The most bizarre cover of "America" from WSS imaginable...

[temms]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 6:54pm

The things you discover while randomly googling...

Rory Storm and the Hurricanes were a British rock group whose drummer was Ringo Starr before he left to join the Beatles. They were managed by the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein.

Anyway, one of their few singles was a cover of "America" in an early '60s Liverpool-rock style. I had no idea it existed. They change some of the lyrics - my favorite is "They even make tea in America." I suppose some of the others could apply to British hoodlums as well as recent Puerto Rican immigrants, but it's a stretch...

(Link is to youtube.)
Rory Storm And The Hurricanes cover

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 7:00pm

Not gonna lie. That was awesome.

[StephenSondheimWHOO]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 7:07pm

That is the most bizarrely wonderful thing I have seen in a while.

[Lumen2]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 7:07pm

The arrangement very much reminds me of "Only in America" by Jay and the Americans.

I actually enjoyed it.

[alfgiotir]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 8:04pm

That's awesome. I'm putting it on my ipod right away.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 8:14pm

Is it bad that I thoroughly enjoyed that?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 8:15pm

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 8:18pm

ok.. that was AWESOME... i pretty much smiled the entire time! i think i shall put it on my ipod as well!

[BroadwayBelle2]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 8:32pm

That's different!

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 8:52pm

The funny thing about it is that they sing all the parts, thus contradicting themselves. "I'll have my own washing machine. What will you have there to keep clean?" all sung by one person doesn't make much sense, but that was a highly entertaining song nonetheless.

[HollidayForever]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 2:28am

Here is another bizarre cover of West Side Story starring Patti Labelle, Natalie Cole, and Drummer Shelia E. You think Sondheim writes some crazy tempos. Hope your ready for some church!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsVOu3dJXiQ

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 5:29am

love them both

[Weez]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 1:45pm

I don't know WHAT you're talking about! This is EASILY the best version of the song EVER!

[Mamie]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:49pm

The craziest takes on all the WSS music can be found on the "Songs of West Side Story" album. You have GOT to hear Little Richard's take on "I Feel Pretty". It's fabulous!

http://www.amazon.com/Songs-West-Side-Story/dp/B000003FRP

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 10:30pm

I love British punk.

[eppylover]

Posted: 7/13/09 at 4:23am

Did you know that Brian Epstein SANG backup on America by Rory Storm?

The whole story is here:
http://community.livejournal.com/the_fifthbeatle/8066.html