- Did you know that the Beatles wrote and recorded one of their greatest albums in only 30 days?

In October, 1965, the Beatles entered EMI Studio to record their next album, but they had almost no new material prepared.

Most other groups would've tossed off an album of cover songs and copies of their previous hits, but not the Beatles.

The album they created in those 30 days would become one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time.

Welcome to "Deconstructing the Beatles: Deconstructing Rubber Soul."

(easy upbeat music) Hi, I'm Scott Freiman.

I've been fascinated by the music of The Beatles all my life, and over the last 20 years, I've been diving into the Beatles' creative process.

In the first few years of the Beatles' career, the group had been on a rollercoaster of concerts, recording sessions, TV shows, radio programs, film shoots, and photo ops, and underneath it all was the constant pressure to come up with yet another number one single and another hit album.

By the fall of 1965, the Beatles were exhausted.

Nevertheless, they needed another new album and a new single in time for Christmas.

In order to get an album in the stores by Christmas, they needed to wrap up recording no later than November 11th.

The Beatles entered EMI Studios to begin recording their next album on October 12th, 30 days to write, record, and mix an album of 14 songs plus two additional songs for their next single.

We're going to take a look at a few of the songs written for this remarkable album that show the Beatles' progress as musicians, lyricists, and arrangers.

Rubber Soul, the Beatles' sixth studio album, marked a transition for the band as they matured as songwriters while taking more control in the studio.

They were beginning to rebel against the trappings of Beatlemania while being influenced by folk musicians such as Bob Dylan and The Byrds and soul musicians such as The Four Tops and Otis Redding.

Couple all this with their growing use of marijuana, and you get a Beatles album that sounds completely different from their previous recordings while giving a taste of things to come.

Before we talk about some of the music on Rubber Soul, a word about the Studer J37 tape recorder that producer George Martin and engineer Norman Smith used to record the Beatles' music.

The Studer J37 was a four-track tape recorder.

That meant that the Beatles could make four separate recordings and mix them together.

For example, the Beatles might record Ringo's drums, Paul's bass, and John's rhythm guitar to the first track.

Then, while listening back to what they just played, George could record his guitar part on track two.

Next, Paul might sing a lead vocal that would be recorded on track three.

And finally, George and John could record their backing vocals on track four while Ringo adds a tambourine and Paul adds piano.

Now that we have four recordings on this piece of tape, they can be mixed together to create the final recording.

That's a little bit of a simplification, but it should help you understand the track sheets that I'll be showing as I discuss the songs on Rubber Soul.

The Beatles begin recording their new album on October 12th with John's "Run For Your Life."

The song didn't sound that different from songs he had written for previous albums, but things changed quickly with the next song they recorded that day, "Norwegian Wood."

The Dylanesque lyrics and the song's lilting melody were complimented by an instrument appearing for the first time in a Beatles recording, the sitar.

In fact, this was the first Western pop song to feature the instrument.

On their previous album, the Beatles had expanded their sound palette with Western classical instruments such as flutes and strings.

"Norwegian Wood" was the first time they incorporated an Eastern classical instrument in their recordings.

The Beatles' producer George Martin liked to kick off each album with a rocking track that he called "a pot boiler."

On their second day of recording, the Beatles recorded the pot boiler that would open the British Rubber Soul album, "Drive My Car."

The song had a chorus, "You can buy me golden rings."

McCartney knew the lyrics were subpar, so he turned to his songwriting partner, John Lennon, for help.

The two struggled with the song all day until they stumbled on the idea of a woman who wanted a man to drive her car, which might have been a sly reference to having sex.

They added a punchline to the song, namely that the girl didn't actually own a car.

In a perfect example of how the Beatles would collaborate on song arrangements, George Harrison came up with the music phrase, or riff, that drives the song.

He was influenced by Otis Redding's song "Respect."

Take a listen to the guitar part of that song.

("Respect" playing) ♪ What you want, baby you got it ♪ ♪ What you need, baby you got it ♪ ♪ All I'm askin' is for a little respect when I get home ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah, hey, hey, hey (rock music) - Now let's listen to a little of "Drive My Car."

You'll hear the "Respect"-inspired riff played by George along with some creative drumming by Ringo, but it's Paul who really shines on this song with a great bass part, lead vocal with dissonant harmony from John, and piano fills.

He even plays the guitar solo.

Here's that "Respect" riff.

(rock guitar playing) Paul is doubling George's guitar on bass while Ringo plays the drums and John plays tambourine.

♪ Baby, you can drive my car ♪ And maybe I'll love you - [Scott] The vocal is Paul and John, Paul on the top and John below.

♪ I told that girl that my prospects were good ♪ - [Scott] Ringo adds some cowbell.

♪ And she said, "Baby, it's understood" ♪ ♪ Working for peanuts is all very fine ♪ - [Scott] George adds some harmony for the chorus while Paul adds piano.

♪ But I can show you a better time ♪ ♪ Baby, you can drive my car ♪ Yes, I'm gonna be a star ♪ Baby, you can drive my car - [Scott] The beep beeps were overdubbed on track three.

♪ And maybe I'll love you ♪ Beep beep, beep beep, yeah - [Scott] Paul plays the guitar solo on his brand new Epiphone Casino guitar.

(rock guitar music) Let's hear all the tracks together.

♪ Baby, you can drive my car ♪ Yes, I'm gonna be a star ♪ Baby, you can drive my car ♪ And maybe I'll love you - [Scott] A few days after the Beatles finished "Drive My Car," they record the song that will be one side of their next single, "Day Tripper."

"Day Tripper" is built around a repeated riff that propels the song forward.

- [Sound Engineer] "Day Tripper," take one.

- [Scott] So with 26 days left to finish the album, the Beatles record the first take of "Day Tripper."

The song begins with each Beatle entering one at a time.

First, George's guitar, then Paul doubling on bass, then John's rhythm guitar, and, finally, Ringo's drums.

(rock guitar music) ♪ Got a good reason ♪ For taking the easy way out - [Scott] The four Beatles groove together on the main riff of the song.

("Day Tripper" music playing) ♪ She was a day tripper - [Scott] Listen how well they're locked together.

♪ One way ticket, yeah ♪ It took me so long ♪ To find out and I found out - [Scott] Now we'll focus on the vocals.

Paul begins by singing lead with John providing the harmony.

♪ She's a big teaser ♪ She took me half the way there ♪ ♪ She's a big teaser - [Scott] But then John switches to the lead with Paul and George singing harmony.

♪ She was a day tripper ♪ One way ticket, yeah ♪ It took me so long ♪ To find out and I found out - [Scott] In the bridge, George slowly moves up the scale one note at a time while Ringo's drums get more and more animated.

(rock guitar playing) They're building up the tension until we finally get the return of the main riff.

(rock guitar playing) John Lennon's lyrics took a big step forward on Rubber Soul with one of his most beautiful and personal songs, "In My Life."

He had written autobiographical songs before such as "Help" and "I'm a Loser," but "In My Life" was infused with nostalgia for times gone by, a theme he would revisit in songs like "Strawberry Fields Forever."

Originally, the lyrics for "In My Life" were a virtual travelogue of various places around Lennon's hometown of Liverpool.

Fortunately, he abandoned those lyrics for ones that were more generic and that anyone could relate to.

He wrote of places and people that he remembered without specifically naming those people or places.

McCartney claims that he helped write the music for the song, and you can definitely hear McCartney's melodic writing in the second part of the verse.

"All these places have their moments "with lovers and friends I still can recall."

John wanted something baroque-sounding for the solo section, so he turned to George Martin.

Martin's first idea was to play a part on the organ.

It sounded like this.

(organ music playing) The organ just didn't sound right.

So when Martin had some time, he rerecorded the solo this time on piano.

But with the tape machine running at half speed, it sounded like this.

(slowed piano music playing) When the tape was played back at normal speed, here's how it sounded.

(upbeat piano music playing) The piano now sounded more like a harpsichord and gave Lennon the baroque feel he was looking for.

Another type of keyboard was used on a song Lennon and McCartney wrote together, "We Can Work It Out."

This song was a great example of how the two Beatles could take individual song fragments and put them together, a technique they would use on other songs like "Getting Better," "Baby, You're a Rich Man," and "A Day In The Life."

In this case, McCartney had the making of a song about two lovers fighting.

"Try to see it my way.

"Do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on?"

Lennon took a more conciliatory approach in his section.

"Life is very short "and there's no time for fussing and fighting."

The keyboard used for this song was a harmonium, or pump organ, an instrument whose sound is generated by air flowing past a metal reed.

The pushing and pulling of the harmonium was a perfect compliment to the back and forth of the lovers arguing in the lyrics.

The backing track has Ringo on drums, Paul on bass, John on acoustic guitar, and George on tambourine.

Let's remove the vocals.

(soft rock music playing) There are two harmonium parts.

This one was most likely played by Paul.

It was George Harrison who suggested adding a waltz in the bridge.

Now listen to the change in meter.

1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3.

♪ Try to see it my way ♪ Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong ♪ - [Scott] In this section, Paul's vocals are recorded twice, on tracks three and four, while John plays harmonium.

♪ There's a chance that we might fall apart before too long ♪ ♪ We can work it out ♪ We can work it out (harmonium playing) On October 22nd, the Beatles recorded another introspective Lennon song, "Nowhere Man."

One reviewer called it a meaningful song about what happens to a fellow afraid to be himself, an apt description of Lennon as he tried to separate himself from Beatle John.

As October came to a close, the Beatles had only completed five songs for their next album plus one side of their next single.

Other songs, like "Run For Your Life," had been started but not finished yet.

The first song the Beatles would record in November of 1965 started with an old melody of Paul's.

John suggested that Paul resurrect this old melody that he had originally written to impress the ladies, one in which Paul had pretended to be a Frenchman.

That melody became the song "Michelle."

("Michelle" song playing) Michelle is a great example of how the Beatles would mix major and minor tonalities in their music.

The song starts with an introduction in F Minor featuring a descending baseline that creates a very French-sounding chord pattern.

You can almost hear the sound of an accordion playing on the banks of the Seine.

(easy piano music) This is followed by a verse that alternates between major and minor chords.

Major, (piano chord playing) minor, (piano chord playing) major (piano chord playing) diminished (piano chord playing) major (piano chord playing) Lennon contributed the bridge, coming up with the idea after he heard Nina Simone singing "I love you, I love you" in the song, "I Put a Spell On You."

In McCartney's voice it's an emotional statement of his love for Michelle.

♪ I love you, I love you, I love you ♪ ♪ That's all I want to say ♪ Until I find a way The song climaxes with a coda that once again brings back the introduction, this time with a new melody over top and ending on a major F chord.

♪ And I will say the only words ♪ ♪ I know that you'll understand ♪ ♪ My Michelle Although Michelle was never released as a single in England, it was a number one hit in Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and, of course, France.

On November 11th, the Beatles' last day for recording Rubber Soul, the group still needed to finish four songs to complete the album.

The Beatles spent 13 hours in the studio, from six in the evening until the next morning at seven, in their effort to finish the album.

The very last song written for Rubber Soul was another Lennon classic, "Girl."

It may have been Lennon's response to "Michelle."

Just as the former song had contributions from Lennon, McCartney claimed that he helped with the lyrics to "Girl."

Whether or not that is true, John always claimed "Girl" was one of his best songs.

The arrangement of "Girl" sounds a little like Greek traditional music.

The movie, "Zorba The Greek" had come out the year before, so the Beatles may have been influenced by that.

As a final touch, the engineer emphasized the intake of breath (deep breathing) each time the Beatles sing the song's title.

It's a wonderful effect.

You can hear that along with the bouzouki-sounding guitar in this excerpt.

We're starting from the middle of the song with John singing lead and Paul and George singing some naughty vocals.

♪ Tit-tit-tit-tit-tit-tit-tit-titt ♪ ♪ When you say she's looking good ♪ ♪ She acts as if it's understood ♪ ♪ She's cool, ool, ool, ool - [Scott] Listen to John's intake of breaths.

♪ Oh, girl (deep breath) ♪ Girl, girl - [Scott] Although George played this part on the guitar, he was trying for the sound of bouzouki as shown here.

(bouzouki music playing) ♪ Ah, girl By the evening of November 11th, it was clear that the Beatles had pulled off another miracle completing Rubber Soul in the 30 days allotted.

In addition, the two songs that they had designated for the single, "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper," were so strong that they were released as a double-A-side single, helping to popularize that format.

The single and the album were both released on December 3rd, 1965, and both hit number one on the UK charts.

The songs The Beatles wrote and recorded during that 30-day period took their music, lyrics, and arrangements to a whole new level and had a profound effect on popular music.

Rubber Soul has been compared to the moment in "The Wizard of Oz" when the movie switches from black and white to glorious technicolor.

Rubber Soul was definitely a sign that the Beatles would not be resting on their laurels.

Just four months after the album's release, the Beatles would be in the studio again working on "Tomorrow Never Knows" and the album Revolver.

It was the next step in their amazing journey.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music)