Do You Want To Know A Secret?

If your answer to the title question is "yes" keep reading because here is my secret. When I was young I loathed cover versions of songs originally done by The Beatles and I considered recording one to be blasphemy of the highest order. Because I've matured a lot over the years I've come to realize there are many nice renditions of their work so, just for fun, I decided to list some of my favorites here. The list is alphabetical by artist. I've added some comments where appropriate.

What are some of your favorites?

1. Yes It Is - Johnny A (Excellent and eclectic rock guitarist from Boston. You can check out his stuff on his website.)
2. It's Only Love - Gary US Bonds
3. Golden Slumbers - Jackson Browne with Jennifer Warnes
4. I Don't Want To Spoil The Party - Roseanne Cash
5. Magical Mystery Tour - Cheap Trick
6. Tomorrow Never Knows - Phil Collins
7. Blackbird - Crosby, Stills, and Nash (It's The first song they ever sang together. You can here it live on their 1983 album, Allies)
8. Got To Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind, and Fire
9. Don't Pass Me By - The Georgia Satellites
10. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Hooters
11. I'll Cry Instead - Billy Joel (the flip side of the single "The Innocent Man")
12. I Saw Her Standing There - Elton John With John Lennon (It was Lennon's last public performance, the night he reconciled with Yoko)
13. I'll Be On My Way - Billy J. Kramer And The Dakotas (The Beatles only version appears on Live At The BBC)
14. Bad To Me - Billy J. Kramer And The Dakotas (The Beatles never recorded this song)
15. I Will - Allison Krauss
16. I Call Your Name - The Mamas & The Papas (My favorite cover of a Beatles song)
17. Taxman - Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers (Live from the Concert For George)
18. I've Just Seen A Face - John Pizzarelli Trio (really nice piano jazz)
19. Come Together - Grace Potter and The Nocturnals (I don't believe they recorded a version of this but I saw them do it live at WXPN's All About The Music Festival on June 19, 2007 and they just just tore it up)
20. Get Back - Billy Preston
21. The Fool on the Hill - Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66
22. Hey Jude - Wilson Pickett
23. Helter Skelter - U2
24, Across The Universe - Rufus Wainwright
25. Every Little Thing - Yes

Comments

  1. music obsessive8:47 AM, April 21, 2008

    Actually, I have quite a few suggestions but some of my favourites are:
    Dear Prudence - Siouxsie and the Banshees
    Help! - Deep Purple
    Day Tripper - Otis Redding
    I Want to Hold Your Hand - Al Green
    Here There and Everywhere - Emmylou Harris
    Just shows what you can do with ace material!

    ReplyDelete
  2. William Kates11:33 PM, April 25, 2008

    Great post Charlie, I have just two little things:

    1) Yes did two covers that I consider definitive versions; one was the Beatles cover you listed, "Every Little Thing" and the other was Paul Simon's "America" which got a glorious ten minute plus rendering that is somewhat easier to find now in the age of CDs with bonus tracks than it was when it came out on a British sampler LP in the early 70's.

    2) Perhaps it's because I just finished rewatching High Fidelity, but I'd like to see, maybe as a comment to your own post, your top ten favorite Beatles cover songs, in order of preference.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Perplexio10:12 PM, April 29, 2008

    For Beatles covers I like:

    Day Tripper by Randy California
    Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds by William Shatner
    In My Life by Joseph Williams (formerly of Toto)

    and

    Golden Slumbers by Ben Folds

    ReplyDelete

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