Most Blatant Rip-off of a BB Song to Make the Singles Charts?

[harrisonjon]

This record by the Carvells made no. 31 in the UK in Dec 1977 and seems ripped very closely from 'Shut Down', so much so that I wonder if Brian should have got the royalties:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Z08x-QyO0

[guitarfool2002]

This record by the Carvells made no. 31 in the UK in Dec 1977 and seems ripped very closely from 'Shut Down', so much so that I wonder if Brian should have got the royalties:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Z08x-QyO0

The differences between that band in 1977 and bands wearing the BW influence in 2012:

In 2012:

1. Beards
2. Acoustic Guitars
3. Flannel
4. Limited edition vinyl releases
5. Melancholy lyrics

versus The Carvells 1977/78:

1. Clean shaven surfer look, Dennis-approved shaggy hair
2. Rickenbacker electric guitars
3. Matching white trousers
4. Normal vinyl releases
5. Fun lyrics


All things considered, I'll take the Carvells and '77/78 any day - that's a cool record!

[I. Spaceman]

Beach Baby by First Class was the most heavily influenced BB track to become a huge hit, in my opinion.

[guitarfool2002]

I second that! I guess there are songs that are blatant and songs that people thought were the BB's more in feel. But Beach Baby is at the top of the list.

How about "New York's A Lonely Town" by the Tradewinds, who got that mini-bump in status by getting name-checked on Mad Men?    That one throws in BB's, Jan And Dean, Four Seasons...I can imagine people hearing it who don't know it and thinking Beach Boys especially with the sound and the surfer lyrics, although it's not a blatant one at all.

[I. Spaceman]

Lonely Town is a great choice, definitely shooting for the Beach Boys, tho as it is a New York record, it sounds way more like the Seasons. They just have a different way of singing falsetto on the East Coast. I loved hearing the commentary for that Mad Men episode, where Matthew Weiner says that The Tradewinds were chosen because they actually opened at they Forest Hills show. I love that level of authenticity.

[rn57]

Henry Gross's tribute to Carl's deceased canine "Shannon" may have been the highest-charting record to be thoroughly BBs-influenced....and as it happens was released by Lifesong, the label that issued the Carvells' "LA Run" Stateside.

But I hadn't heard that Carvells song before. Pretty rockin'. I see the song was covered in Swedish by an outfit called Magnum Bonum and topped the charts there. That version lets us know what Swedes think about when they think about skating - namely, Big Macs and Skate City itself....New Orleans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uquCLdtzJfk

[Jon Stebbins]

The answer is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yus7IvioR_A

[Kees]

Well...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk9SYy5RRkM

[Dutchie]

also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itTAg_6Hng4


a small hit in the Netherlands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C45Q4X68bEs

and this should have been a hit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O83KBnfFNdc&playnext=1&list=PL493B25098557C386&feature=results_video

[joshferrell]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mixl3DFVnKE
Ray Stevens "Surfin ussr"
not sure it charted but it's cool never the less

[Sheriff John Stone]

...a couple of those Rip Chords singles.

[SMiLE Brian]

...a couple of those Rip Chords singles.

Bruce knew the BBs sound so well because he had been knocking them off for a while.

[guitarfool2002]

Add any of those mid 60's hit records that had Gary Usher producing or writing about hot rods or surf I'd say owes something to The Beach Boys, if not a direct copy than a pretty close approximation of the sound. Terry Melcher, too.

[SMiLE Brian]

Definitely, Gary Usher was a special case because he worked with Brian very early on.

[EgoHanger1966]

I love the Tradewinds (aka The Videls, aka The Innocence, aka Pete Anders and Vini Poncia...) - and I also love Mad Men. In which episode were they referenced? Almost fell out of my seat when they made a Merseybeats reference last season...

[I. Spaceman]

Tea Leaves was the episode.

[Jason Penick]

"Little GTO" by Ronnie and the Daytonas apes the BB/ J&D style pretty effectively.

[guitarfool2002]

That Mad Men episode was a standout because not only were the references cool but as mentioned the attention to detail - as the show usually does - was spot on, down to tracing it back to an actual Stones show at an actual location, rather than a fictional invention to enhance the storyline as other shows might do.

Long story short, in the episode Don and Harry Crane go backstage to the Stones show and they hoped to sign the Stones to do a commercial jingle for a client. Crane gets in, thinks he's meeting the Stones, comes out with an agreement, but he actually signed the Tradewinds to sing the jingle rather than the Stones. They never took it beyond that.

But like Mad Men does often, it sent their fanbase on a search for who or what the Tradewinds were, they found "New York...", and there was a bit of a buzz around the song. AMC shows do that so well, it's great how many fans have discovered new music that way. And it's all 100% period correct on Mad Men, the attention to detail is amazing.

That Vini Poncia was something of a Zelig character around pop music, wasn't he? 

[Paulos]

The answer is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yus7IvioR_A

It is a bit derivative of the Boys but I absolutely love Live For Sun, fantastic song.

[shelter]

The answer is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yus7IvioR_A

Talking about 'I Live for the Sun' and rip-offs: I wonder if George Harrison knew this song. The "sun sun sun" on 'Here Comes the Sun' sounds not entirely dissimilar from the "sun sun sun sun" on this song.

[EgoHanger1966]

That Mad Men episode was a standout because not only were the references cool but as mentioned the attention to detail - as the show usually does - was spot on, down to tracing it back to an actual Stones show at an actual location, rather than a fictional invention to enhance the storyline as other shows might do.

Long story short, in the episode Don and Harry Crane go backstage to the Stones show and they hoped to sign the Stones to do a commercial jingle for a client. Crane gets in, thinks he's meeting the Stones, comes out with an agreement, but he actually signed the Tradewinds to sing the jingle rather than the Stones. They never took it beyond that.

But like Mad Men does often, it sent their fanbase on a search for who or what the Tradewinds were, they found "New York...", and there was a bit of a buzz around the song. AMC shows do that so well, it's great how many fans have discovered new music that way. And it's all 100% period correct on Mad Men, the attention to detail is amazing.

That Vini Poncia was something of a Zelig character around pop music, wasn't he? 

Crazily enough, I have seen EVERY episode of Mad Men, but not this one! The latest season I caught as it aired, so maybe I was out one night and forgot to watch it the next day On Demand. I will have to search it out.

Knowing your musical tastes, I will have to suggest you check this out. It collects early 60s Poncia and Anders demos, Tradewinds, Innocence, some Videls, and other assorted rarities. The same company does a Neil Sedaka one that is out of this world as well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANDERS-PONCIA-Masterworks-2CD-Set-64-Tracks-/280421096027

[Sie W]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lCbbaeX1eA

More a re write I guess..... And I don't thing it was a single, It just makes me laugh.

[TomWollaert]

This one wouldn't have existed without BWPS and Pet Sounds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqDBB0no6dQ

Though it's more of an homage.

[Quzi]

And it's all 100% period correct on Mad Men, the attention to detail is amazing.

Well, almost 100%. Didn't they use a stereo mix of "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times"? 

[runnersdialzero]

I LIV
4 TEH SUN
BCUZ
IT MAEKS FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, don't block my shade
Hold the lemonade
etc.