Posted on 04/19/2024 5:53:40 PM PDT by nickcarraway
When the Beatles arrived on the scene in the United States in 1964, many have said it was like a Wizard of Oz moment; before them, popular music was black and white but after, it was technicolor. Yes, the former Mop Tops changed everything when it came to pop and rock and roll—and the band continued to flip the script, evolving from simple tunes to very intricate, sweeping offerings on later albums.
But given their enormous musical impact, it was inevitable some bands along the way were going to imitate The Beatles’ sound. Imitation, after all, is the highest form of flattery. But which bands (and songs) at the time sounded so much like The Beatles that many often confused them with the original? That’s what we’ll investigate here below.
“Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra
Sounding a lot like the Beatles’ 1966 song, “Good Day Sunshine,” this song was released in 1977 by Electric Light Orchestra on their album Out of the Blue. ELO were known to honor The Beatles, as frontman Jeff Lynne was a big fan. In fact, both Paul McCartney and John Lennon have commented on how “Mr. Blue Sky” sounds like an extension of their own songs. The rhythms, bass, and vocals on “Mr. Blue Sky” are ripped from The Beatles’ aura.
“Happy Together” by The Turtles
This 1967 song by the Turtles sounds like it could have been penned by the melodic McCartney, complete with harmonies and Ringo Starr-like snare-drum staccato hits. Background horns meet soaring, bright vocals. After all, The Turtles were known for covering other artists, including Bob Dylan, having broken out in part thanks to their rendition of his “It Ain’t Me Babe.” The California band might as well have been called The Chameleons.
“Without You” by Badfinger
This 1970 song from Badfinger’s album No Dice opens with strummed acoustic, bouncy melodic bass, and a voice that sounds like a McCartney clone. The Welsh band Bandfinger was first named The Iveys but renamed itself after the working title for The Beatles’ 1967 song “With a Little Help from My Friends,” which was originally titled “Bad Finger Boogie.” And the connections don’t end there. The group also recorded on The Beatles’ Apple Records label from 1968 to 1973.
“Lies” by The Knickerbockers
This song is straight out of The Beatles’ sound. If you squint, the music video here below even looks like the Fab Four, except there is a saxophone involved. The song also sounds like the inspiration for the 1996 movie song, “That Thing You Do.” Still, the pop-blues-rock sound The Beatles brought to the U.S. in 1964 seems to be a big inspiration for this song, which was released by the New Jersey-born band a year later in 1965. In fact, the band’s guitarist Beau Charles copped to the likeness, saying, “We desperately tried to write something that sounded like the British Invasion. We wrote ‘Lies’ in less than one half hour. We demo-ed it in New York.”
“Please Don’t Feel Too Bad” by The Hollies
This song from the 1964 album In The Hollies Style, which was recorded just two months after The Beatles hit the U.S. and released nine months after, sounds more like The Beatles’ style than The Hollies’. But that may be a coincidence since the band is from Manchester, England, just an hour east of Liverpool, the blue-collar home of the Fab Four. Still, if you didn’t know better and you heard this song on classic radio, you could easily think it was The Beatles.
A World Without Love by Peter and Gordon. It should, it was written by McCartney.
https://youtu.be/ke4hgo43JGc?si=d01Ircqzx4Kae6BW
I think in one year HH outsold the Beatles in the U.S.
That’s why I brought that song up.
It was sung like a John Lennon song.
Similar points of cresting up and fading back.
I couldn’t think of the group’s name of Crowded House.
“Sowing the Seeds of Love” by Tears for Fears is so Beatles-esque it could have been a lost tape from the Sgt. Pepper era that wasn’t released til the 80s:
Oasis - Whatever (Official Video)
Oasis - Champagne Supernova (Official Video)
I never really cared for that oe, but I’ll listen to it again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7nR8BEF02o
“Come and Get It”. Written and produced by McCartney but performed by Badfinger. I bet 7 out of 10 people would guess it’s a Beatles song if you played it for them if they didn’t know ahead of time it was Badfinger.
Nice find, these songs REALLY take me back to pre transistor radio days. I had on of those ornate wooden radios with SW and other capabilities. It really kicked out tunes quite nicely from the AM of course.
The Beau Brummels - “Laugh, Laugh”
The DC5 were more “rock n’ roll” than the Beatles….they added sax and keyboard to their songs.
Well, anything by ELO…..
Crowded House? Really?!
Lol…Dave Clark Five was my first thought, too.
I drove over the Little River in NorCal today and thought about the band, wondering if there was a connection. Haven’t thought about that band for decades and there it is twice today!
I have always thought this was a beatles inspired song.
Ironically, I saw the Cyrkle (prounced "Circle") song that song as an opening act for The Beatles back in 1966.
I used to think that “Bus Stop” by the Hollies was actually the Beatles.
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