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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.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries

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

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  • 26 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 6 min
  • English

Episodes 26

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  • S2 · E89
    April 17 · 1 hr

    I'm Down - Episode 89 with Erik McIntyre

    In this Beatles podcast, we are joined by bass player Erik McIntyre to discuss the B-side of the Help! single. Written on the back of a telegram, this song was conjured up as a replacement for Little Richard's Long Tall Sally in The Beatles' set list. In the conversation, we dive into the history of the song and, with Erik's help, explore why this song was necessary in the Beatles catalog at this exact moment. We cover: -Decoding Paul McCartney's bass lines -The protest song Eve of Destruction and its role in the Beatles' songwriting -The legedary recording session that produced this song -The politics of being in a band and the importance of keeping it fun Check out Erik McIntire: https://www.instagram.com/erik_mcintyre/ https://www.acemonroe.com/ Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S2 · E88
    April 17 · 1 hr 16 min

    Help! - Episode 88 with Jeremy Ivey

    This Beatles podcast episode attempts to get at why Help feels so relatable even after all these years. We are joined by songwriter Jeremy Ivey and open up the song as a John Lennon turning point, a George Harrison guitar showcase, and a surprisingly strange bit of Beatles detective work. We cover: -George Harrison’s lead guitar part, the chromatic descent, and the countrified feel of the playing -How John wrote Help, from the film title to Paul’s counter melody -The mystery of a secret recording session pieced together from photos uncovered in 2002 -Where Help landed on the music charts with the other songs of the day Check out Jeremy Ivey: https://jeremyivey.net Video on George's guitar part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec6M_6ua16o Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S2 · E87
    April 10 · 35 min

    That Means A Lot - Lecture Series 87 (bonus)

    In this Beatles Lecture Series episode, Kenyon argues that “That Means a Lot” is one of Paul McCartney’s strangest songs, sounding deeply like Paul and strangely unlike him at the same time as an apparently simple love song turns anxious, vulnerable, and hard to pin down. It makes you hear the song less as a minor castoff and more as a fascinating anomaly, where emotional need, uncertainty, and real musical ambition are all pulling in different directions. Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S2 · E87
    April 3 · 1 hr 20 min

    That Means A Lot - Episode 87 with Mary Devlin (beatledirt)

    In this Beatles podcast episode, Mary Devlin joins us for a songwriter’s conversation about That Means a Lot, one of the more interesting Beatles deep cuts. As usual, there is more here than meets the eye, and we have a sharp discussion about songwriting, social media, and Beauty and the Beast. We cover: -How That Means a Lot could be Paul's response to Ticket to Ride -Is there a number of chords you need to have a good song? -PJ Proby’s version of the song -The Beatles’ multiple attempts to record the song, including a Beatles first Check out Mary's socials: https://hoo.be/beatledirt Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S2 · E86
    March 20 · 1 hr 25 min

    Bad Boy - Episode 86 with Jesse Pollack (All You Need Is Pod)

    On this episode of our Beatles podcast, we take a song Peter barely knew and turn it into one of the most spirited conversations in the series. On Bad Boy, Note by Note brings in Jesse Pollack from All You Need Is Pod to talk about this iconic track, one of the last of its kind. We cover: -Larry Williams’ original versus the Beatles version and what changed in the arrangement -John Lennon’s vocal performance and the debate over where it ranks among Beatles covers -The emergency Help-era session, Beatles VI, and the rush to get the song to America -The Hohner Pianet C, the Studer tape machine, and a new recording technique Check out All You Need Is Pod: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-you-need-is-pod/id1857843520 Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • S2 · E85
    March 13 · 33 min

    Yes It Is - Lecture Series 85 (bonus)

    In this Beatles Lecture Series, “Yes It Is” stops sounding like a simple warning about a color and starts sounding like grief masked as control, with the lecture arguing the real “it” is pride and the performance carries a ghost-like weight. You also get a guided listen through the three-part harmony, why it feels unusually crunchy and a little unstable, how it shifts between tight clusters and barbershop-like movement, and the question of how much George Martin may have shaped what we’re hearing. Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Showing 21–26 of 26 episodes