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Film: The Beatles Yellow Submarine
Album: Relics
Format: NTSC/PAL DVD & Blu-ray
Discovered By: Andrew C. Wendland
Set Up: Begin the album after the United Artists logo fades out and as the introductory text "Once upon a time..." fades in.

Length of sync: 1 Hour 30 minutes (Put album on repeat to cover movie length). 

Notes: There are a few different cuts of the movie. The original UK cut of the film with the Hey Bulldog scene was used for the sync. The original American cut of the film with the Hey Bulldog scene omitted must not be used.

Connections

  • The album cover shows the sketch of a  strange contraption drawn in a very similar style to that of the film.
  • Several of the parts to this contraption look very similar to parts on the Yellow Submarine, in fact the whole contraption looks quite like a ship.
  • The large sculpture of the words "RELICS PINK FLOYD" in the background resemble some of the large sculptures of words that fill Pepperland.
  • Track 10, "Biding My Time", the only song which is exclusive to this album sounds a lot like a Sgt. Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour era Beatles song. It sounds a bit like a cross between "Fixing A Hole", "Penny Lane" and "When I'm Sixty Four". Fans have often said that Roger Water's performance in the song is very similar to Paul McCartney's vocals.
     
  • The Beatles were a major influence on Pink Floyd (like most of us). Pink Floyd were lucky enough to meet The Beatles during the recording of "Lovely Rita" for the Sgt. Pepper album. John Lennon was also present at Pink Floyd's performance for the film "Tonite Lets All Make Love in London" (which would be later released with the 2005 CD/DVD set of "Pink Floyd: London '66-'67").

Lyrical/Musical Connections

Arnold Layne

  • Psychedelic atmosphere straight away suits the opening shots of Pepperland.
     

  • "Takes two to know, two to know..." - two people are seen playing piano together.
     

  • "Two to know..." - Captain Fred picks flowers, with a colorful sculpture of the word "KNOW" displayed in the background.
     

  • "Two to know..." - two children are seen dancing together.
     

  • Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is seen playing during the organ solo.
     

  • "...a nasty sort of person" - as our main antagonist, The Chief Blue Meanie enters.
     

  • "He hates it!" - as Chief Blue Meanie scolds fellow blue meanie Max for saying the word Yes.
     

  • Music builds up as the Blue Meanies prepare for attack.

Interstellar Overdrive

  • The song opens up with its sinister-sounding bass riff as the Meanies open fire on Pepperland.
     

  • Guitar lines become more frantic and scattered-sounding as the Blue Meanie jumps around maniacally and erratically.
     

  • The song becomes more and more chaotic sounding as the Blue Meanies' attack continues on.
     

  • Guitar makes a "be-BEEP!" sound just as Max pushes in one of the landmine-triggering-evil-clowns' noses.
     

  • Sound of guitars being plucked rather than strummed as Captain Fred starts plucking at one of the string quartet's violins.
     

  • Delayed guitar trill sound effect as the Lord Mayor gets covered in the Apple Bonkers' apples.

See Emily Play

  • "...in sorrow.." - as Ringo walks sorrowfully down the street.
     

  • "Put on a gown that touches the ground.." - as Ringo approaches a nearby policeman, who is wearing a rather long uniform.
     

  • "You'll lose your mind" - as Ringo thinks he's going crazy, seeing a yellow submarine following him around.

Remember a Day

  • Drums' rhythm match Ringo going down the stairs in his car.
     

  • "Sing a song that can't be sung.." - is a reference to a line in the Beatles song "All You Need Is Love", which appears in this film.
     

  • "Look for your king..." - as Ringo and Captain Fred begin looking for the other three Beatles.
     

  • Strange, echoey noises as Ringo awakens Frankenstein, who turns back into John.

    "Blow away, blow away.." - as George stands atop a hill, his hair blowing in the wind.
     

  • Guitar noises which sound quite like the squealing of a guitar's brakes as George drives back and forth in Ringo's car.
     

Paintbox

  • "But feeling rather empty..." - long shot of the now empty hallway.
     

  • "They're in the scene, or should have been" - as The three Beatles open up one of the several bizarre doors in their house to reveal a scene closely resembling the movie King Kong, with a woman being snatched away from her bed by a giant monkey.
     

  • "I open the door to an empty room" - as John opens up a door, appearing to lead to an ordinary room, but soon a train comes out of nowhere and he quickly shuts the door.
     

  • "Out of the front door I go." - as The Beatles and Captain Fred take off in the submarine.
     

  • "To an empty room..." - zooms out to reveal the empty, vast submarine.

Julia Dream

  • This is the point in the movie where The Beatles begin their travels though the seas... a.k.a. the point where it gets really trippy. So it's only fitting that the psychedelic "Julia Dream" should score this scene.
     

  • "Wind his branches 'round" - as George pantomimes winding a crank.

Careful With That Axe, Eugene

  • A relatively consistent instrumental, but the visuals often seem to move in rhythm with the music.

Cirrus Minor

  • "On a trip to Cirrus Minor..." - as Ringo mans the controls to the submarine.
     

  • Psychedelic lyrics complement the variety of odd creatures that the Beatles encounter in the Sea of Monsters.

The Nile Song

  • Loud, heavy nature of the song matches with Ringo running amok around the Sea of Monsters on an out-of-control creature's back.

Biding My Time

  • The song starts as The Beatles arrive in the Sea of Nowhere.
     

  • "Wasting my time.." - as Jeremy, the Nowhere Man sits typing at his typewriter.
     

  • "I'll spend my time..." - as Jeremy briefly grows bunny ears and produces a pocket watch from nowhere (a la the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland).
     

  • John, Paul, and George start to air-guitar while they walk as the guitar solo begins.

Bike

  • "I've got a bike, you can ride it if you'd like" - as Ringo invites Jeremy on board the submarine.
     

  • Slow cartoonish slide-whistle sound as the Yellow Submarine flies away uncontrollably.
     

  • The sounds at the end of the song are actually very similar to the ones the large mechanical heads in the Foothills of the Headlands make.

Second Play-through

Arnold Layne

  • The song starts as soon as it cuts to ladies dancing.
     

  • "Distorted view" - showing the lady or Lucy riding a horse as her colours go all over the place.
     

  • "Baby blue" - John puts on a blue hat which gives him a blue suit.
     

  • "two to know" - these words are repeated as John and Lucy dance with each other.
     

  • "..to know" - Jeremy tells The Beatles that the dust they find is pepper.

Interstellar Overdrive

  • With a similar effect to the first time around, but this time showing The Beatles and Jeremy in the Sea of Holes, as they wonder how to find the Sea of Green.
     

  • The song starts to calm as The Beatles transport from the Sea of Green to Pepperland.
     

  • A guitar effect is heard when the Glove flies over the people of Pepperland, emulating the sound it makes in the film.
     

  • The fast drumming plays as a Blue Meanie shoots at The Beatles.
     

  • The song starts to fade out as oddly enough George says to Ringo "Keep the noise down".

See Emily Play

  • "...hardly a sound 'till tomorrow" - Which perfectly describes the very scene it plays at. The Beatles keep quiet until morning.
     

  • "...other day" - as the colours of the sunrise show though the window.
     

  • "See..." - Paul looks out the window to see The Blue Meanies sleeping.
     

  • The high pitched guitar emulating the clown's alarm.

Remember a Day

  • "be it if you wish" - Ringo suggests to John that he should count to three to begin the song, then John agrees to it.
     

Paintbox

  • "Sitting in a club with so many fools" - The Chief Blue Meanie sitting with a smaller Blue Meanie.
     

  • "I can't think of what to say" - The Chief Blue Meanie laughs at sending the Glove.
     

Julia Dream

  • "Will the following footsteps catch me?" - The Blue Meanie army run away as the citizens of Pepperland march with The Beatles.
     

Careful with That Axe, Eugene

  • A symbol is heard as Ringo and Pepper Ringo play a symbol.
     

  • While the song is an instrumental, it plays perfectly throughout the whole Hey Bulldog sequence. Giving it a dreamy, eerie psychedelic feel to the scene.

Cirrus Minor

  • "Laughing in the grasses and the graze" - Jeremy summons flowers to appear on The Chief Blue Meanie and laughs happily as he does.
     

  • "Waving to the river daughters" - John calling and waving to The Chief and Max.
     

  • The calming space like organ play throughout the famous "It's All too Much" scene, even playing as the organ is heard in the movies audio. What makes this sync particularly amazing is that the music helps illustrate not only the movies psychedelic visuals, but the movies narrative too. Showing that there is peace in Pepperland once again.
     

The Nile Song

  • The song plays as it transitions form the animation to the live action footage of The Beatles themselves.
     

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