Yellow Submarine

Some of the imagery comes from nature (Sea, sun, waves, sky), along with the motifs of surrealism and storytelling. The telling is sung in a persona, a thing the Beatles returned to 47 times across 3 years. The title mentions a colour ('yellow') and also doubles as the album title, something they had reached for on 'Baby's in Black' 2 years earlier, and the language is level and neutral. The writing draws on the Goons and music hall.

In G major at roughly 108 BPM, 'Yellow Submarine' is a children's and novelty song, and the writing shows the influence of Goons. The tune carries call and response, the backing vocals answering behind the lead (Echoed phrases in verse 4), a thing the Beatles returned to 50 times across 3 years. Then, the record features group vocals and a vocal ad-lib ('Ha-ha!', shouted commands). Worth a footnote, the chords run D → Em → C → D → G, the same move 'Any Time at All' makes as A → Bm → G → A → D.

Basic track cut at EMI Studio 2 with John on acoustic, Paul on bass, Ringo singing live. Sound-effects and chorus overdubs followed days later with Brian Jones, Marianne Faithfull and assorted Beatles staff in attendance. McCartney played the Rickenbacker 4001S on it, his bass, and the Beatles used VariSpeed, echo chamber and ADT (double tracked vocal). It is taken out on a fade-out, a thing they returned to 46 times across 3 years. 1966 brought 19 songs, and this was the 12th of them, the 114th record of their career.

McCartney and Lennon wrote it, and Starr sings lead (McCartney came up with the chorus, the melody and the title lying in bed, remembered the song as pretty much his). George Martin plays on this one as well as producing it, less common for a Beatles record, as he does on 'Slow Down' and 'And I Love Her', with tape loops filling it out, which turn up on eleven Beatles records in all. It exists to give Ringo something to sing. Listen for Marianne Faithfull on backing chorus, Brian Jones on ocarina and Mick Jagger, in as guests. Helping out from the band's own circle, Mal Evans on drums and percussion, and Neil Aspinall and Alf Bicknell on backing vocals, with Bicknell adding rattling chains. Lennon suggested combining McCartney's chorus with a verse melody of his own, and wrote it for Starr to sing. Pattie Boyd, Terry Condon and John Skinner sing behind them.

The record was issued as a double A-side with Eleanor Rigby, and it topped the UK chart for four weeks and reached #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold by the RIAA (Capitol, certified 12 September 1966), and it is widely covered (the Muppets, Brian Wilson, others). Besides that it is an Ivor Novello-winning record. Its first American album was Revolver (US), three days later. You can also hear it in the film Yellow Submarine (1968). This track was the 8th of 16 released in 1966, and the 110th counting from the start.