RE-CYCLING THE BEATLES

I was unimpressed by the Beatles first time around, in the 1960s. More than 40 years later I've discovered their true worth. I've come to the conclusion that their strength was as composers and lyricists, not performers. Oh, they performed well enough to delight millions of teenage fans. They shook their mop-head hair-dos at the screaming hordes, but sang and played neither better nor worse than many other groups of the time.

The key, and the real magician, I've come to realise, was and is their former producer George Martin. He issued a tribute album called "In My Life" on which an unlikely selection of performers put their own stamp upon Beatles music. It was from listening to this album that I understood why Beatles' music has become iconic. It has true, lasting quality, and in the hands of a genius like George Martin it blossoms, especially when performed by others.

George Martin has done it yet again, recently. The "Love" album is a compilation of Beatles music re-arranged, layered, mixed and re-mixed. Again, Martin's genius allied with Beatles' talent produces yet another perspective of the Fab Four's work.

Many famous performers choose to include Beatles' songs in their repertoire. Sinatra sings, for me, the definitive version of George Harrison's "Something" . Neil Diamond sings "And I Love Her" and makes me love the song I'd looked on as a jingle. Johnny Cash sang "In My Life" , and Sean Connery recited its lyrics on George Martin's tribute album. Every version of this song is affecting, but strangely Sean Connery's narration tops them all for me, it cannot be heard without a bunch Kleenex to hand.

In My Life, by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

There are places I remember all my life,

Though some have changed,

Some forever, not for better,

Some have gone and some remain.

All these places had their moments

With lovers and friends I still can recall.

Some are dead and some are living.

In my life I've loved them all.

But of all these friends and lovers,

There is no one compares with you,

And these memories lose their meaning

When I think of love as something new.

Though I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before,

I know I'll often stop and think about them,

In my life I'll love you more.

Next.. More re-cycling, and a few live performances.