Search - Various Artists :: All You Need Is Covers: the Songs of the Beatles

Beatles songs covered by sixties artists

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 04/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set was compiled from the British labels Pye, Piccadilly, Transatlantic and Immediate, so is necessarily restricted in what it includes, yet such is the abundance of Beatles covers that there is plenty to enjoy in this eclectic compilation. The covers are presented in Beatles date order, although it does not follow that the actual covers were recorded in that order. The tracks from Let it be precede those from Abbey road. There are also a few songs that the Beatles wrote but did not record themselves, one of these being Step inside love, a UK top ten hit for Cilla Black, but here covered by Nina Baden-Semper, an actress best known for her role in the seventies TV series Love thy neighbour.The big hit here is Michelle, with which the Overlanders had a UK number one. It was the only hit they ever had. Having heard the rest of their music, I can understand why - their other music is fascinating, but it's not hit material.Petula Clark, the most famous artist featured here, opens this set with Tu perds ton temps, her French version of Please please me, and also puts in a second appearance with her cover of Rain. Of the other names featured here, the ones with greatest recognition are Max Bygraves (A hard day's night), PP Arnold (Yesterday), Sacha Distel (We can work it out), Jackie Trent (Got to get you into my life), Todd Rundgren (Strawberry fields forever), Joe Brown (With a little help from my friends), Kenny Ball (Your mother should know), Justin Hayward and Mike Batt (Blackbird), Amen corner (Get back) and Anita Harris (Octopus's garden). There's also the England 1970 World cup squad, but their inclusion shows that not all of this compilation is to be taken seriously.The second track, There's a place, features the Kestrels, who did not have any hits themselves but whose members went on to have success later. Two of them, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway became the duo David and Jonathan, while they also became very successful songwriters. Roger Cook later became a member of Blue mink. Another member, Tony Burrows, worked his way through several groups, including the Ivy League, Edison lighthouse, Brotherhood of man and First class.These are not always the best covers of these songs, but most of them are very enjoyable. This is an intriguing set for fans of Beatles covers and there is a companion volume, Help!, culled from the same record labels, for those who can't get enough. I liked this set enough to buy Help! as soon as it was released."

Fairly fab fabrication of Fab Four forays

Lee Hartsfeld | Central Ohio, United States | 11/08/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While this collection is not all it can be, it deserves an A for effort (which, in this case, translates to three stars). My first complaint is without merit--namely, that most of the covers are British. This is to be expected from a British compilation, after all. But my second complaint is a valid one, I think--namely, that too many of the "covers" aren't contemporaneous. For example, "A hard day's night" is one of the most-covered Beatles songs, yet here we get a 1979 jazz version by Max Bygraves. What's up with that? Similarly, we are treated to a 1976 "Strawberry Fields forever," a 1981 "I want to tell you," and a 1970 "I don't want to spoil the party." Such time-line deviations almost threaten to reduce the collection from an interesting pop-historical document to a mere novelty, but, luckily, most of the versions are on or near the original time of release. Thus, we are given the chance to experience the evolution of Beatles coverdom, from the mostly inept earliest interpretations (with the exception of Petula Clark's excellent 1963 French-language "Please please me") to the more idiomatically-correct efforts of later years. That is to say, as time went on, musicians seemed to possess more of an idea of what the Beatles sound was, even when putting (or trying to put) their own stamp on it. Some of the earlier interpreters seemed to have operated without this advantage--in particular, the Kestrels, whose version of "There's a place" might be the worst item in the collection. On the other hand, the Trends' 1964 reading of "All my loving" is almost sound-alike in its accuracy. Was Paul McCartney moonlighting?The most bizarre cover is a toss-up between Hair Rave Up's 1989 live version of "Birthday" and The 1970 England World Cup Football Squad's sensitive rendering of "Ob-la-di ob-la-da." The Dionne Warwick Sound-alike Award goes to P.P. Arnold for her pseduo-psychedelic and soulful "Yesterday," and she might deserve a second award for staying audible above the backing musicians, none of whom seem aware of the presence of a vocalist in the studio. The restored sound is adequate, much of it probably straight from vinyl. This is not your usual collection, to be sure."

Unrivaled

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 11/25/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Beatles' music was so varied & deep that their catalog is unrivaled in pop music for its adaptability. This 2-CD set offers great evidence. Tommy Quickly's "The Tip of My Tongue" was a never-released track recorded in 1963 by the Fab Four. Quickly's version sounds incredibly like Herman's Hermits! Petula Clark's opening French-language version of "Please Please Me" breezes by delightfully. The Trends' version of "All My Loving" sticks closely to the Beatles' arrangement. Gregory Phillips records George Harrison's "Don't Bother Me" with a punchy arrangement that sounds like it's from the Go-Go era. Max Bygraves on "A Hard Day's Night" sounds like Tom Jones. Glyn Johns will be remembered as a producer, but turns in a credible version of the lovely McCartney melody "I'll Follow the Sun." The soulful take on "Help!" by Isaac Scott shows how adaptable the music was to another genre. The Settlers give an excellent folk/pop performance of "Nowhere Man." "Girl" is another delight by The Truth, complete with sucking sounds. The second disc opens with a lovely folk version by Scottish folk singer Bobby Eaglesham, with his accent coming through, "She takes her TYME and doesn't feel she has to hurry, she no longer needs you." It's a lovely track. The Lambrettas' take on George Harrison's "I Want to Tell You" also shines with its churning guitar. Todd Rundgren's version of "Strawberry Field Forever" from his 1976 album Faithful is excellent. Jazz trumpeter Kenny Ball does a swell dancehall version of "Your Mother Should Know." Bill Deal & the Rhondels' version of "Hey Bulldog" pounds the ivories as guitars thrash joyfully. Justin Hayward from The Moody Blues turns in a lovely orchestral version of the gorgeous Beatles' melody "Blackbird." The cast of the musical Hair - The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (1968 Original Broadway Cast) do a terrific live version of "Birthday" that rocks superbly! Liner notes say that Paul McCartney wrote "Mother Nature's Son" in India, with a version here from the folk band Gryphon. Jamaican singer Phillis Dillon does a sterile version of the George Harrison classic "Something." I've always loved the melody of "Because." London Pops do a floating instrumental version to conclude the set. The foldout liner notes are informative & the song sequence roughly follows the Beatles from early to late. This impressive collection brings together a diverse group of artists and a variety of musical treatments of some of the best songs from the last century. Enjoy!"