Do It Again: The Beach Boys’ Top 15 Covers
As well as creating their own classics, the group had a knack for reinventing other people’s songs, as our playlist shows.
If anyone knows anything about the Beach Boys, it’s about their unique vocal harmonies, courtesy of brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, along with cousin Mike Love, friend Al Jardine and, later, Bruce Johnston. Then, how Brian composed some of the most ambitious pop music ever known, in order to allow the Beach Boys collectively to shine.
Yet the group also had a knack for reinventing other people’s songs in their own distinctive style. Our playlist celebrates 15 of the best examples of the group’s powers of interpretation.
The Beach Boys’ early albums saw them working through their rock’n’roll influences, recording covers of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” plus the title track to their 1963 US No.2 album, Surfin’ USA. The latter, a No.3 US single, eventually saw Chuck Berry receive a co-credit, since Brian Wilson had essentially written new lyrics to Berry’s 1958 classic, “Sweet Little Sixteen.”
As Wilson’s own songwriting and composition skills grew, however, so did his ambitious approach to covers. By the time he turned to “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” originally made famous in 1956 by doo-wop icons Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Wilson was also recording for the first time with the famed Wrecking Crew, the session group behind countless 60s pop classics. Released on Shut Down Volume 2 (and also appearing on the B-side of “Fun, Fun, Fun,” the Beach Boys’ US No.5 single, released in 1964), their version of “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” paved the way for further grand arrangements.
These included Bobby Freeman’s “Do You Want To Dance” and the Phil Spector/Ellie Greenwich/Jeff Barry classic “Then He Kissed Me” (re-recorded by Wilson and co as “Then I Kissed Her”). The group would revisit the catalogue of Spector, Brian’s hero, several years later, when Carl oversaw a euphoric version of “I Can Hear Music” for the Beach Boys’ 1969 album, 20/20.
Even with just a few acoustic guitars and their voices, however, the group were captivating. Released as a single in 1965, the feelgood “Barbara Ann” has become the most famous track from the Beach Boys’ Party! album. But their version of the Rivingtons’ “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” shows that, by this stage in their career, the group were already able to throw infectious harmonies together at the drop of a hat.
Wilson was at his most ambitious during the Smile sessions, but he was forever mindful of pop music’s rich history, reaching back to the pre-war song “You Are My Sunshine,” for which Dennis provided one of the more maudlin lead vocals in the group’s catalog. This era of pop music continued to inspire the group, as they also took two stabs at Lead Belly’s 1940 folk classic “Cotton Fields”: one recorded for 20/20, with Brian at the helm, and a second version, released as a single in 1970, with Al Jardine teasing a more overtly country performance from the group, which took the song to No.5 in the UK.
Later in the 70s, the Beach Boys were still mining their earliest influences, referring to the Phil Spector arrangement of the Righteous Brothers’ “Just Once In My Life” for their 1976 album, 15 Big Ones. That LP also had them making a new visit to Chuck Berry’s catalog for a spirited version of “Rock and Roll Music.”
The band would continue to play rock’n’roll-era classics on tour throughout the 70s and 80s, but, in 1986, they recorded a 60s folk-rock classic that, really, they could well have penned themselves. The Beach Boys’ faithful rendering of “California Dreamin’”, originally a 1965 No.4 US hit for the Mamas And The Papas, was included on their Made In USA compilation and also issued as a single. Featuring Roger McGuinn of the Byrds on 12-string guitar, it links three of the finest West Coast icons of the 1960s and provides a fitting close to our Beach Boys covers playlist.
Listen to the best of The Beach Boys on Apple Music and Spotify.
Stuart
October 12, 2015 at 10:26 pm
Come go with me 1978 MIU album top 20.
Kona coast – slow re has of their earlier Hawaii from Surfing USA also MIU album.
Blueberry Hill – 15 big ones, Pallaisaide (however you spelll it) park- 15 Big ones
There are others……..
Adrian Bourgeois
October 12, 2015 at 10:32 pm
You missed the most important one of all, “Sloop John B.”
Scott Reppert
October 12, 2015 at 10:58 pm
First cover of theirs that I thought of as being “great” was not even on the list! (“Bluebirds Over The Mountain”)…
Mike
October 13, 2015 at 1:18 am
“Runaway” by Del Shannon. I know it was performed live but sure if it was released commercially.
Mick DeLeon
October 13, 2015 at 7:31 pm
One could put together a very good mix tape of all the cover songs The Beach Boys did. Certainly “Why Do Fools Fall In Love?” and “California Dreamin'” belong at the top, but they also achieved brilliance with 1964’s “Hushabye” (from All Summer Long) and 1976’s “Sea Cruise” (from 10 Years Of Harmony). The great debate is which of the greatest pop/rock bands was more awesome at cover versions? Beatles (i.e., “Twist & Shout”, “‘Til There Was You”), Stones (“Around & Around”, “Just My Imagination”), or BBs?
Phil Lively-Masters
October 13, 2015 at 11:42 pm
Love the stripped down version of ‘The Letter’ by the Box Tops, off of their Lei’d in Hawaii sessions, plus ‘Ol Man River’ and also the live version of ‘Rock n Roll Woman’ that Carl sings a corking lead on.
Jivin' Johnny Etheredge
February 7, 2016 at 8:40 pm
The Beach Boys cover of “Do You Wanna Dance” owed more to Del Shannon’s version than it did to Bobby Freeman’s original. And it seems a crime to leave “I’m So Young” off the list. Brian’s production sounded like it was inspired more by the Phil Spector/Ronettes version than by The Stdents’ original.
Linda Friezen
May 6, 2017 at 1:31 am
I grew up in Santa Ana listening to the Beach Boys. No one will ever come close to their amazing harmonies.
Fletch
May 6, 2017 at 6:32 am
Good article. As far as ‘I Can Hear Music’ though, I think it was all a Carl production. Brian had retired to his bed by then
Kelly Izaj
June 21, 2017 at 10:30 pm
You missed another significant Beach Boys cover. They did a version of the Students’ “I’m So Young” on THE BEACH BOYS TODAY LP.
TimH
June 21, 2017 at 11:14 pm
Jason – you posted California Dreaming just for me!
Joseph Harnett
October 11, 2017 at 5:50 am
Thete was a time when any cover the boys did was great there unique Harmonys made the cover song sound even better than the original s
Mick DeLeon
November 13, 2017 at 9:21 pm
Capitol Records would easily reap a financial reward if they issued an all-covers album by the BBs. Of course, it would also need to include “Then I Kissed Her” (from ’65) & “Crocodile Rock” (from the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album) and all the others other commentators have mentioned.
Martin Sinnock
November 16, 2017 at 7:49 am
How could you miss the Bahaman folk song “Sloop John B”? I’m guessing you guys have never heard of Joseph Spence?
Phil Miglioratti
November 16, 2017 at 3:40 pm
Credit Carl for “I Can Hear Music” and Al for prodding Brian with “Sloop John B” … and Bruce for an underwhelming “Bluebirds”
John
October 11, 2019 at 12:25 am
Greatest harmonys in the business and they still get no love.???