Hey Bulldog

When the Beatles were preparing to record the promotional video for Lady Madonna in February 1968, they decided in the studio to bring to life a half-finished idea by John Lennon. What began as "Hey Bullfrog" transformed into Hey Bulldog, a piece that stands out for its energy and a repeating piano riff throughout the song, marking its structure. This melodic foundation, played in octaves, is reinforced by the guitars and bass, creating a powerful sound that evokes the R&B rock of earlier eras, similar to Money (That's What I Want). The composition, credited to Lennon–McCartney but with primary authorship by Lennon, experiments with key changes between B major, A major, and B minor, and is described in terms of genres ranging from hard rock to psychedelic rock.

The recording of Hey Bulldog took place at EMI Studios in London, under the production of George Martin and the assistance of Geoff Emerick. What's interesting is that, while they were recording the song's foundation, a film crew was capturing the process, something not so common for the band. It was during these takes that Paul McCartney, trying to make Lennon laugh, imitated a dog's bark, which led to the definitive change of the title to Hey Bulldog. McCartney even recalled misinterpreting a line from the handwritten lyrics by Lennon, changing "measured out in news" to "measured out in you," an alteration that Lennon liked. The session culminated with several layers of sound added, including George Harrison's Gibson SG guitar and a guitar solo by Lennon. This moment of collaborative and spontaneous creation, with widespread enthusiasm, was remembered by Geoff Emerick as one of the last times the band worked with such a cohesive team dynamic.