The long and winding tribute to the Beatles. Part III: from Yellow Submarine to The End (a).

In 1968 the Beatles, obliged by their UA contract to make another movie, agreed to the making of an animation movie that presented their characters. The movie's script was written by four collaborators including Eric Segal, and the animations were created by a team headed by Heinz Edelmann, while george Dunning directed it. The Beatles characters appeared to be saving Pepperland from the Blue Meanies, after an Odyssey-like trip, through the sea of time, sea of monsters, sea of Nothing, sea of holes etc. in a yellow submarine.Arriving in Pepperland they imitated Pepperland's own Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, to bring back music and color back to the devastated, gray, silent, petrified Pepperland. The Beatles got involved with the movie as little as possible. They provided some old songs including 'Yellow Submarine' and some new ones they didn't consider first class, however they were more than satisfied with the results and the reception.
The same year after a trip to India, to study transcendal meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (who was the inspiration for Lennon's song 'Sexy Sadie') the Beatles returned to England and recorded 'The Beatles', their only double lp, better known as 'the white album'. The chaotic creation of it pointed out to the inescapable arrival of the end for the group, each member recording his own songs, often without participation from the others. During the recordings, Ringo was the first to declare he was leaving the band, however he returned to find his drumkit covered in flowers by George Harrison, after the other three begged him to stay. The album included a sound collage (Revolution 9), proto-punk (Helter Skelter), ska (Obladi Oblada), Surf sound (Back in the USSR), folk and country ballads (Dear Prudence, Rocky Racoon), a lullaby (Good Night), and oldie tunes (Honey Pie), to name a few. Its cover was the exact opposite of their previous release (Sgt. Pepper's) all white, a conceptual art approach, created by yet another notable pop artist Richard Hamilton. This album sadly bears the unfortunate leagacy of inspiring Charles Manson to commit the Tate-La Bianca murders.
The album has been accused of being asymmetrical and shapeless in its approach. George Martin wished at the the time to cut it down to one lp. But as Ringo noted "yes it should have been two records, the white and the whiter album".
[continues in the long and winding tribute to the Beatles. Part III: from Yellow Submarine to the End (b)]