During the song’s recording sessions in April 1966, John demanded to know why the bass on a certain Wilson Pickett record exceeded that on any Beatles records.
EMI recording engineer Geoff Emerick responded by boosting the bass on the record.
“‘Paperback Writer’ was the first time the bass sound had been heard in all its excitement,” said Emerick.
“Paul played a different bass, a Rickenbacker. Then we boosted it further by using a loudspeaker as a microphone.”
The harmonies were inspired by the Beach Boy’s “Sloop John B” song. Paul wrote the lyrics in response to a request from an aunt who asked if he could “write a single that wasn’t about love.”
Photos of the Paperback Writer sessions show Paul playing his Rickenbacker 4001S bass, John with his Gretsch Nashville and George with his Burns NuSonic bass he used for rehearsal. Paul is reading a copy of the Stones’ Aftermath album which was released in the UK earlier that day.
