The Story Behind “Hey Bulldog” by The Beatles and How It Became Their Final Collaborative Effort.
Apple Corps Limited released *Yellow Submarine* in the UK on July 17, 1968. After the success of their first two films, *A Hard Day’s Night* and *Help!*, the Beatles faced their first setback with *Magical Mystery Tour*. Broadcast on BBC1 on December 26, 1967, it was filmed in color but aired in black and white. While the band initially blamed this for the poor reception, the film had other shortcomings, making it the first Beatles project to be deemed a critical failure.
The initial press release for *Yellow Submarine* promised an animated feature with The Beatles voicing their own characters. However, other actors ultimately provided the voices for the Fab Four, except for a brief cameo by the band at the film’s conclusion. The Beatles contributed four new songs to the soundtrack, along with some of their older tracks. One of these new songs was “Hey Bulldog”—let’s explore the story behind it.
