Have had this song stuck in my head all week! Took out my copy of Pet Sounds on vinyl yesterday but the record is missing. Read about the band for most of last night and- wha-la! An a-cappella version on the tuneage tumblr today! What a great inadvertent focus for the week.
What harmonies!
The Beach Boys - “Wouldn’t It Be Nice (A Cappella)”
It’s Friday and dreary in Nashville, so on the music menu this morning is something to make it as sunny indoors as possible. Sunny….southern California…1960s…Beach Boys! And what’s better than the regular, like-you’ve-heard-it-a-hundred-times Beach Boys? That’s right, a capella Beach Boys. All harmonies, all the time.
When Pet Sounds (seriously, it’s one of the greatest albums ever; if you don’t own it, go get it right now) turned 30, the Beach Boys released a 4-disc Pet Sounds extravaganza with remasters, alternate takes, stereo mixes, and these “Stack-o-vocals” recordings. Hearing these a cappella versions highlights just how much of the Beach Boys’ music is built on their perfect harmonies, and if you’ve never heard these harmonies all by themselves, you’re missing out.
Edit: If you’d like to hear more of these a cappella versions, some benevolent YouTube user has uploaded the a cappella versions of all 10 songs from Pet Sounds for you.
