On this day in 1968, a promotional film for The Beatles’ song Lady Madonna is broadcast on the BBC

The song, written primarily by Paul McCartney, was recorded in early February just before the band left for India for their training in transcendental meditation, with the intention of covering the band during their absence. It featured a more raucous rock and roll sound that was considered by many to be a return to the band’s more traditional form of songwriting after the psychedelic experimentation of the previous two years. Inspirations for the song included Elvis Presley, Fats Domino and the Mills Brothers. 

The clip would make its debut on BBC1 program Top of the Pops and featured footage of the band recording at EMI Studios. However, when the clip was being filmed the band decided to use the time to record a new song, Lennon’s Hey Bulldog, rather than miming Lady Madonna as originally agreed. As such the promotional film features footage of the band recording the new song, with little attempt being made to match the footage to Lady Madonna. The bizarre clips also included George Harrison eating a plate of beans, and footage of McCartney producing at an unrelated session for Cilla Black. The footage of the band recording Hey Bulldog would be re-used for The Beatles Anthology in 1995, and in 1999 to create a new clip for the song in order to promote the Yellow Submarine re-issue.

Lady Madonna would be released the following day, and would be the last UK release by the band on Parlophone Records and Capitol Records in the US before the switch to their own label, Apple Records. Despite the strange promotional film, it would reach the number one spot in the UK within two weeks and number four in the US by the end of April. This initial release was in mono, with Harrison having his first B-side with “The Inner Light”. Lady Madonna would not release as part of a stereo album until the 1970 collection Hey Jude.