Editing Hey Jude (section)

==Release==
{{quote box|quote=[The Beatles] are confident and cheerful and the human condition will be thrilled by the coming results of their willing and enduring Beatle bondage … they will give all of us new wonders to soothe our pain.{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=49, 359}}|source=– [[Derek Taylor]], "Hey Jude" press release, August 1968|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
"Hey Jude" was released on a 7-inch single on 26 August 1968 in the United States and 30 August in the United Kingdom,{{sfn|Castleman|Podrazik|1976|pp=67–68}} backed with "[[Revolution (Beatles song)|Revolution]]" on the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]].{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=200}} It was one of four singles issued simultaneously to launch Apple Records – the others being Mary Hopkin's "[[Those Were the Days (song)|Those Were the Days]]", Jackie Lomax's "[[Sour Milk Sea]]", and the Black Dyke Mills Band's "Thingumybob".{{sfn|Miles|2001|p=306}} In advance of the release date, Apple declared 11–18 August to be "National Apple Week" in the UK,{{sfn|Miles|2001|p=306}}<ref>Black, Johnny. "A Slice of History". In: {{harvnb|''Mojo Special Limited Edition''|2003|p=90}}.</ref> and sent gift-wrapped boxes of the records, marked "Our First Four", to [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and other members of the [[British Royal Family|royal family]], and to [[Harold Wilson]], the prime minister.{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=111}} The release was promoted by [[Derek Taylor]], who, in author [[Peter Doggett]]'s description, "hyped the first Apple records with typical elan".{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=49}} "Hey Jude" was the first of the four singles, since it was still designated as an EMI/Parlophone release in the UK and a [[Capitol Records|Capitol]] release in the US, but with the Apple Records logo now added.{{sfn|Sounes|2010|p=223}}{{refn|group=nb|The catalogue numbers for "Hey Jude"/"Revolution" – Apple 5722 in the UK and 2276 in the US – were consistent with the numerical sequencing of the Beatles' previous releases on Parlophone and Capitol. Apple's other three debut singles followed a new sequencing, starting with "Those Were the Days", which was issued as Apple 2 and Apple 1801.{{sfn|Castleman|Podrazik|1976|p=301}}}} In the US, "Hey Jude" was the first Capitol-distributed Beatles single to be issued without a picture sleeve.{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=36}} Instead, the record was presented in a black sleeve bearing the words "The Beatles on Apple".{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=36}}

Author [[Philip Norman (author)|Philip Norman]] comments that aside from "Sour Milk Sea", which Harrison wrote and produced, the first Apple A-sides were all "either written, vocalised, discovered or produced" by McCartney.{{sfn|Norman|2016|p=337}} Lennon wanted "Revolution" to be the A-side of the Beatles single, but his bandmates opted for "Hey Jude".{{sfn|Riley|2011|pp=406, 408}}{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=34}} In his 1970 interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', he said "Hey Jude" was worthy of an A-side, "but we could have had both."<ref>{{cite book |first=Jann S. |last=Wenner |author-link=Jann Wenner |year=2000 |title=Lennon Remembers (Full interview from Lennon's 1970 interview in Rolling Stone magazine) |publisher=Verso |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/lennonremembers00lenn_0/page/110 110] |isbn=1-85984-600-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/lennonremembers00lenn_0/page/110}}</ref> In 1980, he told ''[[Playboy]]'' he still disagreed with the decision.{{sfn|Sheff|2000|p=187}}

Doggett describes "Hey Jude" as a song that "glowed with optimism after a summer that had burned with anxiety and rage within the group and in the troubled world beyond".{{sfn|Doggett|2011|pp=49–50}} The single's release coincided with the violent subjugation of [[Vietnam War]] protestors at the [[1968 Democratic National Convention|Democratic National Convention]] in Chicago, and condemnation in the West of the Soviet-led [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia|invasion of Czechoslovakia]] and its crushing of attempts to introduce democratic reforms there.{{sfn|Gould|2007|pp=493–94}} In this climate, Lennon's espousal of a pacifist agenda over violent confrontation in "Revolution" drew heavy criticism from [[New Left]] activists.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=17}} By contrast, with its more universal message, "Hey Jude" was adopted as an anthem by Czech citizens in their struggle.{{sfn|Courrier|2009|pp=207–08}}

The song was first released on an album in February 1970, as the title track to Capitol's North American compilation ''[[Hey Jude (Beatles album)|Hey Jude]]''.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=273}}{{sfn|Spizer|2003|pp=185–86}} The album was conceived as a way to generate income for the Beatles by [[Allen Klein]],{{sfn|Doggett|2011|p=112}}{{sfn|Miles|2001|p=370}} the American businessman who, despite McCartney's strong opposition, the other Beatles had appointed to manage the ailing Apple organisation in 1969. The first UK album release of the song was in 1973 on the Beatles' ''[[1967–1970]]'' compilation, and the first release on CD was in 1988 when it was included on the ''[[Past Masters, Volume Two]]'' compilation. It was also released on ''[[20 Greatest Hits (Beatles album)|20 Greatest Hits]]'', the ''1967–1970'' double CD and the single-CD compilation ''[[1 (Beatles album)|1]]''.{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=392}}