Yellow Submarine (1969) – The Complete Deep Dive

Release Date: 17 January 1969

Label: Apple Records (PCS 7070)

Producer: George Martin

UK Chart Performance: #3

US Chart Performance: #2

Notable Tracks: Yellow Submarine, All You Need Is Love, Hey Bulldog, It's All Too Much, Only a Northern Song

Yellow Submarine is the most unusual album in the Beatles' catalogue — and the most misunderstood. Released on 17 January 1969 as the soundtrack to the animated film of the same name, it is divided into two halves: six Beatles tracks on Side One, and George Martin's orchestral score for the film on Side Two. Only four of the six Beatles tracks were new recordings; the other two — Yellow Submarine and All You Need Is Love — had already been released as singles.

And yet the four new tracks include Hey Bulldog, one of the most underrated recordings in the Beatles' catalogue, and It's All Too Much, George Harrison's most psychedelic and expansive composition.

Background: The Animated Film

The Film The Beatles Didn't Make

The Yellow Submarine animated film was produced by TVC London and directed by George Dunning. The Beatles themselves had minimal involvement in the production. The film was released in July 1968 and was a critical and commercial success, praised for its innovative animation style. The Beatles, having seen a rough cut, were sufficiently impressed to contribute a new song — Hey Bulldog — to the soundtrack.

George Harrison's Psychedelic Contributions

Two of the four new tracks — Only a Northern Song and It's All Too Much — are George Harrison compositions. Both were recorded during the Sgt. Pepper sessions but not included on that album. Only a Northern Song is a sardonic commentary on the mechanics of the music business; It's All Too Much is Harrison's most expansive and joyful psychedelic statement.

Track-by-Track Guide

Side One: Beatles Tracks

Yellow Submarine — Originally released as a single in August 1966, paired with Eleanor Rigby. Ringo Starr's most beloved vocal showcase.

Only a Northern Song — Harrison's sardonic commentary on Northern Songs, the publishing company that owned the Beatles' catalogue. Deliberately dissonant and experimental.

All Together Now — McCartney's simple, joyful singalong, written quickly for the film. Deliberately childlike in its simplicity — and entirely effective.

Hey Bulldog — The album's hidden masterpiece. Recorded on 11 February 1968 — the fifth anniversary of the Please Please Me session — it is a driving, piano-led rocker with one of Lennon's most energetic vocal performances. One of the most underrated recordings in the Beatles' catalogue.

It's All Too Much — Harrison's six-minute psychedelic celebration, recorded in May 1967. Driven by a relentless, distorted guitar riff, it is the most expansive and joyful thing Harrison ever recorded with The Beatles.

All You Need Is Love — Originally broadcast live to 400 million people worldwide on the Our World satellite television programme in June 1967. Reached #1 on both sides of the Atlantic.

Side Two: George Martin's Orchestral Score

The second side features George Martin's orchestral score for the film, including Pepperland, Sea of Time, Sea of Holes, Sea of Monsters, March of the Meanies, Pepperland Laid Waste, and Yellow Submarine in Pepperland. A sophisticated and inventive piece of film music that deserves more attention than it typically receives.

Recording: Key Facts

Hey Bulldog was recorded on 11 February 1968. It's All Too Much was recorded on 25 and 26 May 1967. Only a Northern Song was recorded on 13 and 14 February 1967. All Together Now was recorded on 12 May 1967.

Chart Performance

Yellow Submarine reached #3 in the UK and #2 in the US — the only Beatles album not to reach #1 in either market during the band's lifetime.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Yellow Submarine is consistently underrated. Hey Bulldog alone justifies its existence, and It's All Too Much is one of the great psychedelic recordings of the 1960s. The animated film has become a beloved cultural artefact — a joyful, inventive celebration of Beatles music that has introduced the band to generations of younger listeners.