10 Greatest Covers Of Beatles Songs

To say “With A Little Help From My Friends” is one of Ringo Starr’s best Beatles songs is both true and somewhat faint praise. The tune helps to set the mood of the Sergeant Pepper’s album, but it’s pretty simple stuff, delivered at a plodding pace and with Starr’s less-than-stellar vocals front and centre.

It wasn’t too tough for Joe Cocker to make the song his own, but he did so in some style. His primary technique: adding volume in spades, not so much singing as roaring. He delivers the first short verse at a relative whisper; as soon as he hits that first chorus, though, he whacks up the volume, adding ad-libbed howls and assisted ably by his back up singers.

By every measure it’s a far more dramatic affair. While The Beatles’ rendition ticks along at one pace, Cocker stops and starts at will, cutting out the track entirely to maximise the focus on his throat-ripping performance.

While The Beatles plink and plonk, Cocker’s R&B group pound on their instruments like a bar band intent on destroying their equipment before the song is out. In less capable hands, this could be overwrought silliness, but Cocker has the charisma and vocal ability to make it work.