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How did you experience your MLT joy today?
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Jung asked: Which Beatles album featured the 5th Beatle?
While the cover of the “Abbey Road” album has a 5th Beatle (located between George and Paul)…
I tend to think of the “Let It Be” album as having a 5th Beatle… with the addition of Billy Preston. Billy’s excellent organ work adds a lot to the group’s songs from that period – especially in songs like “Get Back” and “Don’t Let Me Down”. The last 30 seconds of “Don’t Let Me Down” just might be my favorite instrumental ending of any Beatles song. Preston’s organ is the lead instrument during this amazing ending play out… and the way it mixes with Paul’s bass and Ringo’s drum work gives me chills – still 50 years after I first heard it. Check it out from about 3:05 to the end of the song. Just brilliant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk7f6i0CNfs
I believe we can also hear Preston’s organ work on “I Want You” which was recorded in early 1969 but eventually ended up on the “Abbey Road” LP.
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Jung wrote: Have a listen to what John and Paul have to say about people doing covers of their songs.
I disagree with what Paul was saying in that video… and I think he was probably just trying to be nice about it and supportive of the many artists who were always covering their songs – because all those covers did make additional money for Paul & John.
In thinking about all the Beatles’ song covers from back in the 60s… there is only one that I actually like better than the Beatles’ original version. And that is the Mamas & Papas version of “I Call Your Name”. They really took that song and made it their own – in a beautiful way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_WlLYBfL-k
I still love the Beatles original version… but I like this John Phillips arrangement with Cass singing the lead – even better.
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Hi, Michael.
You and I think alike. I said the same thing about “I Call Your Name” in a post titled “Improving on the Beatles”, which is currently on page 6 of the general discussion forum.
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I remember your Post David and I had to disagree with you at the time. The MLT are able to make Beatles’ covers their own while remaining true to the originals. They manage to do this no matter whose originals they cover, as we can see way back in their early days with their ‘California Dreaming’ EP.
Following is a synopsis of my comment in your ‘Improving on the Beatles’ Topic:
“Personally I prefer John Lennon’s stripped down original with his very passionate vocals. The Beatles could have enhanced their version, but I don’t think it needs it. This way it could be played live, something the Mamas and Papas had difficulty with owing to their often over produced, and multi-tracked studio recordings.”
I think we can probably blame Phil Spector for this “wall of sound” approach to recording in the mid sixties and it was something Paul McCartney hated about Spector’s production with the ‘Let It Be’ album. He always considered it to be over produced.
When EMI informed Martin that he would not get a production credit because Spector produced the final version, he commented “I produced the original, and what you should do is have a credit saying ‘Produced by George Martin, over-produced by Phil Spector’”
Anyway, if any cover of John’s “I Call Your Name” is worthy of at least equal status, it would have to be Ringo’s live version. His voice is well suited to this song.
I Call Your Name – Ringo Starr, Tom Petty and Jeff Lyne, with Jim Keltner on the cowbell and Joe Walsh on slide guitar.
As for the fifth Beatle, it may have been the VW on the cover of the Abbey Road album and Billy Preston on mainly the ‘Let It Be’ album, but it was really George Martin all along!
Paul was okay with others covering Beatles’ songs. His favourite of the 3,000 odd ‘Yesterday’ covers is Marvin Gaye’s, along with Elvis and Frank Sinatra, amongst others.
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I guess we just have different tastes in this regard, Howard. You prefer the “live” sound, and I prefer the “overproduced” sound. To me it’s like a candy store for the ears.
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Yup… Definitely luv Cass singing it with Mamas and Papas version better… And I can visualize in my mind MLT’s possible take on it, if they one day decide to tackle…. I am a fan of Mama’s and Papa’s and of solo stuff from Cass and Denny, also Cass’ collaboration with Dave Mason… That’s a great CD… Denny’s 2nd solo album to which Cass had written the linear notes for happened to be her last recording efforts, but also had Michelle on backup singing duties too, kind of like a mini-M&P’s reunion of sorts…I own that too, and Cass’ solo stuff on CD… I do own Mama’s & Papa’s stuff too, and John Phillips last solo recording CD… Not overly impressed with that but I have it. ??
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A little Beatles Trivia:
Which Beatles album features a zebra on the album cover? (or zed-bra depending on where you are from)
hint 1- it’s very British. 🙂
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Drum roll….Answer is: Abbey Road
Don’t you see John, Paul, George and Ringo walking across the Zehbra crossing (AKA a cross walk in North America)!
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Drum roll….Answer is: Abbey Road
Don’t you see John, Paul, George and Ringo walking across the Zeebra crossing (American version)!
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Harumph! I’ll call it a zebra crossing the day I witness this:
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LOL!
Nice pics David.In the UK apparently it’s common to refer to a cross walk as a Zeh-bra crossing.
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That’s even more twisted, Jung.
I first encountered that Britishism in the little-known BBC TV mini-series of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, and it was pronounced “zee-bra” there.
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Check out the american version post. I presume if they figure out you are American they may call it a Zeebra Crossing.
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