Tuesday, September 15, 2015

And Speaking (As We Were Last Week) of Great Beatles Covers....

...From 1975, and their underrated LP Procol's Ninth (produced by the great Leiber and Stoller) please enjoy Procol Harum and their typically soulful take on the Fabs "Eight Days a Week."




I really love this one, although I'm aware a lot of people don't share the opinion. Yeah, I miss the harmonies on the bridge, but otherwise I find the whole early 60s r&b groove of it irresistible, and of course Gary Brooker just sings the pants off of the song.

25 comments:

buzzbabyjesus said...

I had really low expectations, not being a big fan of this band. However, they play real well and their drummer swings the shit out of it. What harmonies?

I just shared Shiina Ringo's "Yer Blues" with you, so today I nominate Spooky Tooth and their take on "I Am The Walrus".

http://alanwalkerart.com/audio/i_am_the_walrus.mp3

buzzbabyjesus said...

In general, Beatles covers are for losers.

buzzbabyjesus said...

This isn't exactly a Beatles cover, but the Posie's covering The Germs in the most Beatlesque fashion I know this side of "Badfinger's "Come And Get It".

http://alanwalkerart.com/audio/richie_daggers_crime.mp3

Brooklyn Girl in Queens said...

What harmonies?

There are harmonies on the original, specifically on the lines "Eight days a week, I lo-o-o-o-ove you ... eight days a week is not enough to show I care."

Anonymous said...

Hello all...no, please remain seated,

OK...not horrible.

The BEST Beatles covers? Who could say. However, here are some of MY favorites:

1) Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire. Sounds totally like an EWF song, but still recognizable to all Beatles Fans.

2) I've Just Seen a Face - Holly Cole....she takes some liberties, but they work for me.

3) I'll Be Back - Shawn Colvin - great vibe throughout...(I need to figure out what chords she's fingering)

regards,
RichD

steve simels said...

their drummer swings the shit out of it.

The late and extremely great B.J. Wilson.

steve simels said...

RichD:

To which I would add Roseanne Cash's "I'm Only Sleeping."

Mark said...

I like Steve Hillage's IT'S ALL TOO MUCH from the 1976 album L at

https://app.box.com/s/1hpnvlj4ep10zbqza1jstzmhsk9j0p9y

and Jonathan Spottiswoode's WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU from 2009's The Beatles Complete on Ukelele (I kid you not) at

https://app.box.com/s/xdxcpdgvog09vs7cbet55c9g1hpkf7qk

buzzbabyjesus said...

What harmonies?
I liked it enough their absence wasn't all that important.

Anonymous said...

It's not remarkable, but well done.

I spent about 8 months putting a pair of discs together of "rare" unconventional Beatles covers for friends & family. I'd provide a link, but I've never put anything out on the web. I don't recall hearing this one, but may have passed over it. I've always thought of straight forward covers kinda like whats the point... Here are a couple I like (should be on Youtube to hear)

Terry Manning - One After 909
KGB - I've Got a Feeling
The Meters - Come Together
Soundhog - Whole Lotta Helter Skelter

Billy B said...

Good stuff, Stevie. I love the little guitar riff. The band pretty much did the song straight up, which seems a bit unusual being as the song was from 1975.

Anonymous said...

Okay, don't hate me because she's a "folkie" but Judy Collins' "In My Life" is absolutely beautiful.

Anonymous said...

This song was buried on Side Two and released against the band's wishes. Clapping throughout except when it matters.... Between the "Hold Me's" and "Love Me's". Overall, not as lively as it should be. Lacking a certain spark.

Much prefer the covers that the band did as John Liquorice Death.

VR

Anonymous said...

Liquorice John Death, that is.

VR

Anonymous said...

I agree VR. The Liquorice John Death album mostly kicks ass. Throughout their first ten years Procol frequently did cover versions during their encores and they were wonderful.

Capt. Al

Mark said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mark said...

And one more that's really nice, P.M. Dawn's version of Norwegian Wood, from their 1993 Bliss Album ... ? (Vibrations of Love and Anger and the Ponderance of Life and Existence)

https://app.box.com/s/3e6osjjxf6yiz8acauu6d0o81w07l9bt

Anonymous said...

As far as Norwegian Wood goes, I kinda like the Hour Glass instrumental jazzy version with electric sitar. Those guys used to play the Whisky a lot. Waaaaay Waaay better than the stupid albums Liberty released. They were fuckin' monsters live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fll8RJq5cwk

VR

buzzbabyjesus said...

I forgot about this one by Tempest, featuring the remarkable Ollie Halsall on vocals and guitar. His best known work is probably playing "Paul" on the Rutles recordings. This is from 1973.

http://alanwalkerart.com/audio/paperback_writer.mp3

cthulhu said...

There's the Wilson Pickett cover of "Hey Jude", notable for a kick-ass Duane Allman solo at the end.

On their 1981 tour, ELO did a really terrific version of "Across the Universe" as a Lennon tribute. I'm not aware of any recordings of it though.

Anonymous said...

Tempest used to play Paperback Writer as an encore. Halsall, Jon Hiseman and Mark Clarke kick ass as a power trio on this number. I like some of Patto's stuff too.

Bought this Tempest album (Living In Fear) on the same day I got "I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight." Import section Tower Records Sunset Blvd. circa Spring 1974. Guess which one I liked better?:-) Bob Seger played the Whisky that night. I dug it so much I saw two more of his shows that week and dragged people with me. Those fuckers rocked and they gave till it bled.

I always liked Cilla Black's "Step Inside Love," though not really a true cover. Here's the demo recorded by her with McCartney on guitar. What a great and sexy voice she had when she wasn't even trying! Wish she would have done more rock and blues during her career. R.I.P. Cilla.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVMel5gS84Y

And the released version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGddBXNR3s8

VR

Anna said...

VR: The BBC did a nice two-part documentary on Cilla Black (called, oddly enough, "Cilla") less than a year ago, before she died, with Sheridan Smith as Cilla. It started at the beginning, with her and her girlfriends going down to the Cavern Club to see the Beatles on their lunch hour, and went through her latter-sixties years, when she hosted her own variety show. Worth tracking down, if you can (ahem) "find" British programming. And nice that Cilla got to see it before she died–it was one of the most watched programs of the year.

As far as Procol goes, I loved the early albums, through "Grand Hotel", and *really* wish that The One True God Of Remastering, Steven Wilson, would take on at least "A Salty Dog" and "Grand Hotel". Even his stereo remasterings are wonderful, but his 5.1 versions are amazing–usually your choice of CD plus DVD Audio or Blu-ray, the latter two in 24 bit/96 kHZ. He leans prog, though, so he's largely done Yes, Jethro Tull, and King Crimson (I do love me *some* Crimso–Lark's Tongue through Red, and yeah, yeah, the first LP), but his version of XTC's Drums And Wires is stellar. Procol might not be prog/heavy enough for him.

The Procol CD remasters so far are good, but not great. I'd love to hear them *great*.

Joe_Sez said...

I tired to find covers of the Beatles (white album)

This was the least satisfying (quirky ?) cover ever found:
http://www.shazam.com/track/61559928/hei-ordfører-vil-bungalow-bill

Anonymous said...

Re: got ELO "Across the Universe!" if you want it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY8Jjt0fOUA

VR ridin' out his refractory period

Anna said...

Anna said: "documentary". Anna *meant* "docudrama". Long day at work...