Paul McCartney performs on The Beach Boys’ Vegetables

Paul McCartney and Mal Evans holiday in Denver

Paul McCartney and Mal Evans continued their stay in Denver, Colorado on this day, without Jane Asher who was appearing in a matinée performance of William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet in the city.

McCartney and Evans drove into the Rocky Mountains past Central City into the old Boodle Mine. During the trip their hired car got stuck in snow and mud, but they eventually made their way back to Central City and ate a meal in Paul's Café. Afterwards they watched a local country singer perform across the road in the Gilded Garter bar.

The pair returned to Denver in time to see the Old Vic theatre company's performance of Romeo And Juliet.

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

The Beatles were mostly absent when the stereo mixes of Sgt. Pepper were prepared - they considered mono of paramount importance and so were always around for these, but were generally content to leave the stereos to George Martin and Geoff Emerick. Working this day from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am, they produced stereo masters of "With A Little Help From My Friends" (with its preceding crossfade into the title song). "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "Fixing A Hole", and "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds".

Sgt Pepper crossfades, Good Morning Good Morning

Paul McCartney visits Jane Asher in Denver

Paul McCartney flew to Denver from San Francisco on this day to pay a surprise visit to his girlfriend Jane Asher on her 21st birthday.

Asher was touring with the Old Vic theatre company in a production of William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet. McCartney had flown to America on April 3, 1967 with Mal Evans.

McCartney and Evans flew from San Francisco in a hired Lear jet; they arrived at Denver Airport and were met by Bert Rosenthal, who had agreed to lend McCartney and Asher his house. Evans, meanwhile, booked into the Driftwood Motel.

In the evening McCartney and Asher were reunited, and Rosenthal drove them to a hotel where a birthday party was held for her. The party had been organized by the Old Vic.

Paul McCartney flies to San Francisco

The day after his arrival in the United States, Paul McCartney spent the day in San Francisco.

He and Mal Evans had flown into the city from Los Angeles in the early hours of the morning. The city was experiencing its first snow for 42 years, and the temperatures were much colder than the pair had been expecting.

The trip was to surprise McCartney's girlfriend Jane Asher on her 21st birthday the following day. With a free day McCartney and Evans saw the sights, photographed the Golden Gate Bridge and bought records.

They also visited the Fillmore Auditorium, where Jefferson Airplane were rehearsing. Afterwards they accompanied Marty Balin and Jack Casady to the Oak Street apartment they shared with the band's road manager Bill Thompson, where McCartney played them an acetate of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. They also attempted a jam, but McCartney had trouble playing Casady's right-handed bass guitar.

McCartney smoked cannabis with Jefferson Airplane, but declined an offer of DMT mixed with cannabis. Despite this, rumours persist in the city that he did partake in the hallucinogenic drug. At the end of the evening Jack Casady took them back to their hotel.

Recording, mixing: Within You Without You

The last song to be completed for the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album was Within You Without You.

Eight violins and three cellos were recorded onto track three, after which Harrison - the only member of The Beatles in attendance - overdubbed his lead vocals, as well as some extra sitar, onto track four. The recording took place in Studio One, and ended at 3am the following morning.

The violinists were Erich Gruenberg, Alan Loveday, Julien Gaillard, Paul Scherman, Ralph Elman, David Wolfsthal, Jack Rothstein and Jack Greene, and the cellists were Reginald Kilbey, Allen Ford and Peter Beavan. Each was paid the standard Musicians' Union rate of £9, apart from Gruenberg, the leader of the ensemble, who was paid £11.

The strings were conducted by George Martin, who had prepared a score based on Harrison's ideas. The parts were recorded numerous times, each wiping the previous attempt, before all were satisfied with the results.

When Within You Without You was first recorded on March 15, 1967, the song was referred to as having three parts, although it was recorded as one. The numbering of the parts continued through to this session and the next, with part one mixed separately from two and three.

Mono mixing of Within You Without You began during this session, but the results remained unused. Part one was mixed three times; parts two and three were mixed twice.

The mixing session took place in the control room of Studio Two, from 3-6.30am in the morning of April 4, 1967.

The Beatles are in-between recording

Recording, mixing: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)

Studio One, EMI Studios, Abbey Road

The final song to be begun for the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album was a reprise of the title track. It was recorded in a single session on this day.

The session took place at EMI's enormous Studio One at Abbey Road, between 7pm and 6am the following morning. Nine takes were recorded; an unused attempt, take five, was included on 1996's Anthology 2.

Each member of The Beatles playing their conventional instruments, as a group, for perhaps the only occasion on the album. Paul McCartney sang a guide vocal part, and George Martin joined them on organ.

McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison overdubbed vocals onto track three of take nine, and maracas and tambourine were added to track four.

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) was the only Sgt Pepper song not to be given a reduction mix; the four tracks were filled with the initial instruments, the overdubs were added, then it was ready to be mixed for the album.

Nine mono mixes of take nine were made during this session, the last of which was used on the album. Artificial double tracking was applied to the vocals, and some of the crowd noises prepared on March 6, 1967 were added.