Countless artists have covered the Beatles throughout the decades since the band debuted. Some are great. Some are pale imitations. But, only one has been deemed Paul McCartney’s favorite Beatles cover.
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Though fan recognition is great, it always hits a little harder when the original singer of a song acknowledges your cover in a positive way. Moreover, if their comments are as flattering as McCartney’s were about this one particular cover, it might prove to be the greatest moment of an artist’s life. Learn more about McCartney’s favorite Beatles cover below.
Paul McCartney’s Favorite Beatles Cover: “I Was Forever Grateful”
What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song
And I’ll try not to sing out of key
Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mmm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Ooh, I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends
“With a Little Help from My Friends” is one of the Beatles’ most beloved tracks. It’s one of the few tracks that saw Ringo Starr on vocal duties. It’s also one of the most heavily covered Beatles songs. Many artists have borrowed this unifying anthem and warped it in their own style. One of those artists is Joe Cocker.
Cocker covered “With a Little Help from My Friends” only a few years after the Beatles released their version. While it could’ve gone over badly, it was widely celebrated–even by McCartney himself.
“I remember him coming round to the studio in Saville Row and playing me what they’d recorded,” McCartney once explained. “It was just mind-blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem, and I was forever grateful for him for doing that.”
As McCartney noted in the quote above, Cocker significantly changed the production of this Beatles hit. It opens with a slow build, erupting into a darker, broodier version of Starr’s calling card. It is a masterclass in taking a classic and making it your own. Revisit Cocker’s cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” below.
What do I do when my love is away?
(Does it worry you to be alone?)
How does it feel by the end of the day?
(Are you sad because you’re on your own?)
No, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Ooh, I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends
(Photo by Wood/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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