‘Eleanor Rigby’ by The Beatles

For my third entry I have chosen a classic Beatles song, in ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Why, you might ask? Well this song takes me way back to 1967 and primary school and singing lessons. Yes, this Beatles song was in our songbook in Grade 3 in 1967, the song having been released the year before, along with the album Revolver, who some consider their best. Yes, we learned to sing this and ‘Yellow Submarine’, as I remember that year. I also happily recall singing ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ and ‘Octopus’ Garden’ and ‘Ob La Di, Ob Li Da’ in the years that followed. No wonder I became a passionate Beatles fan, thanks to my teachers, the ABC and a wise Education Department.

The other reason that I chose this song is because of my later discovery of Aussie band Zoot’s fantastic, heavy guitar version of the song that came out in 1970. It was the first Beatle cover song that I had ever heard and probably the first time I registered that there could be such a thing as an alternative arrangement of a classic song. My interest in cover versions and particularly Beatles covers began at that point. I put a collection of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ covers together a few years ago and have since updated it for this post, having discovered a few recent covers that were worthy of inclusion. This post will present a slice of the 500 plus covers that are out there, attempting to show how this song has influenced so many artistes and demonstrating the musical evolution of the song and its various arrangements over the years. As usual, my ‘cd surprise’ will be in the comments following this post. Enjoy!

The Beatles produced their classic follow-up to Rubber Soul in 1966, with Revolver. The album’s second song, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ was mostly written by Paul McCartney, and as most Beatles fans would know, was issued as a ‘Double A-side’ 45rpm single with ‘Yellow Submarine’ on August 5^th, 1966, the same day that Revolver was released. Most fans would probably also know that, despite Paul composing the melody for the song and the bulk of the lyrics, the music was played entirely by a double string quartet of session musicians conducted by George Martin, the famous producer of The Beatles. There is some dispute about the lyrical contributions to the song by Lennon, Harrison and Starr but generally it is agreed that the basic tune was created by Paul on his piano and that he came up with the entire first verse. As Paul said in The Beatles Anthology: “I wrote ‘Eleanor Rigby’ when I was living in London and had a piano in the basement. I used to disappear there and have a fiddle around, and while I was fiddling on a chord some words came out: ‘Dazzie-de-da-zu picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been…’”

It is also acknowledged that the three other Beatles helped to develop the rest of the verses along with Paul’s childhood friend, Pete Shotton. George is credited with coming up with the chorus “Aah, look at all the lonely people” and Ringo the lines about Father McKenzie “darning his socks in the night” and “writing the words of a sermon that no one would hear”. Paul later stated that he wrote 80% of the lyrics despite John boasting in 1971 that he wrote everything but the first verse. Pete Shotton is credited as suggesting the ending of the song where Father McKenzie and Eleanor Rigby come together in Eleanor’s funeral.

According to Mark Lewisohn’s The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions the recording of the song took place at Abbey Road’s Studio Two between 5.00-7.50pm on Thursday 28^th April. Fourteen instrumental takes were recorded with a tape reduction of take 14 made into take 15, allowing room for Paul’s vocal to be added later.

The only Beatles present for the recording session were Paul and John, who spent the time in the control room where they could speak with George Martin via the talkback system, George Martin being on the floor of the studio conducting the musicians. There were eight musicians: Tony Gilbert, Sydney Sax, John Sharpe, Jurgen Hess (violins), Stephen Shingles, John Underwood (violas), Derek Simpson and Norman Jones (cellists). In using this octet for the music of ‘Eleanor Rigby’, Paul may have deliberately hit on a musical style that complemented his sad lyrics about two lonely people. Certainly, the deep strings of the cellos, violas and violins are often associated with death, particularly in film music. Interestingly, famous Cellist Janos Starker had told Time magazine in 1964 that, “the sound of a cello means someone is slowly dying on the movie screen. It is a depressing, melancholy sound with a wailing tremolo. It cannot laugh, but it takes to agony perfectly.” Perhaps Paul read that article or already knew about the power of the cello through watching the films of the time that skillfully used them in the soundtrack.

Whether Paul knew about the power of the cello or not, his producer, George Martin, certainly did. It was Martin who devised the actual score for ‘Eleanor Rigby’ prior to the recording and he later recalled that he was “…very much inspired by Bernard Herrmann, in particular a score he did for the Traffaut film Fahrenheit 451”. Unfortunately, Martin must have been a bit confused when he relayed this fact as Fahrenheit 451 opened on 16^th September 1966, well after Revolver was released! Most critics now believe that it was probably Hermann’s soundtrack to the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho that was the real inspiration to Martin’s score. For the film score, Herrmann’s string ensemble consisted of two violins, a viola, a cello, and a double bass, not that dissimilar to the string octet used by Martin on ‘Eleanor Rigby’.

With Paul wanting a ‘different sound’, sound engineer Geoff Emerick came up with a new technique that gave the distinctive string sound associated with the song. “On ‘Eleanor Rigby’ we miked very, very close to the strings, almost touching them”, recalled Emerick. “No one had really done that before: the musicians were in horror.” Perhaps Geoff Emerick was not aware that in recording the famous shower scene for the Psycho score, Bernard Herrmann had done exactly that by placing the microphones close to the violins. According to Chris Palmer in The Composer in Hollywood (1990) this technique produced a “screeching, stabbing sound-motion of extraordinary viciousness." Alfred Hitchcock stated that "Psycho depended heavily on Herrmann's music for its tension and sense of pervading doom." If you listen to Herrmann’s famous shower scene alongside ‘Eleanor Rigby’, you can see a connection between the two, both having a very harsh sound that you may unconsciously acquaint with impending death! Ironically, Hitchcock initially wanted the shower scene to have no musical accompaniment at all, just the screams of Janet Leigh. Imagine the film without Herrmann’s screeching violins! Whether it was conscious or not it seems likely that Herrmann’s score for Psycho influenced both the recording technique used for ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and George Martin’s score.

Following the initial recording session with the string octet, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ was completed in Studio Three, on Friday 29^th April, in a session beginning at 5.00pm and finishing at 1.00am. Paul, of course, recorded his lead vocal, which was double-tracked in various places, providing his own harmonies. John Lennon and George Harrison, (who was in attendance this time) provided a few “aah, look at all the lonely people” refrains to apparently complete the song. Three mono mixes were made, the third considered the best. These mixes were then superseded on 6^th June when another vocal was added. The final mono mix for the album (remixes 4 and 5, from take 15) was completed on 22^nd June, as was the stereo mix (remix 1, from take 15). It is worth pointing out that Ringo Starr did not play any part on the song, as there are no drums or percussion!

A few random facts about the song:

·         1.The title person of the song was originally ‘Daisy Hawkins’ according to Paul McCartney

·        2. Paul first sang the song to Donovan, his next-door neighbor who reported that the first line         originally began as “Ola Na Tungee/Blowing his mind in the dark/With a pipe full of clay/No one   can say."

·         3 The eventual name for the song and character was taken from the actress Eleanor Bron who had   starred in The Beatles’ film Help!, with the surname coming from a department store in Bristol,   ‘Rigby & Evens Ltd.’

·        4.‘Father McKenzie’, the other lonely character in the song, was originally ‘Father McCartney’   before Paul changed it, being worried about the effect on his father.

·        

 6.       6. The Beatles never played this song live, although Paul has played it live in concerts since 1989,     replacing the string section synthetically with keyboards. Paul also performed it on his 1984 film,  Give My Regards to Broad Street where he is accompanied by the Gabrieli String Quartet. Paul also plays guitar on this recording, using a Martin D-28. Here is a clip of that performance encompassing the song itself and ‘Eleanor’s Dream’. Many fans regard this as the highlight of the film: 

·         7. The song was also included on the Yellow Submarine Songtrack, released on 13^th September 1999, it being in the original film but not included on the original soundtrack. This stereo version is slightly different, with some of the double-tracking ‘corrected’ and Paul’s vocal centred. The string octet is similarly ‘corrected’ to resemble the instrumental version found on Anthology 2.

Here is a clip from the Yellow Submarine film with ‘Eleanor Rigby’ being presented in cartoon form:

Evolution of ‘Eleanor Rigby’

For many Beatles songs, covers emerged soon after, often by major artistes. While “Yesterday’ holds the record for the most covers (over 1000), ‘Eleanor Rigby’ was a popular choice for pop, rock, soul, r. & b., jazz and instrumental artistes in the years that followed. While many of the 500 plus covers that I have listened to are very derivative ‘sound-alikes’, I have been drawn to the versions that feature different instrumentation, different arrangements, and different voices. The following 35 versions are, in my opinion, the ‘cream of the crop’, the best cover versions that have helped in the evolution of this song. Enjoy!

1966

The Standells

Famous for ‘Dirty Water’, their song dedicated to Boston, The Standells were a very successful garage band from Los Angeles during the mid-1960’s. They covered many well-known songs on their albums with many good originals thrown in. Their version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is from their fourth album, The Hot Ones, released in late 1966. Immediately you notice that this is a real rock band performing the song with drums prominent from the start and a driving but understated guitar treatment behind the beautiful harmonies. The tambourine also hits a nice groove as a driving beat throughout the song. An additional feature is the organ playing by Larry Tamblyn, who also provides the vocals. An interesting Beatles-related fact about The Standells is that they appeared as themselves on The Munsters in a 1965 episode entitled ‘Far Out Munsters’, where they were asked to sing ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’. Overall, this much- loved garage band recorded a very polished rock interpretation of ‘Eleanor Rigby’, one of many great covers that they produced in their short existence. Here is their version: 

Richie Havens

Beginning with some funky jazz drumming and keyboard doodling, Richie Havens provides a distinctly different ‘Eleanor Rigby’ that barely resembles the original. Famous for his soulful and rather gravelly baritone voice as well as being the opening act for the Woodstock Festival in 1969, Richie Havens provides an engaging version that rolls along in an entertaining fashion. Born in Brooklyn, Richie Havens was the grandson of a native American from the Blackfoot tribe of Montana while his mother was of West Indian descent. His version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is from his first album, Mixed Bag, released by the Verve Folkways label late in 1966. Havens recorded many interesting covers, including several Dylan songs. He also recorded other Beatles songs, with four included on his 1968 double LP, ‘Richard P. Havens, 1983’ (‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, ‘Lady Madonna’, ‘She’s Leaving Home’ and ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’) making him something of a Beatles specialist. In 1987 he released a whole album of Dylan and Beatles covers, recorded over the length of his career. He died in 2013, after a long and successful career in music and championing many causes, including ecology and native rights. 

Erick Saint Laurent

When the Beatles broke it wasn’t long until French artistes began recording their own versions in French. Many tried to essentially duplicate their records for understandable reasons and many were one-offs. Erick Saint Laurent recorded ‘Eleanor Rigby’ in 1966 as a one-off, as one of four songs on his debut EP, Les Enfants Qui Jouent (Children who play). While his career as a heart-throb singer didn’t last very long, Erick certainly could sing well and his label provided a good studio band that imitated the sound of the original, quite faithfully. Eventually, after a string of singles, Erick grew his hair long and joined a band named Présence, who managed to record one album before breaking up. This TV Show performance of Erick singing ‘Eléonor Rigby’ (it is a French name, after all) reveals him as a capable singer and performer, if not a singer-songwriter:  

1967

Vanilla Fudge

If you haven’t heard Vanilla Fudge’s psychedelic version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ then you are in for a treat! This New York band recorded five albums between 1967 and 1969 and were known for their extended and often slowed down versions of classic songs. This eight-minute version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ from their first album, Vanilla Fudge, is like an epic of prog rock before prog rock was invented, what with its various instrumental phases, multiple choruses and its heavy organ sound. It has a lot packed into it and for some reason it seems to work as it loosely hangs on the original after the initial instrumental onslaught. The film of Vanilla Fudge performing the song shows what a talented and versatile band it was. It features vocalist Mark Stein on the organ, Carmine Appice on the drums, Tim Bogert on bass and Vince Martell on guitar. Enjoy! 

Wes Montgomery

American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery recorded ‘Eleanor Rigby’ for his 1967 album A Day in the Life. Of course, the album opens with the title track but it and ‘Eleanor Rigby’ are the only Beatles covers on the album. Playing piano on this instrumental cover is Herbie Hancock but it is Wes Montgomery’s beautiful guitar notes that carry the song although there are some familiar string flourishes here and there that echo the original. A nice touch is the addition of Margaret Ross’ harp to lift the melody. Like all good jazz musicians, Montgomery hijacks the melody and takes it into a new direction during the middle of the song before the more traditional cellos conclude the song. A fine instrumental take on the song by a highly respected jazz guitarist. 

Vincent ‘Vinnie’ Bell

This instrumental version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ by New York musician Vincent Bell (born Vincent Gambella) matches Montgomery’s in many ways but is full of different instruments, namely his sitar and horns. The cover comes from Vinny’s 1967 album, Pop Goes the Electric Sitar. Bell was an innovative guitarist, inventing the first 12 string guitar and the first electric sitar which he puts to good use on ‘Eleanor Rigby’. He was also a great session guitarist, appearing on many famous songs for Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and the Four Seasons. His version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ sticks quite faithfully to the original, replacing the ‘lyrics’ with his sitar but adding a nice bridge to the song based around horns. He finishes the song with some classic guitar noodling, reminiscent of his early guitar work with The Ramrods. Though running a close second to Montgomery’s version, Vinnie Bell’s Eleanor Rigby is still up there as one of the best instrumental renderings of the song and certainly adds some new dimensions to it. 

Joan Baez

The sweet voice of New York’s Joan Baez takes ‘Eleanor Rigby’ in a refreshing new direction. Taken from her 1967 covers album Joan, here Baez was able to abandon the folk tunes of her first few albums that were dependent on just her guitar and voice. This album allowed Baez to experiment with a variety of instruments and sounds with an orchestra conducted and arranged by Peter Schickele. With her beautiful voice and Schickele’s imaginative arrangement and instrumentation, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is a pure delight. I particularly like how the song begins with the strings of a harp being plucked like a guitar. The subtle use of horn is matched by a commanding piano riff that takes the song in an interesting direction adding an appropriately mournful touch. There is so much going on in this song that it makes you want to hit ‘replay’ straight away! A superb version. 

1968

P.P. Arnold

Beginning with a soulful cry, P.P. Arnold immediately owns this great version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Taken from her second album Kafunta, (which also features a version of ‘Yesterday’), this is perhaps the best female take of the song in existence, such is the quality of her voice. Born in Los Angeles as Patricia Ann Cole, P.P. Arnold grew up in a family of gospel singers and she began singing at the age of four! Not surprisingly, this version is infused with a gospel sound and the orchestration is beautifully arranged by conductor Tony Meehan. The song and the album were recorded by producer Andrew Loog Oldham, the former manager of the Rolling Stones and founder of Immediate Records. This version is mostly based around a driving organ/drum rhythm and features flute in all the right places. It concludes with the bewitching sound of the harpsichord but it is P.P.’s vocals, whispered or cried, that take the song to a new level. Brilliant! 

Bobbie Gentry

This is a much-loved cover of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ so I had to include it! Best known for her number one hit ‘Ode to Billie Joe’ in 1967, Grammy award winning Bobbie Gentry hailed from Mississippi before making it big in the music business with her first release. Her version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is taken from her 1968 album Local Gentry which also included two other Beatles classics in ‘Fool on the Hill’ (released as a single with ‘Eleanor Rigby’ as the B-Side) and ‘Here, There and Everywhere’. Unfortunately, the album failed to chart despite good reviews. Interestingly, it was retitled as Sittin’ Pretty and reissued in 1971, again failing to chart.  Unfortunately, her audience had moved on from her country-pop. Her cover of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ begins simply with acoustic guitar and tambourine before her delightful voice comes in. As the song builds you notice drumming and organ frills complementing the mix and eventually some strings make their presence in the final verse. A nicely arranged and beautiful version.

Ray Charles

This version by the great Ray Charles swings along quite nicely at a fast pace. Backed by a small gospel choir, Ray manages to ad lib some new lines as he strides soulfully through the lyrics, supported by a strong string section, horns and drums. Lifted from his 1968 album A Portrait of Ray, ’Eleanor Rigby’ was his second Beatles single, following ‘Yesterday’ in 1967 and it did quite well in the charts, reaching number 35 in the USA. This is a catchy, soulful r& b version that draws you in. 

1969

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin’s version is similar in some ways to Ray Charles, in that she plays around with the lyrics to make it about her. “I’m Eleanor Rigby…” she begins, over a great piano introduction. In a typical soulful rendition that makes full use of her back-up singers, Aretha delivers a great version that pulls no stops. Taken from the 1969 album This Girl’s in Love With You, the single reached a very respectable 17 on the USA chart and is perhaps one of the most popular versions of “Eleanor Rigby’ recorded.

The Torero Band

Hearing this version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ by The Torero Band for the first time made me smile for some reason! It reminded me of ‘Spanish Flea’ and ‘A Taste of Honey’, songs I heard growing up, presumably by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. The truth of the matter is that my parents owned an LP called Tijuana - Sound of Brass and while writing this post I discovered a copy of it in an Op Shop and, having recognized the cover, had to buy it. Lo and behold, on the rear cover it reveals that it was recorded by The Torero Band! So, I had been listening to their covers all along! 

The Torero Band’s version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is a bright and breezy recording full of brass and it rocks, in my opinion. I love the sudden switch to the xylophone for the middle section as you can never have enough xylophone! This cover appeared on the 1969 album Lennon & McCartney Tijuana Style. The Torero Band was actually a bunch of British session musicians brought together under the tutelage of the legendary British composer and arranger Alan Moorhouse. The cover-notes on the album sum up the purpose for the recording quite succinctly:

“…In the same year that the Beatles were topping the British hit parade for the first time, a new sound was being heard in the American popular charts – a sound that had been borrowed from the ‘mariachi’ street bands of Mexico. Now both the ‘Tijuana’ style of music and the hit songs made famous by the Beatles are to be heard in every corner of the globe, and the surprising thing is that the two have so rarely been brought together; for the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney have the kind of straightforward tunefulness that makes them the ideal subject for the Tijuana treatment….”

This album clearly took advantage of the interest in the ‘Tijuana’ style of music sweeping the world in the late 1960’s. Besides listening to The Torero Band (not Herb Alpert), I remember hearing Sergio Mendez & Brasil 66 in my parents’ music collection and I now know that they also recorded Beatles covers (including ‘Daytripper’ on their first album in 1966, and ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ and ‘Fool on the Hill’ on their two albums recorded in 1968). It makes sense to me that Alan Moorhouse exploited both the Tijuana sound and the Beatles songs at around the same time. I am glad that this version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is still around for us to enjoy! 

1970

Zoot

This is the one! The first Beatles cover I ever heard and I still love it to death. Check out the film-clip of Zoot performing it on Australian Television in 1970. Darryl Cotton was a great singer and, of course, the legendary Rick Springfield was the guitarist. On bass was future Little River Band member ‘Beeb’ Birtles while Rick Brewer filled out the sound on the drums. Not only is the playing amazing but the three-part cross-harmonies between Daryl, Beeb and Rick, shown brilliantly in this innovative film-clip. The single went to number four on the Australian chart, months before Zoot broke up. I wish that they had continued in this vein but, alas, it was not to be. Their heavy guitar-laden arrangement blew many a young Beatles fan’s mind, including mine. It was a real musical turning point for me, an awakening to the true power of music. The first Australian rock band to truly grab my attention. My introduction to heavy rock before I had even heard of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. The best cover of a Beatles song in my humble opinion. Period. 

John Denver

Born Henry John Deutschendorf in Roswell, New Mexico, John Denver began his career as a folk singer before becoming a pop singer-songwriter of renown. His version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ was recorded for his 1970 folk album Whose Garden Was This and later included as a bonus track for the 1976 album Spirit. It is a spirited cover with some interesting instrumentation, particularly the soaring keyboards from Paul Griffin that underpin the song. Denver’s voice is another highlight with a strong and powerful delivery complementing this prog-rock sounding interpretation, befitting the period. A very good cover, in my opinion.

Rare Earth

This cover of  'Eleanor Rigby', from the six-piece Detroit band, Rare Earth, is also a prog-rock-cum-psychedelic version, with vocals that remind you initially of a choir of monks chanting. At 6.54 minutes long, it is a bit of an epic, rivalling the 7.58 minutes version by Vanilla Fudge. Where it differs is in the vocals, beginning with an enthralling three-part harmony before the song properly kicks in with lead vocalist Peter Hoorelbeke (a.k.a. Peter Rivera) who also plays the drums. There are several time-signature shifts as the rock instrumentation is complemented by a string section and some gospel-like chorus singing. There is a hell of a lot going on in this cover version but it seems to work. Rare Earth recorded the song for their 1970 album, Ecology, and were the only white act to have any success recording for Motown Records. In fact, the Rare Earth label that Motown created for its white rock acts was named after the band. An impressive cover. 

1973

B.B. Seaton & The Gaylads

This reggae version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ was recorded by the Jamaican singer Harris Lloyd ‘B.B.’ Seaton and his backing group, The Gaylads. It was first released by Seaton as the B-side of his cover of Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ and included on his second album Thin Line Between Love And Hate, for Trojan Records. With a classic but understated reggae backbeat, Seaton delivers a fine vocal, backed ably by his band-mates. There is definitely an interesting feel to this cover with the bass-lines and altered harmonies taking the song into a new direction. A fine version by one of many reggae artists who tackled the Beatles. 

Bloodrock

This version by Texas prog-rock band Bloodrock sounds like Jethro Tull with its folk-rock instrumentation and particularly the persistent flute flourishes by the group’s new vocalist, Warren Ham. I swear that I can hear Jethro Tull licks here and there, circa 1971’s Aqualung, making it an interesting blend of influences coming to bear. Nevertheless, it is quite an impressive interpretation of ‘Eleanor Rigby’, with many interesting components to it executed skillfully. Their version appeared on their seventh and last album Whirlwind Tongues which was recorded after several line-up changes. Those changes led to a new musical direction and poor sales which led to their dumping from their record label and eventual demise. Sadly, their musical expertise was not enough. An interesting cover, however! 

1975

Caetano Veloso

Caetano Veloso is a legendary artiste in Brazil, having won nine Latin Grammys and two ‘official’ Grammys. As a musician, he has produced 34 studio albums and countless live albums and movie soundtracks since launching his career in 1967, at the age of 25. He is also well-known for his political activism, emerging as an artiste when Brazil’s leftist government had fallen to a military coup d'état in April 1964 and a military dictatorship under President under Humberto Castelo Branco took over. That dictatorship lasted until 1985 so much of Caetano’s musical development took place in that period. He was one of the innovators of ‘Tropicalismo’, a political movement centred around several emerging musical artistes and poets that addressed issues concerning the false idea that Brazil was a tropical paradise.

In 1968 Veloso formed a super-group called Tropicalia with like-minded fellow artistes like Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, Os Mutantes and Gal Costa. They recorded a Beatles-influenced album, Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis (Of Bread and Circuses), now regarded as an historic album in Brazillian music. It is considered a musical manifesto for the Tropicalismo Movement, with the album’s cover resembling ‘Sgt Pepper’, in some ways. After this collective effort, which attacked concepts of Brazillian nationalism and rejected both right-wing and left-wing politics, the Tropicalismo Movement was banned by the military dictatorship and in December 1968 Veloso and Gil were arrested and thrown into prison, their long hair shaved off as a final insult. After four months in prison they were released only to be placed under house arrest for a further two months. Bizarrely, they were ‘encouraged to leave’ by the military dictatorship and were given the opportunity to play a concert to raise money for air tickets!

"The military wanted us to leave the country," says Veloso. "They let us play a concert to raise money for a plane ticket." As the rest of the world watched the moon landings on 21 July 1969, Veloso and Gil were preparing to leave Brazil. They wouldn't return for another three years.

Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil were then forced into exile and both settled in Great Britain, where they would continue to be influenced by The Beatles as well influencing the British music scene themselves. Though totally unknown in England, they were invited to perform at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 and soon attracted a lot of attention.

In a 2010 interview for The Guardian, Gil recalled their first week in London, where they settled in a house in upmarket Chelsea:

"We arrived the week the Beatles released Abbey Road, we saw the Rolling Stones at the Roundhouse, we jammed with great musicians, we met great people, we heard reggae for the first time," he says. "The fact you could walk up to a policeman and ask directions – in Brazil that just doesn't happen!"

Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil soon began recording in London before both later returned to Brazil in 1972. Veloso then emerged with a string of celebrated albums, developing his folk guitar style, having previously experimented with bossa nova, samba and psychedelic music. Several of his albums in the mid 1970’s featured Beatles songs. In 1975 he released two albums simultaneously: Qualquer Coisa (Anything) which featured ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘For No One’ and ‘Lady Madonna, and Jóia (Jewel), which featured a cover of ‘Help’. The cover of Qualquer Coisa featured four photos of Caetano, clearly referencing the Beatles’ Let It Be album. His version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’, also released as a 12’’ EP, is exquisite, based around delicate acoustic guitar licks over a simple shaker percussion and a thumping bass that comes in during the instrumental break in the middle, allowing room for some fancy picking. The lyrics are clear and slowed down for emphasis, giving the song a real cathartic tone. It is quite unlike other versions, a somewhat hypnotic cover that stands tall in this list, a great cover from a great album.

 

1976

Godbless

This recording of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is by Indonesian prog-rock band Godbless who recorded the Beatles classic for their 1976 self-titled debut album. Virtually unknown outside their native country, they were heavily influenced by Deep Purple and Genesis and became a much-loved act in the ‘70s and ‘80s. They even opened for Deep Purple in Jakarta in 1975. Their version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is certainly interesting, full of pounding rhythms that halt and re-start regularly. It also heavily features the eerie sounds of the moog organ, brilliantly played by Yockie Soeryoprayogo. While the lead vocals of Achmad Albar are a bit thin for my liking, the music makes up for it with its inventiveness and unpredictability.

1981

Sarah Vaughan

Anyone who puts together a whole collection of Beatles covers together on one album must be a true fan. When the singer is a jazz and r & b legend like Sarah Vaughn, you need to take notice. Her album, titled Songs of The Beatles was released in 1981, four years after its recording. Apparently, some of the songs were felt to be ‘over-arranged’ by father and son producers, Marty and David Paitch. There is no problem with her version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’, however, it is a delicious version that contains many interesting elements. In many ways it reminds me of a Stevie Wonder song, with its underlying harmonica licks from Toots Thielemans providing a good counter-point to Vaughn’s lead vocals and her back-up singers. On close inspection, this is a good arrangement that makes use of a good jazz-rock sound that for me is reminiscent of the mid-70s Steely Dan. The backing vocals by Bill Thedford, Perry Morgan and Jim Gilstrap are used liberally but to good effect and are an important part of the overall sound of this cover. I also like the percussion on this version and the minimal intrusion of the synthesizer, an instrument that was often over-used on many late ‘70s/early ‘80s albums and, unfortunately, on some of the other songs on her Beatles album. A fine cover by ‘Sassy’. 

1998

Godhead

Washington band Godhead recorded ‘Eleanor Rigby’ for their fourth album Power Tool Stigmata. They could be described as an industrial band, somewhat on the dark side. It was with this album that they were noticed by Marilyn Manson who signed the band to his own label, Posthuman Records. Previously, their releases were on a small independent label, Priority Records, including their single release of ‘Eleanor Rigby’.  A re-recorded song was also included on their 2001 debut on Posthuman Records, 2000 Years of Human Error. It was also the featured single, with various releases including seven different mixes of the song. I guess Marilyn Manson, who is a cover specialist, really dug Godhead’s industrial/electronic take on the Beatles’ classic song! Godhead’s version is certainly catchy, what with its electronic sounds programmed by bassist Ullrich Hepperlin, the driving drums provided by James O’ Connor and impressive vocals by guitarist Jason Miller. It doesn’t resemble the original all that much apart from the lyrics and I like that. The sounds that are generated, however, do justice to those lyrics, providing a darkness that complements the themes of loneliness and death. The whispered vocals at the end particularly work well, sending a shiver down my spine. A fine, somewhat disturbing version.

Kansas & London Symphony Orchestra

Prog- Rock band Kansas began way back in 1974 and are still producing interesting music. Their cover of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is the first track from their thirteenth album Always Never the Same, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra. It is definitely a full-blown version, that sometimes threatens to go over the top but as an all-electric band going blow for blow with a massive orchestra, it seems to work. That is probably due to the power of Steve Walsh’s vocals not being lost in the mix of so many instruments, including his own keyboards. Different but good!

1999

The Superpickers

A bluegrass version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ by the Nashville-based Super-Pickers on CMH Records’ ‘Pickin’ on’ series. This delightful version comes from Pickin’ on The Beatles Volume 2. I must admit that I have collected quite a few of these banjo-based cds and most of them contain very good cover versions of classic songs which admittedly may not be to everyone’s taste. While not all of the Beatles songs work well as banjo instrumentals, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ certainly does and it is easily the best track on the cd. Performed by a hot group of Nashville session men in Billy Troy (acoustic guitar), Bernie Boling (banjo), Mike ‘Chickenhawk’ Toppins (banjo, mandolin, dobro), James Freeze (bass), Troy Graves (dobro), Dave Dunseath (drums), and Glen Duncan (fiddle, mandolin), many of these bluegrass cover cds are particularly well-made and this is no exception, with this delightful version the opening track on a very listenable album. I particularly like how the banjo and fiddle play counterpart rhythms with the mandolin and dobro then coming in to fill out the sound. A great instrumental version! 

2004

Wave Invasion

I love surf-guitar instrumentals so I was excited when I came across this surf cover of ‘Eleanor Rigby’. It is performed by Wave Invasion, a Southern Californian band who recorded it for their first album, Which Way to the Beach. The whole album is a delight with mostly originals and a few unusual covers like ‘Eleanor Rigby’ thrown in for good measure. Unlike many surf-revival bands there are no standard surf covers on this album! Led by Vince Motel on lead guitar, a veteran of all kinds of music including big bands, Gary Sanderson on rhythm guitar, Richard Fisher on bass guitar, and Jeff Dover on drums, this group really delivers a crisp and punchy sound. Their four-minute version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ gives them room to experiment, allowing them to incorporate a range of exciting sounds that are both complementary and faithful to the original melody. An exciting surf version that takes the song into an entirely new direction. 

2007

Dirt Poor Robins

Taken from their debut record, a concept album entitled The Cage, Dirt Poor Robins’ version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is a fine alt-pop rendering of the song. It features the vocals of Kate Robins (real name Kate DeGraide) and the musical brilliance of guitarist and husband Neil Robins (real name Neil De Graide), the creative force behind this Louisville, Kentucky band. The beginning of the song is a powerful guitar/drum/bass/keyboards prelude that abruptly launches into a piano-based opening verse before the song is soon awash with a variety of heavy instrumentation. This dynamic onslaught is then complemented beautifully by sweetly-sung chorus by Kate Robins, displaying her vocal range. It doesn’t resemble the original in many ways but it is a powerfully arranged and memorable version that rocks. 

2008

Katie Noonan

Australia’s Katie Noonan is a well-known accomplished musician and pop and jazz are her thing In a great album of Beatles jazz-rock covers entitled Blackbird: The Music of Lennon And McCartney, Noonan delivers a fine version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ which spotlights her great jazz sensibility. With a memorable backing provided by some of New York’s finest jazz musicians, including saxophonist Joe Lovano, pianist Sam Keevers, double bass Ron Carter, guitars John Scofield and percussion Lewis Nash. Katie Noonan arranged the song with help from Sam Keevers. Beginning with a gentle piano rhythm and saxophone, Noonan sings in a breathy, whispered style with the band given plenty of room to improvise during the song’s instrumental breaks. A very stylish jazz-rock version of a classic song. 

2012

Howe Gelb

I wasn’t sure about this cover of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ initially A spoken version had me thinking of a certain actor from Star Trek! However, after a few listens Howe Gelb’s take on the song grew on me. It is not entirely a spoken version, of course, after the piano intro and initial spoken delivery of the opening verse, the chorus is sung beautifully. It is taken from MOJO Magazine’s MOJO Presents: Yellow Submarine Resurfaces, one of their many great re-imagined cd’s. Howe Gelb, a singer-songwriter and producer based in Tucson, Arizona, has been recording since the mid-1980’s with over forty albums to his credit. His spoken delivery style and piano and guitar playing are a feature of his work and they certainly are in vogue in this interesting, catchy version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’. 

Scarlett

Scarlett are a heavy rock trio from Brazil and they certainly pull no punches on their version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Led by guitarist and vocalist Nicolas Fresard, with Fernando Mafra on bass and backing vocals, and Clifton MacNamara on drums, this is an impressive take on the song. Fresard has a snarling heavy rock voice and his guitar work on the track is inventive, giving the song a very different feel from any other rock interpretation. This is essentially a live version played in a studio setting for the video below and though the recording may not be top quality, one cannot deny the excellence of the playing.

2016

Our Last Night

Outside of their albums New Hampshire band Our Last Night are well known for their hard-core covers of classic songs on YouTube. Their version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ was so good it was released as a single, many lauding it as a great cover of the Beatles classic. With vocals shared by brothers Trevor and Matthew Wentworth and a driving guitar and drum sound providing the backbeat, the song rocks along with plenty of hooks. Though it is a bit disconcerting to hear the ‘Father McKenzie’ verse sung in ‘screamo style’ by Matthew, the brothers pull the song off nicely. 

Of Monsters and Men

Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men recorded their great version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ as ‘guest stars’ for the Beat Bugs animated children’s TV show which features insects singing Beatles songs. The show is a joint Australian and Canadian production and features some great performances of Beatles classics with the songs creatively woven into the storyline. Of Monsters and Men’s version features the sweet vocals of lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir in a song produced by Daniel Johns of Silverchair who was contracted to arrange and produce the songs for each episode. The music features interesting piano rhythms, a strong string section but most of all a great vocal. 

Miloš Karadaglić

Montenegro born guitarist Miloš Karadaglić was forced to leave his home country as a boy due to the Yugoslavian War in the 1990s. After his family settled in the UK, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music and his career as a guitar virtuoso took off shortly after. There is no doubt that he is a great guitarist in every sense of the word. Though he has built his name as a classical guitarist he straddles the world of pop music effortlessly. His version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is from his album of Beatles songs, Blackbird – The Beatles Album, appropriately recorded in Studio 2 at Abbey Road, using much of the original recording equipment, including microphones used by The Beatles. Arranged by his Brazilian guitarist-composer friend, Sergio Assad, and with a beautiful strings section backing him, Miloš’ guitar playing is sublime. The whole album is superb and features some guest singers such as Tori Amos and Anoushka Shankar. A brilliant version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ by a genuine guitar maestro.

2017

Roberto Menescal & Claudio Duarte

Roberto Menescal is actually one of the pioneers of the bossa nova sound that originated in Brazil in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Literally meaning ‘new trend’ or ‘new wave’, it is a lyrical fusion of samba and jazz. Roberto Menescal’s first album, A Bossa Nova, in 1963 was actually named in honour of this new musical style. Fifty-four years later at the age of 80 he released Bossa Nova Meets The Beatles, recorded with fellow Brazilian Claudio Duarte debuting as the vocalist. Claudio is a native of Rio de Janeiro and a Carioca, one of the tribes living near the Carioca River. It is the Carioca people who are credited with inventing bossa nova so it is quite appropriate to have Claudio singing the songs. Roberto and Claudio’s recording of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is one of the highlights of this fairly laidback and mellow album, being one of the more upbeat songs. It is a joyful recording despite the subject matter with the bossa nova beats irrepressible, you just can’t help tapping along to this one thanks to the combined talents of Xande Figuerido on drums and percussion, Roberto Menescal on guitar/backing vocals and Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Trentin on piano/keyboards. Duarte’s vocals are also at his best on this track as well. A lovely and uplifting boss nova version. 

2018

Lasse Lindgren Big Constellation

Swedish jazz trumpeter Lasse Lindgren and his stellar group Big Constellation perform a totally bizarre seven-and-a-half-minute version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ on their latest album The Unrecorded Fox - Spirit 2. The album is the second dedicated to Lindgren’s trumpet hero Maynard ‘The Fox’ Ferguson, performing songs played by Ferguson but never recorded. Lindgren also uses two of Ferguson’s old Conn Constellation trumpets on the album which were passed on to Lindgren after Ferguson’s death. The album contains many pop and funk numbers, including George Harrison’s ‘Something’, and it closes with the great finale of ‘Eleanor Rigby’. The song begins with wind-chimes and a mournful dirge-like intro with hints of didgeridoo before a very laid-back, almost incidental vocal by Valerija Nikolovska begins. Extended trumpet solos by Lindgren then dominate the proceedings against the wind-chimes and didgeridoo before reverting to the vocals and then another instrumental break. It is a lush aural experience that takes the song into a weird new dimension, a totally hypnotic version that you will get lost in. 

Pomplamoose

Pomplamoose (French for Grapefruit) is a Californian duo comprising of Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn, both multi-instrumentalists. They have made their name as on online phenomenon, recording many covers on YouTube and selling their songs in huge numbers via online music platforms. Their version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is minimalist, based around Jack’s piano and Nataly’s bass guitar. Nataly sings in a breathy, restrained manner and the result is a satisfying impression of the original. A refreshing cover. 

Velvet Jeannie

Adelaide-born singer-songwriter Velvet Jeanie is my 35^th and final contender in the evolution of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and what a great version she provides. A newcomer in the music industry, she is definitely one to watch, having only released three singles at this stage through Bandcamp. Her version of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is unique, based around her amazing piano playing, quirky percussive rhythms and her unusual vocal phrasing of “all the lonely peo-ple”. It is very reminiscent of circus music and even ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite’. Just superb! 

Wow! Thirty-five versions of my favourite Beatles song! I hope you enjoyed listening to the songs and reading my reviews. Of course, if you made it to here you are obviously a real Beatles fan and are truly interested in the evolution of the song through its many varied covers. My ‘Eleanor Rigby Covers’ cd represents my whittling down of the above 35 covers into the best 22 plus the original by The Beatles. As usual the zip file of this playlist is in the Comments section. Here is my final playlist of the best covers of ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Enjoy!

1.      Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles (1966)

2.      Eleanor Rigby – The Standells (1966)

3.      Eleanor Rigby – Richie Havens (1966)

4.      Eleanor Rigby – Erik St Laurent (1966)

5.      Eleanor Rigby – Vanilla Fudge (1967)

6.      Eleanor Rigby – Wes Montgomery (1967)

7.      Eleanor Rigby – Joan Baez (1967)

8.      Eleanor Rigby – P.P. Arnold (1968)

9.      Eleanor Rigby – Ray Charles (1968)

10.  Eleanor Rigby – Aretha Franklin (1969)

11.  Eleanor Rigby – The Torero Band (1969)

12.  Eleanor Rigby – Zoot (1970)

13.  Eleanor Rigby – John Denver (1970)

14.  Eleanor Rigby – B.B. Seaton & The Gaylads (1973)

15.  Eleanor Rigby – Godhead (1998)

16.  Eleanor Rigby – The Superpickers (1999)

17.  Eleanor Rigby – Wave Invasion (2004)

18.  Eleanor Rigby – Dirt Poor Robins (2007)

19.  Eleanor Rigby – Howe Gelb (2012)

20.  Eleanor Rigby – Of Monsters and Men (2016)

21.  Eleanor Rigby – Miloš Karadaglić (2016)

22.  Eleanor Rigby – Lasse Lindgren Big Constellation (2018)

23.  Eleanor Rigby – Violet Jeanie (2018)