Which Cover Songs played by The Beatles do you prefer?

[gamegyro56]

I'm talking about songs that were on the Beatles official discography that they didn't write. This doesn't include the Jonas Brothers. Which versions do you prefer?

Please Please Me:
Anna (Go To Him) Beatles Original
Chains Beatles 30 second original clip:Original
Boys Beatles Original
Baby It's You Beatles Original
A Taste Of Honey Beatles Original
Twist And Shout Beatles Original

With The Beatles:
Till There Was You Beatles Original
Please Mr. Postman Beatles Original
Roll Over Beethoven Beatles Original
You've Really Got A Hold On Me Beatles Original
Devil In Her/His Heart Beatles Original
Money (That's What I Want) Beatles Original

Long Tall Sally:
Long Tall Sally Beatles Original
Slow Down Beatles Original
Matchbox Beatles Original

Beatles For Sale:
Rock And Roll Music Beatles Original
Mr. Moonlight Beatles Original
Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey Beatles Original Original 2
Words Of Love Beatles Original
Honey Don't Beatles Original
Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby Beatles Original

Help!:
Act Naturally Beatles Original
Dizzy Miss Lizzy Beatles Original

Bad Boy Beatles Original

It's clear that The Beatles liked Carl Perkins and Larry Williams. Some of the originals weren't written by the band, but they were the first to record it. The reason Kansas City has 2 originals was because Kansas City was first recorded by Little Willie Littlefield. Little Richard turned it into a medley combining it with his song Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey. The Beatles covered Little Richard's medley.


I cannot find the originals for Chains, Devil In Her Heart, or Bad Boy.

[Big-A2]

I don't have the time to go through them all, but I've heard some before and I've found that many of the original just don't have the energy that the Beatles added. Rock & Roll music is a good example of this.

It's a shame that the Beatles version are more common though, although I guess some of these songs would've sinked to obscurity had the Beatles not covered them.

[hannie3000]

Twist And Shout, Kansas City, Act Naturally.
(Basing my choices on the album versions, that is)

[CyanFunk]

Originals over covers: 'Twist and Shout' (Isley Bros. ftw), 'Long Tall Sally', 'Roll Over Beethoven', 'Rock and Roll Music'

Covers over originals: 'Boys', 'Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey'

[mywhitenoise]

Twist and Shout, Postman, and Money.

[Gigli78]

Roll Over Beethoven, Rock and Roll Music, and Golden Slumbers. I noticed that you also missed "Maggie Mae" which is an old Liverpudlian drinking song (it's easy to let this slip to the untrained eye).

It all depends on if you are counting the Live at the BBC/Anthology covers too...

[midge-beatles]

Roll Over Beethoven, because I really dig the lead guitar by George. And Act Naturally, not sure why, it's just that it's quite upbeat and I like it!

[fuselage321]

Tie Between:

Twist and Shout
Roll Over Be(whatever)
Money(TWIW)
Boys

[HotMangoChutney]

Their single-take versions of "Twist and Shout" and "Long Tall Sally" definitely blow The Isley Brothers' and Little Richard's respective versions out of the water.

I think they at least equal (if also not surpass) The Shirelles on "Baby It's You," Chuck Berry on "Roll Over Beethoven," and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles on "You Really Got a Hold on Me." But I don't think their version of "Money" quite matches up to Barrett Strong's.

I don't think I've heard the original versions of any of their other covers (though I have heard Shirley Jones sing "Till There Was You" in The Music Man -- their version at least isn't as overwrought).

[DookieMan]

I'm confused. Aren't we supposed to say whether we prefer the original? Because it seems like some are doing the opposite.

Also, Golden Slumbers isn't quite a cover.