#185 – The Night Before with singer/songwriter Ben Labat

This week’s song is an “all-Paul” track (writing-wise, at least John says it is) that found a home on the Help! film and soundtrack. On celluloid, the boys craft “The Night Before” in a field, surrounded by tanks and assailed by wind. In real life, they knocked it out in 2 takes in Abbey Road in February of 65, the track marking the first time we hear Lennon on keys, and a key part that drives the entire song. It’s a fun, upbeat song that gives Paul a place to shine in the film, while the latin-tinged bridge section shows their growth and willingness to change gears completely. And while they’re growing by leaps and bounds, part of the song still feels steeped in early-Beatles-beat-group land…a land they were fast escaping on this album. On a record which delivers classics like “Help!,” “Ticket To Ride,” and the classic of classics, “Yesterday,” the growing pains on this song kind of stand out. But then again, it’s ’65 Beatles, so it’s still fantastic.

Joining us this week is Louisiana-based singer/songwriter Ben Labat. When Covid shut down touring, Ben found a way to help other musicians pay their bills while continuing to record with his Bayou Fever Sessions project, and also found time to write, record and release a ton of other music. His latest single, “Rocket Heart,” is out now, and the video was just premiered January 16th on Ditty TV. In our chat, we touch on everything from finding ways to adapt during pandemic times, the benefit of creators having a partner to impress and keep their bar high, to passing the Beatles down to your own kids. You can check out Ben on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/benlabatmusic, his website http://www.benlabat.com/, and check out the video for “Rocket Heart”.

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