Paul Weller Records The Beatles' "Birthday" in Honor of Paul McCartney's 70th
Paul Weller, the former frontman of The Jam, has recorded a cover of The Beatles' White Album classic, "Birthday," in honor of Sir Paul McCartney's 70th birthday on June 18.
The recording will be made available from iTunes and other outlets for that day only, and all proceeds from the single will go to the War Child charity.
“I wanted to do something for Paul's 70th," Weller told Music Week. "The man’s been, and still is, an immense and enduring inspiration for me.
“It was him and his three friends that made me want to pick up a guitar in the first place. I saw him play live recently and he inspired me just as much as ever, he was brilliant.
“I just hope he likes our little version, a token of my and the band's love for him and his music. Rock on, Macca."
This isn't the first White Album song Weller has recorded. Several years ago, he tackled "Sexy Sadie," which appeared on the Fly on the Wall album, a collection of rarities and B-sides, in 2003. Check out a video for "Sexy Sadie" below.
Be sure to check out GuitarWorld.com's recent interview with Weller here.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.