Recording and Mixing: Got To Get You Into My Life – 18 May 1966

Q: What happened at the 18 May 1966 Abbey Road session?

A 12-hour session overdubbing a five-piece brass section onto 'Got To Get You Into My Life', followed by reduction mixes, new McCartney vocals, and two mono mixes.

Q: When was Got To Get You Into My Life released as a single?

1976 in both the UK (double A-side with 'Helter Skelter') and the US (reaching number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100).

May 17, 2026

Recording and Mixing: Got To Get You Into My Life – 18 May 1966

Wednesday 18 May 1966 | Revolver, Studio
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Producer: George Martin | Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Session: 2.30pm – 2.30am (12 hours)

On 18 May 1966, The Beatles devoted a full 12-hour session at Studio Two, Abbey Road, to overdubs and mixing for Paul McCartney's 'Got To Get You Into My Life'. The session added a five-piece brass section to the rhythm track recorded on 8 April, then reduced and rebuilt the track before McCartney added new lead vocals. The song would not be fully complete until George Harrison added a guitar solo on 17 June.

The Brass Section

The rhythm track for 'Got To Get You Into My Life' had been recorded on 8 April 1966. In the weeks between that session and 18 May, McCartney had decided to add a brass section to give the song the soul and jazz feel he was after. The five musicians brought in were:

Eddie Thornton — trumpet
Ian Hamer — trumpet
Les Condon — trumpet
Alan Branscombe — tenor saxophone
Peter Coe — tenor saxophone

Tenor saxophonist Peter Coe gave a detailed account of the session in Mark Lewisohn's The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions:

"The Beatles wanted a definite jazz feel. Paul and George Martin were in charge. There was nothing written down but Paul sat at the piano and showed us what he wanted and we played with the rhythm track in our headphones. I remember that we tried it a few times to get the feel right, and then John Lennon, who was in the control room, suddenly rushed out, stuck his thumb aloft and shouted, 'Got it!' George Harrison got a little bit involved too but Ringo sat playing draughts in the corner."

— Peter Coe, quoted in The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn

Reduction Mixes and New Vocals

With the brass overdub complete, three reduction mixes were made to create more space on the four-track tape. The previously-recorded vocals were judged to be no longer needed and were omitted, leaving only bass guitar, drums, and brass on the reduced track. McCartney then added new lead vocals, accompanied by tambourine and organ. The fourth track was filled with a second lead vocal and an electric guitar part.

At the end of the session two mono mixes were created. The track was not yet finished: George Harrison would add a guitar solo onto the first vocal track on 17 June 1966, necessitating further mono mixes.

The Song

'Got To Get You Into My Life' was written by Paul McCartney and credited, as always, to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney later revealed that the song was not, as it might appear, a love song to a person — it was a celebration of marijuana, which he had first tried in 1964. The brass arrangement gives it the feel of a Stax or Motown soul record, and it remains one of the most commercially accessible tracks on Revolver.

The song was released on Revolver on 5 August 1966. It was not released as a single in the UK until 1976, when it appeared as a double A-side with 'Helter Skelter' to coincide with the Rock 'n' Roll Music compilation. In the US it was released as a single in 1976 and reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.

Key Facts: 18 May 1966

Studio: Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Session: 2.30pm – 2.30am (12 hours)
Rhythm track recorded: 8 April 1966
Brass section: Eddie Thornton, Ian Hamer, Les Condon (trumpets); Alan Branscombe, Peter Coe (tenor saxophones)
Reduction mixes: Three, to create space on four-track tape
New overdubs: Lead vocals, tambourine, organ, second lead vocal, electric guitar
Mono mixes created: Two
Guitar solo added: 17 June 1966 (George Harrison)
Released on: Revolver, 5 August 1966
UK single release: 1976 (double A-side with 'Helter Skelter')
US single peak: Number 7, Billboard Hot 100 (1976)

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened at the 18 May 1966 Abbey Road session?

A 12-hour session devoted to overdubbing a five-piece brass section onto 'Got To Get You Into My Life', followed by reduction mixes, new lead vocals from McCartney, and two mono mixes. George Harrison's guitar solo was added later, on 17 June.

Who played brass on Got To Get You Into My Life?

Eddie Thornton, Ian Hamer, and Les Condon on trumpet; Alan Branscombe and Peter Coe on tenor saxophone.

What did Peter Coe say about the session?

"The Beatles wanted a definite jazz feel. Paul and George Martin were in charge. There was nothing written down but Paul sat at the piano and showed us what he wanted… John Lennon, who was in the control room, suddenly rushed out, stuck his thumb aloft and shouted, 'Got it!' George Harrison got a little bit involved too but Ringo sat playing draughts in the corner."

What is Got To Get You Into My Life really about?

McCartney later revealed it was a celebration of marijuana rather than a love song to a person. He had first tried cannabis in 1964.

When was Got To Get You Into My Life released as a single?

Not until 1976 in the UK (double A-side with 'Helter Skelter') and the US (reaching number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100), to coincide with the Rock 'n' Roll Music compilation.