Any Major Beatles Covers: 1967-68
The second mix of Beatles covers comprises songs from the group’s 1967-68 period, ending rather abruptly in the middle of the White Album selection. So the third mix will carry on with songs from that double album (leading with the Beach Boys doing Back In The USSR).
There are some quite unexpected covers. Ella Fitzgerald singing Savoy Truffle? Soul group The Moments singing Rocky Racoon, of all songs? Some performers are also surprising. Bill Cosby, for example. The stand-up comic did an album of covers in 1969, including Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It’s not mugging for comedic effect either, though it is fairly bizarre. Backing Cosby is the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
Elvis Costello’s performance of “an English folk song” was a minor highlight at Wembley’s Live Aid, not because Costello is doing it very well, but because the crowd is filling in the horn bits, thereby proving Costello’s introduction right. McCartney has attributed inspiration for the sound of Lady Madonna, particularly the piano, to Fats Domino, so it is apt that Domino’s cover, recorded soon after the Beatles released it, should feature here.
Some inclusions are entirely obvious: Pickett’s Hey Jude is the best version of that song, and Spooky Tooth’s cover of I Am The Walrus is masterful. I also particularly like Richie Haven’s take on Strawberry Fields and John Denver’s Mother Nature’s Son.
2023 UPDATE: This mix was originally posted in 2010 and included a cover of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by Bill Cosby. For the re-up I’ve replaced the song by that fuck with a very good live performance from 1990 by Paul McCartney.
TRACKLISTING
1. Richie Havens – Strawberry Fields Forever (1969)
2. Kenny Rankin – Penny Lane (1970)
3. Paul McCartney – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1990)
4. The Undisputed Truth – With A Little Help From My Friends (1973)
5. Syreeta – She’s Leaving Home (1972)
6. Gabor Szabo – Lucy In The Sky With Diamond (1967)
7. The Wedding Present – Getting Better (1988)
8. Big Daddy – Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite (1992)
9. Claudine Longet – When I’m Sixty-Four (1967)
10. Jos̩ Feliciano РA Day In The Life (live) (1969)
11. Elvis Costello – All You Need Is Love (live) (1985)
12. The Impressions – Fool On The Hill (1969)
13. Spooky Tooth – I Am The Walrus (1970)
14. Ambrosia – Magical Mystery Tour (1976)
15. Fats Domino – Lady Madonna (1968)
16. Wilson Pickett – Hey Jude (1969)
17. Bobby Bryant – Happiness Is A Warm Gun (1969)
18. The Moments – Rocky Raccoon (1970)
19. The Five Stairsteps – Dear Prudence (1970)
20. Ella Fitzgerald – Savoy Truffle (1969)
21. John Denver – Mother Nature’s Son (1972)
22. Paul Weller – Sexy Sadie (1994)
23. Siouxsie & the Banshees – Helter Skelter (1978)
GET IT! (PW in comments)
More great Beatles stuff:
Beatles Recovered: A Hard Day’s Night
Beatles Recovered: Beatles For Sale
Beatles Recovered: Help!
Beatles Recovered: Rubber Soul
Beatles Recovered: Revolver
Beatles Recovered: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles Revovered: Magical Mystery Tour
Beatles Recovered: White Album
Beatles Recovered: Yellow Submarine
Wordless: Any Major Beatles Instrumentals
Covered With Soul Vol. 14 – Beatles Edition 1
Covered With Soul Vol. 15 – Beatles Edition 2
Any Major Beatles Covers: 1962-66
Any Major Beatles Covers: 1967-68
Any Major Beatles Covers: 1968-70
Any Bizarre Beatles
Beatles Album tracks and B-Sides Vol. 1
Beatles Album tracks and B-Sides Vol. 2
Beatles Reunited: Everest (1971)
Beatles Reunited: Live ’72 (1972)
Beatles Reunited: Smile Away (1972)
Beatles Reunited: Photographs (1974)ff
PW = amdwhah
I really do enjoy your mixes you put together, but I’ve been enjoying the first in this series and look forward to any others.
Great diverse mix of interpretations. I really look forward to your interesting series of Beatles, Originals and unfortunately in Memoriam
Regards
Rhod
You’ll have a rewarding week coming up, Rhod: the third Beatles covers mix AND a new Originals.
Looks good. Thanks a lot.
Great mix of selections. It might be noted that the guitar on Pickett’s “Hey Jude” is supplied by Duane Allman.
Holy cow. I hope the Undisputed Truth threw a pounds Joe Cocker’s way for the arrangement of “Little Help.” Thanks for the inspired compilation.
great mix dude – many thanks once again
I really enjoyed the diversity of this mix. Penny Lane reminds me of an old SNL sketch called “Beatles Songs You Don’t KNow the Words To”. Funny part was they did Penny Lane in the sketch just like this version. Also this version of “She’s Leaving Home” is just bloody awful to listen to. Rest is great. Fantastic “Day in the Life”
Shows what a productive period this was in that you had to devote an entire volume to only 1967-68.
Thanks.
Hi. Thank you for all the great shares. I’m stil waiting for Any Major Beatles Covers 1969-70. Please be so kind. Thanks again
It’s there, but I didn’t put it in the correct category, it seems.
http://www.halfhearteddude.com/2010/04/beatles_covers_3/
Link says “File Not Found” Would love to have this one as the others are great. Thanks for posting these.
New links are up now, scooter. I hope you’ll like this one too.
Could you reupload it, please?
Can you please re up the 3 volume covers here? Great job I just discovered these. So cool