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ABSTRACT
Beatles tribute bands offer a make-believe substitute for the “emotional vacuum” left by the band’s breakup in 1970. Among the best-known acts are the Bootleg Beatles, who since 1980 have toured the world with elaborate shows consisting of appropriate costumes, hairdos, and Scouse-accented banter. By contrast, the Analogues approach such reenactment quite differently. Downplaying visual mimesis, they strive for complete aural accuracy. This essay compares both tribute bands’ approaches to reconstructing The White Album, discussing how they aim to reanimate a fictionalized past in an authentic manner: the Bootleg Beatles to witness an imaginary Beatles performance, the Analogues to hear music that was never meant to be heard live.
Acknowledgments
The author wishes to thank Alexander Dhoest, Nicholas Gebhardt, Joris Kersten, Ronald Kesteloot, Peter Praats, Louis-Fritz Maurer, Diederik Nomden, and Bart van Poppel for their help and inspiration.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. Also in 1975, a Beatles tribute of a less-sacrosanct type came into being in the form of the Rutles, a zany parody also known as the Prefab Four. Among their foundational members were Eric Idle, a member of the British comedy group Monty Python and close friend of Harrison, and Neil Innis, who had previously appeared in Magical Mystery Tour (1967) as a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Following Gregory’s typology, the Rutles should be considered more a parody band than an actual tribute (39). For more on the Rutles’ musical approach to parody, see CitationCovach.
2. In 2012 (West End) and 2013 (Broadway), Let It Be, another musical revue based on the Beatles’ music and career, was staged. This production became the subject of a copyright suit by the producers of RAIN, who claimed that it was based largely on their 2010-11 Broadway show and that they were therefore entitled to a percentage of the revenue and coauthorship credits (CitationGioia). Leaving all judicial arguments aside, this is a somewhat ironic twist as RAIN’s own production was in turn built upon Beatlemania.
3. The Australian group the Beatnix were formed in February 1980, making them, together with RAIN and the Bootleg Beatles, among the oldest Beatles tribute bands.
4. At the time of writing, the band’s lineup consists of Tyson Kelly (“John”), Steve White (“Paul”), Stephen Hill (“George”), and Gordon Elsmore (“Ringo”). Cofounders and original members Neil Harrison (“John”) and Andre Barreau (“George”) continue to be involved in various production functions.
5. The rise of “retro-retailing” in the early 2000s, in particular the creation of the U.S.-based company Beatlesuits, made a wide range of period clothing and accessories available to aspiring tribute bands (CitationGregory 15). As a result, we can note a certain degree of standardization in the clothing outfits of Beatles tribute bands, as can be gleaned from the client list of Beatlesuits, which includes RAIN, the Bootlegs, the musical Let It Be, and at least two post-production-cast tribute bands of the revived Beatlemania production (Citation“Beatlesuits Clients”).
6. The other original members of the Analogues were Jac Bico (vocals, guitar), Diederik Nomden (vocals, guitar, keyboards), and Jan van der Meij (vocals, guitar). In 2017, the latter had to retire from the band on account of hearing issues, and Felix Maginn stepped in. Two years later, van der Meij returned as an occasional guest performer. He continues to be seen as a member of the (now six-piece) group.
7. In a somewhat unconventional move for a tribute band, the Analogues have, by popular demand of their fans, released live albums of their recreations. In 2017, the band signed a six-record deal with Universal Music Group and was given a choice of the company’s many labels to appear on. Naturally, the members could not resist selecting Decca Records, the very label that turned down the Beatles in 1962 (Citationvan Poppel, personal interview).
8. All the Analogues’ White Album recreations discussed in this essay can be heard on their 2018 live album CitationThe White Album–Live in Liverpool.
9. The references for these three video clips are: Citation“The Bootleg Beatles–Within You Without You,” Citation“Within You Without You–The Fab Faux,” and Citation“Within You Without You,” the latter being the Analogues’ version.
10. I saw the Bootleg Beatles on 5 February 2018 in CC Zwaneberg (Heist-op-den-Berg, Belgium) and the Analogues on 19 October 2018 in De Roma (Antwerp, Belgium) and on 16 March 2019 in Kursaal Oostende (Ostend, Belgium).
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Matthias Heyman
Matthias Heyman is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Antwerp (Belgium), where he conducts a project on cultural values in international jazz competitions. In addition, he does research on historical recreation in popular music with a focus on Beatles tribute bands. In 2018, he obtained his Ph.D. with research on Ellington bassist Jimmie Blanton at the University of Antwerp in affiliation with the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, where he acquired his M.A. in Jazz Performance. He is also the media liaison for the Benelux branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music.