The Door To Yesterday. Vol. 5, NO8. Beatltes. Alan Warner .2020

 

The Door To Yesterday. The Beatles Vintage Jukebox. 2020. Alan Warner.

 Not only did The Beatles record the majority of their own superlative compositions 

but they also performed and committed to vinyl a plethora of classic songs

 including hits by some of their rock ‘n’ roll heroes.


Individually, John, Paul, George and Ringo later recorded solo versions 

of songs by other writers but my list below covers only songs that they

 recorded as The Beatles at Abbey Road.


The chart positions that I quote are from Billboard magazine.


ANNA (Go To Him) 

(Arthur Alexander)

by Arthur Alexander

Pro: Noel Ball 

(Dot: 1962) 

https://youtu.be/2rHcvYa93sU

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63.


ACT NATURALLY 

(John Russell/Voni Morrison)

by Buck Owens

Pro: Ken Nelson 

(Capitol: 1963) 

https://youtu.be/GpBEBV1wkq4

Recorded by The Beatles in ’65; 

their version released here on Capitol in ’65 

when it reached #47 on the Hot 100. 

Song revived as a duet by 

Buck Owens & Ringo Starr in ’89.


BABY IT’S YOU 

(Mack David/Barney Williams/Burt Bacharach)

by The Shirelles

Pro: Luther Dixon

Arr: Burt Bacharach 

(Scepter: 1961)

https://youtu.be/CRrxjk3qgRc

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63. 

A 1963 BBC recording of the Beatles performing the song 

was later issued on Apple and charted here at #67 in ’95.


BAD BOY 

(Larry Williams)

by Larry Williams 

(Specialty: 1959) 

https://youtu.be/ha8oNLTt0bg

Recorded by The Beatles in ’65.


BOYS 

(Luther Dixon/Wes Farrell)  

by The Shirelles

Pro: Luther Dixon 

(Scepter: 1960)

https://youtu.be/JnIhCCVmLEs

Recorded by The Beatles in ‘63


CHAINS 

(Gerry Goffin/Carole King)

by The Cookies

Pro: Gerry Goffin 

(Dimension: 1962) 

https://youtu.be/ufMjw3EOhbg

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63.


DEVIL IN HIS HEART 

(Richard Drapkin) 

by The Donays 

(Correc-tone/Brent: 1962) 

https://youtu.be/9oEfzk7kToI

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63 as DEVIL IN HER HEART


DIZZY, MISS LIZZY 

(Larry Williams)

by Larry Williams 

(Specialty: 1958) 

https://youtu.be/xgaUyOwo5FE

Recorded by The Beatles in ’65. 

John Lennon recorded it solo in ’69.


EVERYBODY’S TRYING TO BE MY BABY 

(Carl Perkins)  

by Carl Perkins

Pro: Sam Phillips 

(Sun: 1957)

https://youtu.be/e-FD2EIgk3Y

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64.


HONEY DON’T (Carl Perkins) 

by Carl Perkins

Pro: Sam Phillips 

(Sun: 1956) 

https://youtu.be/G070J29uAvs

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64.


KANSAS CITY 

(Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)  

by Wilbert Harrison 

(Fury: 1959)

https://youtu.be/f8tZO97uhyE 

Song first recorded by Little Willie Littlefield in ’52.

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64.


LONG TALL SALLY 

(Enotris Jackson/Robert Blackwell/Richard Penniman)

by Little Richard

Pro: Robert Blackwell 

(Specialty: 1956) 

https://youtu.be/eFFgbc5Vcbw

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64.


MATCHBOX 

(Carl Perkins)

by Carl Perkins

Pro: Sam Phillips 

(Sun: 1957) 

https://youtu.be/r3RvhG4t_ag

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64; 

their version coupled with the Larry Williams song 

SLOW DOWN was released here on Capitol and charted at #17 in ’64.


MR. MOONLIGHT 

(Roy Lee Johnson)  

by Dr. Feelgood & The Interns 

(Okeh: 1962)

https://youtu.be/NhCHr7uAeyg

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64.


MONEY (That’s What I Want) 

(Janie Bradford/Berry Gordy)

by Barrett Strong

Pro: Berry Gordy Jr. 

(Anna/Motown: 1959) 

https://youtu.be/GvQmDIcd4SU 

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63.


PLEASE MR. POSTMAN 

(Georgia Dobbins/William Garrett/Brian Holland/

Robert Bateman/Freddie Gorman)

by The Marvelettes

Pro: Brianbert (aka Brian Holland & Robert Bateman) 

(Tamla: 1961) 

https://youtu.be/UDZ6Zp_zGzg

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63


ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC 

(Chuck Berry)  

by Chuck Berry

Pro: Leonard Chess 

(Chess: 1957) 

https://youtu.be/XhYlrjUuc9k

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64.


ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN 

(Chuck Berry)

by Chuck Berry

Pro: Leonard Chess 

(Chess: 1956) 

https://youtu.be/o3CAAcndhlM

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63; 

their version released here on 

Capitol reached #68 on the Hot 100 in ’64.


SLOW DOWN 

(Larry Williams)   

by Larry Williams 

(Specialty: 1958) 

https://youtu.be/sJW7NOOtfH0

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64 on the 

same sessionas the Carl Perkins song MATCHBOX.

 Capitol released both their versions here on a single 

and SLOW DOWN charted at #25.


TWIST AND SHOUT 

(Bert Berns/Phil Medley)  

by The Isley Brothers

Pro: Bert Berns

Arr: Teacho Wiltshire 

(Wand: 1962) 

https://youtu.be/VVP5gqDAthg 

Song first recorded by The Top Notes in ’61.

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63; their version 

released here on Tollie in ’64 when it reached #2 on the Hot 100.  

Reissued here by Capitol in ’86 when it charted at #23.


WORDS OF LOVE 

(Buddy Holly)   

by Buddy Holly

Pro: Norman Petty 

(Coral: 1957) 

https://youtu.be/_pG1Qywrceg

Recorded by The Beatles in ’64.


YOU’VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME 

(William Robinson)   

by The Miracles

Pro: Smokey Robinson 

(Tamla: 1962) 

https://youtu.be/DRd-bjFfjNc

Recorded by The Beatles in ’63.


The Beatles also recorded two songs at Abbey Road 

that had theatrical origins namely A TASTE OF HONEY 

(the melody of which was written by Bobby Scott for the 1961 Broadway 

production of the same name) and TILL THERE WAS YOU from the 

1957 Meredith Willson stage musical “The Music Man” which was adapted 

as a film musical in ’62.


The above song list doesn’t include earlier pre-EMI recordings of 

The Beatles with Tony Sheridan performing the vintage song 

MY BONNIE (My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean) plus a 1961 version of 

The Beatles performing AIN’T SHE SWEET, both of which charted on 

Billboard’s Hot 100 in ’64.


As in all my postings, 

the recordings listed and referenced above

 are in no way intended as definitive collections.


Please send any comments or suggestions to

 thedoortoyesterday@gmail.com


Rock on.


Alan Warner 


© Alan Warner, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material 

without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is

strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit

 is given to Alan Warner with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.








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