Paul, George and Ringo attend a press screening of “Yellow Submarine”

Hooter to hooter, Ringo and the dreaded Blue Meanie

THEY came face to face yesterday, the Goodie and the Baddie. Eyeball to eyeball. Hooter to hooter.
The one on the left is a Blue Meanie — a Baddie. The one on the right is called Ringo Starr and he’s a Beatle and a Goodie.

Actually, all was peaceful when they met in Knightsbridge, London. Their previous meeting was a bit different, though. A whole crowd of Blue Meanies attacked Ringo and his pals and they all had to escape in a yellow submarine. It all happens in a movie, of course. Called “The Yellow Submarine.”

And it was at the cartoon film’s preview that Ringo bumped into this mock-up of one of its villains. Well, it couldn’t have been a real meanie of a Blue Meanie. Not with that smile.

From The Daily Mirror – July 9, 1968

BLUE MEANIE BATTLE

John, Paul, George and Ringo will soon be pitted against the Apple Bonkers, the Butterfly Stompers and the Hidden Persuader Man in an effort to save the kingdom of Pepperland. And that’s not all: with Old Fred, a portly gentleman dressed in a Carnaby Street naval uniform, the Beatles must pass through eight seas before they come to grips with the Blue Meanies, creatures with long cars, hairy bodies, cruel claws, and dark glasses.

All this action is a part of the plot of The Yellow Submarine, a full-length cartoon film featuring the Beatles, to be completed and released in theatres sometime after May. With a budget of one million dollars, King Features Syndicate, which long ago acquired the rights to cartoon animation of Beatles songs and characters, is near the end of a film that promises to be far superior and far more successful than Magical Mystery Tour.

The Beatles were skeptical about the project at first King Features had been doing a weekly series of inane “Beatletoons” — but have since seen it as a major artistic effort about them, and have lent their own voices for the characters and have written four new songs for the film. (The songs, “You Know the Name, Look Up the Number,” “All Too Much,” “Altogether Now,” and “Northern Song,” have already been recorded but will not be released until shortly before the film.)

“They were worried about being the stars of a film in which they didn’t even appear,” said Joan Coates, one of the three directors of the British company making the film. “But when they started visiting the studios and saw for themselves the animated figures, they were delighted. Now they are following developments closely.” —Continued on Page 4

From Rolling Stone #9, April 27, 1968

YES, I STILL MEDITATE SAYS GEORGE

WITH three Beatles available for instant chatter (John didn’t turn up) after the press showing of “Yellow Submarine” I had to choose between flitting about from one to the other in search of brilliant conversation, or concentrating on one. I stayed with Mr. Harrison.

He looked younger, the reporters were saying, because he’d shaved off his moustache. “Yes, well, if I cut me hurr as well I’ll look even younger. Might be able to join the Small Faces,” said George.

Did he still meditate? “Yes.” Any contact with the Maharishi? “No.” (Said in a manner that subtly discouraged further probing). Did George retain his affection for India? “Yes, very much so. There’s a lot of suffering and poverty but there’s so much beauty and the people are very pleasant.”

Then had he thought of trying to do something for the country? “Well what? I’d be very interested if you could tell me how it could be done. It’s a huge country, full of political problems, and as far as I can see the Indians will have to straighten it out for themselves.”

I observed that The Beatles had already done a great deal for India by making the West more conscious of Indian art, by helping Indian tourism and by giving the people some sense of pride that the world’s most famous entertainers admired and drew from Indian music — notably, of course, in George’s own superb “Within You Without You” on the Sgt. Pepper LP. “Yes, I felt that was well worth doing,” said George. “There are so many people who don’t understand the sentiments of ‘Within You Without You’. They can’t see outside themselves, thy’re too self-important and can’t see how small we all are.”

The dreaded subject of work was brought up. “Oh, we still work, only it’s a different kind of work. We used to travel about getting in and out of transport, hanging around airports. Now, it’s office work.”

Office hours? “Er, not ten to six exactly but we spend a lot of our time behind desks. It’s a pity, in a way, I’d just as soon concentrate on being a musician but we have to take care of business. And I do things because I like doing them. There’s satisfaction to be had from trying to do a job as well as you can. That’s the trouble today, too few workers get any pleasure from their work. But say you’re a car mechanic — you can really dig that work if you want to.”

It is — I suggested — a good deal easier to take this lofty, cheerful view when you’re rich. George didn’t think money made much difference. A reporter pointed out that most people have no choice, they are FORCED to work, for money, at jobs they hate — so money does make a difference.

At which George became thoughtful and, instead of bluffing and arguing madly away (which is the common tendency), he quietly agreed. It wasn’t until the subject of luck was brought up that he regained his confidence: “There’s no such thing as luck — it’s all cause and effect.”

As George developed this familiar yoga theory I sneaked over to eavesdrop on what Paul was holding forth about. He was saying that pop music, like film cartoons, had not been treated seriously in the past because their idioms were unfamiliar to “serious” critics. “But that’s all changing and I have no doubt that in fifty years’ time they’ll be talking about those 19th — or is it 20th — Century composers Lennon and McCartney. They’ll be analysing our work. It’s inevitable.” DAVID GRIFFITHS

From Record Mirror – July 27, 1968