Questions you'd like answering, regardless of how trivial they may seem

[DRM]

Beatles and Stones basically did covers of black American artists.

Exactly, they made a good start to their careers doing this.

 

[richardfm]

I'd put money on it that all those new bands that you go to see, were covers bands before, learning their stage craft & honing their playing by doing covers of all the songs that inspired them to start learning their respective instruments, then as they develop they start writing their own material, it's how every band starts, even Chuck Berry Covered Marti McFly's Johnny B Goode! & Eddie Van Halen stole his tapping technique, (only joking ) but even the Beatles started life doing covers.

There's a big difference between being a covers band playing songs from various bands and setting out to imitate one particular band to the extent your band name is pun on their name, you only play songs by that band, you try to sound like the original band and in some case even try to look like them.

 

[DRM]

There's a big difference between being a covers band playing songs from various bands and setting out to imitate one particular band to the extent your band name is pun on their name, you only play songs by that band, you try to sound like the original band and in some case even try to look like them.

Not really, there are some really, really talented musicians out there, that never get a look in, so perhaps being in a tribute band is better than not having a career at all, plus any live music that people will pay to go watch is no bad thing, it keeps venues open for all types of bands to play there

 

[richardfm]

Not really, there are some really, really talented musicians out there, that never get a look in, so perhaps being in a tribute band is better than not having a career at all, plus any live music that people will pay to go watch is no bad thing, it keeps venues open for all types of bands to play there

Apart from your first two words that is all true and your final point is one that I had already made.

 

[Alex321]

Beatles and Stones basically did covers of black American artists.

No they didn't.

Sounding similar is not "doing covers". That ha a specific meaning, and they were neither of them doing covers.

 

[richardfm]

No they didn't.

Sounding similar is not "doing covers". That ha a specific meaning, and they were neither of them doing covers.

I think you'l find that a lot of early Beatles and Stones songs were covers of Blues and Rock 'n'Roll songs from the 50s and earlier

 

[Alex321]

I think you'l find that a lot of early Beatles and Stones songs were covers of Blues and Rock 'n'Roll songs from the 50s and earlier

Some of their early songs, maybe. But that is not what "they basically did". For all the time they were famous they were doing their own material.

 

[DaveReading]

No they didn't.

Sounding similar is not "doing covers". That ha a specific meaning, and they were neither of them doing covers.

One of the best tracks on their first album:

 

[Alex321]

One of the best tracks on their first album:

I'm not suggesting they didn't do any covers. But the vast majority of what they released was not covers.

 

[Chislenko]

Allow me to give you some examples.

Money..Barrett Strong
Please Mr.Postman...Marvelettes
You Really Got A Hold On Me...Smokey Robinson.

It's All Over Now..Bobby Womack
Time Is On My Side..Irma Thomas.

And that is just a few off the top of my head!

 

[richardfm]

Allow me to give you some examples.

Money..Barrett Strong
Please Mr.Postman...Marvelettes
You Really Got A Hold On Me...Smokey Robinson.

It's All Over Now..Bobby Womack
Time Is On My Side..Irma Thomas.

And that is just a few off the top of my head!

Route 66....lots of people
C'mon Chuck Berry
Not Fade Away Buddy Holly

to name a few songs the Rolling Stones did

 

[DRM]

I'm not suggesting they didn't do any covers. But the vast majority of what they released was not covers.

Wrong, in their early days they did covers of Rock N Roll & Blues songs, it's where they learned to really play to an audience, along with the constant gigs in Hamburg, they became the Beatles we all know when they got back & Brian Epstein became their manager.

 

[Chislenko]

Lists 51 here.

https://www.google.com/search?q=son...UKEwjA9KLZ3KqDAxW8XUEAHc2CCkUQ9YYDKAR6BAgREAg

 

[Alex321]

Wrong, in their early days they did covers of Rock N Roll & Blues songs, it's where they learned to really play to an audience, along with the constant gigs in Hamburg, they became the Beatles we all know when they got back & Brian Epstein became their manager.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_covered_by_the_Beatles

So 25 covers and 188 original songs released while they were together.

Not sure how I'm "wrong" to say the vast majority of their releases were originals.

There have been more covers released recently, since they broke up, but still not enough to be able to say as a generality "that is what they did".

 

[DaveReading]

There have been more covers released recently, since they broke up, but still not enough to be able to say as a generality "that is what they did".

It's a perfectly legitimate comment to make about on the early part of their career, as most posters have made clear.