Beatles Release Unheard Early Take of Norwegian Wood

Universal Music Group and Apple Corps Ltd. have officially released a previously unheard early take of The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" as a preview of the upcoming expanded Special Edition of the band's 1965 album "Rubber Soul." The recording, titled "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) Second Version Take 2," was made available on September 14, 2026. The track features John Lennon on acoustic guitar, Paul McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr on drums, and George Harrison playing drone notes on the sitar. According to the official release details, this take differs from the final version by opening with double-tracked sitar playing the melody of the bridge section, rather than starting with an instrumental version of the verse melody. The recording originates from a session nine days after the band first recorded the song. The initial version, captured during the first day of "Rubber Soul" sessions, also featured Harrison's sitar, but the band was reportedly unsatisfied with it. They subsequently taped three more performances, with this newly released take being the second of those.