Details
- Filming date: Nov 10, 1967
Location
Filming location: Saville Theatre, London, UK
Timeline
Previous film Sept 11 - Nov 3, 1967 • Shooting of "Magical Mystery Tour (TV Special)" film
Session Nov 07, 1967 • Mixing "Blue Jay Way", "Flying", recording and mixing "Magical Mystery Tour"
Film Nov 10, 1967 • Shooting of "Hello, Goodbye (Version 1)" promo film
Film Nov 10, 1967 • Shooting of "Hello, Goodbye (Version 2)" promo film
Film Nov 10, 1967 • Shooting of "Hello, Goodbye (Version 3)" promo film
Master album
Related song
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Officially appears on Hello, Goodbye / I Am The Walrus (UK version)
Related articles
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“Hello, Goodbye” is broadcast on Top Of The Pops
Nov 23, 1967
Related films
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1967 • For The Beatles • Directed by Paul McCartney
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1967 • For The Beatles • Directed by Paul McCartney
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1967 • For The Beatles
In November 1967, The Beatles created three promotional clips for “Hello, Goodbye”:
- The first one (Version 1) shows the Beatles dressed in their “Sgt. Pepper” uniforms, apart from a brief cut-away where the group are wearing their 1963-era matching collarless suits.
- In the second one (Version 2), the Beatles mime the song dressed in more conventional attire and with the stage backdrop depicting a rural setting.
- The third one (Version 3) combines footage from both the previous two versions, as well as some completely new footage.
Directed by Paul McCartney and filmed on November 10, these clips couldn’t be broadcast in the UK due to the Musicians Union’s ban on miming on television. However, on November 23, the BBC found a way to showcase the song on TV, by using footage from The Beatles’ 1964 film “A Hard Day’s Night“.
To mark the “Hello, Goodbye” single going to number 1 in December 1967, the BBC created another film (Version 4), combining their own additional footage and recent footage of the band editing their upcoming project, “Magical Mystery Tour”.
[Directing] was something I’d always been interested in, until I actually tried it … I didn’t really direct the films – all we needed was a couple of cameras, some good cameramen, a bit of sound and some dancing girls … we took our Sgt Pepper suits along.
Paul McCartney, 2000 – From From The Beatles on Facebook
I just ran out there: ‘Get a shot of this! Do this for a bit now! Let’s have a shot there! Get a close-up of him! Get the girls on their own! Go back there! Get a wide angle! We’ll edit it, we’ll make it work.’
Paul McCartney – From The Beatles on Facebook
‘Hello, Goodbye’, I got that one together. The only hang-up was unions, this idea of “You’ve got to have a minimum twenty people’. Oh no, man, we only need two. ‘No, sorry, the union manning laws here. Five grips.” So that put us off. We would have made more films had it not been for that.
Paul McCartney – From “Conversations with McCartney” by Paul du Noyer, 2016
From Wikipedia:
The band made three promotional clips for “Hello, Goodbye”. Filmed on 10 November 1967 at the Saville Theatre in London, a theatre leased by Epstein since 1966, the clips were directed by McCartney. The first one shows the Beatles dressed in their Sgt. Pepper uniforms, apart from a brief cut-away where the group are wearing their 1963-era matching collarless suits. In author John Winn’s description of the three clips, this version shows the Beatles performing the song against a psychedelic backdrop, while over the coda they are joined on the stage by female hula dancers. Starr is seen playing a miniature drum kit and, unusually, Lennon appears without his granny glasses. In the second clip, the Beatles mime to the song dressed in more conventional attire and with the stage backdrop depicting a rural setting. The third version combines footage shot during these two scenes with the band playing the song before what Winn terms a “glittery pastel backdrop”.
In the US, the first promo for “Hello, Goodbye” was premiered on The Ed Sullivan Show on 26 November. Author Mark Hertsgaard describes the film as “a slapdash affair featuring the hula dancers that was salvaged only by some ludicrously spastic dancing by Lennon”. Music critic Robert Christgau was also unimpressed; speculating in the May 1968 issue of Esquire on the content of the Magical Mystery Tour film, which had yet to air in America, Christgau wrote: “But if Paul McCartney’s work on the film clip of ‘Hello Goodbye’ is any indication, we would be wise not to hope for too much.” In his book Rock, Counterculture and the Avant-Garde, author Doyle Greene finds it significant that Starr’s miniature bass drum lacks the familiar Beatles logo, and he interprets the band’s waving to the viewer while dressed in their 1963 stage attire as the Beatles “waving ‘goodbye’ to the mop-top era and ‘hello’ to the counterculture”.
In Britain, the Beatles ran foul of the Musicians Union’s ban on miming on television. With the first clip scheduled to premier on the 23 November edition of Top of the Pops, George Martin mixed a version of the track without violas, since no musician was seen to be playing those instruments; the Beatles then allowed the BBC to film them at work editing Magical Mystery Tour on 21 November, in the hope that this new footage would replace any sections that contravened the ban. Instead, Top of the Pops aired the song over scenes from the band’s 1964 film A Hard Day’s Night. For the 7 December edition of the same show, the BBC ran a clip comprising still photographs mixed with some of the editing-suite film – a combination that served as the promo for “Hello, Goodbye” throughout the remainder of its UK chart run.
The clip included in the 1996 Beatles Anthology video release consists of the Beatles’ first Saville Theatre film, until the song’s coda, which incorporates footage from all three of the original promo films. The first of the original promos was included in the Beatles’ 2015 video compilation 1, and all three were included in the three-disc versions of the compilation, titled 1+. The BBC-compiled clip appeared as a bonus feature on the 2012 DVD reissue of Magical Mystery Tour, under the title “Top of the Pops 1967”. In May 2013, a Vox electric guitar used by Lennon during part of the filming for “Hello, Goodbye” sold for US$408,000 at an auction in New York.
DIRECTED BY PAUL
The short films of “Hello, Goodbye” which you have seen on T.V. were produced by the Beatles on the stage of the Saville Theatre, London on Friday November 10. They were all directed by Paul.
The big American T.V. companies asked for copies to be rushed to them urgently so Neil flew over with several on Friday, November 17.
The version we have seen in this country is different from those appearing abroad due to the ban on miming.
From The Beatles Monthly Book, December 1967
Beatles world TV, ‘Sub’ writ bid
THE Beatles’ promotional film clip on their new “Hello Goodbye” single will be screened in nine different countries within the next week — starting with German-TV’s “Beat Club” tonight (Friday). The sequence will be transmitted in colour in US TV’s “Ed Sullivan Show” this Sunday, and other countries showing it within the next few days include Sweden, Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark and Hong Kong.
The first broadcast of all six songs from the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” TV spectacular will be in Radio 1’s Chris Denning Show “Where It’s At” tomorrow afternoon (Saturday). The programme also includes a conversation with John Lennon.
An application was being made in the High Court this week for an injunction to prevent the Beatles’ cartoon film “Yellow Submarine” from being released. The action is being taken by Peacock Productions Ltd. A spokesman for Nems Enterprises commented : “The matter is in the hands of our lawyers.”
The film clip was being screened in colour in BBC-2’s “Late Night Line-Up ” last night (Thursday).
From New Musical Express – November 25, 1967
BEATLES enjoy being BEATLES!
The BEATLES on the right seem to be wondering what the BEATLES above are doing. Actually they are working in a film editing room in Soho, cutting their “Magical Mystery Tour” TV film and being cheered by some music by PAUL. And on the left, BILLY, a famous Soho “flower child” (dig the carnations!), dropped in and had a duet with RINGO, to the enjoyment of Beatles’ long-time helper MAL EVANS (right). The picture on the right is how you should have seen them on “Top Of The Pops” last week — in the Cardin suits designed for them by Pierre four years ago. But the film was never shown. Some say the miming was bad on it ; others that the Musicians Union stopped it. Anyway, “Hello Goodbye” is in at No. 3 this week, and that’s what matters, isn’t it ?
From New Musical Express – December 2, 1967
MIME BAN HITS BEATLES CLIP
THE Beatles’ promotional film clip on their new hit single “Hello Goodbye” has been banned by BBC-TV. The last-minute decision by senior executives prevented the film from being screened in BBC-1’s “Top Of The Pops” and BBC-2’s “Night Line-Up” last Thursday. A Corporation spokesman explained that “a minor portion of the film contravened the Musicians Union regulations concerning miming on television.”
Nems’ press officer Tony Barrow commented: “The brief miming passages were pointed out to us by BBC officials on Monday of last week. Consequently, the Beatles made themselves available on for a BBC cameraman to shoot new film, which was to be used to replace the offending segments. But in spite of this the clip was still banned — I don’t know why.”
The new single was still featured on “Top Of The Pops,” in conjunction with an extract from the group’s “A Hard Day’s Night” movie. As the Beatles will have no further opportunity to make drastic changes to the film clip, it is now unlikely to be seen on British television, because ITV is expected to follow the BBC’s lead in banning it. Meanwhile, the clip has already been transmitted in America and several European countries.
Within the next few days Ringo Starr flies to Rome to film his contribution to the film “Candy.” It was announced this week that 18-year-old Swedish blonde Ewa Aulin had been signed for the title role in the movie. In the picture, she falls for Ringo, who plays a Mexican gardener.
From New Musical Express – December 2, 1967
BEATLES SAY HELLO – Single tops 300,000
THE Beatles say hello again — and it will soon be goodbye to number one for Long John Baldry. Re-stating their claim as the leaders of world pop, the Beatles’ new single “Hello, Goodbye” skyrocketed to number three from nowhere this week. The record had advance orders of more than 250,000 and by Saturday evening — the day after release orders and sales topped 300,000.
A film clip of the group performing “Hello, Goodbye” was dropped from Top of the Pops last week because some parts of it contravened the BBC’s agreement on miming with the Musicians’ Union.
Commented Nems press officer Tony Barrow: “It was a surprise to the Beatles that it was dropped because they had made themselves available to the BBC a couple of days earlier for extra filming to replace the bits of the clip which contravened the miming regulations. But executives at the BBC ruled that it could not be shown.”
A BBC spokesman said they had no plans to show it on this week’s or any other week’s edition of the show.
Barrow also confirmed that one of the Beatles’ companies was negotiating to open a New York discotheque club. The suggested name was Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club, but this was “feasible but undecided.” There were no plans for a similar club in Britain.
Ringo Starr flies to Rome within the next few days to film his cameo role as the Mexican gardener in the film Candy.
From Melody Maker – December 2, 1967
CENSORED! THE NEW BEATLES PICTURE MISSED BY 15 MILLION TV VIEWERS!
HERE IT IS! Exclusive to Disc. The picture they wouldn’t let you see – banned from TV last week. John, Paul, George and Ringo onstage at London’s Saville Theatre, where they made three promotion films for their new single. “Hello, Goodbye,” which enters the chart at number three this week.
The Beatles singing and playing – and a troupe of pretty girls in Hawaiian costume dancing – would have been seen on “Top Of The Pops” last Thursday, BUT for a ban by show producer, Johnnie Stewart. He turned down the film clip because of the Musicians Union ruling on miming.
Being asked to dance for the Beatles was an envied experience for the girls. And Disc spoke to the three in our picture – Jenny Rufus (seen with Paul), Christine Schiefinger (near Ringo) and Karen Collette (with John) – for their impressions.
It all happened about three weeks ago when the group were shooting movie inserts to promote their latest single. Half-a-dozen dancing dollies were swiftly recruited, draped in grass skirts and adorned with flowers.
And as John, Paul, George and Ringo sang their way to another hit in front of the cameras the girls ran through a specially-prepared routine to suit the song.
“It was an exciting experience for us,” explained 23-year-old Karen Collett. “We were thrilled at the opportunity to meet the boys. It’s a nice thing to look back on — after hearing so much about them.”
Said Brighton belle Christine Schiefinger, also 23: “It was a lovely day. There was a lot of banging around and the Beatles were very sweet. They bought us coffees and Cokes and handed out cigarettes. We all chatted freely. There was nothing high and mighty about them.”
“Paul was obviously the one in charge,” added Austrian-born Karen. “Very charming, very nice. He took charge of the business side. Arranging the camera angles and all that.”
Third girl in Disc’s exclusive cover picture is Jenny Rufus (26). “I’ve never been a particular fan of theirs,” she grinned. “But I like them a lot more now. They were simply charming. Frightfully easy to talk to.”
Why the eye-catching Hawaiian costumes?
Explained Karen: “The last 20 seconds of the song has a sort of Hawaiian beat to it and we made up a little dance to go with it. We just had to dance in and out and around them as they played.
After their day with the Beatles, the gorgeous girls trooped off to London’s “Talk Of The Town” where they start in the “Wild West End” cabaret revue.
BEATLES BAN; SGT. PEPPER CLUB; SILVER DISC
BEATLES film specially made for a TV tie-in with their new single, “Hello, Goodbye,” was banned from last Thursday’s “Top Of The Pops”!
A scene from one of the three TV films shot for these TV inserts is featured on the front cover of this week’s Disc.
Ban was imposed by BBC-TV producer Johnnie Stewart, who sho»ed instead scenes from the Beatles’ four-year-old film, “A Hard Day’s Night” when *Hello, Goodbye” was played on his “Top Of Pops” show.
Johnnie told Disc On Tuesday: “I went to see the three films in Wardour Street (London) on Tuesday night of last week. I realised, because of the Musicians’ Union ban on miming, we would run into a problem right away.
“The first two films were absolutely out of the question. They were mimed from start to finish. The third features part miming, and I thought there might be a change of using it. But when I looked at it again later, I realised we could have to make so many cuts, it would spoil the production.
“I had taken a chap along for some shots of the Beatles while they were editing “Magical Mystery Tour” in Soho. But there wasn’t time to prepare this for the show on Thursday. However, we may be able to use this film at a later date.
“Frankly, I am surprised the Beatles should have made such miming films for TV. They must know about the MU ban. Everybody else does.”
Tony Barrow, press officer for NEMS Enterprises, commented: “The Beatles were disappointed rather than amazed that the film was not shown on ‘Top Of The Pops’.”
Film should also have been seen in colour later that same evening on BBC-2’s “Late Night Line-up.” But again the MU ban prevented it. Instead the Condon Jazz Four played Lennon/McCartney numbers.
Footnotes Tony Barrow: “A coast-to-coast American audience saw the Beatles film on ‘Ed Sullivan’s Show’ on Sunday night.” […]
From Disc And Music Echo – December 2, 1967
