People cover Paul McCartney, Wings, and The Beatles all the time. Honestly, much of the work he’s produced is just fun to cover. However, some of those Paul McCartney covers out there come close to topping the quality of the original, though I doubt anyone can truly do Macca better than Macca. And when it comes to the following four Paul McCartney covers, I bet you’ve never heard them before. Let’s dive in!
“Band On The Run” by Foo Fighters
This is not the kind of band you’d expect Foo Fighters to cover, but they did a killer job with it. They don’t shy away from the bluesy elements, either, making this both a faithful cover of “Band On The Run” and a uniquely Foo Fighters release.
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The original version of “Band On The Run” was released by Paul McCartney and Wings in 1973.
“Dear Boy” by Death Cab For Cutie
An underrated cover of an underrated song from Paul McCartney. Death Cab For Cutie did a great job with the overall instrumentation of this cover, as well as those reverb-y vocals that really do sound just like something Paul McCartney would produce.
“Dear Boy” is one of many excellent songs from the 1971 album Ram, featuring both McCartney and his then-wife, Linda McCartney.
“Coming Up” by Ginger Root
This is an incredibly underrated cover for a musician who deserves a bit more recognition. I came across this YouTube video ages ago by chance, and I was blown away by Ginger Root’s cover of Paul McCartney’s “Coming Up”, recorded from inside a car, no less. It’s got a lo-fi vibe that is perfect for this particular song.
“Coming Up” was originally released on the delightfully synthy McCartney II back in 1980.
“Live And Let Die” by Guns N’ Roses
I have to admit, this entry on our list of Paul McCartney covers surprised me. I never expected Guns N’ Roses to take on a Wings classic. And yet, they did it in a way that didn’t betray their very early 1990s hard rock sound. It’s got an edge that the original song doesn’t quite have. Axl Rose’s vocals couldn’t sound more different from McCartney’s. And yet, it just works.
“Live And Let Die” was originally composed by Paul and Linda McCartney for the James Bond film of the same name back in 1973.
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