Search - King's Singers, Paul McCartney, John Lennon :: The Beatles Connection: The King's Singers

Wonderful blending of voices and imagination!

T. Consing | Manila, Philippines | 02/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So you think you've heard just about every interpretation of the Beatles there is? Even in the remotest possibility that were indeed the case, you shouldn't miss out on this one.For the hitherto uninitiated, King's Singers is a famous group of six Englishmen who sing a cappella (without accompaniment). They are at home performing a wide range of material, from classical to popular music.In this recording, you'll hear many Beatles stand bys, as well as a few not-so-familiar ones-all of them taking a magical twist from the King's Singers rendition. Whether it's their heartwarming strains of "And I Love Her" and "Girl" or their amusing innovations in "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" and "Lady Madonna," the King's Singers take no prisoners here. This is one album every home should not be without!"

When the tradition of Western polyphonic singing meets the B

Discophage | France | 01/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The previous reviewers have rightly extolled the virtues of this disc, recorded in 1986. With the King's Singers "Beatles Connection", the tradition of Western polyphonic singing, harking back to Jannequin, Monteverdi and the English Renaissance, meets the art of song writing that the Beatles brought to a degree of perfection.



The results are outstanding. Unlike the "Beatles Go Baroque" collection published by Naxos, in which both traditions are so watered down in the encounter as to loose all spine, here we get the best of both worlds. The full flavour of the original Ballads is there (many of the Greatest Hits are included), as well as the polyphonic art of the King's at its best. One of the nice things about the arrangements is not only that the vocal lines are polyphonically distributed between various singers (achieving results that are oftentimes far more elaborate than the originals), but that the five singers also assume vocally the bass, percussion and instrumental support as well, thanks to an array of da-dams, tshik-tshik and other scat effects. Try trak 9 and 10, it's hard to believe - and great fun to hear!



The disc's liner notes remind us of how far back the relationship between the King's Singers and the Beatles goes: their first album for EMI was produced by no less than the "fifth" Beatle, producer George Martin, and the bass guitarist in that original album became, twenty years later, the producer of the present one. The King's Singers also made the frog chorus in McCartney's "We All Stand Together", and the father of Jeremy Jackman, one of the group's two countertenors (whose brothers are also arranger and sound engineer for the album), was the clarinettist of "When I'm Sixty Four" (in the Sgt. Pepper Album).



There is much to enjoy here, both for the connoisseur (of the Beatles and/or of classical) and for the "layperson".

"

Amazing

Discophage | 11/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The King's Singers do it again. This mix of Beatle's Melodies is quite unique. Even those who love the original tunes by the Beatles will love this. Each song is masterfully arranged and executed. Two thumbs up!"