I can resist it. Much as I love all things Ghanaian, I think when you strip away the original's alternation between anguished, angry rock power and sweet, major-seventh lovey-dovey rumination, it just sort of sits there. Glad you like it, though.

Beautiful. I actually had that compilation pre-K, but no more. Sorry, dB.

I once met John Storm Roberts, who put this and many other great African compilations together for his Original Music label. What a cool guy.

The insistence on that triplet-pattern percussion wears on me after a great start. The second time the 'I'm in love for the first time...' part comes in, I feel like I'm listening to a relatively good song from a doo-wop show. Interesting, though, and I like her voice. It would be fun to hear her tackle something that doesn't hold such dear associations.

I do like this, but I think I’d like it a lot more at about two and a half minutes or so. I agree that the full song needs the sour, self-tortured parts that make the sweet that much better. Might still be the best Beatles cover, though, unless something like Donny Hathaway’s “Jealous Guy” figures in.

I kind of agree with Bakshit. It's not one of my favorite Beatle numbers to begin, it's Paul and John's performances on the roof that make it worthwhile. You really end up noticing how damn long and repetitive the song is here, even though the harmony is cool in that throwback way, and the space put into it is interesting

I might get pissed on for this, but I was thinking Joe Cocker did the best Beatle cover. Maybe it just seeped into me from watching the Wonder Years.

If not him, probably Hendrix.

Mockcarr, are you thinking "With a Little Help From My Friends" or "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window"? Probably the former, which I do recall from The Wonder Years. Or "Something", which I believe he covered. I sometimes wonder if his "She Came in Through the Bathroom Windwo" is the best Beatles cover, because he took a throwaway snippet from a medley and turned it into a real, rockin' song.

I agree with those of you who agree that this Dada version, although interesting and nice, lacks dynamics and seems longer than it probably is.

Now that I think of it, my "which I do recall..." line is a great understatement, isn't it? It was the theme song for that show, right?

For my favorite Beatles cover, I nominate Fraser and Debolt's cover of "Don't Let Me Down," which totally nails the psychodrama of the song. By the way, their record was just released on CD. Definitely check it out: one a groundbreaking 70s minimalist folk rock album.

Good one, Dr. John. I meant to pull that out and run it side-by-side this morning, but I'd had to dig through too many piles of stuff to get to it without great delay. Stay tuned, RTH...

For being covered to death, there are surprisingly few Beatles covers I enjoy. I like that Dada's version strays from the original arrangement and her voice just kills me.

I'd be curious what Beatles covers people like, beyond that Joe Cocker bluster. He's the male Janis Joplin, warts and all.

-db

Mod says:

I agree with those of you who agree that this Dada version, although interesting and nice, lacks dynamics and seems longer than it probably is.

One of the things I like about African music is that it's usually not in a hurry. I don't have especially fond memories of the original song, and I'd never noticed how schizoid it is. I would admit that Dada's treatment does not do that aspect of the song justice. But the song sounds to me like John had a great chorus that he didn't know what to do with, so he attached to another completely different song.

I do like the way they put the song into their own style and rhythm with such confidence. I guess it does lack dynamics, but it's the nature of the style that it just rolls along comfortably.

Speaking of Beatles covers, have you guys heard The Smithereens' version of Meet the Beatles? It's available on emusic. Very interesting, though not something I'll listen to a lot. Let me also speak up for The Feelies' version of Everybody's Got Something To Hide.

What's with the wart hatin', dbuskirk? I thought you were a bigger man than that.

It's pretty tough to cover a Beatles song better than an original version, I think. They left few details uncovered, and they had the chops to play their music the way it was meant to be played, not to mention the production team to sound the way they were meant to sound.

The Feelies cover mentioned gets points for degree of difficulty alone. I have not heard The Smithereens covers of Beatles songs. Those guys creep me out for some reason.

It's too bad Bowie never tackled a Beatles song in one of his primes. I bet he would have been able to do something cool with the right song. Bryan Ferry's version of "It's Only Love" is nice, as is the Nick Lowe-T-Bone Burnett (I believe) version, but neither come close to the simplicity of the original.

Dr. John, thanks for the info that the Fraser & DeBolt album has been released on CD. That's a great album and a great Beatles cover.

I think this now means that I have one remaining item on my "Never Released On CD" list - An Evening With Wild Man Fischer.

And speaking of the Wild Man, has anyone seen the documentary about him called "Derailroaded" which came out a few years ago? There weren't many theater showings that I'm aware of (there was one in NYC) but it came out a year ago on DVD. As far as I know, it's only available in the UK but I finally ordered it from amazonuk. A truly depressing depressing film.

Don't think I ever heard a Beatles cover that made me go wow except for this one.

I like her singing but the rest is so-so.

Still, this one should be on an anthology, something like "The World Sings The Beatles." I'd love to see you guys decide what should go on that one.

I agree with those found the track kinda gets dull around the halfway mark. I think my favorite Beatles cover is Stevie Wonder's "We Can Work it Out."

Fats Domino's Lady Madonna is pretty cool.

Al, please make sure and let us know when you come across other truly depressing depressing films.

Most covers of their stuff seems pretty pointless, for the reasons Mr. Mod mentioned. I'd probably be more interested by covers of their solo songs. I do like the Echo & The Bunnymen cover of All You Need Is Love for what it is.

As covers of any artist go, does it help when the original is not that well put together? Is it like the cliche of great movies made from cheesy books and lousy movies made from great books?

Love Story always makes me cry.

Speaking of Beatles covers, have you guys heard The Smithereens' version of Meet the Beatles? It's available on emusic. Very interesting, though not something I'll listen to a lot.

I bought that for my BIL for his birfday. He talks about putting on a Smithereens show at college and how swell they were to him all the time (musta been a real good night!). Plus, he hates the Stones and loves the Beatles (I told my sister he had issues, but she didn't listen). So it seemed logical. I thought it was really good, but kind of like that Todd Rundgren Faithful album - it's too similar to the original so why not just listen to that? But I'd listen to Meet the Smithereens probably a million times before I'll listen to that African Beatles cover again. I tried. I just don't get it.

I think what I like about it is the same thing that others do not; it is that it finds a way to groove a Beatles composition - the Beatles who are best known for their tidy compositional ideas. I know this is "rock central" but my musical center is as much in jazz and r'n'b as it is in rock. The fact that it finds a way to make the Beatles less concise is exactly what I'm grooving to.

Maybe that explains why my favorite unheard Beatles tune (someday I hope it turns up) is that full-length slow jam version of "Helter Skelter". They excerpted it on the ANTHOLOGY collection.

-db

ddn't bowie do "across the universe" for "pinups"? that was during his prime, no?

i'll take booker t. and mg's cover / rearrangement of abbey road, nearly in its entirety, "McLemore Ave."

Not a Beatles cover, but Booker T & the MGs' cover of "Mrs. Robinson" is absolutely amazing. Duck Dunn's bass line in the bit separating verse from chorus is one of the Great Moments in Rock Bass History, for sure. Al Jackson certainly helps. Anyhow, it's to die for.

saturn, I know Bowie did Across the Universe, but it's not on Pin Ups. Maybe it's from those sessions and was a b-side type of release? I can't think of anything on Pin Ups I'd drop for it, but I think there would have been room even in the vinyl age. I think it's about 30 minutes long in total.

You're right about Bowie covering The Beatles, Saturn. I looked it up and it was on Young Americans. I'd forgotten that.

I love that version of "Mrs. Robinson" that Hrrundi refers to.

booker t and maitre d's are responsible for a number of great covers (their version of "the beat goes" on defies the odds). and that cover of mrs. robinson is fantastic.

but have you HEARD McLemore Ave.? pretty great stuff. in my mind, it's the ultimate tribute to the beatles because it's by a great band that could have easily turned their noses up at the beatles.

how do people feel about cheap trick's cover of 'day tripper'?

You know that one -- maybe even two -- of the MGs had never even *heard* "Abbey Road" before they recorded that LP? I think it was Booker T, in fact. Maybe Steve Cropper, too. I do seem to recall it was Dunn's idea.

how do people feel about cheap trick's cover of 'day tripper'?

I like it okay. It's fun, nothing mind-blowing. Their Move covers are better.

Mr. Mod,

are you going to post that Fraser and Debolt cover of "Don't Let Me Down" soon?

Dr. John,

I hope to find time to dig it out this afternoon. Thanks for the reminder.

no, hvb, it was booker's idea to cover abbey road. funny, his reason is because he thought it was their best album, something you rarely hear people say anymore. he also describes abbey road as being "raw" (also a word rarely associated with abbey road, but i know what he means), which was part of the appeal for him.

and you're right, cropper had never heard abbey road. he claims that booker sang the guitar parts to him and the rest he got by intuition. i wouldn't be shocked if this is just a little bit of mythmaking on cropper's part. he's never called out for being an arrogant prick, but many of the comments i've seen by him are of this backhanded form of self-praise.

his parts ARE exquisite, but in places you can hear the disconnect between him and the source material, and not in a good way, either.

Saturnismine, perhaps after consultation with Booker, writes:

he also describes abbey road as being "raw" (also a word rarely associated with abbey road, but i know what he means)

I have no idea what either of you might mean. Could you share? Thanks!

well...there's a few ways look at booker's comment and back it up:

...and i admit that we walk up a steep incline in trying to describe their most polished album as "raw". i must also disclaim that i mean to write that I THINK i know what he means.

i think that its production and engineering polish makes for clarity, not OVER production. most of the lead vocals are single tracked, for example. there's not alot of reverb on things, either. and despite its high production values, "abbey road" still features lots of the clunky personality that sets beatles records apart from rather faceless, highly produced, orchestrated tunes like, say, their neighbors at the top of the pop charts, songs like petula clark's "downtown" or "who am i?". you can still hear that it's THEM playing those songs...the sound of them breathing is somehow still there, which booker must have liked, seeing as he was involved in making so many honest sounding records for stax: and, like "abbey road", those records may have contained strings and / or horns, but one still hears the sound of a band in a room, working out a song.

the other way it may have struck booker as "raw" might make more sense, and is probably less of a reach, more direct, but not unrelated:

john's "I want you" is as raw as it gets, with all the writhing and screaming, the pure emotion. "come together" is rather sparse in its arrangement, and must have been more striking as "raw" to a 1969 / 70 ear than it is to ours. "you never give me your money" is...like...obviously about all the legal troubles they were having, the metaphor is thinly veiled. the guitar solos in "the end", which CAN be described as "raw" without argument, are also the sound of three emotionally intertwined individuals spitting at each other.

so, yeah, i THINK i know what booker means....hope this helps.

Those are fascinating points, Saturn. I'm not sure whether your interpretation of the comments isn't just wishful thinking, but you do make the key point of what this music sounded like in relation to the mainstream pop of its day. That's a context that I, for one, as a give me rock and roll or give me death kind of guy, often overlook.

thanks mwall!! no doubt, there's gotta be some wishful thinking somewhere in them words of mine.

here are booker's verbatim, which i've managed to dig up over lunch;

"I was moved by the Beatles...on that album...their approach to me, was basically like our approach, real rough, real raw. it made me think that what we were doing was okay for the pop market, not just the r&b market. It really changed my musical concepts...I thought Abbey Road was their best album."

my interpretations, as always, should be subject to corrections, revisions, anything to keep the conversation going rather than putting an end to it.

one's thoughts continue to turn to baseball....

Good stuff, Saturnismine. Thanks. I get what you think Booker was getting at.

I, too, have been thinking much of baseball!

I wish I was a Padres fan, and then I could feel competitive against you guys. But San Diego sports don't do much for me.

chargers: 0 and 2 with Norv Turner at the helm. somewhere, marty shottenheimer is laughing.

Well, they're 1-1, with an Opening Day defeat of last year's Super Bowl losers the Bears. But the New England game was over by halftime. They have a tougher schedule this year and won't go 14-2, that's for sure. But Marty shouldn't be laughing. The Chargers quite simply choked in their first round playoff loss last season. They were beating New England up and down except they couldn't remember to hang on to the ball.

Don't expect me to root for your phillies tonight, I've got a bet that the Nats won't lose 90.

right...i forgot they beat the bears.

but it wasn't marty's fault that his player coughed up a ball.

do you really think norv turner will lead the bolts to the promised land?

Of course I don't think Norv is going to lead the Chargers to a Super Bowl. But Marty wasn't going to lead them there either.

It's a coach's responsibility to keep his players organized. They weren't "coughing up the ball." They would make great plays and then throw the ball away acting stupidly. They couldn't calm down, and Marty couldn't corral them.

He's one of those coaches, I think, who in big game situations transfers his own uptightness to his players. If they could have relaxed a little, they could have won. But Marty probably hadn't visited the can in a week.

I'm not saying it was all his fault, but I'm saying he didn't help.

I don't care about the Chargers, I just love the name Norv(al) Turner. It sounds like an obscure R&B or rockabilly singer.