People tend to write off THE BEATLES LIVE AT THE BBC double album as nothing more than a bunch of recordings taken from a live Radio Show. Well…yeah, that’s what they ARE, but it’s more than that, too!
When the Beatles were clubbing and touring in their early days, most of their set consisted of covers of their favorite songs at the time, songs by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis, and others.
By the time the Beatles were releasing albums, their OWN compositions were filling the tracks, but they always put at least a couple of songs from their club sets onto their albums, songs like SLOW DOWN, BAD BOY, ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN, BOYS, A TASTE OF HONEY, BABY, IT’S YOU, LONG TALL SALLY, and YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME.
On BEATLES LIVE AT THE BBC, you get to hear a whole plethora of songs they covered that never made it onto ANY of their albums. The thing about it is, these songs are performed REALLY TIGHT, and you can hear the joy in their voices as they sing- they really love these songs!
There are even a couple of songs (Keep your Hands Off My Baby, I Forgot To Remember To Forget) that actually sound pre-recorded, the performance is so tight. The cool thing about these covers is that they aren’t merely re-done, rather, they are taken and given a “Beatley” twist to them.
Songs like Elvis Presley’s “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry over You” has been given a Beatles “Wooooh!”, The Coasters’ “Young Blood” has John saying “What’s Your Name?” in his hilarious "simpleton" slur, and Chuck Berry’s “I Got to Find My Baby” has a real sweet Beatles riff towards the end of the song!
Even songs that DID make their way to Beatles Albums sound different and interesting: At this stage in the game, JOHN was still singing lead on “Honey Don’t” (which later went to Ringo on Beatles For Sale), and it is a real foot-stomper!
I always tell my friends that you could take the unreleased songs from the double album, and make ONE fine Beatles single album! By my estimation, the tracks to consider:
I Got A Woman (cool George guitar picking)
Too Much Monkey Business (George rocks in the middle!)
Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (pre-recorded? Background vocals sweet!)
I’ll Be On My Way (AWESOME Lennon/McCartney song never put on album!)
Young Blood (Awesome, Fun song with George lead)
A Shot Of Rhythm and Blues
Some Other Guy (Killer song, featured on the ANTHOLOGY special)
That’s All Right (Elvis song featuring a driving Ringo beat!)
Carol (nice George guitar talk-back to John’s vocals)
Soldier of Love (a bit of “Baby It’s You” here)
Clarabella (Paul doing his “Little Richard” style vocals here)
Nothin’ Shakin
Crying, Waiting, Hoping (cool version of Buddy Holly song)
To Know Her is to Love Her (early “This Boy” influence?)
Memphis, Tennessee (John doing Johnny Rivers!)
Lonesome Tears in my Eyes
Sweet Little Sixteen (I can’t believe this never made it to album!)
Hippy Hippy Shake I Forgot to Remember to Forget (awesome George vocal)
Ooh My Soul
I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry Over You (Elvis song turned Skiffle beat!)
I Got To Find My Baby (rockin’!)
Honey Don’t (John Vocal-kicks ass!)
Don’t Ever Change The Honeymoon Song (a real Paul-type song, nice!)
Yes, the quality here isn’t great, and in spots can be pretty thin (this is probably why they kept this from the public so long!), but these were radio broadcasts, and to hear new/unheard music by The Beatles is such a rare thing!
