Now that I've been "pickin' up" those "Good Vibrations" of Summer, it feels like the right time to share my cover of a new favorite of mine from The Beach Boys, "I Can Hear Music." When I did my Spotlight on Joy interview with singer/songwriter Dany Horovitz last October, we chatted about our favorite music, and Dany mentioned this song. I was shocked to have never heard of it before, given that I was familiar with most of The Beach Boys top hits.
It turns out, this was not their original song. It was actually written back in 1966 for the girl group, The Ronettes. The Beach Boys found more success with their cover of this song when they released it in 1969, and it ended up peaking at number 24 on the Billboard top 100! And did you know Freddie Mercury covered it too? Who knew!
I grew up watching Full House and that was when I was first introduced to The Beach Boys. The band made several appearances on the show and Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) even collaborated with them on the song, "Forever." Fun fact: John Stamos has actually performed and toured with The Beach Boys over the past 30+ years! Is that life imitating art or what?!
I feel fortunate to have seen The Beach Boys in concert when they performed at a Washington State county fair back in September 2006 (I was in college at the time), and it was such a fun and nostalgic night! They have experienced a huge amount of success over their 60-year career, selling over 100 million records worldwide, and having 36 songs on the US Top 40, with four on the Billboard top 100. In 1988, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
So, once I finally gave "I Can Hear Music" a listen, I was immediately hooked and I kid you not, it was on repeat for a solid month! Since I've always had such a musical mind, this song resonated with me because my life has been consistently soundtracked by my favorite songs. Who else can relate to having a life soundtrack too? Whether I'm having a great day and a bunch of feel-good tunes come to mind or I need a good cry and I'm reminded of a more somber, emotional song, "I can hear music," all the time! I'm determined to tap into music's magical powers, and allow the "sounds of the city" or any other distractions, to disappear.
"I Can Hear Music," as a love song, poetically represents the rhythm you feel inside when you're in love. You feel like you're riding a pure wave of joy. And you feel elated like you're floating on air, and that time has somehow slowed down. This song will always remind you exactly how being in love feels, and I was so thrilled to find stock footage for my video of a girl that amazingly seemed to channel those feelings!
When I decided to record my own cover of this song, I turned to the 1996 version for inspiration, when singer Kathy Troccoli sang with The Beach Boys. This version actually outperformed their original release and peaked at number 16 on the Billboard top 100. Kathy's vocals are absolutely incredible because she truly expresses the dreamy vibes of this song! I wanted to do my best to capture those same vibes and I hope you can all hear that in my own vocals.
If you are also a fan of The Beach Boys, and grateful for their music—the ultimate soundtrack to Summer—what are some of your favorite songs? Feel free to comment below!
Shine on and Surf's Up!