"Hey Bulldog" (Lennon – January 13, 1969)
Yellow Submarine – Side One, Track 4 (3:11)
YouTube (Ringo Starr live)
From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone and About.com –
"Hey Bulldog" is a song by the Beatles which first appeared on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack album in 1969. Written primarily by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney), and finished in the studio by Lennon and McCartney, the song was recorded during the filming of the "Lady Madonna" promotional video, and like "Lady Madonna" is one of the few Beatles' songs to revolve around a piano riff.
Overview –
A few days before the recording session, Paul McCartney had played drums on a Paul Jones rocker called "The Dog Presides," which had featured barking sound effects. During the recording, McCartney started to bark without warning. The next lines, initially written as "Hey bullfrog" by Lennon, were changed mid-song to "Hey bulldog", which would become the song's title.
Geoff Emerick, the Beatles' engineer, would subsequently claim this was the last song the band recorded that featured a team dynamic with enthusiasm from every member. He also praised the performance in his book Here, There, Everywhere, saying "Paul's bass line was probably the most inventive of any he'd done since Pepper, and it was really well played. Harrison's solo was sparkling, too--one of the few times that he nailed it right away. His amp was turned up really loud, and he used one of his new fuzz boxes, which made his guitar absolutely scream." When the group reconvened in the studio in May 1968 for the The Beatles sessions, their group cohesion had already been undermined by the business, artistic, and personal differences that would culminate in their eventual break-up.
During these sessions, a film crew photographed the Beatles recording the song. It was one of the few times they allowed themselves to be extensively filmed while recording at EMI's Abbey Road studios, for a promotional film to be released during their scheduled four-month retreat to India (which was later edited together as a promotional film for the single "Lady Madonna").
The song was used in a segment of the animated film Yellow Submarine. Initially it appeared only in some European theatrical prints. It was cut from the American version by the movie's producer Al Brodax as he and the group felt the film was too long. It was restored for the film's 1999 re-release. To promote the reissue, Apple went back to the original footage shot for the "Lady Madonna" promo film and restructured it for use as a promotional clip for "Hey Bulldog" (as it is possible to identify what they were playing, and therefore possible to synchronise the music with the original footage).
The guitar riff from "Hey Bulldog" was included in the 2006 album Love in its version of "Lady Madonna", but in a different key (from the key of B minor to A major). Some of Lennon and McCartney laughing was featured in the "Blue Jay Way" transitional piece.
Geoff Emerick, the Beatles' engineer, would subsequently claim this was the last song the band recorded that featured a team dynamic with enthusiasm from every member. He also praised the performance in his book Here, There, Everywhere, saying "Paul's bass line was probably the most inventive of any he'd done since Pepper, and it was really well played. Harrison's solo was sparkling, too--one of the few times that he nailed it right away. His amp was turned up really loud, and he used one of his new fuzz boxes, which made his guitar absolutely scream." When the group reconvened in the studio in May 1968 for the The Beatles sessions, their group cohesion had already been undermined by the business, artistic, and personal differences that would culminate in their eventual break-up.
During these sessions, a film crew photographed the Beatles recording the song. It was one of the few times they allowed themselves to be extensively filmed while recording at EMI's Abbey Road studios, for a promotional film to be released during their scheduled four-month retreat to India (which was later edited together as a promotional film for the single "Lady Madonna").
The song was used in a segment of the animated film Yellow Submarine. Initially it appeared only in some European theatrical prints. It was cut from the American version by the movie's producer Al Brodax as he and the group felt the film was too long. It was restored for the film's 1999 re-release. To promote the reissue, Apple went back to the original footage shot for the "Lady Madonna" promo film and restructured it for use as a promotional clip for "Hey Bulldog" (as it is possible to identify what they were playing, and therefore possible to synchronise the music with the original footage).
The guitar riff from "Hey Bulldog" was included in the 2006 album Love in its version of "Lady Madonna", but in a different key (from the key of B minor to A major). Some of Lennon and McCartney laughing was featured in the "Blue Jay Way" transitional piece.
As the writing progressed, John's original "James Bond"-style chorus progression was attached to a few nonsensical verses, an intro lick made up on the spot by John at the piano, and an improvised, nearly hysterical vocal improv by the pair on the outro. Despite its hasty assemblage, it remains one of the Beatles' highest-regarded songs, particularly by those who prefer their "rock" leanings. Since another song was needed for the band's upcoming Yellow Submarine soundtrack, "Hey Bulldog" was given the nod.
McCartney spoke fondly of "Hey Bulldog" in 1994: "I remember (it) as being one of John's songs and I helped him finish it off in the studio, but it's mainly his vibe. There's a little rap at the end between John and I, we went into a crazy little thing at the end. We always tried to make every song different because we figured, 'Why write something like the last one? We've done that.' We were on a ladder so there was never any sense of stepping down a rung, or even staying on the same rung, it was better to move one rung ahead".
McCartney spoke fondly of "Hey Bulldog" in 1994: "I remember (it) as being one of John's songs and I helped him finish it off in the studio, but it's mainly his vibe. There's a little rap at the end between John and I, we went into a crazy little thing at the end. We always tried to make every song different because we figured, 'Why write something like the last one? We've done that.' We were on a ladder so there was never any sense of stepping down a rung, or even staying on the same rung, it was better to move one rung ahead".
This session was historic in that it marked the first time Yoko Ono would visit a Beatles session; her remark to John about the simplicity of the 4/4 rock beat -- "Why do you always use that beat all the time... why don't you do something more complex?" -- led Lennon to begin experimenting with mixed meter on Beatles recordings.
Because of John's increasing estrangement from the group in 1968 and 1969, this is the last Beatles song to be written and recorded with the entire group in the studio at once.
Later releases –
New stereo mixes of the song were made for the Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999) and Love (2006) albums.
A previously unreleased 1968 mono mix was included in the Mono Masters compilation as part of the 2009 box set The Beatles in Mono. (While the original soundtrack album had also been issued in mono, the version of "Hey Bulldog" used was a "fold-down" mix created by electronically combining the two channels of the stereo version, rather than a true mono mix.)
Recording –
Because of John's increasing estrangement from the group in 1968 and 1969, this is the last Beatles song to be written and recorded with the entire group in the studio at once.
Later releases –
New stereo mixes of the song were made for the Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999) and Love (2006) albums.
A previously unreleased 1968 mono mix was included in the Mono Masters compilation as part of the 2009 box set The Beatles in Mono. (While the original soundtrack album had also been issued in mono, the version of "Hey Bulldog" used was a "fold-down" mix created by electronically combining the two channels of the stereo version, rather than a true mono mix.)
Recording –
Takes: 10
Personnel
John Lennon – Double-tracked vocal, piano, rhythm guitar, talking
Paul McCartney – Harmony vocal, bass, fuzz bass, tambourine, barks
George Harrison – Lead guitar
Ringo Starr – Drums, spoken vocal
George Harrison – Lead guitar
Ringo Starr – Drums, spoken vocal
Trivia –
That's Ringo responding "Yeah?" when John sings "Big man..." in Verse 3, identified by the drums and their place in the mix.
Ironically, the animated sequence featuring the song was cut from the original film for time, especially since it added nothing to the plot. However, the scene was restored in 1999 when the Yellow Submarine film was re-mastered and re-released, and it has since found a whole new popularity it lacked in the group's heyday. ("Hey Bulldog" was originally buried in the middle of side 1 of the YS soundtrack, surrounded by three rather lackluster new songs and a whole side of George Martin instrumentals; as a consequence, many Beatles fans never owned it.)
When longtime Beatles associate Neil Aspinall went through tons of Beatles footage for the Anthology documentary, he found the original "Lady Madonna" promo video, and realizing "Hey Bulldog" was the song actually being played in the clips, restored it to the song. As a result, fans can now see the group recording "Bulldog" more or less as it happened.
The original stereo mix of this song was completely overhauled for the 1999 "songtrack" version of YS, including a fade that lasted three seconds longer than the original. The original mono mix was simply a stereo mix funneled into one channel, but a true mono mix was made in 2009 for the Beatles box set The Beatles In Mono.
Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) January 19 –
1932 – Richard Lester is born in Philadelphia.
1963 – Transmission of performance in "Thank Your Lucky Stars" (recorded 13 January 1963)
1964 – Performances at the Olympia, Paris. Recorded by French radio.
1965 – Brian flies to New York to negotiate dates and details for the next Beatles North American tour and for promotional visits of Cilla Black and Gerry and the Pacemakers.
1966 – "We Can Work It Out", 7th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). – Rubber Soul number 1, 7th week (UK New Musical Express chart).
1967 – Studio 2. 7.30pm-2.30am. Recording: "In The Life Of..." (working title of "A Day In The Life") (takes 1-4). Producer, George Martin; Engineer, Geoff Emerick; 2nd Engineer, Phil McDonald.
– Recording of rhythm track, John's vocal and clock alarm for "A Day In The Life".
1963 – Transmission of performance in "Thank Your Lucky Stars" (recorded 13 January 1963)
1964 – Performances at the Olympia, Paris. Recorded by French radio.
1965 – Brian flies to New York to negotiate dates and details for the next Beatles North American tour and for promotional visits of Cilla Black and Gerry and the Pacemakers.
1966 – "We Can Work It Out", 7th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart). – Rubber Soul number 1, 7th week (UK New Musical Express chart).
1967 – Studio 2. 7.30pm-2.30am. Recording: "In The Life Of..." (working title of "A Day In The Life") (takes 1-4). Producer, George Martin; Engineer, Geoff Emerick; 2nd Engineer, Phil McDonald.
– Recording of rhythm track, John's vocal and clock alarm for "A Day In The Life".
1971 – End of trial after Paul's action.
1990 – Paul's concert in Wembley (“Get Back Tour”).
1994 – Evening: ceremony in New York; John is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. Yoko, Sean and Paul attend.
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