George Martin hated it. Honestly, if you look at the history of the yellow submarine film soundtrack, it’s a miracle it even exists in a form anyone likes. When the movie came out in 1968, the Beatles were basically done with being "The Beatles." They were tired. They were in India. They were fighting. They really didn’t want to do another movie, so they handed over a handful of "scrap" songs to a bunch of animators and said, "Good luck."
What happened next is kinda legendary.
You’ve probably heard "All You Need Is Love" a thousand times. But have you really listened to the second half of that album? Half of it isn't even the Beatles. It's George Martin's orchestral score. This is where most fans get it wrong. They think of it as a "Beatles album," but it's really more of a collaborative art project that happened because the band had a contractual obligation to United Artists and wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.
The Songs They Didn't Want You to Hear
The Beatles were notorious perfectionists, yet for the yellow submarine film soundtrack, they literally dug through their "reject" bin. Take "Only a Northern Song." George Harrison wrote it during the Sgt. Pepper sessions. Producer George Martin famously told him it wasn't good enough for that album. Can you imagine? Being told by your producer that your song isn't up to snuff for the biggest record in history?
Harrison didn't forget the slight.
He gave it to the Yellow Submarine team instead. It’s a sarcastic, weird, psychedelic middle finger to the band’s publishing company. If you listen to the lyrics, he’s literally complaining about the chords he’s playing. It's meta before meta was a thing.
Then there’s "Hey Bulldog." Most critics now consider this one of the hardest-rocking tracks the band ever recorded. It’s got that nasty, distorted piano riff and John and Paul barking like dogs at the end. They recorded it in a single day while they were supposed to be filming a promotional clip for "Lady Madonna." It’s raw. It’s messy. It’s everything the polished Sgt. Pepper wasn't. It only ended up on the soundtrack because they needed one more "new" song to fill the space.
Why the British and American Versions Differed
Back in the day, the way records were released was a mess. In the UK, fans felt a bit ripped off. They were paying full price for an album that only had four "new" songs on side A. Side B was all George Martin.
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But here’s the thing: those Martin tracks are actually incredible.
While the Beatles were being rock stars, Martin was basically inventing the sound of modern film scoring. He used a full 41-piece orchestra. He wasn't just making background noise; he was trying to capture the visual insanity of the Sea of Monsters and the Nowhere Man. Tracks like "Sea of Holes" use weird, atmospheric textures that sound more like 1970s Pink Floyd than 1960s Pop.
The George Martin Side: The Forgotten Half
Most people skip the second half of the yellow submarine film soundtrack. Don't do that. Honestly, it’s a mistake.
George Martin was a classically trained guy who ended up producing the greatest rock band ever, but his heart was often in these sweeping, avant-garde arrangements. When you listen to "Pepperland," you’re hearing a guy who finally got to play with all the toys in the shop. It’s lush. It’s bright. It’s the exact opposite of the gritty rock 'n' roll happening on the other side of the disc.
It’s actually quite brave.
Think about it. Putting instrumental orchestral music on a pop record in 1969 was a huge risk. Most kids just wanted to hear "All Together Now." Instead, they got "March of the Meanies." It’s dissonant. It’s scary. It sounds like a nightmare in a toy factory. This blend of high-brow classical influence and low-brow psychedelic pop is what makes the soundtrack so uniquely "Beatles," even if the band wasn't always in the room when it was being made.
The 1999 "Songtrack" Controversy
If you’re a serious collector, you know about the 1999 Yellow Submarine Songtrack. This is where things get controversial among purists.
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For the 30th anniversary, the studio decided to ditch the George Martin orchestral pieces. They replaced them with every Beatles song that appeared in the movie, including stuff from Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper.
- The Pro: You get "Eleanor Rigby" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" all on one disc.
- The Con: It completely destroys the original artistic intent of the 1969 release.
Is the 1999 version a better "listen"? Probably. But it’s not the soundtrack. It’s a compilation. If you want to understand what the world felt like in the late 60s—the tension between the band's fatigue and their accidental genius—you have to listen to the original 1969 LP. You need that weird orchestral half to truly appreciate how bizarre the whole project was.
A Nightmare Production Turned Into Art
The animators were basically working in the dark. The Beatles wouldn't even record their own voices for the dialogue! They hired actors to sound like them.
Because the band wasn't involved in the day-to-day, the music had to do all the heavy lifting. The yellow submarine film soundtrack became the glue. When the "Blue Meanies" attack, it’s not just the animation that makes it work; it’s that jagged, unsettling score.
The song "It's All Too Much" is arguably the peak of the album’s psychedelia. It’s over six minutes long on the original recording (though edited for the LP). It’s a wall of feedback, organ, and trumpets. It captures that feeling of being overwhelmed by the colors and the "oneness" of the era. It’s arguably one of the most underrated songs in the entire Beatles catalog.
Why?
Because it’s buried on a soundtrack that most people think is for kids.
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How to Properly Experience the Soundtrack Today
If you're just getting into this, don't just stream the hits. You've heard "Yellow Submarine" since you were five. You know "All You Need Is Love" from every wedding you've ever been to.
To really get the yellow submarine film soundtrack, you need to treat it like a time capsule.
Start by watching the film. The remastered 4K version is stunning. The colors are so bright they almost hurt. Once you see how the music fits the "Sea of Time" sequence, the George Martin tracks suddenly make sense. They aren't "filler." They are the environment.
Actionable Insights for Beatles Fans:
- Hunt for the Mono Mix: If you can find the original mono version of the 1969 album, buy it. The "Hey Bulldog" mix is punchier and feels way more aggressive than the stereo version.
- Listen to "It's All Too Much" on Headphones: There are layers of guitar feedback and percussion in that track that you literally cannot hear through phone speakers. It’s an immersive experience.
- Compare the Versions: Listen to "Only a Northern Song" and then go back and listen to "Within You Without You" from Sgt. Pepper. You can hear George Harrison’s evolution from trying to fit the mold to completely breaking it.
- Don't Ignore the Score: Give the George Martin side at least one full, uninterrupted listen. Treat it like a symphony. Notice how he weaves themes from the Beatles' songs into the orchestral arrangements. It’s brilliant.
The yellow submarine film soundtrack isn't just a byproduct of a movie deal. It’s the sound of a band falling apart and a producer stepping up to fill the gaps with pure imagination. It’s weird, it’s lopsided, and it’s arguably the most "honest" look at the Beatles' transition into their final years. It shows that even when they weren't trying, they were still light years ahead of everyone else.
Check out the 1969 original pressing if you can find it at a local record store. The artwork alone is worth the price of admission. It’s a piece of history that proves art doesn't have to be planned to be perfect. Sometimes, the rejects and the accidents are the things that stick with us the longest.