Editing Derek Taylor (section)

==The Beatles' Apple Corps==
In April 1968, at Harrison's request, Taylor returned to England to work for the Beatles again, as the press officer for their newly created [[Apple Corps]].{{sfn|Black|2003|p=89}} Taylor oversaw the public launch of the company's record label, [[Apple Records]], in August 1968,{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=49}} marked by the release of the Beatles' single "[[Hey Jude]]".{{sfn|Black|2003|p=90}} As part of the campaign, "Hey Jude" and three other Apple singles were compiled in a gift box and dispatched to [[Queen Elizabeth II]], [[the Queen Mother]] and the [[Harold Wilson|British prime minister]].{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=111}} During this period, Taylor frequently clashed with Paul McCartney, about whom he later wrote: "I don't think I ever hated anyone as much as I hated Paul in the summer of 1968."{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=49}} That same year, Taylor provided uncredited contributions to the lyrics of two songs issued on the band's double album, ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'': "[[Happiness Is a Warm Gun]]" and "[[Savoy Truffle]]".{{sfn|Miles|2001|pp=317, 320}}

Between 1968 and 1970, Taylor had a major role in the company's activities, leading the publicity campaigns for the band's projects and for those of the other artists signed to Apple Records.{{sfn|Talevski|1999|pp=415–16}} Among these, he helped stage Lennon and [[Yoko Ono]]'s 1969 campaign for world peace. He is named in the lyrics of Lennon's song "[[Give Peace a Chance]]", along with [[Tommy Smothers]], [[Timothy Leary]] and [[Norman Mailer]], who like Taylor were all present at the recording of the song. In March 1970, Taylor commissioned the young photographer Les Smithers to photograph [[Badfinger]], a rock band signed to Apple Records. That portrait has now been acquired by the [[National Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery]].

Taylor's time as Apple press officer became as notable for its extravagance as much as the creativity of his campaigns and press releases.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=35, 81–82}}{{sfn|Talevski|1999|p=416}} With the appointment of [[Allen Klein]] as Apple's business manager in early 1969 – leading to a period that Taylor later described as "miserable" – expenditure and staff numbers were cut back drastically.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=81–82}} While describing Taylor as a "lavish spender", author Nick Talveski notes that much of his job entailed denying the media access to the Beatles. Talveski adds: "To his eternal credit, Taylor nevertheless became one of the most popular professionals in the [music] industry, one of very few men to perfect the art of saying 'no' graciously."{{sfn|Talevski|1999|p=415}} In her 2009 memoir, former Apple employee Chris O'Dell says that Taylor "stood for everything that was good and honest and funny and bright about Apple".{{sfn|O'Dell|Ketcham|2009|p=163}}

Taylor left the company in late 1970, having outlasted most of the other senior employees there, thanks to the affection and high regard in which he was held by Lennon, Harrison and Starr.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=139}} In April that year, Taylor had confirmed [[Break-up of the Beatles|The Beatles' break-up]] using deliberately vague terms, partly to mask his sadness:
<blockquote>Spring is here and Leeds play Chelsea tomorrow and Ringo and John and George and Paul are alive and well and full of hope. The world is still spinning and so are we and so are you. When the spinning stops – that'll be the time to worry. Not before …{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=128–29}}</blockquote>