Music Blog

Feb Fab Faux Four #10

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

I’ve probably said this just about every day and I’m going to say it again: this next song is one of my favorites …. not just a favorite Beatles song but a favorite George song (and if you know me at all, you know I adore George). Seeing him in concert during his solo career in 1974 was almost as exciting as seeing the Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1965.

While putting this post together, I had the recurring thought that George’s solo career, though cut short due to illness, still produced better quality music than Ringo or Paul’s solo careers. George’s musicality during “Concert for Bangladesh” was nothing short of amazing. After his death, his peers, friends and fellow performers who admired and loved him presented the “Concert For George” and “George Fest“, two tributes to George and his music. The number of big name musicians on stage at those tribute concerts was staggering.

Today’s cover song was performed at “George Fest”.

George wrote our featured song using a piano rather than his guitar and the song’s rhythm suggests the influence of ska, which he was into. In his autobiography, George says that the song’s lyrics started as a study in opposites and addresses ‘the duality of things”, not just in music but in life as well.

This is a very cool song and it’s called “Old Brown Shoe” by the Beatles, written and sung by George.

🪲

Now those of you who have seen “Concert For George” know that Gary Booker of Procol Harum performed “Old Brown Shoe” and he did a great job; however, the cover I’ve chosen today comes from “Live At George Fest”. If you’ve seen that concert, then you may remember who performed “Old Brown Shoe”; if you haven’t seen the concert then I guarantee you will be very surprised when you see who did it.

Get ready …. here we go!

From “Live at George Fest”, performing a ridiculously cool version of “Old Brown Shoe”, this is late night TV personality Conan O’Brien.

Hot damn! That was great fun and I love both of these numbers. How do you feel about Conan O’Brien stepping out from behind his late night desk and jamming to “Old Brown Shoe” with a bunch of incredible musicians?

Me? I’m giving it to George and the boys by a hair.

I hope you’ve been enjoying the music and the comments here on Feb Fab Faux Four. Join me again tomorrow for another great song and cover.

Thanks for keeping me company.

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.

33 thoughts on “Feb Fab Faux Four #10”

    1. Me too. It’s a fab song.

      Apparently Conan is friendly with George’s son Dhani who invited Conan to join the group when he organized George Fest for his dad. I was as surprised as you when I first saw clips of this concert.

      It’s so damn difficult finding covers that are better than the originals! Maybe they just don’t exist! 🐞

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    1. There are some things I forget you Brits don’t know, such as Conan. Willow pointed that out to me and was kind enough to provide the Gary Booker cover from Concert for George.

      George has so many great songs in his repertoire and I’d certainly include this one. The original gets my vote, too.

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      1. The late night chat show has never really caught on here. The closest we have is Graham Norton on Fridays, but that is just guests and music – no political commentary. Our politicians provide all the comedy we need.

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    1. Hiya Keith! Absolutely right about the Wilburys and we all know why, don’t we? It seems almost sacrilegious for me to say anything negative about the Beatles but George never got the respect he deserved while with them. With the Wilburys, the climate was very different. I hope to bring them into the blog at some point.

      Thanks, Keith. George gets my vote, too.

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  9. Hi Nancy as you know I am almost as big a George . Loving these posts so much!
    After George this is my favourite version

    Be at a disadvantage here and not knowing Conan at all I can’t say where it was a surprise or not but he did a great job credit where credit is due 💜💜

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    1. This is the version I was writing about earlier, Willow, the one I almost went with instead of Conan. That’s Gary Booker from Procol Harum singing Old Brown Shoe.

      Conan O’Brien had a late night talk show here for a number of years. He’s a big George fan and obviously a musician, as well. I saw a photo of Conan holding a guitar which Dhani gave him; it was one of George’s and Conan was in complete awe …. the feeling only a true George fan could appreciate.

      I’m so glad you’re enjoying these posts, Willow. Thanks for sharing that vid from Concert For George.

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  10. Dhani did an excellent job of pulling George Fest together with more contemporary musicians. The Conan performance has an orchestra that gives it a beautiful lushness. I hope some of your other picks come from George Fest. (I’m thinking of a couple in particular.) I also really enjoyed The Concert for George led by Eric Clapton but in a different way. Nancy, I appreciate you devoting a month worth of posts to The Beatles ❤

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    1. You’re totally right about about the two concerts, Lisa. Concert for George was Olivia and Dhani’s idea but Eric Clapton was the one who really pulled the show together with George’s contemporaries and friends. The talent on the stage that night was incredible. I watched the concert again the other night and was as blown away as I was the first time. There were at least 3 drummers, 3-4 pianos, God knows how many guitars, a small-ish orchestra and more … it was a happening.

      George Fest was Dhani’s show and featured, as you mentioned, more of his contemporaries rather than George’s. Conan definitely had back-up but seeing him up there having such a great time and playing so well was the kicker.

      Thanks so much for your very nice comments, Lisa. I really would have liked doing more than one cover per post but that would have been a full-time job! I’m loving this month-long tribute blog, even if it turns out I’m the last one standing at the end of February. 😂

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      1. Well-described, Nancy. Sorry if I wasn’t clear about other cuts from George Fest. You’re right it would be too much to ask for you to do more than one per post. I was talking about your whole series over the month. You’re very welcome!

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