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PODCAST

The Beatles: Note By Note

Note By Note Series

Join former bandmates and lifelong friends Peter and Kenyon as they dive deep into the legendary discography of The Beatles in "The Beatles: Note by Note." With decades of friendship and a shared passion for music, these lifelong Beatles fans meticulously analyze each Beatles song in chronological order of release. Blending historical context with personal anecdotes and technical insights, Peter and Kenyon"s discussions are enriched by their background as musicians. From their humble beginnings to

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All Episodes

27:47

LS058 - Tell Me Why - Lecture Series (bonus)

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/30

John Lennon’s “Tell Me Why” might seem like just another early Beatles breakup song—but this lecture uncovers the subtle drama lurking beneath its simple exterior. We dig into the emotional confusion of a narrator who’s both wounded and desperate, shifting between accusation and apology. Is the crying real, or manipulative? Is the lie clear, or just rhyme filler? We also explore Lennon’s songwriting habits—like his fondness for the 13th—and how he repurposes melodic fragments, including what we’re

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1:30:58

EP057 - And I Love Her ft. Gareth (They Came to a...

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/23

Today, we’re turning the spotlight on the Beatles’ first intentional ballad—“And I Love Her.” With guest Gareth from They Came to a Land Down Under, we unpack the origins, cultural shifts, and musical innovations that make this Hard Day’s Night gem so mesmerizing. Gareth shares vivid stories of Beatlemania in Australia, including the wild tale of a Ringo lookalike at a press conference and the moment he first heard “A Hard Day’s Night” over his school’s loudspeakers to honor Lennon’s death.We trace

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36:00

LS057 - And I Love Her - Lecture Series (bonus)

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/23

In this episode of the Lecture Series, Kenyon unpacks the quiet power and tonal ambiguity of Paul McCartney’s “And I Love Her.” He traces how even the song’s title hints at emotional complexity—why not just “I Love Her”? With lyrical imagery like “the kiss my lover brings,” Paul paints love as something distant, mysterious, even cosmic. Kenyon highlights the unusual harmony and modal drift that blur the line between C♯ minor and E major, calling into question where the tonal center really lies. He

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1:25:52

EP056 - I'm Happy Just To Dance With You ft. Nancy...

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/16

George double-tracked his vocal “to perfection,” and the rest is Beatles history—maybe. In this episode, Kenyon and Peter are joined by special guest Nancy from Vinyl Friday for a full-bodied takedown (and celebration) of I’m Happy Just to Dance with You. They tackle why John and Paul dismissed the song as “formula,” why it might be way deeper than anyone admits, and why George’s vocals deserve a standing ovation. Along the way, they dig into danceable rhythms, surprising chord changes, and the

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32:59

LS056 - I'm Happy Just To Dance With You - Lecture...

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/16

In this episode of the Beatles Lecture Series, Kenyon dives deep into the oft-overlooked “I’m Happy Just to Dance with You,” written by John Lennon and sung by George. While John dismissed it as a “work song,” this lecture uncovers its quiet brilliance. Kenyon explores how the lyrics—simple on the surface—suggest deeper implications about love, sufficiency, and emotional restraint. From a music theory angle, the episode highlights the song’s unusual tonal movement between E major and C♯ minor,

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1:15:55

EP055 - If I Fell ft. Peter Pisano

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/09

In this episode of Note by Note, we unravel the layered vulnerability of If I Fell, a Lennon ballad that holds more than meets the ear. Kenyon, Peter, and Justin explore its striking intro—modulating from D♭ to D major—and how the tonal ambiguity sets the stage for a love song laced with self-doubt.They discuss the sincerity and irony woven into the lyrics, questioning whether John is making a true romantic plea or mocking the very sentiment. The trio also breaks down the vocal blend between John

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53:45

LS055 - If I Fell - Lecture Series (bonus)

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/09

John Lennon’s “If I Fell” may sound like a tender ballad, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a song loaded with ambiguity and emotional risk. In this lecture, Kenyon explores the idea that it’s not just a rebound love song, but a veiled confession of infidelity—highlighting the mysterious “her” mentioned throughout. We also dive into the harmonic sophistication of the intro, its Broadway-style chromaticism, and how the song’s structure toys with expectations. There’s a close look at the

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1:18:58

EP054 - I Should Have Known Better

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/02

Before Help! and long before Norwegian Wood, there was I Should Have Known Better—John Lennon’s first brush with Bob Dylan-style introspection. In this episode, Kenyon and Peter explore the song’s pivotal place in Lennon’s evolution, tracing how a three-week binge on Freewheelin’ in Paris unlocked a new songwriting voice. From harmonica gags and studio laughs to the delicate blues turn in the bridge, the track reveals Lennon’s tentative first steps toward depth and realism. You’ll also hear about

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43:15

LS054 - I Should Have Known Better - Lecture Series...

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/08/02

At first glance, “I Should Have Known Better” seems like a standard early Beatles love song. But in this lecture, we uncover a deeper emotional arc beneath its simple title. Is John Lennon reflecting on love, or quietly regretting it? We analyze the song’s evolving lyrical perspective—from naive infatuation to possible disillusionment—and trace how Lennon builds that narrative through harmonic pacing, key modulation, and melodic delay. Musically, we examine the folk-inflected harmonica, the pivot

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1:51:56

EP053 - A Hard Day's Night ft. Justin Mann

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/07/26

In this packed episode of The Beatles: Note by Note, Kenyon, Peter, and Justin dive deep into the song “A Hard Day’s Night.” They unravel the song's hectic creation on April 13, 1964, when Lennon famously wrote it overnight, transferring lyrics from a matchbox to the back of his son's birthday card. The trio dissects the instantly iconic opening chord, recreates its harmonic layers live on the podcast, and credits journalist Maureen Cleave for influencing the final lyric: “I find the things that you

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52:14

LS053 - A Hard Day's Night - Lecture Series (bonus)

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/07/26

John Lennon had a problem: how do you write a love song called “A Hard Day’s Night”? In this lecture, we analyze how he solved it—lyrically and harmonically—using idioms, tonal ambiguity, and jazzy fourths to disguise a fairly conventional romantic setup. We unpack the grammar of the title, trace Lennon’s melodic habits, and spotlight the song’s most daring chord substitutions. You’ll hear why the bridge sounds like a different songwriter entirely, and how the intro chord helped define rock harmony

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2:18:58

EP052 - A Hard Day's Night Film ft. Stephen Ptacek

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/07/19

A Hard Day’s Night wasn’t just the Beatles’ first film—it was a cinematic reset button for the music movie. In this episode, Peter, Kenyon and special guest Stephen explore how Richard Lester’s direction, Alun Owen’s script, and the band’s own instincts combined to create a kinetic, irreverent, and deeply influential piece of pop art.From surreal cutaways to handheld camera work, the film captured the chaos of Beatlemania while also mythologizing it. We examine how it introduced character tropes

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1:11:35

EP051 - Matchbox

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/07/12

Originally a Carl Perkins B-side, Matchbox became a showcase for Ringo Starr during the Beatles’ whirlwind studio sessions of mid-1964. In this episode, we explore why Ringo was chosen to sing this rockabilly relic, how it fits within the band’s American roots influences, and the peculiar circumstances surrounding its recording.With George Harrison on lead guitar and producer George Martin himself playing piano, the session was slapped together in between tour rehearsals and studio catch-up. Ringo’s

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1:03:13

EP050 - Slow Down

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/07/05

“Slow Down” might be credited to The Beatles, but this cover of a Larry Williams B-side reveals more about the band’s limitations than their strengths. In this episode, we take a close listen to John Lennon’s vocal delivery—raw, impassioned, and unsteady—and question how this track ended up released at all.We explore the hurried recording process, George Martin’s unusually hands-off approach, and the unflattering final mix that left Lennon audibly straining to keep up with the tempo. It’s not just a

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1:11:13

EP049 - Like Dreamers Do

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/29

Before The Beatles were a household name, before “Love Me Do,” there was Like Dreamers Do—a teenage composition by Paul McCartney that became one of their earliest calling cards. In this episode, we explore the song’s unusual journey through the Decca audition and into the EMI offices, where it played a quiet but crucial role in landing the Beatles their deal with Parlophone.We also look at the overlooked role of George Martin—not just as a producer, but as a man navigating a personal crisis. His

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35:39

LS049 - Like Dreamers Do - Lecture Series (bonus)

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/29

In this lecture, we dive into Paul McCartney’s early composition Like Dreamers Do, exploring its melodic construction, lyrical themes, and musical architecture as performed by the Applejacks. The song unfolds a romantic narrative of longing and fulfillment, using circular, self-referential pronouns and repeating motifs to reflect the dreamlike anticipation of meeting “the girl in my dreams.” We analyze how McCartney’s phrase structures play with identity and immersion, creating patterns that anchor

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1:00:14

EP048 - Nobody I Know

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/22

Join hosts Peter and Kenyon for an in-depth look at “Nobody I Know,” the follow-up to Peter and Gordon’s breakout hit “A World Without Love.” Written by Paul McCartney specifically for Peter Asher, this track offers a glimpse into Paul’s early experiments in songwriting for others — and perhaps ghostwriting altogether. We explore the class dynamics behind Peter and Gordon’s image, dissect the Tin Pan Alley and Baroque pop stylings of the track, and debate whether this song could have ever been a

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35:03

LS048 - Nobody I Know - Lecture Series (bonus)

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/22

In this Beatles Lecture Series episode, Kenyon offers a critical musicological analysis of “Nobody I Know,” written by Paul McCartney and performed by Peter and Gordon. Though it charted in 1964, the song is marked by lyrical vagueness, structural flatness, and harmonic awkwardness. Kenyon unpacks the song’s root–seventh melodic motif, a classical-sounding line reminiscent of Für Elise, and how its rhythmic monotony undercuts its emotional impact. Special attention is given to the song’s middle

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1:06:34

EP047 - One And One Is Two

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/15

In this episode, Peter and Kenyon dive deep into one of the most obscure Lennon-McCartney tracks: “One and One Is Two.” Originally written for Billy J. Kramer, the song was ultimately passed down a surprising chain—from the Fourmost to a forgotten band known as The Strangers with Mike Shannon, who recorded the only released version. But who were they? Through sharp storytelling and meticulous research, the hosts uncover a fascinating tale that stretches from Liverpool to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe),

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14:35

LS047 - One And One Is Two - Lecture Series (bonus)

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/15

Welcome to the Beatles Lecture Series, where Kenyon unpacks the hidden layers of even the most overlooked entries in the Lennon–McCartney catalog. In this episode, we explore “One and One is Two,” a discarded McCartney composition ultimately recorded by The Strangers with Mike Shannon. Kenyon examines the lyrical inconsistency, the unrequited-love theme, and the rushed nature of its composition—all signs of a quick commission for Billy J. Kramer. From a harmonic perspective, the lecture focuses on

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119 results

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