ROCK Sex: "You Are So Beautiful" - Billy Preston > Dennis Wilson > Joe Cocker

ROCK Sex says you are so bountiful.

Billy Preston is known as 'the fifth Beatle' and 'the sixth Stone', but who knew he was an adjunct Beach Boy?

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In 1974, Billy jammed with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson at a party, and their ad-lib became the song, "You Are So Beautiful".

BILLY PRESTON -"You Are So Beautiful" (1974)



Later that year, Joe Cocker transformed it into his signature song.

JOE COCKER -"You Are So Beautiful" (1974)



For the next eight years, until his untimely death, Dennis Wilson closed out Beach Boys concerts with the ballad.



© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• BEATLESQUE Songs: 1969-esque, with Music Player!

• BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 3 Music Players!

• FUNK, The True History: 1970-1974, with 3 Music Players!


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: "Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego!" - Funkadelic > Sly Stone > Beastie Boys

ROCK Sex says, "Yeah, that's right, it's time to set the record straight!"

Time for some Funk tag today...

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First the scandelous Funkadelic recorded this twisted ditty...

FUNKADELIC -"Loose Booty" (1972)



Then Sly Stone liked the title so much he made a new song, throwing in the immortal chorus "Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego" from his Gospel background.

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE -"Loose Booty" (1974)



Then The Beastie Boys sampled Sly's chant of the biblical nobles "Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego" as the hook in their song...

BEASTIE BOYS -"Shadrach" (1989)

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After refining their Funk chops by playing to Sly records, The Beasties twistedly did a cover of another Sly song in a Punk update...

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE -"Time For Livin'" (1974)


BEASTIE BOYS -"Time For Livin'" (1992)

(note Adam's Sly Stone t-shirt at 0:08)



"Find yourself some room to let it all hang out/
Get into some dancing, do what it's all about!"


© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• SLICE TONES: Sly Stone & His Infinite Influence!, with 5 Music Players

• Sly Stone's "I Want To Take You Higher" And Its Unending Influence!, with Music Player!

• Sly Stone > Prince
, with Music Player!

• "Everyday People" - Sly Stone > Joan Jett > Arrested Development

• "Sing A Simple Song" - Sly Stone > Jimi Hendrix > James Gang > P-Funk > Chili Peppers > Public Enemy

• "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" - Bill Withers > Diana Ross > Sly Stone > Zapp

• "If You Want Me To Stay" - Sly Stone > Bootsy Collins > Red Hot Chili Peppers > Prince > Nikka Costa


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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ROCK Sex: "John The Revelator" - Son House > White Stripes > Gillian Welch > Depeche Mode

ROCK Sex asks "who's that writing/ John the Revelator"?

Any creative act inspires another. That's the nature of creativity and the mantra of this column. Everything anyone creates tracks back to what has been handed to us from before. Many of the songs we take for granted, such as "House of the Rising Sun", have been around since previous centuries.

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Blind Willie Johnson ignites today's baton swap with the song "John The Revelator". He recorded this country Blues take on an old Gospel song with his wife, Willie B. Harris.

[Blind Willie is also responsible for "In My time of Dying" (Dylan, Zeppelin), "Nobody's Fault But Mine" (Zeppelin), and "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" (Fairport Convention).]

BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON -"John The Revelator" (1930)



SON HOUSE did a startling a capella version that became a signature tune in his repertoire:

SON HOUSE -"John The Revelator" (1965)


The standard has since been covered by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Thee Headcoats, Beck, R.E.M., Frank Black, A. A. Bondy, Nick Cave, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Cameo, and Tom Waits.

Larkin Poe, the duo of Rebecca and Megan Lovell, proselytize the moody blues in their contemporary cover of Son House's classic.

LARKIN POE -"John The Revelator" (2018)



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"Go tell my disciples..."

Revelation is open to endless interpretation.

Meg and Jack White revealed the classic within their own Garage stomp.

THE WHITE STRIPES -"Cannon" (1999)



Gillian Welch and running partner David Rawlings did an epic, confessional sequel to it as the title piece of her classic album:

GILLIAN WELCH -"Time (The Revelator)" (2001)



Depeche Mode also made a sequel as a sociopolitical protest against perpetually myopic dictatorships.

DEPECHE MODE -"John The Revelator" (2006)




© Tym Stevens

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See Also:

• JIMMY REED: The Groover of Rock, From Motown To Sesame Street, with 2 Music Players!

• "TRAIN KEPT A-ROLLIN" - Tiny Bradshaw > Johnny Burnette Trio > The Yardbirds > T.Rex > Aerosmith

• "Whole Lotta Love" - Muddy Waters > Led Zeppelin > Funkadelic > Tina Turner

• "Mystery Train" - Carter Family > Jr. Parker > Elvis Presley > Jim Jarmusch

• LADIES FIRST: "When the Levee Breaks!" - Memphis Minnie > Led Zeppelin

• "Fell In Love With a Girl/Boy" - The White Stripes > Joss Stone


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

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