Beatles vs. Muppets

September 1, 2011 1:34 PM

The Best Muppet Show Beatles Covers

With a Little Help From My Friends
Octopus’ Garden
I’m Looking Through You
She Loves You
Blackbird
Ob-la-di-ob-la-da
Good Day Sunshine
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Act Naturally
Letter B (Let it Be)

From Kermit Unpigged: All Together Now

Muppet music recently and previously

posted by quiet coyote (17 comments total)

I wholeheartedly disagree with the author in one regard. A Muppet Show with special guest Ringo Starr would have been amazing!
posted by cottoncandybeard at 1:44 PM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Let's not forget The Beetles and Letter B!
posted by Madamina at 1:45 PM on September 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

Not to be pedantic, but Letter B was, I believe, a Sesame Street bit along the same lines as Cereal Girl and Born to Add. Still awesome!
posted by ChuraChura at 1:48 PM on September 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

Ah but, ChuraChura, while Sesame Street is not the same as The Muppets, Sesame Street characters are technically Muppets. So it still works.
posted by jabberjaw at 1:52 PM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

From MightyGodKing's Scenes From an Alternate Universe Where the Beatles Accepted Lorne Michaels's Generous Offer:

December 14, 1980. Having “had a sit back” (Ringo) after Eventually’s staggering success and taken time to concentrate on their own projects and personal lives, the Beatles make their first televised appearance as a group since the SNL reunion, appearing on The Muppet Show. (Lennon leaves New York for the first time in six months to do the gig, eventually spending the entire month of December in England.) The episode is the highest rated episode of The Muppet Show in the show’s history and the most watched television program of the entire year, beating even the news coverage of the 1980 American presidential election. The undisputed highlight of the episode is the “battle of the bands” between the Beatles and the Electric Mayhem (although Starr says his duet with Fozzie the Bear remains his personal favorite moment). Jim Henson would later say that the Beatles episode “rejuvenated” his joy in working on the show, which by that point he had begun to feel was growing stale: the show continues for another seven seasons.

posted by Faint of Butt at 1:54 PM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

They may be Muppets, but (with a few notable exceptions, like Kermit) they are not on The Muppet Show.
posted by ChuraChura at 1:55 PM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Pure muppet gold! Thanks for posting.
posted by tuesdayschild at 1:56 PM on September 1, 2011

(sorry. I'm being pedantic)
posted by ChuraChura at 2:01 PM on September 1, 2011

So, the version of "I'm Looking Through You" linked here was apparently a "UK Spot" a segment that was only used in the British version because of American commercial breaks. While it's too bad that Americans didn't get to see that Beatles cover, it's a fucking tragedy that "You and I and George" was also a UK Spot, that's one of the most amazing three minutes of television ever.

Okay, actually looking a little more closely it looks like "You and I and George" was aired on American TV a few times, but it's still amazing.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 3:35 PM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

ChuraChura: you're not being pedantic. The Muppets have been on many television shows, including The Muppet Show, Muppets Tonight, and Sesame Street. It's confusing if you give the name of the wrong show, just like it would be confusing if you said that David Hasselhoff drove a talking car on Baywatch.

I'm siding with you on this. I love the FPP but it does contain false information.
posted by hippybear at 4:19 PM on September 1, 2011

This is seven shades of awesome.

Also - in the links on The Google, I just got Rick-rolled by Beaker - how cool was that.
posted by Sk4n at 5:56 PM on September 1, 2011

Act Naturally is a Buck Owens cover.
posted by jonmc at 6:35 PM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

- Now that's talent. An opera singer who tap-dances and sings cowboy songs. I wonder if there's anything she isn't good at?

- Yes. Choosing what show to be on.

Hahahahahaha!!
posted by swift at 8:02 PM on September 1, 2011

Act Naturally is a Buck Owens cover.


The Beatles were label mates with Buck Owens ( at least in America) and were big fans of his, often asking Capital to send them early pressings of Owens' singles. If I'm not mistaken, the Beatles actually cut a cover of Act Naturally and released it as a B Side or a fan club single. I know I have heard their version somewhere.
posted by KingEdRa at 2:25 AM on September 2, 2011

KingEdRa - it's the 'Ringo Song' on Help!, very suitable given the film.
posted by Coobeastie at 9:10 AM on September 2, 2011

Thanks, Coobeastie!
posted by KingEdRa at 10:11 PM on September 2, 2011

If I'm not mistaken, the Beatles actually cut a cover of Act Naturally and released it as a B Side or a fan club single. I know I have heard their version somewhere.

KingEdRa, I think Ringo released it solo after The Beatles broke up. I'm not completely sure, either, though...
posted by IAmBroom at 6:45 PM on September 9, 2011