The Persuasions – The Persuasions Sing the Beatles

Dedicated champions of a cappella singing during an era when few others picked up the reins, The Persuasions steadfastly refused convenient classification as they embraced stardom-without using a single musical instrument. On The Persuasions Sing The Beatles, lead singer Jerry Lawson vigorously resisted any attempt to pigeonhole his group as a throwback doo-wop outfit, though they originally started harmonizing under Brooklyn street corner lampposts. Following three seminal 1971-72 Capitol albums (We Came to Play, Street Corner Symphony, Spread the Word), the classic lineup featuring Jimmy Mr. Bass Man Hayes, Jayotis Washington, Sweet Joe Russell, and Herbert Toubo Rhoad expanded their repertoire into uncharted territory, recording everything from children's projects to full tribute sets honoring Frank Zappa and the Grateful Dead.An album-length homage to the Fab Four was a natural progression for the group's soul-soaked harmonies. Recorded between April 30 and May 2, 2001, inside St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, producer David Chesky chose the pristine house of worship over a conventional studio to capture maximum organic warmth, depth, and spatial resonance. Down to a core quartet, the group brilliantly reimagined 14 Beatles classics-includingEight Days a Week, Come Together, Oh! Darling, and Yesterday-positioning their voices in a semi-circle around a single microphone to wring every drop of emotion and soul from the singular songbook.The Persuasions Sing The Beatles will be reissued on 180g One-step Pressing Vinyl LP and SACD Hybrid Stereo with new liner notes as part of the Chesky Original Masters series.

1. Eight Days a Week
2. Oh! Darling
3. Come Together
4. Rocky Raccoon
5. Octopus's Garden
6. With a Little Help from My Friends
7. From Me to You
8. Yesterday
9. Ob la Di, Ob la Da
10. Don't Let Me Down
11. The Ballad of John and Yoko
12. Imagine

Label: Chesky Records

Catalog: 138

Genre: Jazz