The album was identical on both shores (with the exception of some front cover text and the back cover notes) and followed the US soundtrack tradition by including George Martin’s orchestral score, which took up the whole of side two. This was his most successful yet, with clever musical twists recalling specific scenes; “Pepperland” is an especially lovely melody in its own right, while “March Of The Meanies” is suitably suspenseful.
Side one offers only the four new songs from the movie, with the title song and “All You Need Is Love” as bookends. It’s something of a booby prize for George, the cacophonous “Only A Northern Song” having been bumped from Sgt. Pepper and the psychedelic jam “It’s All Too Much” not even considered for Magical Mystery Tour. “All Together Now” is another simple but fun one from Paul, while “Hey Bulldog”, recorded while they were filming a promotional clip for “Lady Madonna”, gives John a chance to rock.
The LP was released intact on CD twenty years later on the same day as the White Album CD, leaving many fans scratching their heads as to why the four new songs weren’t simply postponed for inclusion on Past Masters, but more on that later. (A five-song EP—with the four new songs plus “Across The Universe”, of all things—was sequenced for release in early 1969, then cancelled.) It remains one of the least popular Beatles CDs.
When the film underwent a major visual overhaul to coincide with its 30th anniversary, the advertising wizards decided to prepare a companion album that would include every song from the film. Yellow Submarine Songtrack was very well received, if strangely sequenced. Overall, the sound is beefier and nicely complements the brilliant colors of the restored video. Having been restored to its proper place in the film, “Hey Bulldog” was the emphasis track, and was even promoted with re-edited footage from the old “Lady Madonna” promo clip to sync with the recording. A new mix of the title track brings out more sound effects and John’s responses on the last verse.
At only 45 minutes, the feeling remains that there should have been more here; for instance, “It’s All Too Much” is still missing the extra verse heard only in the movie. And even though the film includes a five-second snippet of harmony rehearsal for “Think For Yourself” as well as the intro from “Love You To”, that doesn’t quite justify the inclusion of both here as complete songs. (The same could be said for “Baby You’re A Rich Man”, which was truncated in the film, but we like it anyway.)
The Beatles Yellow Submarine (1969)—3
The Beatles Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999)—4
Certain little Beatle People love the “One Two Free” song and want to listen to it up to five times in a row but only on the ride home. They don’t get “It’s All Too Much.” At all.
ReplyDeleteI guess that they aren't so little by now. Tell them that Granduncle Trevor Roland is not 100% sure he gets it, either.
DeleteThis time, I only went 27 years (!) between viewings of a Beatles movie. Some enterprising soul just uploaded it to YouTube about three weeks ago. I figured that I better catch it before the Blue Meanies get it taken down.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine had just gotten the DVD when it was released in 1999. I really wanted to see the “Hey Bulldog” segment, which was edited out of the version I had seen on TV 31 years (!!) earlier. I remember being scared by some of the imagery as a kid. It does get rather dark in places. I also remember being sad for Jeremy in the “Nowhere Man” sequence. At first, I was disappointed to learn that the Beatles weren’t doing the speaking voices. Now, I know that the actors weren’t playing the Beatles, but bizarre psychedelic characters (some might say caricatures) that just happen to resemble them. Today, it’s still a mind-boggling film to see and hear, thanks to the restored visuals and the remixed soundtrack.
When I got the songtrack, I wondered what the hell “Think for Yourself” was doing there. I misremembered “Baby, you’re a Rich Man” there as a complete song (I thought John chased off the glove or the Blue Meanies with it. That could’ve worked). I did remember that the sitar riff from “Love You To” introduces George into the plot. You forgot to mention that “With a Little Help from My Friends” also fades out after only a few seconds in the film.
So, yeah, it’s a certainly a big stretch to consider the four songs as part of the soundtrack. However, I don’t mind them here since the remixes sound so great. In particular, “Baby You’re a Rich Man”, “Only a Northern Song” and “Hey, Bulldog” sound significantly better than the originals.
Speaking of that song, it’s one of three songs that don’t fit in with the psychedelic sounds of the rest. “Nowhere Man,” of course predates all of that. “Hey, Bulldog,” at the other end of the timeline, sounds more like the tougher rock and wordplay that John would provide for “The White Album.” I like it a lot, especially that piano riff. Incidentally, I think that you may have it the other way around. I believe that the performance in the promo clip was actually “Hey, Bulldog” and that it was reedited and redubbed to create the “Lady Madonna” video. Finally, “All Together Now” works within the context of the film; however, this sort of thing would get Paul into trouble when his solo career got underway (“Mary Had a Little Lamb,” anybody?). It was a big favorite on “Sesame Steet,” which counts for something.
I don’t understand the sequencing here, either. It has almost nothing to do with the order in which the songs appear in the movie. Nonetheless, it’s all highly listenable and enjoyable. Take a trip through the headphones.