Don’t let it be! The Beatles queer cover causes web storm

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but not always in music, when the world’s greatest pop-songs get the cover-version treatment

You’ve never ever seen a Beatles cover quite like this: a ‘re-working’ of the “The Beatles” legendary “Let It Be” by a Russian Navy Orchestra, has had a few of the Fab Four’s fans twisting and shouting, but not in delight.

Web users freaked out by kitschy Beatles cover

“This is simply criminal. Why hasn’t Paul McCartney sued these people?” – that’s just one of the sample comments about a performance by the Orchestra that’s become an internet hit, for all the wrong reasons.

Other viewers went further with their comments:

“This looks like a movie scene. It’s so funny it couldn’t be a real performance!”

“Why doesn’t the orchestra pull the singer off the stage?”

And the more charitable: “Can’t wait to see his entire Beatles medley”.

“This song was always well-loved “ – Orchestra hits back

The Black Sea Fleet Orchestra is famous in Russia and Ukraine, and regularly tours Western Europe.

Poor health has recently forced soloist Evgeny Ustinov to retire. He’s bemused by the internet reaction.

“This song was always well-loved,” he said.

“We used to finish the concert with it. It’s The Beatles – everybody loves the Beatles. It might have been written for a higher voice, but in the end it turned out all right”.

Indeed, the video showed a rapturous reception for the adapted classic. In any case, to the top the Internet notoriety charts it will have to overtake the “established hits” like Europe’s “The Final Countdown” – a freaky cover seen by more than a million people on YouTube – or a novel interpretation of a Nirvana classic, and some Dutch Pop Idol hopefuls who are unlikely to make the grade.

Criticizing others is easy – it’s much harder to do something yourself! RT’s correspondent Igor Ogorodnev has taken up the challenge and made his own cover version of “Let It Be” by The Beatles – click the video button to view his, shall we say, interpretation!