Television

The Beatles Top TV Moments: 6


master mentalism tricks

Hey there, The Beatles fans! Join us in our 10-day countdown to the premiere of The Beatles: Get Back on Disney+, sizing up the 10 greatest TV moments in the long and winding history of the lads from Liverpool.

This is an excerpt from TV Guide Magazine’s The Beatles on TV Special Collector’s Edition, available for order online now at BeatlesonTV.com and for purchase on newsstands nationwide.

6. Hey Jude/Revolution

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Oct. 6, 1968

Top of the Pops, Sept. 19, 1968

The Big Picture

The camera gets close as a kiss for a pair of rousing Beatles numbers that live on powerfully.

Behind the Scenes

It had been a year since the Beatles’ last TV appearance, but the mood in the world had changed. The Summer of Love timed out, the psychedelics soured and America had just been rocked by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. With the decade darker and nearly done, it felt like autumn.

There was an air of finality with the Beatles too. The band had retreated to an ashram in India, where they composed most of what became The Beatles (aka the White Album) and returned to form Apple Records. Those accomplishments were, however, marred by increasing conflicts within the band. John Lennon had become involved with Yoko Ono and insisted on bringing her to band-only studio sessions; he and Paul McCartney stopped collaborating.

Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour George Harrison

(Credit: The Everett Collection)

To promote their just-released single “Hey Jude,” with the flip side “Revolution,” the band filmed performances of both songs in Twickenham Studios, with Michael Lindsay-Hogg directing. He had previously directed other videos for the band.

Popular British broadcaster David Frost filmed an introduction for “Hey Jude” so the performance could appear on his show Frost on Sunday. For the song, Paul was seated at an upright piano, John, and George on a nearby podium and Ringo on a separate riser with his drums. A 36-piece orchestra in white tuxedoes sat behind.

It wasn’t a true live performance; McCartney sang along to the studio vocals while the band lip-synched their parts. For the choral finale, 300 extras were brought in and they strolled onstage. It was an inclusive mix of students, parents with kids, hipsters, and older folks, all clapping and singing along. The camera took in each Beatle shoulder to shoulder with fans.

“Revolution” was filmed with the band overdubbing a new vocal track, with Lennon at his countercultural best on lead vocals. The clip was shown on Top of the Pops in the U.K. two weeks later on September 19. For the U.S., the band chose to have both songs air on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, since that show’s controversial reputation for antiestablishment views fit perfectly with the idea behind “Revolution.”

Fun Fact

“Hey Jude”/“Revolution” became the top-selling single in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada that year.

Why It Ranks

On both sides of the pond, the Beatles showed they would continue to speak for the times — and that they could still rock. Five months later, they’d prove that again in their famed rooftop concert.

See Them Today

The Beatles: Get Back, Documentary Premiere, November 25–27, Disney+

Read The Full Article Here


trick photography
Julia Stiles Shared What Julia Roberts Once Said To Her When She Was Struggling With Body Image, And It's Wisdom I Needed
Julia Stiles Shared What Julia Roberts Once Said To Her When She Was Struggling With Body Image, And It's Wisdom I Needed
Michael Shellenberger Exposes How Biden Administration Labeled Anti-Mandate Americans As Terrorists
Michael Shellenberger Exposes How Biden Administration Labeled Anti-Mandate Americans As Terrorists
90 Day Fiance Tragedies: Saddest Deaths Through the Years
90 Day Fiance Tragedies: Saddest Deaths Through the Years
Where Is Lester Holt Going After ‘NBC Nightly News’? His Next Job – Hollywood Life
Where Is Lester Holt Going After ‘NBC Nightly News’? His Next Job – Hollywood Life
Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 Episode 3 Release Date, Time, Where to Watch
Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 Episode 3 Release Date, Time, Where to Watch
Highest Grossing Movies Released Memorial Day Weekend
Highest Grossing Movies Released Memorial Day Weekend
Woman and Child – first-look review
Woman and Child – first-look review
Where Was The Man From Laramie Filmed & Shot?
Where Was The Man From Laramie Filmed & Shot?
What to Watch and Stream the Week of May 25, 2025
What to Watch and Stream the Week of May 25, 2025
Stars Tease Intense Mystery and New Department Dynamics (Exclusive)
Stars Tease Intense Mystery and New Department Dynamics (Exclusive)
Kyle Fraser Reveals Deleted Scene From Fire-Making Challenge, Explains Rules and Eva Encouragement
Kyle Fraser Reveals Deleted Scene From Fire-Making Challenge, Explains Rules and Eva Encouragement
Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 17’s Jolink Wedding Brings the Romance as Other Ships Crumble
Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 17’s Jolink Wedding Brings the Romance as Other Ships Crumble
Jody Blaine Watson’s “Living It Up Down in Mexico” Brings Country Vibes to the Coastline
Jody Blaine Watson’s “Living It Up Down in Mexico” Brings Country Vibes to the Coastline
Justin Bieber Makes Onstage Return With SZA In Los Angeles
Justin Bieber Makes Onstage Return With SZA In Los Angeles
8 Most Cringeworthy Rock + Metal Songs About Sports
8 Most Cringeworthy Rock + Metal Songs About Sports
Bob Dylan, Billy Strings Perform “All Along the Watchtower”
Bob Dylan, Billy Strings Perform “All Along the Watchtower”
Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for May 24, 2025
Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for May 24, 2025
Loved Netflix’s “Ransom Canyon”? Here’s 8 Western Novels to Keep You in the Saddle
Loved Netflix’s “Ransom Canyon”? Here’s 8 Western Novels to Keep You in the Saddle
The Buzziest Books of May | 2025
The Buzziest Books of May | 2025
Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for May 8, 2025
Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for May 8, 2025
What to Wear to Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Tour
What to Wear to Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Tour
Nikki Glaser Told Us 3 No-Fail Tricks for an Instant Glow-Up
Nikki Glaser Told Us 3 No-Fail Tricks for an Instant Glow-Up
21 Best Memorial Day Clothing Sales 2025
21 Best Memorial Day Clothing Sales 2025
6 Chic Parisian Interiors Trends I’m Adding to My Home
6 Chic Parisian Interiors Trends I’m Adding to My Home
Filming Begins for Dragon Studio’s Return of the Living Dead: Trash’s Revenge
Filming Begins for Dragon Studio’s Return of the Living Dead: Trash’s Revenge
UNTIL DAWN (2025) – Peliculas de Terror ⋆
UNTIL DAWN (2025) – Peliculas de Terror ⋆
FOUND TV Announces FOUND Original with Alternate Ending Only on DVD/Blu-ray
FOUND TV Announces FOUND Original with Alternate Ending Only on DVD/Blu-ray
It Feeds (2025) – Pelicula de Terror ⋆
It Feeds (2025) – Pelicula de Terror ⋆