British Rock Stars Perform ‘All You Need is Love’ at the Queen Golden Jubilee
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney and Joe Cocker share lead vocals on a showstopper
It may seem like Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was on the throne for almost forever because, well, she was. She became Queen upon the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952, and remained there until her death on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96.
Way back in 2002, the Golden Jubilee—that’s 50 years—of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign was celebrated with all the pomp and circumstance that should mark such a landmark occasion. Included in the festivities was the Party at the Palace on June 3 held at the Garden of the Queen’s official London residence, Buckingham Palace.
The event was a concert featuring a phenomenal list of classic rock A-listers as well as singing legends like Tony Bennett and Shirley (“Goldfinger”) Bassey.
Attendance for the event was limited to 12,000 with a reported one million watching from giant screens outside the Palace and a worldwide TV audience of another 200 million, give or take. Queen’s Brian May and the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra opened the program with a daring performance of the United Kingdom’s national anthem, “God Save the Queen.”
Among the other performances: Phil Collins’ cover of “You Can’t Hurry Love,” Tom Jones with his cheeky “Sex Bomb,” Annie Lennox with “Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves,” Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi teaming for “Paranoid” with Collins, Eric Clapton doing “Layla” and Joe Cocker with Steve Winwood and May on “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Brian Wilson sang several favorites like “God Only Knows” and “Good Vibrations.” Paul McCartney contributed several Beatles songs including–duh–“Her Majesty.”
And as the evening drew to a close, the A-Listers made their way back onstage to play “All You Need is Love.” Joining McCartney were Wilson, Cocker, Clapton, May and Osbourne, as well as Rod Stewart, Cliff Richard, Roger Taylor, Elton John, Ray Davies, Collins and numerous others. Stewart, Cocker and McCartney took turns on the lead vocals.
The crowd in the Mall proudly waved their Union Jacks. Our Classic Video…
And a bonus video from the Queen Golden Jubilee
Watch Clapton and McCartney perform “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” from the concert
And here’s the unlikely combo of members of Black Sabbath performing “Paranoid” with Phil Collins
The concert is available for purchase in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
Related: The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was held in 2022, marking 70 years of her monarchy
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4 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationOur dear Paulie, just can’t help himself from stepping on someone else when they’re singing. Even when he has harmony parts, that’s just not enough.
Who is that guy between Ozzy and Paul ???
That is Sir Cliff Richard
This is great, but nothing can top the live performance of “While My Guitar..” a couple of years later at the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame where Prince goes absolutely cosmic on his unbelievable solo on this song.