Jon Blistein
Contact Jon Blistein by Email View all posts by Jon Blistein August 26, 2026
Paul McCartney and John Lennon performing with the Beatles in 1965. CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images The Beatles have released a rare recording of Paul McCartney and John Lennon working on a very early version of their classic single, “Day Tripper.”
The so-called “Songwriting Work Tape” version of “Day Tripper” was recorded at Lennon’s home in Surrey, England. At this point, Lennon and McCartney had yet to come up with the song’s legendary riff, though it’s easy to see how they came upon it based on the chords they are playing. The best part of the recording, though, is hearing the old friends crack each other up in between tossing off casually brilliant takes of a classic in the making.
This “Day Tripper” demo will appear on the upcoming special edition of Rubber Soul, which arrives Oct. 2. (“Day Tripper” didn’t appear on the original album, but was released as a single with “We Can Work It Out” around the same time in 1965.) The reissue will feature a newly mixed version of the album from producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, as well as 24 early recordings.
