The Beatles recorded this while they were filming the promotional video for " Lady Madonna." Since they had to be in a studio while filming, Paul McCartney thought they should record a song.
They started recording this as "Hey Bullfrog," but Paul barked at the end and made John Lennon laugh. They kept in the barking and changed the title, even though there is no mention of a bulldog in the verses or chorus. "Hey Bulldog" is chanted 4 times before John and Paul's playful banter and then twice during the fade-out.
This was the first recording session John brought Yoko to.
This was the last song The Beatles recorded before leaving for a retreat in India to study meditation with the Maharishi.
John Lennon called this "a good sounding record that means nothing." Musically, it has some interesting nuances. The middle part contains an interesting example of Lennon's polyphonic technique: The piano in the background does not follow the singer. Near the end of the song, Lennon talks while accompanied by the music, which could be considered a forerunner to Rap. In the climax, Lennon starts shouting, and the others follow. They scream like mad while the guitar in the background plays the same notes again and again, as if nothing has happened. (thanks to Johan Cavalli, who is a music historian in Stockholm)
The original title was "You Can Talk To Me."
The Beatles wanted to use this in the movie Yellow Submarine, but it didn't make the cut. When the film was re-released in 1999, the scene with this was included. The soundtrack was made up of songs that had been unreleased or previously released as singles. Going with the theme of the movie, the album cover contained psychedelic cartoon likenesses of The Beatles. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)
While John and Paul are yelling and barking towards the end, Paul can clearly be heard saying, "Hey, don't look at me man, I only have ten children." (thanks, Adrian - Wilmington, DE)
The official promo film for "Lady Madonna" (studio footage) is actually the recording session for this song. (thanks, Barry Kesten - Bellmore, Washington)
This was covered by Toad The Wet Sprocket and used in the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. (thanks, Erik - Fairfield County, CT)
The British psychedelic rock band The Gods covered this in 1969 and released it unsuccessfully as a single. The Gods featured two future Uriah Heep members: Ken Hensley (guitar/vocals) and Lee Kerslake (drums).
This song was also covered by former National Hockey League player and coach Jim Schoenfeld on his 1973 album Schony, which he recorded while he played for the Buffalo Sabres. Schoenfeld was named Assistant General Manager of the New York Rangers in 2007. (thanks, Randy - Buffalo, NY)
Dave Grohl and Jeff Lynne performed this song on the CBS tribute special The Beatles: The Night That Changed America, which aired on the 50th anniversary of the group's first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Grohl introduced the song by saying: "This was not one of The Beatles greatest hits, but to me it's the quintessential Beatles rocker: Paul's rolling bassline, the trademark Ringo drum fills, George's gritty, distorted guitar, and that sound that only the back of John Lennon's throat could produce."