Today’s Hidden Gem

The Beatles meet The Simpsons

Talk about a match made in heaven.  The Simpsons have never shied away from making a Fab Four reference or two, or just simply having them appear in an episode. Whether it be Marge’s teenage obsession with Ringo Starr, the Be-Sharps rooftop performance with a cameo from George (and a great “I hope we passed the audition” line) or Paul’s garden above the Kwik-e-mart - the Beatles live on through the classic cartoon.

Last but not least, I can’t possibly leave out Flanders’ secret room filled with all sorts of wild Beatles memorabilia, including a how-to book called “Learn Carpentry with The Beatles.”

Today’s Hidden Gem

The Beatles vs. The Byrds mashup - “Nowhere to Turn”

I’m always a fan of a good mashup.  It’s no Grey Album, but it’ll do.

Today’s Hidden Gem

The Beatles performing “Besame Mucho” during the Let It Be sessions

This is a great Beatle moment to begin with, but is especially fantastic with Paul and his million and one voices.

Today’s Hidden Gem

hellofriend:

mattmcinerney:

This is Al Green doing a cover of I Want to Hold Your Hand. I originally found this on Soul Sides Vol. 2.

Unbelievable.  This may be one of the better Beatles covers I’ve heard.  You just made my day, E - thank you kind sir.

Today’s Hidden Gem

The Beatles performing “Two of Us” with Scottish accents

There are a bunch of different versions of the song that the Beatles toyed around with, including a much faster-paced rendition during the “Let It Be” filming and a Paul-edited version from “Let It Be…Naked”.

Nothing can beat Scottish accents and classic Beatle banter though.

Today’s Hidden Gem

The Anthology version of “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”

Just the other day, Beatle Brian brought up the topic of great alternate takes of Beatle songs, so we got to thinking - what are some of the best?  There’s the great acoustic version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, the non-stop giggling in “And Your Bird Can Sing” and the boisterous drums in “And I Love Her.”

This one is a personal favorite of mine though. I still prefer the more uptempo version of the song, but there’s definitely something to be said for the slower pace and twangy George guitar in this version.

tumblndice:

Another fantastic Mitch Mitchell moment (and certainly a Hall of Fame jam session) “Yer Blues” performed by John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch on the drumskies. Part of the Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus.

*Sidenote: This is one of the better filmed live sessions, in my book. Close shots of hands during solos, the shot of Lennon and Keef tapping their feet in unison. This is up there in the realm of Rock & Roll dvds.

This appeared as the Sept. 29 edition of Today’s Hidden Gem, however I failed to mention Mitch in the caption…talk about a bad omen.

R.I.P. Mitch

Today’s Hidden Gem

Photographer Henry Grossman’s “Kaleidoscope Eyes: A Day in the Life of Sgt. Pepper”

Grossman took more than 250 black and white photos of the Fab Four at Abbey Road studios back in 1967. The never-before-seen photos will now appear in a limited edition book.

Today’s Hidden Gem

Hanson covering The Beatles

I’m going to the Hanson concert tonight at the House of Blues. Yep, you heard right.  And if they play “Oh! Darling” I will be one of the screaming girls in the crowd.

Today’s Hidden Gem

Beatles video unearthed after 44 years

I know, there’s no sound - but the fact that it’s from a small concert in Kansas in 1964 is still pretty cool.

Today’s Hidden Gem

John Lennon and George Harrison covering “Get Back”

It wasn’t all too uncommon for The Beatles to cover one another’s songs from time to time.  Sometimes it was done in tribute to one another, while other times it was out of spite and ridicule. But regardless of the reason, it gave us Beatles fanatics a chance to hear some very different takes on some of the classics.

Above is John Lennon’s version of “Get Back.”  It’s loud, it’s brash, it’s typical Lennon. But for a more subdued version of the song, check out the little diddy George did.

Today’s Hidden Gem

George Harrison - “Blow Away”

Just watch.  This is exactly why I love George - good tunes, goofy faces and weird props.

And if you liked that, check out the video for “Crackerbox Palace.”

Today’s Hidden Gem

Bobby McFerrin singing “Blackbird”

“Blackbird” is one of the most covered songs of all time. But I doubt any of those other covers have been done quite like this.

Note: Bobby McFerrin is the dude that sings “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

Today’s Hidden Gem

Ever wonder what The Beatles would sound like with Steve Perry as the lead singer?  I know I always have, but here’s something that might just come close.

This is Arnel Pineda (the new lead singer of Journey) with his old band Zoo, performing “Oh! Darling.”

They also did a pretty horrible cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

Today’s Hidden Gem

John Lennon, Eric Clapton & Keith Richards perform “Yer Blues” (w/ a funny and weird intro by John and Mick Jagger).