Let’s be real for a second. If you ask a casual fan to rank the "Fab Four" discography, Yellow Submarine the Beatles album usually ends up right at the bottom, probably duking it out with Beatles for Sale for the "least essential" trophy. It’s the "stepchild" of their catalog. People treat it like a soundtrack rather than a proper studio statement. But if you actually sit down and listen to it—I mean really listen, without the distraction of the cartoon visuals—you realize it’s a fascinating, messy, and accidentally brilliant glimpse into a band that was literally falling apart while still managing to invent modern psych-pop.
It was released in January 1969. By then, the Beatles were already moving toward the stripped-back grit of Let It Be and Abbey Road. Yet, here was this neon-colored relic of the Summer of Love hitting the shelves. It felt late. It felt like a contractual obligation.
Honestly, it was a contractual obligation.
The band famously hated the idea of doing another movie after the exhaustion of Help! and the chaotic reception of Magical Mystery Tour. They basically handed over their likenesses to United Artists and King Features Syndicate just to get the movie deal over with. They didn't even provide the voices for their animated characters! But because the contract required "four new songs," we got a handful of tracks that are arguably some of the most underrated gems in the entire Lennon-McCartney (and Harrison) songbook.
The "Leftovers" That Actually Define an Era
Most people complain that only Side A of the original LP features the Beatles. Side B is all George Martin’s orchestral score. While Martin’s work is sweeping and cinematic, let’s focus on the meat of the thing: those four "new" songs that had been gathering dust in the EMI vaults.
Take "Hey Bulldog." This track is a monster. Recorded during the filming of the "Lady Madonna" promotional clip, it features what might be the filthiest, most aggressive bassline Paul McCartney ever tracked. It’s John Lennon at his most biting and nonsensical. The barking at the end? Totally unscripted. It captures a moment of genuine fun between John and Paul at a time when they were starting to grit their teeth just being in the same room. If this song had been on The White Album, critics would call it a masterpiece. Instead, it’s tucked away on a soundtrack.
Then you have George Harrison’s contributions. This is where the Yellow Submarine the Beatles album gets truly experimental. Harrison was hitting his stride as a songwriter, feeling the squeeze of being stuck behind the Lennon-McCartney powerhouse.
"Only a Northern Song" is essentially a meta-commentary on his frustration. He’s literally singing about how the chords don’t matter and the harmony is a bit "dark and out of key" because it’s just a song for his publishing company, Northern Songs. It’s sarcastic. It’s trippy. It features a chaotic soundscape of trumpets and glockenspiels that makes "Strawberry Fields Forever" look tame. It was originally intended for Sgt. Pepper, but it was rejected. Imagine having a song that good and thinking, "Nah, we've got better."
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Why the Animation Changed Everything
We can't talk about the album without the movie. It’s impossible. Before Yellow Submarine, animation was largely seen as "kid stuff" or Disney-lite. Then came Heinz Edelmann’s art direction. It was Pop Art. It was surrealism. It was Peter Max-adjacent (though Max wasn't actually involved).
The film saved the Beatles' reputation in the late 60s. After the "bigger than Jesus" controversy and the weirdness of Magical Mystery Tour, the public was a bit wary. The movie reminded everyone that the Beatles were fun. It turned them into folklore figures.
But back to the music.
The title track, "Yellow Submarine," was already old news by 1969. It had been out for over two years on Revolver. Same for "All You Need Is Love," which had already topped charts globally. This gave the album a "Greatest Hits" vibe that it didn't really deserve. It felt like a cash grab. But if you look at the tracklist through the lens of a collector, it’s a goldmine of late-period psychedelia.
- "All Together Now" – A simple, McCartney-penned singalong that sounds like a nursery rhyme on acid.
- "It's All Too Much" – This is the sleeper hit. It’s over six minutes of feedback, Hammond organ, and soaring brass. It’s arguably the most "heavy" the Beatles ever got in their psychedelic phase.
George Martin’s Side B: The Forgotten Symphony
We have to talk about George Martin. Often called the Fifth Beatle, his contribution to the Yellow Submarine the Beatles album is usually skipped over by fans. That’s a mistake.
Martin’s score for the film—tracks like "Sea of Monsters" and "Pepperland"—is some of the best orchestral writing of his career. He wasn't just making "background music." He was using the same experimental techniques the band used on their albums. He was blending classical structures with the avant-garde. It’s the bridge between his work on Sgt. Pepper and his later solo compositions.
The Disconnect: 1968 Sessions vs. 1969 Release
Timing is everything in music history. The Beatles recorded "Hey Bulldog" in February 1968. They recorded "Only a Northern Song" in early 1967. By the time the album actually came out in January '69, the band had already finished the sprawling, eclectic White Album.
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They were different people.
John was fully immersed in his life with Yoko. Paul was trying to steer a ship that was taking on water. George was finding his voice as a spiritual leader. When fans bought the Yellow Submarine the Beatles album, they were buying a time capsule of a version of the Beatles that didn't really exist anymore. It’s a ghost of the psychedelic era.
There’s a reason the Yellow Submarine Songtrack (released in 1999) exists. It ditched the George Martin orchestral bits and added all the other songs featured in the film, like "Eleanor Rigby" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." Many purists prefer this version. It feels more "complete."
But there’s something charming about the original 1969 LP. It’s weird. It’s lopsided. It represents the chaos of the time.
The Legacy of the Blue Meanies
The Blue Meanies weren't just cartoon villains; they became cultural shorthand for anything that saps the joy out of life. The album carries that same weight. It’s a "joy" record. Even the cynical tracks like "Only a Northern Song" have a sense of playfulness.
Critics at the time were lukewarm. Rolling Stone wasn't exactly kind. They felt the Beatles were giving the public "less than their best." In hindsight, that seems harsh. Even the "lesser" Beatles tracks are miles ahead of what most bands produce at their peak.
If you look at the charts, it did well—reaching #2 in the US (kept off the top spot by The White Album, ironically). In the UK, it hit #3. People wanted it, even if they didn't quite know what to make of it.
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Is it actually a "Beatles Album"?
This is the big debate among collectors. Does it count?
If you go by the "Core 13" British studio albums, yes. It’s included. But it feels more like an EP that got stretched out. Had the Beatles released it as a 4-song EP (which they actually considered doing), its reputation might be better. They even mastered a 7-inch EP version that included "Across the Universe" as a bonus, but it was scrapped in favor of the full-length LP.
That "Across the Universe" version—the "World Wildlife Fund" version—is a fascinating "what if." It’s faster, has bird sound effects, and feels much more in line with the Yellow Submarine vibe than the version that eventually ended up on Let It Be.
The Modern Verdict
So, where does that leave us today?
The Yellow Submarine the Beatles album is essential for anyone who wants to understand the transition from the "mop-top" studio wizards to the fractured solo artists they were becoming. It captures the last gasps of their collaborative spirit.
"Hey Bulldog" alone makes the album worth the price of admission. It’s a masterclass in riff-based songwriting.
When you listen to it now, ignore the fact that it’s a soundtrack. Ignore the Side B orchestral tracks if you have to. Focus on the four new songs. They are the sound of a band that could write hits in their sleep, even when they were bored, even when they were angry, and even when they were just trying to finish a contract.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Listener
If you’re diving back into this era of the Beatles, don’t just hit play on Spotify and let it run. Try these steps to actually "get" the album:
- Watch the Movie First: Seriously. The animation provides the context for why "Only a Northern Song" sounds so disjointed. The visuals and the music were designed to be a singular psychedelic experience.
- Listen to the 1999 Songtrack: If the George Martin score isn't your thing, the Yellow Submarine Songtrack features modern remixes of the songs that sound significantly beefier and clearer than the 1969 original.
- Compare "Hey Bulldog" to "Lady Madonna": They were recorded around the same time. You can hear the same energy, the same piano-driven stomp, and the same studio vibe. It’s a great way to see how the band was evolving in early 1968.
- Check out the Mono Mix: If you can find it, the mono version of the album (included in the Mono Masters or the The Beatles in Mono box set) has some slight variations in the sound effects and the mix of "Only a Northern Song" that are worth hearing.
- Acknowledge the George Martin Side: Give the orchestral side at least one focused listen. It’s a huge part of the Beatles’ story. Martin’s ability to translate the band's "weirdness" into a formal score is a big reason why their music has such longevity.
The Yellow Submarine project was never meant to be the band's magnum opus. It was a colorful detour. But even a Beatles detour is more interesting than most bands' main highways. It’s a testament to their 1960s dominance that even their "contractual obligation" remains a staple of pop culture fifty years later.