ON THIS DAY IN 1968, THE ROLLING STONES RELEASED WHAT WOULD COME TO BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THEIR MOST OVERTLY POLITICAL SONGS, “STREET FIGHTING MAN”

The song was inspired by Jagger’s attendance at an anti-war rally at the US embassy in London, during which mounted police forcefully attempted to control a crowd of around 25,000, as well as by similar protests in Paris, where student rioters were responded to with violence.

Recorded at Olympic Sound Studios in April-May, 1968, Jagger performed on lead and backing vocals alongside Keith Richards who also handled the acoustic and bass guitars, Brian Jones played the distinctive sitar and tamboura, Charlie Watts on drums and Nicky Hopkins on the piano. The songs lyrics were penned by Jagger and are still considered ambiguous in their meaning today. Some consider the song a call to revolution, while others call it an apathetic statement. Regardless, numerous critics and fellow musicians have called the song a classic, a rock anthem and an extremely significant political statement.

The song was popular on release, but was kept out of the top 40, due to the subversive and revolutionary/anti political nature of the lyrics. This was reinforced when the song was released within a week of the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and some considered the song as having the potential to incite further violence. The censorship and banning of the song actually delighted Jagger, who gleefully stated “I’m rather pleased to hear they have banned (the song). The last time they banned one of our records in America, it sold a million.”

ON THIS DAY IN 1968, THE BEATLES TEMPORARILY LOST ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS

Ringo Starr felt frustrated with the bands efforts on The White Album, and decided to leave. He later claimed that he felt he wasn’t playing well enough and that he felt issues with the group. He first told John Lennon, claiming “I’m leaving the group because I’m not playing well and I feel unloved and out of it, and you three are really close.”

Apparently, Lennon had thought it was the other three members that were close, causing him to feel excluded, and when Ringo passed the message onto Paul McCartney, he reportedly thought the same. Ringo left for Sardinia with his family on vacation, borrowing Peter Seller’s yacht and enjoying some time on the water, around two weeks in total.

Meanwhile, the group had kept Ringo’s departure quiet for fear of a media frenzy, and in hopes he would return. When Ringo received a telegram on his holiday that read “You’re the best rock’n’roll drummer in the world. Come on home, we love you,” he packed his things and headed back to the studio, which he found the group had decorated with flowers for his return.

ON THIS DAY IN 1968, JOHN LENNON AND PAUL MCCARTNEY FINISHED THE SONG “HEY JUDE”

The song was written by McCartney, originally as “Hey Jules”, a song to comfort Lennon’s son, Julian. The song begins simply and grows in complexity as it continues along the 7 minute runtime, making it the longest single to ever top the British charts at the time. The song also spent a record 9 weeks at the top of the US charts.

“Hey Jude” was one of four singles released to launch the Beatles new label, Apple Records. The company hence titled that week “Apple Week” and sent out promotional copies to the Prime Minister at the time, Harold Wilson and a number of members of the Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth II.

The single immediately drew positive reviews, although some felt that the songs length was a bit much. It was given the number 10 spot in Billboard’s 2013 list of “Biggest” songs of all time, and Rolling Stone put it at number 8 in its 2004 list of “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, the highest placing Beatles song.

Julian Lennon reportedly only discovered that the song had been written for him almost 20 years after the composition, and in 1996 he spent £25,000 on the recording notes for the track, as well as a further £35,000 on assorted memorabilia. His manager stated that he was collecting the items for personal reasons, much like family heirlooms, and this is where they currently remain.

ON THIS DAY IN 1968, JIM MORRISON INCITED A RIOT AT A PERFORMANCE IN CHICAGO, THE FIRST CONSCIOUSLY CREATED RIOT OF HIS CAREER

Morrison, playing at Chicago venue, The Coliseum, was frustrated with his band, The Doors and began a self-destructive path that would lead to his eventual death in 1971. He also grew angry with the way the audience was treated by policemen, and began writhing, leaping, sliding along the floor and placing maracas into his trousers.

The crowd of around 4,000 was quickly incensed and rushed forward, eventually destroying the stage and clashing with police as The Doors played over the top before escaping through a back exit. Morrison escaped charges on this occasion but was charged for other riotous performances and indecent exposure at a concert later that year.

Some fans have speculated that the lyrics of The Doors song, Peace Frog, are related to the incident at the Chicago Coliseum rather than the police riots at the Chicago Democratic National Convention.

ON THIS DAY IN 1968, PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU IS SWORN IN AS THE 15TH PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA

A popular leader, Trudeau’s administration lasted all the way until 1984, making him the third longest serving Prime Minister in Canada’s history after serving for a total of 15 years. His career is considered polarising, as his supporters credit his intellect, while his critics call him arrogant. He was the Prime Minister who introduced Canada’s famed bilingualism, as many Canadian’s supported speaking French at the time. Trudeau envisioned Canada as a bilingual confederation in which all cultures would have a place, and later said he regretted introducing bilingualism as a term as it caused limitations on that front.

Trudeau was the Prime Minister of Canada during Ritchie Yorke’s residency in the country. Ritchie praised Trudeau’s commitment to the arts after the PM implemented programs that gave funding to Canadian film and broadcasting companies, and though these laws are sometimes still considered controversial, Canadian media industries only grew and solidified during Trudeau’s reign. Ritchie was introduced to Trudeau by his friend, Patrick Gossage, who was currently working as the PM’s press secretary. Through this connection, Ritchie was not only able to connect the Lennon’s with Trudeau, but also established a friendship with the Prime Minister.

Ritchie also oversaw the widely publicised meeting between John Lennon and Yoko Ono and the Canadian Prime Minister. The couple met Trudeau on the 23rd December, 1969 and they talked for almost an hour. Lennon and Ono used the time to push their message of peace to Trudeau, a message he took kindly to, as the ex-Beatle and his wife called him “a beautiful person”. Trudeau was the first politician to accept a meeting from Lennon, and it is commonly seen as a pivotal moment for musicians to be able to speak their opinions on the world’s issues. More information about the meeting and the other events of the Canadian leg of the War Is Over! campaign can be found here.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau remains highly regarded by Canadians, and his legacy is fondly remembered. He is praised for his fierce representation of the Canadian identity and he is regarded as one of the most dominant and transformative figures in Canada’s political history.

ON THIS DAY IN 1968, THE FAMOUS RECORD LABEL OWNED BY THE BEATLES, APPLE RECORDS, OPENED IT’S DOORS IN LONDON FOR THE FIRST TIME

The label was intended to act as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both in their group and individual releases, and to financially support a number of other artists. The idea of the umbrella company, Apple Corps, was conceived in 1967 alongside Beatles manager Brian Epstein, although the plans were accelerated when he passed away unexpectedly. Apple Corps on the other hand was created to give the members of The Beatles various financial benefits, including a lowered corporate tax rate. John Lennon was quoted as saying of the company, “Our accountant came up and said ‘We got this amount of money. Do you want to give it to the government or do something with it?’ So we decided to play businessmen for a bit because we’ve got to run our own affairs now. So we’ve got this thing called ‘Apple’ which is going to be records, films, and electronics – which all tie up.”

Eventually, the company descended into chaos due to the band’s naivety and generosity. Apple Corps had been intended to offer financial aid to struggling artists, which many were glad to take advantage of. There was an excessive number of staff and artists passing through the offices daily, with a curiously small amount of work actually being completed. Ringo Starr said of the business “We had, like, a thousand people that weren’t needed, but they all enjoyed it. They were all getting paid for sitting around. We had a guy there just to read the tarot cards, the I Ching. It was craziness.”

John Lennon was introduced to Allen Klein in 1969 and was impressed by both his business manner and the work he had already done with the Rolling Stones. He decided Klein should be their business manager over Paul McCartney’s choice of Lee and John Eastman, the father and brother of his girlfriend Linda, a decision all other band members agreed with. An attempt was made to include them as attorneys but they were eventually dismissed as the conflict made the arrangement almost unworkable, though they went on to successfully manage McCarney’s solo career. Klein went on to turn the company back into a profitable business and is often credited with financially rescuing The Beatles.

The company continued after the bands demise, taking control of the production and publishing of the group’s individual projects. It has continued throughout the years, surviving a considered dissolution in 1975 and numerous lawsuits with Apple Inc. and continues on today, although it’s headquarters have relocated. It’s control remains with McCartney, Starr and the estates of Lennon and Harrison.

Ritchie Yorke was fortunate enough to visit the old headquarters of Apple numerous times during his career, and a number of photos have survived and can be seen above. He also was in possession of an extensive amount of Apple memorabilia and records which are still in his archives today.

ON THIS DAY IN 1967, THE BEATLES OPENED THEIR APPLE BOUTIQUE STORE IN LONDON

In theory, the store was designed to be an aesthetically appealing place where everything was for sale. The stock ended up largely being fashion garments and accessories leading to it’s naming as a boutique store, against Lennon’s wishes.

The store originally had a psychedelic theme, with a large mural outside commissioned by the band. However approval was not sought before the artwork was undertaken and it subsequently had to be removed, replaced with a minimalistic white sign with ‘Apple’ written in cursive. Interestingly this is reminiscent of the changing style of the bands music at the time, between the psychedelic Sgt. Peppers and the stark contrast of The Beatles, or ‘The White Album’ to be released the next year.

Unfortunately, the business did not take long to start losing significant amounts of money. Shoplifting was a constant issue, with customers and staff helping themselves to the stock. The store’s ethos also prevented staff from accusing customers of shoplifting or contacting police. Eventually, the store was announced to be closing in July after only seven month’s in business. Before the shop closed, the band members grabbed the items they wanted, and then gave the rest away to passer-bys.

ON THIS DAY 50 YEARS AGO, THE BEATLES RELEASED THEIR NOMINAL EIGHTH ALBUM, SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

The albums concept, created by Paul McCartney, involved a fictitious band called Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band which allowed the group to further change and experiment with their musical styles. This freedom certainly seemed to pay off, as the album featured an eclectic list of styles, instruments and sounds from various genres like piano jazz, big band, circus and Western and Indian classical music, as well as being the first pop album to be mixed without gaps between songs allowing for a more flowing listening experience. The albums biggest inspiration however is psychedelic hard rock, apparently inspired by Jimi Hendrix, who McCartney had seen perform just prior to the albums recording. Hendrix clearly appreciated the attempt as he performed Pepper in London just two days after the albums release. 

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band suffered some poor early reviews due to the drastic change of style from many of the band’s earlier releases, but it performed commercially nonetheless, debuting at #1 in the UK charts. This is especially impressive as the album received little radio play at the time due to it’s alleged references to recreational drug use. Critics soon changed their tune however and commended the album for it’s experimentation and unique sounds. The album is now remembered as an iconic release for The Beatles, and a revolutionary and legendary release in the psychedelic hard rock category. Today’s 50th Anniversary comes with a number of celebrations, including television features, a movie, the trailer of which is above and a 50th anniversary edition of the album itself. 

In other Beatles history from this day, John Lennon made the important decision that the next stop of his peace campaign should be in Canada. John and Yoko had held their first Bed-In for Peace as their honeymoon in Amsterdam on March 25, 1969. They flew to the Bahamas a couple of months later, intending on holding their next bed-in there, but after an uncomfortable night in 5-star hotel Sheraton Oceanus Hotel in Freeport, the sweltering heat and the areas distance from the United States caused the couple to doubt their decision, and after a single night they flew on to Toronto, Canada. They were detained by immigration authorities for a few hours before being released on their way. They spent the night at the King Edward Sheraton Hotel in Toronto before heading to Montreal the following day to begin the bed-in on midnight, May 26th. A firsthand account by Ritchie Yorke for Rolling Stone Magazine of the bed-in can be read here.

ON THIS DAY IN 1967, THE BEATLES MET UP TO PHOTOGRAPH THE NOW ICONIC COVER OF SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB

The band met at Chelsea Manor Studios, a popular London photography studio to shoot the album’s artwork. The cover is now considered a definitive snapshot of 1960’s pop culture due to its featuring of iconic characters of the time like Lewis Carroll, Shirley Temple, Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando and Fred Astaire.

The album itself is a concept dreamt up by Paul McCartney who had tired of being suffocated by The Beatle’s sound and thus invented the concept of an imaginary band known as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club to afford the group more freedom in their recording. The characters featured on the albums cover are meant to be members of the Lonely Hearts Club, although permission had to be obtained to use many of the celebrity images in this way. The band themselves chose their own eye-catching outfits in terms of colours and materials and the final choices very much reflected the psychedelic nature of the album.

Designer of the cover, Sir Peter Blake used life sized, full colour cardboard cutouts of more than 70 famous people to achieve the collaged cover, although apparently it’s original concept featured the Sgt. Pepper group performing in a park. Also visible on the cover are a number of small novelties from the boys homes, such as some small statues taken from John Lennon’s house. The covers photographer Michael Cooper was also renowned for his chosen profession, going on to work with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Andy Warhol. He later tragically committed suicide in 1973, leaving behind only his fantastic work and family. Silkscreen prints of the album cover are still available for purchase from Sir Peter Blake, and all purchases come hand signed and numbered by the artist.

On this day in 1967 The Beatles scored their thirteenth Number One hit with ‘Penny Lane’

Written primarily by Paul McCartney, the band began recording the song in December of 1966 with the intention of including it on their Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Instead, it was later issued as a single after demands were made for new material by record companies.

Penny Lane is a road in the south Liverpool suburb of Mossley Hill, and a frequent stopover point on early bus journeys for the band. McCartney said of the song in 2009 that “‘Penny Lane’ was kind of nostalgic, but it was really [about] a place that John and I knew … I’d get a bus to his house and I’d have to change at Penny Lane, or the same with him to me, so we often hung out at that terminus, like a roundabout. It was a place that we both knew, and so we both knew the things that turned up in the story.”

The song quickly went to number one in the US and top five throughout Europe. This made the song the groups thirteenth number one song. It was also just the first of three number one songs by the band for 1967.