'Variations In Fab Minor' – A Look At Some Interesting Takes On The Songs of The Beatles – Part 2
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
When the Beatles burst into American living rooms on Feb. 9, 1964 via the Ed Sullivan Show, they altered the direction of the universe. That's no exaggeration! There was the world before the Beatles, and the world after. What we have now is the world after the world after, which is a big room in a lot of disarray, most of the old paint peeled off the wall, but a few of the original layers still able to peek through.
The music of the Beatles startled and shook the music world to the core. Countless musicians sited that Sullivan show as the moment they knew they wanted to be a musician while others less musically inclined still pointed to it as a 'one day the world was suddenly in full color' moment. A huge reason the Beatles were not dismissed as temporary entertainment and fodder for the kids was because even those of an older generation knew there was something more to their music than a typical teenage come hither or empty calorie sugary beverage. There was, ahem, substance!
Not wanting to seem like unhip day old bread, countless artists recorded Beatles songs who otherwise wouldn't have given a second listen to these 'long haired' kids from across the pond. Acknowledgement came from the likes of Leonard Bernstein to Frank Sinatra over time. Sinatra famously recording a version of George Harrison’s ‘Something,’ referring to it as the finest Lennon/McCartney composition. It was the thought that counted.
Beatles songs were recorded in the mode of easy listening, country, folk, orchestral, jazz, electronic, you name it with nearly all versions succeeding at one level or another, simply because of the quality of the songs. Here then are a handful of Beatles interpretations, some to be take less seriously than others, but all sincere in their homage. Trust me, there's plenty more where these came from!
"Every Little Thing" by Yes – (1969)
From the album ‘Yes Today’
For many young bands in the mid to late 1960s (and beyond, of course) the Beatles were the ‘go to’ sort of home base. No matter where you lept from there, the Fabs’ influence was always in sight. The entire ‘progressive’ rock movement was easily connected to the Beatles more adventurous and psychedelic work. The oncoming young prog bands saw psychedelia as the jumping off point with a huge untraveled terrain ahead. One of those bands was Yes. Formed in 1968 and quickly began making themselves known. They were snapped up early on by Atlantic Records and set about recording their debut LP in the spring of 1969. That first album opened the door on the possibilities this band had in their future including two references to their early influences., a cover of the Byrds song, ‘I See You,’ emphasizing a jazzy approach with the other being a take on the Beatles ‘Every Little Thing.’ The original was somewhat hidden away on the band’s ‘Beatles For Sale’ LP (‘Beatles VI’ in the U.S.), but despite it’s relative obscurity, was yet another great Lennon/McCartney offering. In yes’ hand’ the song is transformed from a simple pop song into a more dramatic arrangement complete with shades and structures Yes would continue to expand on creating their own unique and wonderful style.
‘Beyond The Valley Of A Day In The Life’ - The Residents (1977)
From the ep: 'The Beatles Play The Residents, The Residents Play The Beatles'
The Residents were, and remain, one of the greatest mysteries in the story of rock and roll. Who were they? Where did they come from? What do they want? So many questions, so much music, yet so few answers. After incubating a couple of years, the Residents would poke their head above ground in 1971, when they send a demo tape to Warner Brothers Records, figuring, if Warner’s had signed Captain Beefheart, there was surely room for this whacked out art project there as well! When WB politely declined, the Residnets started up their own label, Ralph Records, and in 1974 issued their debut titled, ‘Meet The Residents’ with not only title, but cover art ‘borrowed’ in part from the Beatles. A theme had started. Those who heard it were not quite sure what to make of it, while songs like ‘Smelly Tongues’ and ‘Spotted Pinto Bean’ failed to hit the charts! With their identities hidden, there were even rumors that this was, in fact, the Beatles, having a laugh on everyone. It wasn’t, by the way. Two more albums followed and then this legendary single. ‘Beyond…’ is not actually a cover version of any Beatles song, but rather a collage of several, all done, mind you, pre-sampling and pre-digital editing. This was an audio collage that spoke loudly to any astute Beatle fan. The flipside featured a nearly unidentifiable take on ‘Flying’ from Magical Mystery Tour. It became a cult favorite much like the band that served it up and it remains a fascinating piece of work.
'Good Day Sunshine’ – Claudine Longet (1967)
From the album: 'The Look of Love’
Oh Claudine, what have you done? Parisian-American, actress/singer Claudine Longet was a fixture of sorts in the heart of America in the 1960s, due in no small part to her being married to singer Andy Williams. She was on his TV specials, mother of their children, and eye candy for Andy. In 1966 she signed a record deal with A&M Records who knew just how they wanted to market her. It was ‘soft pop’ with jazz overtones, modern day ties and contemporary vibes. Her debut sold very well, going Gold, and charting well. Through early 1970, she released five albums for A&M, all with varying sales and all with Beatles, and or, other contemporary covers. ‘Good Day Sunshine’ pretty much shows her signature style. Was she a good singer? Well, you be the judge. Did she really sing “I’m so pwoud to know he is mine”? Yes, yes she did. She kept recording after being dropped from A&M and kept busy acting until killing her boyfriend in 1975. After divorcing Williams, Longet became involved with Olympic skier ‘Spider’ Sabich. She always maintained that the gun accidentally discharged while he was showing her how to use it and the court found her guilty of ‘negligent homicide’ for which she paid a small fine and served 30 days. Her music lives on at thrift stores everywhere.
‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ – William Shatner (1968)
From the album ‘The Transformed Man’
This is what it’s all about! An artist making the song truly his own by turning it inside out, upside down, over watering it in the garden of musical delights then leaving it out to dry a little too long and yet, despite all odds, it shines.
For years, the album William Shatner made in 1968 was a great inside joke amongst record collectors and, perhaps, a cherished item in any given Star Trek fan’s collection. ‘The Transformed Man’ finds Shatner not so much singing the songs, but rather acting them. The amount of drama infused in each tune is an overload and yes, that’s what makes them funny and what also makes them unique. There we find Bill reciting excerpts from Shakespeare alongside versions of ‘It Was A Very Good Year,’ his stunning version of the Dylan song ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ and, this version of ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ which is drenched in lunacy. For years, Shatner dismissed the album, then somewhere along the way, as those of us familiar with it began speaking highly of it, even if in acknowledged comedic ways, he began to embrace his vocal performances of which there are a wonderful handful over the years, including his version of Harry Chapin’s ‘Taxi’ and Elton’s ‘Rocket Man.’ Finally, in 2004, he was convinced to make a new album, spearheaded by Ben Folds. That album, titled ‘Has Been,’ celebrated that signature Shatner style, even making the Billboard charts! Since then, he has occasionally ventured into the recording studio to give more to the fans and has, in more recent times, worked with the likes of Ritchie Blackmore, Johnny Winter, Bootsy Collins, Alan Parsons, and more. Shatner forever!