Recording: Magical Mystery Tour

Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick

In a session which began at 7pm and finished at 2am the following morning, The Beatles overdubbed a number of instruments onto the ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ song’s backing track.

Paul McCartney added a bass guitar part onto take eight of the song, recording onto the second track of the four-track tape. After this maracas, cowbell, tambourines and backing vocals by The Beatles, Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall were added to track three, and various shouts and other vocals by McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison were recorded onto the final available track.

A reduction mix was then made to free up two more tracks, allowing for further overdubs on the following day and on 3 May.