The Beach Boys’ vocal blend stands out as one of the most iconic sounds in the history of rock and roll. In terms of lead singers, the duties for the band’s most iconic songs were generally held by either Dennis Wilson or Mike Love.
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But The Beach Boys boasted so many outstanding vocalists that they could turn to anyone in the band and expect a knockout performance. Here are five occasions when the secondary singers in the group took center stage and shone.
“Help Me Rhonda” (1965) Sung by Al Jardine
The Beach Boys took two cracks at this song. Originally, they included it on their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today! This first version lopes along without too much intensity. Brian Wilson, who wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics with Mike Love, decided it had the potential to do damage as a single with a little more pep. And he also decided that Al Jardine should sing it. Although Jardine at first struggled with the assignment, he rose to the occasion with a nimble voice that conveys potent emotions.
“God Only Knows” (1966) Sung by Carl Wilson
You’ll find people calling this Brian Wilson’s greatest composition of all time. Others will tell you it’s the finest love song of the 20th century. That none of that is empty hyperbole should tell you all you need to know about the quality of “God Only Knows”. But none of that praise could have been possible without the touching lead vocal of Carl Wilson. Carl underplays the song all the way, letting the moving melody and the natural soulfulness in his voice do the work. The result is captivating from his first note.
“Forever” (1970) Sung by Dennis Wilson
The Beach Boys had no choice but to become more of a democratic outfit in the early 70s. Brian Wilson just couldn’t pull it together to become anything more than a sporadic contributor. Those records from that period proved time and again that these guys were more than background singers for Brian’s musical flights of fancy. Perhaps most surprising of all was the depth and sensitivity that Dennis Wilson, always known for his partying ways, showed as a songwriter and singer. “Forever”, aching and beautiful, stands as his magnum opus.
“Disney Girls (1957)” (1971) Sung by Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston has generally stayed behind the scenes during his Beach Boys’ career, content to fill whatever roles are needed. He started to emerge a bit as a songwriter during Brian Wilson’s leaner years. That said, “Disney Girls (1957)” showed him taking a massive artistic leap from anything he’d delivered for the band previously to that song. It’s an absolutely lovely offering, with a sweet, sad melody and a clear-headed message about a guy who doesn’t apologize for his nostalgic worldview.
“Sail On, Sailor” (1973) Sung by Blondie Chaplin
The provenance of this 1973 song has always been somewhat of a mystery. Five different writers are credited, and only one of them (Brian Wilson) was a Beach Boy. Because Brian was in such a bad way during the making of the Holland album, there was no way he was going to take the lead vocal. Blondie Chaplin, who was with the group for just a short stretch, stepped up and absolutely nailed this one. It’s a rhythmically dynamic track, and Chaplin rides herd over it all with confidence and heart.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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