“Yesterday” – Episode 101 with Kyle Hopson

Yesterday may be the most popular song The Beatles ever recorded, but it's surprising just how unusual its story really is. On this episode of our Beatles podcast, we are joined by Kenyon’s longtime friend and former songwriting partner Kyle Hopson. We look at the song as a piece of Beatles history and a case study in how songs actually come into the world.

What makes Yesterday feel so universal? How did it expand the boundaries of what a Beatles record could be? Did Paul actually rewrite an earlier song?

We cover:

-Paul McCartney’s dream, Scrambled Eggs, and the long development of the song
-John Lennon’s possible role in completing the song
-Billy J. Kramer, Chris Farlowe, Brian Epstein, and whether Yesterday was always destined to be a Beatles song
-Delia Derbyshire, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Ray Cathode, and Paul’s interest in an electronic arrangement
-George Martin, the string quartet, and the original handwritten score
-The recording session, detuned guitar, orchestral overdubs, and Paul’s solo performance
-George Martin Orchestra arrangement of Yesterday
-Possible connections to The Night Before, Georgia on My Mind, and Answer Me, My Love

Listen to full episode :