Monday, October 04, 2021

Beatles Covers • Volume I

The Covers Series: 

Interpretation and the "Traditional Folk Song" • The Singer as Interpreter 
Singer-Songwriters Covering Singer-Songwriters • Beatles Covers (Vol. I)
Bob Dylan Covers (Vol. I) • Joni Mitchell Covers (Vol. I)

The Beatles under the covers in HELP!

When your favorite band covers a classic tune, their version is their interpretation — their translation — of the music. Is it better than the original? That's up for interpretation. Vocabulary.co

In putting together this Volume I of Beatles covers, I had three movies in mind that feature Beatles covers that would help shape the playlist. 
  1. I am Sam (2001 Film)
  2. Across the Universe (2007 Film) 
  3. Yesterday (2019 Film)
I included the song, Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight from the 2016 animated film, Sing performed by Jennifer Hudson.

I also included the song, Across the Universe from the 1998 film, Pleasantville performed by Fiona Apple.

I then filled the rest of the playlist with mostly live Beatles covers some of which I had never heard before. I decided to only feature one cover song per volume playlist. For example, I found several excellent versions of Blackbird and Here Comes The Sun and they will likely appear in later volumes as the treasure of Beatles covers is deep and wide. 

I also included a cover of George's Beware of Darkness which is from his solo album All Things Must Pass, and in the spirit of Chris Carter's (KLOS-FM) Breakfast with The Beatles I will include cover songs from the lads solo albums here and in future volumes as well. 

I found a great clip with The Bangles on Breakfast with the Beatles. In that discovery, I found three album volumes of covers by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs recording under the faux love couple name, 'Sid & Susie,' called Under The Covers. And on that note, I'll lead with Sid & Susie and their Beatles cover of And Your Bird Can Sing.

One last thing. In putting the playlist together this week I've been playing Beatle tunes in my head all week. Usually, I get one song I've picked for the playlist and that will be stuck in my head for several days. Here, I'm playing a different song or two or three a day in my head in the cover interpretation arrangements. The power of Beatle songs with all their composition just jumps right in and stimulates your brain in such a wonderful way. I don't need a reminder to know how special The Beatles are to me, but this past week brought back a wave of thought and emotion to punctuate how special John, Paul, George, Ringo, and George Martin are to the world.

Featured Covered Songs and Artists Include:
  1. And Your Bird Can Sing, Sid and Susie (aka Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs) 
  2. Help!, Cover Club
  3. Blackbird, John Batiste
  4. Penny Lane, The Barefoot Movement
  5. I Want To Hold Your Hand, T.V. Carpio
  6. Interview with Paul regarding I Wanna Be Your Man
  7. I Wanna Be Your Man, The Rolling Stones
  8. I'll Be Back, Shawn Colvin
  9. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight, Jennifer Hudson
  10. I Need You, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
  11. A Day In The Life, Jeff Beck
  12. All My Lovin', Amy Winehouse
  13. I Want You (She's So Heavy), Umphrey's McGee 
  14. Let It Be, Bill Withers (w/Booker T. Jones on organ)
  15. Because, The Bangles
  16. Yesterday, Himesh Patel
  17. Paperback Writer, The B-52's
  18. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, The Analogues
  19. Hello, Goodbye, The Cure
  20. Across the Universe, Fiona Apple
  21. Come Together, Gary Clark Jr.
  22. Hey Jude, Wilson Pickett (w/ Duane Almond)
  23. Strawberry Fields Forever, Todd Rundgren
  24. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Jackson Browne
  25. Every Little Thing, Yes
  26. Here Comes The Sun, Richie Havens
  27. Yesterday film scene- Ed Sheeran vs. The Long And Winding Road (Himesh Patel)
  28. I'm Looking Through You, The Wallflowers
  29. Get Back, Lenny Kravitz
  30. Rain, Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
  31. I Should Have Known Better, James N. Brown
  32. Beware of Darkness, Sheryl Crow and Brandi Carlile
  33. Two of Us, Aimee Mann and Michael Penn
  34. Hey Bulldog, Dave Grohl and Jeff Lynne
  35. It's All Too Much, Steve Hillage
  36. Yes It Is, The Bangles - Breakfast With The Beatles w/Chris Carter
  37. We Can Work It Out, Stevie Wonder
  38. While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Eric Clapton (w/ Paul on piano and Ringo on drums)
  39. Don't Let Me Down and All You Need Is Love, Cast of Across The Universe Film
  40. Imagine, Tommy Emmanuel


2 comments:

  1. Nice job Doug!!!....spent an hour listening to, and watching these covers.

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  2. Interesting to hear some people’s efforts on theses songs. Those who go out of their way to reimagine an arrangement seem to stumble more than they succeed. I like Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet doing And Your Bird Can Sing, the B52s Paperback Writer, the Cure Hello Goodbye, just singing them straight in their own voices. Don’t get me wrong, I think All My Loving is really cool, I’ll Be Back as well. I never heard this version of the Stones doing I Wanna Be Your Man. Bill Wymans bass part is different than I’ve ever heard him play. You found some gems here Doug. A very fun listen. Thanks

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