August 22nd, 1968 is a landmark day in Beatles history: the day a member of the biggest band on the planet...quit. The Beatles' double album sessions were growing more tense by the day, and in the dog days of the summer of 1968 tensions finally boiled over. Accounts of what specifically happened vary; some claim it was a clash with Paul McCartney over his domineering direction in the studio, some say it was simply insecurity on Ringo's part, but whichever the case Ringo Starr made history as the first Beatle to quit the band. Of course, Ringo's holiday would be short-lived, as his bandmates realized just how unloved their drummer felt and lured him back with flowers and postcards in time for the biggest release of their career. Hey Jude, backed with John's Revolution, was the debut single on Apple Records and would go on to sell over 8 million copies and shatter records around the world. If the group was on the verge of shattering, the music surely wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. National Apple Week, as they called it, also saw the debut of Mary Hopkin's McCartney-produced smash-hit single Those Were The Days, which itself dominated charts and sold gangbusters -- in most cases only seconded by Hey Jude. Jackie Lomax and The Black Dyke Mills band rounded out the releases and once again John, Paul, George and Ringo found themselves at the top of the world. But Apple's rot was about set in...

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