Recording: For No One

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick

The Beatles recorded 10 takes of the backing track for Paul McCartney’s song ‘For No One’ on this day, in a short session which began at 7pm and finished at 11pm.

McCartney played a Steinway grand piano and Ringo Starr was on drums. Each part was recorded onto a separate track, but there was some sound leakage between the two. From take nine the piano was given some reverb, added from the studio control room.

Onto the 10th take, the final one, McCartney overdubbed a clavichord, which was hired for the occasion from George Martin’s company AIR, at a cost of five guineas. Starr also added maracas, hi-hat and tambourine.

Neither John Lennon nor George Harrison performed on ‘For No One’. McCartney added his vocals on 16 May 1966, and the French horn solo was overdubbed on 19 May.