Mixing: And Your Bird Can Sing, Doctor Robert, I'm Only Sleeping – 20 May 1966

Q: Why were separate mixes made for Capitol and EMI?

Capitol Records and EMI operated independently in 1966. Yesterday… And Today was a Capitol-only compilation; Revolver was the EMI release. Separate stereo mixes were prepared for each.

Q: Who was Geoff Emerick?

Geoff Emerick (1945–2018) was the balance engineer on Revolver, aged just 20. His experimental approach was central to the sound of Revolver, Sgt Pepper, and Abbey Road. He won Grammy Awards for the latter two.

May 17, 2026

Mixing: And Your Bird Can Sing, Doctor Robert, I’m Only Sleeping – 20 May 1966

Friday 20 May 1966 | Revolver, Studio
Studio One (control room), EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London

Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick

Stereo mixes of three Revolver songs were made during this session, some of which were also used on the Capitol Records album Yesterday… And Today. The brief session lasted from 11am to 12.30pm, and none of The Beatles was present. The same day, The Beatles were at Chiswick House filming promotional clips for 'Paperback Writer' and 'Rain'.

George Martin and Geoff Emerick

George Martin had been The Beatles' producer since their first EMI session in June 1962. By 1966 he was at the height of his creative partnership with the group, helping to realise increasingly ambitious studio ideas on Rubber Soul and now Revolver. Geoff Emerick had taken over as balance engineer from Norman Smith at the start of the Revolver sessions in April 1966, aged just 20. Emerick's willingness to experiment — close-miking drums, running tape machines at different speeds, feeding signals through loudspeakers and re-recording them — was central to the sonic character of Revolver and the albums that followed. He would win Grammy Awards for his work on Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road.

The Capitol/EMI Split

In 1966, Capitol Records in North America and EMI in the UK operated as largely independent entities, each making their own decisions about which Beatles recordings to release and in what configuration. Yesterday… And Today was a Capitol-only compilation, assembled from tracks that had appeared on UK albums but not yet been released in North America — including songs from Help! and Rubber Soul alongside new Revolver material. The album is also notorious for its original 'butcher cover' — a photograph by Robert Whitaker showing The Beatles in white coats surrounded by raw meat and dismembered dolls — which was recalled and replaced within days of release following retailer complaints.

And Your Bird Can Sing

'And Your Bird Can Sing' was written primarily by John Lennon, though credited to Lennon–McCartney. It features an intricate twin-guitar riff played by Harrison and McCartney — one of the most technically demanding guitar parts on any Beatles record. Two stereo mixes were made on this date, one each of takes 10 and 6. The version which appeared on both albums was an edit consisting mainly of take 10, but with the ending of take 6. The edit was made towards the end of the session.

Doctor Robert

'Doctor Robert' was written by Lennon, inspired by a New York doctor — widely believed to be Dr Robert Freymann — who was known for giving his celebrity patients vitamin injections that allegedly contained amphetamines. The song was also mixed in two attempts, both from take 7. The first of these was sent to North America for Yesterday… And Today, while the second was used on Revolver.

I’m Only Sleeping

'I’m Only Sleeping' was written by Lennon and is notable for its backwards guitar solo — Harrison recorded a guitar part which was then reversed on tape, a technique that required him to learn the part backwards in order to play it forwards when reversed. The song also took two mixing attempts, from take 13. As before, the first was used by Capitol while the second was released by EMI.

Key Facts: 20 May 1966

Studio: Studio One (control room), EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Session time: 11am–12.30pm
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick (aged 20)
Beatles present: None (filming at Chiswick House)
And Your Bird Can Sing: Edit of takes 10 and 6; take 10 main body, take 6 ending
Doctor Robert: Two mixes from take 7; first for Capitol, second for EMI
I’m Only Sleeping: Two mixes from take 13; first for Capitol, second for EMI

Frequently Asked Questions

Why were separate mixes made for Capitol and EMI?

In 1966, Capitol Records in North America and EMI in the UK operated independently. Yesterday… And Today was a Capitol-only compilation; Revolver was the EMI release. Separate stereo mixes were prepared for each, with subtle but audible differences.

Were The Beatles present at the 20 May 1966 mixing session?

No — the session ran from 11am to 12.30pm and was conducted solely by George Martin and Geoff Emerick. The Beatles were at Chiswick House that day filming promotional clips for 'Paperback Writer' and 'Rain'.

Who was Geoff Emerick?

Geoff Emerick (1945–2018) was the balance engineer on Revolver, aged just 20 when the sessions began. His experimental approach — close-miking, tape manipulation, unconventional signal routing — was central to the sound of Revolver, Sgt Pepper, and Abbey Road. He won Grammy Awards for his work on the latter two albums.

What is the backwards guitar on I’m Only Sleeping?

George Harrison recorded a guitar solo which was then reversed on tape. To achieve this, he had to learn the part backwards — playing it in reverse so that when the tape was flipped, the notes would fall in the intended order. It was one of the first uses of a backwards guitar solo on a pop record.

Who was Doctor Robert?

The song is widely believed to be inspired by Dr Robert Freymann, a New York physician known for giving celebrity patients vitamin injections allegedly containing amphetamines. Lennon encountered the doctor during The Beatles' US tours in the mid-1960s.