Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Feeling It In Our Wrists And Ankles: The Love Actually Countdown Continues, (Sadly) Sans Cowbell; More on the Rhetoric of Soundtracks

Harrogate is delighted to bring you Lynden David Hall's rendition of one of The Beatles most wonderful songs, "All You Need is Love," as we get just a bit closer to The Greatest Pop Song Ever Recorded. Despite the absence of cowbell, Hall with this cover joins a long and proud line of artists who have masterfully covered a Beatles classic.

One of Harrogate's fondest cinematic memories, in fact, comes from Michael, starring John Travolta: The Scene where Travolta, Andie McDowell, and William Hurt are driving down the road singing "All You Need is Love." A truly great moment in what was, Harrogate must say, a pretty bad film overall.

Other great Beatles covers? Harrogate thinks Ben Harper's rapturous "Strawberry Fields" may be the best of the bunch. He also saw the Grateful Dead in Chapel Hill close out their set with "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," and that was pretty awesome.

Phish covers the entire White Album , and if ye haven't heard it, ye need to.

Fiona Apple's version of "Across the Universe" is one of the most sublime things you'll ever hear period. Ditto Elliot Smith's haunting "Because". Interestingly, both of these two songs, as well as the supreme Harper cover, come from Soundtracks to very good movies. Harper~I Am Sam; Apple~Pleasantville; and Smith~American Beauty.

Perhaps there is something to getting a good Beatles cover in there if you want a rockin' soundtrack!

Anyway, Readers, Harrogate leaves ye wondering, what is your favorite Beatles song? (Harrogate's is "Hey Jude")

And what is your favorite Beatles cover?

Until next time, enjoy the Hall ditty, and the accompanying Montage of scenes from Love Actually:
love actually - music video


And remember, The Greatest Pop Song Ever Recorded is less than a week and a half away!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

i have to go with "while my
guitar gently weeps" as my favorite beatle's tune. 'tis very hypnotizing. as far as a cover, i have to agree w/ harrogate, for ben harper's version of "strawberry fields" is awesome.
a perfect circle comes a close second with a great rendition of "imagine", though that is only john. peace........

Anonymous said...

My favorites change from time to time. Lately I've been singing "Because" in my head every day. Maybe because RB has started to use that word daily. She likes it when I sing "Drive My Car"--the Beatles have offerings for all ages. Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah.

harrogate said...

Claymation: "While my Guitar" is freaking awesome!

And Harrogate is very glad to hear there are other devotees of Harper's cover....

Sarah have you heard the Eliot Smith version of "Because"?

Anonymous said...

Tori Amos sings a haunting cover of "Happiness is a Warm Gun"--I'm not sure if that's the Beatles or solo John Lennon, though.

My fave Beatles song might be "Let it Be"--that is also my fave Beatles album...

harrogate said...

"Happiness is a Warmg Gun" is definitely Beatles, comes off The White Album.

Lot of gems of that album.

Anonymous said...

supadiscomama/harrogate: Where can i find Tori's version of "Happiness is a Warm Gun"? She covers some great shuff. i forgot about another favorite: "Instant Karma". Stone Temple rips that one a knew asshole too if you're looking for another great cover.

Anonymous said...

Claymation--Tori's cover of "Happiness is a Warm Gun" is on her "Strange Little Girls" album, which is a collection of covers--including a super-creepy cover of Eminem's "'97 Bonnie and Clyde"

p-duck said...

We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine...

Oxymoron said...

Revolution 1 from the white album--the slow bluesy version, not the harder rockin' single that's normally heard on the radio.