On This Day: Hey Jude Was Released in the United States (26th February 1970)

On 26th February 1970, Hey Jude was released in the United States as Apple SW-385. Issued by Apple Records and distributed by Capitol, the LP compiled non-album singles and B-sides spanning 1964–1969, along with two songs that in America had previously only appeared on the United Artists A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack album.

Although often overshadowed by the drama surrounding the band’s imminent split, Hey Jude is a key document of late-era Beatles business strategy — and one of the most commercially successful compilations of their career.

Why Hey Jude Was Created

The concept originated with Allen Klein shortly after he became manager of The Beatles in 1969. Klein renegotiated improved royalty terms with Capitol Records in the United States. As part of that broader financial restructuring, he proposed issuing a compilation of major singles that had never appeared on a US Capitol LP.

Crucially, this release served two functions:

• Revenue generation without new studio work — no recording sessions were required.
• A commercial buffer during delays surrounding the release of Let It Be.

At this point in early 1970, the Get Back project had stalled, tensions within the group were high, and the band’s future was uncertain. From a business standpoint, a guaranteed seller made strategic sense.

The Original Title: The Beatles Again

The album was initially scheduled for release under the title The Beatles Again. Shortly before distribution, the name was changed to Hey Jude, reflecting the inclusion of their 1968 global No.1 single.

Because the change occurred late in the production process:

• Some early pressings carry “The Beatles Again” on the record label.
• The spine of the sleeve references Hey Jude.
• The front cover itself contains no printed album title, only the Apple logo and the photograph of the group.
• These transitional pressings are of particular interest to collectors.

The Track Listing: A US Perspective

The songs were selected by Allan Stickler of Apple and Klein’s ABKCO organization. While intended to represent the breadth of the group’s career, the emphasis leaned toward their later, more contemporary material.

Side One

• “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964)
• “I Should Have Known Better” (1964)
• “Paperback Writer” (1966)
• “Rain” (1966)
• “Lady Madonna” (1968)
• “Revolution” (1968)

Side Two

• “Hey Jude” (1968)
• “Old Brown Shoe” (1969)
• “Don’t Let Me Down” (1969)
• “The Ballad of John and Yoko” (1969)

Several important contextual notes for collectors and historians:

• In the US, “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “I Should Have Known Better” had appeared on the United Artists soundtrack album tied to the film A Hard Day's Night rather than on a Capitol Beatles LP.
• “Paperback Writer,” “Rain,” “Lady Madonna,” “Hey Jude,” and “Revolution” had all been issued as standalone singles and were not included on contemporaneous US studio albums.
• “Don’t Let Me Down,” despite being recorded during the January 1969 sessions, was absent from the original Let It Be album issued in May 1970.
• “Old Brown Shoe” and “The Ballad of John and Yoko” represented the band’s final 1969 single pairing.

For American buyers in 1970, Hey Jude offered unprecedented LP access to essential singles in one place.

Commercial Performance

Upon release, the album performed strongly on the US charts:

• It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.
• It eventually achieved multi-million sales in the United States.
• It was later certified multi-platinum by the RIAA.

Given that it contained no new recordings, this commercial success underscores the extraordinary sustained demand for Beatles material even as the band was fragmenting internally.

International Release History

Although conceived primarily for the US market, Hey Jude was also issued in countries including:

• Canada
• Australia
• Germany
• France
• Spain
• Greece
• Japan

In the United Kingdom, however, the album was not officially released until May 1979. Imported US copies had circulated among British fans throughout the 1970s, giving it a semi-mythical status among collectors prior to its domestic issue.

The Artwork

The cover photograph shows the four Beatles standing together at Tittenhurst Park in 1969 — the estate owned by John Lennon at the time. The image, subdued and autumnal, contrasts sharply with the colourful psychedelia of just two years earlier.

Notably:

• There is no printed title on the front cover.
• The Apple logo appears prominently.
• The design reinforces the understated, transitional mood of the band’s final year.

For many fans, the image represents one of the last photographic group portraits prior to the official breakup announcement in April 1970.

Historical Context: February 1970

When Hey Jude was released:

• Abbey Road had already been issued (September 1969).
• The Let It Be film and album were still forthcoming.
• John Lennon had privately informed the band of his departure in September 1969, though it was not yet public knowledge.
• Internal legal disputes regarding management were ongoing.

From a historical standpoint, Hey Jude stands at the crossroads between the functioning band and the impending dissolution.

Why Hey Jude Matters

For dedicated Beatles scholars and collectors, Hey Jude is significant because:

• It documents the US album configuration system that differed from UK releases.
• It demonstrates Klein’s early influence over Apple’s commercial direction.
• It consolidates key late-period singles in LP format.
• It captures the band’s commercial dominance even amid internal collapse.
• It is not merely a compilation; it is a strategic artefact of Beatles business history.

Final Assessment

Released on 26th February 1970, Hey Jude reflects both the enduring power of the Beatles catalogue and the increasingly complex corporate machinery behind it.

It served as:

• A financial stabiliser.
• A bridge between studio eras.
• A commercially successful anthology of standalone masterpieces.
• A transitional marker in the band’s final months as an entity.
  

For serious fans, it remains an essential piece of the Beatles’ American discography — and a reminder that even in their final chapter, the group’s cultural and commercial impact was undiminished.