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Although promo copies of “Penny Lane” had already been sent to the U.S., Paul was not quite finished with it. Today he decided that a new mix should be made that omitted the seven-note trumpet coda. Says The Beatles Bible,
The mixing session began at 6.30pm and lasted for two hours, taking place in the control room of Studio One. From 9–10pm tape copies of remix mono 14 were made, and discs were hastily pressed and sent to the United States.
At this point the song was finally finished, for which I am grateful. “Penny Lane” has been in my ears and in my eyes for far too long at this point.
I feel a little guilty for hammering on “Penny Lane.” A lot of people like; I even like it, as long as I don’t have to hear it too often. Is there anyone out there who’s willing to say a few words in its defense?
No. Strawberry Fields Forever. Although I did like the lines “He likes to keep his fire engine clean/It’s a clean machine” with their sexual undertone. And the french horn solo is astonishing.
“Penny Lane” is my favorite McCartney song, outside of only “Eleanor Rigby” and IMV one of their top 10 greatest-ever songs. The pairing with the equally mindblowing “Strawberry Fields” really does support the contention that this was the greatest single ever released. Musically, lyrically, the vocal, the arrangement, and production are sparklingly perfect. There are so many layers here. So yes, I disagree.