PLOP GO THE BEATLES: I'M A LOSER, YOU'RE A LOSER, PART 2

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I don't have to hesitate when asked what my favorite Beatles song is (and yes, this comes up with fair frequency, oddly enough). It is the uptempo, Dylan-meets-the-Everly-Brothers 1964 release, "I'm a Loser." Why do I love it so? It's not that I strongly relate to the lyrics; although we all have to put on a false face every so often to meet 'n greet the world, I'm not a self-loathing type at all. I think the things I really just adore about this song and why I have never tired of listening to it since then, is the yearning, expansive melody, the jaunty, slightly silly pseudo-Sun Records arrangement, the locked-down harmonies, and, most of all, John Lennon's voice. It's perfect. The way George Martin captured it on tape sounds like Lennon is singing right next to you; you can actually feel the tiny little crackles and husk, the warmth, the resonance...it's just right. Paul McCartney matches him so tightly that at times it's hard to tell one voice from the other. I love love love it, in the same way I love love love the Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night," and the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time." Big time, lifetime love.


However.

I also like to LAUGH, so hearing my favorite songs done in, hmm...alternative ways is always an immense pleasure. A couple of years ago, I posted "I'M A LOSER, YOU'RE A LOSER," featuring some interesting YouTube covers of the song and today I thought I would add to the Bank O' Fun, including one of my favorite takes from the Fabs themselves. Please to enjoy!

First up we have "The Beatless," a very deeply sincere Beatles covers band from Japan. Let us not ignore the wonderful fact that you could also pronounce the band's name as "The Beat-less." You only have to play the first song, but if you want MORE, hey, you got it.

I will let "icanmake"'s words speak for her here.

 My dream is to be composer and become famous.

Because I can make a lot of songs of various genres.

I think the wonderful world will be done surely if it's possible to make my power of imagination the shape. 

But ....l'm bad at singing and playing a musical instrument at all.

And l can't write English lyrics. 

So I need someone to cooperate with me.

I wasn't sure at first if she was singing in English. She is.



Excuse me a moment.

AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Thanks.

MrShowbiz77, "I'm A Loser"



I'm actually crying laughing now after hearing this effort from "paul 1722." My face hurts. Oh, god. Wait for the guitar solo. Everything sounds like a bucket of hormonal cats put in a commercial dryer.

paul1722, "I'm A Loser"



The hipster-bearded "SergentPepper1976" whispers his way to infamy, and is also apparently unencumbered by any melodic sense whatsoever.

SergentPepper1967, "I'm A Loser"



You might think that someone calling themselves "TheBeatlesCover1" might be pretty good. You know...you might be wrong about that. He mentions that it was his first Beatles cover. It has 4 YouTube views. The guitar solo blew my MIND.

TheBeatlesCover1, "I'm A Loser"



"mikeyoung0" likes to sing, but you might not like to hear him. This has 8 views. Lordy.

mikeyoung0, "I'm A Loser"



OK, I can't take any more -- FOR NOW -- so I will end with one of my favorite "I'm A Loser" performances by the Beatles. This one was recorded at the BBC in London on May 26, 1965 and broadcast June 7, 1965. The first time I heard Lennon's "lyric substitution" I laughed for a really, really long time, and now can't really hear the song without those words in mind. You'll find it.

The Beatles, "I'm A Loser," BBC London 5/26/65