Beatles covers: Acoustic cover songs – music videos by the songwriters of the Laptop Sessions video blog. Daily music blog with new indie rock acoustic songs.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and welcome to this special holiday edition of the Laptop Sessions music blog with me, Jim Fusco! Tonight, I bring you a great Beatles cover song in “I Need You”, written by George Harrison.
I’ve always been a huge fan of George Harrison’s songs, as I’m sure you know by now. To me, he helped make Paul McCartney and John Lennon better as songwriters. Why? Because they were given a different perspective on each album. I honestly wish the songwriting was more balanced throughout the Beatles recordings.
Tonight’s Beatles cover song is the first of a “Twin Spin” of sorts. Two weeks from now, I’ll be debuting another song with the same name: “I Need You” by the bad America. Gerry Beckley, the writer of that song, is a huge Beatles fan, and I think there are some definite similarities between the two songs. The endings of both songs sound very similar to me, and I think it was done purposefully by America.
“I Need You” is one of the earlier songs George Harrison wrote for the Beatles. In the beginning, you could tell that George really was the “quiet Beatle”. He wrote songs with a self-lamenting tone to them. Another example is “Don’t Bother Me”.
This acoustic cover song music video took me only one take. That happens when I both love the song…and know all the lyrics. 🙂
I’m not going to get all gushy and emotional about Thanksgiving here on the music blog, but I will say that I hope you have a great day. It’s honestly my favorite day of the year- you have everything to look forward to!
And, I hope you enjoy tonight’s acoustic Beatles cover song music video. Oh, and as a quick update regarding my re album, “Those Around Us”, I have the final album art and it looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to debut it to the world. I hope to see you next week for part two of my “I Need You” cover song video mini-series!
Welcome, everyone, to another new edition of the Laptop Sessions with me, Jim Fusco! I’m sorry the post is a bit later today- I was busy yesterday training for an upcoming 5k race with my Traveling Acai Berries member, Steve. It’s tough motivating myself to run every other day, but I know it’s healthy for me to do so, and I’m using that as extra motivation.
The other day, I was searching online for Beatles covers and Beatles cover songs, but The Laptop Sessions page didn’t come up in my searches! Well, that has to change. I’m going to make it a personal goal of mine to get the Beatles category page up in the search engine rankings!
Tonight, I bring you a Beatles song that Ringo got to sing. All the members of the Beatles (especially George and Ringo) were big Carl Perkins fans. So, they took this song, “Honey Don’t”, and gave it the Beatles treatment. I’m glad they let Ringo sing it, as his voice is perfectly suited for it. Something about the chords on the verses gets me every time. This song is pretty easy to play, but it’s got such a great tune. And hearing Ringo sing it in a way only Ringo Starr can, it makes for a great combination.
Apparently, Carl Perkin’s brother even initially refused to play the song, citing its odd chord progression (for a blues song) in the verses. I’m glad he finally came around! The song has such a driving beat, too- I’d love to play this live with a band someday. One of my favorite parts is the guitar solo. I actually got to play it pretty spot-on even though it’s a solo acoustic version. The guitar solo in the Beatles version is basically the E and C chords played as barre chords higher on the neck. I never get to solo during these videos- it was fun!
I’ve wanted to play this song for the Laptop Sessions ever since I heard Ringo singing the song during his concert at the Mohegan Sun this past June. He sounds exactly the same and they do such a good job of reproducing the energy and the sound of the recording live. Actually, if I had my way about it, this would be “The Ringo Sessions with Jim Fusco”- I can’t exactly explain it, but I LOVE Ringo’s music. I especially like his solo albums starting with 1992’s “Time Takes Time”, but there’s something about Ringo’s songs in general that really resonate with me. Heck, he even makes “Honey Don’t”, a sad song when you think about it, into a jolly good time. 🙂
I hope you enjoy tonight’s video and stay-tuned next week for a very, very special Jim Fusco announcement! I think you’re going to love it, but you’ll have to keep checking back to see what it is. See you then!
Welcome to another episode of The Laptop Sessions with me, Jim Fusco! I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since my last video- the time is flying lately. Now that things are coming along nicely with the new house (driveway is in and the grass is looking better), I hope to start enjoying everything a bit more soon.
Today is a record-breaking day here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog. Today, the site got it’s highest view count EVER: over 5,600 hits and still counting! Yes, most of these hits were to the homepage, which is great. But, the part I’m very excited about is the fact that close to 200 of those hits have been to “deep” pages on the site (past posts, etc.)! That’s a pretty big deal, especially considering that just a couple months ago, the site was getting only about 200 views a day- total! So, the promotion I’ve been doing seems to be working nicely.
Now, you would think that, after last week’s article, I would be playing on my new Martin MMV guitar tonight. But, some sad circumstances lead me to this new video- the first in a long time on the piano.
“The Long and Winding Road” is a song by the Beatles that everyone knows. It’s one of those songs that you hear in a restaurant, a department store, and the radio from time to time. It’s a great Paul McCartney song that appeared on the “Let It Be” LP, but I personally like the one on “Let It Be…Naked” better. Even though I found the chords with the words “Capo on 1st fret” above them, I transposed the chords to piano on the fly and let this one rip. As with most Laptop Sessions cover songs I do, it’s SO much easier when I already know the words by heart. Chords are easy to remember because they’re logical- for instance, if the sound goes up (in pitch), then chances are the chord goes up (in pitch). So, I almost always instantly remember the chords. But, when you have to think about lyrics, things get difficult.
Tonight, I dedicate this cover song music video to my good friend and colleague, Diane. For the past year and a half, she’s been my SAVIOR at work. She works down at the warehouse our company uses and is always so helpful. She’ll get anything done instantly- she’s truly the best. She’s made my life so much easier over the time I’ve been with the company. Plus, we’ve come to have countless conversations over the phone and we’ve always had a great relationship. It’s even possible that we’re distantly related! We’ve been out for drinks after work on a few occasions, as well, and we always have a great time.
But, unfortunately, the higher-ups at my company decided to move to a different warehouse. I understand- business is business. But, I know I’m not the only one that’s going to miss Diane terribly- she’s that valuable to my working life. Hey, maybe she’ll want to move to Florida and work at the new place! 🙂
Anyway, months ago, she requested “The Long and Winding Road” by the Beatles as a Laptop Session after she began watching my videos. She waited patiently for a long time. But, Steve (of the Traveling Acai Berries) was very, very busy and we couldn’t find the time to get-together and play this song on camera. The goal was to bring Steve’s electric piano in, too.
So, when I heard the news about Diane no longer working with me, I knew I had to record “The Long and Winding Road” for her. Now that I have Becky’s piano in the house, it was easy to set everything up and record one of my more unique videos. I think it came out great (especially the way I got the audio to record) and I hope it will make Diane realize how much I’ll miss her. Plus, what a perfect song (subject matter) for the occasion.
Thanks for stopping-by for this edition of the Laptop Sessions in HD with Jim Fusco. Stay tuned for a special “26th Birthday” post by me next Thursday night and then two weeks from now, I’ll be back with my first cover song music video on my new Martin MMV acoustic guitar. Have a great week and enjoy “The Long and Winding Road”, one of our many Beatles cover songs!
Well, then- welcome to the first Jim Fusco Thursday here on the Laptop Sessions acoustic cover songs music video blog! 🙂 I’m happy tonight, as it was a day of getting things done. Actually, the past two days were all about getting things done and that always gives me a good feeling. I need to cover a few topics before I get started tonight:
My album, “Halfway There” is now on iTunes and available for download!! I’m very excited about this. I just signed up for some promotion. If I get any kind of response, I’ll gladly do a bigger campaign. Go check it out: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/halfway-there/id361828586 Please, it would mean so much to me if you would sign-in to iTunes, rate, and comment on the album. The more popularity it gets from the loyal music blog followers, the better chance it has at succeeding!
Next up, I’m going to be releasing the classic second (and last) album by MoU, “Homestead’s Revenge”. And, just like everything else in that band, I’ll be covering the cost of this submission myself…
I recorded three “episodes” of the Laptop Sessions tonight, so that ensures three weeks of all-new videos coming up!
Speaking of “episodes”, I had a thought tonight. I’m afraid that there’s so many Laptop Sessions videos that they’re becoming meaningless. Honestly- I don’t even remember some of the songs I’ve done! So, I’ll continue for a while on the once-a-week plan, but I really think I should do a “season” of them, much like a TV show. I think once every two weeks, or 26 “episodes” would be good for the year. That way, each music video would be a special event. And it would probably give me more time to promote the site. I used to worry that there wasn’t enough content to promote, but now I know that there’s SO much content that too much work went into it all with little return. I’ll keep you posted on my thoughts.
Finally, I want to mention the passing of rock legend Johnny Maestro of the Brooklyn Bridge. I was going to record “The Worst That Could Happen”, but I realize that, other than the chorus, it’s not one I know too well. I’ll keep listening and maybe I’ll bust it out someday. R.I.P., Johnny.
Onto tonight’s video!
This video, “Real Love” by the Beatles, came out so great that I wanted to push it ahead of my planned video for tonight, which will now air next week. I love this song so much and even though it’s played on piano in the recorded version, it translated very well to my nylon stringed acoustic guitar. And playing it on the 3rd fret capo really made it sound like the original. Now, when I say “original”, I actually mean the version done by the remaining Beatles (over John’s home recording) in 1996. John’s demo version does appear on one of his “Best Of” solo albums, but the lyrics are slightly different. The Beatles version from the Anthology in 1996 is simply perfect. The vocals are stunning (even though John’s voice sounds very ghostly and distant due to the original source tape they used, it works to a much better effect here than on “Free As A Bird”) and the guitar solo is so great. It’s George at his rock best- a biting and wailing solo over such a great love song.
And last night, I arrived at a pretty big conclusion: In my opinion, John Lennon is the best songwriter of all time. Yes, Brian Wilson is still (and will always be) my favorite songwriter, I have to admit that there was no one better than John Lennon. He wrote some of the best songs of all time- and some earlier than all the other 60s bands! He had a knack for the hooks (like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah”), but also wrote some of the best ballads ever. “In My Life”, “Woman”, and “Real Love” are three amazing examples. Okay, so Paul McCartney is a great songwriter, but his great songs are great and his less-than-great songs STINK! Even John Lennon’s less-than-perfect songs are good. He just had that gift. He was a great lyricist and wrote some of the most unique melodies ever.
So, with that in mind, I went to record “Real Love”. I remember when it came out- watching the Beatles Anthology on TV when it first aired in 1996. It was awesome. Especially because, at that point, I still thought I was the only Beatles fan in my generation. So, having that kind of special on TV was pretty big for me. And two new songs just made it a perfect situation.
I hope you enjoy tonight’s rendition of “Real Love” by the Beatles. I know it’ll go down as one of my favorite videos simply because I realized that it’s one of my favorite songs. It’ll always make me wonder, “What if the Beatles endured and somehow got to play into the 90s?” I think we all know it would’ve been awesome, despite what critics might have said at the time. It always bugged me that everyone expected bright, pop songs- but think about it: if the Beatles had continued playing from where they left off with “Abbey Road” (“Let It Be” was recorded earlier), the songs would’ve sounded very similar to “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love”. And that’s just fine by me. Until next Thursday, I hope you enjoy your weekend! Make sure to check out all of our Beatles cover songs here on the music blog!
Beatles Acoustic Rock Cover Songs and Free mp3 Downloads
John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The Fab Four. Beatlemania. We’ve all heard these terms, and they all refer to one of the most wildly successful and popular groups of songwriters ever to make new music – the Beatles! It is impossible to consider sixties rock music without recalling the singles, albums, merchandise, and personalities of these four music artists. Early in their career, the Beatles were known for not only their original music, but equally for their cover songs. They had a way of taking other songwriters’ material and transforming the tracks into new music that was uniquely their own. As they grew in popularity, their rock music style evolved through many stages – from Rubber Soul to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, widely considered the best rock album of all time – and the Beatles went out of the decade with internal strife that broke the band apart, but was showcased in their solo music. Each of the four members went on to have notable solo careers, and the Laptop Sessions has officially released cover songs based on material from not only the Beatles as a band, but also each songwriter.
