| Songs of the Beatles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 9, 1981 [1] | |||
| Recorded | 1977 [2] | |||
| Genre | Pop, R&B | |||
| Length | 43:45 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Marty Paich and David Paich | |||
| Sarah Vaughan chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  
[3] |
| Los Angeles Times | 
[4] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |
[5] |
Songs of the Beatles is a 1981 album by Sarah Vaughan, recorded in 1977 but not released for four years due to a recording contract problem. [2] It contains songs written and originally performed by the Beatles, with contemporaneous pop and jazz arrangements. On "Something" Vaughan was accompanied by the Brazilian singer and musician Marcos Valle. [6]
Reception
On balance, Los Angeles Times jazz writer Leonard Feather is favorable in his assessment, awarding the album three and a half stars, notwithstanding some ill-advised commercial trimmings:
Recorded several years ago, inexplicably shelved and now belatedly released, this is neither the ill-advised venture one might fear nor a vital part of musical history. Produced and arranged by the father and son team of Marty and David Paich, it has its moments of superior Vaughan, notably on " Eleanor Rigby" and " Here, There and Everywhere." What went wrong is mostly the fault of the producers: overdressed arrangements (" Fool on the Hill"); overdubbed background singers of which Vaughan was not even made aware; a tiresome tenor sax and rigid rhythm on " Come Together." For the most part, though, on the strength of her indomitable musicianship and the inherent virtues of some of the tunes, Vaughan overcomes. [4]
Track listing
- All songs written by Lennon–McCartney unless otherwise noted:
- Side A
- " Get Back" – 2:55
- " And I Love Her" – 4:08
- " Eleanor Rigby" – 3:48
- " The Fool on the Hill" – 4:15
- " You Never Give Me Your Money" – 2:48
- " Come Together" – 3:22
- Side B
- " I Want You (She's So Heavy)" – 3:31
- " Blackbird" – 3:34
- " Something" ( George Harrison) – 4:16
- " Here, There and Everywhere" – 2:49
- " The Long and Winding Road" – 3:08
- " Yesterday" – 4:02
- " Hey Jude" – 1:09
Personnel
Recorded in 1977:
- Sarah Vaughan - vocals
- Bill Thedford, Perry Morgan, Jim Gilstrap - background vocals
- Marcos Valle - vocals on track 9
- David Hungate - bass guitar
- Bob Magnusson - string bass on track 5
- Michael Lang - keyboards
- Lee Ritenour, Dean Parks, Louie Shelton - guitar
- Steve Porcaro - synthesizer
- Jon Smith - tenor saxophone on tracks 6, 7
- Toots Thielemans - harmonica
- Jeff Porcaro - percussion, drums
- Bobbye Hall, Joe Porcaro, Steve Forman - percussion
- Marty Paich, David Paich - arranger, keyboards, producer
References
- ^ Gourse, Leslie (1993). Sassy: The Life of Sarah Vaughan. New York: C. Scribner's Sons. p. 238. ISBN 9780684193175.
- ^ a b Michael Minn. "Sarah Vaughan Biography / Discography". Retrieved August 25, 2012.
- ^ Songs of the Beatles at AllMusic
- ^ a b Feather, Leonard. "Jazz Briefs". The Los Angeles Times. July 26, 1981.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 199. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Marcos Valle; Almir Chediak (1 January 1998). MARCOS VALLE SONGBOOK. Irmãos Vitale. p. 32. ISBN 978-85-85426-46-0.
