Booker T. & The MGs – Sun-king-mean-mr-mustard-polythene-pam-she-came-in-through-the-bathroom-window-i-want-you-shes-so-heavy

It’s hard to substitute anything for the Beatles’ distinctive vocals, but Booker T’s organ does a decent job filling in, and the arrangements, though straightforward renditions, bring out the soulful/bluesy side of the Beatles’ compositions.

Somewhat incongruously, I also have a take by Bola Sete, who tackles 2 bits of the medley in a twangy, funky,  vaguely psychedelic style.

Bola Sete – Polythene Pam/She Came In Through the Bathroom Window

From George Benson we have a very schmaltzy take on Here Comes the Sun that gives way to a groovy I Want You.

George Benson – Here Comes the Sun/I Want You She’s So Heavy

Lastly, Jackie Mittoo’s Wishbone, which, while not exactly a cover, certainly reveals a large shall we say “influence” from Abbey Road.

Jackie Mittoo – Wishbone

Of course, this material is pretty well known (as it should be), so rather than rehash it here, I’ll dig a bit into the “crates” for some funky versions.

First up, representing Stevie Wonder, is the very groovy Weldon Irvine. This being 1976, it starts out kinda proto-discoish, but settles into a stepping funk groove with nice horn arrangements and vocals by Don Blackman.

Weldon Irvine – Don’t You Worry Bout A Thing

Lonnie Smith is just as groovy as many of his post-Jimmy Smith peers on the B3, but often more creative and daring. Here he reinvents Sly Stone’s classic “Stand” in a kozmik 17 minute epic jam from 1971, complete with dub effects and weird overdubbing. 

Lonnie Smith – Stand

Last, we have Frank Owens doing an instrumental version of “Freddy’s Dead” from 1973. I don’t know too much about this guy, though Dusty Groove notes that Bernard Purdie produced the session and plays on it. A pretty tame treatment of the tune, but with some nice rhodes soloing in place of Curtis Mayfield’s voice. I actually think you can judge it pretty well by the cover in this case.

Frank Owens – Freddy’s Dead

Their 1st album Dad Man Cat is full of funky retro grooviness as well.

One of my favorite tunes from Dad Man Cat is a rockin’ clavinet-driven instrumental called “Money Is.”

Corduroy – Money Is

It turns out, as I discovered some years later, this is actually a Quincy Jones song from his soundtrack to the movie “Dollars” from 1971 (with Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn).

Quincy’s version had Little Richard singing on it!

Quincy Jones – Money Is  

Still later, I obtained Corduroy’s live-in-Japan album Quattro, which was recorded in 1994 but doesn’t seem to have been issued until 2001.

Corduroy – Money Is (live)

Interestingly, on this version they add the vocals back in. Though it works well here, on their later albums they seem to have tried to transform themselves into a more conventional vocal-centered pop band, and the results are considerably less interesting.