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PODCAST

The Beatles: Note By Note

Note By Note Series

A Beatles podcast that goes song-by-song through every Beatles release in chronological order. We focus on the music itself, breaking down what you’re hearing and why it works.Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeriesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

music music commentary

All Episodes

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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1:08:50

EP046 - Long Tall Sally

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/08

The Beatles may have written hits by the dozen, but when it came to raw vocal power, they turned to “Long Tall Sally.” In this episode, Peter and Kenyon examine how Paul McCartney tackled Little Richard’s blistering classic and made it his own. From the song’s gospel-tinged triplets to McCartney’s throat-shredding vocal performance, this cover became a defining moment in Beatles live sets—often saved for their explosive finales. The hosts explore the band’s deep reverence for American R&B, the

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1:16:37

EP045 - You Can't Do That

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/01

The Beatles wrote dozens of love songs—but “You Can’t Do That” is all jealousy, threat, and menace. In this episode, Peter and Kenyon unpack John Lennon’s ferocious 1964 track, a surprisingly harsh B-side to the exuberant “Can’t Buy Me Love.” The hosts explore how Lennon channels emotional volatility through biting lyrics, raw vocal delivery, and a snarling lead guitar part that George Harrison devised with a newly acquired Rickenbacker 12-string. They delve into the song’s modal blues influences,

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39:37

LS045 - You Can't Do That - Lecture Series (bonus)

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/06/01

This lecture examines “You Can’t Do That” as an early exemplar of John Lennon’s emotionally unvarnished songwriting. Kenyon dissects how the track pushes against the pop conventions of 1964, both musically and lyrically. Built on a blues framework yet rich in modal ambiguity, the song contrasts a driving, almost brutal rhythmic groove with harmonic suspensions and key flirtations that mirror the instability in its lyrics. Lennon’s vocal delivery is sharp-edged and unrepentant, revealing a narrator

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1:08:26

EP044 - Can't Buy Me Love

The Beatles: Note By Note ·

2025/05/24

It sold 2 million copies in a day and knocked America off its feet—but was “Can’t Buy Me Love” the beginning of the end for the Beatles’ greatest songwriting era? In this episode, Peter and Kenyon dissect the band’s first true solo-credited hit, where Paul McCartney goes it alone vocally and compositionally, breaking the “eyeball to eyeball” method that had defined Lennon-McCartney’s early work. The duo explores the track’s Paris hotel origins, its 12-bar blues structure, and George Martin’s

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135 results

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