The Beatles confirm the expanded Special Edition of Rubber Soul, newly mixed by Giles Martin and Sam Okell from the original four-track master tapes, with previously unreleased session recordings, demos and the 1965 double A-side single.
by Paul Cashmere
The official release details for The Beatles’ Rubber Soul Special Edition have been confirmed, with the expanded collection set for release on 2 October. Newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell and sourced directly from the original four-track master tapes, the set presents the landmark 1965 album in a new stereo mix, the original mono mix, the Capitol US album version and Dolby Atmos mixes, alongside previously unreleased session recordings, home demos and the contemporary double A-side single Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out.
A previously unreleased recording of Michelle (Take 1) is available to stream now. Paul McCartney has recalled the song’s origins: “One of John’s tutors would have parties and at one of these, sitting over in the corner, there was the troubadour in a black sweater with his guitar doing Jacques Brel songs. So I used to pretend to be French, and I had this song that turned out later to be ‘Michelle’.”
First released on 3 December 1965, Rubber Soul marked a pivotal moment in The Beatles’ evolution. Recorded over four weeks in October and November 1965, following the band’s concert at Shea Stadium in New York, the album captured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr pushing beyond pop conventions. Classics such as Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), Nowhere Man, Michelle, Girl and In My Life featured new instruments, sounds and recording techniques. The album is widely regarded as having pioneered the long-form pop album as an art form.
All new formats feature the album’s new stereo mix. Cutting-edge de-mixing technology developed by the sound team led by Emile de la Rey at Peter Jackson’s WingNut Films Productions Ltd has been applied while remaining faithful to the original recordings. The Super Deluxe collections open the studio doors further, presenting 24 early session recordings, including 20 previously unreleased takes and three previously unreleased home demos. These include early versions of Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out, plus Little Girl, a previously unheard John Lennon song outline.
The 4CD and 5LP Super Deluxe editions are accompanied by an 88-page hardbound book featuring a brand new written introduction by Paul McCartney and a foreword compiled from John Lennon’s own words. Rare photographs, in-depth album background and track notes complete the package. Rubber Soul will also be available in standard 1CD and 1LP editions, 2CD and 2LP Special Editions, Blu-ray, limited-edition orange vinyl and D2C exclusive Zoetrope vinyl editions.
The Beatles remain one of the most successful and influential acts in history. More than five decades after their split, their music continues to resonate across generations. Beyond record sales they reshaped fashion, youth culture, songwriting and album production, and redefined popular music with albums including Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their legacy continues to draw visitors to landmarks such as Abbey Road Studios. An announcement earlier this month confirmed that 3 Savile Row, the site of their rooftop concert, will become the first official fan experience, opening in 2027. A four-film Beatles cinematic event directed by Sam Mendes is scheduled for release in April 2028 through Sony Pictures Entertainment and Neal Street Productions, starring 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 original release, Rubber Soul remains a defining moment in The Beatles’ story, bridging the intensity of Beatlemania and the experimentation that followed on Revolver and beyond.
CD Box Tracklisting
CD Rubber Soul (New Stereo Mix)
Drive My Car
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
You Won’t See Me
Nowhere Man
Think For Yourself
The Word
Michelle
What Goes On
Girl
I’m Looking Through You
In My Life
Wait
If I Needed Someone
Run For Your Life
CD Sessions, Demos and The Single
Wait (Take 3 – Instrumental Backing Track)
Run For Your Life (Takes 1-5 – Instrumental Backing Track)
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (First Version – Take 1)
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Second Version – Take 2)
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Third Version – Take 3)
Drive My Car (Takes 1 and 2 – Instrumental Backing Track)
Day Tripper (Songwriting Work Tape)
Day Tripper (Take 1 – Instrumental Backing Track)
Day Tripper (Takes 2 and 3 – Instrumental Backing Track)
If I Needed Someone (Take 1 – Instrumental Backing Track)
In My Life (Take 1)
In My Life (Extract With Unused Organ Solo)
We Can Work It Out (Paul’s Demo)
We Can Work It Out (Take 1 – Instrumental Backing Track)
Nowhere Man (First Version – Take 2)
Nowhere Man (Second Version – Take 5 – Instrumental Backing Track)
I’m Looking Through You (First Version – Take 1)
I’m Looking Through You (Second Version – Take 2)
I’m Looking Through You (Second Version – Take 3)
Michelle (Guitar Rehearsal)
Michelle (Take 1)
What Goes On (Take 1 – Instrumental Backing Track)
The Word (Takes 1 and 2 – Instrumental Backing Track)
Girl (Take 2 – Instrumental Backing Track)
Beatle Talk (Think For Yourself Vocal Overdubs)
Little Girl (John’s Demo)
Day Tripper (2023 Mix)
We Can Work It Out (2023 Mix)
CD Rubber Soul (Mono)
Drive My Car
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
You Won’t See Me
Nowhere Man
Think For Yourself
The Word
Michelle
What Goes On
Girl
I’m Looking Through You
In My Life
Wait
If I Needed Someone
Run For Your Life
CD US Album
I’ve Just Seen A Face
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
You Won’t See Me
Think For Yourself
The Word
Michelle
It’s Only Love
Girl
I’m Looking Through You
In My Life
Wait
Run For Your Life
Vinyl Box Tracklisting
LP Rubber Soul (New Stereo Mix) – Half-Speed Mastered
A1. Drive My Car
A2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
A3. You Won’t See Me
A4. Nowhere Man
A5. Think For Yourself
A6. The Word
A7. Michelle
B1. What Goes On
B2. Girl
B3. I’m Looking Through You
B4. In My Life
B5. Wait
B6. If I Needed Someone
B7. Run For Your Life
LP Sessions, Demos and The Single – Half-Speed Mastered
A1. Wait (Take 3 – Instrumental Backing Track)
A2. Run For Your Life (Takes 1-5 – Instrumental Backing Track)
A3. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (First Version – Take 1)
A4. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Second Version – Take 2)
A5. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Third Version – Take 3)
A6. Drive My Car (Takes 1 and 2 – Instrumental Backing Track)
A7. Day Tripper (Songwriting Work Tape)
B1. Day Tripper (Take 1 – Instrumental Backing Track)
B2. Day Tripper (Takes 2 and 3 – Instrumental Backing Track)
B3. If I Needed Someone (Take 1 – Instrumental Backing Track)
B4. In My Life (Take 1)
B5. In My Life (Extract With Unused Organ Solo)
B6. We Can Work It Out (Paul’s Demo)
B7. We Can Work It Out (Take 1 – Instrumental Backing Track)
LP Sessions, Demos and The Single – Half-Speed Mastered
A1. Nowhere Man (First Version – Take 2)
A2. Nowhere Man (Second Version – Take 5 – Instrumental Backing Track)
A3. I’m Looking Through You (First Version – Take 1)
A4. I’m Looking Through You (Second Version – Take 2)
A5. I’m Looking Through You (Second Version – Take 3)
A6. Michelle (Guitar Rehearsal)
A7. Michelle (Take 1)
B1. What Goes On (Take 1 – Instrumental Backing Track)
B2. The Word (Takes 1 and 2 – Instrumental Backing Track)
B3. Girl (Take 2 – Instrumental Backing Track)
B4. Beatle Talk (Think For Yourself Vocal Overdubs)
B5. Little Girl (John’s Demo)
LP Rubber Soul (Mono)
A1. Drive My Car
A2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
A3. You Won’t See Me
A4. Nowhere Man
A5. Think For Yourself
A6. The Word
A7. Michelle
B1. What Goes On
B2. Girl
B3. I’m Looking Through You
B4. In My Life
B5. Wait
B6. If I Needed Someone
B7. Run For Your Life
LP US Album
A1. I’ve Just Seen A Face
A2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
A3. You Won’t See Me
A4. Think For Yourself
A5. The Word
A6. Michelle
B1. It’s Only Love
B2. Girl
B3. I’m Looking Through You
B4. In My Life
B5. Wait
B6. Run For Your Life
7″
A1. Day Tripper
AA1. We Can Work It Out
Blu-Ray Tracklisting
Drive My Car – New Stereo Mix
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – New Stereo Mix
You Won’t See Me – New Stereo Mix
Nowhere Man – New Stereo Mix
Think For Yourself – New Stereo Mix
The Word – New Stereo Mix
Michelle – New Stereo Mix
What Goes On – New Stereo Mix
Girl – New Stereo Mix
I’m Looking Through You – New Stereo Mix
In My Life – New Stereo Mix
Wait – New Stereo Mix
If I Needed Someone – New Stereo Mix
Run For Your Life – New Stereo Mix
Day Tripper – New Stereo Mix
We Can Work It Out – New Stereo Mix
Day Tripper – Exclusive Video
Day Tripper (Alternate Version) – Exclusive Video
We Can Work It Out – Exclusive Video
We Can Work It Out (Alternate Version) – Exclusive Video
Drive My Car – 2026 Atmos Mix
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – 2026 Atmos Mix
You Won’t See Me – 2026 Atmos Mix
Nowhere Man – 2026 Atmos Mix
Think For Yourself – 2026 Atmos Mix
The Word – 2026 Atmos Mix
Michelle – 2026 Atmos Mix
What Goes On – 2026 Atmos Mix
Girl – 2026 Atmos Mix
I’m Looking Through You – 2026 Atmos Mix
In My Life – 2026 Atmos Mix
Wait – 2026 Atmos Mix
If I Needed Someone – 2026 Atmos Mix
Run For Your Life – 2026 Atmos Mix
Day Tripper – 2023 Atmos Mix
We Can Work It Out – 2023 Atmos Mix
Drive My Car – 2026 Stereo Mix
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – 2026 Stereo Mix
You Won’t See Me – 2026 Stereo Mix
Nowhere Man – 2026 Stereo Mix
Think For Yourself – 2026 Stereo Mix
The Word – 2026 Stereo Mix
Michelle – 2026 Stereo Mix
What Goes On – 2026 Stereo Mix
Girl – 2026 Stereo Mix
I’m Looking Through You – 2026 Stereo Mix
In My Life – 2026 Stereo Mix
Wait – 2026 Stereo Mix
If I Needed Someone – 2026 Stereo Mix
Run For Your Life – 2026 Stereo Mix
Day Tripper – 2023 Stereo Mix
We Can Work It Out – 2023 Stereo Mix
Day Tripper (2023 Mix) – Video
Day Tripper (Alternate Version) – Video
We Can Work It Out (2023 Mix) – Video
We Can Work It Out (Alternate Version) – Video
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