Sure, The Beatles have brilliant pop hits, revolutionary studio techniques and global fame – but do they also have soul? That was the question pursued by the legendary Stax label from Memphis, Tennessee, which had the crème de la crème of its own stars cover Beatles songs. These versions show not only how great an influence the Fab Four had on their peers at the time, including those from outside their own genre, but also how well »Hey Jude«, »With a Little Help from My Friends« and other classics work with fat horn sections, backing choirs or fervent soul crooning – as in Otis Redding’s version of »Day Tripper«. For, of course, it turns out that even supposedly overplayed songs gain surprising new facets through these soul interpretations.
For this single-vinyl edition, the original tracklist of Stax Does the Beatles has been reduced by almost half to its true essence. Much more focused now, both the performers and the songs covered each appear only once. Selected highlights include Isaac Hayes’ monumental, almost twelve-minute interpretation of »Something«, David Porter’s wild guitar version of »Help«, and the tender live recording of »Yesterday«, which impressively shows why Carla Thomas is known as the Queen of Memphis Soul. That the appreciation was certainly mutual, incidentally, is proven by a letter from George Harrison, in which he tried in 1966 to convince Otis Redding producer Jim Stewart to record the Beatles album Revolver at the Stax studios.
Stax Does The Beatles
