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

References

• A masterclass in 60s furniture: The set design of The Beatles Help! (prompted by new film Eight Days a Week), Film and Furniture
  
• The 100 Best Beatles Covers, UCR (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Covers = to or > than the Original

I started this song "Covers" playlist a couple of weeks ago and plan to add to it, maybe with a little help from my friends. By the way, the Joe Cocker version of the aforementioned Beatles song is fine, but is it really = to or > than the original? Well, no in my opinion. So you may agree or disagree with some of my selections here, but I would like to also hear your suggestions to add to this playlist. But, what if I disagree? Geez Doug, you ask for audience participation and then kind of shut it down, fool. Okay, I will add your suggestion(s) regardless, sound fair?

For example, you might love the Talking Heads, This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody), but Shawn Colvin's cover of that song has a special meaning to me.

I'm also thinking about Gary Clark Jr.'s new cover of Come Together which I like and even have seen him do live at the Forum, but no it doesn't match the original. Maybe I've got a serious Beatles bias going on? Snob you say, okay but I'm sticking with bias.

So I'm walking with my ol' buddy Paul Hobbs on Saturday on our annual walkabout in the Santa Maria Riverbed. We are talking about how we love to talk about songs. Paul's a music goldmine not to mention he walks faster than me. Paul has turned me on to many songs over the years including a couple of covers of Leonard Cohen songs that I really like and have included here.

Hey, I just thought of the Steve Goodman song, City of New Orleans that Arlo Guthrie turned into a big hit that I really like.

So, what's a great cover you like? Drop me a line in the comments section below, or just send me an email to dgmcintosh@gmail.com.

p.s. Happy 75th Birthday to Jimi Hendrix on November 27, 1942!