BEATLES NOVELTIES & COVERS

2010-09-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

Sgt Pepper-A Tribute Band

2008-09-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

2008-09-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

2008-09-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

Beatlesgooglemontager

2008-09-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Spoofing the Beatles

2008-08-25T02:45:00.000-07:00

All the titles have a farming image

Beatles covers in the 90s

2008-08-24T16:23:00.001-07:00

The final Carl Perkins album

2008-08-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

As this includes the Plastic Ono Band version of Blue Suede Shoes all 4 Beatles are on this one

Beatles in a Trance

2008-08-24T15:33:00.001-07:00

Paul McCartney has made at least 3 CDs of this type-the 2 as The Fireman and the Liverpool Sound Collage.
Trance is just an offshoot of New Age or Relaxation music

The Beatles Latin style

2008-08-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

New Age Beatles

2008-08-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

Beatles sung by Kids

2008-08-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

Beatles Reggae Style

2008-08-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

The Gerry Marsden Beatles album

2008-08-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Gerry Marsden was the only artist of the original Epstein stable to cut an album of Beatles songs.His previous Lennon/McCartney song HELLO LITTLE GIRL was not released until the CD Age

Lennon & McCartney by female jazz singers

2008-08-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Keely Smith was the first followed by Helen Merrill and Sarah Vaughan.A more recent one was Salena Jones

Beatles for Kids

2008-08-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Instrumental Beatles

2008-08-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

All manner of instruments from keyboards to dulcimers to the Japanese Koto

Beatles covers in the 90s

2008-08-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Rather a pointless exercise-Beatles music doesn't need to be discofied.
Precious little disco music is of interest to me but Paul Mccartney and Ringo both dabbled in it for about 10 minutes

Beatles Carribean Style

2008-08-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Beatles and later Paul McCartney made great use of Carribean rhythms-a rhythm used in many 50s rock'n'roll records-the most obvious of which is Ballad of John & Yoko

Lennon & McCartney Country Style

2008-08-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Beatles Classical Style

2008-08-24T00:10:00.001-07:00

Beatles in Accapella

2008-08-24T00:07:00.001-07:00

Amazing there should be so many

Ringo wins the Beatles novelties race

2008-08-23T02:12:00.000-07:00

The unknown Darlene Terri cut 2 singles which totally bombed.The singles were licensed to Columbia as Darlene had rich parents!

The Girl Group connection

2008-08-23T02:07:00.000-07:00

Many of the classic girl groups cut Beatles novelties-the Angels and the Swans are the most obvious but Tollie had one of the lesser known ones the CLINGER SISTERS who did this one with the great title

First Canadian novelty

2008-08-23T02:02:00.000-07:00

At the same time as Dora Bryan recorded ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A BEATLE came this similarly themed one from the wonderfully named Cindy Rella & her Stepsisters.
Canada was a year in front of the States re the discovery of the Beatles

"We love the Beatles"

2008-08-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

The Vernons Girls were the first to put a Scouse accent on the pop charts with YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
This Beatles novelty is in a similar vein and sold better in the States

Charity single

2008-08-23T01:41:00.000-07:00

Whether this will be a future collectable is debatable

The first of the Beatle offspring

2008-08-23T01:34:00.000-07:00

Julian Lennon,born in 1963,became a singer songwriter 20 years later and his 2nd hit TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE is a tribute to his Dad.
His first actual recording was on the Walls & Bridges album where he played drums on the last song YA YA.
On this 3" CD single he covers John's cover of Stand by me-with the sleeve photo owing a lot to that of Paul McCartney on Red Rose Speedway

First Lennon/McCartney cover in the States

2008-08-23T01:32:00.000-07:00

Issued in 1963 the single only bubbled under

Ringo Starr & the All Starr Band

2008-08-23T01:28:00.000-07:00

A 3 CD box set of the highlights from the various All Starr Band lineups

Extra curricular Ringo activities

2008-08-23T01:19:00.000-07:00

The Beatles novelty 8 years later

2008-08-23T01:14:00.000-07:00

In 1972 the Beatles were no more but the ex members continued and at one time each had a hit single on the American top 30 in the same week.
Ringo was No 1 with IT DON'T COME EASY

The British Invasion

2008-08-23T01:08:00.000-07:00

By the end of 1964 at least 200 singles had been cut about the Beatles and that was just in the States!

Unearthed Merseybeat

2008-08-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

Viper Records of Liverpool are in the forefront for issuing rare Merseybeat such as the earliest known rock'n'roll recordings from the city .
Lance Fortune's version of COME GO WITH ME was made at the same Kensington "studio" where the Beatles recorded a year later

Live at the Star Club

2008-08-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

The 1962 recordings done on a tape recorder and recorded just after the Beatles had signed with EMI and which would see no end of problems re issuing this as the album LIVE AT THE STAR CLUB.And which is still going on.
However a 28 track CD came out in 2001 which included 2 Lennon/McCartney songs yet to be officially released by Parlophone-the main cause of the trouble even though the publisher credits are for the yet to be formed Northern Songs

The 4th ANTHOLOGY

2008-08-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Known as ANTHOLOGY MORE this is a professionally produced CD with more rare material.It kicks off with the snippet from the 1957 Woolton Fair gig by the Quarrymmen and even has a booklet modelled on the 3 official Anthology ones

Original TV advertised Lennon album

2008-08-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

ROOTS was the title of an album issued by Adam VIII in an agreement between Morris Levy the publishers and John Lennon who threatend to sue for plagiarism re the song COME TOGETHER which had used parts of a song by Chuck Berry called YOU CAN'T CATCH ME.
The album was not an official release and was eventually pulled from the air because Lennon was due to release the album as ROCK'N'ROLL with a different sleeve.
And then came this unofficial CD release

The Definitive Polydor Album

2008-08-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

The De Luxe Edition which opens out to reveal 2 CDs plus a 28 page booklet all in a thick plastic slip case

The GET BACK ANTHOLOGY

2008-08-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Intended title for the White Album

2008-08-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Now used for a double CD of White Album demos and unissued songs

Decca Day

2008-08-22T05:54:00.001-07:00

Also includes recordings from the Cavern

The Beatles and Decca

2008-08-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

The Audition Tape has been reissued many times since the 70s but this CD comes with its own purposely fictionalised account of just what we were not supposed to know at the time!

Both the U S & U K HELPS on one CD

2008-08-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

In the movie both the Beatles and Beethoven appeared-the latter with an excerpt from Ode To Joy!

The Ringo Christmas Album

2008-08-22T04:45:00.000-07:00

Includes his cover of the Beatles' Christmas Time is here again

The Threetles

2008-08-22T02:29:00.000-07:00

A name given to the remaining three quarters of the Beatles in the mid 90s after they charted with 2 new singles FREE AS A BIRD and REAL LOVE

The Ex Beatles

2008-08-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

In 1972 all 4 ex Beatles charted on the American top 30 at the same time

The 1969 Hoax explained

2008-08-22T02:22:00.000-07:00

This is now available from CD BABY as a semi official release

The making of Sgt Pepper

2008-08-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

A double CD with George Martin

The Lost 1987 Album

2008-08-22T02:17:00.000-07:00

Return to Pepperland is where you find Paul McCartney's cover version of LOVE ME DO which is a medley with P S I LOVE YOU.
Thus P S LOVE ME DO

Wide Prairie

2008-08-22T02:11:00.000-07:00

Linda McCartney's only official album issued as a digipak with a fold out picture book.
Here is Linda as a singer and compares favourably with American girl singers of the 60s like Leslie Gore or Bernadette Carroll

The Concert for George Harrison

2008-08-22T02:08:00.000-07:00

Also on DVD

Artefacts

2008-08-22T02:05:00.000-07:00

The most interesting in the Artefacts series is this 4CD set in a longbox which is of the Beatles sessioning for others

A George Harrison tribute

2008-08-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

A true labour of love which has been produced on an Indie label called Jealousy and available online

2008-08-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

FLABBY ROAD is a series of 21 CDs from Russia covering virtually every known novelty and tribute

Beatle Time

2008-08-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Chasing the Beatles

2008-08-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Beatles are coming

2008-08-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Beatles Puzzle

2008-08-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

In search of a Beatle

2008-08-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Better than the Beatles

2008-08-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

We want our girls back

2008-08-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Poetic license

2008-08-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Originally issued on the revamped London label of the 90s which was part of Decca the labels are now part of Polygram (I think-all this music business takeover stuff gets complicated!).
So what we have in a sense is the fact that Decca once issued one of the Polydor singles of the Beatles as part of this rather strange collection.
Strange because by defintion the Fortunes should not have been here as they were from the Midlands over 100 miles South.
And including Scotland's Lulu & the Luvvers is taking the North part too literally
The sleeve is quite imaginative and the sleeve notes by Bill Harry add authenticity to what could have been yet another cheapo cheapo production

Vinyl Kings

2008-08-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

Its no good saying they don't make music like they used to do in the 60s.There's always bands like the Vinyl Kings who have so far never troubled a chart but that's not what its about
The intenet of the 2 CDs was to recognise the blueprint laid out by the Beatles and reconnecting to that spirit.
2 dozen songs which evoke the time recorded in 2002 and 2005

First Flabby Road

2008-08-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

A letter to the Beatles

2008-08-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Liverpool Express

2008-08-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

A 70s band with connections to the Merseybeats who made a tribute single to the Beatles
with the Christian names in a different order

Cavern Days

2008-08-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

Recorded in Liverpool for a label called Holly Records-in memory of Buddy Holly-all the songs being written by Frankie Connors and Alan Crowley who were in the Liverpool groups the Hideaways and the Tuxedos respectively.This is the first of 4 to date

Liverpool in my Soul

2008-08-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

Formed in 1967,disappeared for 40 years,returned in the next century

My Bonnie My Beatles

2008-08-21T01:50:00.000-07:00

No more Beatlemania?

2008-08-21T01:42:00.000-07:00

HI JOHN-20 tributes and novelties

2008-08-21T01:36:00.000-07:00

Bravo Beatles

2008-08-21T01:30:00.001-07:00

We wanna marry a Beatle

2008-08-21T01:20:00.001-07:00

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Beatle Walk

2008-08-21T01:15:00.001-07:00

We want the Beatles

2008-08-21T01:05:00.000-07:00

Everybody down or no show

2008-08-21T00:58:00.000-07:00

Your barber is a Beatle too

2008-08-21T00:41:00.000-07:00

In the first place

2008-08-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

A privately issued CD of recordings by the Remo 4 both songs from the 6os and recent live ones.
They once cut an album in Germany called SMILE with a sleeve photo of the guys looking damn miserable!

The Decca Years

2008-08-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

It seems ironic that after turning down the Beatles they sign up for one single the Pete Best 4.The song he recorded-I'm gonna knock on your door-is one of the tracks here.
However the group called the Beat Boys are NOT the ones Tony Sheridan used-these were from Sheffield and cut just one single.
It could be said that little of this stuff would have been issued by Decca without the Beatles apart from Brian Poole & the Tremeloes who they DID sign.And who finally had a hit single on the strength of the Beatles' Twist & Shout!

Link in the chain

2008-08-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

The CD Age has come up with many marvellous packages and this 5 CD longbox with a built in booklet is one of them.
Covering the 50 year career of George Martin its nearly 150 songs and instrumentals including the Beatles-Martin is the exception to the "no Beatles" rule.

Meet the Spongetones

2008-08-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

The Spongetones have cut many albums-available from CD BABY and Canadian singer Jamie Hoover -a guarantee of its Beatleness-is a member.
This is a collection of demos many of which sound like the finished article.
25 songs come straight at you.Songs you never heard before.But songs which like the ones of their role models are easily digestable.
The demos are of songs which have been included over the years on their 8 albums

Sounds like the Beatles

2008-08-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

Todd Rundgren's Utopia offshoot issued an album called DEFACE THE MUSIC-which may sound irreverent where Beatles copies are concerned but the title was itself a spoof on ELO's Face the Music.
Many of the songs are asclosethis to Beatles ones-you hear hybrids of I want to hold you hand,I saw her standing there,She loves you,Penny Lane,Michelle-and the last song called Everybody else is wrong-where I am the Walrus meets Strawberry Fields Forever!

The Cliff Bennett Connection

2008-08-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

The first cover of GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE was produced by Paul McCartney for this London group known as Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers who had begun recording with a couple of singles for Joe Meek.
A later Lennon/McCartney cover was BACK IN THE U S S R

Remake Remodel

2008-08-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

MERSEY MANIA is on sale in Liverpool and is a 21 tracker of both Gerry & the Pacemakers and Billy J Kramer (listed under his own name)
They are not the original versions but can be seen as cover versions.The Pacemakers are not the original members-only Gerry is.
The originals are easy enough to find-this is just something extra.
The only fault is Hallmark should have indicated on the sleeve that these are re recordings

First Merseybeat albums

2008-08-20T03:08:00.000-07:00

Now on CD these recordings were made for Oriole-who had once turned down the Beatles.
Seems the label sent a mobile recording unit to Liverpool and recorded enough stuff for 2 albums.Which led to the joke about A & R men travelling North to sign up anybody from Liverpool!

The Liverpool Sound

2008-08-20T02:48:00.000-07:00

A 50 tracker double CD of the famous and the not famous kicking off with Billy Fury-who though he was from Liverpool is not what you would call Merseybeat by defintion.
The token Beatles track is Ain't she sweet
Castle Communications who put this one out also do a similar one called BRUMBEAT and the fold out booklet is a good 30 minute read

Changing the face of pop music

2008-08-20T02:38:00.000-07:00

There will always be Merseybeat compilations and most of them don't include the Beatles as they are unable to do-which is because of Apple Corps.
You COULD at one time put out a comp and include Beatles tracks-like Capitol did in the 60s but somewhere along the line came the question of MONEY.Especially the no payment of it.And nobody could use Beatles tracks without permission.
However there was always a way round for the compilers-there was nothing to stop the Polydor recordings being added if only for completeness

If this is true..........

2008-08-20T02:29:00.000-07:00

Not sure where I found this unless it was on the website but why would John Lennon give this singer tapes of unheard Beatles songs-which would never be used?

The covers reloaded

2008-08-20T02:14:00.000-07:00

The Beatles Uncovered reviews this rather strange CD by suggesting many of the bands involved are actually the same under different names.I would tend to agree here as the nutty names involved could never be traced on a web search.
Consider Koz Mick,Army of Half Wits,Dork,Trained Monkey,Paper Parrot,Sketches of the Famous,Boxing Day Disaster,Call the Mobile,Plasic Ted and Nearly Good among the 20 names who cover Beatles songs-generally quite excellent.
The Swarf Sisters who do an instrumental version of Yesterday CAN be found.So can the Dressed To Kill website though its difficult to move around.
With no info whatsoever you're thrown in at the deep end
The same Indie label do a Stones covers one

Pop psyche from the Apple era

2008-08-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

The follow up CD to 94 BAKER STREET and music that's never been heard before.
But its easy to digest and in the best Pebbles-Rubble tradition

Trying again 40 years on

2008-08-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Focal Point was a case of too much too late

The brother of Paul McCartney

2008-08-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

As a member of the Scaffold he changed his name to avoid being accused of cashing in on the family name.
When the 70s album was reissued on CD it gave BOTH

Finally some Novelties

2008-08-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Officially released by Cherry Red-and first time round in the U K for most of these titles

How the Beatles' name was used to sell an album

2008-08-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Jackie de Shannon was added to the Beatles first Shea Stadium

Influences both ways

2008-08-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

When Frank Sinatra founded the Reprise label he said "there'll be no rock'n'roll on this label"
But once it passed to Warner Brothers they signed up Little Richard,Fats Domino and Duane Eddy as well as licensing the Kinks and Jimi Hendrix.
On this album by the Fat Man are 3 Lennon/McCartney covers

Change of name

2008-08-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Johnny Gentle-who is only famous because of the Beatles connection-changed his name to Darren Young in 1962 when a single called I've just fallen for someone-covered by Adam Faith-went unnoticed till some 40 years later when the singer revealed it was part written by John Lennon who never got a credit.
Result-people are offering daft money.
It is however on this CD of John Barry productions

Courtesy of Lennon & McCartney

2008-08-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Peter & Gordon recorded and charted with 4 Lennon/McCartney songs and a fifth with Woman,a song written by McCartney under the name of Bernard Webb

The Beatles and P J Proby

2008-08-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

Recording 2 singles for Decca while he was still under contract to Liberty was something the former James Marcus Smith never thought was a problem.
He was launched in the U K via the TV program Around The Beatles and went on to record an exclusive Lennon/McCartney song rejected from HELP

John's Dad Freddie

2008-08-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Freddie Lennon was dumped by his family into an orphanage and John Lennon more or less abandoned his son Julian showing how it ran in the family

Crafty method of making the collector buy the same thing twice

2008-08-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

A different sleeve and a couple of extra tracks usually did the trick