What was it?
A ten-track collection of songs from 1970 not previously available on Capitol albums. The idea for Hey Jude was conceived by Apple Records (not Capitol), and although it was released around the world (in the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, Germany, France, Greece, Japan, and most of South America) - it was not initially available in the U.K.
The track listing was formidable (“Hey Jude”, “Revolution”, “Lady Madonna”, “Paperback Writer”, “Rain”, etc...), with many songs appearing in stereo for the first time.
The album was titled Hey Jude to cash-in on the still-popular song (released as a single eighteen months earlier!)
Why is it forgotten?
When the Beatles catalog was released to CD in 1987, most of the non-album tracks that comprised Hey Jude were collected instead on Past Masters, Volume Two (itself a collection of non-album tracks). Since the CDs were following the original British releases, it made more sense to simply ignore Hey Jude.
Fun Facts:
One of two non-British Beatles albums (the other being Magical Mystery Tour) so popular as an import, that it was eventually released by Parlophone in the UK. (...on May 11, 1979.)
Originally titled The Beatles Again. Labels of early U.S. pressings bore this title, as did the cassette versions.
There seemed to be enough space to fit at least two other non-album tracks (“Get Back” and “The Inner Light” would have fit nicely).
The other one of only two vinyl records I still own.
Tomorrow: Forgotten Beatles Week rolls into the weekend with an album of completely original Beatles material which has still never been released on CD!
