The Beatles: Note By Note

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The Beatles: Note By Note

Note By Note Series

121 episodes

1 day ago

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 their rise as music icons, explore how The Beatles' songs were crafted, recorded, and how they transformed the music industry. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to The Beatles' music, "The Beatles: Note by Note" offers a comprehensive and definitive journey through the catalog of one of the greatest bands of all time. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone seeking an in-depth, authoritative exploration of The Beatles' musical legacy.

For more information, visit https://www.notebynoteseries.com

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Music Commentary

All content for The Beatles: Note By Note is the property of Note By Note Series and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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 their rise as music icons, explore how The Beatles' songs were crafted, recorded, and how they transformed the music industry. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to The Beatles' music, "The Beatles: Note by Note" offers a comprehensive and definitive journey through the catalog of one of the greatest bands of all time. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone seeking an in-depth, authoritative exploration of The Beatles' musical legacy.

For more information, visit https://www.notebynoteseries.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...

Music Commentary

Episodes (20/121)

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP069 - She's A Woman

We start the episode hilariously out of sync, then use “She’s a Woman” to find our groove again. Instead of reciting facts, we rebuild the track from the ground up: why the bass takes the driver’s seat, how those sharp guitar stabs act like percussion, and why the low piano line changes the feel. We zoom in on the tiny tag we both obsess over and show how the sudden shift there creates the exact jolt that keeps you replaying it. Then we step through how the session came together and what flipped a messy run into a locked final take. We compare UK and US release quirks, and we point you to a few covers worth your time without spoiling the surprises. We finish by putting real ratings on our impressions and explaining why. If you like hearing a song transform from “I think I know this” into “wait, that’s what’s happening,” this one’s for you.

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1 day ago

1 hour 11 minutes 5 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

LS069 - She's A Woman - Lecture Series (bonus)

In this Lecture Series deep dive, we pull “She’s a Woman” apart to find the craft hiding in plain sight. First, we scan the lyrics for structure, cadence, and sly wordplay, from the racy “turn me on” placement to unexpected internal rhymes and that clever enjambment that resolves a line one phrase later. Then we pivot to arrangement under a microscope: John’s relentless stabs on two and four, the rolling bass as the backbone, piano echoes of the vocal, and a stripped setup that spotlights the melody. You’ll hear how Paul vaults up, then snakes down, shaping a hook with big interval jumps and off-beat stresses. We map the harmony too, charting an A mixolydian canvas interrupted by a brief, color-splash middle eight that hints at Paul’s future key-play. We compare its DNA to “I Feel Fine,” trace the solo’s blues logic, and close by stress-testing that Little Richard-style outro. Tune in to re-hear the song with fresh ears.

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1 day ago

32 minutes 38 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP068 - I Feel Fine - ft. Jon Blackstone

This week we dive deep into one of the most pivotal records in early Beatles history, I Feel Fine. Kenyon and Peter, joined by musician Jon Blackstone, uncover the story behind the first intentional use of feedback in recorded music, tracing how a studio “mistake” became a defining Beatles innovation. The trio reconstruct the song’s evolution take by take, exploring how a simple riff turned into a landmark single and how Ringo’s rhythmic breakthrough helped shape its sound. Along the way, John shares his own history performing the song live, sparking a rich conversation about what makes it so deceptively difficult and endlessly fun. From technical breakdowns to cultural context, this episode captures that thrilling moment when the Beatles shifted from raw rockers to modern pop pioneers.

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1 week ago

1 hour 49 minutes 49 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

LS068 - I Feel Fine - Lecture Series (bonus)

In this lecture, Kenyon digs into “I Feel Fine” not as a chart-topping single, but as a turning point in Lennon’s songwriting and the band’s evolution in the studio. We unpack the way John’s neutral “I feel fine” lyric carries more weight than it first appears, how the melody crosses bar lines in subtle, surprising ways, and how the Beatles start to experiment with perspective in their storytelling. You’ll also hear how the band’s Latin-influenced drum pattern and riff-based arrangement reveal a whole new level of musical interplay. By the end, you’ll see why “I Feel Fine” is more than just an early example of feedback — it’s the sound of a band learning to speak a new musical language.

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1 week ago

31 minutes 10 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP067 - The Beatles' Story ft. Dr. Richard Driver

This episode steps outside the usual track-by-track format to explore The Beatles’ Story, Capitol Records’ 1964 double-LP “documentary” about the band. With historian Dr. Richard Driver, we look at how this release tried to define the Beatles for the American audience—mixing interviews, narration, and orchestral renditions with facts that were sometimes inaccurate. We trace the record’s place alongside other interview albums of the era, and how it fit into Capitol’s rush to issue product when a planned Hollywood Bowl live album fell through. The discussion reaches beyond the LP itself into questions of myth-making: how early biographies, liner notes, and media portrayals created an official story of the Beatles, and what was left out. Along the way, we connect these myths to later scholarship and even to Peter Jackson’s Get Back, asking what it means for fans and historians to keep retelling the Beatles’ story.

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2 weeks ago

1 hour 34 minutes 38 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP066 - I Don't Want To See You Again

Peter and Gordon are back, and not just on the charts. This episode dives into “I Don’t Want to See You Again,” the third McCartney-penned single given to the duo. While it barely made a dent in the UK, it charted at #16 in the US and even got them a spot on Ed Sullivan. But how does the song hold up?

Kenyon and Peter talk about how the song plays with breakup themes we usually hear from Lennon and why it may have confused people into thinking John wrote it. We also break down the strange classical solo in the middle (maybe oboes, maybe not) and how the production differs from what the Beatles were doing at the time. There’s also a bit of storytime about fan mania, odd American press tactics, and what Paul may have been trying to prove with these “work songs” he kept passing off to friends.

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3 weeks ago

59 minutes 50 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP066 - I Don't Want To See You Again - Lecture Series (bonus)

In this lecture we take a closer look at I Don’t Want to See You Again, a Paul McCartney composition performed by Peter and Gordon. Unlike Paul’s more optimistic breakup songs, this one flips the perspective. He’s not the one leaving, but the one being left behind. The lyrics trace that experience with a mix of disbelief, sorrow, and reflection, shifting from the immediate pain of rejection to the memory of hearing those words echoed long after.

Musically, the song reveals some unusual choices. Its opening sonority sets a distinctive mood, while the arpeggiated melodic shapes tie it to other McCartney works given to Peter and Gordon. The rhythmic feel, punctuated by triplet figures and off-beat entries, gives it a subtle momentum, and the middle section plays with pentatonic patterns in a way that anticipates techniques Paul would return to with greater confidence later. Balanced and polished, the piece shows McCartney working within a conventional form yet finding inventive touches that hint at broader possibilities.

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3 weeks ago

27 minutes 25 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP065 - It's For You

We step out of A Hard Day’s Night and into the Beatles’ songwriter-for-hire mode with “It’s for You,” written for Cilla Black. We trace why Cilla wasn’t a favor but a first-call vocalist in the NEMS orbit, how George Martin chose material for her, and why Paul aimed a new song at her after “Anyone Who Had a Heart.” We cover the 1964 session with Paul at the piano, John in the room offering ideas, and Cilla shaping the take. You’ll hear how the waltz feel, key moves, and that G vs E minor tug sit alongside familiar McCartney “DNA,” yet point away from the guitar-group box. We talk chart results in the UK and US, the brief Paul demo acetate that surfaced years later, and what the song demands from a singer.

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4 weeks ago

1 hour 2 minutes 37 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

LS065 - It's For You - Lecture Series (bonus)

Kenyon examines “It’s For You,” McCartney’s song tailored for Cilla Black’s cabaret lane. The talk explores how Paul steps into lounge tradition while keeping a youthful, pop viewpoint. The lyric voice dreams of a one-true-love future, creating a gentle tension between sophisticated stage polish and teenage fantasy. The focus lands on the middle eight: the recurring “they said love was a lie” idea, the witty internal rhymes, and the quick pivots in cadence. He shows how the refrain’s promise, “It’s for you,” reframes passivity into intention, and how the closing line “no one knows that I do” opens new readings, from secret crush to secret commitment. Along the way, the lecture maps echoes across McCartney’s giveaway catalog versus his Beatles work, highlighting a distinct vocabulary. Rhythm and form shifts are noted for how they refresh the narrative without showboating and phrasing. A compact, rigorous listen for anyone studying lyric architecture.

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4 weeks ago

37 minutes 36 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP064 - From A Window

What happens when a Beatles song isn’t recorded by the Beatles? In this episode, Peter and Kenyon dive into From a Window, written by Paul McCartney and handed off to Billy J. Kramer. The duo plays musical detective, hunting for Beatles fingerprints in the arrangement, the melody, even the title itself. Along the way, they unpack Paul’s writing habits during the Asher era, the studio session that brought John and Paul into the room with Billy, and the performance quirks that make this recording feel a bit more distant than Lennon-McCartney’s usual output. There’s talk of Future Islands, old-fashioned dancing, and why some “songs they gave away” land better than others. As Kenyon argues for the craft and Peter remains slightly skeptical, the conversation becomes a thoughtful reflection on what makes a Beatles song truly feel like a Beatles song. Also, yes, there’s a microwave beef Wellington involved.

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1 month ago

47 minutes 23 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

LS064 - From A Window - Lecture Series (bonus)

Here, the lecture unpacks Paul McCartney’s “From a Window,” written for Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas, by tracing how its lyrics build a small nighttime drama. The framing image is a window: first as a place of sudden sighting, then as a rendezvous, and finally as the anchor of the song’s closing plea. The analysis weighs the charm of love-at-first-sight against a faint “creeper vibe,” noting how McCartney’s idealized promises (“I would be true”) reflect a broader Beatles pattern of writing to a standard they aspired to meet. Attention goes to craft choices that lift it beyond a stock work song: a genuinely new third verse rather than a repeat, a tight but slightly asymmetrical rhyme scheme, and a middle section that smartly repurposes earlier melodic ideas. The lecture also makes a few constructive critiques and sketches alternate phrasings, while situating the song alongside contemporary McCartney pieces to show where it feels traditional and where it hints at growth.

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1 month ago

34 minutes 30 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP063 - I'll Be Back ft. Robert Rodriguez

On this episode of The Beatles: Note by Note, we dive deep into “I’ll Be Back,” John Lennon’s haunting closer to A Hard Day’s Night. We’re joined by Robert Rodriguez (Something About the Beatles), who helps us explore not just the song’s unusual chord shifts and time signature experiments, but also its emotional core—how Lennon weaves between longing, resignation, and determination. We trace its musical DNA back to Del Shannon’s “Runaway,” unpack the ambiguity of its lyrics, and debate the choice to end the album with such a subdued, intricate piece instead of a raucous rocker. Along the way, we follow the Beatles through the chaotic second half of their 1964 world tour—eggs, jelly babies, balcony appearances, and all.

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1 month ago

2 hours 8 minutes 13 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

LS063 - I'll Be Back - Lecture Series (bonus)

John Lennon closes A Hard Day’s Night with one of his most vulnerable works. In this lecture, we trace how I’ll Be Back uses a cycle of leaving and returning to reveal insecurity at the heart of its narrator. The repeated promise, “If you break my heart, I’ll go, but I’ll be back again,” sets the tone: fragile, conflicted, unable to walk away. Two contrasting bridges extend the story—one caught in the present moment of hurt, the other looking back on a failed attempt to provoke a reaction by leaving. The result is a song filled with tension, admission, and resignation. Vocal interplay, mirrored melodic gestures, and Harrison’s subtle guitar figures amplify the mood of exposure. What emerges is a Lennon portrait that feels strikingly intimate, a glimpse of self-doubt disguised within the polish of Beatles harmony and arrangement.

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1 month ago

45 minutes 16 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP062 - When I Get Home ft. Jon Sunde

John Lennon’s "When I Get Home" pushes forward with urgency, both musically and lyrically. Special guest Jon Sunde joins us to talk about this Motown-inspired track. With harmonies doubled by Paul and George, a striking opening vocal line, and Lennon’s raw, compressed vocal delivery, the song cuts close to the energy of their live set. The session itself included a moment of confusion from 17-year-old tape operator Ken Scott, who misunderstood George Martin’s call of "When I Get Home". It took a scramble to line the tape back up before the band got the song down. Lyrically, it sways between urgency to reunite with a lover and the complexity of Lennon’s characteristic push-pull. It may not be the album’s most celebrated cut, but it captures the grit, humor, and restless drive of mid-1964 Beatles.

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1 month ago

1 hour 38 minutes 20 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

LS062 - When I Get Home - Lecture Series (bonus)

This lecture examines John Lennon’s “When I Get Home” as a study in lyrical focus and harmonic misdirection. We begin with the title premise: the narrator is away and eager to return, “with a whole lot of things to tell her.” The refrain functions ambiguously as either a true refrain or a tagged final line, mirroring the song’s tension between urgency and form. Lyrically, lines such as “no time for trivialities” place him on the last leg of the journey, pushing past press and distractions to reach home. The middle eight turns explicit and awkwardly charming with “hold her tight” and “love her till the cows come home,” before landing on the puzzling “I’ll bet I’ll love her more till I walk out that door again.”

Musically, the lecture explores Lennon’s use of pentatonic riffing, sudden shifts that create a sense of unpredictability, and phrasing that feels almost tacked on yet grabs attention. These quirks highlight his willingness to bend structure in pursuit of immediacy and impact.

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1 month ago

30 minutes 16 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP061 - Things We Said Today ft. Rob Collier (Beatles Bass Lines)

In this episode, we dive deep into “Things We Said Today,” Paul McCartney’s sophisticated, future-nostalgic gem from A Hard Day’s Night. Written during a Virgin Islands getaway with Jane Asher, the song captures the unusual trick of projecting into the future to look back on the present. We’re joined by special guest Rob Collier—music theorist, bassist, and the mind behind Beatles Bass Lines—who shares how a single TV moment with Paul inspired his lifelong Beatles obsession. Together, we explore the song’s recording sessions, from its A-minor backbone to its striking harmonic shifts, and the inventive use of a tea towel on Ringo’s snare. Along the way, we examine how the Beatles talked about music theory, intentionally or not, and how Paul’s chord choices hint at the sophistication still to come. It’s a journey through memory, musicianship, and the magical room “Things We Said Today” creates in just a few minutes.

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1 month ago

1 hour 28 minutes 50 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

LS061 - Things We Said Today - Lecture Series (bonus)

This lecture explores Paul McCartney’s “Things We Said Today,” a song that begins as a tour-time love letter and evolves into a reflection on lasting companionship. The analysis traces how the lyrics shift from separation and longing to the image of a couple growing old together, with the phrase “not a lot to say” capturing that quiet permanence.

The episode focuses on how contrasts between present and future shape the song’s message, how rhythmic choices add surprise, and how melodic details bring both tension and resolution. Listeners are guided through the qualities that make this track stand out and how it reveals the Beatles expanding beyond simple pop formulas into deeper, more enduring songwriting.

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1 month ago

43 minutes 35 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP060 - I'll Cry Instead

John Lennon’s sharp, country-tinged “I’ll Cry Instead” from A Hard Day’s Night packs more behind its brisk tempo than first meets the ear. We trace the song’s unusual recording. It was split into two sections for a planned film scene that never happened, and the sting of its rejection from the movie in favor of “Can’t Buy Me Love.” You’ll hear about Lennon’s doubled vocals, Ringo’s tambourine overdub, and the curious U.S. mono mix with an extra verse. We explore the Dylan-esque wordplay, flashes of bitterness, and the mix of bravado and vulnerability in Lennon’s lyrics. Plus, two standout contemporary covers show why this track marks an early step toward Lennon’s more mature, introspective songwriting.

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2 months ago

1 hour 29 minutes 14 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

LS060 - I'll Cry Instead - Lecture Series (bonus)

I’ll Cry Instead turns on one small word: instead. The verses stake out a simple, driving premise: “I want to do X, but I can’t, so I’ll cry instead”. And every section reinforces that core. The middle eight shifts the lens: the speaker is ashamed of public sadness, hides away, then promises a future return, which recontextualizes the final verse from immediate reaction to deferred bravado. Lyrically, the song balances ambiguity (“have myself locked up” as jail, isolation, or breakdown), a Dylan-like hyperbole (“chip on my shoulder that’s bigger than my feet”), and flashes of vindictive posturing that raise thornier questions about attitude and tone. Musically, it sits in G with a “seesaw” backbone and country-flavored guitar motion, buoyant bass, tambourine texture, and Lennon’s signature minor-over-major inflections, even clashing against a C7 to prioritize melody. The bridge sequences motives, briefly feels D-centered, then pivots back before a clean, unfussy ending that suits a fast studio date.

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2 months ago

32 minutes 31 seconds

The Beatles: Note By Note

EP059 - Any Time At All

What happens when a Beatles deep cut reveals more than you ever expected? In this episode, we dive into "Any Time At All"—a song John Lennon once called a rewrite of “It Won’t Be Long,” but that reveals itself to be something far deeper. We unravel the mystery of a scrapped middle eight, dissect lost verses from a rare lyric sheet, and uncover what may be Lennon’s first true “friendship” song—an empathetic anthem as intimate as it is explosive. From studio experiments to emotional authenticity, from fight songs to friendship, this track becomes a turning point in how The Beatles connect with their audience. Plus: piano capos, White Elephants, and our theory that John meant every single word. Whether you love A Hard Day’s Night or are just discovering its hidden corners, this is a revealing ride into Beatles songwriting at a pivotal moment. As always, we end with our honest impressions and a surprising rating.

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2 months ago

1 hour 49 minutes 30 seconds