21st February 1967 – "Fixing A Hole" Completed at EMI Studios

Studio: Two

Time: 7.00pm–12.45am

Producer: George Martin

Engineer: Geoff Emerick

On Tuesday 21st February 1967, The Beatles completed work on "Fixing A Hole" during the concentrated run of sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The basic track had originally been recorded on 9th February 1967 at Regent Sound Studios. This EMI session finalised the arrangement through overdubs, reduction mixing, and mono master preparation.

The Intended Remake

The session opened with an attempt to remake the song. One new performance was recorded and logged as Take 1, despite the earlier Regent Sound takes already existing. After reviewing the attempt, the band decided the earlier recording was satisfactory and abandoned the remake.

This explains the apparent numbering reset within EMI's documentation.

Reduction Mix & Track Allocation

The Regent Sound Take 2 multitrack was brought into EMI and subjected to a reduction mix, becoming EMI's Take 3 — even though a Take 3 had already existed under the earlier numbering system.

The reduction consolidated:

• Lead guitars and backing vocals → Track 3
• Two lead vocal parts → Track 4
• This process freed Track 2 for further recording.

Reduction mixing was standard four-track practice, allowing additional overdubs while maintaining the structure of the performance.

Additional Rhythm Overdub

Onto the newly available track, the following were recorded:

• Paul McCartney – bass guitar
• George Martin – second harpsichord part
• Ringo Starr – drums

The final master therefore contains:

• Two bass guitar parts
• Two harpsichord parts
• Two separate drum performances

This layered rhythmic architecture contributes to the track's unusually dense but controlled texture within the album.

McCartney also recorded a fresh lead vocal, replacing the earlier guide performance from the Regent Sound session.

Mono Mixing: RM2–RM6

Five mono mixes were created:

• RM2
• RM3
• RM4
• RM5
• RM6

There was no documented RM1 for this session.

The final mono master was created by editing together RM3 and RM6, with the audible edit occurring at approximately 2:06.

As was standard in early 1967, mono was the priority release format in the UK, and the band were present for these mixing decisions.

Archival Status

Session material from "Fixing A Hole" has appeared on Anthology 2 (1996) and the 2017 Sgt. Pepper Super Deluxe Edition. However, no substantially different complete performance from this specific 21st February EMI session has surfaced beyond officially released archival material.

Technical & Collector Notes

For session enthusiasts:

The second drum performance subtly reinforces midrange impact without altering tempo.

The additional bass part strengthens harmonic movement beneath the harpsichord arrangement.

The duplicated Take 3 numbering reflects the integration of Regent Sound material into EMI's internal logging system.

The RM3/RM6 composite highlights how precise mono editing shaped the definitive 1967 master.

The Photograph: Paul Arriving

The accompanying image shows Paul McCartney arriving at EMI Studios on 21st February 1967. The photograph documents his presence during the final overdub and mono mixing session for "Fixing A Hole," part of the intense February sequence that defined the construction of Sgt. Pepper.

🎵 More Sgt Pepper Sessions

Explore the complete Sgt Pepper recording story:

• 19th January 1967 – Beginning "A Day In The Life"
• 10th February 1967 – Recording the Orchestral Crescendo
• 13th February 1967 – The Making of "A Day In The Life" & "Only A Northern Song"
• 14th February 1967 – Recording "Only A Northern Song"
• 20th February 1967 – Constructing the Fairground Soundscape
• 22nd February 1967 – Marathon Session Completing "A Day In The Life"
• 23rd February 1967 – Completing "A Day In The Life" & Beginning "Lovely Rita"
• 24th February 1967 – Paul Records His Vocal on "Lovely Rita"

Shop Sgt Pepper Merchandise: Browse our Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Collection for official apparel, accessories, and collectibles.