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One Song

The Beatles' "Helter Skelter"

One Song

Hartbeat

Music Interviews, Comedy, Music, Music Commentary

4.81.4K Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2026

⏱️ 62 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A flaming ashtray. A saxophone mouthpiece. Blistered fingers. How did one of the Beatles’ most chaotic recording sessions lead to a raucous masterpiece that paved the way for metal? On the first part of this Beatles Two-Parter, Diallo Riddle and LUXXURY dive into the tumultuous creation of “Helter Skelter,” tracking its origins as a 30-minute mellowed out blues-rocker to the review that inspired Paul McCartney to crank the track up to an eleven. Plus, LUXXURY tries to convince Diallo to listen to Wings. Songs Discussed: “Helter Skelter” - The Beatles “Mama’s Pearl” - The Jackson 5 “Helter Skelter” - Mötley Crüe “Dear Prudence” - The Beatles “I Can See For Miles” - The Who “Holidays in the Sun” - Sex Pistols “Fire” - Arthur Brown “Birthday” - The Beatles “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” - The Beatles “You Really Got Me” - The Kinks “Exciter” - Judas Priest “Whole Lotta Love” - Led Zeppelin “Paperback Writer” - The Beatles “Long Tall Sally” - The Beatles “She Loves You” - The Beatles “Silly Love Songs” - Wings “Arrow Through Me” - Wings “Old Siam, Sir” - Wings “Muzik” - Knoc-Turn’al “Temporary Secretary” - Paul McCartney One Song Spotify Playlist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Well you may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.

0:04.0

Now hell to Skelda.

0:08.0

It sounds like he's got a grin on his face while he's singing that.

0:10.0

He's at the top of everything, the peak energy, the peak the notes, everything.

0:14.0

He's coming out fast, he's miles above you.

0:16.0

Because he's so high.

0:18.0

Lecture today we're diving into a group that changed the landscape of rock music forever,

0:22.6

a group that despite lasting not even a decade, still drives the conversation of what a recording

0:27.1

career can and should look like, so much so that they are getting four movies in

0:33.1

2028 alone.

0:34.6

That's right, Dialla, and we could not contain our excitement to talk about, not just what the group means to popular music as a whole, but also what they mean to us. Right. So today's episode is just part one of a two-part episode where we break down two of our personal favorites from this band's expansive and extensive discography. It was not an easy decision to make, which two songs. No, difficult choices.

0:55.1

Today, we're covering a song spearheaded by the group's soppiest member,

0:59.1

determined to shed that image and create a screaming record,

1:03.7

accompanied by the most raucous vocal and loudest drums the group had ever recorded.

1:08.9

And those are all air quotes because they're literal McCartney quotes.

1:11.4

They're from his mouth.

1:12.3

A song so heavy, it left blisters on the drummer's fingers.

1:15.8

Famous.

1:16.7

And might have even invented the genre of heavy metal.

1:19.9

So we'll tell you, tell you, tell you the answer.

1:22.7

Woo!

1:23.3

We're talking one song and that song is Helter Skelter by The Beatles.

...

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