The Beatles’ “Oh Darling” — Covered By Tom Odell
I kind of wanted to put the above photo way down at the bottom of this page because I wanted to imagine the look on everyone’s faces when they hear…
By Collin • • 1 min readTom with DJ Chris Douridas
I kind of wanted to put the above photo way down at the bottom of this page because I wanted to imagine the look on everyone’s faces when they hear this incredibly developed and rich voice — only to realize that it’s coming from that 22-year-old young man.
When Paul McCartney recorded the vocals for the original version, he was 27 years old. Five years Tom’s elder, but forever in musician years.
Tom adds to this classic track by focusing on the blues rhythm with his piano. It sets it up differently enough to make it his own. Over the top he lays the raspy Ray LaMontagne-type vocals before getting into that familiar slow swing.
Look, we all know that The Beatles are in that Mount Rushmore of covers. Yes, you can play their songs (some quite easily), but it’s sacred ground.
As Walter White would say, “Tread lightly.”
Tom does a good job of equally paying homage and discovering his own voice within the bars and that’s why we love this track.