{"id":194565489,"date":"2026-07-12T15:11:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/?p=194565489"},"modified":"2026-07-12T15:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:11:13","slug":"12-of-the-worst-covers-of-i-want-to-hold-your-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/2026\/07\/12\/12-of-the-worst-covers-of-i-want-to-hold-your-hand\/","title":{"rendered":"12 of the Worst Covers of &#8220;I Want To Hold Your Hand&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Can a truly perfect pop song survive being completely turned inside out? In 1963,\u00a0<strong>John Lennon<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Paul McCartney<\/strong>\u00a0released \u201cI Want to Hold Your Hand,\u201d sparking Beatlemania and rewriting the rules of modern music history. But sixty years later, its bulletproof melody has been subjected to some of the most bizarre, brilliant, and downright corny transformations imaginable.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we are taking a deep dive into 15 of the most fascinating cover versions ever recorded. We\u2019re testing the absolute limits of this British Invasion classic\u2014dragging it through mid-century Las Vegas lounges, 1930s European swing clubs, Ivy League choral halls, and 1960s teenage garage rock distortions. While the title says \u201ccorniest,\u201d the truth is that the sheer level of musical talent hidden in these tracks might just blow your mind.<\/p>\n<div id=\"youtube2-dJ-RFG-0WFE\" class=\"youtube-wrap\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;dJ-RFG-0WFE&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}\" data-component-name=\"Youtube2ToDOM\">\n<div class=\"youtube-inner\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/dJ-RFG-0WFE?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0\" width=\"728\" height=\"409\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>From global vocal icons and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to viral internet fingerstyle guitarists, we are breaking down the history, the artists, and the stories behind these unforgettable tracks.<\/p>\n<p>Here is the ultimate breakdown of the artists featured in today\u2019s video:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Heavy Hitters &amp; Legends:<\/strong>\u00a0We look at jazz icon\u00a0<strong>Keely Smith\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0brassy 1964 album cover (which John Lennon famously grumbled about), the pristine 6-part classical vocal harmonies of\u00a0<strong>The King\u2019s Singers<\/strong>, and New Jersey garage rock heroes\u00a0<strong>The Knickerbockers<\/strong>\u2014the band that naturally sounded so much like the Fab Four that teenagers thought their records\u00a0<em>were<\/em>\u00a0unreleased Beatles tracks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Genre-Flippers:<\/strong>\u00a0Check out the high-energy power-pop hooks of\u00a0<strong>The Rubinoos<\/strong>, alongside Italy\u2019s premier retro-swing band\u00a0<strong>Sugarpie and the Candymen<\/strong>, who transform the track into a frantic 1930s Gypsy Jazz dance number.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Modern Indie Wave:<\/strong>\u00a0We explore the acoustic, slowed-down bedroom pop variations by\u00a0<strong>Laura Zocca<\/strong>, the atmospheric streaming layers of\u00a0<strong>BothWorlds<\/strong>, and the hard-hitting, punk-infused guitar riffs of\u00a0<strong>Riff Wood<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Hidden Gems:<\/strong>\u00a0From the mind-bending solo acoustic arrangements of viral sensation\u00a0<strong>Josephine Alexandra<\/strong>\u00a0to the ultimate wedding-band energy of\u00a0<strong>La Calle Band<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Evita<\/strong>, we see exactly how this melody gets people onto the dance floor.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Ultimate Rock Artifact:<\/strong>\u00a0Discover\u00a0<strong>The Moving Sidewalks<\/strong>, a 1968 heavy psychedelic Texas garage band whose teenage guitarist was a beard-less Billy Gibbons\u2014just a year before he launched ZZ Top!<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Soul Masterpiece:<\/strong>\u00a0Finally, our \u201cmic drop\u201d moment with the legendary\u00a0<strong>Al Green<\/strong>, who stripped away the teen innocence in 1969 to completely reinvent the song\u2019s DNA into deep, smoky Memphis soul.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What is your favorite version of this song? Does a specific track on this list cross the line into being completely unhinged, or is it a hidden masterpiece? Let me know in the comments below!<\/p>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png 1272w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png 1456w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"sizing-normal\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png?resize=640%2C116&#038;ssl=1\" sizes=\"100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png 424w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png 848w, https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png 1272w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!KjIg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png?resize=640%2C116&#038;ssl=1 1456w\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"116\" data-attrs=\"{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/bcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:200,&quot;width&quot;:1100,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:302676,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image\/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/amzn.to\/4f5euu9&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/beatlesrewind.substack.com\/i\/206127654?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbcb07b49-97d4-4a46-968a-013b82420ef6_1100x200.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/picture>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can a truly perfect pop song survive being completely turned inside out? In 1963,\u00a0John Lennon\u00a0and\u00a0Paul McCartney\u00a0released \u201cI Want to Hold Your Hand,\u201d sparking Beatlemania and rewriting the rules of modern music history. But sixty years later, its bulletproof melody has been subjected to some of the most bizarre, brilliant, and downright corny transformations imaginable. Today, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"1","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"2","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"3","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"2","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"default","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[32,33],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2x2Mt-dann3","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194565489"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194565489"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194565489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":194565490,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194565489\/revisions\/194565490"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194565489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194565489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194565489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}