10 Great Covers Of The Beatles' Songs

10. Lady Madonna - Lenny White

Lenny White will forever be remembered as one of the major innovators in jazz-rock fusion. White played alongside keyboard wizard Chick Corea in the highly influential band, Return To Forever, and recorded many fine solo albums, including 1978s Streamline, from which this cover of Lady Madonna is taken.

Ten years earlier, Lennon/McCartney had penned the song shortly before the band left for India. The track marked something of a return to rock 'n roll basics for The Beatles, following extended forays into psychedelia. This was largely welcomed by the music press, who had begun to espouse a view that a move away from psychedelia's excesses was needed (much as they would a decade later, when punk burst prog rock's bubble).

McCartney himself certifies that he sat down at the piano with the intention of writing a Fats Domino-style song. He specifically had in mind Domino's 1956 hit, Blue Monday, which chronicled the plight of the working man through each day of the week. Lennon helped flesh out the lyrics, with the pair choosing to focus on a female perspective.

White's version adds a funk-rock sheen which fits perfectly.