Episode 053: “A Hard Day’s Night” ft. Justin Mann

In this packed episode of The Beatles: Note by Note, Kenyon, Peter, and Justin dive deep into the song “A Hard Day’s Night.” They unravel the song's hectic creation on April 13, 1964, when Lennon famously wrote it overnight, transferring lyrics from a matchbox to the back of his son's birthday card. The trio dissects the instantly iconic opening chord, recreates its harmonic layers live on the podcast, and credits journalist Maureen Cleave for influencing the final lyric: “I find the things that you do will make me feel all right.” You'll also hear how director Richard Lester pressured the band to “play more cinematically” and how George Martin used a tack piano known as the “Mrs. Mills piano” to create that unforgettable solo. With personal stories, technical breakdowns, and musical humor, this is your all-access pass to the origin of one of the Beatles’ most explosive tracks.

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