And to complete a hat trick of Beatley number ones comes this version of track two from 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. I've mentioned elsewhere about how I regard a good cover version as one that sets out to provide more than a simple carbon copy and instead at least tries to make it personal to the artist. As far as that goes, Cocker's take on 'With A Little Help From My Friends' is certainly unique - as played by The Beatles it's a jovial jaunt sung by Ringo Starr who's seeking assurance that he's not just the drummer in the band. Cocker turns it into a monsters of rock, Alice In Chains type dirge that's as serious as famine but which misses the point by furlongs.When Ringo sings "What would you do if I sang out of tune?" it invokes a smile in the listener, not least because he is singing out of tune. And flat. But it's all ok because the rest of the band chip in to tell him it is - they're all in this together as mates and everybody goes home happy. Cocker stretches the song to twice the original length and huffs and puffs to blow the song over with help from a squally guitar (from Jimmy Page) and soul backing vocals (featuring Rosetta Hightower) that try their damnedest to inject some heavy duty sincerity but only end up making a sows ear out of a silk purse. 'With A Little Help From My Friends' was never something that would readily lend itself to such Jim Steinman in the dirt treatment, and while I'm aware the song has developed a kind of 'classic' or 'iconic' status in certain circles, I have to confess it leaves me cold as ice.
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