24 NOVEMBER 1966
The Beatles began recording their psychedelic classic ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ at the Abbey Road studios on this day. It was originally intended to be on the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ album but was instead released as a single in early 1967. Imagine that album with 'Stawberry Fields Forever', 'Penny Lane' and 'All You Need is Love' on it!
The song reached #2 on the UK charts, ending an unbroken four-year run of #1 hits for the band, and it peaked at #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Releasing this heavily psychedelic number with seemingly nonsensical lyrics as a single was probably their riskiest stylistic statement to date, but it has gone down in history as a classic and one of their most loved songs. The days of 'yeah, yeah, yeah', however, were well and truly over.
The song reached #2 on the UK charts, ending an unbroken four-year run of #1 hits for the band, and it peaked at #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Releasing this heavily psychedelic number with seemingly nonsensical lyrics as a single was probably their riskiest stylistic statement to date, but it has gone down in history as a classic and one of their most loved songs. The days of 'yeah, yeah, yeah', however, were well and truly over.
A-side: 'Penny Lane'
Released: 13 February 1967 (US), 17 February 1967 (UK)
Recorded: 24 November-22 December 1966, EMI Studios, London
Highest chart position (1967): #2 (UK), #8 (US)
Length: 4:05
Label: Parlophone (UK), Capitol (US)
Writers: Lennon–McCartney
Producer: George Martin
