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 subtle modifications they made to the original arrangement, and how the recording captured their ability to walk the line between homage and transformation. With a spotlight on the blistering guitar solo, relentless tempo, and the song’s pivotal role in the Beatles’ stagecraft, this episode unpacks what made “Long Tall Sally” one of their most electrifying—and enduring—covers.

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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, subtle key ambiguities, and its use of stop-time syncopation in the verses—a rhythmic tension that mirrors the song’s lyrical unease. The conversation also touches on the song’s live arrangements, early mixes, and the moment when Paul’s high harmony nearly outshines the lead vocal. “You Can’t Do That” may not be a Beatles chart-topper, but in this episode, it gets the spotlight as one of their most emotionally charged early recordings.

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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 caught in the grip of possessiveness and social anxiety. Kenyon also considers the instrumental architecture—George Harrison’s biting 12-string Rickenbacker lead, Ringo Starr’s accented snare pattern, and Paul McCartney’s harmony line that teeters between support and challenge. The lecture frames “You Can’t Do That” not simply as a B-side to “Can’t Buy Me Love,” but as a turning point in Lennon’s expressive range and the band’s willingness to explore darker emotional registers within the format of pop songwriting.

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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 now-iconic chorus-as-intro innovation. They also cover George Harrison’s first truly great solo, Geoff Emerick’s surprise engineering debut, and the stereo hi-hat overdub secretly performed by producer Norman Smith. From Ella Fitzgerald’s same-year cover to the infamous Paris residency that birthed the song, this episode unpacks both the musical brilliance and behind-the-scenes tension of a record that signaled a changing tide in the Beatles’ dynamic—and history.

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In this lecture, Kenyon examines Paul McCartney’s “Can’t Buy Me Love,” a pivotal track in the Beatles’ early catalog that bridges 12-bar blues tradition with modern pop innovation. Written in Paris and released as a single before appearing on A Hard Day’s Night, the song is often remembered for its hook, but Kenyon’s analysis reveals deeper structural and harmonic nuance. The lecture explores the song’s lyrical progression, which subtly reframes materialism into a broader reflection on emotional values. Kenyon unpacks the use of syncopation, plagal cadences, and a carefully executed turnaround that alters the expected blues form. He also dissects George Martin’s reharmonization of the chorus to create the song’s intro and outro, and highlights George Harrison’s compact, memorable solo as a turning point in Beatles guitar work. With its fusion of blues, show-tune harmony, and rhythmic inventiveness, “Can’t Buy Me Love” emerges as a deceptively complex exemplar of early Lennon-McCartney songwriting craft.

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What happens when a teenage Paul McCartney writes a song so sentimental that even John Lennon rolls his eyes? In this episode, Peter and Kenyon explore “A World Without Love,” a track McCartney penned at just 16 and later gave to his girlfriend Jane Asher’s brother, Peter, for his duo Peter and Gordon. The hosts break down the song’s swooning lyrics, lush harmonies, and the famously rejected opening line, “Please lock me away,” which Lennon reportedly found too corny for the Beatles’ image. They also discuss how the song, recorded in five takes at EMI Studios, became the first non-NEMS track to top the U.S. and U.K. charts—a feat no other Beatles giveaway ever matched. From its unusual chord changes to its role in the British Invasion, this episode tells the story of a track that captured the world’s imagination, even without the Beatles’ name on the label.

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In this lecture, Kenyon explores “A World Without Love,” a Paul McCartney composition that became a chart-topping hit for Peter and Gordon in 1964. Written when McCartney was just 16, the song reflects his early fascination with grand, romantic gestures, yet reveals hints of deeper themes. Kenyon examines the song’s unusual opening line, “Please lock me away,” which John Lennon reportedly rejected as too sentimental, and considers the possible influence of the Asher family on McCartney’s lyrical imagery, including references to isolation and introspection. The lecture also breaks down the song’s harmonic structure, with its surprising use of non-diatonic chords, suspended resolutions, and shifting modal patterns that reflect McCartney’s evolving compositional style. By analyzing the song’s form, melodic phrasing, and metaphorical language, Kenyon demonstrates how “A World Without Love” serves as a fascinating case study in McCartney’s early songwriting, capturing both youthful innocence and emotional complexity.

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What do the Beatles and classic doo-wop have in common? More than you might think. “This Boy” finds the Beatles experimenting with close harmonies, complex chord changes, and emotional storytelling in a way that set them apart from their early rock and roll contemporaries. In this episode, Peter and Kenyon break down how John Lennon’s Smokey Robinson-inspired melody blends seamlessly with the band’s distinctive vocal blend, drawing on influences from The Teddy Bears and Bobby Freeman. They also explore the song’s unconventional middle eight, where Lennon’s dramatic chord progression and soaring vocal line transform a simple ballad into something far more intricate. From Ringo’s comic book reading during recording sessions to the song’s unlikely connection to a James Bond guitarist, this episode reveals the hidden layers behind one of the Beatles’ most overlooked B-sides.

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In this lecture, Kenyon explores “This Boy,” one of the Beatles’ earliest attempts at doo-wop-inspired songwriting. The session examines the track’s compound 12/8 meter, close vocal harmonies, and unusual pronoun construction, where Lennon opts for the ambiguous “this boy” instead of the more direct “I” or “me.” Kenyon breaks down the song’s harmonic structure, focusing on its use of appoggiaturas, minor-key resolutions, and the signature D-Bm-Em-A7 progression that anchors the verses. The lecture also highlights the intricate vocal layering, with George’s internal melody and Paul’s soaring high harmonies creating a tightly woven choral texture. Special attention is given to the middle eight, where the Beatles break from their usual rock formula with a series of unexpected chord shifts, lending the song a sense of longing and unresolved tension. This lecture provides a deep dive into one of the Beatles’ most harmonically ambitious early compositions.

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What happens when a single song conquers two continents at once? “I Want to Hold Your Hand” wasn’t just a hit—it was the ignition switch for Beatlemania in America. In this episode, Peter and Kenyon break down the Beatles’ biggest early gamble: a song written specifically to win over U.S. audiences, composed “eyeball to eyeball” in the basement of Jane Asher’s house. They unpack the song’s explosive chord change, its international recording sessions, and the moment a teenage girl and a rogue DJ sparked a revolution by airing it early in Washington, D.C. You’ll also hear about the Beatles’ tension with their music publisher, Paul McCartney’s take-no-prisoners attitude in the studio, and how a phrase as simple as “I can’t hide” got misheard, mimicked, and mythologized. With 5 million U.S. sales and a continent-altering TV debut, this episode tells the story of a song that changed everything.

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