Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Covering the Beatles

We all know what The Beatles did for music. We all know how they're one of those bands that not everyone can do their songs justice. Sure, anyone can cover a Beatles song...but that doesn't mean that it should be done.

To cover a Beatles song and do it justice, I think you have to do 2 things. 1) You have to be a Beatles fan (2) You have to know what the hell you are doing. Rookies like myself have played Beatles' songs in front of family and friends in coffee houses - and that's okay. Groups coming up and trying to get the crowd into their show - What better way to grab the crowd's attention than to use a Beatles song? But when you're a group that has "made it," and you're doing a show, you best know that you covering a Beatles song means something different. Bands that play a Beatles' song will either fail miserably; pissing people off indefinitely...Do a fairly good job and people will say "That was okay." ...or you will kick the song's ass and people will leave saying "That was awesome...but it won't touch the original."

It needs to be accepted that Beatles songs cannot be topped, however that doesn't mean that the songs shouldn't be covered. I mean, the Beatles covered songs and made them their own. The trick is, is to understand why the Beatles' songs are what they are. If you can do that, then I think you'll be okay.

Here are some videos of bands covering songs by The Beatles. Yes, one is a Lennon cover from the upcoming Instant Karma Album (benefiting Darfar, Sudan), two are from a BBC The Beatles special, one from the concert for 9/11, and the other are live show moments that I think truly capture what made The Beatles who they were and why their songs will continue to be played by all forms of artists until there is no more music. Enjoy.

U2 - performing "Helter Skelter" - 1988 Rattle & Hum documentary


Green Day - performing "Working Class Hero" (Lennon) - Darfur Sudan


Neil Young - performing "Imagine" - A Tribute to Heroes 9/11


Pearl Jam - performing "I've Got a Feelilng" - Rotterdam 1992 **warning** Naked guitarist!


Stereophonics - performing "Sgt.Pepper's [Reprise]" - BBC Special


John Butler Tri0 - performing "Come Together"


Dave Matthews - performing "In My Life" - Tribute to John Lennon


Ray Charles - performing "Yesterday" - 1973 Documentary


Fiona Apple - performing "Across the Universe" - soundtrack for Pleasantville


As always, feel free to leave a comment.