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My favourite Beatles song, the official video got even better
I came across the latest revised “Let It Be” video and some nice new footages added to it.
Did we ever discuss our favourite Beatles song here? Well what is yours? 😉
My favourite is Let it Be, sounds like holy and medieval music from centuries ago, stirring. The connection to a dream Paul McCartney had about his mom really resonates with me too.
A Day In the Life, and Across The Universe are others high up in my fave Beatles songs list.
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41 Replies
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Jung, you are asking the impossible question. What is my favorite Beatles song?, I couldn’t even pick one favorite off of one side of one album. I am an old Rock n Roll fan so I would have to pick one that really rocked, but that isn’t easy either. I’m picking this one just because it was great when I first heard it maybe 60 years ago and it is just as good today. A lot of bands have done this and it’s really not a Beatles song but no one has ever sung it better than John Lennon. https://youtu.be/xcdwr9RCg2A?feature=shared
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Perhaps this is common knowledge, but I heard that John wasn’t really “trying” to sing it like that. They had been in the studio all day recording vocals, and his voice was just shot.
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Hi Tim
Great video! And yes John’s vocals are incredible and those harmonies irresistible. I read a story where John said he almost injured himself singing this song, and I can see why, the depth and power of his vocals, no one can do justice to this song better than John. I saw in a BBC documentary once, and the music critics said the thing that set the Beatles apart from all others and why their music so appealing to such broad audience is their harmonies along with their genius song writing.
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Mona’s vocals reminds me of John’s vocals with that raspy cry in them. That was my point in asking about straining her throat singing like that at the Cavern Club. In the real up tempo songs like Revolution, My Generation or many others she has some serious adrenaline going on and probably doesn’t even realize it. Just look at the pick guard of her Martin or the gouged out body of her Epiphone. She really gives her guitars, and her vocal chords a workout. Makes me 🙂.
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Another John Lennon lead vocal performance I really like is this one. His singing is so full of character.
Hmmm back to the grind.
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I love John’s voice on this one too. I can understand why they broke up and love a lot of their solo work but man, there music as a band was only getting better, and that is saying a lot.
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Tim,
All of these Beatle’s songs are great, no doubt. Also, we can’t overlook the keyboard parts that Billy Preston improvised in this song, and others on “Let It Be,” which were — “Don’t Let Me Down,” “Get Back,” “I Want You (She’s So Heavy,) and “Something.” He didn’t get credit on the last two, & probably many people aren’t aware of his role here. George H. had invited him to the recording session, but the Beatles had met Billy in 1962, when he was only 16, and in Little Richard’s Band. Brian Epstein had put together a show in Liverpool with the Beatles and Richard’s Band. (I don’t know if anyone else was on the bill.)
As far as favorite Beatles songs; wow! There’s so many! I think of every album as a whole suite of songs. I can play them over in my head, & each one runs into the next, in order. All of the songs mentioned in this forum are also favorites of mine, but I’d like to add these. It’s not just their greatest hits that are so wonderful. I really enjoy the ones that you don’t hear on the radio, such as those from the double “White Album.” These songs also deserve mention: “Sexy Sadie,” “Dear Prudence,” “Cry Baby Cry,” While My Guitar Gently Weeps;” (I also LOVE the MLT version of that!) “Rocky Raccoon,” and many others!
Who else would come up with unusual & interesting songs such as this?
Cry baby cry – The Beatles (LYRICS/LETRA) [Original] – YouTube
This has been a great discussion so far everyone, and THANKS JUNG! — Bud
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Bud, I really like the addition of Billy Preston’s piano on the Beatles records, especially Get Back. I didn’t appreciate Billy’s solo talents when he had his own string of hits including Will It Go Round In Circles and Nothing From Nothing. I seen him on a recent YouTube upload of The Midnight Special from 1973 and where Billy performed some of his solo stuff and he blew me away, what an amazing musician. The White album is maybe my favorite Beatles albums, more for all those great album tracks than the hits. I will add to your list with a few of my favorites, how about Bungalow Bill, I’m So Tired, Piggies, Birthday, I Will, Helter Skelter , Don’t Pass Me By. And I will add some music to this thread with another White Album favorite, John’s Happiness Is A Warm Gun. Someone should make a video for this song.
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Hi Tim,
I agree w/all your choices from “The White Album.” I just didn’t list them all! There’s enough to keep the MLT’s busy for years! But I do appreciate the diversity of covers they do, & that their Originals are surprisingly great! You don’t expect a “cover group” to be able to write their own material too, so “good on them!”
Back to Billy, I was aware of him years ago, but didn’t really know much about his music. I DID see him Live w/Ringo, I think in 1995, and that All-Stars group was a great Band! But I really noticed Preston in Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” Special on the Beatles. I started looking for him on YouTube, & I love that “Nothin’ from Nothin'” that he did. I even started teaching it to students in my Sub Jobs for Music classes last year!
Paul McC. is a pretty darn good pianist, but Billy took it to a different funky level! I’m adding this video of Billy Preston’s vocal on “MY Sweet Lord” from the Tribute to George H. Paul, Ringo, Eric C, Dhani Harrison & many others are on this video, along w/ a large choir. Cheers! — Bud
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Hi Tim, Jung & everyone who’s posted here,
I love all of your favorite Beatle’s songs too! I used to sing them in the car, and a few on stage too! The Beatles were a big part of the ’60’s Music Scene, but as the years pass, I doubt that their popularity & importance will diminish. I believe that their Music transcends time & has a positive message for generations to come. The MLT’s don’t try to copy the Beatle’s exact sound, but offer an up-to-date perspective on the Music, while making it their own! And these ladies continue the tradition & positive message! They also inspire us to listen, sing along & enjoy the music in our own personal way. We can all spread the LOVE!
The Beatles showed how to make a better World through Love. Now, how can each one of us help to bring our broken World back to a place of Peace, Love, Understanding, Tolerance & Appreciation of our Differences, with Equality & Fairness to all as top priorities?
Also, as sad as the Beatle’s breakup was, some pretty incredible Music came out of all 4 members. Here are two excellent examples:
WOMAN. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) – John Lennon (official music video HD) – YouTube
Paul & Linda McCartney – Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey [High Quality] – YouTube
Have a great day everyone! — Bud Jackson
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Hi Bud
A couple of great songs there that just underscore John and Paul’s amazing song writing prowess. I remember when Woman came out and was a big hit on the radio. It’s melody just stays in my brain whenever I hear it. The song really expresses John’s love for Yoko Ono. Despite how some blame her for breaking up the Beatles, when you hear that song, you can’t help but respect how John felt. Another one of John’s later solo songs with an amazing melody that sticks is this one.
https://youtu.be/IZBsTeGwSyE?si=5itgdyl-UaSXHyh3
Paul’s song Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey is another brilliant gem. I had his 1970s “Wings Greatest Hits” album on cassette and loved every song on that album, and this was one of the songs on it. On this one, when the horns come on, it’s like the song transitions into another, similar to A Day In The Life. The song is brilliant, and love the horns. Paul’s melody genius shines. I liked Ringo’s appearance at the end of the video. Paul’s fondness for his giant sheep dog Martha who appeared on this and other videos of his is heartwarming. I think the whole band at the time was fond of Martha as Paul took him everywhere.
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Hello again Jung & everyone!
Thanks for your reply Jung! I really like “Watching the Wheels” too, and everything on John’s last album, “Double Fantasy,” with Yoko. That whole era brings back a flood of memories. “I’m Losing You” really gets to me, especially after John’s tragic death about 3 weeks after his album release! It hit the world hard, I think just as much as Kennedy’s death did in ’63.
I had been living in NYC in the ’70’s, & a work friend of mine told me that he lived across the street from John Lennon! I used to walk by the Dakota Apartments from time to time, but never saw him. I didn’t want to “bother” him, but later I read that he would walk freely around the city, in Central Park, & visit local coffee shops. I wish I would have tried harder to see him! I only lived 6 blocks away, in a hotel on 76th Street & Broadway! I went to the park many times & did a lot of walking.
I was taking trumpet lessons from a well-known teacher, who had been playing Jazz in town since the 1930’s. On one of my visits back to New York in 1979, some friends of mine heard about a party on the Upper West Side of NY, near where John & Yoko lived. They said that John was going to drop by this party, so I went! A bunch of us were dancing to ’60’s Beatle’s songs at the party & having a great time! But then John didn’t show up. Maybe it was a ploy to get more people to come to the party! But it was a fun “what if” anyway!
<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”>I would walk by the Dakota Apts. sometimes at night in different years, & up on the top floor where John lived, there were strobe lights flashing. I always wondered what the Lennons were doing up there? I should have hung around more. He used to sign </font>autographs &<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> was nice to his fans!</font>
<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”>I was in NYC again in September of 1980 taking lessons, & I sat in with Roy Eldridge’s band. (He was a very influential Jazz trumpeter.) </font>Of course,<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> I walked by the Dakota a few times. I had a fairly big collection of Beatle’s </font>albums<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”>, & solo albums. Back in Seattle, I bought the new album of John’s, “Double Fantasy,” & just loved it! Later, when I heard the TV news flash that John had been shot, I was in disbelief! I </font>went<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> to the </font>Seattle<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> Center Memorial Gathering for John, & there were people with guitars, and everyone was singing Beatle’s songs! It was a very fitting tribute. But what a senseless </font>tragedy<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”>! (I keep welling up as I’m writing this!)</font>
<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”>I decided to transcribe “Strawberry Fields Forever,” and “I Am the Walrus,” but arrange the songs for Big Band, </font>(which<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> is what large jazz groups are called.) It took me a month, while working and attending </font>college<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> band classes. I sang the songs while the band accompanied me. We played them at several concerts, including at a Youth Detention Center, where teenagers who’d gotten into trouble were sent. This one boy came up to me afterwards to thank me & said, “now I know what those Strawberry Fields were all about!” </font>
<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”>I ended up teaching Music in public schools for 30 years, & rehearsing hundreds of kids to perform in concerts & on field trips out of town & out of state. I’m not trying to brag at all, I’m just glad I’ve been able to do some positive things for young people while doing what I enjoy doing myself! (I’ll be in a concert this Sunday during the MLT </font>Livestream.)
Also, I’ve been to Liverpool 3 times, have done the Beatle Tours, & I’ve seen Paul 4 times & Ringo 3 times! (I wish I could have seen John & George!) But I consider myself lucky!
Now today, a big reason for supporting the MLT’s is because they’re talented, creative young people who are carrying on a Great Music Tradition! And I really relate to that! So, Thank you for the Music!
— Bud Jackson
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Hi Jung,
I just spent about 2 hours typing a reply to you. Then during proofreading I clicked once and my whole response disappeared. When I finally found it, & finished looking at it, after I posted it all this extra stuff appeared, such as font/face/OOO, etc. I don’t know how to delete these extra things in my post. Do you have any ideas? I don’t have time to redo the whole thing!
— Bud
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Bud, All four of the Beatles produced so many great songs after the break up. I want to give Ringo some love here too. Ringo it seemed was the “happy” Beatle. He just always seemed to love playing the music and still gets out on the road with his All-Stars, still spreading his message of peace and love. I love this song and video brings back some memories with a lot of cool video clips and pictures. https://youtu.be/IhDKHo2wapM?feature=shared
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Tim,
Right you are, I can’t agree more! Ringo’s drumming was perfect for the Beatles, & he was a great contribution to the Band! If you put the “World’s Greatest Drummer” in with the Beatles, such as Buddy Rich, it wouldn’t have fit the group! Nothing against Buddy; I’ve seen him live & he was fantastic, but the Beatles were so special not just because of the songwriting, but because of the combination of those four specific people!
And I love seeing Ringo live now! His All-Star band is a lot of fun, because each person gets to play their specialty numbers, which brings such variety to their gigs. People have a great time at Ringo’s concerts! Here’s a video of “Photograph” that was done at the same concert my wife & I were at this past June, at Ste. Michelle Winery near Seattle. I hope you enjoy this!
Ringo Starr “Photograph” Woodinville, WA 6/4/2023 – YouTube
youtube.com
Ringo Starr "Photograph" Woodinville, WA 6/4/2023
Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band at Chateau Ste Michelle winery in Woodinville, Washington June 4, 2023. Recorded during his 15th All Starr Band Tour.
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I agree with Tim: it’s very hard to pick an absolute favorite. Part of the problem for me is that if I choose one that many others consider to be among their best, I don’t know whether I independently love it too, or if I’m just yielding to peer pressure. Here’s one that I’ve genuinely enjoyed since I first heard it but that doesn’t get a lot of attention, so I guess I’ll call it my favorite. I love the chord progressions!
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Hi David
I’ve grown to love every song on that album! When I got this album, I learned that their long line of hit songs is just scratching the surface with the Beatles, if you immerse yourself in the Beatles music there are so many remarkable gems throughout. Not one bad song really.
For me where the great classical composers expressed the beauty of symmetry and order in the universe through instrumentation, with the Beatles it’s their harmonies.
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Jung, I think David is onto something here. Millions of people love the big Beatles hits as much as I do but there are those Beatles album cuts and B sides that we can single out as a favorite song that seems a bit more personal, like a little gem that everyone else overlooks. I always think of John as the rocker and Paul as the more melodic Beatle, but Paul could certainly rock out with the best of them when he wanted. Here’s one of my favorite album cuts from Let it Be where Paul turns it up a little. https://youtu.be/fTZ804WxpGg?feature=shared
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Tim, where did you find this one? It’s awesome, haven’t seen this one before! Yeah both Paul and John are incredible singers, their talent for a lack of a better word is so incredibly deep, they constantly surprise with what they can reach deep inside of them and pull out, not unlike a female Duo Group I know! Paul’s rocker vocals shine, he can rock with the best of them when he wants. The lead guitar sound from George sounds great too. I bet those two police officers standing around waiting to shut down the roof top performance did not realize what a historic music event they were witnessing at the time.
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Haha, I think the cops are enjoying the show too, they are taking their time. The one looks at his watch, he’s probably wondering how long they got before their Captain calls and says “I told you to break them up”. Little did they know it would be the end of an era.
Here’s another one that is very underrated. An early one from their first album that I’ve always loved. It has a 50’s vibe to it and is one of those songs that reminds me of a teenage relationship that has come to an end. I think we’ve all been through those. What really grabs me is John’s incredible vocals, so much power and feeling. https://youtu.be/b3zNKWyLfus?feature=shared
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I love that one too, Tim! My favorite cover song from that album.
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I’m glad I like Drive My Car, or I might not have found the Twins yet.
It always seemed to me like the only people who claimed to actively dislike any Beatles songs were named John and Paul.
Lennon didn’t like the medley on Abbey Road. Huh? I mean, I understand when it’s your band, you get to be critical. And I like a bit of perfectionism; it can be good to be critical of yourself.
If I had to name one favourite song, it’d be A Day in the Life. It hits me emotionally as well as intellectually. It really is a Lennon-McCartney song – it sounds like they both wrote it. Maybe not wrote it together, but both wrote it. It has so much in it. But long ago I learned not to try too hard to analyze emotion, so I can’t really explain it. Analysis and emotion use different yardsticks. But I do find it interesting that a lot of other people like it, which suggests there may be some analysis that could be done.
And having said that, yes, it is an impossible task to just pick one favourite.
But like John and Paul, I have 2 or 3 I’d put in the lower half of Beatles songs. And of course all the rest of their songs are in the upper half.
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Hi Chris,
Yeah, I couldn’t agree with you more about what you said about A Day In The Life. There is so much feeling and emotion there that just grabs me. Where some songs from the 60s can sound dated, this is timeless, in fact you could say that about most of the Beatles works, timeless. It sounds as good today as when it came out 50/60 years ago. This song is truly monumental.
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Chris, A Day In The Life is an outstanding track, definitely one of their best. It’s one of those studio tracks you have to listen to through a good pair of headphones with the lights down and your eyes closed. I think it was 2 different songs, a John song and a Paul song blended together. I don’t know who’s idea it was to put them together but it was a genius idea.
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Jung; I can narrow it down to five Beatle songs and give reasons why:
1) She Loves You — This song changed RnR all by itself. The vocals are really sung chords by the main three Beatles. The guitar chords are unusual. The note patterns are a throw-back to the 1940s. I could go on, but the song turned popular music on its head.
2) Something — I don’t think there is a better love song written until you consider….
3) If I Fell — The harmonies are so great in this song between Paul and John. The lyrics are straight to the heart. Also, MLT did a fantastic job on this cover.
4) Long Tall Sally – Good basic RnR song. The screams are even in tune.
5) Here, There, and Everywhere — Another great one in the list of love songs. Can you tell I kinda like silly love songs???
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Hi Michael
Great list of songs there. Those early Beatles hits like She Loves You, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Please Please Me are definitely magical and changed music forever indeed. In grade 10 I felt the full force of Beatlemania and these songs when I went on a “Magical Mystery” biology trip to Vancouver island for a whole week, and we had a couple of wonderfully crazy Beatles teenagers, like young Mona and Lisa 😁, on the trip who brought along a ghetto blaster and the Red and Blue Beatles albums on cassette. It was an amazing Beatles music experience I will never forget as we listened to the Beatles all day and all of the night for a week. Imagine some 30 grade 10 kids out on the wide open beach studying sea shells and urchins all day and playing by the camp fire at night listening to the Beatles feeling free from our parents and wild for 5 days. We had a cool biology teacher who loved the music too.
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That sounds like my kind of field trip!! I had the blue and red Beatles 8-tracks when they were released and played them at the pizza place where I worked as background music for the workers and customers. It got to the point where everyone got tired of the 8-tracks except for me. Mike.
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Jung, I’m really enjoying this thread. The MLT Club needed to have it’s own Beatles section. I heard this one on my truck radio heading home last night. One of the best Rock n Roll tracks ever. This video isn’t quite the same as the original 45 but I really like it. I love the Twins version of this song too. Mona could have been a Rock goddess if she wanted but she has so much more to offer. https://youtu.be/BGLGzRXY5Bw?feature=shared
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Hey Tim
Wow that was great to see, and it’s John kicking off the song with that wonderful lead guitar sounds. Back in 1968 before Led Zeppelin and the hard rock and roller who would follow, the Beatles were pushing the envelope of hard rock music with this, Back In The USSR, Helter Skelter etc…They were so amazing pioneering music.
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I love the songs that I can sing/dance/air guitar-bass-drum along too…. so that’s pretty much sums up my Beatles choices….lol… A variety, slow/fast songs 😎🤘🏻
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I’m in that “hard to pick just one” group too but Let It Be has to be way up there. I’ve never learned to play it (guitar or piano), but I have sung it in the years before I lost a portion of my upper/higher vocal range. I’m doing some exercises to try and remedy that but while there is some improvement, it’s not fully there for the high notes later in the song.
Hey Jude and Norwegian Wood are also up there, Drive My Car, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Michelle, Eleanor Rigby…God, there’s just so many…
But while we struggle with this small dilemma, just imagine how empty our lives would be if these songs, and The Beatles themselves never existed? It just boggles my mind!😱-
Hi Daryl. Yeah so true, when it comes to the Beatles it is really, really hard to choose favourites, they are all so goooood! Seeing some songs you mention, a few more favourites come to mind from that era like Norwegian Wood, Girl, and more recently And Your Bird Can sing, love the guitar work. Hey Bulldog is another one I never even knew about until I heard MLT’s cover of it.
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Hi Jung. Great post. Like everyone else it’s difficult to pick one favorite Beatles song. After all, they’re the Beatles!😁 However, one of my all time favorites is “ I Saw Her Standing There”. The reason being is that it brings me back to the very beginning when I was an 11 year old kid, watching them on Ed Sullivan with my Mom and Dad and two brothers. It was the second song on the very first Capital American album, and I can still remember listening to this over and over. That particular song just struck with me for some reason. All those years ago, as George Harrison once sang….
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Hi Gary
Yeah great early song of theirs. I listened to the Beatle live performances of this song, and Paul’s vocals are stellar, and when he does the highs the girls go crazy. I listened to MLTs version, and wow Lisa’s vocals are second to none, those highs have a special flair Paul couldn’t quite achieve.
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Yeah, that’s such a great video. I’m envious of the fact that you found Mona and Lisa at such an early stage. I’m three years in the club, and they still amaze me with their talents! Well, friend, you take care, and I know I don’t have to tell you to Stay Groovy!
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Oh man, it’s hard to pick my favorite. I favor the early stuff personally. If I REALLY had to pick one maybe Please, please me. There are SO MANY great Beatles songs, it’s a fairly hard question for me to answer.
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Hi Thomas
One of the Beatles early timeless magic gems. Another excuse to listen to vintage MLT. MLT do this one amazing justice. On this one Mona’s vocals shine, so much character in her lead vocals, and her blues harp is wonderful. Those harmonies are magic.
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Jung, Thomas
When I first heard of the MonaLisa Twins I started watching their videos, mostly the Beatles covers, and when I got to this one I kept replaying it. I had heard the Beatles recording a few times but this MLT version just blew me away. Mona’s voice is stellar and her performance is outstanding and Lisa’s stance and mannerisms on stage reminded me so much of the Beatles I was mesmerized. I actually thought they both were channeling the spirit of John Lennon. I still wonder sometimes. Any way this is still one of my favorite MLT Beatles covers. (But I do love them all).
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Hi Tim
I recall this was the very first of that last 2016 Cavern performance videos MLT posted, and being mesmerized by this one. Again, never heard this one before, so it might as well have been MLTs song for me. Mona and Lisa certainly brought me back to Rock and Roll with songs like this, after nearly a couple decades of me having lost interest in rock.
This video also stands out in memory for me because the day they released this video, I was just finishing up a business trip in Denver, and a massive snow blizzard came out of nowhere, the airport closed, flights cancelled and I got stranded in Denver over the weekend. Wasn’t too bad though, stayed in a nice hotel on the company’s dime. Enjoyed listening to the this song.
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Hi Jung,
roughly estimated, I have 295 favorite songs by The Beatles 😃 (that’s how many songs they supposedly produced, who knows…), but as always, there are special memories that make a particular song special. When I started my Beatles career at the age of 12 or 13, I didn’t own a record player, just a cassette recorder. So I asked my mother for a music cassette for my birthday. The selection was very modest and so it became the album “The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl”. I didn’t know at that time it was a live album and I found the screaming in the background to be rather disturbing at the time. Only later I’ve realized that my mother had given me a special piece of contemporary history. One song from this album touched me in a special way. Maybe depending on the the lyrics, perhaps also due to the sentimental mood, which captured my feelings as a teenager very well.
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Hi Jurgen
I think you make a good point, it is 295 favourite Beatles songs for many. HAHAHA 😁 Their songwriting is such that every song is a gem pretty much. I haven’t heard this song before. Listening to it, it feels like something from the Doors, and yet this song was written in 1964 predating the Doors by a year, so can’t say the Beatles were influenced by them, but the opposite. Goes to show how ahead of their time the Beatles were.
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