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10 Beatles covers that will blow your mind
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It's been an interesting week in Beatles land. First, somebody finally figured out how The Beatles played the mysterious first chord in "A Hard Days Night." Then a document surfaced that Paul McCartney sent to a fan nearly 20 years ago, which reveals that Eleanor Rigby may in fact have been a real person, And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, McCartney has confirmed that The Beatles have a fourteen minute unreleased song called “Carnival of Light."
With all this exciting news, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of some of the best Beatles covers out there. This list is geared more towards "indie" musicians, but includes some more popular artists like Johnny Cash and Joe Cocker. There's a lot of great covers that aren't included, but this is what I came up with to best diversify the list, and not include multiple songs from the same compilations (i.e. I am Sam OST.)
10 Great Beatles Covers:
10) Rogue Wave - All You Need Is Love
Rogue Wave was asked to record a cover of "All You Need Is Love" for a commercial and make it exactly like the Beatles version. The cover they made got rejected, so they tried this version for fun. Their site says "Rumor has it Paul McCartney was interested in using it for Memory Almost Full. That would be a false rumor."
9) Jonathan Coulton - I Will
Jonathan Coulton is a software programmer gone musician in 2005, and he started a project where he would release a new song every week on his website. His Beatles cover of "I Will" was one of his releases, and it's quite good. Between the vocals and fingerpicking, the cover feels a little more detached than The Beatles version, which gives it some character. Check out his site.
8) Guster- Two Of Us (live)
The indie/pop band Guster did this cover of "Two of Us" at a studio session with KCRW (6-30-06). This is one of my favorite Beatles songs, and this cover is really solid, mostly thanks to the badass use of banjo.
7) Eels - I'm Only Sleeping (live)
I'm a big fan of the Eels, and think that they are a largely underrated band. Mark Oliver Everett, aka "E," is the main guy behind the Eels, and he did a great job with this cover of "I'm Only Sleeping." Everett has a unique voice, and this song was a good choice for him to cover.
6) Sufjan Stevens - What Goes On
Sufjan Stevens is one of today's most creative musicians, and his interpretation of "What Goes On," is proof of that. This version doesn't come close to topping the Beatles original, but the fact that Stevens knew that and made this creative cover is partially what makes it so good. The track is part of the compilation This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul.
5) Sarah McLachlan - Blackbird
There are a lot of good Beatles covers on the soundtrack I Am Sam, but this cover of Blackbird is perhaps my favorite. It's an amazing song, and it works really well with McLachlan's beautiful vocals and guitar playing.
4) Elliott Smith - Because
Elliott Smith did a great cover of the Beatles song "Because" off Abbey Road. It was featured on the American Beauty soundtrack. Check it out.
3) Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends (live)
Joe Cocker's live cover of "With A Little Help From My Friends," is really great. Here is a video of him performing the song at Woodstock 1969. He appears to be drugged out (Woodstock, really?), which makes this cover that much more impressive. Cocker's first album, With A Little Help From My Friends, is named after this live version that he did, and on the album he got a little help from some friends including, Jimmy Page on lead guitar, Merry Clayton on vocals, Carole Kaye on bass, Henry McCulloch on guitar, and Steve Winwood on organ.
2) Johnny Cash - In My Life
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"In My Life" is quite possibly my favorite Beatles song, and Johnny Cash's acoustic version is fantastic. It's never going to replace the original, but it's a cover nonetheless that everyone should hear.
1) Fiona Apple - Across the Universe
I really love this cover. Fiona Apple has a beautiful voice, and it works perfectly with this song. "Across the Universe" is one of my favorite Beatles songs, and she nails it better than any other cover I've heard. This song was featured on the Pleasantville soundtrack.
Bonus!
The Mutato Muzika Orchestra - Hey Jude
Although, this is an orchestra cover with no lyrics, it's really good. This cover is from the Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack, and I pretty quickly fell in love with it the moment I heard it. I think any Beatles fan would appreciate this instrumental interpretation.
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