The Smithereens have re-recorded The Beatles American debut 'Meet The Beatles' as 'Meet The Smithereens'.
Also to mark the tribute, The Smithereens version will be released in January 2007 on the same date as the Beatles record but some 43 years later.The early Beatles album were different in the USA to the rest of the world. While the UK and other territories went with 'Please Please Me' and followed in up with 'With The Beatles', the US who were behind the UK releases, caught up with compilations of the original records. Therefore 'Meet The Beatles', a US only release, was the first American album for the band.
The Smithereens claim that a lot of their influences came from that very record. Where it was different to the UK releases was that it contained songs only written by Lennon and McCartney. The first three UK albums also featured covers.
Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken says, "'Meet the Beatles!' was a call to arms to an army of musically-inclined kids across the nation. There was no turning back after hearing this LP and seeing the Beatles on the 'Ed Sullivan Show.' We were instantly hipped to the fact that there can never be anything cooler than playing in a rock n roll band."
The tracklisting for Meet The Smithereens is:
I Want To Hold Your Hand
I Saw Her Standing There
This Boy
It Won't Be Long
All I've Got To Do
All My Lovin'
Don't Bother Me
Little Child
'Till There Was You
Hold Me Tight
I Wanna Be Your Man
Not A Second Time
