https://www.amazon.co.uk/Here-There-Everywhere-McCartney-Harrison/dp/B0DKZ3Z95P?crid=104W44UCV8743&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.odG3jsdT2LWBzOWSSnSPfQ.oFzs_p2-DfUD3TE4SuLCRenrk3dizxZpE5yTsUEJl9U&dib_tag=se&keywords=029667111621&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1732486546&sprefix=029667111621%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=c8fa2b8bddceb761658e94c484440be8&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
RATINGS:
Overall ***
Presentation *****
Audio **** to *****
"...Step Inside Love..."
I have long held the opinion that Soul and R&B artists should leave The Beatles alone. There's something about the Fab's songs that doesn't suit Soul cover versions. In 66-years of being on this musical blue ball - I've honestly not heard many that work. There are exceptions of course - but most feel forced or worse - bandwagon-ish – out-of-time artists using someone else's hip tunes to reignite a fading career.
And determined as always to prove me wrong - this is example number seven from those learned genre types by Ace Records of the UK – one of my favourite reissue labels (see list below for all entries in the Black America Sings series to Nov 2024).
So, what was cooking for Yesterday. What you get here is the swingin' hipster Jazz Vocals of Sam Fletcher from 1964 pushing on through to the likes of Philly's Billy Paul covering McCartney's Wings hit "Let 'Em In" on to a Blues interpretation by Columbia's Keb' Mo' in 2004 of Lennon's signature song "Imagine". I would admit that Sarah Vaughan's shimmering rearrangement of the Abbey Road gem "You Never Give Me Your Money" is quietly brilliant. But do I need a live version of "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" from 1978 by Natalie Cole or The Four Tops in 1966 crooning Rubber Soul's "Michelle" with syrupy strings and hushed reverential tones - not really - in fact - not never. Before we implode, to the details...
UK released Friday, 29 November 2024 - "Here, There And Everywhere: Black American Sings John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace Records CDTOP 1654 (Barcode 029667111621) is a 22-Track CD Compilation of Beatles and Solo Cover versions that plays out as follows (77:07 minutes):
1. Can't Buy Me Love - SAM FLETCHER (from the July 1964 US LP "Sings I Believe In You" on Vee Jay Records VJS-1094 in Stereo)
2. You Never Give Me Your Money - SARAH VAUGHAN (from the 1981 US LP "Songs Of The Beatles" on Atlantic SD 16037 in Stereo)
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Live) - NATALIE COLE (August 1978 US 45-single on Capitol 4623, A-side)
4. Michelle - FOUR TOPS (from the 1966 US LP "Four Tops On Top" on Motown MS 647 in Stereo - October 1966 UK LP on Tamla Motown STML 11037 in Stereo)
5. Taxman - JUNIOR PARKER (from the 1970 US LP "The Outside Man" on Capitol ST-564 in Stereo)
6. Step Inside Love - MADELINE BELL (December 1968 US 45-single on Philips 40582, A-side)
7. You Can't Do That - THE SUPREMES (from the 1964 US LP "A Bit Of Liverpool" on Motown MS 623 in Stereo)
8. Here, There And Everywhere - CARMEN McRAE (from the 1970 US LP "Just A Little Lovin'" on Atlantic SD 1568 in Stereo)
9. Give Peace A Chance - RANDY CRAWFORD (1982 German 45-single on Warner Brothers 92. 9804-7 , A-side)
10. She's Leaving Home - SYREETA (from the 1972 US LP "Syreeta" on MoWest MW 113L in Stereo)
11. He Loves You - MARY WELLS (from the 1965 US LP "Love Songs To The Beatles" on 20th Century Fox Records TFM 3178 in Mono)
12. Let 'Em In - BILLY PAUL (1976 US 45-single on Philadelphia International ZS8 3621, A-side)
13. Everynight - THE DRIFTERS (October 1972 UK 45-single on Bell Records BELL 1269, A-side)
14. Maybe I'm Amazed - CARLEEN ANDERSON (from the April 1998 UK LP "Blessed Burden" on Circa CIRCA 35)
15. My Love - MARGIE JOSEPH (April 1974 US 45-single on Atlantic 45-3032, A-side)
16. Isn't It A Pity - THE THREE DEGREES (a 1973 recording not used at the time - first issued 1995 in the UK on the CD compilation "The Roulette Years" on Sequel NEMCD 753)
17. My Sweet Lord - THE CHIFFONS (1975 US 45-single on Laurie LR 3620, A-side)
18. Imagine - KEB' MO' (from the 2004 CD Album "Peace...Back By Popular Demand" on Okeh CK 92687)
19. Jealous Guy - DONNY HATHAWAY (from the 1972 US LP "Live" on Atlantic SD 33-386)
20. We Can Work It Out - STEVIE WONDER (1971 US 45-single on Tamla T 54202, A-side)
21. Yesterday - MARVIN GAYE (from the October 1969 US LP "That's The Way Love Is" on Tamla TS 299 in Stereo)
22. And I Love Him - ESTHER PHILLIPS (March 1965 US 45-single on Atlantic 45-2281, A-side)
NOTES: All Tracks in STEREO except Track 11 (Mary Wells) in MONO
The chunky 20-page full-colour booklet pictures all those shadowy album covers and rare 45-single labels alongside beautiful black-and-white Promo Photos of The Supremes and Mary Wells (Pages 8 and 11) and Soul aficionado TONY ROUNCE does a bang-up job of filling in the Discography details of how Soul aped The Beatles and their solo tunes. It's lovely to look at and a pleasure to read. NICK ROBBINS - long-time Audio Engineer for Ace does the Remasters - 21 Stereo and only 1 Mono - all spiffing, uptight and outta site. To the tunes...
The first four left me cold and it's not until you get to the 'dig this' Junior Parker take on the Revolver opener "Taxman" do things start to impress. Funky, slinky and very cool - it's the first real highlight here. The Madeline Bell version of "Step Inside Love" is awful but Northern Soul hounds might dig the Motown shuffle of "You Can't Do That" - The Supremes catching the 1964 zeitgeist. Carmen McRae tries hard to imbibe Soul emotion into her cover of the Revolver melody that gives this compilation its name - "Here, There And Everywhere" - but as it progresses it feels cheesy – album filler for a 1970 LP no one is interested in. One of the most gorgeous covers of Beatles songs was a live version of "Imagine" by Randy Crawford from 1980 - so it doesn't surprise me to see her featured amongst the list - but this time tackling the John Lennon solo anthem "Give Peace A Chance". At last, you get genuine emotion and a melody vs. spoken word interpretation that stays on the right side of history.
There must be a special kind of Hell for Syreeta's version of the Sgt. Pepper's ballad gem "She's Leaving Home" where just as you think she's got the emotion down and it's gonna work - in sails Stevie Wonder with the most intrusive synth vocoder vocals you've ever heard - trying out a new instrument that kills all tenderness in the song. As if that's bad, the Mary Well's jazz take on "She Loves You" would test the patience of a saint. Infusing Martin Luther King and his I Have A Dream speech into his cheesy Philly cover of the Wings song "Let 'Em In" probably turned on punters and the charts in 1977 for Billy Paul – but man has it dated badly – even to the point where its feels exploitative. At least The Drifters do an interesting and melodious version of the McCartney solo song "Every Night" – lush orchestration taking it to someplace new whilst retaining that lovely hook the song had in the first place.
Carleen Anderson of The Young Disciples tackles one of the early McCartney ballads in 1998 with the aid of Mick Talbot from The Style Council - "Maybe I'm Amazed" – a stunning love song for Linda McCartney. And Carleen does a great job – her guttural vocals suiting the quiet passion in the song. Margie Joesph equals that pouring-out with her cover of another McCartney love song that moved so many in the early Seventies - "My Love" - cleverly arranged. One of the best songs on the "All Things Must" triple-album from December 1970 - George Harrison's "Isn't It A Pity" had been played during the 'Let It Be' sessions but passed over by the other fabs. It's always been a magnificent song with its building epic quality. The Three Degrees ladies give it a slow Philly-Soul work-over - a 1973 Roulette Records recording that had remained in the vaults until Sequel Records of the UK put it out on a 1995 retrospective CD compilation. Their version is good but it only makes you hanker for the magestic original.
The Chiffons fey flute rendering of Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" is only a few shades of cringe. Beautifully recorded – the Keb' Mo' steel guitar and strings interpretation of the John Lennon peace-anthem "Imagine" is genuinely lovely – how could it be anything else. The Mary Wells stripped-back Jazz-clicking version of "She Loves You" is re-named "He Loves You" but it is another example of awful. The Donny Hathaway version of Lennon's "Jealous Guy" hasnever been one of my faves and the final three-in-a-row from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Esther Phillips only put more nails in the coffin for me.
I love Ace compilations - I must have more than a hundred of them and rarely cringe at the listen no matter what genre they're temptin' me with. But despite the great audio and typically exemplary booklet - November 2024's "Here, There And Everywhere..." is not for me. I would advise a listen first before you let nostalgia dictate that bank balance...
Titles in the Ace Records Black America Sings CD Compilation Series
(In Release Date Order - September 2010 to November 2024)
1. "How Many Roads: Black America Sings Bob Dylan"
UK released September 2010 on Ace Records CDCHD 1278 (Barcode 029667042420)
2. "Come Together: Black America Sings Lennon & McCartney"
UK released May 2011 on Ace Records CDCHD 1300 (Barcode 029667045322)
3. "Hard To Handle: Black America Sings Otis Redding"
UK released September 2012 on Ace Records CDCHD 1352 (Barcode 029667052627)
4. "Let The Music Play: Black America Sings Bacharach & David"
UK released March 2014 on Ace Records CDCHD 1398 (Barcode 029667059121)
5. "Bring It On Home: Black America Sings Sam Cooke"
UK released October 2014 on Ace Records CDCHD 1420 (Barcode 029667062725)
6. "Let It Be: Black America Sings Lennon, McCartney & Harrison"
UK released September 2016 on Ace Records CDCHD 1483 (Barcode 029667077026)
7. "Here, There And Everywhere: Black America Sings John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison"
UK released November 2024 on Ace Records CDTOP 1654 (Barcode 029667111621)
