Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
The Beatles had attempted to record ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’ on 12 October 1965, but were dissatisfied with the results. On this day they completed the song, and recorded an early attempt at John Lennon’s ‘Nowhere Man’.
There were two scheduled sessions at Abbey Road’s Studio Two. The first lasted from 2.30-7pm and was dedicated to ‘Norwegian Wood’. The Beatles recorded three takes, numbered 2-4, the last of which was deemed to be the best.
The rhythm parts were recorded onto two tracks of the four-track tape: Lennon’s Gibson Jumbo acoustic guitar and Ringo Starr’s bass drum was on the first, while Paul McCartney’s bass and George Harrison’s 12-string acoustic were on the second.
The sitar melody, played by Harrison, was recorded onto track three. The song was completed with the addition of Lennon’s lead vocals, McCartney’s harmonies, and Starr’s tambourine part.
George had just got the sitar and I said, ‘Could you play this piece?’ We went through many different sort of versions of the song, it was never right and I was getting very angry about it, it wasn’t coming out like I said. They said, ‘Just do it how you want to do it,’ and I said, ‘I just want to do it like this.’ They let me go and I did the guitar very loudly into the mike and sang it at the same time, and then George had the sitar and I asked him could he play the piece that I’d written, dee diddley dee diddley dee, that bit – and he was not sure whether he could play it yet because he hadn’t done much on the sitar but he was willing to have a go, as is his wont, and he learnt the bit and dubbed it on after. I think we did it in sections.
Lennon Remembers, Jann S Wenner
The Beatles continued recording in the day’s second session, without breaking for an evening meal. Between 7pm and midnight a rhythm track for ‘Nowhere Man’ was recorded in two takes, although the first of these was a false start.
This first version of ‘Nowhere Man’ contained just electric guitars and a harmony vocal introduction, but the recording was scrapped and the song remade the following day.
Also on this day...
- 2023: Paul McCartney live: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
- 2020: Paul McCartney announces new album McCartney III
- 2017: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Planet Hollywood Resort, Las Vegas
- 2015: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Théâtre Saint-Denis, Montreal
- 2015: Paul McCartney live: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit
- 2014: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale
- 2011: Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell hold wedding party in New York
- 2011: Julian Lennon hits out at Beatles ‘snubs’
- 2008: Beatles iPod goes on sale at Bloomingdale’s
- 2002: Paul McCartney live: ARCO Arena, Sacramento
- 1989: Paul McCartney live: Olympiahalle, Munich
- 1976: Wings live: Empire Pool, London
- 1969: John Lennon and Yoko Ono are interviewed for the BBC’s Scene And Heard
- 1964: The Beatles live: Odeon Cinema, Glasgow
- 1964: Mixing: I Feel Fine, I’ll Follow The Sun, She’s A Woman, Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby
- 1963: Mixing: I Want To Hold Your Hand, This Boy
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1960: The Beatles live: Kaiserkeller, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Elvis’s former bassist Bill Black died on this date from a brain tumour and he was only 39. Coincidentally, Paul now owns Bill’s famous double bass – yes, the actual one – and Linda gave it to him as a birthday present.