Thursday 28 October 1965 | Mixing session | EMI Studios, London | By Beatles Fabdom
On 28 October 1965, a short session in the control room of Studio Two at EMI Studios, Abbey Road produced a rough mono mix of We Can Work It Out. George Martin was the producer and Norman Smith the engineer. The session lasted half an hour, from 5pm to 5.30pm.
This was not the finished commercial master. It was a working mix prepared for the Beatles’ forthcoming television appearance in The Music Of Lennon And McCartney. Listening to it helped reveal that the recording still needed more vocal work. The group returned to the song the next day, adding vocals and a second harmonium part.
| Date | Thursday 28 October 1965 |
|---|---|
| Time | 5pm–5.30pm |
| Location | Studio Two control room, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer | Norman Smith |
| Song | We Can Work It Out |
| Work undertaken | Rough mono mixing |
| Purpose | Playback preparation for The Music Of Lennon And McCartney |
| Television filming | Manchester, 1 and 2 November 1965 |
| Next recording work | Additional vocals and a second harmonium part, 29 October 1965 |
| Single release | 3 December 1965, paired with Day Tripper as a double A-side |
A half-hour in Studio Two’s control room
The location identifies the nature of the work. This was a mixing session in the control room, not the original recording of the song’s backing track. The recording already existed, and the task was to turn that material into a mono playback version.
A mix combines the recorded elements into a listening version. Making one can also expose details that need attention before the recording is considered finished. That is what makes this brief session worth separating from the longer recording dates on either side of it.
The session’s half-hour duration should not be confused with the time needed to create the song as a whole. The principal recording work had begun on 20 October 1965; further work followed on 29 October. The 28 October entry records a particular stage between those dates.
George Martin and Norman Smith
George Martin oversaw the session as producer, with Norman Smith engineering. Their names belong to the production and technical work behind the mix, rather than an assumption that fresh instrumental performances were recorded during this half-hour.
Martin’s role in the Beatles’ records extended beyond the moment when the musicians played or sang. Listening, assessing and shaping recorded material were part of the process too. Here, a version prepared for a practical television purpose became a point at which the song’s remaining needs could be heard.
The distinction is useful when following the studio chronology: a session can move a recording forward without adding a new performance. In this case, the subsequent decision was to return to recording the following day.
Preparing for The Music Of Lennon And McCartney
The immediate purpose was the television special The Music Of Lennon And McCartney, filmed in Manchester on 1 and 2 November 1965. A playback recording was needed for the Beatles to mime to.
The 28 October mix should therefore be understood as part of that preparation, not as a finished single being released to the public that day. Its intended use explains why a rough mono version was made while the recording itself could still be reconsidered.
The session also connects two parts of the Beatles’ working life: making a record in London and preparing to present their music on television in Manchester. The programme required an audio version, but hearing that version led back to the studio.
Why the Beatles returned to the song on 29 October
After listening to the rough mix, the Beatles decided that We Can Work It Out needed more vocals. On 29 October 1965, additional vocal work was recorded, together with a second harmonium part.
The next day’s work completed the recording before further mono mixes were prepared, including versions intended for the single and television. The 28 October rough mix was consequently not the finished commercial version.
This sequence matters more than treating every mix as interchangeable. The song heard in a working playback before those additions was not identical in its recorded components to the completed performance. A date attached to a mix tells us which stage of the work it represents.
From the October sessions to the December single
We Can Work It Out was released on 3 December 1965 with Day Tripper as a double A-side. Both songs were recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions, but the single was kept separate from the original British album.
That makes Rubber Soul the relevant recording-period context, rather than a reason to describe We Can Work It Out as an original UK album track. The two projects reached listeners at the same point in the Beatles’ late-1965 development.
The broader Lennon–McCartney songwriting story also includes their five Ivor Novello awards in July 1965. The autumn studio work belongs to a later chapter in that same productive year.
A connection with the Rubber Soul era
The Rubber Soul album T-shirt in green features the familiar album portrait. It connects with the recording period surrounding the single; its checked price is £18.
The recording and television sequence
| Date | Work or event |
|---|---|
| 20 October 1965 | Principal recording work on We Can Work It Out at EMI Studios. |
| 28 October 1965 | A rough mono mix prepared in Studio Two’s control room for television playback. |
| 29 October 1965 | Additional vocals and a second harmonium part, followed by further mono mixing. |
| 1 and 2 November 1965 | Filming of The Music Of Lennon And McCartney in Manchester. |
| 3 December 1965 | Release of the double A-side single We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper. |
EMI Studios at Abbey Road
The session took place at the studios now known as Abbey Road Studios, 3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, London NW8 9AY. More specifically, the mixing work was undertaken in the Studio Two control room.
The map identifies the studio complex at that address. It is a geographical guide to the location, not an interior map of the control room. Abbey Road remains a working studio, not a venue with unrestricted public access.
Explore more of the 1965 visual world
The Rubber Soul ukulele carries purple and orange artwork associated with the album. This modern themed instrument is £50; it is merchandise connected with the era, not an instrument credited to this mixing session.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to We Can Work It Out on 28 October 1965?
A rough mono mix was prepared during a half-hour session in the control room of EMI Studio Two.
Who produced and engineered the session?
George Martin was the producer and Norman Smith the engineer.
Why was the rough mono mix made?
It was prepared for playback connected with The Music Of Lennon And McCartney, a television special filmed in Manchester on 1 and 2 November 1965.
Was the 28 October mix the released single master?
No. It was a rough working mix, made before further vocals and a second harmonium part were added on 29 October.
When was We Can Work It Out released?
On 3 December 1965, paired with Day Tripper as a double A-side single.
Was We Can Work It Out on the original British Rubber Soul album?
No. It was recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions but issued separately as a single.
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