The Beatles

E- Course: Music 103

Featured Guest Lecturer: Bob Santelli (Grammy Museum)
Instructor: Dr. Allison Johnson
Email: johnsall@oregonstate.edu
Office Hours: By appointment, phone or Skype

Course Outline

This course examines the musical contributions and development of one of the most
iconic popular music groups of all time: The Beatles. Using exclusive archive materials
from the Grammy Museum, and with insight from famed author/music historian Bob
Santelli, this course offers a unique and exceptional learning experience for students.
Arguably the most influential rock band of all time, the Beatles and their output reflect
the cultural and social revolution of the 1960s and beyond and serve as a model for
understanding popular music. As part of the Beatles evolution, we will trace the early
influences on the band from early rock n roll, blues, jazz and R&B as well as discuss the
importance of the individual band members, their tours, recordings and film legacy.

Each week the course will present a special Beatles video-interview archive from the
Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. These videos are not available elsewhere online and
are part of our special partnership with the Grammy Museum. Students will gain insider
knowledge about the Beatles and the people who worked closely with this exceptional
band. Mr. Santelli will also provide an introduction to each video for our class. In
addition to the special archives, we will utilize YouTube to listen to the various
recordings, view performances and access documentaries about the Beatles. Lectures will
consist of simple musical terminology and concepts with discussion of seminal
recordings and readings about the Beatles. Students will acquire a comprehensive
historical and musical understanding of the Beatles lyrics and music and why their music
remains important to popular music studies.

Weekly class lectures and assignments are posted on Monday mornings. Special guest
lectures (via internet) and features from the Grammy Museum Archives (Los Angeles)
will be part of this exciting class. This course does not require an ability to read music or
play an instrument.

About Our Featured Lecturer: Robert Santelli

Robert Santelli is the Executive Director of the

GRAMMY Museum
 With years of experience as an executive at both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
and Museum in Cleveland and Experience Music Project in Seattle, Bob embodies
the dynamic vision and creativity essential to this unique and exciting entity and is
clearly a world-class expert. And as a longtime member of The Recording
Academy, he has first-hand knowledge of our organization and a special ability to
convey our rich musical legacy to the many music fans and enthusiasts who will
visit the GRAMMY Museum to enjoy and benefit from its content."

The one-of-a-kind "21st Century Museum" is located within Los Angeles, and has
curated a number of exhibits dedicated to the Beatles, including its permanent Ringo:
Peace and Love exhibit, as well two currently traveling displays: American-based
Ladies and Gentlemen The Beatles and the UK-based The British Invasion: How
1960s beat groups conquered America.

In early 2014, The GRAMMYs honored the Beatles with a 50th Anniversary tribute
featuring performances by Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, as well as many other artists,
and awarded the group a Lifetime Achievement Award. The special was live televised on
the evening of February 9th, the same day, date and time that the Beatles appeared on the
Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, explosively launching their career in America.

View an excerpt of GRAMMYs Beatles 50th Anniversary performance tribute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ7A8YTmK9U

Visit the GRAMMY Museum Online:

http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/news/santelli-named-grammy-museum-
executive-director

http://www.grammymuseum.org/on-display/special-exhibits/ringo-peace-love

Grading

Your grade for the course will be calculated from the following scores: weekly quizzes
(50%), a minimum of 2 weekly discussion questions and responses (25%) and final paper
worth (25%). Please stay current with the readings, listenings and lectures. DUE
DATES ARE FIRM. Your work will be graded and posted by the following Sunday.

Quizzes & Substitution: (20 points) (Worth 50% of your grade) 9 Quizzes
These weekly quizzes are available to take throughout the week and are due by 11:55PM
Sunday evening. Students are required to do all quizzes. Students may substitute 1 Quiz
by either performing and recording an original rock song, or a Beatles song, or writing
a review about a live rock concert. Performed music must be sent to me to listen to.

Weekly Discussion Board: (20 points) (Worth 25% of your grade) 9 Boards
This is our classroom community and you will be expected to contribute at least 2 posts
for each weekly discussion board. Your weekly post is due by Wednesday at
11:55PM each week. Your response to TWO classmates is due by Saturday at
11:55PM each week. Please post your comments and respond to at least two of your
classmates posts. Please read your classmates answers and feel free to start your own
thread about the topic we are discussing for that particular week. Include quotations from
our weekly reading to support your answers and provide critical insights to the various
topics. The discussion board is where we will discuss the YouTube videos and the music.
Students are required to participate in all 9 discussions. Please be sure to read the rubric
for grading of discussion board. Instructor will not make individual responses to each
student every week but ALL discussion board posts will be graded.

Final Paper (25%)

Topics for final paper will be presented during the term. Papers are to be 3-5 pages in
length and include a discography and bibliography. Students may only use one Wikipedia
article for their research. Students are encouraged to get started early. Students are
welcome to submit the final paper anytime after Week 5 of lectures. Please read the final
paper rubric for complete guidelines for paper.

Course Policies:
You are to consider the information and issues presented weekly in conjunction with the
required reading, weekly on-line discussions, listening, and video/film.

Due dates are firm. Any late work will lose up to 20% of the full grade and may not
always be accepted by the instructor.

Please see the University Catalog regarding policy on Academic Integrity and Plagiarism.
Academic integrity is of central importance in the university community and is expected
in all work in this course. The policy and procedures outlined in the catalog will be
strictly enforced.

Students with documented disabilities will be accommodated according to university

policy. If you need these accommodations, please contact the Disabled Student Services
(DSS) right away to make arrangements.

Grading Scale:
 A 93 100 B 83 86 C 73 76 D 63 66
A- 90 92 B- 80 82 C- 70 72 D- 60 62

B+ 87 89 C+ 77 79 D+ 67 69 F 0 59

Course evaluation
We encourage you to engage in the course evaluation process each term online, of
course. The evaluation form will be available toward the end of each term, and
instructions will be sent by Ecampus. You will login to Student Online Services to
respond to the online questionnaire. The results on the form are anonymous and are not
tabulated until after grades are posted.

Required Texts
The Beatles by Hunter Davies (2006 edition paperback preferred)
(other readings provided on Canvas)

Suggested Reading
The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz (2005)
The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology by Walter Everett (1999)

Syllabus: (Please stay current as things are subject to change throughout the term)

Unit 1: Liverpool and John Lennon

Listening: British Rock Influences.

Reading: Davies: Chapter 1 & 7

Unit 2: Musical Beginnings for Paul McCartney and George Harrison

Listening: Early cover songs learned
Reading: Davies: Chapter 3-6

Unit 3: The influence of Blues, Skiffle and American Music on the Quarry Men
Understanding 12 bar blues. Please Please Me Album Release.

Listening: Examples taken from "Please, Please Me" (March, 1963) and "With the
Beatles" (November, 1963). Anna; Love Me Do; Twist and Shout; It Won't be Long;
Money

Reading: Davies: Chapter 8, 9

Unit 4: Early Tours and New Additions: Casbah, Hamburg, The Cavern, Brian
Epstein and Pete Best

Listening: Examples taken from "A Hard Day's Night" (July, 1964), "Beatles for
Sale" (December, 1964), "Help!" (August 1965). A Hard Day's Night; If I Fell; I'll Be
Back; Eight Days a Week; Baby's in Black; I'll Follow the Sun; Every Little Thing; Help!

A Hard Days Night, 1964

Help! 1965
Reading: Davies: Chapter 10-11,15,17
Unit 5: Beatlemania in the USA and The World
Relationship between lyrics and music. Dissonance. Poly-style.

Listening: Examples taken from "Rubber Soul" (December, 1965) and Revolver (August,
1966). You've Got to Hide Your Love Away; Ticket to Ride; Yesterday; Dizzy Miss
Lizzy; In My Life; Nowhere Man; Michelle; Girl; Eleanor Rigby; I'm Only Sleeping;
Tomorrow Never Knows

Rubber Soul Album, 1965

Revolver, 1966

Reading: Davies: Chapter 22, 23, 24

Unit 6: The films of the Beatles: A Hard Days Night and Help! Magical Mystery
Tour! The concept record: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Recording and post-production process. Synthesis vs. fusion.

Unit 7: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band" (June, 1967).

Reading: tba

Unit 8: The White Album and Yellow Submarine (1969)

Function and identity in popular music.

Listening: "The Beatles" double album (November, 1968). "Yellow Submarine" (January,
1969) and "Magical Mystery Tour" (December, 1967)

Back in the USSR; Helter Skelter; Long Long Long; While My Guitar Gently Weeps;
Revolution #1; Blackbird; Goodnight; All You Need is Love; Strawberry Fields Forever;
I am the Walrus

Reading: tba
Unit 9: Abbey Road and Let it Be: The Beatles as Global Artists, Yoko Ono and
Departures
Cross-cultural collaborations between the Beatles and Ravi Shankar. Let it Be (1970).
Yoko Ono.

Listening: "Abbey Road" (September, 1969) and "Let it Be" (May, 1970).
Together; Something; Oh! Darling; She Came in Through the Bathroom Window; Golden
Slumbers; Carry that Weight; The End; Let it Be; The Long and Winding Road

Reading: Davies: Postscript p. 373-405

Week 10: Final

Final Paper due Friday of Week 10 by 5:00PM