Sometime last year I got a brilliant idea to use popular hits by the Beatles in a new BOTB theme series. That time has finally arrived. I’m going to begin by saying I’m not a Beatles expert. The only thing I can say is like most of you, I’m familiar with the Fab Four’s music. I’m kicking off my series with the Beatles’ 1962 UK debut song, Love Me Do.
Love Me Do is a collaboration of then newbie songwriters, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. In fact, the lyrics were penned several years earlier when Paul and John were still teenagers and not yet known as the Beatles much less recorded the song. The song is about Paul’s girl friend. Interestingly, at least to me, is I learned the song was recorded three different times with three different drummers. I never knew of these potential Beatles’ band members until now. The song peaked #17 in their home country and two years later it released in the US where it hit #1.
My first cover artist choice I found listed on SecondHandSongs (SHS). I generally scroll from oldest to newest where I bounce around randomly usually because of the sound of the artist’s name and I instantly knew I had to share a Brazilian base band known as Blues Beatles!
Although I spotted, my next pick on SHS, it was while at YouTube their cover caught my ear. They refer to themselves as the Hungarian Beatles. Here’s The BlackBirds!
In the first battle of my Beatles Greatest Hits series, which cover band do you think does it better, Blues Beatles or The BlackBirds?
Don’t forget to check out more Battle of the Bands currently underway. The participants are listed in my side bar under the BOTB banner. I’ll report back next week who wins in this round so I’m sure you won’t want to miss that!
The Beatles have a large catalog of hit songs. It’s not going to be easy to narrow the list since there are so many good ones. The only thing I have planned for this series is to not make it a monthly recurring battle as before, perhaps run one every other month to keep things more interesting and exciting. I hope you’ll stay tune for future battles in my Beatles Greatest Hits BOTB series! This CAAC signing off, have a bandtastic day! X
X, Cathy
Polls close noon (ET) on Mar 7th!
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It’s the Blues Beatles for me, Cathy! I like the way they jazzed up the song.
Excellent, another vote for BLUES BEATLES! Thanks for joining the action in this BOTB edition, Eugenia!
My pleasure, Cathy!
Hey, CAThy, It’s That YOU!
Fun Fact: When I was 15 years old, The Beatles were my very favorite band. But a funny thing happened on the way to adulthood: Pete Best became my favorite Beatle.
BUT(!)… BLUES BEATLES — Hokey-Smoke! Hokey, Hokey-Smoke!! Never could I have ever imagined a Beatles song sounding like that (and by “that“, I mean GOOD!) What a find! That had everything I like in it — a groove, a sax, an electric organ. Hoo-Wee! That was so rippingly good that I can barely wrap my mind around the fact it was an old Beatles song.
Yeah, just to be fair, I also listened to the BlackBirds but… c’mon! There wasn’t a trace of doubt in my mind that I’d be voting for the Blues Beatles. This wasn’t even close for me. It was like putting the real Beatles up against… excellent musicians.
Interesting theme idea you’ve come up with, CAThy. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t being doing backflips about hearing a bunch of Beatles songs, but if you can keep finding interesting variations and gems like you did with Blues Beatles, I’ll definitely be digging your new direction.
~ D-FensDogG
POSTSCRIPT: I’m gonna listen to that Blues Beatles rendition of ‘Love Me Do’ a second time now, just for the pure pleasure of it.
Stephen,
Yep, it’s me! Is that you?
I went through a love phase for the Beatles in the 80s. Their music was getting released on CD so I was very excited because I knew getting such classic music as this would make an excellent addition to DH’s collection. I regarded it as his because he was into all things electronic – picking out our stereo components. It was like his hobby and he still enjoys reading up on stuff like that but we haven’t made any serious purchases in a long time. He got some really nice equipment in those days, too. Anywho, I’m extremely happy to learn how much you like my idea for BOTB and even more how you really dig the BLUES BEATLES in this battle round. Your vote pushes the band ahead by three now. Unless this showdown gets interesting with stray votes, which I seriously doubt happens I might have a winner. I hope I can keep up the pace finding exceptional Beatles’ cover songs. Nothing is ever easy as you hope, though. I might have just lucked up this go around. Thanks for the return visit, my friend. Have a bandtastic day!
It’s not easy! I’ve read through what others say and i think the same, the second version is a copy of the original and very well done, the jazzed-up version is a lot of fun.
I’ll go with The Blues Beatles for creativity.
Mimi,
Alrighty THE BLUES BEATLES are up by two. Thanks for casting your vote, my friend!
Only the original should sound like the original, I like The Blue Beatles!
Brian,
Whoo, hoo your vote for THE BLUES BEATLES broke the tie! Will the tallies sea saw more before the polls close? We’ll have to wait to see! Thanks for stopping by, furriend.
The Blues Beatles are a fantastic sounding band, but I don’t like them so much doing this song. The Blackbirds sound pretty much like the Beatles, but still I’m going to vote for their version because I like it better.
Lee
Lee,
With your vote for THE BLACKBIRDS, the battle is now neck and neck. Will this end in a tie?
The BlackBirds did a spot-on cover of the song. You’d have sworn they were lip-syncing to the record. But I’m voting for the Blues Beatles in this battle, because they might have been the best thing to happen to this song. The original was a little on the dull side; they kicked it up several notches.
John,
Your vote puts THE BLACKBIRDS ahead, but will they stay there? It’s too early to say.
What a great idea for a battle series! Should be a lot of fun.
I’m voting for the Blues Beatles because I like how they jazzed it up. Have a terrific week!
Diedre,
I’m so happy you joined me for my newest BOTB series. Your vote for THE BLUES BEATLES has evened things up. A few others haven’t weighed in yet, so it’ll be fun to see who takes the lead!
I will enjoy the Beatles battles. It will be fifficukt to figure out which one to choose. I am going with the Blues Beatles because they made that song their own I’m not excited about the lead singer who seemed to song the song a little flat but the rest make up for it. Have a beautiful day!
Birgit,
Sometimes it goes that way, you like one thing about a group but not another yet in the end the overall vibe just feels right. I have your vote recorded for THE BLUES BEATLES!
I love them both but the Blackbirds get my vote. Sounds so much like the original.
Have a fabulous day and rest of the week, Cathy. Love and hugs. ♥
Sandee,
THE BLACKBIRDS take another vote! Thanks for dropping by, my dear!!
Hi Cathy, what an inspired idea for a BOTB series!
Beatles songs are iconic and most people know them. For this battle, I liked both covers, but found The Blues Beatles more interesting, because their take was so different and jazzed up.
Debbie,
It’s wonderful to have you back battling it out again musically.
Thanks for the return visit and for voting for THE BLUES BEATLES!
Hi, Cathy!
Happy Wild, Wacky and Almost Wordless Wednesday, happy March and happy BOTB day, dear friend! Howdy also to my good buddy Foghorn Leghorn!
This is going to be a great band battle series for you, and I predict that some of your shares will match the ones already embedded in drafts for use at Shady’s Place. That’s AOK. I like how our tastes are aligned.
Thanks for giving us the backstory about the Beatles song “Love Me Do.” I wonder if Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were among those early forgotten Beatles band members.
Your battle presents me with an impossible voting decision, because I like both versions a lot. The Blues Beatles offer a refreshingly different arrangement. They remind me of the British Invasion combo Georgie Fame And the Blue Flames. I thoroughly enjoyed the Brazilian band’s creative interpretation with cookin’ keyboards and wailin’ sax.
The cover by the Hungarian BlackBirds remains much more faithful to the original sound of The Beatles, and that is a key factor in my voting decision. I loved the Beatles, was a teenager at the time they gave the world hundreds of classic songs and recordings, was sad to see them break-up and devastated when John and George died. Like many boomers, I wish I had my Beatles back. With a sound that so closely matches that of my favorite 60s band, the BlackBirds get my vote and leave my ears Hungary for more.
I didn’t see any mention of your Maine post today, but I will be looking for it. In the meantime, please join me if you can for Part 6 of my Saved By the Dell series now running at Shady’s Place. Enjoy your Wednesday and have a great month, dear friend Cathy!
Hello Tom,
You’re the early bird as always. Thanks for dropping by this morning for my brand new BOTB theme series. I’m tickled pink that you like this one, as well you enjoyed both cover artists. What more can a girl hope for than to making things a bit difficult for her readers to decide which artist they like the best. This would be a hard choice for me to make because I really love both covers. The first vote goes to THE BLACKBIRDS!
I apologize for not mentioning it but yes I have another installment of my Maine photo memories following this post and I see that you found it.:) Have a bandtastic day, my friend!
Welcome to March, Cathy! I think this battle series is going to be a hit! Casting my vote for The Blackbirds
– Mary
Thanks for dropping by, Mary! I can’t believe it’s March, can you? Spring is just around the corner now. I have you down for THE BLACKBIRDS.