Ep. 3: Penny Lane

Penny Lane – and the ‘other song’ to which it is inextricably linked!

In this chapter in our podcast series, we explore the genesis of this song and the characters that inhabit Paul McCartney’s memories of his childhood days in Liverpool. We also examine the songwriting elements that make Penny Lane so compelling – including what is called a ‘truck driver’s modulation.’

The third thread in our podcast narrative covers the ‘other song’ that is inextricably linked to Paul’s song, Penny Lane. Get ready for a surprise here!

Songs

Penny Lane, Lennon and McCartney; performed by Stroll Down Penny Lane (Joe Anastasi, Mike Sugar, Winter, Mark Abbott, Matt Twain, and Chris Barnes)

Strawberry Fields Forever, Lennon and McCartney; performed by Mike Sugar, of Stroll Down Penny Lane

Twilight Zone Theme, Bernard Herrmann and Marius Constant; performed by Mike Sugar, of Stroll Down Penny Lane

Good Day Sunshine, Lennon and McCartney; performed by Joe Anastasi and Mike Sugar, of Stroll Down Penny Lane

The Dance of the Salty Sardines, Mike Sugar, performed by Mike Sugar, of Stroll Down Penny Lane

And I Love Her, Lennon and McCartney; performed by Joe Anastasi and Mike Sugar, of Stroll Down Penny Lane

Another Day, Paul McCartney; performed by Stroll Down Penny Lane (Joe Anastasi, Mike Sugar, Winter, Mark Abbott)

Rabbit Hole Interstitial Music – Penny Lane melody, Lennon and McCartney, arranged and performed by Mike Sugar, of Stroll Down Penny Lane

Brandenburg Concerto Number 2 in F Major, Johann Sebastian Bach; piccolo trumpet solo, performed by Chris Barnes, of Stroll Down Penny Lane

Release Me, Robert Yount, Eddie Miller and Dub Williams; performed by Joe Anastasi and Mike Sugar, of Stroll Down Penny Lane

The End, Lennon and McCartney; performed by Stroll Down Penny Lane (Joe Anastasi, Mike Sugar, Winter, Mark Abbott, Matt Twain)

Sources

Rolling Stone Magazine; George Martin; interview; 2001

Recording the Beatles; Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew; Curvebender; 2006

500 Greatest Songs of All Time; Rolling Stone’s definitive list of the 500 greatest songs of all time; by Rolling Stone; interview with Paul McCartney

The Beatles Anthology; George Martin interview; John Lennon interview

Beatlesongs, William J. Dowling; Simon & Shuster, New York, 1989.

Here, There and Everywhere, Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey; Gotham Books; New York; 2006

Paul McCartney, Many Years from Now, Barry Miles; Secker &Warburg; 1997

McCartney, Christopher Sandford; Carroll and Graf Publishers; 2006

Paul McCartney, the Life, Philip Norman; Little Brown and Company; 2016

Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles, Dominic Pedler; Omnibus Press; 2003

The Beatles, Hunter Davis; McGraw-Hill; 1968

The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn; Hamlyn (a division of the Octopus Publishing Group); 1988

All You Need Is Ears, George Martin, with Jeremy Hornsby; St. Martin’s Griffin; 1979

This is Your Brain on Music, The Science of a Human Obsession, Daniel J. Levitin; Plume; 2007

Engelbert Humperdinck (singer), Wikipedia

Release Me (Eddie Miller song), Wikipedia

Voice Actors

Joe Anastasi
Mike Sugar

Thanks to the Library of Congress for this episode’s image.
This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.