The Joy of Covers

A good cover is a joy to behold. Indeed, the effect of a great cover of a great song can be revelatory, as you get to hear a familiar song stretched and reshaped to achieve an unanticipated expressive effect.

Hendrix was particularly adept at transforming the works of other artists. There is, of course, his famous take on Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” in which he brought an urgent sense of terror that was not present in the original. His cover was so effective that even Dylan has recognized it as the definitive version of the song. But, while “All Along the Watchtower” may be his most musically effective cover, it is not my favorite Hendrix cover; that honor belongs to Jimi’s live take on the Beatles classic “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” It’s my favorite largely because I love the story behind it.

The date is June 4, 1967, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience is playing a final concert in England, at the Saville Theatre, before heading off to tour America. The audience is a who’s who of the 60s rock scene. It includes Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Brian Epstein—and George Harrison and Paul McCartney. Now, only three days prior, on June 1, the Beatles had released their epochal album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which would go on to become the best-selling Beatles album of all time. So, the non-Beatles public, including Hendrix, had had only had three days to listen to the album, as this was before album leaks came to render official release dates largely irrelevant.

The lights went up, and the Experience ripped into Sgt. Pepper’s’ opening track. Hendrix’s guitar squealed as he played the now-familiar introduction, and the band proceeded with a rather raunchy take on the Beatles tune, much to McCartney’s, and the audience's, delight. What a lucky audience! They got to observe one of the great guitar players of all time pay his respects to one of the great bands of all time by covering a terrific song that was about as fresh as it could have possibly been.

Such a moment would be impossible today. Fortunately, there is a recording of the performance that we can enjoy. Here it is, along with the Beatles’ original. I’ve also thrown in Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” for good measure. Enjoy.

Jimi Hendrix – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Live) (YSI) (filesavr)
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (YSI) (filesavr)
Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower (YSI) (filesavr)