Thursday, September 25, 2008

Funky Friday - Get Back and Get Down

I've always had a thumbnail theory about the distinction and differences between The Beatles and the Stones songs (based on my own eye witness evidence from family parties during the seventies) - The Beatles make people sing, the Stones make people dance - or put another way The Beatles are about the tunes. The Stones are about the groove.

This isn't set in stone or tried and tested under strictly controlled conditions, it's just a rough rule of thumb, and as these fab four flavours of 'Get Back' show Beatles tunes can just as easily be refried funky side up...

Get Back - Chris Clark


The Merseybeaters get given a Motown makeover




Get Back - Deidre Wilson Tabac


A bubbly,shuffely, loose limbed lollop-a-long re-work.




Get Back - Sarah Vaughan

A brain-frying team up between those beardy buggers brothers from Toto and their squiddly diddly synths, a'topped off with Sarah Vaughan's deep velvet vocals.




Get Back - Shirley Scott & The Soul Saxes

A hat-popping, horn-stomping spectacular so fast and furious it rollocks along like a runaway train.



There's a couple of other tasty Beatles treats well worth grabbing...

BLTP's unearthing of a gorgeous rework of 'Rain' - nothing like the original and none the worse for it - here

And Larry F16's Beatles based million-hit-mix here

10 comments:

Simon said...

You want a funky Beatles cover? Here's David Porter of Stax's Hayes/Porter super classic songwriting team with a fantastic version of Help!

David Porter - Help!

Cocktails said...

That Sarah Vaughan version is indeed brain-frying. I've had to play it 3 times just to make sure that I like it.

Keith said...

I liked the Beatles, but I tended to be more of a Stones fan.

Mondo said...

Si' - I'm firewalled for sound at work - will check it tonight. Have you heard/checked out the Day Tripper and Glass Onion comp's? Beatles tunes by Atlantic soul artists - well worth a grab.

Cocktails - The rest of the albums a bit patchy, if you're temppted and don't you think Jamiroquai's made an entire career from sounding like this cover?

Kingy - I'm a huge fan of both, but The Beatles have the edge for me. I may have to dig out some Stones covers for you one Funky Friday - have you heard Ella Fitz's versions of 'Glass Onion' and 'Got To Get You Into My Life'? - You'll find them on the Day Tripper and Glass Onion comp's - dig around my blog and you'll find Merry Clayton's storming version of 'Gimme Shelter'

Axe Victim said...

I love both bands but you are 100%correct in your assumption. When was the last time you were at soem wedding/party and anybody ever played a Beatles song? Twist and Shout is about the level of it as far as dancing goes. Nice one. Now yer Rollin' Stones - I could dance to them all night long.

Mondo said...

Col - I'll dig out some tunes and do a Stones FF next Friday

Axe Victim said...

Let's see, six of the Stones...

Gimmie Shelter
Midnight Rambler
Undercover
Beast of Burden
Loving Cup
Drifting Away

Anbody?

Piley said...

So obvious, but never really though of it like that PM, genius!

Col's 'twist and shout' is a good exception as is "say the word" and "taxman", but have been going through it in my mind and on the whole your theory works!!

P

Mondo said...

Col - one of those in there - have you get the Rikki Rooksby Beatles complete songbook - all the songs, in the all right keys with capo and tuning notes - you've got to get it, it's the bible of songbooks - and so many great chord combo's too..

P Jumping Jack Flash, Brown Sugar, Get Off Of My Cloud, It's Only Rock N Roll, Honky Tonk Women - all instant leg-shakers..and as much as I love the fabs there's not to many in the catalogue (Saw Her Standing There's a goody for a stomp-up though)

BLTP said...

As to dancing to the Fabs the first few bars can get people going but they sit down pretty sharpish, glad you liked the covers i found, the sound was a bit poxy and sadly these we best songs on lp.