Come Together - Chairman of the Board
Did this really sound like You Can't Catch Me ? Lennon must have thought so because he paid a pretty penny for the claim (made by the writer's descendants) to go away. It doesn't sound much like it in this version, which is good and funky. I know Shirley isn’t exactly hip, but, of the countless covers of this standard, this one is as good as most. It doesn’t just follow the original arrangement and Shirley belts out the vocals at the top of her ample lungs.Maxwell’s Silver Hammer - London Pops Orchestra
There should be a better cover of this around but there isn’t. Or if there is I haven’t got it. There was just a little sign or two towards the end of The Beatles that McCartney was losing something. Teddy Boy was one. This was another. However, this rather uninteresting blues song sounds heaps better in this fast rock outing. Well done, Phil !Octopus’s Garden – Anita Harris
Ringo’s association with toddlers probably started with Yellow Submarine, went via Octopus’s Garden, and ended up at the Thomas The Tank Engine. Whereas Yellow Submarine is a trifle simple, and Ringo’s delivery on Thomas a trifle wooden, there is nothing much wrong with Octopus’s Garden. Ms Harris sings it adequately enough.I Want You (She’s So Heavy) - Booker T and The MGs
The first of the Lennon screming songs (though unfortunately not the last). I didn't think this did much to add to the legend but, in this instrumental guise, we are at least spared the screaming. Though it's still way too long.
Here Comes The Sun – Richie Havens
Can’t make my mind up about this one. Either I love it or I quite like it. One or the other. Good song anyway. Well done, George.Because - London Pops Orchestra
I do apologise for having to include this slushy orcehstral interpretation of this Lennon classic, but it is the best I have at the present time.You Never Give Me Your Money - Sarah Vaughan
This is a puzzling effort from Ms Vaughan, who is more at home doing straight jazz, and it is semi-successful - 5/10, must do better.Sun King – Steven King
Oh Steven here thou arest again with thy mercurial plucking. This is where the deconstruction of side two begins. Bonesugar do a stand alone rocky version of Mean Mr Mustard.Polythene Pam – Roy Wood
This comes from the soundtrack of the All This And World War Two film which has not to my knowledge been released on CD yet. Not a bad effort, but then again not entirely a good effort either.She Came In Through The Bathroom Window – Joe Cocker
McCartney's bits on side two of Abbey Road were terrific and this is no exception. Joe gives it a very gruff vocal performance but he doesn't quite capture the greatness of the melody.Golden Slumbers - Ben Folds
Ben springs no surprises with this straight cover of the original. The best thing about it is that he confines himself just to the Golden Slumbers tune, thereby enabling me to continue my evil plan to segregate all the songs.Carry That Weight - Dobby Dobson
Who in their right mind would do a stand alone version of Carry That Weight ? Dobby Dobson, that’s who ! Just in case you were wondering, what you get are verses from You Never Give Me Your Money and choruses from Carry That Weight, all to a reggae beat. You were wondering, weren’t you ?The End – The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Side two comes to its breathless close with another track from the All This And World War Two soundtrack. No words but a lot of orchestral energy on this one.Her Majesty – Steven King
Surprisingly I have two cover versions of this 10 second ditty. The first is Steven King’s solo guitar rendition featuring no vocals. The second is a spoken version by the art critic Brian Sewell (why ?) featuring no music. It strikes me that it must be possible to combine these two but fortunately I do not care enough about it to make it happen.