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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
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Pierra Willix

The Beatles’ unheard session recordings from Rubber Soul set to be released

The Beatles recorded Rubber Soul in 1965 (PA) -

A special edition of The Beatles’ album Rubber Soul will feature previously unreleased session recordings and home demos.

Originally released in December 1965, the new edition will be released in October.

It is newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, with the band’s media agency describing how it “presents the album in stunning new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes, alongside the original mono mix, the original Capitol US Album version, and expanded with previously unreleased session recordings and home demos”.

The album also features the contemporary double A-side single, Day Tripper/ We Can Work It Out.

A special edition of The Beatles’ album Rubber Soul is being released (Apple Corps)
A special edition of The Beatles’ album Rubber Soul is being released (Apple Corps)

Rubber Soul has been credited by the band’s media agency as “marking a pivotal moment in The Beatles’ evolution”.

It said: “Arriving at the end of a remarkable year that saw John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reach artistic and commercial heights, the album revealed a band pushing beyond the conventions of pop music and embracing a more adventurous approach to song writing and recording.”

Recorded over four weeks during October and November 1965 following the band’s record-breaking concert to more than 55,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York, Rubber Soul has been billed as “capturing The Beatles at a creative crossroads”.

It features songs including Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), Nowhere Man, Michelle, Girl and In My Life.

The album also came at a time when the band had time away from concert, radio or film commitments, which their agency said allowed their “music, ideas and unbridled creative ambitions began to truly flourish”.

All of the new Rubber Soul formats feature the album’s new stereo mix, sourced directly from the original four-track master tapes.

The album has been credited with ‘marking a pivotal moment in The Beatles’ evolution’ (Apple Corps)
The album has been credited with ‘marking a pivotal moment in The Beatles’ evolution’ (Apple Corps)

The reissue also brings together all 14 new stereo mixes for the first time.

Across the Super Deluxe collections, fans can hear 24 early session recordings, including 20 previously unreleased takes and three previously unreleased home demos including Little Girl, a previously unheard John Lennon song outline never before released.

The collections also include the original mono album, the original Capitol US album version and the 1965 double A-side single, while the 2CD and 2LP Deluxe features a curated selection of session highlights, demos and the single.

The 4CD and 5LP Super Deluxe editions are accompanied by an 88-page hardbound book featuring a new written introduction by Paul McCartney, and a foreword compiled from John Lennon’s own words.

The agency added: “The two pieces offer a unique perspective on the making and enduring impact of the album, alongside rare photographs, in-depth album background and track notes.”

Rubber Soul will be available in standard 1CD and 1LP editions, 2CD and 2LP Deluxe, and 4CD and 5LP Super Deluxe editions, as well as Blu-ray, alongside limited-edition orange vinyl and D2C exclusive Zoetrope vinyl editions.

Special editions of their other albums have previously been released (PA) (PA Archive)
Special editions of their other albums have previously been released (PA) (PA Archive)

The Beatles have previously shared special editions of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club, The White Album, Abbey Road, Let It Be and Revolver.

The band formed in 1960s and was made up of John Lennon, Sir Paul, George Harrison and Sir Ringo.

They went on to become the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of more than 600 million units worldwide and hold the record for the most singles sold in the UK with 21.9 million.

The group won eight Grammys, four Brits, an Academy Award and 15 Ivor Novello Awards – and are known for their songs Yesterday, Hey Jude and Get Back.

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