Blossoming vocal lines were a Carpenters staple, and there are some great moments here, like the suspension on the word “insecure” at 1.02, and the big “aah” moment at 1.30.Ģ. The Carpenters’ body of work, riddled with cheesy soft-rock ballads, hasn’t enjoyed the staying power of The Beatles’ catalogue, but there is real skill in their musicianship and vocal arrangements, and both of those elements shine in this surprising cover song.ġ.
Musically, The Carpenters and The Beatles are different, sure, but similar enough that there isn’t the genre-crossing quirk factor of, just say, Chet Faker covering Blackstreet.īut as it turns out, The Carpenters made a bit of a habit of covering Beatles tunes “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “Ticket to Ride” are also in their repertoire.
For starters, they were basically contemporaries this version of “Help” was released only five years after the original, so there isn’t the nostalgia factor of, just say, Norah Jones covering Soundgarden. Our journey through International Cover Song Month continues with a song that is one of the most surprising covers I’ve heard in a long time.Īt first glance, The Carpenters seem like the least likely band to do an effective re-work of a Beatles song.
