Single Song Sunday

Our long-running but highly infrequent series returns with a song by Beatles Band. Although there have now been over 50 episodes this is only the second time we have featured one of their songs. The other was "I Want To Hold Your Hand" back in 2014. That post prompted Charity Chic to share an amusing anecdote about a greyhound track; let's hope for a similar response to this one.

This time round it is "Blackbird", which was never a single but seems to have become one of the Beatles' more enduring tunes. We kick things off with the original and a 1971 cover by Dion, which was perhaps his way of thanking them for putting him on the cover of Sgt. Pepper. 

Next comes some bluegrass and a Brouhaha, an overwrought Over The Rhine and a Spanish soft rock rendition from the 1970s by Laredo, where the streets come from.

The next three covers are grouped together in the soul section, if you define "soul" very broadly. Two of them are live recordings, the first by the magnificent Bettye Lavette and the second by Sylvester. Yes, the "Mighty Real" Sylvester. I know, I was surprised too.

And of course we finish, as always, with the Mandatory Reggae Version. The Paragons do the honours on this occasion.

"Blackbird" - The Beatles

"Blackbird" - Dion

"Blackbird" - Mary McCaslin

"Blackbird" - Kelly Brouhaha

"Blackbird" - Over The Rhine

"Mirlo" - Laredo

"Blackbird" - Anderson.Paak

"Blackbird" - Bettye Lavette

"Blackbird" - Sylvester

"Blackbird Singing" - The Paragons