The 1965 song John Lennon called “the greatest” was by a ’60s rival
Receiving a compliment from John Lennon would be enough for most bands to dine out on for the rest of their career, and words they’d happily have placed on their tombstone.
More often than not, when Lennon spoke about another band, it wouldn’t be particularly complimentary. However, he would happily shout about it from the rooftops when he loved a song or an album that he wanted everyone else to hear.
Most who found themselves on the receiving end understood that this was simply his nature and didn’t hold a grudge. After all, Lennon was most critical about himself, even detesting Abbey Road despite everybody else accepting it as a masterpiece.
Nevertheless, one band were off-limits when it came to criticism: The Beach Boys. They may have had a competitive relationship, but it was always good-natured and underscored by respect. The affinity between the two bands never turned sour, with Lennon and Paul McCartney expressing their adoration for Brian Wilson’s genius whenever possible.
Even now, McCartney will never turn down an opportunity to share his belief that The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’ is the greatest song ever written.
Following the release of Pet Sounds, The Beatles famously tried to outdo their Californians on their next record with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Conversely, in 2004, Wilson told Paste how Rubber Soul shaped his band: “Rubber Soul blew my mind. I liked the way it all went together, the way it was all one thing. It was a challenge to me to do something similar. That made me want to make Pet Sounds, I didn’t want to do the same kind of music, but on the same level.”
In 1965, before the release of Pet Sounds, Lennon was already a paid-up member of The Beach Boys fan club, who was particularly infatuated with ‘The Little Girl I Once Knew’.
For one week only, Lennon was tasked with handling reviews for Melody Maker, which gifted him with the chance to tell anybody who would listen about his obsession with ‘The Little Girl I Once Knew’. He passionately wrote, “This is the greatest! Turn it up, turn it right up. It’s GOT to be a hit. It’s the greatest record I’ve heard for weeks. It’s fantastic. I hope it will be a hit. It’s all Brian Wilson. He just uses the voices as instruments. He never tours or anything.”
Heaping praise on Wilson further, Lennon added, “He just sits at home thinking up fantastic arrangements out of his head. Doesn’t even read music. You keep waiting for the fabulous breaks. Great arrangement. It goes on and on with all different things. I hope it’s a hit so I can hear it all the time.”
Despite Lennon’s endorsement of the track in the Melody Maker, ‘The Little Girl I Once Knew’ failed to become a hit record for The Beach Boys, but that doesn’t take anything away from its greatness. The song, which was made during the Pet Sounds sessions, acted as a precursor of what was to come in 1966 when they would release the album that changed popular music forever.
While it didn’t trouble the hit parade, Lennon could hear that The Beach Boys had evolved on ‘The Little Girl I Once Knew’, and knew that whatever came next would be vital.
By this stage, Wilson wasn’t chasing hit records either, which is why he allowed moments of silence in the song that deterred radio stations from playing it. He was revelling in this newfound creative freedom that put artistry above all else, which would soon ensure that the entire world viewed him just like Lennon did.
