The 1964 track 'I'll Follow the Sun' captured The Beatles at a vulnerable moment, recorded during a period of creative depletion following years of relentless Beatlemania. With insufficient time to develop new compositions, the group returned to the studio to complete Beatles for Sale, relying partly on covers and older pieces like McCartney's pre-fame track. The song's sparse acoustic arrangement meant each musical contribution carried particular weight, making instrumental choices more significant than on their heavily produced later work.

Tension flared over the guitar solo, with Harrison insisting on his entitlement to play the part as the band's lead guitarist, yet encountering pushback from bandmates including Lennon. Feeling marginalised and underutilised in the creative process, Harrison confronted the recording engineer and asserted his role's importance within the group. The studio disagreement reflected broader interpersonal friction that would intensify during The Beatles' final creative period.