'YELLOW SUBMARINE' COMMENTS

Yellow Submarine, a feature length animation project, wasn't initiated by the group but that didn't stop them from taking a keen interest in how it developed. The Beatles were happy to see themselves turned into cartoon characters and they set about thinking up storylines as well as supplying four original songs. The script was put together by a team of screenwriters, one of whom was Erich Segal, author of the best-selling novel, Love Story. A psychedelic fantasy, Yellow Submarine's plot concerns a happy kingdom called Pepperland, which is taken over by the villainous Blue Meanies. The fab four ride to the rescue in a yellow submarine from Liverpool, eventually conquering the Meanies through the combined power of Love and Music.

The Yellow Submarine soundtrack, which included an orchestral side from George Martin, wasn't released until January 1968, shortly after The Beatles.

The Yellow Submarine film was released in July 1968 and was a commercial success in America, although it was never put on full release in Britain. The album, which featured other artists as well as the Beatles, reached the Number 3 spot in Britain and Number 2 in America.

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