The Beatles - covered?

[Charlie Jefferson]

I've been listening to the mono and stereo remasters for the last few weeks and "set my mind to wondering" about the plethora of cover versions out there.

Jeff Beck's Hendrix meets Hank Marvin take on A Day In The Life and The Wedding Present's Getting Better are two recently listened to and enjoyed covers. There's a veritable subculture of weird, wonderful and even good versions out there.

Can anyone list a few of their favourites?

 

[Clare Newsome]

My take on any cover version is simple - have you taken the song and (in dreadful X-Factor parlance) 'made it your own', rather than just produced a bland copy.

So for me, Joe Cocker's version of 'With a little help from my friends' is a Beatles cover-version highlight. Or William Shatner's Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Wet Wet Wet's version of 'With a little help'...' is possibly the nadir. Though Candy Flip's pointless Strawberry Fields Forever runs it close...

That's just for starters!

 

[matthewpiano]

Agree completely Clare about the Joe Cocker. Superb.

I also love Emmylou Harris' version of 'Here, There and Everywhere' on her 'Elite Hotel' album. Beautifully sung.

Not really a cover version but Barclay James Harvest's song 'Titles' strings together titles of Beatles songs to form its lyrics. Its a brilliant song and can be found on their superb 'Time Honoured Ghosts' album.

 

[Anonymous]

Also not really a cover version, but the Cranberries song 'I just shot john Lennon' is one of the worst songs ever.

Where's that other thread....

 

[fatboyslimfast]

For the 40th anniversary of Pepper, there was a Radio 2 doc which covered various artists "doing" various Pepper tracks. Most were so-so, but I did like the Magic Numbers cover of "She's Leaving Home".

Could have done without Bryan Adams doing the title track though.

There is also a Various-Artists cover-album of Revolver produced by the magazine Mojo (called ReLoaded I think). Avoid....

 

[Clare Newsome]

Some of these bizarre Beatles selections could be worth a Spotify!

 

[plastic penguin]

One of the best beatles cover versions that springs to mind is:"If I needed someone" by the Hollies, which charted well back in 1965, so I'm reliably informed.

 

[Simon Lucas]

Pixies' take on Wild Honey Pie makes it sound like a Pixies song. And Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers' Hey Jude makes me want to put on a cravat and mix a martini.

 

[Greenwich_Man]

For me the best is - Peter Sellers "A Hard Days Night"

That one is FUN

 

[Anonymous]

Dear Prudence covered by Siouxsie & The Banshees gets my vote

LowFeller

 

[Fee]

Johnny Cash's take on In My Life is rather wonderful, transforms an already great song into his own, and no harpsichord solo...

 

[fatboyslimfast]

But it wasn't a harpsichord, it... oh never mind...

 

[Anonymous]

Not a beatles song but a paul mccartney and wings song (so still relevant I think), live and let die was a great song but guns and roses did it much better (and I'm a big beatles fan, so it pains me to say it).

Guns n Roses also did Clapton's Knocking on heavens door, better than the original.

 

[Anonymous]

Aerosmith did a cover of Come Together in the late 70s which I really like. They were heavy on the drugs back then and you can hear it in this song. Really good cover anyway.

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:Some of these bizarre Beatles selections could be worth a Spotify!

Many many years ago when I was a young lad (mid 70's I think), I was on holiday with my mum and dad in skegness, when I spotted an LP in woolworths with "THE BEATLES" emblazoned across the front of a gold cover. It was 50p, which was within my financial abiity, so I bought it. When I finally got home I excitedly put it on my old bush record player (the ones with the arm that dropped records down on top of one another (and with 33, 45 and 78 speeds)) and it sounded like a pub karoke. I then scrutunised the cover more closely and at the top of the LP in small writing were the words "The rip-off's play a selection of "!

There was actually a group who called themselves the rip-offs and ....well ripped me off.

 

[margetti]

Not sure if I should be admitting this, but the first time Helter Skelter came to my attention was on U2's Rattle and Hum...

 

[Anonymous]

Laibach trump everybody though, by covering a complete album, 'Let It Be', in their own inimitable style.