Music Blog

Feb Fab Faux Four #5

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

WARNING: THIS BLOG WAS NOT CREATED FOR BEATLEMANIACS!
If you’re on the fence about the Beatles or if you just don’t like them,
this blog is for you. My goal is not to convert you; it’s to expose you
to the lesser-known Beatles songs we don’t hear day in and day out.
These great tunes will show you just how amazing the Beatles are.
Of course, if you are a Beatles fan, pull up a chair and enjoy the tunes!

© Misky

Welcome back to Feb Fab Faux Four!

This little cover number is found on the “Dedications” album of our guest performer and was hailed one of the most successful comeback albums in rock & roll history. More about our cover singer after we hear the tunes but I’m willing to bet there will be quite a few of you who are unfamiliar with this performer.

Something I failed to mention before: lyrics. So many of the Beatles songs have the best and most poetic lyrics ever penned …. like this one. It took me a long time to get beyond the music and listen to the words and when I did, I was blown away. Yes, I’m a major fan …. with good reason. A group like this comes along once in a lifetime; I’m glad it was during mine.

Let ’em spin!

Here are the Beatles with “It’s Only Love”

🪲

Doing his version of “It’s Only Love”, here is Gary U.S. Bonds

I promised you something different this time around and I think you’ll have to agree this is one of most unique yet well-done Beatles covers so far.

Gary U.S. Bonds is a rhythm & blues and rock & roll singer, most well known for his hits ”Quarter To Three” and “New Orleans“ (check them out on YT). In the early 1980s, Bonds had a career resurgence with his “Dedications” album (which I mentioned earlier), recorded with Bruce Springsteen (who also produced and arranged this version), Steven Van Zandt and the E Street Band.

My immediate reaction to this cover was “I love what they’ve done with this!” and the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. If you listen closely, the E Street Band makes a distinct appearance early on.

Kudos to Gary and crew for stepping out of the Beatles Box!

And in a case of “You can’t make this stuff up“, Gary U.S. Bond’s hits “New Orleans” and “Quarter To Three” are included on the LP “John Lennon’s Jukebox”, the compilation CD album based on the contents of John’s personal jukebox. I think that’s a pretty cool little piece of information.

Join me tomorrow to find out who’s up next.

See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2024

PS – If any video won’t play for you, I’ve provided the name of the song and who did it so you can find it on YouTube. It’s a pain in the ass but it does happen from time to time. My apologies.

This portfolio (including text, graphics and videos) is copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NAR © 2017-present.

27 thoughts on “Feb Fab Faux Four #5”

  7. I knew about the Bonds collaboration with Springsteen and Bruce helped him out when his career was in the dumps. This is my first time hearing this cover and I thought it was wonderful and if I didn’t know the song so well, I would never have guessed it was a Beatles cover.

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  8. The original for me, hands down. I grew up with The Beatles, who for me are still the greatest band there ever was. I know very little of Gary ‘US’ Bonds – maybe if he’d called himself Gary ‘UK’ Bonds he’d have done better here? That cover just sounds like the poor man’s Springsteen.

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    1. Woah, but how do you really feel, Clive! 😂😂
      This is what I’ve been waiting for …. a decisive, frank answer and opinion. I respect that and you’ll get no argument from me. My blog is the DMZ of WP and everyone is entitled to their opinion. I loved your use of the phrase “poor man’s Springsteen”. Very clever and funny.
      Thanks for your excellent comments, Clive. Now we got us a party going on!

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  10. My initial reaction to the Gary U.S. Bond cover was meh, but after listening to it a few times, it grew on me. I didn’t realize he made a comeback album in the early 80s. I’ll have to go check that out.

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