At any second of any day, someone in a recording studio is talking about The Beatles. They remain the blueprint for recording artists, engineers and songwriters. For the generation who grew-up listening to The Beatles, it must have been sheer luck that a band so popular could be so good. In fact, they were better than good. As musicians they were seasoned by the time they achieved worldwide fame, but they continued to grow as songwriters and artists while fans and critics listened in amazement. Even the other great bands of the era were in awe of their work. Sgt. Pepper remains a landmark recording, and many of their earlier songs have become standards. Some say their producer, George Martin, was the reason behind their success. Some say it was timing. Certainly George Martin was an integral part of the creative process, but the fact remains that virtually the entire catalog of Beatles songs is filled with great material. Their songs were so well crafted that, forty years later, they can still be reinterpreted and sound fresh. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were particularly gifted at creating the perfect lyric for a particular melody (or the perfect melody for a particular lyric). This kind of genius can’t be explained. Of course, The Beatles were prolific and exposed themselves to many styles of music for ideas. Decades before the term "world music," they were making it. Elements of jazz, blues, country, polka, Caribbean, Indian and even vaudeville were incorporated into their rock ‘n’ roll. I think they possessed both incredible talent and insatiable curiosity. They were artists in every sense of the word.
Two years ago Inside Sounds released Fried Glass Onions—Memphis Meets The Beatles, followed by a second volume a year later. Both recordings draw from Memphis blues, soul and R&B. These CDs have been critically acclaimed in the United States and Europe, as well as parts unknown. The Beatles were influenced by Memphis music, so it made perfect sense to revisit their songs and add a distinct Memphis spin. For this third volume, with the exception of the Sun Studio sounding “I’ll Cry Instead,” there’s not a definitive Memphis connection stylistically. We invited mostly rock artists to bring their own ideas into the studio. The result is something completely different than what people may think of as “Memphis” music, but it is living proof that there’s still a wellspring of musical talent here, as solid as anywhere. The Beatles were inspired artists during their half decade or so in the studio, and these new versions of their songs clearly
demonstrate the timelessness of their art. -Eddie Dattel
“Love Me Do” was the first Beatles single released by EMI. Zack Mack’s Crazy and The Crutch find a new spin on an old song and features Beale Street icon Billy Gibson on harmonica. Twenty-one year old Zack, who has worked with Memphis singer Dani for several years, takes center stage on this fine opening track.
David Brookings works at Sun Studio by day and gigs at night. He knows a lot of Beatles songs, but, given his familiarity with rockabilly, we knew “I’ll Cry Instead” was the perfect song for this CD. With Amy LaVere on upright bass and Paul Taylor on drums and lead guitar, it’s impossible to deny its rockabilly fun.
Steve Selvidge is one of Memphis’ ace guitarists. One of his current bands is Secret Service, but Steve is also a busy session guitarist whose talents were utilized on both “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Glass Onion” from Fried Glass Onions—Memphis Meets The Beatles Vol. 2. “She Said She Said” is one of John Lennon’s early psychedelic reflections and it still rocks.
Candice Ivory has been traveling a lot between her native Memphis and New York City in recent years. Her 2003 CD release path undefined generated a buzz in the Memphis music community and quickly established her as an artist to watch. As an artist, she’s delved into jazz, neo-soul, hip-hop and rock. Her music is difficult to categorize because her creativity is so expansive. This version of “Eight Days A Week” transforms a catchy Beatles tune into an urgent, deeply emotional cry of love.
The Twisted Ringos recorded “Helter Skelter” at Sun Studio, where singer/guitarist James Lott is the house recording engineer. James was the guitarist and singer in Good Question, arguably one of Memphis’ greatest rock bands of the last twenty years. Dave Smith, who has been involved with Fried Glass Onions since its inception, sings and plays electric and fuzz bass on this track. Dave is also currently touring with Cat Power in support of her recent CD The Greatest, which was recorded in Memphis.
Rabid Villain features some of the hottest players in the contemporary Memphis music scene. Elliot Ives is the guitarist in FreeSoul and drummer Jeff Burch was a member of CYC and is currently touring with blues artist Tinsley Ellis. Bassist/singer Grayson Grant delivers a tremendously raucous vocal on this version of "Don't Let Me Down."
Van Duren was the lead singer and songwriter in the above mentioned Good Question. He is a prolific songwriter and considered to be one of Memphis’ pop rock masters. In 2003, he had a recording included on the Lucky 7 compilation CD Rockin’ Memphis 1960’s-1970’s Vol. I. As those credits explain, Van was a member of a group called The Baker Street Regulars, whose members included former Big Star musicians Chris Bell and Jody Stephens. Although fans often compare his singing to Paul McCartney, we invited Van to sing John Lennon’s “Hey Bulldog.”
“Eleanor Rigby” is the only recording on this CD that was not recorded specifically for Fried Glass Onions. Inside Sounds originally released this track on Tim Simmons’ l995 CD Eternal Dream. Tim is a masterful guitarist with extraordinary talent. When listening to this recording it’s easy to understand why Recording Magazine gave Tim’s only CD release a “12 on a scale of 10.”
Grunt was formed in 1996 as an experimental act performing at various art happenings and underground raves. The band’s scope has expanded to include rock, jazz, and blues elements with electronically rhythmic underpinning. The Beatles were very interested in sound itself, and were always searching for new ways to expand their version of what music could be. Revolution 9 cleverly includes samples/snippets from Fried Glass Onions—Memphis Meets The Beatles Volumes 1 & 2.
FreeWorld may be Memphis’ most enduring band. Although their personnel has changed over the years, their overall vibe has not. Known for their affinity for jazz and jam band sensibility, “Tomorrow Never Knows” is the ideal choice for this Beatles precursor to the Sgt. Pepper era. With former FreeWorld member Ross Rice producing and singing, it’s also a refreshing reunion and a provocative track.
Adam Levin and Matt Isbell have been playing music together since high school. They form half of the rhythm section for the popular show band The Venus Mission. Their band Gusto also comprised the rhythm section for “The One After 909” from Fried Glass Onions Vol. 1. Matt has a new solo CD Rock Lotto and Adam is currently working on a recording project at Cotton Row Studios. “The Word’ was recorded in 2004, but was remixed for this release.
Ross Rice is an extraordinary multi-instrumentalist who creates magic anytime he’s in a recording studio. His former band Human Radio was signed to a major record label in the late ‘80s, which released the popular single “Me and Elvis.” Since they disbanded, Ross has become a sought after producer and session musician. His abilities as arranger contributed greatly to Fried Glass Onions Vol. 3—Memphis Rocks The Beatles. The former Memphian now lives in New York, but returns to Memphis frequently.
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