Anatomy of an Album: "Yellow Submarine" Quiz

Answer: next door

"Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" was a double A-sided number one for four weeks on the UK singles chart in 1966. "Yellow Submarine" reached number two and "Eleanor Rigby" reached number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby" were written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Ringo Sings:

"And our friends are all aboard
Many more of them live next door
And the band begins to play"

"Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" were released on and simultaneously with The Beatles 1966 album "Revolver". Paul McCartney started to write "Yellow Submarine" with Ringo in mind while living at the home of the parents of his then girlfriend Jane Asher. It started out being about different coloured submarines but Paul settled on yellow. Just think we could have been singing about a red or blue submarine all these years, that would never do.

Answer: Only a Northern Song

"Only a Northern Song" was written and sung by George Harrison.

George Sings:

"It doesn't really matter what chords I play
What words I say or time of day it is
As it's only a Northern Song"

George Harrison was not very happy at the time this song was written. He had threatened to leave The Beatles after their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, USA. He was not happy with the music publishing company Northern Songs. A company set up by Dick James, Brian Epstein, John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1963 to publish songs by The Beatles. When the company went public in 1965 John Lennon owned 15%, Paul McCartney 15%, Brian Epstein (NEMS) 7.5%, Dick James and his partner 37.5% and poor old George and Ringo 0.8% each.

Answer: Ten, J and Blue

"All together Now" was written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon/McCartney.

Paul Sings:

"One two three four can I have a little more
Five six seven eight nine ten I love You"

"A B C D can I bring my friend to tea
E F G H I J I love you"

"Black white green red can I take my friend to bed
Pink brown yellow orange and blue I love you"

"All together Now" was written and recorded in 1967 for the "Our World" TV special. First released on the "Yellow Submarine" album in 1969. It was released as a single in some European countries in 1972. The Muppet's recorded the song for their 1994 album "Kermit Unpigged".

Answer: Hey Bulldog

"Hey Bulldog" was written by John Lennon but credited to Lennon/McCartney.

John Sings:

"Sheepdog, standin' in the rain
Bullfrog, doin' it again
Some kind of happiness is
Measured out in miles"

"Hey Bulldog" was released as the B-side of "All together Now" in various European countries in 1972. Geoff Emerick The Beatles recording engineer, claimed that it was during this recording session that The Beatles really pulled together with any great enthusiasm for the last time. In his book "Here, There, Everywhere", he said quote "Paul's bass line was probably the most inventive of any he'd done since Pepper and it was really well played. Harrison's solo was sparkling, too, one of the few times that he nailed it right away", end quote.

Answer: The McCoys

At over six minutes long, "It's all too much" is the longest George Harrison song written and sung by him, that was recorded by The Beatles. It was recorded before the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album and was originally going to be on the "Magical Mystery Tour" double E.P.

"Sorrow" was written by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer who were the members of the fictitious group The Strangeloves as Giles, Miles and Niles Strange. The McCoys recorded "Sorrow" fist and it was released as the B-side of "Fever" which reached number seven on the Billboard chart in 1965. It reached number forty-four on the UK chart the same year. The Merseys, an offshoot of the UK group The Merseybeats took "Sorrow" to number four on the UK chart in 1966. It did not chart in the US. Canadian group The British Modbeats recorded "Sorrow" as the B-side to their 1967 single "Try To Understand" which did not chart in the UK or the US. David Bowie took "Sorrow" to number three on the UK chart in 1973. It did not chart in the US.

Answer: Magical Mystery Tour

"All you need is love" was written by John Lennon but credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was number one for three weeks on the UK chart in 1967. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100.

It is track eleven on the US album/CD "Magical Mystery Tour".
It is track six on the UK album/CD "Yellow Submarine".

The BBC asked The Beatles to write a song for the UK's contribution to the first live global TV link, Called "Our World". "All you need is Love" was transmitted by satellite on the 25 June 1967.

Answer: Nothing Is Real

"Nothing Is Real" (taken from the song "Strawberry Fields Forever") in green letters was the subtitle placed underneath the album title "Yellow Submarine" which was in yellow and orange letters. There are also many other differences between the 1969 UK and US album covers.

The album "Yellow Submarine" was The Beatles tenth official UK album (although The Beatles themselves did not regard it as such) and it was released in the UK in January 1969. Although it was issued as the soundtrack to the animated movie "Yellow Submarine", it was released several months after the movie and did not contain all of The Beatles music from the movie.

Answer: Sea of Pepperland

"Sea of Pepperland" is a made up title and did not exist as part of the orchestral music on the "Yellow Submarine" album.

On the US version of The Beatles 1969 "Yellow Submarine" album, "Sea of Time" & "Sea of Holes" were combined into and listed as one track. They are separate tracks on the UK 1969 issue and the 2009 remastered CD version of the "Yellow Submarine" album.

Answer: True

There were only four new songs on The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" album and they are:

Track two, "Only a Northern Song"
Track three, "All together Now"
Track four, Hey Bulldog"
Track five, "It's all too much"

On the "Yellow Submarine" album cover the cartoon Beatles are flanked on the left by Young/Old Fred and the Nowhere Man and on the right by the Lord Mayor. In the "Yellow Submarine" movie John Lennon is voiced by John Clive, Paul McCartney is voiced by Geoffrey Hughes, George Harrison is voiced by Peter Batten and Ringo Star is voiced by Paul Angelis. British comedian Dick Emery voices Jeremy Hilary Boob Ph.D aka. Nowhere Man, the Lord Mayor and Max. The "Yellow Submarine" movie was directed by George Dunning.

Answer: Yellow Submarine in Pepperland

The whole of side two of the original UK "Yellow Submarine" album and tracks seven to thirteen on the "Yellow Submarine" 2009 remastered CD are orchestral pieces from the 1968 "Yellow Submarine" animated movie".

They were all composed, orchestrated and arranged by George Martin except for the last track on the album "Yellow Submarine In Pepperland", which was written by Lennon/McCartney. They were all recorded at Abbey Road studios by the forty-one piece George Martin Orchestra conducted by George Martin, co-produced by John Burgess and Ron Richards.