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The Beatles: Note By Note
Rock And Roll Music - Episode 73 with Giggens
In this episode of our Beatles podcast, we invite music critic and musician Giggens into the room to help us pick apart why this cover still hits like a shot of adrenaline. Let's take Rock and Roll Music and make it Beatles. We kick off with our usual on-mic chaos, then settle into the fun stuff: how we frame a song, what we listen for, and why John’s full-throttle vocal changes the game. Along the way we test the line between rock and roll and rock, talk pacing and sequencing on Beatles For Sale, read period liner notes out loud, and let Giggens weigh the musician brain against the critic brain. It is playful, fast, and very us. No spoiler-y deep dives, just the energy of a barn burner, a few ridiculous jokes, and an honest, punchy verdict at the end. If you like hearing passionate people argue about what makes a performance work, this one’s for you.
Giggens: https://www.youtube.com/@Giggens
Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries
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79. Honey Don't - Episode 79
58:00||Season 1, Ep. 79On this Beatles podcast episode of The Beatles Note by Note, we start with Honey Don’t and end up in some surprisingly detailed territory. If you like songwriting context, studio specifics, and a few 1964 detours that explain why certain songs stuck, this one is for you.We cover:- Where Honey Don’t came from, and how the Beatles folded it into their live set before giving it to Ringo- The last Beatles for Sale recording session and how quickly they put the track together- A version-by-version compare: Carl Perkins, the Beatles, and John’s Plastic Ono Band jam- Ringo’s 1964 tonsil surgery story and the strange press attention around it- The “Ringo for President” campaign and what it said about youth culture at the time
78. Words Of Love - Episode 78 with Chris McGovern (The Gen-X Muse)
01:31:57||Season 1, Ep. 78A Buddy Holly deep cut turns into a surprisingly big conversation in this Beatles podcast episode. With guest Chris McGovern, also known as the Gen X Muse, we dig into why “Words of Love” hits so differently on Beatles for Sale.We cover:- What Buddy Holly meant to the Beatles- Who may or may not be singing- The packing case Ringo plays- The recording session details- A retrospective of Brian Epstein's youthThe Gen-X Muse: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/chris-h-mcgovern
77. Eight Days A Week - Episode 77 with Josh Goodwin
01:29:29||Season 1, Ep. 77You would not expect a psychoanalyst to pick Eight Days a Week as the song to talk about, but once he explains why, it clicks. In this Beatles podcast episode, we dig into why their newest hit at the time still feels like an intentional throwback, with little “odd” details that make it more interesting the longer you listen.We cover:- Who actually wrote it, and where the title “Eight Days a Week” may have come from- The intro they could not get right, and why the released version fades in- The musical move that makes the song feel slightly unresolved (in a good way)- How and why it became a U.S. #1 single, plus the Beatles for Sale EP context- A quick Help! pre-production storytime: “Eight Arms to Hold You” and how the film got its final shape
77. Eight Days A Week - Lecture Series 77 (bonus)
32:29||Season 1, Ep. 77Eight Days a Week looks like a straightforward love lyric, but this lecture argues the real surprise is how many of the song’s rules quietly break at once, especially in the middle eight where the meter feels unbalanced, the harmony refuses to follow a clean pattern, and the time even drops out. You’ll also hear why the harmony moves works so well, and how the whole track can feel like a pivot point between early pop Beatles and what comes later.
76. Kansas City - Episode 76 with Agustín Kafka
01:11:52||Season 1, Ep. 76We recorded this one with our guest Augustín literally out at sea on a cruise ship, which somehow feels perfect for a high-energy cover like Kansas City. In this Beatles podcast episode, we talk Beatles landmarks, the messy songwriting history behind the tune, and why this performance hits the way it does on Beatles for Sale.We cover:- Guest interview with Augustin (Sound and Story), calling in from a cruise ship near Tenerife- Beatles landmarks: 7 Cavendish Avenue, Abbey Road, 57 Green Street, and 57 Wimpole Street- Song history: Lieber and Stoller, Little Richard’s “hey, hey, hey” section, and why credits get messy- Recording on Oct 18, 1964: live take, piano overdub, handclaps, and the fade-out choice- Storytime: the 1964 North American tour and the $150,000 Kansas City show
75. Mr Moonlight - Episode 75 with Nancy Howie (Fathom)
01:43:45||Season 1, Ep. 75Most people skip Mr Moonlight on Beatles For Sale, so on this Beatles podcast we put it on trial. Kenyon and Peter are joined by Nancy to settle it: is Mr Moonlight secretly great, or truly cursed?We cover:- Why Mr Moonlight is the most skipped track on Beatles For Sale- The song’s path back to Roy Lee Johnson and Dr Feelgood and the Interns- Version comparison: Star Club performance vs the Hollies version- Recording comparison: Anthology take with tremolo guitar vs the official release with Paul’s organ solo- Storytime: the 1964 North American tour and the night Bob Dylan got the Beatles properly high
74. I'll Follow The Sun - Episode 74 with Alexei Casselle
01:14:20||Season 1, Ep. 74What happens when an underground Twin Cities hip hop veteran picks the softest song on Beatles for Sale as his favorite track on the album?On this episode we bring in our old friend Alexei, known as Crescent Moon from Kill the Vultures and Mixed Blood Majority, to talk about why I’ll Follow the Sun hits him so hard. We get into his path from early Minneapolis hip hop crews to folk duos busking Dylan style, and how that journey opened the door to the Beatles.We cover:- The wild origin of the song, written by Paul at 16 while sick at home- The stripped down “bedroom pop” feel of the Beatles’ recording, complete with Ringo drumming on his knees- Bad covers of the song- A cursed 7-Up slogan during the "Uncola" campaign
74. I'll Follow The Sun - Lecture Series 74 (bonus)
29:27||Season 1, Ep. 74What if Paul’s gentle breakup song is secretly in the wrong key?In this lecture Kenyon takes I’ll Follow The Sun apart piece by piece, starting with the lyrics and their roots in an earlier Paul song, I’ll Be On My Way. We look at rain and sun as more than mood words. Rain can stand in for Liverpool and Britain, the sun for a brighter, maybe more exotic future, and the relationship sits right in the middle of that tension.Website: https://www.notebynoteseries.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NoteByNoteSeriesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/notebynoteseries