. Rare copies of “The Beatles Again” exist out in the world as the labels were printed by the time the change was made. The album was made to be released in every country except the UK, due to rights issues. Hey Jude is certified triple platinum in the United States.
It will be apparent as we work through The Beatles’ discography that I am not a fan of their early work. I understand that it is still influential and eons ahead of its contemporaries. However, most of ’64 to ’65 is just boy band music to me. In some good news for me, only the first two tracks on the album revel in the boyish charms of the early days. “Paperback Writer,” released in 1966 serves as the perfect fork in the road for The Beatles’ discography. Challenged by his Aunt Lil, Paul McCartney was tasked with writing a song that wasn’t about love for once. The song tells the tale of an aspiring writer who is pitching his first novel to a publisher. Followed by the original single’s B-Side “Rain” continues this trend by lamenting people who complain about the weather. Based on a National Geographic image of an indigenous woman breastfeeding, “Lady Madonna” tells the tale of an overworked woman to the backing of bluesy piano. The single version of “Hey Jude” featured “Revolution” as a B side, they are reversed on this compilation. The album closes with two memorable Lennon songs, “Don’t Let Me Down,” from the “Get Back” sessions and “The Ballad of John and Yoko.” Despite my misgivings about some of the more juvenile inclusions, this collection of songs is a breeze to listen to, and even contains the band’s better songs.
Must Listen To: Hey Jude
After watching Peter Jackson’s fantastic documentary “Get Back,” I learned more about “Hey Jude.” I’m sure that everyone knows the song was written as “Hey Jules” to comfort Lennon’s song Julian after his parents’ divorce. What I didn’t know was that the song was featured in a promotional film where they sang it live to a studio audience. This performance reignited a spark the musicians had for music, and live performance. The session would lead them to commission the “Get Back” initiative, and by proxy Abbey Road. This song is an important inflection point as the beginning of the end for the world’s most famous band.
