Recording started on 'Penny Lane' days after the 
completion of 'Strawberry Fields Forever'. Undoubtedly 
looking to match the sonic triumph of John's 
masterwork, Paul devoted nine days in the studio to 
'Penny Lane' - the most spent on any Beatles song.

A breakthrough in sound quality, 'Penny Lane' 
innovated the recording process of 'bouncing down', to 
overcome the limitations of four track recording.

On 'Penny Lane' three piano pieces and a harmonium 
were recorded to individual tracks. These were then 
mixed and 'bounced down' to a single track. This 
cleared three tracks for further instruments and vocals, 
allowing a gorgeous range of sound and tone, that to 
this day still sounds advanced.

Exploiting this new range of sound to the full, a piccolo 
trumpet played by London Symphony Orchestra player 
David Mason reaches notes as high as the 'blue 
suburban skies' the lyrics suggest.

Paul had been planning to write a song called 'Penny 
Lane' as early as November 1965. He probably 
discussed this with John, as John's 'In My Life' written 
around this time, also referred to Penny Lane in its first 
draft. It is generally accepted that the recording of 
'Strawberry Fields' finally motivated Paul to write a song 
about his childhood neighbourhood in Liverpool.

In contrast to John's isolation, Paul's lyrics (some of his 
best ever) are a celebration of community. Strawberry 
Fields was a place John could be at one with himself, 
yet Penny Lane - a name given to an area of shops, 
banks and a fire station over several streets - was 
where Paul could be like everybody else. The two 
places are actually only about half a mile from each 
other.

Both songs though are tinged with an air of sadness; 
the Beatles enormous success meant they were 
unlikely to go back to living their old lives in Liverpool.

Despite writing these wonderful songs in recognition of 
the city that raised them, to this day there are many in 
Liverpool who feel bitter at the lack of recognition the 
Beatles gave to their home town. Tellingly the success 
of the Beatles careers paralelled a long term decline in 
the wealth and fortunes of Liverpool.