The Beatles’ “DEVIL IN HER HEART” — The Backing Vocals Finally Take Shape (Revealing 2026 Remix)

Sometimes a remix can reveal a vocal detail that was hiding in plain sight for decades. In this 2026 remix of The Beatles' “Devil In Her Heart,” the staccato backing vocals from John and Paul step forward, revealing a rhythmic bite that was largely buried in the original. By carefully rebalancing the mix while respecting the character of the 1963 recording, these sharply articulated harmonies now interact more clearly with George’s lead vocal, adding momentum and definition without altering the spirit of the performance. What once felt like background texture now blends as an intentional, driving rhythmic element of the arrangement.

The original stereo mix of Devil In Her Heart suffered from the same awkward presentation found on many tracks from With The Beatles: vocals isolated in one channel, instrumentation in the opposite channel, and reverb used inconsistently to fill out the soundstage. In this case, the vocals were placed entirely in the right channel, with drums and bass locked to the left. Reverb was applied only to the guitars and drums, leaving the vocals unusually dry, with no opposing-channel ambience to support them. Meanwhile, the guitars were treated with a heavy amount of reverb and delay in the opposite channel, creating an effect similar to a double-tracked guitar.

Being very familiar with this original mixing approach, my goal was to move toward a more conventional and balanced presentation—one that creates greater fullness and cohesion, similar to the mixing style that would emerge shortly afterward when The Beatles transitioned from two-track to four-track recording.

To begin, I separated and isolated all backing vocals along with George’s lead vocal, placing each on its own dedicated track. In this new remix, George is now centered, with Paul positioned to the left and John to the right, giving the impression that the listener is seated directly in front of them as they perform. As mentioned earlier, this placement brings forward the rhythmic, staccato quality of John and Paul’s backing vocals—an element I personally had not fully noticed after more than sixty years of listening.

The drums and bass have been moved from the left channel to the center, providing a stronger and more balanced foundation. Importantly, the original drum reverb has been preserved, but it is now spread across both channels rather than confined to one side. Notice how much more power and energy the opening drum hits carry with this new positioning.

George’s lead guitar and John’s rhythm guitar remain completely untouched. They appear exactly as they did in the original stereo mix, anchored in the left channel with their reverb and delay blooming in the right channel, preserving their familiar character.

Devil In Her Heart was recorded on July 18, 1963, the very first day of sessions for With The Beatles, at EMI’s Studio Two. That evening session was dedicated exclusively to cover songs, including You Really Got A Hold On Me, Money, Devil In Her Heart, and Till There Was You. Originally titled Devil In His Heart, the song was first recorded by the Detroit-based all-girl group The Donays. Although their version failed to chart, it was known to The Beatles and was released the same week Parlophone issued Love Me Do. Only six takes were needed for The Beatles to complete their recording. The song was released in Britain on November 22, 1963, appearing as side two, track five of With The Beatles. American listeners would not hear it until April 10, 1964, when it was issued as track four on side one of The Beatles’ Second Album.

I sincerely hope you enjoy listening to this newly mixed version, and thank you so much for listening.