Beatles songs that were not done by The Beatles

[Holy Zoo]

For quite some time I've had a little side hobby of making compilation tapes of songs that could have been written/performed by The Beatles, but weren't.

You know what I mean... a song that has chord changes or harmonies that just oozed Beatletude, or has some other magical element that made you say "damn, he must be channeling John Lennon!". :)

I've found lots of these over the years, and I'm curious what others might have found.

Ok.. I'll start.

If You Want My Love - Cheap Trick
Pineapple Head - Crowded House
American Cheese - Kings X
Is That Love - Squeeze
Dear Angie - Badfinger

[Steve Hoffman]

"Saltwater Gets In My Eyes" by Julian. Or can that count?


Well, anything by Oasis then. ;)

[Holy Zoo]

Sure, Julian counts! :)

Mmm.. but I think we have to disqualify anything by Oasis on principle ;)

[btomarra]

Holy Zoo,

How about Lies by the Knickerbockers. Kind of reminds me of the Beatles gone punk rock.

Brian

:)

[Steve Hoffman]

Funny, when "New York Mining Disaster 1941" by The Bee Gees came out, we all thought it was the Beatles in disguise.

Ain't THAT funny?

[Uncle Al]

Squeeze was mentioned earlier - and they are worthy of the comparison, but their most "Beatlesque" moment to me was on East Side Story. Not one song, but a combination of 2: F-hole/Labeled With Love. Only those with a broad sense of musical "style" (for want of a better term) could create a discordant neo-psychedelic song dominated by a string section jump dramatically into a flat-out old time country sob story and make it sound "right". Just another small example of Uncle Al's lost art of making a geniune ALBUM that reveals more everytime you play it.

[Highway Star]

Her I Go Again
Tell Me Too
Cool Hearted Girl
Take My Love
A Part Of Me Now
She Goes Out With Everybody
Every Night Is A Holiday
Don't You Know?
Where Were You Last Night?
You're The One
Better Take It Easy
Eloquent Spokesman
(Have You Ever Been) Torn Apart?

Ahem...I know I mentioned these guys at the DCC forum a few times but folks it doesn't get any more Beatlesque than the "SpongeTones". Their early 80s album Beat Music and EP Torn Apart are drenching in the Merseybeat sound. These two can also be found on their CD Beat And Torn from a few years back on Black Vinyl Records (owned by the Shoes?).

Am I the only one here that's heard of these guys?

[Steve Hoffman]

Don't forget Matthew Sweet's "Divine Intervention".

Just like "Rain"!

[Holy Zoo]

Originally posted by telefunken


Am I the only one here that's heard of these guys?

No, never heard of them! But based on what you've said, I'm gonna go track them down!

Thanks!

HZ

[Michael]

David Bowie...Major Tom..Line"Tell My Wife I Love Her Very Much" It was thought that John made an appearance on that line.

[Michael]

"I Still Love You" by the Vejtables if the Beatles had a Female Lead Singer....Oh Yea..Oh Yea...Oh Yea...

[Highway Star]

Originally posted by Holy Zoo


No, never heard of them! But based on what you've said, I'm gonna go track them down!

Thanks!

HZ

HZ, if you'd like I can burn you a copy of the CD. They do offer a CD-R at their website since the original is out of print.
http://www.spongetones.com/
If you go to the site and find media clips they do the song "She Goes Out With Everybody"

I haven't heard any of their newer works, the above are from '82/'84.

[MagicAlex]

1976 - Could Klaatu Be The Beatles?

Of course everyone remembers Klaatu and that great wonder hit "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". It wasn't a bad album, but it weren't the Fab Four to be sure!

http://www.wk.net/vault/klaatusm.jpg

[Holy Zoo]

Originally posted by telefunken


They do offer a CD-R at their website since the original is out of print.
http://www.spongetones.com/


Hey, cool! I'm more than happy to support a band that's making their own music available on the web. :D

So, what albums should I get again? I'll just order up a bunch at once.

HZ

[Highway Star]

Originally posted by Holy Zoo


Hey, cool! I'm more than happy to support a band that's making their own music available on the web. :D

So, what albums should I get again? I'll just order up a bunch at once.

HZ

"The" one to have is titled "Beat And Torn"

[Claviusb]

Have you ever heard Utopia's "Deface The Music" CD? I'm guessing nearly everything ELO ever did (except for their disco stuff) and the Rutles are also kind of eliminated from this thread, as those are no-brainers.

[czeskleba]

How about all of Scott McCarl's songs on the Raspberries' "Starting Over" album?

[vinylrec]

Beach Boys "Girl Don't Tell Me"
Utopia "One World"
Badfinger "Come and Get It" (for obvious reasons...)
The Byrds "You Won't Have to Cry"

[jligon]

Originally posted by Claviusb
Have you ever heard Utopia's "Deface The Music" CD?
That's the first Lp I thought of (after Klaatu, of course). There are also a number of Big Star songs that bring the Beatles to mind.

[PsychFan]

I'll second (or third) Utopia's Deface the Music; it's uncanny.

Also, listen to "Collideascope" and "Shiny Cage" from the Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC)'s Psonic Psunspot album. They sound just like lost Revolver outtakes to me ... "Brainiac's Daughter" from the same album could be a McCartney tune circa Magical Mystery Tour.

There are also a few good Rutles tunes, my favorite being "Cheese and Onions."

[Highway Star]

Regarding Klaatu: the Nov.5 1999 issue of Goldmine had a good article on them with discography.

The Bee Gees first album has a song called In My Own Time which is very Beatle-like.

The Flamin' Groovies have a Beatles vibe with some of their works. (plus they do killer versions of Slow Down and Money)

Cheap Trick's Say Goodbye is another one they do which reminds me of the Beatles later style.

[ericpeters]

Sowing in the seeds of love - Tears for Fears.... this actually should have been on Revolver or Magical Mystery tour, the John and Paul didn't knew the song existed.