'We Can Work It Out – Covers of The Beatles 1962-1966' Releases November 24

We Can Work It Out – Covers of The Beatles 1962-1966 released November 24 by Cherry Red Records, is a deserving companion to the Fab Four's own catalog, buoyed by several familiar artists and a few selections that have slipped into the mists of time.

The variety on display - from the well-known to the obscure - only enhances the strength of the Lennon & McCartney and Harrison songbooks. Unbelievably, the time span for this three-volume collection is a total of five years, only halfway through the band's career.

Most of the recordings come from the stable of artists that were part of manager Brian Epstein's NEMS Enterprises. Among the beneficiaries of the Lennon-McCartney compositions was Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Their version of "Do You Want To Know A Secret?" out only one month after the release of the Beatles LP Please Please Me, went to Number 1 on the UK charts. Someone with even stronger ties to the Beatles was Cilla Black. As a cloakroom attendant at the Cavern Club, she was a mainstay in their circle. The band encouraged Epstein to sign her and with "Loved Of The Loved" (a previous version was recorded by the Beatles during their failed Decca audition), Black went on to an illustrious career until her death in 2015.

Another fortunate recipient was British duo, Peter and Gordon. In 1963, McCartney moved into Peter Asher's family home and whilst his association was quasi-familial (Peter's sister Jane was McCartney's girlfriend), Asher had been singing with partner Gordon Waller since 1962. "A World Without Love," largely penned by McCartney, went to Number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic in February 1964, despite Lennon's classic disparaging remark (as noted by McCartney), "The funny first line always used to please John. 'Please lock me away –' 'Yes, okay.' End of song."

The treasure trove of 85 songs spans the gamut of genres: Dutch singer Trea Dobbs ("It's For You"), France's Les Lionceaux's take on "No Reply" (Ne Ris Plus)", Italy's Dino E I Kings interpretation of "I Should Have Known Better (Cerca Di Capire)," woven with legendary names including Mary Wells ("Help!"), The Mamas and The Papas ("I Call Your Name") and more, let's just say, surprising selections: Mae West ("Day Tripper"), jazz saxophonist Steve Marcus ("Tomorrow Never Knows") and the Four Preps parody "Letter To The Beatles." Lest any serious Beatle fan thinks otherwise, their most covered song — "Yesterday" — is in fact in this compilation, taken over by British duo David and Jonathan.

We Can Work It Out – Covers of The Beatles 1962-1966 is available now with the tracklisting below and includes a comprehensive 36-page booklet, detailing the artists, original release labels and dates.

DISC ONE

1 Dick Rivers "Love Me Do (Je Suis Fou)"

2 The Rattles "P. S. I Love You"

3 Mary Wells "Please Please Me"

4 Kenny Lynch "Misery"

5 Duffy Power "I Saw Her Standing There"

6 Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas "Do You Want to Know a Secret?"

7 Mike Redway "Bad To Me"

8 The Crickets "From Me To You"

9 The Baconeers "She Loves You"

10 The Merseymen "I'll Get You"

11 The Fourmost Hello Little Girl

12 The Kestrels "There's a Place"

13 Tommy Quickly & Remo Four "Tip of My Tongue"

14 Cilla Black "Love of the Loved"

15 Les Lionceaux "It Won't Be Long (Le Temps Est Long)"

16 Marilyn Powell "All My Loving"

17 Gregory Phillips "Don't Bother Me"

18 Jackie Lynton "Little Child"

19 Count Basie "Hold Me Tight"

20 Mike Redway "I'll Keep You Satisfied"

21 Adam Faith "I Wanna Be Your Man"

22 Claude Francois "I Want to Hold Your Hand (Laisse-Moi Tenir Ta Main)"

23 Shirley Abicair "This Girl"

24 Peter And Gordon "A World Without Love"

25 Baby Cortez "Can't Buy Me Love"

26 The Supremes "You Can't Do That"

27 Frank Bacon "Nobody I Know"

28 The Applejacks "Like Dreamers Do"

29 The Mamas & The Papas "I Call Your Name"

30 Frank Alamo "A Hard Day's Night (Je Me Bats Pour Gagner)"

31 Dino & I Kings "I Should Have Known Better (Cerca Di Capire)"

DISC TWO

1 The Coterie "If I Fell"

2 Mark Wynter "And I Love Her"

3 Me & Them "Tell Me Why"

4 Joe Cocker "I'll Cry Instead"

5 Strawberry Fair "Things We Said Today"

6 Brotherhood "When I Get Home"

7 The Buckinghams "I'll Be Back"

8 Trea Dobbs "It's for You"

9 The Ventures "I Feel Fine"

10 Noel Harrison "She's A Woman"

11 Les Lionceaux "No Reply (Ne Ris Plus)"

12 The Hi-Fi's "Baby's in Black"

13 Glyn Johns "I'll Follow the Sun"

14 Alma Cogan "Eight Days a Week"

15 The 5th Dimension "Ticket to Ride"

16 The In-Sect "Yes It Is"

17 Mary Wells "Help!"

18 The Inbetweens "The Night Before"

19 Jan & Dean "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"

20 The Sunshine Company "I Need You"

21 The Baskervilles "Another Girl"

22 The Five Man Electrical Band "You're Going To Lose That Girl"

23 The Baskervilles "You Like Me Too Much"

24 Charles River Valley Boys "I've Just Seen A Face"

25 David & Jonathan "Yesterday"

26 P. J. Proby "That Means a Lot"

27 Mae West "Day Tripper"

28 Swingshift "We Can Work It Out"

29 Paraffin Jack Flash Ltd "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"

DISC THREE

1 Madeline Bell "You Won't See Me"

2 Tony Rivers & The Castaways "Nowhere Man"

3 Gary McFarland and Gabor Szabo "The Word"

4 The Free Design "Michelle"

5 The Truth "Girl"

6 Davy Graham "I'm Looking Through You"

7 Jose Feliciano "In My Life"

8 Frankie Vaughan "Wait"

9 The Cryan' Shames "If I Needed Someone"

10 The Transatlantics "Run for Your Life"

11 Tempest "Paperback Writer"

12 Petula Clark "Rain"

13 The Senate "Yellow Submarine"

14 Erick Saint Laurent "Eleanor Rigby"

15 Junior Parker "Taxman"

16 Zoot "I'm Only Sleeping"

17 Swingshift "Here, There and Everywhere"

18 Jimmy James "Good Day Sunshine"

19 Spanky & Our Gang "And Your Bird Can Sing"

20 Liza Minnelli "For No One"

21 Rage "Doctor Robert"

22 The Rackets "I Want to Tell You"

23 Jackie Trent "Got to Get You into My Life"

24 Steve Marcus "Tomorrow Never Knows"

25 The Four Preps "A Letter To The Beatles"