Welcome to the HouseoftheHits.com Original Presentation • THE BEATLES: Under The Influence – Part 2
- The second set of 6 of the 24 original versions of songs by American artists, and the 6 cover versions officially recorded by The Beatles.
- Each original song is paired with the corresponding Beatles cover version.
- Part 2 has five bonus tracks, for a total of 17 songs.
- Including extra material, there’s 58 songs in the entire 4-part series!
- Links to Parts 1, 3 & 4 are found at the bottom, just before the credits.
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What ‘Officially Recorded’ means: The Beatles recorded 12 commercial studio albums, 17 non-album singles and 13 EP’s (Extended Players) for their UK parent record label Parlophone. The cover versions presented here are among those releases. Studio outtakes, studio bootleg versions, live performances, live performance bootleg versions, etc. are excluded.
What ‘Original’ means: Usually, it means the first recorded version of the song – but not necessarily. Some of their cover recordings are not of the true original. Rather, it’s the first version of the record The Beatles heard, learned and performed live, and ultimately recorded.
Note: Part 2 includes three true original recordings.
What ‘Under The Influence’ means: First, it’s the title of a long-out-of-print import CD I’ve had for over 20 years – and which sparked the idea for this presentation.
In the CD booklet’s liner notes, Roy Carr of the UK music publication Vox, further explains –
“In their formative days it was not uncommon for practically every working (UK) group to establish their reputation as crowd-pullers, not so much for their own songs (often the low point of most acts) but in their ability to scout obscure U.S. material and personalize it to the point where certain songs then became synonymous with the groups who’d covered them.”
And during their formative period, The Beatles were no exception, with a long list of American Top 40 rock’n’roll songs and adult standards in their live performance repertoire.
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Here’s some great insight into the manner in which their manager, Brian Epstein and the group often found American records to record, from George Harrison in Beatles Anthology –
“Brian had a policy of buying at least one copy of every record that was released (for his NEMS record shop). If it sold, he’d order another one, or five or whatever. Consequently he had records that weren’t hits in Britain, weren’t even hits in America. Before going to a gig we’d meet in the record store, after it had shut, and we’d search the racks like ferrets to see what new ones were there… Devil In His Heart by The Donays and Barrett Strong‘s Money were records that we’d picked up and played in the shop and thought were interesting.”
Ultimately, they, Epstein and producer George Martin decided upon 24 songs – all from ‘across the pond’ in origin – which they considered strong enough performances by them to record.
Also, good material was needed to supplement the limited number of polished self-compositions available for inclusion on their first four 14-track Parlophone albums.
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If you’re of an age whereby you remember the concurrent phenomena of Beatlemania and the British Invasion, then I’m quite certain all two dozen Fab Four cover versions are quite familiar to you.
However, several of the originals are perhaps not as well known.
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Song Presentation: Arranged alphabetically, and all are in crystal clear HD audio.
Dates: Directly above every song’s player are the dates on which the album, EP or single was released, and correspond with the accompanying sleeve graphics. Both are chronologically arranged from left to right.
Mono/Stereo: If the original version is in mono, the corresponding Beatles cover recording will also be mono – ditto for stereo.
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THE PERTINENT ALBUMS
[By Record Label]
Please Please Me
With The Beatles
Beatles For Sale
Help!
The Beatles’ Second Album
Beatles ’65
Beatles VI
Beatlemania! With The Beatles
[Mono Only]
Twist and Shout
[Mono Only]
Beatles ’65
Beatles VI
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[Note] Some audio song files may not play on smartphones, tablets or connected devices.
A laptop, desktop PC or Mac may be needed for optimal enjoyment.
THE SONGS
[In Alphabetical Order]
CHAINS
The Cookies
[Mono]
Written by the great Carole King, it’s the record on which The Beatles based their cover – but this version of Chains is not the true original recording.
The first incarnation of The Cookies had ties to Ray Charles and his famed all-girl back-up singers known as The Raelettes. And, although connected to the original group through blood relations, this version of The Cookies first became back-up singers for Neil Sedaka (Breaking Up Is Hard To Do), Little Eva (The Loco-Motion, Let’s Turkey Trot) and Mel Torme (Comin’ Home Baby), among others.
Lead singer “Earl-Jean” McCrea recorded the original version of I’m Into Something Good, the debut cover hit for England’s Herman’s Hermits.
Sep.1962
https://youtu.be/uiP5dQB7jiM
[REPLAY]
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CHAINS
The Beatles
[Mono]
The Beatles recorded ten songs for their first album UK album, Please Please Me, during a 13-hour marathon studio session on February 11, 1963. Four of the ten were presented in Part 1, and Chains is another. It’s one of two songs on the PPM album on which George Harrison sings the lead vocal (Do You Want To Know A Secret is the other).
Mar.22.1963 [UK] • Jan.10.1964 [US] • Feb.3.1964 [CA]
https://youtu.be/osGQS5sBt_4
[REPLAY]
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CHAINS
The Everly Brothers
(Original Version)
[Mono]
Recorded in July of 1962 for the U.S. label Warner Brothers, the true original recording of Chains is considered an obscure rarity by The Everly Brothers, in part, because it wasn’t released for 22 years – and never in North America to this day. It first appeared in 1984 on an album called Nice Guys, issued in the UK only by Magnum Force. It was later released (in the UK and Europe only) on the 7-CD box set called The Price Of Fame 1960-1965 by the German record label Bear Family.
When I lived in L.A., I was lucky to find a used copy of the imported CD version of the Nice Guys album – from which Chains is presented here.
Jul.1962
http://youtu.be/Av_pQTv9Yw8
[REPLAY]
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DEVIL IN HIS HEART
The Donays
[Stereo]
Led by vocalist Yvonne Vernee Allen, this girl-group from the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck, MI. recorded one of the more obscure records The Beatles unearthed and covered.
Aug.1962
https://youtu.be/nt0v9PvO7MQ
[REPLAY]
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DEVIL IN HER HEART
The Beatles
[Stereo]
Harrison is again the lead vocalist on this track from their second UK album, With The Beatles. And of course, the title was re-gendered.
Nov.22.1963 [UK] • Nov.25.1963 [CA] • Apr.10.1964 [US]
https://youtu.be/_MKOPiQRP5k
[REPLAY]
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DIZZY, MISS LIZZY
Larry Williams
[Mono]
American rock’n’roll pioneer Larry Williams became a close friend of Little Richard when both recorded for the Specialty Records label (and possibly why Dizzy, Miss Lizzy, although written by Williams, has similarities in the song’s style to Richard’s Good Golly, Miss Molly – recorded for Speciality 18-months earlier).
The Beatles’ cover version of the single’s B-side, Slow Down, is heard in Part 4.
Mar.1958
http://youtu.be/Ha8jkZyFKgc
[REPLAY]
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DIZZY MISS LIZZY
The Beatles
[Mono]
Oddly, The Beatles first recorded Williams’ version specifically for their US record company Capitol, for inclusion on their 1965 compilation, Beatles VI.
On the Capitol track, the name is misspelled “Lizzie“ (probably a mistake by Capitol), but when the song eventually was added as the final track on their UK album, Help! , it was correctly listed according to Williams’ original title, Dizzy Miss Lizzy (without the comma). This is vintage John Lennon rockin’ out!
Jun.14.1965 [US][CA] • Aug.6.1965 [UK]
http://youtu.be/FrWTV8-3bbI
[REPLAY]
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EVERYBODY’S TRYING TO BE MY BABY
Carl Perkins
[Mono]
Given the fact there was song with virtually the same title (Everybody’s Tryin’ To Be My Baby) written and recorded in 1936 by a country artist named Rex Griffin, Carl Perkins original could almost be considered a cover version – similar words and title, just a different arrangement. But, because Griffin’s original recording goes back so far – plus, I don’t have a copy of it! – for the purposes of this presentation, I consider Carl’s version to be the original; it certainly is the version by which The Beatles were influenced.
1957
http://youtu.be/56GfHRxafIk
[REPLAY]
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EVERYBODY’S TRYING TO BE MY BABY
The Beatles
[Mono]
A track from their fourth UK album, Beatles For Sale. Like Lennon of Larry Williams, George Harrison was a big fan of rockabilly artist Carl Perkins – especially of his guitar work.
The Beatles recorded three of Perkins’ songs, with George providing vocals on this one, while the other two are sung by Ringo Starr – one of them is coming up, and the other is in Part 3.
Dec.4.1964 [UK] • Dec.15.1964 [US][CA]
http://youtu.be/bjRm84BU8Mo
[REPLAY]
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HONEY DON’T
Carl Perkins
[Mono]
Carl Perkins was one of the original group of rockabilly/rock’n’roll artists – and all future legends – who recorded for Sam Phillips‘ Sun Records label in Memphis, TN (along with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley). Honey Don’t, a Perkins original which he also wrote, is the B-side of his well-known classic, Blue Suede Shoes.
Jan.1956
http://youtu.be/MdgE-Rzu2h4
[REPLAY]
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HONEY DON’T
The Beatles
[Mono]
Honey Don’t was normally sung by John Lennon in live performances, but it was Ringo Starr who recorded it.
About this last track on the UK album Beatles For Sale, Starr frankly states in Beatles Anthology –
“It was a case of finding vehicles for me with The Beatles. That’s why we did it. It was comfortable. And I was finally getting one track on a record; my little featured spot.”
Aw, rock on Ringo, one time for me!
Dec.4.1964 [UK] • Dec.15.1964 [US][CA]
http://youtu.be/VzK6Fvqn5iA
[REPLAY]
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KANSAS CITY / HEY-HEY-HEY-HEY (A Medley)
Little Richard
(Second Cover Version of Kansas City)
(First Cover Version of Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey)
[Mono]
Neither of the songs in this 1964 medley by Little Richard (real name Richard Penniman) is the true original – in fact, they were Richard’s second recordings of both songs, which he’d previously recorded separately. However, it was this ‘medley version’ which influenced The Beatles to cover it.
I encourage you to follow the links above for both songs – it’s good insight about the scheming and deceitful business side of the music industry,
1964
http://youtu.be/ljyN5RfsXpU
[REPLAY]
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Medley: KANSAS CITY / HEY-HEY-HEY-HEY!
The Beatles
[Mono]
The Beatles’ recording of Kansas City was the fourth cover version of the song. The second was by Little Richard (just heard in the medley). The third and first cover versions – along with the true original (from 1952!) – are all coming up.
As for their recording of Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!, it was the second cover version of the song. The first was Little Richard’s cover (also just heard in the medley) of his own original version – which is also just ahead.
Richard’s ‘medley’ version was released only months prior to the Fab Four recording it later in ’64.
Amazingly, the song was recorded in just one take, with outstanding high-energy throughout by Paul McCartney, who can really do Richard’s high-range vocals.
Dec.4.1964 [UK] • Jun.14.1965 [US][CA]
http://youtu.be/f1pIyfPTyjU
[REPLAY]
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KANSAS CITY
Wilbert Harrison
(Third Cover Version)
[Mono]
Chronologically the third cover version of KC, Wilbert Harrison’s recording more closely resembles the true original version (just ahead), rather than the version which preceded it – by Little Richard, which is next. Nonetheless, Harrison’s version is the most recognizable version of the song – and clearly, the most commercially successful; a #1 million-seller on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959.
1959
https://youtu.be/wamtOjqrY_I
[REPLAY]
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KANSAS CITY
Little Richard
(First Cover Version)
[Mono]
This is Richard’s first recording of Kansas City, but again, it’s just a cover version. The true original from seven years earlier is also coming up.
Apr.1959
http://youtu.be/b-J2lB13cgA
[REPLAY]
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HEY-HEY-HEY-HEY (Goin’ Back To Birmingham)
Little Richard
(Original Version)
[Mono]
Penniman’s initial recording of Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey is the true original recording. The song is more commonly known by Goin’ Back To Birmingham.
Jan.1958
http://youtu.be/F60EfnEX5-k
[REPLAY]
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K.C. LOVING
(aka Kansas City)
Little Willie Littlefield
(Original Version)
[Mono]
Here is the true original recording of Kansas City – and note the actual title of this version from 1952. K.C.Loving was one of the earliest notable songs penned by famed songwriting duo Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller – written the same year as “Big Mama” Thornton’s original recording of a song they also wrote called Hound Dog (later a huge hit by Elvis Presley).
1952
http://youtu.be/AKKzqqg2cTw
[REPLAY]
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Others Installments
PART ONE
PART THREE
PART FOUR
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THE BEATLES: Under The Influence – Part 2
Written by
Rick Murray Hunter
Produced by
HouseoftheHits, Inc.
Production Assistant
Tony Busbridge
Additional Production Assistance
Chris Mahan
Consultant
Dick Rosemont
Music Source
The Music Vault from
HouseoftheHits, Inc.
Research
Rick Murray Hunter
Research Assistance
Beatles Bible
Skyline Mastering
Tom Daly
Top 40 Music on CD
Pat Downey
The Originals Project
Dick Rosemont
Record Research of the
Billboard® Hot 100 (eBook Editions)
Joel Whitburn
Record Label & Sleeve Graphics
Courtesy of 45cat
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A special thanks to Sequel Records (UK) and their 1992 CD – UNDER THE INFLUENCE: The Original Versions of the Songs The BEATLES Covered (NEX CD 226). Not only was it my source for high-quality audio on the obscure titles, but also the compilation on which this presentation is based.
