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View Full Version : The Beatles vs Siouxsie & the Banshees "Dear Prudence"

DDM
05-09-2007, 01:52 PM
The Beatles (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q5b2tbIr1e8) vs Siouxsie & the Banshees (http://youtube.com/watch?v=La7Sm9_1tSE&mode=related&search=)

The Beatles never released "Dear Prudence" as a single, but the Banshees version made it to #3 in the UK charts in 1983, their highest charted single to date. Siouxsie & the Banshees recorded "Dear Prudence" because the original seems unfinished when the song just cuts off at the end.
Jonathan Bogart
05-09-2007, 02:46 PM
It's not one of Lennon's best efforts. The cover isn't one of Siouxsie's, either.

Why didn't they complete "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" if they were so concerned about the song cutting off?
Rob Imes
05-09-2007, 03:28 PM
The Beatles "Dear Prudence" doesn't cut off at the end. It slowly fades out. Or am I mis-reading something here?

I like Siouxsie's "Dear Prudence" but I prefer the Beatles version. Siouxsie's version is more poppy. But I like the drumming on the Beatles version, which was done by Paul as it turns out.

I really like Siouxsie & The Banshees' version of "Helter Skelter" though. A lot slower than the Beatles version but still has the same cool vibe to it nonetheless. (Almost like if Yoko Ono had sung it. I wish the Beatles had actually done some songs backing Yoko. The cover of "Rain" by Tater Totz shows how cool that could have been, too.)
DDM
05-09-2007, 06:49 PM
The Beatles "Dear Prudence" doesn't cut off at the end. It slowly fades out. Or am I mis-reading something here?

I may be misremembering. I believe Siouxsie & the Banshees agreed on "Dear Prudence" because the song is unfinished. It's like a rough draft released as a finished song. Severin picked "Dear Prudence" over Budgie's choice of "Glass Onion."

I like Siouxsie's "Dear Prudence" but I prefer the Beatles version. Siouxsie's version is more poppy. But I like the drumming on the Beatles version, which was done by Paul as it turns out.

I prefer the Banshees version because the song seems to have finally realized its potential. I'm not sure if SATB version is more poppy, but the psychedelics is more pronounced than the Beatles version.
scratchie
05-09-2007, 07:48 PM
It's not one of Lennon's best efforts. On the contrary, I think it's one of his best. Maybe his last Beatles masterpiece (musically anyway).

The cover is too leaden for me where the original sounds like a floating cloud.
The Confessor
05-10-2007, 02:49 AM
Well, I'm a hard core Beatles fan but I must say I really like Siouxsie & The Banshees' version too. I think it's one of those rare times where the cover version is just as good as the original.

The banshees' version is somewhat different in vibe to the original, sure. It has that extra kick, that slightly faster tempo....but I think it works well though.
DDM
05-10-2007, 08:25 AM
Well, I'm a hard core Beatles fan but I must say I really like Siouxsie & The Banshees' version too. I think it's one of those rare times where the cover version is just as good as the original.

The banshees' version is somewhat different in vibe to the original, sure. It has that extra kick, that slightly faster tempo....but I think it works well though.

In the SATB autobiography, I was surprised to read that Siouxsie herself intended for the band to completely rewrite "Dear Prudence" musically, but the band stayed more in vein with the original, just with a stronger bass, drum, & vocals than the Beatles version.

I like How Siouxsie ends the song with a fade-out of "around, around, around."