"Penny Lane"

Song: “Penny Lane”

Album: (Not Released on LP)

Recorded during the Sgt. Pepper sessions, McCartney’s “Penny Lane,” along with “Strawberry Fields Forever,” was part of a double A-side single released in February 1967. Lennon and McCartney used to catch buses for Liverpool’s city center at the Penny Lane junction—such a common terminus at the time that many of the buses roaming the city displayed PENNY LANE. Smithdown Place (near the bus terminus) was a popular attraction for Beatles’ fans making a pilgrimage to Liverpool, and city officials had to replace stolen street signs displaying “Penny Lane” constantly until they decided to paint street names on neighborhood buildings. Ultimately, more “theft-resistant” signs were installed in 2007.

Neither song was released on a British LP by the group, but they were both included in the U.K.’s double EP soundtrack “Magical Mystery Tour” and on the U.S. LP of the same name. George Martin said that he believed pairing “Penny Lane” with “Strawberry Fields Forever” resulted in the greatest single ever released by the Beatles.

“Penny Lane” was recorded during December 1966 and January 1967 at Abbey Road. David Mason’s piccolo trumpet solo, for which he was paid about 27 pounds, was done in a mock-Baroque style. The original US single mix of the song had an additional trumpet flourish, but was quickly replaced by a version omitting it. The few copies that had already been sent to radio stations (with the additional trumpet passage) are among the most valuable Beatles collectibles.