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Beatles Unlimited Reviews Related
The January 2007 issue of Uncut magazine included two columns on the 10 worst and 10 best Beatles cover versions – fasten
your seatbelts:
When I’m 64… Imagine George Bush singing Imagine: www.transbuddha.com/mediaHolder.php?id=1695 (B.U. 188)
Catfish Haven - Taxman; The Handsome Family With The Rivet
Gang - Eleanor Rigby; Neal Casal - I'm Only Sleeping; Sukilove -
Love You To; Belarus - Here, There And Everywhere; Chris Eckman
- Yellow Submarine; Mark Mulcahy - She Said She Said; Lampshade
- Good Day Sunshine; Jim Reid - And Your Bird Can Sing; Michael
Weston King - For No One; Luke Temple - Doctor Robert; Thea Gilmore
- I Want To Tell You; Green Pajamas - Got To Get You Into My Life;
Jason McNiff - Tomorrow Never Knows
The second edition of the compilers’ collection of record sleeves and detailed information on those vinyl releases. It documents discographies of 60’s Beat bands and artists from German speaking countries (Germany, Switzerland and Austria), in alphabetical order. Starting with a prologue in both German and English, the book lists all known vinyl records, including those released on small labels, in limited edition, and therefore very rare e.g. expensive. The book is divided into five main chapters: the first, on ‘German Beat Bands’, takes in the main part of the book and is followed by smaller chapters on ‘Beat Samplers’ (EP’s and LP’s), ‘Singing German’ (singles by international artists singing in German language), ‘Indo Bands’ (who were popular in the Netherlands, but often successful in Germany, too) and one on various international bands in Germany. The final pages are filled with some late arrivals and a few autograph-pictures. For a cover versions collector like me, it’s a worthwhile book to sift out and find numerous so far unfamiliar cover versions of Beatles and other 60’s bands (the EP samplers, f.i. are a real treat). Sometimes, the same sleeve image was used for different releases (Die Mustangs, The Silhouettes or the Rattles 1964/65 Star-Club output) or only a change of the background colours was enough for a next release (Theo Schumann Combo, The Sevens). A few sleeve images are clearly influenced by a Beatles sleeve concept (The Black and Whites, Cry’n Strings, Les Sauterelles). It is also of great value to find out about the right picture sleeve or record label sleeve, and subsequently know what to look for in the future. Besides colour pictures of the sleeves, you’ll find details on the year of release (when available), record label and release number. However, the English versions are easy to recognize of course, but in the case of a translated version it would have been helpful when the original English song title was mentioned as well. Likewise, the tracklistings of the LPs would also have been interesting, but probably take in too much space. For any collector this is a thoroughly researched collection with quality pictures in colour, either to browse through every now and then or to try and find details of a specific item. For this second version, the compilers used information from various sources on the matter, but any additional information from fellow collectors is still welcome. (B.U. 180) Heinz Dietz, Mühlgasse 3, 35519 Rockenberg, Germany / E-mail: heinz-dietz@t-online.de
For this book, history of art professor Walter Graskamp researched the origin and impact of the most influential albumsleeve as well as its parodies which have appeared over the years. The book starts with a chapter in which artist Peter Blake is presented along with examples of his work, some of which can be viewed as forerunners to the Sgt Pepper sleeve concept. Especially the Got A Girl collage, which features performers who would re-appear on Sgt. Pepper. The second chapter discusses the name and image change of the Beatles and Paul’s idea to use this as a Beatles alter ego as an escape from their Mop-Top image (hence the inclusion of the Beatles waxwork figures on the sleeve). The third chapter discusses the double function of the Beatles’ own heroes and idols, which were now represented as the band’s fans. The next chapter talks about parodies, especially Frank Zappa’s We’re Only In It For The Money, with its gender changes, black bars over most of the faces and pictures cut from Zappa’s high school yearbook. Chapter five explains the Beatles’ decision not to perform live any longer as well as recording more complex songs. You also read about the meaning of military uniforms as worn by the Sgt Pepper band, in the Yellow Submarine movie and for the Hello Goodbye promo clip. This is followed by two chapters with some more follow-ups and parodies (like Bläck Fööss, Big Daddy) and another one on forerunners and inspirations, from the photography of unions and brass bands (using a big drum in front) to scrapbook collages. Forerunners include paintings of Max Ernst (Au Rendez-vous des Amis) and, in a way, Raffael’s fresco School Of Athens (1509/10). The next three chapters view various aspects of the White Album as the sober reaction to the excessive cover of Sgt Pepper: the sleeve concept, the collage poster and the issue number on the sleeve. In the next three chapters the author wonders why the Sgt Pepper cover almost never appeared in catalogues of Blake’s work, which makes it ‘the most well known unknown work of art of the 20th century’. Like Andy Warhol’s work for the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers zip sleeve and Velvet Underground’s ‘Peel Slowly And See’ banana cover, both Sgt Pepper and the White Album covers should be viewed as true pieces of art. On sixteen separate pages near the end, colour prints of various art work can be found, which also appeared in black and white earlier on. Alternate photographs of the realization of the Sgt Pepper display would certainly have complemented the story. Moreover, the author has mentioned and printed quite some Sgt Pepper parodies and refers to other books on this subject, but it is just the tip of the iceberg, of course. Still, a more or less complete list of all follow-ups would have been a welcome supplement. The book is written in German language (only here an there English quotes appear), which makes it less accessible to foreign readers. The book deserves a translated version, because of the pleasant way it is written and its informative character not only on the subject itself but on related matters as well. (B.U. 180) Verlag Klaus
Wagenbach, Emser Strasse 40/41, 10719 Berlin, Germany
Here’s the tracklisting of both albums:
The Posies – I’m Looking Through You (Previously Unreleased); Lonnie Mack - From Me To You; The Free Design – Michelle; Dillard & Clark - Don't Let Me Down; Scott McCarl - Yes It Is; Booker T. & The MG's - You Can't Do That; The Dillards – Yesterday; Charles River Valley Boys - I've Just Seen A Face; The Cyrkle - I'm Happy Just To Dance With You; The Cryan' Shames - If I Needed Someone; Detroit Emeralds - And I Love Her; Jose Feliciano - In My Life; Billy Preston - Eight Days A Week; Isaac Hayes – Something; The Bar-Kays - Hey Jude.
Cheap Trick - Magical Mystery Tour; Grant Lee Phillips - Here Comes The Sun (Previously Unreleased); Harry Nilsson - She's Leaving Home; Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete - I'm A Loser; Wilson Pickett - Hey Jude; Richie Havens - Rocky Raccoon; Trudy Pitts with Pat Martino - Eleanor Rigby; Nina Simone - Revolution (Part 1); Steve Cropper - With A Little Help From My Friends; Harvey Averne - I Feel Fine; The Four Tops - Got To Get You Into My Life; The Mar-Keys – Let It Be; Gary Puckett & The Union Gap - Lady Madonna; Claudine Longet - Jealous Guy/Don't Let Me Down; The Overton Berry Trio - Hey Jude.
In
this column, I have mentioned them before, but now, Bent Back Tulips,
previously known as The Tribute Book, has published its final issue
on Beatles tribute bands. A very sad move, I must say, since the
fanzine has proven to be quite an informative publication in this
field. Reportedly, editors Rhian Watts and Alix Brown will continue
to document various tribute band activities through their photography,
available on www.angelfire.com/blues/bentbacktulips/home.html
This homemade 28-page A-5 sized booklet on the Beatlemania in East-Germany starts with a listing of the Beatles and solo releases as well as the related albums (Cream, London Howlin Wolf Sessions) on the Amiga label. What follows is of more interest to collectors of cover versions: detailed information (in German, that is) on translated versions, tribute songs and cover versions sung in English. All illustrated with picture sleeves, newspaper clippings, publicity photos and letters sent in by the artists, telling background information on the releases. As a private publication, you may object to the sloppy ‘cut and paste’ lay-out. It would also have been the more attracting when the mentioned albums had been printed right next to the list. Now, a selection appears in colour on the back of the booklet. Still, the information gathered here comes in quite handy. (B.U. 169) Edmund Thielow, August-Bebel-Strasse 6, D-08371 Glauchau,
Germany
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The March 2007 issue of Mojo
magazine focussed on the Beatles’ 40-year old masterpiece, Sgt Pepper’s
Lonely Hearts Club Band and added a CD with reworkings of the entire
album by 13 contemporary participants. The tracklisting is as follows:
Simple Kid - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; 
Forty years later to the month 15 different
artists corralled by MOJO complete work on a re-recording of all14
tracks that make up the original UK version of 
In September 2004, Music magazine MOJO’s
130th. issue quickly became a collectable one, featuring a Beatles
cover story and the added bonus of no less than two 15-track Beatlemania
compilations. And naturally, you had to buy two issues of the same
magazine to get both volumes, issued as a red and a blue compilation.
Worldwide, there was much commotion to get hold of both these volumes,
as it seemed that the red volume was only available inside the UK
and very hard to get in various other countries, so we heard. MOJO’s
Editor-In-Chief Phil Alexander wrote the following about compiling
these two Beatles cover versions collections: ‘It started out as
a simple concept: MOJO would compile 15 tracks that would prove
that, in the wake of the '64 visits, The Beatles had permeated every
aspect of the US music scene. In keeping with MOJO's desire to stay
one step ahead of obsession, the tracks would be weird and wonderful
interpretations by artists who added new dimensions to the original
Fab tunes. (…) After the first set of calls to those we thought
might be interested, the phones at MOJO HQ started ringing off the
hook with labels and musicians wanting to participate in this unique
tribute. The upshot? Enough tracks to fill up not one but two volumes
of Beatlemania! So that's exactly what we've done.’ (B.U. 178)
Beatlemania / Volume 2 (The
Blue Volume):
