The Beatles recorded John Lennon’s ballad “Across the Universe” in studio three at Abbey Road Studios in London on February 4, 1968. This was the second day of tracking on the song and they recorded four takes during the first part of the day. The group chose the seventh take as the final backing track and they spent the evening recording overdubs including Lennon’s vocal, which was recorded with the tape machine running at a slower speed so that it would sound higher when played in real time. Two fans hanging around outside the studio were invited in by Paul McCartney to record backing vocals during the song’s chorus. “They were so excited. They couldn't believe they'd actually been invited by Paul not just inside the building but into the studio itself, to sing with the Beatles,” engineer Martin Benge recalled in “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn.