Hello Goodbye

CHART ACTION
UNITED KINGDOM: Released as a single November 24, 1967. It entered the chart November 29 at No. 3 and was No. 1 by December 6. It stayed in the top spot for six weeks. The Long and Winding Road: An Intimate Guide to the Beatles

UNITED STATES: Released as a single November 27, 1967. It entered the Top 40 December 9, climbed to No. 1 for three weeks, and remained in the Top 40 for ten weeks. Billboard and The Long and Winding Road: An Intimate Guide to the Beatles

John had wanted "I Am The Walrus" to be the A side of the Beatles' next single, but it was not as commercial as "Hello Goodbye" and was relegated to the B side. "Hello Goodbye" became the Beatles' best-selling single since "She Loves You", with seven weeks at the top of the English charts. Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now

AUTHORSHIP McCartney (1.00)
Added to the soundtrack album was the Beatles' latest single, 'Hello Goodbye', the end chorus of which was used over the closing credits of the film.
McCARTNEY: "'Hello Goodbye' was one of my songs. There are Geminian influences here I think: the twins. It's such a deep theme in the universe, duality - man woman, black white, ebony ivory, high low, right wrong, up down, hello goodbye - that it was a very easy song to write. It's just a song of duality, with me advocating the more positive. You say goodbye, I saw hello. You say stop, I say go. I was advocating the more positive side of the duality, and I still do to this day." Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now

In his book Yesterday, Alistair Taylor says he was present at Cavendish Avenue when Paul got the first idea for 'Hello Goodbye'. He had asked Paul to explain exactly how he wrote songs:
"Paul marched me into the dining room, where he had a marvellous old hand-carved harmonium. 'Come and sit at the other end of the harmonium. You hit any note you like on the keyboard. Just hit it and I'll do the same. Now whenever I shout out a word, you shout the opposite and I'll make up a tune. You watch, it'll make music.' ...
'Black,' he started. 'White,' I replied. 'Yes.' 'No.' 'Good.' 'Bad.' 'Hello.' 'Goodbye.'" Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now

RECORDED
October 2, 1967, at Abbey Road, with overdubs October 19, 20, and 25 and November 2

INSTRUMENTATION
McCARTNEY: bass, piano, bongos, conga drum, lead and backing vocal
LENNON: lead guitar, organ, backing vocal
HARRISON: lead guitar, tambourine, backing vocal
STARR: drums, maracas
SESSION MUSICIANS: two violas

MISCELLANEOUS
A promotional film was shot for this song. The BBC banned it when McCartney showed he was lip-syncing the vocal, which went against rules of the British musicians' union. A-Z The film was shot November 10 at the Saville Theatre, London, with McCartney directing. The Beatles Diary, Volume 1 : From Liverpool to London
The instrumentation shown in the film was probably used to record the song - Lennon: Martin D-28 guitar. McCartney: Rickenbacker bass. Harrison: Epiphone Casino guitar. Guitar (November 1987)

COMMENTS BY BEATLES
Lennon always hated this song and felt insulted because this was the A side of the single, relegating his own "I Am The Walrus" to the B side. December 1970, Lennon Remembers: The Full Rolling Stone Interviews from 1970

LENNON: "It wasn't a great piece; the best bit was the end, which we all adlibbed in the studio." September 1980, All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono