In the studio
Recording for ‘Yellow Submarine’ began on 26 May 1966 at Abbey Road’s studio three. The Beatles spent nearly three hours rehearsing the song, before recording four takes of the basic backing track.They then recorded four takes of the basic backing track, before overdubbing the vocals. Ringo Starr took centre stage, and the other Beatles all contributed backing vocals.
‘Yellow Submarine’ is Paul’s baby. Donovan helped with the lyrics. I helped with the lyrics, too. We virtually made the track come alive in the studio, but based on Paul’s inspiration. Paul’s idea, Paul’s title. So I count it as a Paul song.
The sound effects which made ‘Yellow Submarine’ so memorable were overdubbed on 1 June 1966. The group raided EMI’s ‘trap room’; a small area, little more than a cupboard, which housed whistles, bells, chains and a huge number of other sources for sound effects.
Everybody in the studio was encouraged to join in the recording. A bath filled with water had chains dragged around inside it; The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones clinked glasses, John Lennon filled a bucket with water and blew bubbles into it, and contributed some memorable vocals to the final verse.
The door to the echo chamber behind studio two was open so he went and sat there, singing all that ‘Full speed ahead Mister Captain’ stuff at the top of his voice.
One of the more memorable moments was The Beatles’ assistant Mal Evans marching around the studio with a bass drum strapped to his chest, leading the band, plus George Martin, Neil Aspinall, Marianne Faithfull, Pattie Harrison and others, into the raucous choruses.
Session musicians were brought in to play traditional brass instruments. Although their identities remain unknown, they made perhaps the only conventional performances of the 1 June session.
It has been speculated that the brass band at the end of the second verse — following the line “and the band begins to play” — was a sampled snippet from a 78rpm record, thought to be ‘Le Rêve Passe’, a 1906 march by Georges Krier and Charles Helmer. However, close analysis of the records does not bear this out, and it appears more likely that the two-bar section was performed by the session musicians.
A spoken word introduction was also attempted, which had Starr’s voice over the sound of marching feet: “And we will march to free the day, to see them gathered there, from Land O’Groats to John O’Green; from Stepney to Utrecht, to see a Yellow Submarine.”
The Land O’Groats to John O’Green bit might have come about because there was a doctor, Barbara Moore I think her name was, who had walked from Land’s End to John O’Groats for charity. Everyone was talking about her then. As for the sound of marching feet, they did that by putting coal in a cardboard box and sliding it from side to side.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
Although The Beatles spent much time arranging and recording the passage, it was discarded for unknown reasons. It was eventually released in 1996, as part of a new mix of ‘Yellow Submarine’ included on the ‘Real Love’ single.
Chart success
‘Yellow Submarine’ was released as a double a-side single with ‘Eleanor Rigby’ on the same day as Revolver.
In the United Kingdom it was released on 5 August 1966, and five days later entered the chart at number two. It rose to the top spot a week later, where it remained for four weeks.
‘Yellow Submarine’ spent 13 weeks in the chart. The single later won an Ivor Novello Award for the highest certified sales of any single issued in the UK in 1966.
In the US it fared less well upon its 8 August release. It spent six weeks in the top 40 after charting at number 11 on 10 September. The single peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox charts.
The controversy over the ‘butcher cover’ and John Lennon’s “more popular than Jesus” comments are believed to have contributed to the failure to reach number one in all US charts. However, it sold 1.2 million copies in four weeks.
Um…yeah, Yellow Submarine, totally my fave movie; Songtrack kicks major ass!(first CD I ever bought). Oh yeah, my comment was that Yellow Submarine was actually The Beatles’ fourth film. Magical Mystery Tour being the third was aired ’round Christmas time ’67 meanwhile “The Sub” didn’t see the light of day til november ’68; Nearly a year after! just thought I’d let you know.
Hey Martin – thanks for the comment. You’re right, of course. I’ll change the info now.
In light of the newly released work tape of this song, Paul’s claim to have written this one has really come into question. It seems like it is real legit collaboration between the two with John coming up with the melody of the verses.
Brian Jones plays clangin glasses
The weakest song on “Revolver” is still a great addition due to that album’s what-the-hell, try-anything approach. With so many great songs, they could afford to include a silly one for goofy, lovable Ringo to sing. To think of this sharing 45rpm vinyl with “Eleanor Rigby” blows my mind! (I wish they’d released the mix with the Ringo recitation and wackier sound fx.)
You know…i used to think it’s a weak song.
honestly, it’s so incredibly brilliant. the adult me has grown to love it.
It’s so simple, yet so complex. When the band begins to play, the chattering and sound effects, Mal’s bass drum, which is undermixed, shamefully. It’s honestly such a great song.
I agree about it being a weak song, but the animation it spawned was spectacular!
So true, Don. My 2 grandson’s love watching “Yellow Submarine”. The animation is beautiful and they love the soundtrack.
Y/S is not a “weak” song at all. It’s simple in thought, but listen to all the sounds thrown in…very rich, no “Computer Generated Effects”. My friend’s grandson is 4 and knows all the words. Children and adults all over the world know and sing this song joyfully.
Would you have a 4 yo singing this with his family or gangsta rapping? To paraphrase Paul’s opinion on editing down the White Album: It’s the Beatles’ [Yellow Submarine] ! Sod off!
It’s one thing to say it’s “a weak song” and quite another to say “it’s the weakest song on Revolver”. The weakest song on Revolver would be most albums’ strongest song. I would love to have written that weak song.
Everett’s take:
The basic tracks contain John’s Jumbo, George’s tambourine, Ringo’s drums and Paul’s bass – all heard left. Ringo’s vocal and all four Beatles singing backing vocals are all heard right.
The instruments were recorded a half-step higher and vocals a half-step lower than now heard.
Tape reduction made room for the “Goon” type sound effects. A raid of the Studio Two trap room allowed for two additional and separately taped tracks – sometimes combined together and sometimes split. Heard are George swirling water in a metal bathtub (beginning at 0:18); Rolling Stones Brian Jones clinking glasses, supplying party chatter and playing the ocarina; John blowing bubbles in a bucket through a straw and shouting off-mike in the echo chamber; studio staff rattling chains in a metal tub and ship’s bells; and a manic John mocking Ringo’s every measure the second time through in to a hand-held mike plugged into a Vox guitar amp.
All who were not working the controls, including the Beatles, George Martin, Geoff Emerick, Mal, Neil, Alf Bicknell, Brian Jones, Patti Harrison and Marianne Faithfull joined in the final chorus.
Here’s my question: other than Emerick (who’s memory can be questioned) saying it’s John calling back to Ringo, is there any proof it was John?
I’ve heard the song a million times and I will swear to you that it’s Paul.
I’ve heard that McCartney wasn’t present for some overdubs that took place and that Harrison re-did the bass.
Paul lived near the studio and George out of town so it does not seem likely. Possible though.
I know some people might consider this a slight song but actually it’s pretty innovative. The use of ambient sounds by way of musique concrete in creating this sound collage on “Yellow Submarine”. The Beatles seem to have ambient sounds on this record “Tomorrow Never Knows” uses seagull sounds created from sped-up tape loops. Pretty innovative stuff.
Oh, I agree! One of my favourite aspects of “Revolver” is the assortment of differing musical textures throughtout – strings, horns, Indian instrumentation – and the tape loops of “Tomorrow Never Knows” are definitely part of that, and so are the musique concrete effects of “Submarine” – particularly the earlier mix, with the recited Ringo intro and the greater abundance of sounds throughout. Have you heard that one?
The seagulls were Paul laughing and sped up.
The actual words Lennon shouts are:
“full speed ahead Mr Boatswain”
We are a sea fairing nation in the UK.
Just to let you know! 😉
I’ve heard claims that he says Mr Baker, Mr Barclay, Mr Boatswain and Mr Captain. For what it’s worth I think you’re correct – the clearest mix, with the words panned to one side of the stereo spectrum, is on the Read Love single.
Not all of us in the UK are seafaring BTW 😉
I’d agreed, if it weren’t for the fact that “boatswain” should be pronounced “bosun”. Maybe Lennon didn’t know.
I always thought that the title was derived from the fact that a fat joint in yellow rolling paper (Bambu?) somewhat resembles a tiny submarine, at least when one has smoked another previously.
What about John’s drawing of ‘The Yellow Submarine’ in St Peters Church Hall that he drew in school?
Hi everybody, could someone tell me who repeat the verses in funny voice at the final of the song:
As we live a life of ease(life of ease)
Every one of us(every one of us) has all we need,(has all we need)
Sky of blue,(sky of blue) and sea green,(sea of green)
In our yellow(In our yellow) submarine.(submarine) ( Haha! )
That was John Lennon, during this session.
Paul wrote Yellow Submarine in the same key Ringo tuned his drums, which he found easiest to sing in.
It’s a nice simple song; its a bit of fun and the band clearly had a great time recording it. I think you need songs like this on Beatles records; it portrays their sense of humour and reminds everyone they’re not taking themselves too seriously.
I’ve only just heard the remixed version on the Real Love CD for the first time. The ‘Land O’Groats’ intro is very clumsily edited : is that really how it was meant to be?
Could anybody tell me what the final (spoken) words of the lyrics are? It has always sounded to me like a man shouting something in Dutch: “Wat zijn de berichten?” [“What are the messages”]. Then somebody else seems to answer “Uitzeilen, uitzeilen” [“Set sail, set sail”]
TIA — John (Dutch)
Hi I can hear at some point Marcia Indietro and Posti di Divisa both Italian expression then one I can’t understand(Force at…) and then possibly Get Back Get Back…
Hi,
the “Posti di Divisia” is actually “Možte mi vylízat” – spoken by Dezo Hoffman (the beatles’ photographer), a Slovak native speaker. It means something like “Kiss my ass” and has always been thought to have been his message to the Czechoslovakian communist regime at the time.
Summer camp in Maine in late August of 1966…
I’m a 16 yr old counselor-in-training…
Every cabin has a couple of transistor radios…
We only listen to WBZ from Boston…
I’m out in the middle of the lake teaching a ten year old how to sail a sunfish…
The BZ jockey spins the new Beatles single …
In a rousing rush of joy, our buddies back on land are belting out the chorus, “We all live in a yellow submarine” …
It bounds out of the woods from our camp, crossing our bow…
The kid and I, in the doldrums, sail limp, dangling our feet, we laugh and sing too…
Then, an amazing audio wave washes us from the stern…
In a group response, an ethereal echo, also singing the chorus, is wafting out to greet us…
It is flowing from the girls’ camp on the other shore…
Chilling and warming to remember this…natural stereo…with the speakers separated by a mile of open water…
Radio, and the Beatles, were the uniting glue for us all…
———————————————————————–
I hope you appreciate the above recollection. In case it isn’t obvious, the “chilling” part of it was that because we were closer to the boys’ camp, than the girls’ side, the sound of the female “choir” was just a beat later.
Both populations were hearing their radios at the same moment, but the singing reached us at slightly different moments. From our position, we heard it as a boisterous guy-chant being chased by an angelic echo. I know this site is visited by a lot of music recording aficionados (is it ok to call you “geeks”?). It would be fantastic if someone could figure out how to replicate the effect, a capella, then we can all truly live a life of ease, and every one of us will have all we need.
When Ringo sings, “And the band begins to play”, is this a cameo appearance of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?
No. That was recorded a couple of months before Paul came up with the “Sgt. Pepper” idea.
OK…..here’s this. On the 1973 vinyl release of “The Beatles 1967-1970” there was an insert included that listed all Beatles albums and singles released by Capitol Records. The B-side of “Yellow Submarine” is listed as being “Thingumybob”. Release date was 8-66. This is the only reference to this song that I have seen in my 50 years as a Beatle fan. Has anyone ever heard this song? There are a couple of minor mistakes on this insert and I’m wondering if maybe this was the biggest of those.
That’s probably a reference to the Black Dyke Mills Band’s version of Yellow Sub, the b-side to Thingumybob. It was one of the first four Apple singles, produced and written by Paul McCartney.
Am I the only one who thinks it’s Paul doing the echo singing on the final verse? I’ve always thought it was him and even though I try and fit John in as the singer, because everyone says it’s him, and can see some resemblance, nonetheless the way “in our yellow” is voiced it still sounds like Paul. Where exactly is the source of this identification that it is John? I note that on the second recording date page of this site (June 1, 1966 – recording-yellow-submarine-2) there is mention of an unidentified brass band playing on the track, but I’ve read in Emerick’s book, and elsewhere, that this was actually a recording that was edited so as to obscure its original nature. So not al the info on this site seems to be accurate all the time.
Emerick is incorrect. The brass band is not several pieces edited together, one can only listen to find out that it is one continuous piece of music. Emerick’s book features more nonsense similar to this.
It is Paul shouts in the final verse of course, you’re absolutely right.
This song is great fun and represents the Goons influence on the Beatles. Primarily written by Paul for Ringo, it works a treat. John Lennon’s vocal contributions are a highlight. Others may not, but I love the fact it is on”Revolver”.
I own both the forty five record and the Revolver album and I’ve found that in the final verse after the sound effects when Ringo says “As we live a life of ease” the shouting voice that repeats Ringo says “life of ease” on the forty five but not on the Revolver album. I’ve searched online for any hint about that but haven’t seen anything
It’s probably due to the fact that your single is the mono mix & your LP is the stereo mix.
Doesnt anyone hear Ringo shout “Paul’s a queer”
Of course. Around 1.40. Years ago I noticed that, but I think it’s John’s voice
Yes I do
What do people think of this interview from 1967 where John and Paul talk about Yellow Submarine?
An excerpt:
Q: “Good. Who was principly reponsible, Paul or John?”
JOHN: “Paul.”
PAUL: “John, really.”
JOHN & PAUL: “No. No.”
A later excerpt:
Q: “John, earlier before we started recording, you said it was in effect written as two separate songs.”
JOHN: “Yeah. I seem to remember, like, the submarine… the chorus bit, you coming in with it.”
PAUL: “Yeah.”
JOHN: “And wasn’t the other bit something that I had already going, and we put them together?”
PAUL: “Well, yeah. Right. Yeah.”
JOHN: “And it made sense to make it into…”
PAUL: “Yeah, the bit… (sings melody to verse) ‘Dut-ta-da, da-dut-ta-da.'”
JOHN: “With Ringo in mind, again.”
I don’t know why there’s so much hate for this song — I love it! It’s my favorite Ringo song (and the first one he sang that I ever heard)! It’s a cute, charming, fun little number that I defy anyone not to sing along to.
Besides, it can’t be all bad. They did make a great movie out of it, didn’t they? 😉
I think it was John Lennon who made the speaker voices in the “Yellow Submarine” deck. What does he say exactly (it is not very clear)?
There have been different interpretations of what is said:
Full speed ahead Mr Boatswain (pronounced correctly as ‘bosun’), full speed ahead.
Full speed ahead it is, Sgt.
Cut the cable, drop the cable. OR: lock the chambers, lock the chambers
Aye aye Sir, aye aye.
Captain, captain.! (it doesn’t sound like captain to me)
Ain’t no way that Paul said: “full speed ahead it is.” It sounds nothing like “it is.” When you view the cartoon, John looks toward Paul and says: “full speed ahead,” while Paul is looking at John. Then Paul turns and says: “full speed ahead, he said.” (John) View it again, folks. Mystery solved.
John’s echoing vocals in the final verse – turning a harmless children’s tune into a bawdy sea shanty – really makes the song for me!
Some interesting trivia. “Yellow Submarine” was one of four “party” songs that reached the no. 2 position on the US charts in 1966.
Jan 29 – “Barbara Ann” – Beach Boys
May 21 – “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” – Bob Dylan
Sept 17 – “Yellow Submarine” – Beatles
Dec 17 – “Mellow Yellow” – Donovan
The Beach Boys were the first to incorporate ambient party sounds, but Dylan was the first to use a marching rhythm, party sounds and brass instruments.
I was visiting a tourist trap in a non-english-speaking country in 2017. It was the day after terrorist attack in London.
The friends I’d checked with had said they were okay, but I was feeling pretty glum about the world.
I had a deadpan expression when someone picked up an acoustic guitar to charm the international tourists.
Here’s a song from France, here’s one from Poland, and so on.
When I heard the words “In the town where I was born…” I could have cried.
I was suddenly struck by the unassailable tone of hope and unity in this disarmingly silly song.
Give it another listen.
Giles Martin when promoting the re-released Revolver has confirmed this was indeed John’s song and idea with some help by McCartney. McCartney in his book more or less took most of the credit for this song.
So this interview from 1967 was apparently correct.
https://web.archive.org/web/20190314065102/https://www.beatlesinterviews.org/db1967.0320IN.beatles.html
From this unearthed work tape, Lennon is singing the verse to Yellow Submarine beginning with “In the town where I was born…” The melody is mostly the one heard in the final song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR4mQb1y7Gc&t=51s
So Paul had the concept and chorus of “Yellow Submarine” but John had the initial lyric and melody for the verse.
I think maybe Giles Martin jumped into conclusion a bit too quick: While Beatles historians have always attributed the song to McCartney, the newly unearthed work tape is pure Lennon. He strums a sad acoustic guitar figure and sings: “In the town where I was born / No-one cared, no-one cared…” (From BBC article). Both McCartney and Lennon agreed that it’s McCartney’s song.
Yellow Submarine (Songwriting Work Tape / Part 2) is really interesting.
It starts off with Paul singing the verse but mumbling the words as if he really doesn’t know them well. Then he asks John to sing it because he “knows how to sing it.” Then John flawlessly sings the first few verses from the song up to the chorus which both John and Paul sing. This suggests that while Paul may have had the overall concept for the song, it was John that wrote the first few verses in support of the concept (since Paul didn’t seem to know the verses yet). Interesting!
McCartney was wrong about being the main writer of Yellow Submarine. It now seems obvious that Lennon and McCartney wrote about 50 percent each. Lennon probably even wrote more than that of the lyrics.
This shows that McCartney can not be trusted regarding who wrote what of the Beatles songs. He has said something like: “I know who wrote what, ´cause I was there with John when the songs were written”, but now, after Giles Martin´s remixing of Revolver and Yellow Submarine, we know better.
What about In my life? McCartney took credit for the whole melody there, while Lennon claimed to have written it almost entierely by himself. What about Every little thing? Is it really true that McCartney wrote that one? Did Lennon remember wrong when looking at the title in 1980 and McCartney therefore later took the chance to claim it. Is it true that McCartney wrote the middle eight music of Norwegian wood?
On the other hand, Lennon took credit for 60 percent, or something like that, of the lyrics for Elenaor Rigby, which, according to McCartney and, among others, Lennons friend Pete Shotton, is definitely not true. McCartney, on the other hand, was never open about that Harrison wrote some of its melody and lyrics or that Pete Shotton penned important parts of its lyrics.
Lennon called himself and McCartney “egomaniacs” and people with that diagnosis can probably not always be trusted in matters such as these.
It is by the way interesting to hear from the Ivor Novello interviw how insecure Lennon, due to bad memory, is about what he and McCartney wrote respectively. People like that quite easily gets manipulated.
In the demo of John’s verse we hear ‘no one cared, no one cared’ over and over again to a melody that doesn’t go anywhere. The lyrics were changed and by whom we don’t know. The concept and idea were Paul’s – and, as he said, in the vaudeville style. Are you now saying John also wrote granny songs? All the interviews they did with Brian Matthews were tongue-in-cheek so I don’t give much credence to what they said in that 1967 interview. Both were likely stoned and John was absolutely out of it on LSD at that time. But the worst thing about your comment is the opportunist attack on Paul’s other songs using a strawman’s argument. For Eleanor Rigby, Paul gave credit to Ringo for his darning his socks line and to Pete Shotten for suggesting Father McKenzie meet up with Eleanor Rigby. So why should Paul give credit to George or John if they didn’t actually contribute anything of substance. WHY can’t they REMEMBER what lines or words they came up with? After all, Ringo could… . Paul credited John for Michelle, Getting Better (in a story he tells ad nauseum), She’s Leaving Home, We Can Work It Out, Birthday, and others. When did Lennon and particularly Harrison, who got sole credit, ever acknowledge McCartney for THEIR songs.
Hardly ever.
When John and Paul continued working in the studio on the Yellow submarine verse lyrics, John was more of the writer and Paul more of his moral support. At one time, John asks Paul something about the words and Paul answers sort of, “It is you who know how they go, John”.
Lennon acknowledged McCartney as coming up with the essential material of the Day tripper verses and “I’d love to turn you on” in A day in the life.
Paul McCartney wrote the middle eight on Doctor Robert, but it took many years before that information came out.
George Harrison remembered, that he wrote “three lines on Eleanor Rigby”, for instance “Ahh, look at all the lonely people”, but only took credit for that many years later. I do not think, that McCartney ever mentioned Shotton is this context, it was probably the latter who himself made it known through his autobiography.
On the other hand, McCarney, as far as I know, never officially took credit for the incredible guitar solo on Taxman,
It could very well be, that McCartney wrote a good portion of the In my life music, to me it sounds so.
I am only curious about what really happened, not interested in belittleling or overvaluing any of the group members. McCartney needed Lennon to tell him what was good and less good. He also to a large degree needed Lennons ability to complete a song fragment lyrically and/or melodically, harmonically:
– Michelle
– We can work it out
– Drive my car
– She´s a woman
– Getting better
– She´s leaving home
– With a little help from my friends
– Yellow submarine
. Paperback writer
– Back in the USSR
– Birthday
– Get back
– Magical mystery tour
– Penny lane, where McCartney took Lennon lyrics, put music to them and modified the lyrics together with Lennon.
That is one explanation to why McCartney´s solo career songs of high quality are rare and seldom, if ever, as good as his Beatles songs. Lennon has not been there to help him.
I also believe, that Lennon contributed to the When I´m 64 lyrics, its humour indicates this, and maybe to some of its music, like the middle eight: “Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of whight…”.
PER took the words right off my keypad. McCartney cannot be trusted with song writing credit accuracy. And for the record, I’m not saying that as a John fan looking to bash Paul or diminish his incredible talent. The truth is the truth. I may not have been there when they wrote it but there’s so much documentation out there on The Beatles that one can triangulate where the truth lies. Opinion doesn’t factor into the equation at all. That 1967 interview is the proof.
You are looking to diminish McCartney, just own up. All this is so petty.
Not saying that I agree with this (just playing Devil’s Advocate here), but maybe Paul is still trying to reverse what biographer Philip Norman wrote — about John being 3/4 of the Beatles by himself. Like it or not. It’s well documented that the lionization/sanctification of John after his murder rankled Paul to a certain degree.
Mal Evans wrote some of the music for Fixing a hole.