Back to index of Beatle pages by Donald Sauter.

 
I might've said, "Beatle Novelty, Tribute, and Rip-off Records..." but we'll lump it all under "novelty".

The bulk of the credit goes to Charles Reinhart and his book, You Can't Do That - Beatles Bootlegs & Novelty Records (1982). As I was checking out some of the novelty records from his impressive list on YouTube, it occurred to me that, with a little more effort, I might produce something of benefit to all interested Beatle fans.

Well, it turned out to take more than a "little" effort (but don't anybody worry about me.) I hope my clean and simple format works for you. Internet users who can no longer think, breathe or survive without a continual, rampaging electronic assault upon the senses, well, you're always just a click away - YouTube will give it to you!

Seriously, I sure hope that this eliminates all the grind and hit and miss involved in stumbling around YouTube. Here you have all the Beatle novelties at your fingertips. The videos will come up in a new browser window so that this page remains available for browsing. When you're ready for the next song, just click on it; the new browser window will replace the previous one - much easier than wrestling with YouTube's buttons and controls.

While digging up the songs on Reinhart's list I stumbled on some he had missed. I also dropped a few that I concluded couldn't be related to the Beatles, or were never more than rumors, or were just plain revolting. (Hey, it's my web page!) When there were multiple videos for a song, I chose the one I thought was best, overall. Reinhart included a few foreign language renditions, and I've added a greater sampling. If you find some of the songs on Reinhart's list which I couldn't, or know of more Beatle novelties not listed, let me know.

You'll see that the Beatle novelty designation comes about from widely varying directions, such as the group name (takeoffs on beat, beetles, bugs, beagles, Liverpool, Mersey, etc.), songs about the Beatles, Beatle songs done in totally different musical styles, songs based on Beatle songs ("answer songs"), break-in novelties (bits from Beatle songs used in mock news reports), Beatle-like cover artwork, and who knows what all I've missed.

While it's cheap and easy to poke fun at this sort of stuff, I claim you'd have to be the compleat musical deadbeat to not find lots of really great-sounding and fun things here. We have a microcosm of '60s and '70s music - pop, rock, country, bluegrass, blues, big band, folk, surf, doo-wop, chipmunks, reggae, disco, Christmas, you name it... even wonderful classical arrangements.

Search within this web page (hit ctrl-F) to explore songs in specific classes. For Beatle novelty songs in the purest sense, search for "1964". If you like the Beatles and Christmas, search for "christmas". For Beatles arranged in a classical style, search for "classical". For Beatles performed in other musical styles, search for "style". For answer songs, search for "answer". For songs performed in foreign languages search for "foreign". For some of my personal favorites (lucky you!), search for "favorite".

For albums whipped up to cash in on the Beatle craze, search for "cash". You'll land on a 1964 album by a group you've never heard of, sporting a couple of big Beatle hits, a total lack of information about the mystery group (session musicians?), and words and images (cover models or caricatures) obviously meant to call the Beatles to mind. You might even find a YouTube commentator reminiscing, "My mom bought me this record for $.97 thinking it was the Beatles!" Give these cheesy, but endearing, "rip-offs" a chance; they form part of the big, incredible "Beatle Phenomenon", and you might find some nice pop tunes there.

Along the way I discovered some budget labels reusing the same backing tracks for different "artists" on different records (weird!) And sometimes a record company hauled out an old recording and gave it a Beatle-y name (weird!) And we have a few instances of the same novelty song performed ("covered") by another artist (unusual, but not so weird.) You can find all of the songs falling in these categories by searching for "same".

If the video doesn't show the record label or album cover, a great place to go is discogs.com . (Note to YouTube: how about a simple option for separately uploading audio and a batch of images which the listener can view at his pleasure?)

AdBlock Plus does an excellent job snuffing out YouTube ads, although I suppose if everybody starts blocking YouTube ads, YouTube will start blocking us. (Quick survey: Have you EVER purchased a SINGLE THING rubbed in your face by an internet ad?)

I also recommend personalizing your YouTube to TURN OFF automatic playing of the next video it somehow knows you want. I just might've had some sanity left if I had discovered this setting years ago...

"CR:" indicates quoted material by Charles Reinhart.

Finally, on with the show!

Steve ALLEN and the Gentle Players
1967
Here Comes Sgt. Pepper

Allen plays keyboards on this album of instrumentals.

Tina ALLEN
1976
John, Paul, George And Ringo

The AMERICAN Beetles
1964
She's Mine (doo-wop)
Theme of The American Beatles
It's My Last Night In Town (personal favorite)
You're Getting To Me
Don't Be Unkind (with an "oooh!" and a "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!") (personal favorite)
You Did It To Me
School Days (Berry) (American Bandstand tv appearance; miming to record. Dig the REAL hair!)
Hey, Hey Girl (shades of "Glad All Over")

The ANGELS
1964
Little Beatle Boy

The Angels had a hit with "My Boyfriend's Back" in 1963.

ANGIE and the Chicklettes
1965
Treat Him Tender, Maureen (Now That Ringo Belongs To You)

The record label actually says "Tingo", not "Ringo". Is that a joke, typo, or safeguard against legal action?

ANNIE and the Orphans
1964
My Girl's Been Bitten By The Beatle Bug

The title line is the chorus, sung by male "Orphans". Annie takes the verses.

Los APSON
Ya No Hay Beatles (Sanders) (Spanish "Ain't No Beatle")

Same song as Ain't No Beatle" by Gary Sanders and "Ain't No Beatle, Ain't No Rolling Stone" by Gram Parsons featuring Rick Grech.

The AVERAGE Disco Band
1977
MUSIC OF THE BEATLES GOES DISCO (LP) (disco style):
Help!
Back In The U.S.S.R.
Michelle
A Hard Day's Night
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
When I'm Sixty-Four
Eleanor Rigby
Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da

BABY Bugs
1964
Bingo/Bingo's Bongo Bingo Party (both sides) (chipmunk style)
Bingo's Bongo Bingo Party (Incorrectly identified as the flip side, "Bingo". This has better sound quality than above, but plays at 33 1/3!)

CR: Originally released with a picture sleeve which showed four Beatle-like figures. The sleeve also announced, "It's a take off on you know who."

The BADBEATS
1979
One And One Is Two
Tip Of My Tongue

CR: Here are two Lennon-McCartney songs not released by the Beatles. The novelty picture sleeve shows the group in a Beatle-like pose, and the label mimics the Capitol orange/yellow swirl label.

The BAGELS
1964
I Wanna Hold Your Hair
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

The record label says, "Meet The Bagels singing I Wanna Hold Your Hair".

Penny BAKER and the Pillows
1964
Bring Back The Beatles

Clive BALDWIN
1975
Now It's Paul McCartney Stevie Wonder Alice Cooper Elton John (take-off on Al Jolson song "Mammy")

After 25 years in suspended animation a man awakens to (oh! too horrible to contemplate...) '70s music!

BARCLAY James Harvest
1975
Titles

The song works a lot of Beatle song titles into the lyrics, and a few Beatle musical bits. Barclay James Harvest is a group name, by the way.

BAROCK and Roll Ensemble
1965
EINE KLEINE BEATLEMUSIC (EP) (classical style; personal favorite):
Allegro - She Loves You/I'll Get You
Minuet & Trio - I Want To Hold Your Hand/A Hard Day's Night
Finale - Please Please Me/All My Loving

One of the first attempts at Beatles done classical style. Devised by Fritz Spiegl and arranged by Harry Wild.

George Harrison and Spiegl crossed paths in 1960, according to a humorous, if not totally clear, anecdote in Mark Lewisohn's "The Beatles - Tune In" (p292). "This was a two-in-one [all night] party, musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra relaxing upstairs in full evening dress after a concert, while the scruffy students did their thing downstairs... George was becoming very, very bevvied. He came close to an altercation when the two parties temporarily mixed and he called over to flautist Fritz Spiegl, 'Hey, Geraldo--got any Elvis?'"

Les BARONETS
1964
C'est fou mais c'est tout ("Hold Me Tight") (foreign - French)
Ça recommence ("It Won't Be Long") (foreign - French)
Si Je Te Donne Mon Coeur (If I Fell) (foreign - French)
and more...

The BEAGLE and the Four Liverpool Whigs
1964
THE BEAGLE AND THE FOUR LIVERPOOL WHIGS (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
Rap-A-Way
Painless Thoughts
Tear A Love
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Should We Love
My Sheila
He's My Blue Guy
Give A Love
The Cheat
Pillow Thoughts

CR: The album cover shows four guys in Beatle wigs and a beagle. The album itself is incredibly bad.

The BEAGLES
1964
Deep In The Heart Of Texas (brings to mind "I Saw Her Standing There"?)

CR: The Beagles were a group of singing dogs. The record came with a picture sleeve showing a drawing of four dogs, all wearing Beatle wigs and playing various instruments.

The BEAGLES
1964
Can't Buy Me Love

Me: The Beagles were a group of singing guys.

The BEARCUTS
1964
BEATLEMANIA (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Twist And Shout
Your Barber Is A Beatle Too
Please Please Me
Monkey On Down To London Town
She Loves You
Liverpool Stomp
Love Me Do
Bearcut Haircut
From Me To You

The Beatle songs have vocals; the rest are instrumentals.

The BEATLE Buddies
THE BEATLE BUDDIES (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
(She) He Loves You
Who Can I Believe (personal favorite)
My (Bonnie) Buddy * (based on "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean")
I'll Take You Back Again
Wearying, Worrying Blues * (Same backing track used on "Wearying, Worrying Blues" by the Manchesters.)
I Waited * (Same backing track used on "I Waited" by the Manchesters.)
Shortening Bread *
Little Miss Margie (instrumental)
New School Days (with Mother Goose references: Humpty Dumpty, Jack Horner, Mary and her lamb, Mother Hubbard)

Reinhart says the Beatle Buddies were an all-girl group, and I hope he's referring to the vocal work only. The liner notes claim, "The girls are cute and very talented. We think that their names and sound will last long after the Beatles are gone." But isn't it odd that none of these immortal names are given, or any background information on the group. A single taken from this album, "Who Can I Believe"/"I'll Take You Back Again", did credit Judy Stewart & Her Beatle Buddies.

* Note the overlap of song selection here with the BEATLERAMA album by the Manchesters, which see. Both albums are on the Diplomat label. You can hear that two of the songs common to both albums use the exact same backing tracks on both albums, and I suspect we'd find the same for "My Bonnie" and "Shortening Bread" if we had the Manchesters' versions.

The BEATLE-Bugs
1964
Where Did Ringo Go

Les BEATLETTES
1964
Ton amour a changé ma vie ("Your love has changed my life")
1968
C'est Grâce à Toi ("It's thanks to you"; we know it as, "You Can't Hurry Love")

The BEATLETTES
1964
Yes!!! You Can Hold My Hand ("answer song")
Yes!!! You Can Hold My Hand (instrumental)

The Beatlettes were from East Liverpool, Ohio, according to the record label.

The BEATTLE-ETTES
1964
Only Seventeen
Now We're Together (skip to 1:53) (instrumental; in fact, the bare backing track heard on the A-side)

Record produced by George "Shadow" Morton, known for his work with the Shangri-las.

The BEATLES
1965
The Girl I Love (doo-wop)

CR: This is NOT the Beatles. These novelty artists went out of their way to make it look like the real Beatles had something to do with this record. The song was co-written by J. Lemmon and the publisher is listed as Maclen Pub. The song is listed as "A Miracle Production (If it sells ... it's a miracle!)"

Internet sources say this group is the Contenders, who recorded "The Clock".

BEATLES Costello
1978
WASHING THE DEFECTIVES (EP)
Soldier Of Love
I Feel Fine
Theme From A Summer Place
Out Of Limits

"Soldier Of Love" was performed by the Beatles on the BBC.

CR: This one's a take-off on both the Beatles and Elvis Costello. The man behind this EP is Joe Pope, who ran the Beatle fan club, Strawberry Fields Forever.

The BEATLES Revival Band
year?
The Beatles Revival Song

The BEATMEN
Mám ju rád ("She Loves You") (foreign - Slovakia)

The BEAT Merchants
1965
So Fine

Included because of the mid-1970s rumor that this might be the Beatles. This recording was on the flip side of "You Were Made For Me" by Freddie and the Dreamers.

BEATS
1964
BEATS!!!! THE MERSEYSIDE SOUND! - The New Beat From Britain!!!!! (LP) (Beatle cash-in)

Actually, the album cover does not make it certain that "Beats" is the band name. This is the same album as Billy Pepper & the Pepperpots' MERSEYMANIA. See that entry for further discussion, and for the best audio of the complete album.

Becky Lee BECK
1964
I Want A Beatle For Christmas (Suhr)

The BEDBUGS
1964
Yeah, Yeah

CR: The man behind the Bedbugs was none other than Ross Bagdasarian (aka David Seville) who, in the 1950s, had been the mastermind behind the Chipmunks.

The BEDBUGS
Camptown Races

CR: The Bedbugs starred in a segment of the tv series "F Troop". The Bedbugs were four guys from Boston with collarless suits and long hair. They played acoustic guitars on the show, but an electric sound came out of them. They played only instrumentals on the show, mainly Camptown Races. Corporal Agarn decided to leave the Army to manage the group. To get Agarn back, the other characters form their own group, the Termites. They too wear Beatle wigs while singing "Lemon Tree" and "Mr. Tambourine Man". At the end of the show we learn that the Bedbugs have gone to Liverpool, England and become big hits. They even performed for the Queen. The Bedbugs were played by members of the Factory, a group led by Lowell George, who later became famous with the group Little Feat.

Tommy BEE
1964
Beatle Dance

The BEEHIVES
1964
I Want To Hold Your Hand
She Loves You

The BEETLES
1965
Ain't That Love
Welcome To My Heart

Jessica BELL
1977
Ode To Four

BENNY and the Bedbugs
1964
The Beatle Beat (instrumental, with some "yeah yeah yeah"s thrown in)
Roll Over Beethoven (instrumental)

Cathy BERBERIAN
1966
From REVOLUTION (LP) (classical style):
I Want To Hold Your Hand

The album consists of Beatle songs sung operatically. I would call that a tribute record, but it also counts as a novelty for its parody of the REVOLVER cover.

Chuck BERRY
1964
Liverpool Drive

Brad BERWICK
1964
I'm Better Than The Beatles

Great "brag" song: "I can do this by myself; with them it takes all four." Berwick's back-up band is the Bugs. Berwick was an actor on the tv series "Window On Main Street".

Pete BEST
1964-1965?
I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door
Why Did I Fall In Love With You
(I'll Try) Anyway (personal favorite)
I Wanna Be There
I Can't Do Without You Now
Keys To My Heart
Castin' My Spell
I'm Blue
Boys *
Kansas City *

1966
BEST OF THE BEATLES (LP):
Last Night
Why Did You Leave Me Baby
Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
I Need Your Lovin'
Nobody But You
I Can't Do Without You Now
Casting My Spell
Wait And See
Some Other Guy
I'm Blue
She's Alright
Keys To My Heart

Pete Best was the Beatles' drummer for a couple of years before being replaced by Ringo. Several more Pete Best Combo tracks not listed by Reinhart can be found on You Tube.

* Sung by Pete. The others are sung by the song-writers, Bickerton and Waddington.

The BIG BEN Banjo Band
1967
HAPPY BANJOS PLAY THE BEATLES (LP) ("happy banjo" style?):
All My Loving/She's A Woman/You Can't Do That
World Without Love/Any Time At All/And I Love Her
Ticket To Ride/I'm Happy Just To Dance With You/Things We Said Today
I Should Have Known Better/I'm A Loser/It Won't Be Long
A Hard Day's Night/I Feel Fine/Can't Buy Me Love
Paperback Writer/Eight Days A Week/I'll Get You
Michelle/This Boy/Yesterday
Norwegian Wood/Rain/Nowhere Man
Don't Bother Me/No Reply/Little Child
Tell Me Why/The Word/I'll Be Back

Sonny BLOCH'S Elephants
1964
Beetle Squash

Reinhart has a note, "Sonny Bono???" Is there a reason for thinking that Sonny Bloch is Sonny Bono?

The BLUE BEATS
1964
DANCE DISCOTHEQUE BEATLE BEAT (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
The Chocolate Pudding SLOP * (same backing track as for "Georgie Porgie")
The Swingin' Spider's BO DIDDLEY * (same backing track as for "Little Miss Muffet")
The Broken Egg FRUG * (same backing track as for "Humpty, Dumpty")
The Fat King's TWIST * (same backing track as for "Old King Cole")
London ROCK-A-CHA-CHA * (same backing track as for "London Bridge")
Wouldn't It Be Funny BOBBY * (same backing track as for "Wouldn't It Be Funny?")
The Big Shoe TWIST * (same backing track as for "There Was An Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe")
One-Two HULLY GULLY * (same backing track as for "One-Two, Help Find My Shoe")
Jump Over The Moon TWIST * (same backing track as for "Hey Diddle Diddle, The Cat And The Fiddle")
Jack's CHICKENBACK * (same backing track as for "Jack And Jill")
The Cold MASHED POTATO * (same backing track as for "Hickory Dickory-Dock")
The Blue Beat's SKA * (same backing track as for "Three Blind Moose")

* Every track here corresponds to a track on DANCE AND SING MOTHER GOOSE WITH A BEATLE BEAT, by Wynken, Blinken and Nod, and in fact uses the exact same backing track. The MOTHER GOOSE album has vocals handling the modernized nursery rhymes; this DANCE DISCOTHEQUE album has an electric guitar handling the melody. The credits on the MOTHER GOOSE album tell us that the music is by Milton DeLugg and George Brackman.

BOCKY & the Visions
1964
The Spirit Of '64 (doo-wop; personal favorite)

The BOLL Weevils
1964
Please Please Me (with a country twang; personal favorite)
My Bonnie

The BON Bons
1964
What's Wrong With Ringo (doo-wop)

The Bon Bons became the Shangri-Las, whose biggest hit was "Leader Of The Pack".

BONNIE and the Butterflys
1964
I Saw Him Standing There

The BOOTLES
1964
I'll Let You Hold My Hand ("answer song")

The BOSSMEN
Don't Let Her Use That Ticket To Ride ("answer song")

The BO-WEEVILS
1964
The Beatles Will Getcha

Don BOWMAN
1966
The Other Ringo (parody of Lorne Greene's "Ringo".)

Delaney BRAMLETT
1973
Are You A Beatle Or A Rolling Stone

B.R.A.T.T.S.
1964
Secret Weapon (The British Are Coming) (fun)

The acronym stands for: Brotherhood for the Re-establishment of American Top Ten Supremacy

BRET & Terry
1964
Beatle Fever
The Beatle Hop

Larry BRIGHT
I Saw Her Standing There (low-down blues)

B. BROCK and the Sultans
1964
DO THE BEETLE (LP):
I Want To Hold Your Hand
The Saints ("When The Saints Go Marching In")
Beetle Walk
30 Lb. Beetle
My Bonnie
Feed The Beetle
Fast Beetle
Mexican Beetle
Little Brown Beetle (based on "Little Brown Jug")
Do The Beetle

This is the correct track order; the YouTube album has the tracks out of order.

Bonnie BROOKS
1964
Bring Back My Beatles (To Me) (based on "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean")

The BROTHERS Four
1966
Ratman And Bobbin In The Clipper Caper

CR: The story is that someone called the Mad Barber is out to shave the heads of all the rock stars. The Rolling Stones and Sonny & Cher have already gotten it and now he's after the Beatles. But Ratman and Bobbin capture him before the Beatles are shorn. The Mad Barber, by the way, turns out to be Lawrence Welk, or at least someone who sounds like him.

Dora BRYAN
1963
All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle

Reinhardt figures this was probably the first the Beatle novelty song. The Beatles reciprocated by singing All I Want For Christmas Is A Bottle, on the BBC radio show, Saturday Club, Dec 21 1963. I figure that was definitely the first Dora Bryan novelty song!

BUCHANAN and Greenfield
1964
The Invasion

A novelty record of the "break-in" type. No Beatle songs are used, although we hear "yeah, yeah, yeah" sung several times.

THE BUDDIES
1964
The Beatle (instrumental)

The BUG Collectors
1964
Beatle Bug

The BUGGS
1964
THE BEETLE BEAT (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Mersey Mercy ("You Got Me Bugged")
Soho Mash ("Just One Look")
East End ("Spring Won't Mean A Thing")
London Town Swing ("Why Can't You Love The Boy Who Loves You")
She Loves You
Liverpool Drag ("Why Won't You Leave That Man")
Swingin' Thames ("That's For Sure")
Big Ben Hop ("Sassy Sue")
Teddy 'Boy Stomp ("I'll Never Leave You")

She Loves You (slightly better sound)

Reinhart says, "These guys went far out of the way to make the titles of their instrumentals sound very British." Actually, they're not instrumentals, but conventional pop-rock songs. The internet tells us that the Buggs were not English or Liverpudlian at all, as implied by the album cover, but a New Jersey band called the Coachmen V. The album was recorded in New York; the cover photo shows models; and when the Coachmen V saw what Coronet did to them, they were bugged. I've taken a stab at what the song titles might have been for a Coachmen V album.

The BUGGS
1964
Buggs vs. Beetles (I Want To Hold Your Hand)
She Loves Me

Reinhardt says these are definitely not the same Buggs as above.

The BUG Men
1964
Beatles, You Bug Me!

My notes indicate I found this once on YouTube. I can't dig it up now. But here's the flip side, Bloomin' Bird, for what it's worth.

The BUGS
1964
She Loves You/Dawn (Go Away)
Twist And Shout/Stay

The BUGS
1966
Slide
Pretty Girl

Included as Beatle novelty because of the group name? "Pretty Girl" sounds somewhat Beatle-y.

The BUGS

This was the group formed by the male castaways on the Gilligan Island episode which featured the Mosquitoes, which see.

Los BUHOS
1965
Ayer ("Yesterday") (foreign - Spanish)

The BULLDOGS
1964
John, Paul, George And Ringo

"We'll shake it like... !"

THE BURNS
1969
I Saw Her Standing There (foreign; sung in English by a Japanese band, I think)

CAFE Creme
1978
From DISCOMANIA (LP) (disco style):
Discomania - Medley
Unlimited Citations (Rock) - Medley
Unlimited Citations (Slow) - Medley

Dozens of Beatle songs are used in these medleys. In the slow medley, I always dug the recurring "Don't Let Me Down".

The CANADIAN Beadles
1964
Think I'm Gonna Cry
I'll Show You The Way (most Beatle-y of the four, with a touch of "Please Please Me")
Love Walk Away
I'm Comin' Home

Group name also given as Vic, Paul & Bruce (The Canadian Beadles).

Pete CANDOLI Orchestra
1964
Beetle Bug Jump

The CAREFREES
1964
We Love You Beatles (based on "We Love You Conrad" from "Bye Bye Birdie")
All My Loving

"We Love You Beatles" was the most successful Beatle novelty, chart-wise, in the U.S., reaching No. 39. Same song as "We Love You Beatles" by the Trixies.

CARL AND THE HAIRCUTS
1964
Ringo - Part 1
Ringo - Part 2

CATERPILLARS
1964
The Caterpillar Song
Hello Happy Happy Goodbye

The CHARLES River Valley Boys
1967
BEATLE COUNTRY (LP) (bluegrass style):
I've Just Seen A Face
Baby's In Black
I Feel Fine
Yellow Submarine
Ticket To Ride
And Your Bird Can Sing
What Goes On
Norwegian Wood
Paperback Writer
She's A Woman (instrumental; personal favorite)
I Saw Her Standing There
Help!

CHAN Po Chu
Eight Days A Week (foreign - Cantonese)

Chan Po Chu, also known as Connie Chan, was the biggest '60s teen sensation in Hong Kong.

CHIFFONS
1975
My Sweet Lord

The Chiffons' biggest hit was "He's So Fine", the song that got George into so much hot water. Here, the Chiffons do George's song, mixing in a few lyrics from "He's So Fine."

The CHIPMUNKS
1964
THE CHIPMUNKS SING THE BEATLES HITS (LP) (chipmunk style, duh):
All My Loving
I Want To Hold Your Hand
A Hard Day's Night
Love Me Do
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Can't Buy Me Love
P.S. I Love You
Please Please Me
I Saw Her Standing There
Twist And Shout
From Me To You
She Loves You

The Chipmunks were Theodore, Simon and Alvin. Listen to Alvin squawking at half speed in a snippet of "Twist And Shout".

CHUG and Doug
1964
Ringo Comes To Town

The actual lyric in the song is "Ringo came to town." Strange but true...

Bill CLIFTON
1964
Beatle Crazy (talking blues - quite humorous!)

The COLLINS Kids
1955
Beetle-Bug-Bop

I don't care if it was released two years before John and Paul even met; you can't tell me this ain't a Beatle novelty!

COMMON Bug Combo featuring Jeanne Turnbow
1964
Beattle Bug
Summertime

Listen fast, "Beattle Bug" clocks in at 1:15 - a 45 rpm record record? I include the flip side, "Summertime", from "Porgie And Bess", for myself and all opera buffs and other visitors of taste.

Bobby COMSTOCK and the Counts
1964
The Beatle Bounce

Peter COOK and Dudley Moore
1967
The L.S. Bumble Bee
Bee Side

Included because of rumors that it was a Beatle song.

Gene CORNISH & the Unbeetables
1964
I Wanna Be A Beetle

Cornish became a member of the Young Rascals (which became the Rascals.)

JIMMY CROSS
1965
I Want My Baby Back
Play The Other Side (instrumental version of A-side)

This is a send-up of the "death-pop" songs.

Sonny CURTIS
1964
A Beatle I Want To Be

1964
BEATLE HITS FLAMENCO GUITAR STYLE (LP) (finger-style guitar):
She Loves You
Ringo's Theme (This Boy)
Please Please Me
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Ballad For A Beatle (Sonny Curtis-Tom Leslie)
A Hard Day's Night
All My Loving
And I Love Her
Things We Said Today
Little Child (personal favorite)
P.S. I Love You
If I Fell

1979
Do You Remember Roll Over Beethoven (reminds of "House At Pooh Corner")

Such variety from one artist - very impressive!

CR: Curtis was a member of Buddy Holly's group, the Crickets. "Do You Remember Roll Over Beethoven" mentions the Beatles, Lennon and McCartney by name, and tells how the group helped us all get through the sixties.

The CYCLONES
1964?
Ringo's Dog

This Dog is a dance.

DAMASKAS and Barnes & Barnes
1979
A Day In The Life Of Green Acres

The Green Acres tv theme sung to the tune of "A Day In The Life".

Link DAVIS
1964
Beatle Bug (instrumental)

On the record label: Link Davis "Man With The Buzzin' Sax"

Ronny DAVIS
1964
Let's Beetle In The Rocket

D.B.M.
1978
Beatlemania

Reinhart says D.B.M. stands for Disco Beatlemania. I'm not 100% sure. The flip side, Kiss Me, is not Beatle related.

BOB DEAN
1964
Ringo

DEFENDERS
1964
Beatles We Want Our Girls Back

DEL RICOS
1964
Beatle Crawl
Beatle Hootenanny

DETOURS
1964
Bring Back My Beatles To Me
Money

Variant title: Bring Back My Beatles

DICKY & the Watergate Bugs
1973
We Can Work It Out
Help

A take-off on President Nixon.

Zig DILLON
1964
Beetle Bug

I couldn't find "Beetle Bug". Perhaps it has a sound similar to the flip side, Bird Song Boogie?

Delmar DONELL
1964
The Beatle Bit My Dog

The DOODLES
1964
I Want To Hold Your Hand

This is a straight cover version, with female backing vocals.

The Jack DORSEY Big Band
1964
Ringo's Dog

See "Ringo's Dog" by the Cyclones for a song with the same title. Does that sound like something a big band would do?

Earle DOUD & Alen Robin
1968
LYNDON JOHNSON'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (LP)

Album not found on youTube. The recording has no Beatle references anyway, so the link takes you to a page showing the Sgt. Pepper parody album cover.

Scott DOUGLAS
1964
The Beatles' Barber

Jim DOVAL and the Gaucho's (sic)
1964
Stranded In The Pool (skip to 2:06)
Beattle Rule (instrumental)

CR: The "pool" is Liverpool. The song is a take-off on the 1956 hit Stranded In The Jungle.

The EGGHEADS
1964
(Why Don't You Stop) Foolin' Around (skip to 50:15)
She Loves You/(Why Don't You Stop) Foolin' Around (tv performance; personal favorite!)

CR: The Eggheads went totally opposite the Beatles and shaved their heads bare.

The EXTERMINATORS
1964
The Beetle-Bomb (instrumental, with chatter and yeah, yeah, yeahs)
Stomp 'Em Out (instrumental)

EXTERMINATORS
1964?
Beatle Stomp (instrumental)
Beatle Wig Party

Two different Exterminators groups.

Carlo FAIR
1964
Beetle Bounce (based on "Mama Don't Allow")

The FANS
1964
I Want A Beatle For Christmas (Clark)

FEMALE Beatles
1964
I Want You
Don't Want To Cry

Is "I Want You" the same song as "I Want You" by Jeannie and the Big Guys?

Tina FERRA
1964
R (Is For Ringo)

Garry FERRIER
1964
Ringo-Deer (Christmas record)

Larry FINNEGAN
1964
(A Tribute To Ringo Starr) The Other Ringo (parody of Lorne Greene's "Ringo".)

CR: Finnegan had a 1962 hit with "Dear One".

Werbley FINSTER
1969
So Long, Paul

About the "Paul is dead" rumor. Werbley Finster is really Jose Feliciano, who is credited as a co-writer of the song.

Al FISHER & Lou Marks
1964
IT'S A BEATLE WORLD (LP) (side A?):
Instant Beatle
On The Plane
At The Concert (We Love Rock & Roll)
The Fifth "Coo Coo'
Paul, George, John & Ringo (All The Way To The Bank)
Bella 'N Boris
Does She Love Me
IT'S A BEATLE WORLD (LP) (side B?):
Ringo, Ringo Little Star
Mr. President & Mr. Minister
Sunday At 8:00
Are You Putting Me On
Scotland From The Yard
The Real Fisher And Marks

CR: A comedy album with almost all the cuts pertaining to the Beatles in one way or another.

Ella FITZGERALD
1964
Ringo Beat

The FONDETTES
1964
The Beatles Are In Town

Jonn FOOTMAN
1975
A Broken Heart (personal favorite, don't ask me why)

The novelty is the label: Beatle Records.

Bruce FOSTER
1977
Platinum Heroes

Jerry FOSTER
1964
I Ain't No Beatle

Not the same song as "Ain't No Beatle" by Gary Sanders. The title line of this one continues, "...but, I wanna hold your hand." Same song as "I Ain't No Beatle" by Jack White.

FOTO-FI Four
1964
Stand Up And Holler (Harry Nilsson) (shades of "Not Fade Away")

CR: This rather remarkable novelty may have only been issued to radio stations. The record came in a cardboard sleeve which read "The Beatles arrive in America! Have fun running the film with this specially scored recording. A Foto-Fi Film Presentation." A film of the Beatles arriving in the U.S. accompanied the record.

The FOUR Pennies
1964
Do You Want Me To

I don't know how this song rates as a Beatle novelty, but the music is sort of Beatle-y, so I leave it here. Reinhart gave the group name as the Four Shillings. Is that simply a very odd mistake, or part of a story about this record?

The FOUR Preps
1964
A Letter To The Beatles

CR: The Four Preps had many hits including "26 Miles (Cantalina)" and "Big Man".

The FOUR Sisters
1964
I Want Ringo For Christmas

FRANKIE Stein & His Ghouls
1965
MONSTER MELODIES (LP):
Dr. Spook
In A Groovy Grave (based on "From Me To You")
Frog Frug (based on the Kinks' "You Really Got Me")
Melancholy Monsters
Haunted Mouse (based on "Till There Was You")
Ghoulish Heart (based on "All My Loving")
Dressed To Kill (based on "If I Fell")
All Choked Up (based on "Slow Down")
Swingin' Head
Ain't Got No Body (based on "She Loves You")

Find song start time tags in the YouYube header.

FRENCHY and the Chessmen
1964
Beetle Bebop

Francois GLORIEUX
1978
FRANCOIS GLORIEUX PLAYS THE BEATLES (LP) (classical style):
Yesterday (Chopin)
Help/Let It Be (Schumann)
Can't Buy Me Love (Gershwin/Prokofiev)
Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da (Mozart)
Hey Jude (Bach)
Michelle (Ravel)
Yellow Submarine (Beethoven)
Girl/Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da (Brahms)
Norwegian Wood (Milhaud)
The Fool On The Hill (Rachmaninoff)
In My Life (Debussy)
Eleanor Rigby (Bartok)

FRANCOIS GLORIEUX PLAYS THE BEATLES, VOL. 2 (LP) (classical style):
Something (Grieg)
When I'm Sixty-four (Strauss) - I Want To Hold Your Hand (Sousa)
Penny Lane - Eight days a week
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away - Lady Madonna (Liszt)
Here, There And Everywhere
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Please, Please Me - All My Loving (Tchaikovsky)
A Hard Day's Night - Ticket To Ride (Handel)
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Glorieux)
I Wanna Be Your Man (Gershwin)
Nowhere Man - I Will (Mendelssohn)
With A Little Help From My Friends (Schubert)
The Long And Winding Road (Scriabin)
Hello Goodbye (Satie) (personal favorite)

CR: Francois Glorieux, at the piano, plays the above Beatles songs in the style of the composer named after each. The cover, in caricature form, shows the Beatles' ABBEY ROAD sleeve with Glorieux second from the left and facing the wrong way.

Alan GORDON with the Extragordonary Band
1976
Beatles (Gordon)

The GRASSHOPPERS
1965
Mod Socks

I'm not sure what makes this a Beatle novelty, the insect band name?

The GRASSHOPPERS
(year?)
THE GRASSHOPPERS SING THE [picture of a Beatle hairdo] HITS (LP) (Beatle cash-in) (chipmunk style):
A Hard Day's Night
I Want To Hold Your Hand
My Bonnie
In The Good Old Summertime
Wearyin' Worryin' Blues
All My Loving
Shortenin' Bread
I Waited
Green Sleeves
Blue Waves

Another one on the Diplomat label, with a song selection like that on the Beatle Buddies and Manchesters albums. At least we know that the Grasshoppers' "Shortenin' Bread" doesn't use the same backing track as the Beatle Buddies' version.

Keith GREEN
1970
Sgt. Pepper's Epitaph

Lorne GREENE
1964
Ringo

If you say this isn't a Beatle novelty song, ok, it's not a Beatle novelty song. But I can guarantee you not one, single English-speaking hominid ever heard this song without thinking of a certain, lovable drummer. It can't be done. In fact, it inspired a few of the parodies on this list.

Johnny GUARNIR
1964
To Kill A Beatle

I found only one mention of this song on the whole worldwide web!

The HAIRCUTS
1964
She Loves You
Love Me Do

Larry HALLOWAY
1964
Beatle Teen Beat (Halloway) (instrumental; personal favorite)

Dave HAMILTON and his Peppers
1964
Beatle Walk (Hamilton) (instrumental)

Same recording as Cooter Bug" by Dave Hamilton and his Peppers (1961). Makes you wonder how many other Beatle novelty records were really warmed-up leftovers?

Johnny HAMPTON
1964
The Beatle Dance

The HARDLY-WORTHIT Players
1967
From BOSTON SOUL (LP):
"The Motown Sound"

There is no Beatle content on the album, but the cover is a parody of RUBBER SOUL. The short video shows the cover, and we hear Senator Bobby describe his music as "Boston soul".

1967
Beatles/Pope Visits New York City (45?)

CR: From the people who gave us "Wild Thing" by Senator Bobby. The story line here is that Pope Paul VI's plane lands where the Beatles' were to have landed and vice versa. As a result there are a lot of people on hand when the Pope arrives and very few to greet the Beatles. The conclusion? "The Pope is more popular than the Beatles."

Rolf HARRIS
1964
Ringo For President (personal favorite)

Same song as "Ringo For President" by the Young World Singers. Aussie Harris had the 1963 hit, "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport". Here, he works in "by dingo" for a "by jingo".

Rupert HOLMES
1975
I Don't Want To Hold Your Hand (Holmes) ("answer song"?, or just too late in the game?)

In 1979, Holmes would have a No. 1 with "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)".

HOMER and Jethro
1964
I Want To Hold Your Hand
She Loves You
The Four Beatles (based on "Boll Weevil Song") (tv appearance)

Compare with "Beatle Fan" by Zeke Mullins and "Boll Weevil Song" by Tex Ritter.

The HONEY Bees
You Need Us/Me (personal favorite)

This is the group formed by the female castaways on the Gilligan's Island episode featuring the Mosquitoes, which see for a fuller explanation.

HUCKLEBERRY Hound
1964
Bingo Ringo!
Clementine

Huckleberry actually goes by the name Huck "Ringo" Hound on the picture sleeve. He is pictured pounding away on the pagan skins. Huck's voice: Daws Butler.

George HUGHLEY
1964
Do The Beatle

Christine HUNTER
1964
Santa, Bring Me Ringo (Christmas record; personal favorite)

Jerry INMAN
1967
LENNON-MCCARTNEY COUNTRY STYLE R.F.D. (LP) (country style):
From Me To You
A Hard Day's Night
Yesterday
I've Just Seen A Face
And I Love Her
I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
Help!
Here, There And Everywhere
I'll Cry Instead
Baby's In Black
We Can Work It Out

R.F.D. means Rural Free Delivery. Personnel includes Glen Campbell on guitar and Jim Gordon on drums.

The INNER City Mission
1970
Get Back John (personal favorite)

Now, how many people will make sense of the "Hawkin's farm" reference? In December 1969, John and Yoko stayed five days at Ronnie Hawkin's farm, outside Toronto, giving peace interviews.

The INSECTS
1964
Let's Bug The Beatles

This is the flip side of "Dear Beatles" by the Little Lady Beatles, which see.

Band of the IRISH Guards
1965
MARCHING WITH THE BEATLES (LP) (brass band style):
All My Loving
Yesterday
I'll Keep You Satisfied
From Me To You
A Hard Day's Night
She Loves You
Can't Buy Me Love
Things We Said Today
Michelle
It's For You
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Help! (personal favorite)

JACKIE and Jill
1964
I Want The Beatles For Christmas

Myles JACKSON
1966
BEATLES' BLAST IN STADIUM DESCRIBED BY ERUPTING FANS. (LP)

CR: This LP was recorded during the Beatles' August 15, 1965 concert at Shea Stadium. The thoughts of some of the fans who witnessed the concert are preserved forever on the disc.

The album put up on YouTube has a different jacket and name: BEATLES AT SHEA STADIUM - DESCRIBED BY ERUPTING FANS!, but is the exact same recording. Myles Jackson is the interviewer, producer and liner note writer. Something tells me he was a journalist...

The JAPANESE Beatles
1964
The Beatle Song (Japanese Style) Part I
The Beatle Song (Japanese Style) Part II

Harold JAY
1964
Don't Wanna Be A Beatle

JEANNIE and the Big Guys
1964
I Want You

Includes some Beatle-ish musical mannerisms. Is this the same "I Want You" performed by the Female Beatles?

JECKYLL & Hyde
1965
Frankenstein Meets The Beatles

JOEY & the Classics
1964
Ringo's Walk

JOHN & Paul
1964
To Be Or Not To Be

JOHN & Paul
1965
People Say (Love Is Blind)
I'm Walkin' (All Alone)

CR: Even though this is obviously not the real John and Paul, both of these songs very often appear on Beatle bootleg albums. There were rumors that the former Beatle Pete Best may be the artist on this record.

JOHNNY & the Hurricanes
1964
Saga Of The Beatles (based on "The Ballad of Davy Crockett")

Johnny & the Hurricanes had the 1959 hit "Red River Rock".

The JONES Boys
1964
Beatlemania (instrumental)

"Featuring Bongo Pete."

JUDY and the Duets
1964
Christmas With The Beatles

JUSTICE Department
1972
Let John And Yoko Stay In The USA

Mahendra KAPOOR with Kesri Mistry and his Orchestra
O Mere Champe De Daali ("A Hard Day's Night) (foreign - Hindi)

Anne KARINE
1964
Jeg Ensker Meg En Bitte Liten Beatle (foreign - Swedish or Norwegian)

An internet translator yields: "I Want You Bitte Little Beetle". I hope the untranslatable "bitte" is something nice.

Casey KASEM
1964
Letter From Elaina
Theme For Elaina (the Burbank Strings)

CR: A spoken word novelty from one of the country's leading DJ's. The background music is George Martin's instrumental version of "And I Love Her" taken from the United Artists A HARD DAY'S NIGHT sound track album.

Murry KELLUM
1964
I Dreamed I Was A Beatle

Kellum had the 1963 hit(?) "Long Tall Texan".

Gerard KENNY & the New York Band
1976
Get Back Beatles (Kenny)

The record label is International Committee To Reunite The Beatles 001. Supposedly, it was put out to help raise money to reunite the Beatles. (I wonder if it worked...)

Dave KING and the Royal Knights
1964
The Beatle Walk

Lenore KING & Tommy Anderson
1965
The Beatles Is Back Yea Yea (break-in novelty)

Includes a snippet of "Ah! che la morte ognora" from Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore". I mention that for opera fans.

Peter KNIGHT & his Orchestra1967
INSTRUMENTAL BEATLES THEMES FROM SGT. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (LP)

The link brings up a page showing the parody album cover. (Click on the little picture.) The album itself covers all the SGT. PEPPER songs except "Fixing A Hole" and "Benefit Of Mr. Kite".

Terry KNIGHT
1969
Saint Paul (Knight)

About the "Paul is dead" rumor. Another video claims to be the "original" version of this song, but I'll let someone else research the difference. Same song as "Saint Paul" by Shane.

The LADY-BUGS
1964
Liverpool
How Do You Do It

A YouTube comment says this group is the Murmaids, of "Popsicles and Icicles" fame.

The LADYBUGS
1964
Sooner Or Later

The LADY BUGS
1964
Fraternity U.S.A.
Who Sent This Love Note?

CR: Although the above three groups all share the same name (ignoring punctuation), they are not the same group.

Denny LAINE
1980
Japanese Tears (Laine)

CR: Wings' member Denny Laine wrote this song about Paul's Japanese drug bust.

Paula LAMONT
1964
A Beatle Meets A Ladybug

LARA & The Trailers
Run For Your Life (foreign - Singapore)

LARRY & Johnny
1964
Beatle Time Pt. 1
Beatle Time Pt. 2

CR: Larry and Johnny are Larry Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Williams released Dizzy Miss Lizzy and Bonie Moronie in the late fifties, songs which were later done by the Beatles and John Lennon respectively.

Veronica LEE with the Moniques
1964
Ringo Did It

Frankie LEHMANN
1964
A Long Day's Fight

Break-in record about the arrival of the Bedbugs in the U.S. Voices by Vic Mendolia.

John LEMON Trio
1964
Beatle Shuffle (Lemon) (instrumental)

Freddie LENNON
1965
That's My Life (My Love and Home)
The Next Time You Feel Important

CR: John's father, Freddie, suddenly showed up after the Beatles' success.

John LENNON & the Bleechers
1969
Ram You Hard Punch (reggae)

"John Lennon" is the Jamaican singer Leo Graham.

LI'L Wally plus the Venturas
1965
Welcome Beatles (based on "We Love You Conrad" from "Bye Bye Birdie") (polka)

LIPSTICK
1976
Come Back Beatles
The Fab Four-Four (instrumental)

Lipstick is the Irish group Horslips.

LITTLE Cheryl
1964
Yeh, Yeh, We Love 'Em All

The LITTLE Lady Beatles
1964
Dear Beatles (chipmunk style; personal favorite, almost. Not quite, but almost.)

This is the flip side of "Let's Bug The Beatles" by the Insects, which see.

The LIVERPOOL Beats
1964
THE LIVERPOOL BEATS - The New Merseyside Sound Recorded Live In Britain!!!! (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
I Want To Hold Your Hand
This Is What I Mean
Tell Me I'm The One
Joshua ("Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho")
Maybe I Will
I Saw Her Standing There (separate upload)
Seems To Me
Got To Get Another Girl
Your Kind Of Love
There I Go

A YouTube commentator remembers that her mom bought this album from a grocery store bin thinking it was Beatles, and she never told her otherwise. :-) This is the same album as MERSEYMANIA by Billy Pepper & the Pepperpots. See that entry for further discussion, and for the best audio of the complete album.

LIVERPOOL Express
1975
You Are My Love

While "Liverpool" may account for the Beatle connection, the song does sound a bit McCartney-esque.

The LIVERPOOL Five
1965
Heart
If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Dylan)
I Just Can't Believe It
Too Far Out (Jackie De Shannon) (very Dylan-esque)

As The 5 Liverpools:
Boom Boom

The members of the Liverpool Five did not come from Liverpool, but from the midlands and London. This, to my mind, bolsters the "Beatle novelty" status. (Somebody was trying to trick us, see?) The above should be enough to get you started, but you can find more on YouTube from their later singles and albums:

Sister Love
She's Mine
New Directions
What A Crazy World
Anyway That You Want Me
The Snake
Cloudy
She's (Got Plenty Of Love)
ARRIVE (LP)
OUT OF SIGHT (LP)

The LIVERPOOL Kids
1964
BEATTLE MASH (LP, Palace 777) (Beatle cash-in):
She Loves You
Why Don't You Set Me Free
Let Me Tell You
Take A Chance
Swinging Papa
Three Me Baby
I'm Lost Without You
You Are The One
Pea Jacket Hop
Japanese Beatles
Lookout For Charlie

The album gives three different artist names: The Liverpool Kids on the cover; The Liverpool Moptops on the back of the jacket; and The Schoolboys on the record label. Because of this mess, Reinhart figured that this album was the same as that by the Schoolboys (Palace 778, see below). But they're not the same, as you can see by comparing the track listings.

The LIVERPOOL Lads
1964
Scowser City

The LIVERPOOL Set
1965
Miss You So
Must I Tell You (I Love You)

1966
Oh Gee Girl
Change Your Mind (personal favorite)
Seventeen Tears To The End

The Liverpool Set is a Canadian band.

The LIVERPOOLS
1964
BEATLE MANIA! IN THE U.S.A. (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
She Loves You * (Same backing track used on "She Loves You" by the Wyncote Squirrels.)
Be My Girl (Same recording previously released as "Be my Girl" by the Dovells.)
   * (Same backing track used on "Be My Girl" by the Wyncote Squirrels.)
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Hey, Quiet Down There! * (Same backing track used on "Hey, Quiet Down There!" by the Wyncote Squirrels.)
Did You Ever Get My Letter * (Same backing track used on "Did You Ever Get My Letter?" by the Wyncote Squirrels.)
I Saw Her Standing There
Never Mind * (Same backing track used on "Never Mind" by the Wyncote Squirrels.)
Please, Please Me
Chuck's Monster (Same recording previously released as "Chuck's Monster" by Chuck Merriam.)
Whenever I'm Feeling Low (Same recording previously released as by the Emblems.)
   * (Same backing track used on "Whenever I'm Feeling Low" by the Wyncote Squirrels.)

* Note the overlap of song selection here with the WYNCOTE SQUIRRELS album, which see. Both albums are on the Wyncote label. And, guess what, the songs common to both albums use the exact same backing track!

The LIVERPOOLS
Soho

Found here on the album, "Texas Punk, 1966: Vol. 9 - The Far-Out Sounds Of 12 Groovy Groups". A Texas group with English accents recording an advertising jingle for Thom McAn shoes, huh???

The LIVERS
1964
Beatle Time (instrumental)

The label tells us that "Livers" is an alias for the Chicagoans. To my ears, "Beatle Time" is a rave-up melding of "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand".

LONG John and the Silvermen
1966
Heart Filled With Love
Wind In The Sky
One Time Loser
Plus more...

Did the group take its name from Long John and the Silver Beatles?

Dick LORD
1964
Like Ringo (parody of Lorne Greene's "Ringo".)

The LORDS
1968
Cut My Hair

Released in Germany.

Donna LYNN
1964
My Boyfriend Got A Beatle Haircut
I Had A Dream I Was A Beatle (personal favorite)
My Bonnie Beatles (based on "My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean")

MAD Englishmen & the Furys
1964
Beatlemania

The MANCHESTERS
1964
BEATLERAMA (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
I Want To Hold Your Hand
She Loves You
Wearying, Worrying Blues * (Same backing track used on "Wearying, Worrying Blues" by the Beatle Buddies.)
I Waited * (Same backing track used on "I Waited" by the Beatle Buddies.)
My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean *
Blue Waves
Shortening Bread *
Little Miss Margie (really "Please Please Me")
The Beatles Move
Oh, What A Sorry Day

1964
BEATLERAMA, Vol. 2 (LP):
Please, Please Me
My Bonnie
She's The One
Love Has No Strings
She's My Love
Come To Me
Why
Joni
Summer Sweethearts
Satan's Little Angels
Slippin' Through Your Fingers
Waiting For You (skip to 2:06)

Independent sources say that these Manchesters were really the American group, the Chartbusters. They had a minor 1964 hit, She's The One, in which you can hear shades of "I Saw Her Standing There".

* On the first BEATLERAMA album, note the overlap of song selection with the BEATLE BUDDIES album, which see. Both albums are on the Diplomat label. You can hear that two of the songs common to both albums use the exact same backing tracks on both albums, and I suspect we'd find the same for "My Bonnie" and "Shortening Bread".

The MANCHESTERS
1965
I Don't Come From England (David Gates) (shades of "Bread and Butter")

CR: It sounds like David Gates (later leader of Bread) doing the singing.

Peggy MARCH
John, Paul, George Und Ringo

Released in West Germany. Little Peggy March had the 1963 hit "I Will Follow Him".

Ernie MARESCA
1964
The Beetle Dance

Maresca had the 1962 hit "Shout Shout (Knock Yourself Out)".

Al MARTIN Six
1964
Baby Beatle Walk

Trade MARTIN
1964
Liverpool Baby

Martin had a minor 1962 hit, "That Stranger Used To Be My Girl".

Bonnie Jo MASON
1964
Ringo, I Love You
Beatle Blues (instrumental; same recording as "Uncle Kev" by Harvey & Doc with the Dwellers!)

CR: Bonnie Jo Mason turned out to be none other than Cher. The record was produced by Phil Spector.

The MERRY Elves
1973
Rock And Roll Around The Christmas Tree (chipmunk style; personal favorite)
I Love Christmas

The Merry Elves were Milton, Ringo & Sleepy. If you enjoyed it half as much as me, you can double your pleasure by listening again to the song at half speed. Band chatter confirms that Ringo is the drummer. I was moved to provide full song lyrics in a YouTube comment.

The MERSEY Beats
1964
LIVERPOOL A GO GO (LP) (Beatle cash-in)
ENGLAND'S BEST SELLERS (LP)
THE MERSEY BEATS! (LP)
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (LP)
ENGLAND'S BEST SELLERS, VOLUME II (LP)

No Beatle songs on LIVERPOOL A GO GO, but quite a few on the other albums. THE MERSEY BEATS! is the same album as Billy Pepper & the Pepperpots' MERSEYMANIA. See that entry for further discussion, and for the best audio of the complete album.

The MERSEY Beats U.S.A.
1965
You'll Come Back (personal favorite. I'm a sucker for 6/8.)
Nobody Loves Me That Way

The MERSEYBEATS
Mr. Moonlight

I add an entry for the (one-word) Merseybeats to emphasize that they were NOT a Beatle novelty act. They formed in Liverpool in 1962 and were active alongside the Beatles. "Mr. Moonlight" was the flip side of their U.K. hit, "I Think Of You", which was released in January 1964. The Beatles recorded "Mr. Moonlight" in October 1964.

THE MERSEYBOYS
1964
THE 15 GREATEST SONGS OF THE BEATLES (LP):
From Me To You
All My Loving
Please Please Me
It Won't Be Long
Misery
She Loves You
I'll Get You
I Wanna Be Your Man
Don't Bother Me
Hold Me Tight
Thank You Girl
All I've Got To Do
Ask Me Why
Do You Want To Know A Secret
I Want To Hold Your Hand

The album cover shows large portraits of George, Paul and John, and is definitely designed to fool you into thinking it's a Beatle album. The Merseyboys were really the Brumbeats, and their web page says they appeared on bills with the Beatles when they performed in the Birmingham area.

The MERSEY Lads
1966
What'cha Gonna Do Baby (personal favorite. More 6/8, ummmhh...)
Johnny No Love

Reinhart had the Mersey Lads on his list, but I wouldn't count them as a Beatle novelty act. The group name is justified since they really were from Liverpool, and you wouldn't call their songs or sound Beatle-ish.

The MERSEY Monsters
1965
I Feel Mine (parody of "I Feel Fine")
Buried Across The Mersey (parody of "Ferry Cross The Mersey")
Watch Your Step

According to the narrator of the "Watch Your Step" video, the Mersey Monsters really were from Liverpool. In any case, an "I Feel Fine" parody counts as a Beatle novelty. Also, notice their instruments, George's Gretsch guitar and Paul's Hofner bass.

The MERSEY Sounds
1966
Get On Your Honda And Ride
Honda Holiday

The MERSEYS
Sorrow

I add an entry for the Merseys to emphasize that they were NOT a Beatle novelty act. The two main members of the Liverpool group the Merseybeats (see above) became the Merseys in 1966. They had a big hit with "Sorrow". It was a favorite record of George Harrison, and you'll hear he used the opening line in his own song, "It's All Too Much".

Rex MILLER
Ringo's Doctor (break-in novelty) (correct speed)
Ringo's Doctor (plays fast, but see record label here.)

MINUTE Men
1964
Please Keep The Beatles In England

Mahani MOHD & Jopie
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (foreign - Malaysian)

Bob MOLINE
1964?
Beatle Stomp (not the Exterminators' "Beatle Stomp")

Lou MONTE
1964
I Want To Hold Your Hand (skip to 40:05) (foreign - Italian)

Harv MOORE
1965
Interview With The Fab Four (break-in novelty)

MORAN
1973
The Beatles' Thing

CR: This Canadian group did a song about the break-up of the Beatles.

Bud MORROW and his Orchestra
1964
BIG BAND BEATLEMANIA (LP) (big band style):
Please Please Me
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Roll Over Beethoven
Bits And Pieces
All My Loving
Bonnie ("My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean")
She Loves You
Twist And Shout
Can't Buy Me Love
Needles And Pins
Glad All Over
I Saw Her Standing There

The MOSQUITOES
Don't Bug Me/He's a Loser

CR: The Mosquitoes appeared on an episode of tv's "Gilligan's Island." The TV Guide description says "The mop-topped Mosquitoes arrive on the island seeking refuge." The Mosquitoes are: Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Irving. The group is played by Les Brown, Jr. and the Wellingtons, the group that sang the show's theme song. They sing He's A Loser and other miscellaneous music in the show. The castaways want the group to leave so they can get help and be rescued. First the men form a group of their own, hoping the Mosquitoes will like them and want them for an opening act. They call themselves the Bugs. But, they're so bad that the Mosquitoes want nothing to do with them. Then it's the girls' turn. They form the Honey Bees (which see) and sing You Need Me. But they turn out to be so good that the Mosquitoes are afraid that if they take them back they will soon be more popular than the Mosquitoes. So the group leaves the island during the night and doesn't tell anyone about the castaways.

Gene MOSS
1964
I Want To Bite Your Hand (from Moss's DRACULA'S GREATEST HITS LP) ("answer song")

The MOTIONS
1964
Beatle Drums (instrumental, with shouts of "Ringo!")
Long Hair (based on "Short Shorts")

Zeke MULLINS
1964
Beatle Fan (bluegrass style; based on "Boll Weevil Song")

Compare with "The Four Beatles" by Homer and Jethro and "Boll Weevil Song" by Tex Ritter.

The MYSTERY Tour
1969
Ballad Of Paul
Ballad Of Paul (Follow The Bouncing Ball) (skip to 5:07; sounds like the A side to me)

The Mystery Tour was an alias for Bob Brady and the Con Chords, a popular Maryland band in the sixties. They opened for many big acts.

NAN & JAN
1964
Beetle Bop

Jimmy NICOL & the Shubdubs
1965
Humpty Dumpty (ska)
Night Train

CR: Jimmy was the drummer for the Beatles for a short time in 1964 while Ringo was ill. Both sides of this one are instrumentals and are very heavy on drums.

The label on DJ copies of the record actually states, "Jimmy Nicol, now with the Beatles." For more work by Jimmy Nicol, see the BEATLEMANIA LP (Top Six label) filed under Unidentified Artist below. Nicol also drummed for the Spotnicks on albums released in 1966 and 1967.

NILSSON
1967
From PANDEMONIUM SHADOW SHOW (LP):
You Can't Do That
She's Leaving Home

Harry Nilsson's "You Can't Do That" weaves together titles and lyrics and musical bits from 16 or so Beatle songs.

Jack NITZSCHE and His Orchestra
1964
From DANCE TO THE HITS OF THE BEATLES (LP):
Beatle-Mania (instrumental Beatle medley)

The other tracks on the album are Nitzsche's arrangements of Beatle songs.

OGNIR & the Nite People
1964
I Found A New Love (garage)
All My Heart (doo-wop)

Beatle novelty status subsists in Ognir = ringO backwards.

Little Jimmy OSMOND
1972
Long Haired Lover From Liverpool

I add this, not because it gives me any pleasure, but because, how could anyone hear it without the Beatles coming to mind? Long male hair... Liverpool... There are a lot of entries here with a lot less than that going for them. And look at the weird coincidence with the next song in line...

The OUTSIDERS
1965
The Guy With The Long Liverpool Hair

This is not the Outsiders who had the 1966 hit, "Time Won't Let Me".

Gigi PARKER & the Lonelies
1964
Beatles Please Come Back (personal favorite)

Gram PARSONS featuring Rick Grech
1973
Ain't No Beatle, Ain't No Rolling Stone (Sanders)

Same song as Ain't No Beatle" by Gary Sanders (original) and "Ya No Hay Beatles" by Los Apson.

The PATTY Cakes
1964
I Understand Them (A Love Song To The Beatles)
I Understand Them (Instrumental)

The Jaynetts recorded this as the Patty Cakes. The line, "Mom and dad, they put them down," is kind of funny given that lead singer Idy Lynn's mom, Lona Stevens, was co-writer, and her father, Abner Spector, was procducer of this record.

Lafawn PAUL
1964
You Can Hold My Hand ("answer song")

Tom PAXTON
1969
Crazy John (Paxton) (for John Lennon, they say)

PEARL Sisters
Yesterday (foreign - Korean?)

The Pearl Sisters were two Korean women named Bae In Soon and Bae In Sook.

The PEOPLE
1978
Come Back Beatles
Come Back Beatles (Cont.)

Billy PEPPER & the Pepperpots
1964
MERSEYMANIA (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
I Want To Hold Your Hand
This Is What I Mean
Tell Me I'm The One
Jericho ("Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho ")
Maybe I Will
I Saw Her Standing There
Seems To Me
I'll Have To Get Another Girl
Your Kind Of Love
There I Go
BEAT!!!!! MORE MERSEYMANIA (LP):
She Loves You
In A Little While
Tell Me Now
Night Without End
Won't You Come Out Tonight
Please Please Me (Billy's got grammar: "Please please me, whoa yeah, as I please you!")
Baby You Can Do No Wrong
I Don't Need You
What Shall I Do
Don't Tell Me You Don't Know

MERSEYMANIA is the exact same album as the BEATS!!!!, THE LIVERPOOL BEATS, and the MERSEY BEATS! albums. To help confuse matters, the cover design and photos for the BEATS!!!! album are the same as for MORE MERSEYMANIA. The LIVERPOOL BEATS album uses different photos from the same shoot. Don't quote me, but I doubt they are the actual musicians.

The YouTube poster has kindly provided time tags for each song. "Jericho" is called "Joshua" on the BEATS!!!! album. "There I Go" has a touch of the "Please Please Me" guitar riff. This is where Paul got his inspiration for the Sgt. Pepper band. (Just kidding.)

PETER, Paul & Mary
1967
I Dig Rock & Roll Music

CR: In "I Dig Rock & Roll Music", Peter, Paul, and Mary imitate several artists including the Beatles, Donovan, and the Mamas And Papas.

Does anyone else hear a shade of the Beach Boys' "Don't Worry Baby" ("but she looks in my eyes, and makes me realize...") in that doubly arching musical phrase ("and when the Beatles tell you, they've got a word "love" to sell you")? Moreover, I think John Lennon reworked it in "(Just Like) Starting Over" ("but when I see you, darling...")

Dori PEYTON
1964
Ringo Boy (based on "Billy Boy") (skip to 3:54)

The PHAETONS
1964
The Beatle Walk (doo-wop) (personal favorite; same recording as "The Beatle Walk" by the Scramblers.)

CR: Jan and Dean are reported to have been involved in this record. However, their names do not appear anywhere on the label.

Eva PILAROVA
1966
Já cekám dál ("Can't Buy Me Love") (foreign - Czechoslovakia)

Dick PILLAR and his Orchestra
1964
Beatle Song (polka style)

Viv PRINCE
1966
Minuet For Ringo (personal favorite)

CR: Prince drummed for the Pretty Things, the Jeff Beck Group and the String Band.

PROFESSOR Bug
1964
Beatlemania Pts. 1 & 2 (break-in novelty)

Notice also the label - Beetle Records. Part 2 has most or all of the Beatle songs, which I think are cover versions.

Donny RAE & the Defiants
1964
Beatle Mania

RAINBO
1969
John You Went Too Far This Time

CR: Rainbo was the soon-to-be-famous actress Sissy Spacek. In this novelty she scolded John for appearing nude on the cover of the album TWO VIRGINS.

The RAINBOWS
1964
My Ringo (doo-wop)

RAJAHS
1964
BEATLEMANIA: TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES (EP)

I couldn't find the EP, but here's an Australian tv performance of I Want To Hold Your Hand. The Rajahs were known as "Australia's Beatles". Here's another song done by them, Kiss Me Now, which was originally intended for Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Del RANDLE
1964
Introducing The Beatles To Monkey Land (with Garnell Cooper & The Kinfolks)
The Monkey & The Beatles (with Booker T. and the MG's)

REAL Original Beetles
1964
The Beetle Song, Pt. 1
The Beetle Song, Pt. 2

Cindy RELLA
1964
Bring Me A Beatle For Christmas (Phillips)
Cla-wence

"Cindy Rella" is really Colleen Lovett. Lovett married bandleader Teddy Phillips, who wrote "Bring Me A Beatle..." and whose orchestra is featured on the record. If more evidence is wanted, the flip side, "Cla-wence", was also released on a 45 crediting Colleen Lovett. Does anyone know what's with her voice, or accent?

The RESIDENTS
1979
From MEET THE RESIDENTS (LP):
Beyond The Valley Of A Day In The Life

CR: There are two different album jackets for MEET THE RESIDENTS. The first shows the Beatles' MEET THE BEATLES jacket with moustaches, beards, fangs, horns, etc. drawn on the picture. The second shows a pose similar to that on the "She Loves You" picture sleeve. John, Paul and George have the heads of crayfish and Ringo has the head of a starfish. The names on the jackets are Paul McCrawfish, John Crawfish, George Crawfish and Ringo Starfish.

Gary RHAMY
1964
Invasion Of The Bagels

Joshua RIFKIN and the Baroque Ensemble of the Merseyside Kammermusickgesellschaft
1965
THE BAROQUE BEATLES BOOK (LP) (classical style; personal favorite):
1. The Royal Beatleworks Musicke, MBE 1963
Overture: I Want To Hold Your Hand
Rejouissance: I'll Cry Instead
La Paix: Things We Said Today
L'Amour s'en cachant: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Les Plaisirs: Ticket To Ride

2. Epstein Variations, MBE 69A: Hold Me Tight
(Murray the Klavierkitzler)

3. "Last Night I Said," Cantata For The Third Saturday After Shea Stadium, MBE 58,000
Chorus: "Last Night I Said" (Please Please Me)
Recitative: "In They Came Jorking"
Aria: "When I Was Younger" (Help!)
Chorale: "You Know, If You Break My Heart" (I'll Be Back)
Harold Breines, Helpentenor.
The Canby Singers, Edward Tatnall Canby, Director

4. Trio Sonata: Das Kaferlein MBE 004 1/4
Grave-Allegro-Grave: Eight Days A Week
Quodlibette: She Loves You/Thank You Girl/Hard Day's Night

Eleanor RIGBY
1970
Father McKenzie (Tom Scott/Bob Thiele)

Billy Lee RILEY
1964
HARMONICA BEATLEMANIA (LP) (harmonica instrumental style):
Love Me Do
I Cry Instead
Hard Day's Night
Can't Buy Me Love
She Loves You
I Saw Her Standing There
Please Please Me
Tell My Why
All My Loving
I Should Have Known Better, Part I
Ringo's Theme (This Boy)
I Should Have Known Better, Part II

Ron RINGO
1964
Ringo's Jerk

The RINGOS
1964
Ain't No Big Thing (surf instrumental)
Blue Feeling

The ROACHES
1964
Beatlemania Blues
Angel Of Angels

BOBBY ROBERTS
1964
The Beatles For Christmas

Is this Bobby Roberts and His Orchestra? His recordings that show up on the web are from the late 1950s.

The ROOGALATOR
1976
ALL ABOARD WITH THE ROOGALATOR (EP):
All Aboard
Cincinnati Fatback

The Beatle connection is the EP cover in the style of WITH/MEET THE BEATLES.

Mary ROOS
1970
Für Uns Beide ("And I Love Her") (foreign - German)

Ray RUFF and the Checkmates
1964
Beatle Maniacs (Buddy Holly sound)

Bobby RUSSELL and the Beagles
1964
Roll Over Beethoven
Right Or Wrong

Peter RYAN
1973
If We Try
I Can Hear Music

Without having found the songs on YouTube, I don't know what the Beatle connection is.

Erick SAINT LAURENT
1966
Eleonor Rigby (foreign - French)

Arlen SANDERS
1964
Letter To Paul (skip to 3:15)

Sanders was a popular DJ for KLRA. The letter works in lots of Beatle song titles.

Gary SANDERS
1964
Ain't No Beatle (Sanders-John Cale)

Same song covered as "Ain't No Beatle, Ain't No Rolling Stone" by Gram Parsons featuring Rick Grech and "Ya No Hay Beatles" by Los Apson.

SANTO & Johnny
1964
THE BEATLES GREATEST HITS (LP) (rock band/big band style):
A Hard Day's Night
Do You Want To Know A Secret
She Loves You
I Want To Hold Your Hand
The Beatle Blues *
I Saw Her Standing There
And I Love Her
All My Loving
P.S. I Love You
Please Please Me
The Beatle Stomp *
Can't Buy Me Love

CR: Here, Santo and Johnny Farina do their instrumental versions of Beatle hits, plus a couple of Beatle novelties (*) which they wrote. They had the 1959 hit "Sleep Walk".

Santo plays a steel (Hawaiian) guitar and Johnny plays a hollow body electric guitar. The back of the album has photo portraits of the four Beatles.

The SAXONS
1964
TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES (EP)
From MEET THE SAXONS (LP):
I Saw Her Standing There
A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues (recorded by the Beatles for the BBC)
Needles And Pins (hit for the Searchers)
If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody (hit for Freddie & the Dreamers)
Little Children (hit for Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas)

I couldn't find the EP listed by Reinhart, so I chose five songs from MEET THE SAXONS (I wonder where they got that album title?) which I thought might be of interest to Beatle fans.

SAXTONS
1964
The Beatle Dance

The SCHOOLBOYS
1964
BEATLE MANIA (LP, Palace 778) (Beatle cash-in):
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Loneliness
Twist And Shout
You Don't Even Care
Now You're Gone
Birdland
I Couldn't Take It
Since My Lover Said Goodbye
Did You Tell Him
She Knows
Take A Chance

The album gives three different artist names: The Schoolboys on the cover; The Liverpool Moptops on the back of the jacket; and The Moptops on the record label. Because of this mess, Reinhart figured that this album was the same as that by the Liverpool Kids (Palace 777, see above), which credits the Schoolboys on the record label. But they're not the same, as you can see by comparing the track listings.

The SCRAMBLERS
1964
The Beatle Walk (Same recording as "The Beatle Walk" by the Phaetons.)
The Beatle Blues

In the latter, I hear no Beatle references in lyrics.

Peter SELLERS
1966
A Hard Day's Night
Help!

CR: Done in typical Sellers' comedy style.

SEX Beatles
1979
Well You Never
Fatal Fascination

A take-off on both the Beatles and the Sex Pistols. "Well You Never" continues with, "...should have shown me the way to rock 'n' roll."

The SHAGGY Boys
1966
Stop The Clock

Shades of "Twist & Shout" in the music; otherwise, no strong Beatle connection except for the hairy name.

SHAN Kuan Liu Yun
Can't Buy Me Love/I Saw Her Standing There (foreign - Cantonese)

Artist from Singapore, if I understand correctly.

SHANE
1969
Saint Paul (Knight) (personal favorite)

Same song as "Saint Paul" by Terry Knight (original). Shane was a popular New Zealand singer.

Billy SHEARS & the All-Americans
1969
Brother Paul

I don't hear much in the lyrics connecting this specifically to Beatle Paul, but I suppose the performer's name makes the "Paul is dead" connection unavoidable.

Neil SHEPPARD
1964
You Can't Go Far Without A Guitar (Unless You're Ringo Starr) (shades of "Peggy Sue")

Notice the typo on the record label, "You Can't Go Far With A Guitar..."

Allan SHERMAN
1964
I Hate The Beatles

CR: Also appears under the title, "Pop Hates The Beatles". It is done to the tune of "Pop Goes The Weasel" and is very well done. Sherman's big hit had been "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" in 1963.

me: Music to pull your ears out by.

The SILHOUETTES
I Saw Him Standing There (foreign - Chinese) (personal favorite)

SILVER Convention
1978
The Boys From Liverpool
A Song About The Boys From Liverpool

Beatles done disco. The first one incorporates Lady Madonna, Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, Eleanor Rigby, Nowhere Man, Eight Days A Week, Can't Buy Me Love, Yellow Submarine, Yesterday, and Hey Jude.

Ed SOLOMON
1964
The Beatle Flying Saucer (break-in novelty; uses some real Beatle bits)

SOUPY Sales
1966
That Wasn't No Girl

Same song as "The Guy With The Long Liverpool Hair" by the Outsiders (original).

Smith SPADACHENE aka the Harmonica Kid
1964
Beatle Twist

One web source calls this "the world's worst Beatles tribute record." If so, that's saying something.

The SPARROWS
1964
THAT MERSEY SOUND! (LP):
She Loves You
Love Me Do
Do You Want To Know A Secret
I Wanna Be Your Man (Stones-y rendition)
I'll Keep You Satisfied
Please Please Me
I Want To Hold Your Hand
I'm Tellin' You Now
How Do You Do It
You Were made For Me
I Like It
From Me To You

Simo Ja SPEDE
1966
Keltainen Jäänsärkijä ("Yellow Submarine") (foreign - Finnish)

The STANDELLS
1964
Peppermint Beatle

The STARLETTES
1964
Ringo (written, arranged and produced by Anne Phillips of the Starlettes)

Tracy STEEL
1964
A Letter To Paul

Pat & Tina STERN
Sie Waren Die Helden Der 60-ziger Jahre ("They Were The Heroes Of The 60's") (foreign - German)

Pat und Tina sind Zwillingsschwestern (twin sisters).

Patty SURBEY with the Canadian V.I.P.'s
(I Want) A Beatle For Christmas

The SWANS
1964
The Boy With The Beatle Hair (personal favorite)

Die SWEETIES
Ich Wünsch Mir Zum Geburtstag Einen Beatle ("I Want A Beatle For My Birthday") (foreign - German)

Les SWIFTS
I Saw Her Standing There (foreign - French)

TECHNIQUES Band
And I Love Her (foreign - Mandarin Chinese)

The TEEN Bugs
1964
Yes, You Can Hold My Hand ("answer song")

The Teen Bugs were also called the Girls.

The TERMITES
Lemon Tree
Mr. Tambourine Man

A group formed by "F Troop" characters in the episode featuring the Bedbugs, which see.

Darlene TERRI
1964
Ringo Ringo (based on "Reuben And Rachel", i.e., "Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking...")

THREE Blonde Mice
1964
Ringo Bells (Christmas record; based on "Jingle Bells")

The TRIBUTES
1964
Ringo Dingo
Here Comes Ringo

The TRIXIES
1964
We Love You Beatles (based on "We Love You Conrad" from "Bye Bye Birdie")

Same song as "We Love You Beatles" by the Carefrees (original). The Trixies have an acoustic guitar backing.

The TWILITERS
1964
My Beatle Hair Cut (doo-wop)

UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
Quiero Tomar Tu Mano ("I Want To Hold Your Hand") (foreign - Spanish)

If YouTube treats you as it does me, it will generate a 50+ song "Mix - The Beatles en Espagñol".

UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (foreign - Bulgarian)

UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
Let It Be (foreign - Russian)

UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
1964
BEAT-A-MANIA! (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
She Loves You
In A Little While
Tell Me Now
Night Without End
Won't You Come Out Tonight
Please Please Me
Baby You Can Do No Wrong
I Don't Need You
What Shall I Do
Don't Tell Me You Don't Know

This is the same album as BEAT!!!!! MORE MERSEYMANIA by Billy Pepper & the Pepperpots. That one has better sound quality.

UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
1964
BEATLEMANIA (LP) (Top Six label):
Till There Was You
Please Mr. Postman
Twist And Shout
All My Loving
She Loves You
I Wanna Be Your Man
Love Me Do
Please Please Me
Money
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Roll Over Beethoven
From Me To You

According to Gareth L. Pawlowski in his book, "How They Became The Beatles", "Jimmy Nicol [who filled in for Ringo on part of the Beatles' 1964 world tour] was familiar with most of the Beatles' songs since he had performed on a BEATLEMANIA LP of anonymous cover versions of Beatles songs released on the Top Six label." And here you have it...

UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
1966
THE BEATLES HITS IN BRASS AND PERCUSSION (LP) (big band style):
I Feel Fine
All My Loving
Yesterday (groovy jungle drums)
A Hard Day's Night (very sensuous)
Can't Buy Me Love
Michelle
Help!
And I Love Her
We Can Work It Out
Eight Days A Week

Arrangements by Tony Esposito. An Audio Fidelity recording demonstrating "exceptionally brilliant sound reproduction."

UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST
1965
SING A SONG WITH THE BEATLES - Instrumental Background Re-creations Of Their Big Hits (LP):
A Hard Day's Night
I Saw Her Standing There
Love Me Do
She Loves You
Please Please Me
She's A Woman
I Feel Fine
P.S. I Love You
Can't Buy Me Love
All My Lovin'
I Want To Hold Your Hand

CR: The rumors run wild about this album, with some people claiming the Beatles themselves are playing these instrumentals. True or not, the album commands a high price. The Beatles' pictures are on the jacket which also makes it a collector's item. The fold-open jacket has the lyrics to all the songs along with the chord symbols and guitar fingering charts.

I concur, this album really makes you wonder! Yes, you may be able to pick out some differences in A-B comparisons with the Beatles' released versions, but you might still be left with a nagging feeling that this is just too uncanny. I am, at least.

Here's one small sound file as an example. It's a snippet from "Love Me Do". You hear it three times. First is the left (bass-y) channel of the fake stereo version on the PLEASE PLEASE ME LP. Next is the corresponding spot in the mono SING A SONG WITH THE BEATLES version. Thirdly, the right (treble-y) channel of the Beatles' version. Your mission is to tune out all overdubbed material and the difference in sound quality, and pick out little differences in the drum work, bass line, and/or acoustic guitar work. Yes, you can do it, but, but but...

Adding to the mystery is that Tower was a Capitol subsidiary. What did they have access to? Perhaps the biggest mindbender is "She Loves You". The Beatles and the sing-along verion proceed in virtual lockstep. Picking out differences in the backing tracks is exasperating (for my ears, at least). BUT... the sing-along version is half a step flat! What possible explanation is there for that? Could they change pitch without changing speed back then? And why would they do it? You can't even play along using the chord symbols given in the album jacket.

Here's a final clue for you all: the feedback intro to "I Feel Fine" is DEFINITELY the same as the Beatles'. (Or is it?)

The UPFRONTS
1964
Do The Beetle
Most Of The Pretty Girls (doo-wop)

I couldn't find "Do The Beatle", so hear the great sounding flip side.

The U S BEETLE WIGS
1964
She's So Innocent (Oh Yeah!)
Finger Poppin' Girl

The first one is Beatle-themed ("I bought a wig like the Beatles wear..."), the latter has a few "yeah yeah yeah"s.

Gary USHER
1964
The Beetle (Usher, co-writer)

The Beetle is a dance, "everybody's learning how."

CR: Gary Usher and Roger Christian produced THE BEATLES STORY album.

Penny VALENTINE
1964
I Want To Kiss Ringo Goodbye

"Ringo got married... She's a lucky girl; I hate her!" Valentine reviewed singles for the British pop music magazine, Disc.

VARIOUS ARTISTS
ORIGINAL LIVERPOOL BEAT (LP):
1964
I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Typhoons)
She Loves You (The Typhoons)
From Me To You (The Typhoons)
Please Please Me (The Typhoons)
Twist And Shout (Ray Pilgrim)
Bad To Me (Mike Redway)
I'll Keep You Satisfied (Mike Redway)
Do You Want To Know A Secret? (Mike Redway)
How Do You Do It? (Bobby Stevens)
I'm The One (Les Carle & The Beatmen)
I Like It (Ray Pilgrim)
You'll Never Walk Alone (Ray Pilgrim)
Hippy Hippy Shake (The Typhoons)
I Think Of You (The Typhoons)

The VERNON Girls
1964
We Love The Beatles (Beatlemania)

CR: Lyn Cornell and Betty Prescott of this group were also members of the Carefrees, who recorded their own Beatle novelty, "We Love You Beatles".

VICE-ROYS
1964
Liverpool (instrumental)

VITO and the Salutations
1964
Liverpool Bound (doo-wop)

Sample lyric: "She loves you, no, no, no. I don't want to hold your hand."

The VULCANES
1964
Liverpool (instrumental)

Not the same song as "Liverpool" by the Vice-Roys; in fact it's the same song as "Applejack" by Jet Harris & Tony Meehan (1963).

The WEASELS
1964
THE LIVERPOOL BEAT (LP) (Beatle cash-in):
I Want To Hold Your Hand
She Loves You
My Bonnie
Green Sleeves
Danny Boy
From Me To You
I Saw Her Standing There
Way Down Upon The Swanee River
This Little Light Of Mine
Corrine, Corrina

The WEEKENDS
1964
Ringo
I Want You

Backing band is The DJ's. "Ringo" includes the lyric, "Ringo, I want you so," which makes me wonder if the flip side is somehow related.

The WHIPPETS
1964
Go Go Go With Ringo

Jack WHITE
I Ain't No Beatle

Same song as "I Ain't No Beatle" by Jerry Foster.

Bobby WILDING
1964
I Want To Be A Beatle
Since I've Been Wearing My Hair Like A Beatle

Arthur WILKINSON and His Orchestra
1965
THE BEATLE CRACKER SUITE (EP) (classical style; personal favorite):
1st Movement: From Me To You
2nd Movement: Can't Buy Me Love
3rd Movement: She Loves You
4th Movement: Help!
5th Movement: It's For You
6th Movement: Ticket To Ride
7th Movement: All My Loving
(Here's something to look at. Click on the EP cover)

This work melds Beatle songs with Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite". It appears to go by two names, "Beatle Cracker Suite" and "Beatle Cracker Ballet". You'll find ep jackets showing either name, but they both list the same 7 songs treated.

CR: One of the first records released setting Beatle tunes to a classical style.

Little Eddie WOODS
1964
Bug Killer (instrumental)

The WYNCOTE Squirrels
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (LP) (chipmunk style):
A Hard Day's Night
All My Loving
Never Mind * (Same backing track used on "Never Mind" by the Liverpools.)
And I Love Her
Did You Ever Get My Letter? * (Same backing track used on "Did You Ever Get My Letter?" by the Liverpools.)
She Loves You * (Same backing track used on "She Loves You" by the Liverpools.)
I Should Have Known Better
Be My Girl * (Same backing track used on "Be My Girl" by the Liverpools.)
Hey, Quiet Down There! * (Same backing track used on "Hey, Quiet Down There!" by the Liverpools.)
Whenever I'm Feeling Low * (Same backing track used on "Whenever I'm Feeling Low" by the Liverpools.)

According to people who seem to know, this album was originally credited to the Four Chipmunks. Then, probably at the insistence of Theodore, Simon, and Alvin's lawyers, it was reissued as by the Wyncote Squirrels. I have not been able to find either of those names on any of the album covers or record labels I've seen on the web. You can see they're not squirrels, but I won't fight it.

* Note the overlap of song selection here with the BEATLE MANIA! IN THE U.S.A. album by the Liverpools, which see. Both albums are on the Wyncote label, and the songs common to both albums use the exact same backing track. If your curiosity takes you a step further, though, you will find that the Chipmunk vocals are not the Liverpools' vocals raised an octave.

WYNKEN, Blinken, and Nod and the Golden Rock-a-Twisters
DANCE AND SING MOTHER GOOSE WITH A BEATLE BEAT (LP):
Old King Cole - twist
There Was An Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe - twist
London Bridge - rock-a-cha-cha
Hickory Dickory-Dock - mashed potato
Three Blind Moose - blue beat "SKA"
Georgie Porgie - slop
Little Miss Muffet - bo diddley
Jack And Jill - chickenback
One-Two, Help Find My Shoe - hully gully
Humpty, Dumpty - frug
Hey Diddle Diddle, The Cat And The Fiddle - twist
Wouldn't It Be Funny? - bobby bossa nova

Music by Milton DeLugg and George Brackman. Lyrics by Jeff Harris and Ann DeLugg. See the Blue Beats' DANCE DISCOTHEQUE BEATLE BEAT album for the exact, same backing tracks, but with melody guitar work overlaid instead of vocals.

Pat WYNTER
1964
Ringo, I Want To Know Your Secret (based on "Do You Want To Know A Secret")

The Leon YOUNG String Chorale
1964
From LIVERPOOL SOUND FOR STRINGS (LP):
John, Paul, George & Ringo

The liner notes describe Leon Young as "a brilliant British maestro... identified with the arrangements on many, many hit recordings."

The YOUNG World Singers
1964
Ringo For President
A Boy Like That

Keep in mind, 1964 was an election year. Same song as "Ringo For President" by Rolf Harris. Is the flip side here the song from Bernstein's "West Side Story"?

ZACHERIAS & the Tree People
1969
We're All Paul Bearers
We're All Paul Bearers, Pt. II

Based on the "Paul is dead" rumor.

Frank ZAPPA & The Mothers Of Invention
1968
From WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY (LP):
Flower Punk (based on "Hey Joe")

There's no Beatle music on the album, but the cover is a parody of the centerfold of the SGT. PEPPER album (band members before a yellow background); and the centerfold is a parody of the SGT. PEPPER album cover (seen in the selected video.)

ZHANG Xiao Feng
Eight Days A Week (foreign - Chinese)

 
P.S. Note to pop archaeologists from the year 2525: The crushing majority of novelty songs devoted to Ringo doesn't necessarily mean he was the primary force within the Beatles. I would tread very lightly there...

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