It is sometimes forgotten that the Beatles were masters at covering other peoples tunes, and making them their own. Often, they tackled material that already had been given successful treatment by other artists. The Isley Brothers, for example, hit first with
Twist and Shout, and theirs remains a wonderful version, but after the Beatles recorded it, many people forgot where they initially heard it.
The Beatles were also a great live act. If you could hear over the screams, they delivered the goods. This is live in Melbourne.
Here is their cover of the Buddy Holly masterpiece
Words of Love. Once again, they take on a song that was already very famous. The arrangement is a near duplicate of Holly's, which is perhaps disappointing, but the harmony singing by John and Paul is quite good.
The heirs of composer/singer
Arthur Alexander are still getting checks for the Beatles cover of his song
Anna (Go to Him). John's lead vocal and the harmonies in the middle section are a delight.
Of course, many artists have also scored big covering the Beatles. Considering how well-known the Beatles originals are, it's not easy to do. Probably, Joe Cocker still has the best Beatles cover. His version of
With a Little Help from My Friends is undeniably better than the original. Cocker's performance at Woodstock is legendary.
Prince takes on the difficult guitar chores in this amazing cover of George Harrison's
While My Guitar Gently Weeps. An un-credited Eric Clapton plays lead on the original.