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The Beatles, having just completed their monumental recording of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in early April and started recording for the "Magical Mystery Tour" film project in late April of 1967, signed contracts in early May for the making of a full-length animated film based around their 1966 song "Yellow Submarine". They were to provide at least three new songs and allow use of others previously released for the soundtrack. The Yellow Submarine film was theatrically released by United Artists (in mono) in UK theaters premiering on 7/17/68 (the following day they worked on recording "Cry Baby Cry" and "Helter Skelter") and in the US on 11/13/68. The album of the same name however, wasn't released until UK 1/17/69 and US 1/13/69. There were two reasons for the delay. One was that the band felt the November 1968 release of "The Beatles" should take precedence, the other was that George Martin wanted to re-record his orchestral score for side two of the LP, which he did in two three hour sessions on Oct. 22 and 23. The first "new" song for the film was "Only A Northern Song", which was originally George Harrison's first offering for the Sgt. Pepper album, and began life in the studio on 2/13/67. This track was mixed mono for the film, mock stereo for LP, and never mixed stereo or 5.1 until 1999. The second contribution was Lennon/McCartney's "Baby You're A Rich Man", the first song recorded especially for the film. It was recorded and mixed mono on 5/11/67 in less than six hours. Though it was used in the film, it was released as the B-side of "All You Need Is Love" on 7/7/67, just prior to the film's release. It too was mono on film, and mock stereo until 1999 (except for The Beatles Box, Parlophone 1971). The next evening brought McCartney's "All Together Now". It also was recorded and mixed mono in less than six hours. May 25 began another Harrison number, "It's All Too Much". Finally, Lennon's "Hey Bulldog", making it four new songs, was recorded. The song's lyrics were completed, music composed, recorded and mixed in a single ten hour session on 2/11/68. According to engineer Geoff Emerick, everyone was especially pleased with that tune. They were filmed recording it, but the footage was actually used to promote "Lady Madonna". The happy mood seen on that footage might be because they knew it was their last recording session before leaving for their long holiday in India. The "Hey Bulldog" animated film segment was only seen theatrically in Europe and not available in the US until the 1999 DVD.
Video tape and LaserDisc was released for home use in 1987 by MGM/UA in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio and simulated stereo. After a couple of years, it went out of print.
Then, after cleaning the original film negative and rejuvenating the color in 1999, MGM/Apple released the widescreen DVD, 5.1 Dolby Digital, restoring the "Hey Bulldog" sequence and adding several special features.This version also went out of print.
Finally, we have the the 2012 Apple Blu-ray and DVD released in June, after the May theatrical release. Compared to the MGM 1999 DVD, the Apple 2012 reissue is a welcomed improvement. Both the audio and video are better.
Video: This is the major improvement of this new release. The film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr. and his team at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc. Because of the delicacy of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was employed in the digital clean-up, it was all done by hand, frame by frame, over a four month period. I can't imagine the man hours involved, but the results are spectacular, clean and vivid! Though the 1999 DVD release says "widescreen" and the new blu-ray says 1.66:1, there is more picture information visible on the blu-ray. I have not yet verified their true aspect ratios.
Audio: I am happy to say that the same 1999 5.1 remix by Pete Cobbin is incorporated here. He did an exceptional job! Messing with the Beatle's soundtracks is a delicate task, especially when "enhancing". Keep in mind that these new mixes originated from 4 track analog tapes, often having several separately recorded instruments overlaid on the same track and running though boards all intended for mono. The sound here is as if the master tape is being played back. These recordings were made by Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick back in 1965-68, yet they sound better than most recordings made today. Listen for example to the vocals and the strings in "Eleanor Rigby" or the clarinets and tubular bells in "When I'm Sixty Four". The surround enhancement is done very tastefully, especially during the songs. The songs don't sound pulled apart as some engineers would do. I especially like the surround effects done for "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds". Throughout the well known songs you hear more distinction between instruments and harmonies.
For the first time, we have it in DTS at home. The theatrical re-release of the film in 1999 included a new 5.1 remix in the DTS audio format, however, the subsequent 1999 DVD was released only in 5.1 Dolby Digital. We now have it in DTS-HD Master Audio (English only), which sounds better than in Dolby Digital.
There are however, two audio caveats. The first being that the output level is about 11.5 dB too loud. Though the dynamic range is actually improved by 2.0 dB over the Dolby Digital DVD, the over-all level is set way above reference level, so be cautious.
The second caveat is the omission of the music-only option, which allowed you to listen to the film's score only (no dialog or sound effects) on the 1999 DVD. I found it interesting, but I suppose most didn't.
Bonus features: Both the Yellow Submarine DVD and Blu-ray include a short making-of documentary titled Mod Odyssey" (TRT: 7:30), the film's original theatrical trailer, audio commentary by producer John Coates and art director Heinz Edelmann, several brief interview clips with others involved with the film, storyboard sequences, 29 original pencil drawings and 30 behind-the-scenes photos. Both Digipaks include reproductions of 4 animation film cells, 10 collectible stickers, and a 16-page booklet (same text as 1999 insert) with a new essay by Yellow Submarine aficionado John Lasseter (Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios). Note that there is no new A/V material over the 1999 DVD.
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Customer reviews
I was actually expecting the movie Yellow Submarine Sandwich by the Rutles but this turned out be almost as good. A lot of the music was originally recorded by Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees but these were descent cover versions by some band called the Beetles who sound very much like the Rutles. Thanks again, Amazon!
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 23, 2012
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 22, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 12, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 19, 2022
If the new DVD is as good as the big-screen version, then it should be really great! -- UPDATE - New DVD is great!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 12, 2012Top reviews from other countries
Mr. M. J. Burgess-Moon
Nice But Pointless
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 19, 2020
Souro Sircar
Classical and wonderful musical movie with extras that are worth buying.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 4, 2020
S P Mead
The DVD release from 2000
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 3, 2016
Sophie Hunt
Good for introducing Beatles to the next generation!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 3, 2018
