The Beatles: Note By Note

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 fo...

26 Jul 202552min

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 direct...

19 Jul 20252h 18min

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 ro...

12 Jul 20251h 11min

“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 ...

5 Jul 20251h 3min

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 e...

29 Jun 20251h 11min

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...

29 Jun 202535min

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, th...

22 Jun 20251h

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 ...

22 Jun 202535min