April 1966

Recording, mixing: Eleanor Rigby, I'm Only Sleeping

Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick In a session that began at 5pm and finished at 1am the following morning, The Beatles worked on two songs for Revolver: Eleanor Rigby and I'm Only Sleeping.

Recording: Eleanor Rigby

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The first session for Paul McCartney's most famous and best-loved songs, Eleanor Rigby, took place on this day, with the recording of the string octet backing.

Recording, mixing: Taxman, And Your Bird Can Sing, Tomorrow Never Knows, I'm Only Sleeping

Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick Eleven mono mixes of songs recorded for Revolver were made on this day, although none were used on the album. The Beatles also recorded the backing track of John Lennon's song I'm Only Sleeping.

Recording: And Your Bird Can Sing

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The Beatles returned to John Lennon's And Your Bird Can Sing on this day, following initial attempts on 20 April.

Mixing: Got To Get You Into My Life

Room 65, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Engineer: Peter Vince This hour-long session saw two mono mixes made of Got To Get You Into My Life, which The Beatles had recorded on 8 and 11 April 1966.

Recording: Taxman, Tomorrow Never Knows

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick Work continued on two Revolver songs on this day: Taxman and Tomorrow Never Knows.

Recording: Taxman

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick Although they had recorded four takes of the song on the previous day, The Beatles started work afresh on George Harrison's Taxman, the song which opened Revolver.

Recording, mixing: And Your Bird Can Sing, Taxman

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick A 12-hour session took place on this day, during which The Beatles worked on two songs for Revolver, although the recordings of both were later scrapped. Work began at 2.30 in the afternoon, and finished at 2.30am the following morning.

Recording, mixing: Doctor Robert

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The Beatles had recorded the backing track for Doctor Robert on 17 April 1966. Two days later they completed the song, in a session lasting from 2.30pm to midnight.

Lennon and Harrison watch The Lovin' Spoonful in London

There was no recording session scheduled for 18 April 1966, so John Lennon and George Harrison went to the Marquee Club in London, where they saw The Lovin' Spoonful perform.

Recording: Doctor Robert

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The third song for Revolver written about drug-taking, following Tomorrow Never Knows and Got To Get You Into My Life, the backing track for Doctor Robert was recorded on this day.

Recording, mixing: Rain

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The Beatles finished recording Rain, the b-side for their next single Paperback Writer, during an 11-hour session on this day.

Recording, mixing: Paperback Writer, Rain

Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The Beatles had begun recording their next single, Paperback Writer, on the previous day. It was completed during this session, as was the backing track of its b-side, Rain.

Recording, mixing: Love You To, Paperback Writer

Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The Beatles completed George Harrison's Indian-flavoured Love You To on this day, before beginning work on their next single, Paperback Writer.

Recording, mixing: Got To Get You Into My Life, Love You To

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The Beatles returned after the weekend to continue recording Got To Get You Into My Life, the rhythm track of which had been completed on 8 April 1966. They also began work on George Harrison's Indian-flavoured Love You To.

Recording: Got To Get You Into My Life

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The first Revolver session in Abbey Road's Studio Two saw the completion of the rhythm track of Paul McCartney's Got To Get You Into My Life.

Recording: Tomorrow Never Knows, Got To Get You Into My Life

Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The second day of recording for The Beatles' Revolver saw a continuation of work on Tomorrow Never Knows, and an early version of Paul McCartney's Got To Get You Into My Life.

Recording: Tomorrow Never Knows

Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Geoff Emerick The first session for The Beatles' Revolver took place on this day, with three takes of John Lennon's remarkable Tomorrow Never Knows.

John Lennon buys Timothy Leary's The Psychedelic Experience

John Lennon and Paul McCartney visited Indica Books & Gallery, which had opened in March 1966 at 6 Masons Yard, London. Lennon was looking for a copy of The Portable Nietzsche, but emerged with something quite different.