What’s better than Cher, Tina Turner and Kate Smith singing together? Why, the three stars singing classics from The Beatles, of course! Cher’s husky low range is just perfect for singing The Beatles’ hit “Help!”, and when Turner and Smith came on next to close out the verse, it was heavenly. The three stars then delivered the chorus hook together, and I know it won’t surprise The Music Man readers to hear that the way their voices blended together was just perfection.
Rather than The Beatles’ rambunctious rock arrangement, the trio delivered a soul and R&B groove on the 1965 hit. How amazing the new arrangement sounded is a real testament not only to The Beatles’ songwriting, but also the incredible voices of Cher, Turner, and Smith. The trio then took on “With a Little Help from My Friends”, “Day Tripper”, and “Here Comes the Sun”. Cher and Turner in particular really put a lot of energy out on stage, and seemed to be building off each other’s vibe as they grooved to the hits.
Cher, Turner, and Smith delivered the 10-minute medley on an episode of The Cher Show that was broadcast on April 27, 1975. Fans enjoyed seeing the trio sing The Beatles’ hits, and added comments such as “Whoever orchestrated these three together was a genius! Their voices worked well together” and “Wonderful video of three musical icons celebrating the Beatles. You can see the bond of friendship between Cher and Tina Turner. They seemed to be kindred spirits.”
The Beatles medley isn’t the only performance from Cher and Turner. During the same episode, the pair teamed up for a high-energy version of “Shame Shame Shame.” In 1980, Ike & Tina Turner released a cover of the Shirley & Company disco hit. It’s plain to see that Turner absolutely loved to perform the song, and her onstage chemistry with Cher is just off the charts! They rock the stage so hard and just build off each other’s energy in such an entertaining way.
The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that Cher’s history with The Beatles goes back a long way. She released a song called “Ringo, I Love You” on March 3, 1964, under her early career pseudonym Bonnie Jo Mason. She dropped the song at the height of Beatlemania, and the song title refers to The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. Cher later took another shot at covering The Beatles when she released her version of “The Long and Winding Road” on the 1996 compilation album release All Together Now: Beatles Songs by Superstars.
