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Post by kds on Feb 8, 2020 20:59:29 GMT
Pretty sure there are more covers on early Beatles albums than there are on early Beach Boys albums. I think the first two Beatles albums are 50/50 originals and covers.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 8, 2020 21:03:11 GMT
Before the Beatles, covers were the norm, I'd say. Or if not exactly covers, certainly songs written by other people (e.g. Brill Building songwriters). The Beatles seem to have been the (or at least an) influence on rock and rollers to become self-contained units.
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Post by lonelysummer on Feb 10, 2020 22:10:13 GMT
I think it made sense for the Beatles to record some of the songs they had been doing in their stage act for many years. The Beach Boys did not have that history as a live band. I find it oddly fascinating that, even in the 60's, several acts could have a hit with the same song, only a year or so apart, or sometimes, just months. What year did "Baby I Need Your Loving" by Four Tops come out? 64? 65? Then Johnny Rivers (ha! he just came on the radio...Mountain of Love...I don't even know who did that one first...) does it a couple years later, top 10 all over again. The Doors do "Light My Fire" in 67, then just a year later, Jose Feliciano has a hit with his very different version of the same song. And then there's "Heard it Through the Grapevine"....Gladys Knight and the Pips in 67, Marvin Gaye in 68, and CCR in 70 (although that was not a single until years later). What this says to me is, a good song is a good song. You can't mess it up...unless you're Pat Boone trying to cover Fats Domino or Little Richard, lol. Oh, and now Four Tops are on...When She was My Girl....
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 10, 2020 22:13:07 GMT
I'd rather have multiple bands releasing versions of the same current song than the status quo, frankly. Whether it's that they are more performers than writers (no shame in that) or just want to give a nod to their favorites, I think it makes a more interesting music scene.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Feb 10, 2020 23:26:36 GMT
What this says to me is, a good song is a good song. You can't mess it up...unless you're Pat Boone trying to cover Fats Domino or Little Richard, lol. Or David Bowie covering God Only Knows on his Tonight album. One of the all time worst covers of any song ever, and an insult to the original. And this is coming from a Bowie fan.
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Post by kds on Feb 11, 2020 14:09:15 GMT
What this says to me is, a good song is a good song. You can't mess it up...unless you're Pat Boone trying to cover Fats Domino or Little Richard, lol. Or David Bowie covering God Only Knows on his Tonight album. One of the all time worst covers of any song ever, and an insult to the original. And this is coming from a Bowie fan. The last 20 years have plenty of examples of how a great song can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 11, 2020 23:53:21 GMT
There is one big distinction between The Beach Boys' covers and The Beatles' covers. Despite Brian Wilson being so prolific as a songwriter, it's amazing how many of The Beach Boys' covers were released as singles and became some of their biggest hits. "Surfin' U.S.A.", "Do You Wanna Dance", "Barbara Ann", "Sloop John B", and "Rock And Roll Music" were some of the biggest hits of the group's career. Then you have an impressive second tier which included "Then I Kissed Her", "I Can Hear Music", "Cottonfields", "Come Go With Me", and, yes, even "Wipe Out" which were also successful singles. There were also several more covers that were album standouts like "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", "Hushabye", "Graduation Day", "I'm So Young", the Party! songs, "I Was Made To Love Her", and "Palisades Park". The Beach Boys could've performed a concert of entirely covers and it would've been great!
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 12, 2020 0:03:52 GMT
Is the distinction you're making that they had more hits with them? Not sure I'm clear on what that distinction is. The Beatles definitely had their share: Roll Over Beethoven, Twist and Shout, Rock and Roll Music, etc. But I would say the Beach Boys' use of covers as their career continued--sparingly, but with key songs--is the big difference.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 12, 2020 0:32:18 GMT
Is the distinction you're making that they had more hits with them? Not sure I'm clear on what that distinction is. The Beatles definitely had their share: Roll Over Beethoven, Twist and Shout, Rock and Roll Music, etc. But I would say the Beach Boys' use of covers as their career continued--sparingly, but with key songs--is the big difference. Yes, that was the distinction, that first, The Beach Boys chose to release MANY MORE covers as singles, and second, that those covers had more of an effect on The Beach Boys' career, at least COMMERCIALLY. Those singles were very important to the band's career. I'm not necessarily comparing the quality of The Beach Boys' covers against The Beatles' covers, though it would be an interesting comparison.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 12, 2020 0:42:45 GMT
I think the Beatles' covers early on were pretty important and often really quite good. In fact, I'd say that in those first couple of years of each band's career, the Beatles' covers were better than the Beach Boys', for the most part. But I definitely agree, then, that as the Beach Boys' career went on, their continued integration of covers into albums (and as singles) meant that covers meant more to them, and that those covers were often really exceptional.
It seems that once the Beatles began understanding their own personal powers, they didn't see the value of covers, whereas the Beach Boys used those powers on covers throughout. That might make sense because they only had one consistently strong composer to the Beatles two-to-three, and that even he had dry periods. But also, I think B Wilson really enjoyed arranging and producing songs he loved.
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Post by lonelysummer on Feb 12, 2020 7:07:27 GMT
Is the distinction you're making that they had more hits with them? Not sure I'm clear on what that distinction is. The Beatles definitely had their share: Roll Over Beethoven, Twist and Shout, Rock and Roll Music, etc. But I would say the Beach Boys' use of covers as their career continued--sparingly, but with key songs--is the big difference. The Beatles rarely, if ever, chose to release covers as singles. Here in the US, and in Canada, there were a few covers released as singles - Slow Down, Matchbox, Twist and Shout, Roll Over Beethoven... but their albums were so popular, many people probably think Rock and Roll Music, Money, Please Mr. Postman, Boys, and Long Tall Sally were singles.
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Post by jk on Feb 14, 2020 20:52:08 GMT
A possible favourite ten right now (the #1 is unchanging):
01. Surf's Up 02. Surfer Girl 03. Pet Sounds 04. Little Deuce Coupe 05. Sunflower 06. Today! 07. Smiley Smile 08. Surfin' U.S.A. 09. Holland 10. Wild Honey
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Feb 14, 2020 22:05:11 GMT
A possible favourite ten right now (the #1 is unchanging): 01. Surf's Up 02. Surfer Girl 03. Pet Sounds 04. Little Deuce Coupe 05. Sunflower 06. Today! 07. Smiley Smile 08. Surfin' U.S.A. 09. Holland 10. Wild Honey Surprised to see the early surfin' albums ranked that high, though there were some classic songs on Surfer Girl and Surfin' U.S.A.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 14, 2020 22:10:25 GMT
That list isn't THAT early! Three of the first seven albums represented.
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Post by jk on Feb 14, 2020 23:12:41 GMT
A possible favourite ten right now (the #1 is unchanging): 01. Surf's Up 02. Surfer Girl 03. Pet Sounds 04. Little Deuce Coupe 05. Sunflower 06. Today! 07. Smiley Smile 08. Surfin' U.S.A. 09. Holland 10. Wild Honey Surprised to see the early surfin' albums ranked that high, though there were some classic songs on Surfer Girl and Surfin' U.S.A. Surfer Girl is such a joyous album--and everyone's on it, including both Alan and David, Maureen and the Crew. Surfin' U.S.A. showcases the Carl-Dave guitar machine in full flight and as you say has some classic songs on it. And Little Deuce Coupe has two of my all-time BB favourites, "Cherry, Cherry Coupe" and "Spirit of America".
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