Universal Music Group and Apple Corps Ltd. have released 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Second Version - Take 2)', a cut from the forthcoming extended special edition of The Beatles' landmark 1965 album, Rubber Soul.
The first version of the song, which at the time was called "This Bird Has Flown", was recorded during the first day of the studio sessions for the album "Rubber Soul", and it features the sitar, an instrument George Harrison had just discovered at the time. The band members were not satisfied with this version, so they recorded three more performances nine days later.
In the second attempt, the first channel recorded John Lennon's acoustic guitar, Paul McCartney's bass, Ringo Starr's drums, and the burgundy tones played by George Harrison on the sitar. George Harrison then added more sitar parts to the second and third channels, while the vocals of John Lennon and Paul McCartney were also recorded on the third channel. Unlike the final version, which opens with an instrumental rendition of the stanza melody, this arrangement opens with a double-recorded sitar performing the song's transition melody.
George Harrison encountered the sound of the sitar for the first time during the filming of the movie "Help!", after which Indian music attracted him more and more. During a meeting with members of The Byrds in Los Angeles, David Crosby told him about Ravi Shankar's music, which prompted George Harrison to explore his recordings.
George Harrison explained how the sitar got into the song: "That music sounded very familiar and close to me. Around that time I bought a cheap sitar from a shop called Indiacraft in London. When we were working on the song 'Norwegian Wood', it just had something missing and it all happened quite spontaneously. I took the sitar and kind of found the right notes. We added it to the recording and it felt like it was just what the song needed. And that was it."
"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Second Version - Take 2)" will be included on the upcoming special edition of the album "Rubber Soul", which was re-mixed by producer Giles Martin and sound engineer Sam Okell. The expanded collection opens the studio doors and provides insight into the making of the 'Rubber Soul' album, featuring 24 early studio recordings, including 20 previously unreleased versions and three previously unreleased home demos. There is also a new stereo mix of the album, the original mono mix, the original Capitol Records US release of the album, as well as the then singles "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out".
Following the release of "Michelle (Take 1)" and "Day Tripper (Songwriting Work Tape)" during the announcement of the special edition, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Second Version - Take 2)" represents the latest recording available to the public ahead of the release of the edition on October 2nd.
The album "Rubber Soul", first released on December 3, 1965, marked a turning point in the development of The Beatles. It came at the end of a remarkable year that saw John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reach artistic and commercial heights, and featured a band that transcended the established conventions of pop music and embraced a bolder approach to songwriting and recording.
The special edition of "Rubber Soul" will be released on October 2nd and is already available to order in multiple LP, CD and Blu-ray formats. The recording of "Day Tripper (Songwriting Work Tape)" will be available in both Super Deluxe and Deluxe editions.
The Beatles, photo: YT printscreen
The Beatles remain one of the most successful and influential musical groups in history. More than five decades after their breakup, their music continues to resonate across generations, from fans who experienced Beatlemania in the 1960s to new audiences discovering "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be" through streaming platforms and social media. In addition to outstanding record sales, they changed fashion, youth culture, songwriting and album production, launched the "British Invasion" in America, and redefined popular music with groundbreaking albums like "Rubber Soul" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
Their legacy continues to draw millions of visitors to iconic sites such as Abbey Road Studios, where fans still come today to recreate the famous Abbey Road pedestrian crossing photo. As announced earlier this month, 3 Savile Row, the site of their iconic rooftop concert, will see the group's first official space dedicated to fans, scheduled to open in 2027.
The long-awaited four-part film project about The Beatles, backed by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Neal Street Productions, has also been announced for April 2028.
The project lists the first case in which Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles granted full rights to their life stories and music for a feature film project. Directed by Sam Mendes, the main roles will be played by Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.
More than six decades after its initial release, "Rubber Soul" remains one of the defining moments in The Beatles' story - the album that linked the Beatles craze with the experimentation that would follow on Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and subsequent releases.
