Beatles as musical experimentalists, The

Phi Kappa Phi Forum, Spring 2003 by Thurmaier, David

"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" follows "She's Leaving Home," and it also demonstrates the Beatles' penchant for experimentation. Based on an old antique circus poster, John Lennon's lyrics (largely taken verbatim from the poster) portray a lively atmosphere, complete with a "show on trampoline" and "Mr. Kite" doing somersaults to the delight of the crowd. To evoke this circus flavor, Lennon - with help from George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick - raided the studio looking for examples of music from steam organs. Instead of just including the tapes as they existed, the team juxtaposed the excerpts randomly, producing a wash of sound. Everett also comments on the song's unique chord progressions, which do not relate to one another in a traditional sense. In short, the song's unusual subject matter, swirling harmonic progressions, and creative studio manipulation produce a work that is a complete contrast to "She's Leaving Home." In fact, the entire Sgt. Pepper album teems with these striking contrasts, in addition to musical and studio innovations.

These two songs from Sgt. Pepper merely scratch the surface of what a listener can discover when focusing in on the Beatles' experimental flair. Recent books by Everett, Hertsgaard, and Mark Lewisohn (author of several authoritative books on their touring days and recording sessions) all focus on treating the Beatles as musicians. Thus, these books highlight the Beatles' musical sophistication and experimentation and help us gain a greater appreciation for their unique contribution to popular music.

David Thurmaier teaches music theory at Lawrence University and is a PhD candidate in music theory at Indiana University. His primary research focuses on the music of Charles Ives.