I mean, look at the I AM SAM soundtrack. all beatles covers(of course the movie relates. but some of them are pretty bad.

Some are just bad... and some are decent. I mean Black crows covering Lucy in the sky with diamonds?

Not to mention pleasantville's soundtrack:
Across the Universe - Fiona Apple


So whats with the Beatles covers?

What other ones could you think and whats your take?

You forgot, Tori Amos - Happiness is a Warm Gun

Its a good tribute - there are some good covers, paying homage to a great band - more than just a band really



oh that is all one soundtrack, nevermind.

I haven't listened to that soundtrack and I'm not sure if I want to or not.

I can't stand Apple's cover of Across the Universe, IMO, she drained all the life and energy out of the song.

I don't like tori's cover of Happiness is a Warm Gun either. I have tried to listen to it a couple times, but I think it's horrible.

But if you've seen Pleasantville, you'll see that it works perfectly in the movie. If you haven't seen Pleasantville, you're missing out.

Yea, and I like it on it's own too.

Other Beatles covers I know of...

"In My Life" by Chantal Kreviazuk (theme song for Providence)

"Come Together" by Aerosmith

"Helter Skelter" by Motley Crue

"All My Loving" by Helloween (German heavy metal outfit. Put out an album of cover songs a few years back called "Metal Jukebox." Also had a good cover of "Space Oddity" on it.)

Tori has also done live covers of With a Little Help From My Friends and She's Leaving Home, I think those two are fairly good.


I have now heard
Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan -- good
I'm Looking Through You - The Wallflowers -- not bad
Golden Slumbers - Ben Folds -- pretty good (pretty close to the original)
Don't Let Me Down - Stereophonics -- not bad

Cool, Aimee Mann did a beatles cover? *runs to Morpheus*

Rufus Wainwright's "Across the Universe" really sucks. He sounds so whiny singing that song.

By the way, I'd hate to hear Tori Amos slaughter "Happiness is a Warm Gun."

According to my local NPR station, on the "I Am Sam" soundtrack, the artists were all required to keep the same tempo and timing of the Beatles originals.

Why, do you ask?

The filmmaker (I forget her name) edited the film using the originals for pacing, assuming she could talk the remaining Beatles into letting her use the tracks. She was wrong, and had to punt.

Which may explain why many of these "new interpretations" sound so lackluster.

I was at that John Lennon tribute concert at Radio City where Rufus and Sean Lennon did Across the Universe and I was really, really impressed. I haven't heard the album version of that song, but his voice, which is always so powerful, really nailed it.

My favorite Beatles cover -- the Breeders doing "Happiness is a Warm Gun" on Pod. I think it's arguably better than the original.

Michael Jackson covered "Come Together".

There are so many Beatles covers I love. Here's a partial list of my favorites, in no particular order:

A Day in the Life - Robyn Hitchcock
I Will - Alison Krauss
Rain - Allman Brothers
Strawberry Fields Forever - Peter Gabriel
Helter Skelter - Gillan
Flying - The Residents
Across the Universe - David Bowie
Day Tripper - Cheap Trick
She's Leaving Home - Billy Bragg
She's a Woman - Jeff Beck
Lovely Rita - Roy Wood
Polythene Pam - Roy Wood
It's All Too Much - Journey
While my Guitar Gently Weeps - Vinnie Moore
I Want to Tell You - Ted Nugent
Taxman - Stevie Ray Vaughan
When I'm Sixty-Four - Keith Moon
Every Little Thing - Yes
Norwegian Wood - Mahogany Rush
Eleanor Rigby - Kansas
Across the Universe - Flower Kings

The Living End's cover of "I've Just Seen A Face" is great.

Well Sean Lennon doesn't sing(to my knowledge) on the soundtrack. I think it's just Rufus Wainright. Don't get me wrong; I like Rufus Wainright's voice very much, but I hated his version of this song. IMO, it powerfully sucks.

Nilsson's Pandemonium Shadow Show from 1967 has two great Beatles covers. First, there is a two-and-some-minute medley based around "You Can't Do That" which is really something. The other is a version of "She's Leaving Home" recorded ten days after the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Both are really impressive and worth tracking down.


Thanks for reading,
KARNOVAL

Some of my favorite Beatles covers:

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Helter Skelter
David Bowie - Across the Universe (so full of passion...)
Chameleons - Tomorrow Never Knows
William Shatner - Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (hey, it's freakin' hilarious)

i've only heard his version of across the universe once, but had a strong urge to vomit the entire time. you're right... it's HORRIBLE.

Oops, I forgot to mention Siouxsie and the Banshees' version of Dear Prudence. I like it way better than the original.

nice call. one of my favorite

Dave Matthews' cover of "In My Life" from the Lennon tribute was beautiful, very simple as are the other covers DMB does.

Phish has done live covers of "Blackbird", very true to the original and very well done.

beatles are a very popular group to cover, and rarely can anyone come close to being as good as the original...

the sam soundtrack is a good example of a lot of misfires, but ONE song is absolutely brilliant and I like it more than the original... and that is TWO OF US by AIMEE MANN AND MICHAEL PENN.

This version is very upbeat, sweet and simple sounding and a lot of fun... the original is good, but this version really gets me and i like it more... most likely in a minority...

MATT

maybe it's cause i'm a big fan of mann...

Musicians can't come up with anything original these days.

If you are a country fan, you have this CD. Cover art by John Lennon


I'll Follow The Sun - David Ball
Something - Tanya Tucker
One After 909 - Willie Nelson
The Long And Winding Road - John Berry
Come Together - Delbert McClinton
If I Fell - Sammy Kershaw
Let It Be - Collin Raye
We Can Work It Out - Phil Keaggy And PFR
Yesterday - Billy Dean
Can't Buy Me Love - Shenandoah
Nowhere Man - Randy Travis
Oh! Darling - Huey Lewis
Help! - Little Texas
In My Life - Susan Ashton And Gary Chapman
Get Back - Steve Wariner
All My Loving - Suzy Bogguss And Chet Atkins
Paperback Writer - Kris Kristofferson

I heard somewhere that it was Sean Penn's desire to use original Beatle tracks for the soundtrack, but an ongoing grudge between Mr Penn and George Harrison (related to Harrison's Handmade Films production company, I think) helped put a stop to that.

i don't think this is true... Sean Penn was IN the movie, but he didn't make the movie...so i doubt he would have much say at all in the soundtrack...

MATT