As fans prepare for the release of the new Disney+ documentary Beatles '64, chronicling The Fab Four's legendary inaugural trip to America, U.K. label Ace Records has an exciting release coming that same weekend, featuring nearly two dozen Black artists paying tribute to a series of songbooks that owed so much to soul music and rhythm and blues traditions.
Here, There and Everywhere: Black America Sings Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, available November 29, is the seventh of Ace's "Black America Sings" releases, which began with a 2011 entry on Bob Dylan and has since included installments highlighting Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and even Burt Bacharach and Hal David. But no songwriters have been more represented in this series than the members of The Beatles, first on 2012's Come Together: Black America Sings Lennon and McCartney and then on Let It Be: Black America Sings Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, issued four years later.
Here, There and Everywhere largely repeats the successful formula of its predecessors: takes on Fab songs from artists on the rosters of Motown and Tamla (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, the Four Tops, Syreeta Wright), Atlantic (Carmen McRae, Esther Phillips, Margie Joseph), Capitol (Junior Parker, Natalie Cole) - plus triumphant renditions by The Drifters, Sarah Vaughan and even late 20th century blues revivalist Keb' Mo'. There's even a winning sleeve paying homage to the original A Hard Day's Night sleeve with the assembled artists in black and white. But what sets this one apart is its further expanded focus to include not only songs by The Beatles, but solo works by John Lennon (Donny Hathaway's searing "Jealous Guy," Randy Crawford's "Give Peace a Chance"), Paul McCartney (Billy Paul's "Let 'Em In," Carleen Anderson's "Maybe I'm Amazed") and George Harrison (a pre-Philadelphia International Records take on "Isn't It a Pity" by The Three Degrees, and - in the set's most meta moment - The Chiffons covering "My Sweet Lord," which, at the time of release, was the subject of a lawsuit alleging plagiarism of The Chiffons' signature hit "He's So Fine"; the suit would not be resolved until 1998). The music of The Beatles, together and alone, remain an inspiration, even to those whom The Fab Four cited as influences themselves - and Here, There and Everywhere looks to be a fine testament to music's ability to power across genre, race and culture.
Ace will release Here, There and Everywhere on November 29, the same day Beatles '64 premieres. It'll be available on CD and, in a series first, a 2LP package with the same track list. Order your copy below; as an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Here, There and Everywhere: Black America Sings Lennon, McCartney and Harrison (Ace Records CDTOP 1654 (U.K.), 2024)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
- Can't Buy Me Love - Sam Fletcher
- You Never Give Me Your Money - Sarah Vaughan
- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Natalie Cole
- Michelle - Four Tops
- Taxman - Junior Parker
- Step Inside Love - Madeline Bell
- You Can't Do That - The Supremes
- Here There and Everywhere - Carmen McRae
- Give Peace a Chance - Randy Crawford
- She's Leaving Home - Syreeta
- He Loves You - Mary Wells
- Let 'Em In - Billy Paul
- Every Night - The Drifters
- Maybe I'm Amazed - Carleen Anderson
- My Love - Margie Joseph
- Isn't It a Pity - The Three Degrees
- My Sweet Lord - The Chiffons
- Imagine - Keb' Mo'
- Jealous Guy - Donny Hathaway
- We Can Work It Out - Stevie Wonder
- Yesterday - Marvin Gaye
- And I Love Him - Esther Phillips
Track 1 from Sam Fletcher Sings I Believe in You - Vee Jay VJS-1094, 1964
Track 2 from Songs of The Beatles - Atlantic SD 16037, 1981
Track 3 from Natalie...Live! - Capitol SKBL-11709, 1978
Track 4 from Four Tops on Top - Motown S 647, 1966
Track 5 from The Outside Man - Capitol ST-564, 1970
Track 6 from Doin' Things - Philips SBL7865, 1968
Track 7 from A Bit of Liverpool - Motown MS 623, 1964
Track 8 from Just a Little Lovin' - Atlantic SD 1568, 1970
Track 9 from Windsong - Warner Bros. 23780 (Europe), 1986
Track 10 from Syreeta - MoWest MW 113L, 1972
Track 11 from Love Songs to The Beatles - 20th Century-Fox TFS 4178, 1965
Track 12 from Let 'Em In - Philadelphia International Records PZ 34389, 1976
Track 13 from Now - Bell 219 (U.K.), 1973
Track 14 from Blessed Burden - Circa/Virgin CIRCD35 (U.K.), 1998
Track 15 from Sweet Surrender - Atlantic SD 7277, 1974
Track 16 from The Roulette Years - Sequel NEM CD 753 (U.K.), 1995
Track 17 from Laurie single LR 3630, 1975
Track 18 from Peace...Back by Popular Demand - OKeh EK 92687, 2004
Track 19 from Live - ATCO SD 33-386, 1972
Track 20 from Signed Sealed & Delivered - Tamla TS 304, 1970
Track 21 from That's the Way Love Is - Tamla TS 299, 1969
Track 22 from And I Love Him - Atlantic SD 8502, 1965
darryl fraylon says
Great job on the reporting.