101 Great BB's Songs (not by The BB's)

[hypehat]

Songs that sound like The Beach Boys! Of course, what I wouldn't give to have Carl or Dennis rip through half the choices on this list.... But the band do seem to have a schtick that people copy a lot. More interested in folks ripping the 70's Beach Boys sound too, apparently the new Iron & Wine record has a lot of that.


That Full Treatment tune is one of best things in the history of recorded sound. It's on the Nuggets Los Angeles box, and as far as I can tell is a complete mystery besides the fact it was released in 1968. Like, who were The Full Treatment? A producer/session dude band? There is absolutely zero info on the internet and I don't have the box itself.

Super Furry Animals - Cabin Fever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng2kaAQ5Y_E
SFA - Atomik Lust (Sounds like a Surf's Up outtake!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oy0okJxjk
and SFA again.... Walk You Home http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkngIDEk4Io (swoonworthy strings by Sean O'Hagan)

All from the same record, Love Kraft, which really nails the Surf's Up half mystical/half goofy aesthetic unlike anything I've heard.

[roll plymouth rock]

That Full Treatment tune is one of best things in the history of recorded sound. It's on the Nuggets Los Angeles box, and as far as I can tell is a complete mystery besides the fact it was released in 1968. Like, who were The Full Treatment? A producer/session dude band? There is absolutely zero info on the internet and I don't have the box itself.

All from the same record, Love Kraft, which really nails the Surf's Up half mystical/half goofy aesthetic unlike anything I've heard.

The Full Treatment was all the brain child of Buzz Clifford....I actually posted on his myspace how much I loved the tune in the years before that boxset and he wrote me to say that he hadn't heard it in years as he didn't have his copy of the 45 anymore and could I send him a mp3 of the song? Ha, pretty funny stuff....his solo album from 1970 "See Your Way Clear" has David Marks on guitar on it, recommended!


As for the SFA I concur they are a great group. Their song "Recepticle For The Respectable" has Paul McCartney chewing carrots & celery on it ala Smile. I also interviewed Daf their drummer during the Love Kraft era and he said the one influence the band could all agree on was Beach Boys music otherwise they didn't always see eye to eye tastewise heh...their compilation mix cd they released around then featured the first commercial release of a Dennis Wilson & Rumbo track since the original 45 came out.


and in the spirit of the thread...here's another beach boys soundalike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xRmb3wtbNA
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - No Surfin' Today

[roll plymouth rock]

Here are two surf songs by Roger McGuinn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpEBabK5n4s The City Surfers - Beach Ball
http://growingbolder.com/media/142548.htm Draggin' 'Cross The USA (this isn't the original, it would be cool if someone could post it here -- Bruce sung bgvs on the original!)

[Rocker]

Writing the lyrics for Brian Wilson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4aXWYVfxWs&feature=related

[Magic City Surfer]

Weird Al Yankovic - Pancreas

http://www.spike.com/video/weird-al-yankovic/2855125

This is actually a fantastic BW homage/pastiche.  So in light of that it might fit the category of this thread, but I truly enjoy the song.

"Flow, flow, flow pancreatic juice, flow flow..."

[Magic City Surfer]

Anybody ever hear of The Explorers Club?  They sound like they've done their best to pick up where BW left off in 1967.

Check out "Don't Forget the Sun"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A21ypoQggUY

I've been told they have a whole album on iTunes, but I haven't checked that out yet.

[hypehat]

Time for a revive?

The Explorers Club.... eh. My favourite is either the one which sounds like 'Smile' or the one which sounds like 'You Need A Mess Of Help'.


The Night And I Are Still So Young, by The Heavy Blinkers, has some sh*t-hot breaks. The Theremin! The french horns! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEaz_Z7sZuA

Martin Denny - Paradise Found.... a beautiful, vibe-driven instrumental. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ictNlYF0KkI

[Ebb and Flow]

That Bluebird Of Summer - Surf Symphony

The instrumentation is a bit cheesy, but the repeating piano riff sounds remarkably similar to a BW composition.  Don't know if it's OK to post a download link here, as it's not on youtube.

[phirnis]

I'll throw in a track by Fugu.

This has always reminded me of the Beach Boys circa 20/20:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3raFiEGIui0

[punkinhead]

Time for a revive?

The Explorers Club.... eh. My favourite is either the one which sounds like 'Smile' or the one which sounds like 'You Need A Mess Of Help'.


The Night And I Are Still So Young, by The Heavy Blinkers, has some merda-hot breaks. The Theremin! The french horns! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEaz_Z7sZuA
Martin Denny - Paradise Found.... a beautiful, vibe-driven instrumental. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ictNlYF0KkI

That Heavy Blinkers album is really really good, I've come to love it within the past year...I knew the title song and Try Telling that to My Baby (great video by the way) really well a couple years ago, I only just encountered the album about 8 months ago.
I really enjoy Mother Dear and the instrumental: Veranda Celeste....sounds like a mondern Pet Sounds but less gloomy and more sunshine pop

[hypehat]

Another Spiritualized tune - Do It All Over Again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ckXWLwvRDU

[puni puni]

Tears For Fears - Brian Wilson Said
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFJ2gbNx0kg

[hypehat]

Was trawling through Jellyfish members solo albums today - Sturmers done owt, Falkner is amazing if angry at most things, but Roger Manning is GREAT. His first solo album is giving me the sheer pop I need right now. And his voice really reminds me of Bruce Johnston!

Especially on the acapella intro to this

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7I5zE6uxc (the song itself ain't much cop)

and this 6/8 gem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51ysc4pxELw

and this slice of perfect pop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKfzH1gAhh4&feature=related

[The Madcap]

The songs "Rock N Roll High School" and "Rockaway Beach" by The Ramones remind me of early Beach Boys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5vh0QHUA1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6siGKxcKol0

[SMiLE Brian]

The songs "Rock N Roll High School" and "Rockaway Beach" by The Ramones remind me of early Beach Boys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5vh0QHUA1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6siGKxcKol0

Thought about that connection the other day when I listened to the 1964 live version of "be true to your school" from the 1993 box set, and thought it sounded almost like the ramones .

[Myk Luhv]

Although I've never heard any of them reference them in particular, I always assumed at least some of the Ramones -- Dee Dee or Joey? -- were big Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fans. That's sort of why I figured they covered "Do You Wanna Dance?" too, along with much of Rocket To Russia being seemingly very early-BBs influenced.

[pancakerecords]

Although I've never heard any of them reference them in particular, I always assumed at least some of the Ramones -- Dee Dee or Joey? -- were big Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fans. That's sort of why I figured they covered "Do You Wanna Dance?" too, along with much of Rocket To Russia being seemingly very early-BBs influenced.

They covered "Surf City" and "Surfin' Safari" too.

[hypehat]

Bumping this to post this song from The Muppets. I get strong Beach Boy vibes 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZBe7_lE9lE

[Alan Smith]

 
Awesome bump! - Here's a few rather late comers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQASn7ijbZc  (check out their other shi while (if) you're there))

If only BB85 had sounded like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4c2kO5ZE38&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EV5pNowizQ

And I always wish old Jeff had flogged this to our boys - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVrlc84AEZM&feature=related

[Summertime Blooz]

Louis Philippe makes some fantastic heavily Wilson-inspired Chamber Pop. Real quality- amazing to me that he's not better known. I think you can get most of his albums from itunes. Here's a few-

Every Day Goes By:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY7OtmLsSgM

Delta Kiss:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKBLFMof8gs&feature=related

A Paris:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYBoOE-QWw8&feature=related

[Summertime Blooz]

Here's a couple from Tokyo genius Yasuharu Konishi and Pizzicato Five:

Work of God:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb1kRra_tEM

You'll Never Get To Heaven:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEQgPF8iRoY

[positivemusic]

Dewey Cox - "Black Sheep"

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

[Empire Of Love]

This is a nice little tribute to the Brian Wilson sound (perhaps with a bit of Spector as well), don't think it has been referenced  yet, Josh Ritter - Love Is Making Its Way Back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw_ncZAYRSM&feature=g-sptl&cid=inp-hs-edt-02

Edit: It sounds like a more modern, hip "Getcha' Back."

[Dunderhead]

One period of music I always try to turn people onto, but always fail to get anybody to listen to, is Japanese classic pop/rock from the 70s. It takes some getting used to, but it bears a strong Brian Wilson influence. I honestly know very little about it simply because it's just never been introduced to American audiences. There was this one producer named Eiichi Ohtaki who was clearly very into The Beach Boys and branded his music style as "Niagara". That's really all I know, the albums are really fucking hard to track down, and there's virtually no information about the stuff written in English.

I'd recommend getting this album though, "A Long Vacation":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-70lTWVCto&feature=related

Ohtaki produced a really superb album a few years before ALV by a band called Sugar Babe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw1015-vw7M&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL172F686847CB9B13
I find that song endlessly catchy.

There's another guy Harry Hosono who was really into exotica music, and did this cool little album called Paraiso which I dig. And I think a lot of this music is linked by a shared membership in the early 70's band Happy End, which sounded more along the lines of Harrison's All Things Must Pass. Some of the stuff is worth checking out if you can find it, but it can serious luck to stumble on an LP from that period in a record store.