Paul McCartney on how a happy accident led to The Beatles’ iconic’ ‘Rubber Soul’ cover

Paul McCartney has penned some words on how they shot the iconic cover for The Beatles‘ ‘Rubber Soul’ for the re-release of their classic 1965 album. Check them out exclusively on NME below.

• READ MORE: Paul McCartney interviewed: “Writing a song is still a magic feeling for me, and hopefully always will be”

The Fab Four’s landmark sixth album is currently heading to Number One in the UK charts, 60 years after its original release. Released last week (Friday October 2), the expanded edition comes presented in new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes, and with a box-set alongside the original mono mix and the original Capitol US Album version mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell.

As well as the original tracklist – which features fan-favourites including ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’, ‘Nowhere Man’, ‘Michelle’, and ‘In My Life’ – there is also be the contemporary double A-side single, ‘Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out’, and a selection of previously unreleased session recordings and home demos.

The Super Deluxe Special Edition Super comes as either a 5-LP box-set or a 4-CD box-set, with 68 tracks and an 88-page hardbound book featuring a brand new written introduction by McCartney, and a foreword compiled from the late John Lennon’s own words.

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McCartney’s introduction comes with insight into the making of the album cover with photographer Robert Freeman. Read it in full below:

“Our friendship with the photographer Robert Freeman, who had lived in the same block of flats at John, meant that he was an obvious choice to take the cover photograph. We did the session with Robert, and he showed us the results. The method he used in those days was to project the images he had taken on to a white piece of cardboard the shape and size of an album cover.

“While we were choosing a suitable shot the piece of cardboard slipped backwards, giving the image an elongated shape. When things like this happened with The Beatles, instead of just thinking it was a mistake, we grabbed hold of the idea and said, ‘That’s perfect. If you print it with this stretched shape it will echo the title of ‘Rubber Soul”. Robert liked the idea and that is what we did.”

The Beatles’ reissue of ‘Rubber Soul’ is out now.

This comes as progress continues on a four-film biopic series by Sam Mendes, slated for a simultaneous release in April 2028. Set to star Paul Mescal as McCartney, Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, each film will tell the story of the band from a different member’s point of view. Across the summer, the cast were spotted filming the creation of the iconic ‘Abbey Road‘ album cover in London.

Apple Corps and UMG have announced a landmark partnership for the release of the movies.

It has also been confirmed that 3 Savile Row – an iconic London landmark long associated with the band – will open its doors to the public for the first time next year for the first ever official Beatles fan experience.

McCartney dropped his new album ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane‘ earlier this year, which is his first solo record since 2020’s ‘McCartney III’, and features his first duet with former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr. This week saw him release four new songs from a special edition of the record.

Ahead of the album’s release, McCartney sat down with NME to look forwards and back on his extraordinary career, share his “excitement” at contributing to the new The Rolling Stones album, and also reveal if he has plans to retire.