Yellow Submarine (1969) — Full UK Tracklist in Order

Yellow Submarine is the tenth UK studio album by The Beatles, released on 17 January 1969 as the soundtrack to the 1968 animated film of the same name. The record is unusual within the Beatles catalogue: only six songs feature the band, while the entire second side consists of orchestral film score compositions by producer George Martin. Read more about the Yellow Submarine film

Yellow Submarine – Album Facts

Artist	The Beatles
Release Date	17 January 1969 (UK)
Recorded	1966–1968 (Beatles songs); October 1968 (George Martin orchestral score)
Studio	EMI Studios (Abbey Road) and De Lane Lea Studios, London
Producer	George Martin
Label	Apple Records
UK Chart Position	No. 3
US Chart Position	No. 2 (Billboard 200)
Format	Soundtrack album
Notable Songs	Hey Bulldog, Only A Northern Song, It's All Too Much, All You Need Is Love

Full UK Tracklist

Side One — Beatles Songs

Yellow Submarine
Only A Northern Song
All Together Now
Hey Bulldog
It's All Too Much
All You Need Is Love

Side Two — Original Film Score (George Martin Orchestra)

Pepperland
Sea Of Time
Sea Of Holes
Sea Of Monsters
March Of The Meanies
Pepperland Laid Waste
Yellow Submarine In Pepperland

Yellow Submarine – Song List

Track	Song	Lead Vocal	Writer
1	Yellow Submarine	Ringo Starr	Lennon–McCartney
2	Only A Northern Song	George Harrison	George Harrison
3	All Together Now	Paul McCartney	Lennon–McCartney
4	Hey Bulldog	John Lennon	Lennon–McCartney
5	It's All Too Much	George Harrison	George Harrison
6	All You Need Is Love	John Lennon	Lennon–McCartney

About the Six Beatles Songs

Yellow Submarine

Originally released on Revolver in August 1966, Yellow Submarine was written by McCartney and sung by Ringo Starr. Its singalong simplicity made it the natural centrepiece of the animated film. The recording features sound effects — bubbles, chains, a brass band — created by the band and George Martin in the studio.

Only A Northern Song

Written by George Harrison as a sardonic commentary on the Northern Songs publishing deal — the arrangement that gave Dick James and his partners majority control of the Lennon–McCartney catalogue. Harrison's own songs were also administered by Northern Songs, and he resented it. The title is a wry acknowledgement that, under the terms of the deal, it didn't really matter what he wrote. Read more about Northern Songs

All Together Now

A deliberately simple, children's song-style track written by McCartney, recorded in a single session on 12 May 1967. It was written specifically for the film and has a playful, counting-song quality that suited the animated format perfectly.

Hey Bulldog

Widely considered the most underrated song in the Beatles catalogue, Hey Bulldog was recorded on 11 February 1968 — the same day the band filmed the promotional clip for Lady Madonna. The cameras were still rolling when Lennon spontaneously changed the song they were working on, and the resulting footage became the Hey Bulldog promo. The track features a driving piano riff by Lennon and one of the band's most energetic performances of the late period. It was cut from the original UK release of the film and only restored in later versions.

It's All Too Much

Written by George Harrison during the psychedelic peak of 1967, It's All Too Much is one of the most expansive recordings in the Beatles catalogue — over six minutes of swirling, feedback-drenched psychedelia. It was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in May and June 1967 and reflects Harrison's immersion in Indian philosophy and the spirit of the Summer of Love.

All You Need Is Love

Written by Lennon and performed live on the BBC's Our World global satellite broadcast on 25 June 1967 — the first live global television link, watched by an estimated 400 million people in 25 countries. George Martin arranged the orchestral introduction, which quotes La Marseillaise, Bach's Two-Part Invention in F, and Glenn Miller's In the Mood simultaneously.

The George Martin Orchestral Score (Side Two)

George Martin composed and conducted the entire orchestral film score that makes up Side Two of the album, recorded in October 1968. The seven pieces — Pepperland, Sea Of Time, Sea Of Holes, Sea Of Monsters, March Of The Meanies, Pepperland Laid Waste, and Yellow Submarine In Pepperland — were written to accompany the film's animated sequences and reflect the psychedelic visual world created by director George Dunning and designer Heinz Edelmann.

The score is a significant work in its own right, demonstrating Martin's range as a composer and arranger beyond his role as Beatles producer. It is one of the few instances in the band's catalogue where Martin's own compositional voice is heard at length. Read more about George Martin

Yellow Submarine – Recording Details

Song	Recording Date	Studio	Producer
Yellow Submarine	26 May – 1 June 1966	EMI Studios, London	George Martin
Only A Northern Song	February 1967	EMI Studios, London	George Martin
All Together Now	12 May 1967	EMI Studios, London	George Martin
Hey Bulldog	11 February 1968	EMI Studios, London	George Martin
It's All Too Much	May–June 1967	De Lane Lea Studios / EMI	George Martin
All You Need Is Love	June 1967	EMI Studios, London	George Martin

Yellow Submarine – Chart Performance

Yellow Submarine reached No.3 on the UK Albums Chart after its release in January 1969. Although it did not reach the top position like many Beatles albums, the soundtrack was still a major international success.

In the United States the album reached No.2 on the Billboard 200 and later achieved multi-platinum certification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Yellow Submarine only contain six Beatles songs?

The album is a film soundtrack rather than a conventional studio album. Side One contains the six Beatles recordings used in or associated with the film, while Side Two features the orchestral score composed and conducted by George Martin for the animated sequences.

When was the Yellow Submarine film released?

The animated film Yellow Submarine premiered in London on 17 July 1968, directed by George Dunning and designed by Heinz Edelmann. The soundtrack album followed on 17 January 1969. Read more about the Yellow Submarine film

Which Beatles song from the album is considered underrated?

Hey Bulldog is widely considered one of the most underrated Beatles songs — a driving, piano-led rock track recorded in a single session on 11 February 1968. It was cut from the original UK release of the film, which contributed to its relative obscurity for many years.

Did The Beatles have much involvement in the Yellow Submarine film?

The Beatles had minimal direct involvement in the film's production — they were initially reluctant participants, fulfilling a contractual obligation. They contributed four new songs (Only A Northern Song, All Together Now, Hey Bulldog, and It's All Too Much) alongside two previously released recordings. They appeared briefly in live-action form at the end of the film and were genuinely enthusiastic about the finished product.