Beatles Covers
With all the Beatle talk of late, I looked around for something Beatle-y and wacky and found this fun post: Sgt. Pepper Across The 8th Dimension. The author compiled an interesting cover-version of Sgt. Peppers. The most surprises are toward the end:
- John Denver’s version of “When I’m Sixty-Four” is quite good.
- The Big Daddy song is from their own entire cover album which has each Peppers song in a 50’s style–total hoot.
- I really like the jammed out end of “Good Morning, Good Morning”.
- And finally, Jeff Beck‘s instrumental version of “A Day in the Life” rocks.
Do you have any favorite Beatles covers? I can immediately think of one MR likes, but will let him tell you. As for me, all I can think of right now is a horrible cover of “Norwegian Wood” that mixed it with the “Mission Impossible” theme–I kid you not!
April 29th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
The first one that comes to mind is the short version of “Sgt. Pepper’s” done by Hendrix at the “Isle of Wight” festival in 1970…. Two others are “Rain” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” done by Todd Rundgren on his “Faithful” album…. Todd does an amazing job on them and the other 4 “covers” done on this album…. The remaining 6 originals are sort of tribute-based….. I’m surprised the album didn’t do better than it did…..
April 29th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
There was a movie made in the 70’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”. The soundtrack & cast included the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Alice Cooper & Billy Preston (among others)doing Beatle covers. A really cheesy film & not a very good album.
In the 70’s I bought an album by a country crossover artist named Jerry Inman that consisted of country rock versions of Beatle tunes. The ones he chose (including I’ve Just Seen A Face) fit the genre pretty well.
April 29th, 2006 at 7:22 pm
Speaking of the cheesiest movie of all time, my favorite covers come from it, Steve Martin’s Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. Earth Wind and Fire’s Got to get you into my life, and last but not least Aerosmith’s Come Together which I must say i got a little burnt out on, on Terrestrial Radio But still a good cover.
April 30th, 2006 at 11:47 am
After much thought, my favorite Beatle cover is a Beatle medley Harry Nilsson did on one of his early albums. Lennon liked it quite well. Well enough to make Harry his best buddy in NYC.
Also there was Stars on Long Play. This consisted of a beatle medley with dozens of songs played with a disco beat. Very strange, but it worked. The vocals & guitars sounded pretty close to the Beatles.
May 2nd, 2006 at 12:21 pm
I agree Rundgren’s Faithful covers are pretty good — mainly in that they’re literally note-for-note reproductions. But in a cover I usually like to see a take somewhat different than the original — one that brings something new to the table. I know there was a whole cover album this last year that I heard a few songs off — This Bird Has Flown – a complete track-by-track reproduction of Rubber Soul. I think “I’m Looking Through You” was pretty good, from what I remember.
I’m surprised I can’t think of more Beatles covers. Jek has an interesting Sgt. Pepper album that is all done in 50’s style, good for a chuckle. I know “Yesterday” is the most covered song in history. Probably my earliest recollection of a Beatles cover was “Please Mr. Postman” by The Carpenters — I owned a Carpenter’s Greatest Hits LP before I ever owned any Beatles (hey, give me a break, I was like 11 years old).
Speaking of “Got To Get You Into My Life” by Earth, Wind and Fire, when I was about 22 I was hanging out with a couple of friends in a bar when that song came on. My friend Leonard, a large black man, said “this was the best song Earth, Wind and Fire ever wrote” as me and my friend Dan broke into hysterics.
May 3rd, 2006 at 2:08 am
“Please Mister Postman” is actually a Marvelettes cover. It was the Motown label’s first #1 hit in 1961. William Garrett, who
originally wrote it as a pure blues song, gave the song to Georgia Dobbins, one of the five teenage members of the Marvelettes.
Dobbins then completely rewrote it, saving only the title. In the studio, Motown producers Robert Bateman and Brian Holland
( later of Holland/Dozier/Holland ) made further changes. The drummer on the original version was a 22 year old unknown named
Marvin Gaye.
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:52 am
I always knew Randalph was a brother (at heart).
May 3rd, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Ha! Shows you what I know! I should’ve known to look up authorship of an early Beatles’ song. 🙂
May 6th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
Maybe I should change my screen name to Randalf the Black.
May 7th, 2006 at 11:47 am
Randalph-Black, white, brown, gray, purple. It doesn’t matter (S. Stills-Manassas) Well, maybe purple. Haven’t met any aliens (as opposed to immigrants) that I know of.