The Beatles’ Please Please Me does not compare that well to their later albums but Please Please Yourself is an unbounded joy.
I Saw Him Standing There – Tiffany
The original was fast and furious, so Tiffany decides to change the tempo… to faster and furiouser ! Lots of energy and a perfect kick-start to the album.
Misery – The Flamin’ GrooviesSome of Lennon/McCartney’s very early output was, even to a die-hard fan, a bit, how shall we say, ordinary. Despite starting with such a number the Flamin’ Groovies make a half decent stab at improving it, though the treatment is pretty similar.
Anna (Go To Him) – Arthur Alexander
Ooh he’s got a lovely voice that Arthur. Big deep vocals replace John’s earnest shouting, giving the song an altogether more soulful feel. Of course, this pre-dated the Beatles’ version, but you knew that didn’t you ?
Chains – Carole King
She wrote it, they covered it, and years later she covered it herself. King gives it swing in this 80s recording and retains the song’s sense of fun.
Shouldn’t this be sung by, well, to be blunt, girls ? What was Ringo trying to tell us all those years ago ? Anyway, his version always sounds a tad dire to me, whereas this one (the original) has a certain naïve charm.
Ask Me Why – Les Lionceaux
These were known as the French Beatles in France. Elsewhere they were not known at all. Their translation is not exactly literal (Je Suis Fou, their title, means I Am Mad) but otherwise their treatment follows the original quite closely and their singing ain’t half bad.
Please Please Me – Petula Clarke
Pet Clarke requests pleasure in Italian. At the risk of going off at a slight tangent, do try to get hold of her single Jumble Sale which is fabulously awful.
Love Me Do – Sandie Shaw
Austin Powers eat your heart out. This has groovy coursing through its veins. Somehow Sandie manages to turn the least inventive Beatles’ single into a 60s technicolour dream.
P.S. I Love You – Steven King
Steven has produced 7 albums of Beatles’ songs for solo guitar. This pleasing rendition just escapes the elevator music label, and has the advantage of removing the awkward lyrics of the original.
Baby It’s You – The Carpenters
This is not exactly a silk purse out of a sow’s ear thing, because the Beatles’ version was decent enough, but Richard’s arrangement and Karen’s voice conjure a mournful beauty out of a fairly average tune. Delicious.
Do You Want To Know A Secret – Fairground Attraction
Quite a nice ditty, this one, but didn’t you find it just a little twee ? Fairground Attraction overcome this obstacle by keeping it mellow and, when occasion demands it, changing the tune.
A Taste Of Honey – Lenny Welch
This was the version on which McCartney based his, but Paul’s singing can’t hold a candle to Lenny’s. Lenny croons with the sort of velvet voice they just don’t make any more. Plus you get an extra verse for your money !
There’s A Place – Les Surfs
These chanteuses give it plenty on this slightly slower-paced 60s French translation. Le Chagrin (the sadness) they warble, giving the song an extra dollop of melancholy.
Twist And Shout – Chaka Demus & Pliers
Yes I know this has lots of new bits - words and tunes, that sort of thing - which weren’t in the original, so it isn’t quite the same, but anyway it’s a corking good record to end the album.