A new, expanded reissue of The Beatles’ ‘Rubber Soul’ is on the way, which will feature a previously unreleased demo from John Lennon.
The new versions of the classic 1965 album are set to arrive on October 2 via UMG and Apple Corps Ltd, and come mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell.
For the first time in over six decades, the landmark record will be presented in new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes, and come in a box-set alongside the original mono mix and the original Capitol US Album version.
Alongside the original tracklist – which features fan-favourites including ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’, ‘Nowhere Man’, ‘Michelle’, and ‘In My Life’ – there will also be the contemporary double A-side single, ‘Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out’, and a selection of previously unreleased session recordings and home demos.
Variations of the reissue include the Special Edition Standard with 14 songs, the Special Edition Deluxe which has 30 tracks, and the Blu-ray Edition which includes 16 tracks and four videos.
The most expansive variation, however, is the Special Edition Super Deluxe, which comes as either a 5-LP box-set or a 4-CD box-set and includes 68 tracks. These include the new stereo mix of ‘Rubber Soul’, two discs of Sessions and Demos, the original mono master of the album, the original Capitol US version, and the 7” A-side single.
In the demos section, there is a song called ‘Little Girl’, which was written and recorded by Lennon and has remained unreleased since it was first developed.
The Super Deluxe editions also come with an 88-page hardbound book featuring a brand new written introduction by Paul McCartney, and a foreword compiled from Lennon’s own words.
‘Rubber Soul’ was recorded over four weeks during October and November 1965, shortly after the Fab Four performed a record-breaking gig to more than 55,000 fans at New York’s Shea Stadium.
All of the new formats of the reissue feature the album’s new stereo mix, sourced directly from the original four-track master tapes. They have been made using de-mixing technology at Peter Jackson’s WingNut Films Productions Ltd.
Visit here to pre-order, and find the tracklist for the “Special Edition Super Deluxe” edition below.
The ‘Rubber Soul – Special Edition Super Deluxe Box Set’ tracklist is:
LP1 – New stereo mix
Side A
1. ‘Drive My Car’
2. ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’
3. ‘You Won’t See Me’
4. ‘Nowhere Man’
5. ‘Think For Yourself’
6. ‘The Word’
7. ‘Michelle’
Side B
1. ‘What Goes On’
2. ‘Girl’
3. ‘I’m Looking Through You’
4. ‘In My Life’
5. ‘Wait’
6. ‘If I Needed Someone’
7. ‘Run For Your Life’
LP2 – Sessions, Demos and The Single (Disc 1)
Side A
1. ‘Wait (Take 3 – instrumental backing track)’
2. ‘Run For Your Life (Takes 1-5 – instrumental backing track)’
3. ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (First version –Take 1)’
4. ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Second version –Take 2)’
5. ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Third version – Take 3)’
6. ‘Drive My Car (Takes 1 and 2 – instrumental backing track)’
7. ‘Day Tripper (Songwriting work tape)’
Side B
1. ‘Day Tripper (Take 1 – instrumental backing track)’
2. ‘Day Tripper (Takes 2 and 3 – instrumental backing track)’
3. ‘If I Needed Someone (Take 1 – instrumental backing track)’
4. ‘In My Life (Take 1)’
5. ‘In My Life (Extract with unused organ solo)’
6. ‘We Can Work It Out (Paul’s demo)’
7. ‘We Can Work It Out (Take 1 – instrumental backing track)’
LP3 – Sessions, Demos and The Single (Disc 2)’
Side A
1. ‘Nowhere Man (First version – Take 2)’
2. ‘Nowhere Man (Second version – Take 5 – instrumental backing track)’
3. ‘I’m Looking Through You (First version – Take 1)’
4. ‘I’m Looking Through You (Second version – Take 2)’
5. ‘I’m Looking Through You (Second version – Take 3)’
6. ‘Michelle (Guitar rehearsal)’
7. ‘Michelle (Take 1)’
Side B
1. ‘What Goes On (Take 1 – instrumental backing track)’
2. ‘The Word (Takes 1 and 2 – instrumental backing track)’
3. ‘Girl (Take 2 – instrumental backing track)’
4. ‘Beatle Talk (Think For Yourself vocal overdubs)’
5. ‘Little Girl (John’s demo)’
LP4 – Mono
Side A
1. ‘Drive My Car’
2. ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’
3. ‘You Won’t See Me’
4. ‘Nowhere Man’
5. ‘Think For Yourself’
6. ‘The Word’
7. ‘Michelle’
Side B
1. ‘What Goes On’
2. ‘Girl’
3. ‘I’m Looking Through You’
4. ‘In My Life’
5. ‘Wait’
6. ‘If I Needed Someone’
7. ‘Run For Your Life ‘
LP5 – US Album
Side A
1. ‘I’ve Just Seen A Face’
2. ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’
3. ‘You Won’t See Me’
4. ‘Think For Yourself’
5. ‘The Word’
6. ‘Michelle’
Side B
1. ‘It’s Only Love’
2. ‘Girl’
3. ‘I’m Looking Through You’
4. ‘In My Life’
5. ‘Wait’
6. ‘Run For Your Life’
7” Single
Side A:
1. ‘Day Tripper’
Side AA:
1. ‘We Can Work It Out’
In other Beatles news, the band are also going to be the subject of a four-film series by Sam Mendes, slated for a simultaneous release in April 2028.
Set to star Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, each film will tell the story of the band from a different member’s point of view.
As well as that, it has been confirmed that 3 Savile Row – an iconic London landmark long associated with the band – will open its doors to the public for the first time next year for the first ever official Beatles fan experience.
Paul McCartney dropped his new album ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane‘ earlier this year, which is his first solo record since 2020’s ‘McCartney III’, and features his first duet with former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.
Ahead of the album’s release, McCartney sat down with NME to look forwards and back on his extraordinary career, share his “excitement” at contributing to the new The Rolling Stones album, and also reveal if he has plans to retire.