Five isolated vocals that prove the genius of The Beach Boys
While intricate and endearing harmonies aren’t new to popular music, The Beach Boys took the already obvious endearment of such qualities to new heights. While many other bands, like Queen, The Beatles, and Fleetwood Mac, demonstrated the power of skilled harmonies, The Beach Boys fused rock, pop, and surf music largely through vocal ability alone.
The driving force behind this monumental achievement was, of course, the great Brian Wilson, who became drawn to the fascinating layers captured by jazz quartet The Four Freshmen. This band could seamlessly blend harmonic jazz arrangements and weave in and out of vocals as naturally as waves washing up on the seashore.
As a result, Wilson channelled his appreciation of this style into The Beach Boys, crafting effortless harmonies which involved tight, close intervals and intricate vocal arrangements. Moreover, Wilson would often add multiple layers to the vocal arrangements to create a more textured sound and smooth, seamless transitions between the different voices.
Although the accompanying musical arrangements helped them to foster one of the most unique sounds in modern music, hearing The Beach Boys’ isolated vocals is like being in the room during the recording sessions. There’s a rawness to it that feels even more intimate and revealing, showcasing their ingenuity as some of the more vocally powerful players in the industry.
The five best isolated vocals by The Beach Boys:
‘God Only Knows’
Pet Sounds is undeniably one of the most innovative albums of the 20th century. As Wilson’s magnum opus, the record is filled with both floor-fillers and introspective tunes, marking a significant surge forward in The Beach Boys’ journey. Before Pet Sounds, the band was celebrated as a quintessentially American group delivering music that perfectly matched their image. In a desperate move to avoid another ‘Surfin’ USA’, Wilson set out to create a new sound that took their well-established appeal and fused it with something more modern and relatable.
‘God Only Knows’ is the perfect example of this transition, which is detectable in the vocals as the depth and poignancy shine through. According to Wilson, the track is somewhat bittersweet as it indicates “being blind but in being blind, you can see more”. Lyrically, the song follows a narrative of moving on from experiencing significant loss, which holds a certain rawness that you can hear in their voices.
‘In My Room’
When they lived in Hawthorne as children, Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson shared the same room. One night, Brian began singing the song ‘Ivory Tower’ to them, and they liked it so much that he taught them its harmony parts. Moments like these stayed in Wilson’s mind, and he spotted many parallels during their time in recording studios as more established musicians.
‘In My Room’ became a gateway for reflection and nostalgia. “When we recorded ‘In My Room’, there was just Dennis, Carl and me on the first verse,” Brian recalled. “We sounded just like we did in our bedroom all those nights. This story has more meaning than ever since Dennis’ death.”
Gary Usher, who co-wrote the tune with Brian, also said the musician described his room as “his whole world”. The song’s arrangements showcase this level of comfort, but the vocals alone open the door to more brutal honesty. Without the accompanying notes, it’s clear that there’s an element of pain behind the sentiment as Wilson looks back to a simpler time.
‘Good Vibrations’
‘Good Vibrations’ unquestionably falls into the commendable category of quintessential sounds of the 1960s. Beyond its obvious upbeat pop appeal, the track stands as a subversive display of artistic genius as Wilson captures his fascination with “cosmic vibrations”, as described by his mother, and observations of how dogs reacted to people emitting negative energy. These themes ignited the creation of some of the most iconic lyrics in music history.
Hearing the vocals alone, it becomes clear that the hook formed the basis of the entire tune. With help from Tony Asher, Wilson crafted one of the greatest and most charming songs in history with just a simple repetitive hook: “Brian was playing what amounts to the hook of the song: ‘Good, good, good, good vibrations.’ He started telling me the story about his mother,” Asher recalled.
“He said he’d always thought that it would be fun to write a song about vibes and picking them up from other people…so, as we started to work, he played this little rhythmic pattern—a riff on the piano, the thing that goes under the chorus”.
‘Surfin’ USA’
As the name suggests, ‘Surfin’ USA’ became one of the strongest emblems of surf music due to its catchy melody and energetic instrumentation. Serving up an insatiable “Californianisation” of Chuck Berry’s ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’, the band generates a familiar sense of youthful, upbeat excitement driven almost entirely by the vocal harmonies.
Surfin’ USA was a version of The Beach Boys that were very much up for surfing the wave and putting their skills to the test – Wilson himself admitted that Surfin’ Safari “was practice for me” and that Surfin’ USA was building upon that experience. Listening to just their voices, it’s evident that, while they still had a while to go before becoming more reputable and refined, they certainly had a good idea of what the people wanted.
‘California Girls’
Labelled by Wilson as “a hymn to youth”, ‘California Girls’ is perhaps one of the best examples of The Beach Boys’ appeal. Known for its orchestral prelude, stacked harmonies, and chromatic melodies, the song is a gorgeous demonstration of the pinnacle of the band’s ability to work together in tandem. While the lyrics may seem a little dated considering its comparisons of women from various states, according to Mike Love, this wasn’t their initial intention. “I wanted the song to be a tribute to girls everywhere,” he explained, “Not just in the United States, let alone California, but everywhere in the world.”
Specific meaning aside, the isolated vocals effectively communicate the carefree spirit and sunny imagery central to the song’s appeal. The layered harmonies perfectly depict the warmth and vibrancy of the California lifestyle, making it the perfect staple of The Beach Boys’ extensive repertoire.
