The very LEAST frequently covered Beatles songs, and examples of covers of them.

"Flying" -- The Residents

 

my band did a rare Beatles cover, at that point it had never been released by them: That Means a lot, we learned it from a bootleg.. it's on 1965 Through The Looking Glass: http://www.discogs.com/release/925926

 

I'm reminded that my hometown power pop heroes Blue Ash did a killer cover of "Anytime at All" on their Mercury album No More, No Less.

 

Arif Mardin covered "Glass Onion" (although instrumentally)

Bongwater covered "Julia", as did some jazz artists (Ramsey Lewis, I think)

 

One Beatles cover that I find kind of disappointing is Todd Rundgren's take on "Strawberry Fields Forever". I think he tried to make it too much of a clone of the original and it ends up sounding kind of stiff. I do admire him for taking on the task of covering such a difficult song.

I think the version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" that Richie Havens did is amazing.

 

Matthew Sweet released a live version of She Said She Said on a promo cd. The Waterboys have done Do It in the Road live occasionally, as did the Peter Holsapple-led dB's in the 1980's.

Atlanta Rhythm Section have done Rocky Racoon.

 

Since John mentioned his Neil Young covers project, this reminds me of my band back in the 70s doing Buffalo Springfield's "Down to the Wire" (the Stills-Furay sung version) long before the Neil-sung one came out on Decade. We learned it from a boot as well.

 

Has any one peformed "What You're Doing?" besides the Fab Four?

 

One after 909-The Smithereens
Magical Mystery Tour-Cheap Trick
Rain-Todd Rundgren
Yes It Is-Don Henley
Don't Pass Me By-The Georgia Satillites
Yer Blues-Jeff Healey Band
Every Little Thing-Yes
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End-Phil Collins

 

Didn't Matthew Sweet do "She Said, She Said" on the No Alternative benefit album back in about '93?

Also, the Breeders did "Happiness" on the Pod album.

One song I've never heard covered is "All I've Got To Do".

 

From the link Yankee8156 posted:


Wallace and Ladmo?
TITLE NOT YET KNOWN
-------------------
Here in Arizona from 1954-1989 there was a children's program (with
real people) called "Wallace and Ladmo". During the 60's, they had a
musician working with them who arranged many spoofs of Beatles songs. I
have a CD that was put out in 1994 that contains much of that material.
They have spoofs of the following Beatles' songs:

What You're Doing to Me (not a spoof, but a serious cover)
Michelle (turned into a comedy sketch, although the words are unchanged)
Obese Man (Nowhere Man)
Run for Your Life (words re-done)
With a Little Help from His Horse (...My Friends)
When He's Sixty-four (...I'm... words re-done)
Lovely Auntie (Lovely Rita)
Ladmo in the Sky with Almonds (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds)
Commodore Condello's Salt River Navy Band (Sgt Pepper)
A Day on the Tube (A Day in the Life)

 

"Goodnight" - Vera Lynn

"Don't Pass Me By" - The Georgia Satellites

 

"Martha My Dear" - Ambrose Slade

 

A few years ago I bought a four-track CD single at Tower Records. The main/title track was "Free As A Bird", performed by Symphony Orchestra Hamburg. Unfortunately, it sounds more like elevator music with a full (sort of) rock band (guitars, drums, etc.) with some cheesy orchestration overlaid. A cheesy-sounding guitar plays the melody line for most of the song.

I'm trying to think of another cover version of "Free As A Bird." I can't think of one at the moment. I do recall that prior to the "Threetles" version of the song being released, a band posted their own full-band arrangement of the song on the internet. They used as their sources the original Lennon demo in circulation as well as, I believe, a Newsweek article that quoted some of the "new" lyrics that had been written (which turned out to not be 100% accurate). I remember it not being that bad for guessing what the "Threetles" version would sound like before anybody had heard it.

 

A group called Overwhelming Colorfast did a pretty good remake of that one.

I have an MP3 of Los Straitjackets doing "Cry For a Shadow".

 

Melissa (no last name) released an album on MCA in 1970 which had a cover of "I Will" on it. (She also did a cover of "Brother Can You Spare A Dime" on the same album)

 

I got one: I Me Mine by Frank Pourcell.

 

Here are some:

All I've Got to Do by George Martin and his Orchestra (1964)
All I've Got to Do by The Merseyboys (1964)
All I've Got to Do by Moon Martin (1978)
All I've Got to Do by Peter Lipa (2003)
All I've Got to Do by The Smithereens (January 16, 2007)

 

Here's another nice listing:

http://www.secondhandsongs.com/artist/41

 

I Will-Tim Curry

 

Who's covered "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party"? I love that song.

 

I co-produced two Beatles cover-tracks that I quite like that had almost no other versions.

One was a hard candy version of "Good Day Sunshine" and the other was Wisely doing, "I'll Follow the Sun".

Both were for the Sony/ATV summer comp that went out a few months ago.

I wanted to officially release "I'll Follow the Sun" but Willie wanted 100% originals on his upcoming release.

So "I'll Follow the Sun" will make it out as a Japan-only bonus track in January BUT I was shocked - Apple (iPod) inquired about using it for a commercial! That was an amazing call - they really dug it and said it was in their "to be used when we get this Beatles **** cleared up" file.

Sony/ATV said Apple didn't really inquire about any other Beatles covers.

!

Jeff

 

Dave Davies - I Want To Hold Your Hand

Performed only once on a late '90s USA solo tour (soundcheck only), sung as "I Don't Know Where I Am".

 

Tomorrow Never Knows

I know of two covers, both great live performances.....

Los Lobos -- from their box set EL CANCIONERO: MAS Y MAS.

Grateful Dead -- from DICK'S PICKS, VOL. 27 (12/16/92, Oakland Coliseum, CA).

 

"And Your Bird Can Sing" by Spanky & Our Gang (Mercury Records).

As a kid I heard this once on the radio, and tried to get a 45 of it.
But the record store said it hadn't made the Top 100,
so they could not get it.

This was before the group had its big smash of "Sunday Will Never Be The Same"