The Beatles have released an unheard early recording of “Day Tripper”, giving fans a rare glimpse of John Lennon and Paul McCartney developing the song at Lennon’s Kenwood home before it became one of the band’s best-known tracks. The “Day Tripper (Songwriting Work Tape)” arrives ahead of the expanded Rubber Soul special edition, due on 2 October 2026.
Recorded during the Rubber Soul era, the work tape captures Lennon and McCartney experimenting with the song before its famous guitar riff had been written. Rather than the finished, tightly arranged single, the recording finds the pair trying out ideas, adapting material from an older folk song Lennon had been working on and working through lyrics together.
The Beatles before “Day Tripper” was finished
The recording offers a particularly candid view of Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting partnership.
The two musicians can be heard testing lines, laughing and teasing each other as they gradually work towards the song that would become “Day Tripper”. Lennon also comments on the recording levels, reinforcing how informal the session was compared with the studio recording that followed.
At this stage, the song was still taking shape. The familiar riff that would define “Day Tripper” had not yet emerged, making the work tape an unusual document of the songwriting process behind one of the Beatles’ most recognisable songs.
The finished track was recorded at EMI Studios in London during sessions for Rubber Soul. The Beatles completed the recording in an intensive eight-hour session before releasing it as part of a double A-side single with “We Can Work It Out” in December 1965.
“Day Tripper” was not included on the original UK edition of Rubber Soul, although both songs were recorded during the album’s sessions.
The “Rubber Soul” special edition goes deeper into the sessions
The newly released work tape is part of the build-up to the Rubber Soul Special Edition, which arrives on 2 October 2026.
The expanded release includes 24 early session recordings, 20 previously unheard takes and three home demos, alongside new and original mixes.
It follows the recent release of “Michelle (Take 1)”, another early recording that gives listeners access to the Beatles’ creative process before the finished album versions emerged.
The additional recordings offer a different perspective on Rubber Soul, an album that marked an important shift in the band’s songwriting, recording techniques and musical influences.
UMG expands its Beatles partnership with Apple Corps
The release comes as Universal Music Group and Apple Corps continue to expand their long-term relationship around the Beatles’ catalogue and brand.
Under the latest agreement, UMG will oversee global Beatles merchandise, licensing and e-commerce.
UMG chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge described the Beatles as:
“one of the most iconic and enduring cultural brands of all time”
The partnership is expected to expand the ways fans can engage with the band’s music and wider catalogue internationally.
The Beatles’ legacy continues to grow
Interest in The Beatles remains strong more than five decades after the band’s split.
For Global Beatles Day, Apple Corps colourised and uploaded the Beatles’ 1967 performance of “All You Need Is Love” to YouTube for the first time, giving a new audience access to the historic broadcast.
The Beatles’ legacy is also being developed through new physical and immersive experiences. A Beatles fan experience is scheduled to open at 3 Savile Row in London in 2027, while director Sam Mendes’ planned four-film Beatles project is scheduled to arrive in 2028.
