Posted in: Rock by Alistair Briggs on March 15th, 2010 | 2 Comments
Wouldn’t it be interesting to look at the Beatles albums as if they were done by other artists? Here we will take a look at cover versions of the songs that made up the Beatles album “Yellow Submarine”. Track listing is based on the original UK releases.
Yellow Submarine is a very interesting album. (Not to be confused with the Yellow Submarine song book, released in the 90’s featuring all the songs from the film). The title track had already been released and featured on the Revolver album. The album only had one half as Beatles songs, the other half was orchestral music, produced by George Martin, from the Yellow Submarine film (which the Beatles had very little interest in until very near the end). Nonetheless, the album does contain some very good Beatles songs – including the awesome song ‘Hey Bulldog’. Here we will take a look at some cover versions of the songs that made up the album Yellow Submarine.
This version by the Black Dyke Mills Band was released as a B-side to a 1968 single release by the Beatles own Apple Records. Definitely a change of pace!
Suprisingly, I couldn’t track down a cover version of this Beatles song, although I presume that someone, somewhere has probably covered it. Instead, please find the alternate Beatles version released on the second Anthology album.
It is often said that Yellow Submarine was the closest the Beatles ever came to writing a nursery rhyme but that is not really true. Surely this song here has to be the one that is closest in nature to a children’s nursery rhyme. Anyway, this cover here comes from the 1995 album release ‘Kermit UnPigged’, it features Kermit the Frog and Harry Smith.
Gomez recorded their version of this song for a 25th year anniversary of Lennon’s death broadcast on the BBC. As a Beatles song, it is often overlooked – that could be because of the album it is on, but it really does deserve to be heard more as it is the Beatles at their best!
This song used a sample of a line from the Mersey’s song ‘Sorrow’ (later covered by David Bowie). One time member of Khan, Gong and System 7, Steve Hillage has often performed his cover version of ‘It’s All Too Much’ at his gigs.
All You Need Is Love was written for and performed on the ‘Our World’ BBC broadcast – the Beatles decided it was good enough to be released as a single (it reached number one in the UK charts). This cover version here was included on the soundtrack to the 2003 film ‘Love Actually’.
Mark Gordon Brown March 15th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
I loved Yellow Submarine as a child.
pattiann March 18th, 2010 at 4:22 am
I really like your article, I would never have thought towrite something like this. Keep up the good work.