The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper, with its iconic cover art, is possibly the most influential pop album ever, recorded with great ingenuity on just four-tracks back in 1967. A mix of styles, from rock to vaudeville, psychedelic to Indian, it’s seen as an early concept album.
Unsurprisingly, numerous ukulele versions of its songs abound. Dip into most of our regularly recommended YouTube artists & songbook sites to find some of these well-known tunes lurking. However, for those seeking chords to the entire album, why not try Beatle-lele or Stewart Greenhill? The former site has interesting playing tips (& we use his version of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds); the latter allows for easy transposing or showing in different layouts.
It’s Ringo Starr’s 76th birthday today, so here’s BirdsEyeViewOfMyUke’s version of his solo hit It Don’t Come Easy (self-penned by Ringo, with a little help from George Harrison). Don’t forget to say “Peace & Love!” at midday.
As today is Ringo Starr’s 75th birthday, here’s a nicely done version of the Harrison – Starr composition & my favourite of his solo numbers, Photograph, from Markothunder Entertainmment. Remember to say “Peace & Love!” at midday. But don’t ask him for his autograph!
Voting for our new February song took place at this week’s club night. We were originally going to have an on-line vote afterwards but, once we heard Colin’s McCartney bass line & Chris’s soloing, Something was the clear winner. So we’ll be rehearsing it for the rest of the month to ensure it’s in our repertoire. Very fitting, as George Harrison’s birthday is this month. Read the rest of this entry »
For 2015, a different PLUC member will suggest three numbers for us to try out each month. We’ll vote on which one we wish to work up &, by the end of November, should have ten new songs in our repertoire. Anyone wishing to propose a selection – either new ones you just fancy us strumming or oldies from our existing songbook we never get around to playing – let Jeanette know, so we can get this going. Thanks. Read the rest of this entry »
Today would have been the 71st birthday of George Harrison. This number is allegedly the current top iTunes Beatles’ download. Ukulenny plays a fingerpicking instrumental of Here Comes The Sun:
As today would have been George Harrison’s seventieth birthday, here’s a video from his final album Brainwashed where he’s ukeing with a few pals on the Harold Arlen & Ted Koehle number Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea:
We recently featured The Beatles Complete On Ukulele as a member’s choice (actually my own webmaster’s choice on my birthday!) and were delighted when German musician, Christian Jahl, agreed to write us this guest article about his experience working on the project and his music. Jeanette
Christian Jahl – Publicity Photo From Artist’s Website christianjahl.de
How did you get involved with The Beatles Complete On Ukulele?
I joined the project in 2009 after listening to a radio show about David Barratt´s idea of producing each Beatles track newly with the uke as lead instrument. That sounded so weird to me that I got in touch with David via mail. After he had heard my music, we got on well together and so I started recording Wenn Du Jemanden Brauchst. That version from the video footage was recorded in my hometown Düsseldorf, which you might know as the city where the German pop avant-garde band Kraftwerk comes from, and New York. David got my tracks with guitars, Wurlitzer and vocals and he and Roger [Greenawalt] added uke, bass and some of the effects. So, that’s what I call a real long distance production. I played all instrumental tracks and sung all vocal tracks.
Why did you pick If I Needed Someone? Was it a particular favourite song?
George Harrison has always been such an inspiration to me, his character and his way of seeing things in general. So I picked up one of his beautiful songs, with a melody that is really catchy and in some strange way “endless”. I listened endlessly to If I Needed Someone when I was a teen. Everybody used to ask me why I was listening to that “old crap”. Harrison was also the one who led me to the ukulele. Once he said, he always had a uke on him to be able to play wherever he was. That sounded reasonable to me. This instrument is like a little orchestra in your pocket, wow!! I always enjoy playing it and am happy about the renaissance it has experienced lately. Read the rest of this entry »
As they are my favourite group, one of the first things I wanted to do when starting the ukulele was to play Beatle numbers on it. Fortunately, there are plenty of sites on-line with arrangements (some better than others!) & a variety of books for uke or guitar containing the chords.
I was delighted when I came across The Beatles Complete on Ukulele project around this time last year, when one of the mailing lists to which I subscribed posted a link to Gerald Ross’ rendition of Penny Lane:
PLUC (Pirates of Lewisham’s Ukulele Crew) be strummin’ a few sea-shanties, dancin’ the hornpipe & drinkin’ plenty o’ grog. Any lily-livered land-lubbers who be askin’ us if we play follickin’ George Formby will be made ter walk the plank.
People of Lewisham's Ukulele Club 