Rita Lee is one of the pioneers of Tropicalia. She was one of the founding members of Os Mutantes, along with brothers Arnaldo and Sérgio Dias (Read a 2001 New York Times profile here). She has had a longtime love of The Beatles and finally recorded an album of their songs in 2002. That album, Bossa’n Beatles, is now being re-released.
I must confess, I’m not crazy about the song selection. She goes with all of the obvious choices: “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “All My Loving,” and so on. My love for The Beatles is boundless, but the most painful album I have ever heard is the one with all their #1 hits, which really should have been called 27 Beatles Songs You Never Need to Ever Hear Again For the Rest of Your Life (except maybe for “Penny Lane”). It’s a shame, because when you compare all those hits to what other similar bands were doing at the time, The Beatles really were revolutionary. But nothing breeds contempt quite like overfamiliarity.
Anyway, the Lee versions are quite solid and if you’re not sick of these songs, then you’ll like it. For more information, you can check out this e-Card on the album, which comes out on September 25.
Rita Lee – With a Little Help From My Friends
Rita Lee – A Hard Day’s Night