Editing Hey Jude (section)

===Trident Studios recording===
The Beatles recorded the master track for "Hey Jude" at Trident, where McCartney and Harrison had each produced sessions for their Apple artists,{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=33}} on 31 July.{{sfn|Miles|2001|p=304}} Trident's founder, [[Norman Sheffield]], recalled that [[Mal Evans]], the Beatles' aide and former roadie, insisted that some marijuana plants he had brought be placed in the studio to make the place "soft", consistent with the band's wishes.{{sfn|Sheffield|2013|p=15}} Barry Sheffield served as recording engineer for the session. The line-up on the basic track was McCartney on piano and lead vocal, Lennon on acoustic guitar, Harrison on electric guitar, and [[Ringo Starr]] on drums.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=146}}{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=198}} The Beatles recorded four takes of "Hey Jude", the first of which was selected as the master.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=146}}{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=198}} With drums intended to be absent for the first two verses, McCartney began this take unaware that Starr had just left for a toilet break.{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=33}} Starr soon returned – "tiptoeing past my back rather quickly", in McCartney's recollection – and performed his cue perfectly.{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=466}}

[[File:The former Trident Studios building, St Anne's Court, Soho, London 2018.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|right|The former Trident Studios building at [[St Anne's Court]] in [[Soho]] (pictured in 2018), where "Hey Jude" was recorded]]
On 1 August, the group carried out [[Overdubbing|overdubs]] on the basic track, again at Trident. These additions included McCartney's lead vocal and bass guitar; backing vocals from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison; and tambourine,{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=194}} played by Starr.{{sfn|MacDonald|1998|p=264}} McCartney's vocal over the long [[Coda (music)|coda]], starting at around three minutes into the song, included a series of improvised shrieks that he later described as "[[Cary Grant]] on heat!"{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=33}} They then added a 36-piece orchestra over the coda, scored by Martin.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=146}} The orchestra consisted of ten violins, three violas, three cellos, two flutes, one contra bassoon, one bassoon, two clarinets, one contra bass clarinet, four trumpets, four trombones, two horns, percussion and two string basses.{{sfn|MacDonald|1998|p=264}} According to Norman Sheffield, there was dissension initially among the orchestral musicians, some of whom "were looking down their noses at the Beatles, I think". Sheffield recalls that McCartney ensured their cooperation by demanding: "Do you guys want to get fucking paid or not?"{{sfn|Sheffield|2013|p=18}} During the first few takes, McCartney was unhappy about the lack of energy and passion in the orchestra's performance, so he stood up on the grand piano and started conducting the musicians from there.{{sfn|Sheffield|2013|pp=18–19}}

The Beatles then asked the orchestra members if they would clap their hands and sing along to the refrain in the coda. All but one of the musicians complied (for a double fee), with the abstainer reportedly saying, "I'm not going to clap my hands and sing Paul McCartney's bloody song!"{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=146}} Apple Records assistant Chris O'Dell says she joined the cast of backing singers on the song;{{sfn|O'Dell|2009|pp=74–75}} one of the label's first signings, [[Jackie Lomax]], also recalled participating.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Terry |last=Staunton |title=Jackie Lomax: ''Is This What You Want?'' |magazine=[[Record Collector]] |date=July 2004 |via=[[Rock's Backpages]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=17 June 2015 |url=http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/jackie-lomax-is-this-what-you-want |archive-date=11 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611024428/http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/jackie-lomax-is-this-what-you-want |url-status=live}}</ref>

"Hey Jude" was the first Beatles song to be recorded on eight-track equipment.{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=198}} Trident Studios were paid £25 per hour by EMI for the sessions. Sheffield said that the studio earned about £1,000 in total, but by having the Beatles record there, and in turn raving about the facility, the value was incalculable.{{sfn|Sheffield|2013|p=20}} The band carried out further work at Trident during 1968,{{sfn|Miles|2001|pp=308, 311}} and Apple artists such as Lomax, [[Mary Hopkin]], [[Billy Preston]] and the Iveys all recorded there over the next year.{{sfn|O'Dell|2009|pp=73, 92}}{{refn|group=nb|McCartney wrote the foreword to Sheffield's 2013 biography ''Life on Two Legs'' in which he recalls his pleasure in recording the track at Trident.{{sfn|Sheffield|2013|pp=9–10}}}}