Beach Boy Cover Tunes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tony Rivers and the Castaways

The Ivy League is a British group who released an album on Cameo in the USA around '65 with "Don't Worry Baby". This one has a very slow tempo without much production behind the backing track. What saves this one is the excellent lead vocal and harmonies. Grade B

Love Society released this single on RCA in the USA circa '68. It's a very laidback mellow version with barely any harmony. Grade C

Fun & Games released an album on UNI in '68 in the USA with "Don't Worry Baby". Gary Zekely wrote half the songs on the LP titled "Elephant Candy". "Don't Worry Baby" has a bit of a faster tempo but still somewhat laidback with plenty of harpsichord surrounding the vocals. Grade B+

Tony Rivers and the Castaways did several Beach Boy songs but not this one.

Answer: Vogues

Keller & Webb released this single on Columbia in '75. So far only promo copies seem to exist. It's a very lush well orchestrated production but lacks the vocal quality necessary to pull it off. Grade B-

Bay City Rollers released an album on Arista with "Don't Worry Baby" in the USA around '75. This one has a calypso feel to it and well done harmonies. It's not half bad considering the source. Grade B-

London Bridge released a single on Capitol in the USA circa '73. This version has an uptempo beat with plenty of harmony and a falsetto lead with at least one female backing vocalist amongst the chorus of voices. An excellent backing tracking complements the vocals. Highly recommended. Grade A

Answer: Adrian Baker

Henson released this single in the UK on United Artist in '74.

Marilyn Scott released this single on Big Tree in the USA Dec. '77. It's one of those funky disco versions.

P.P. Arnold's album was released on the Immediate label in the UK with "God Only Knows" in '67. She had a myriad of cover tunes just like Linda Ronstadt.

Adrian Baker did "God Only Knows" in 2007 but in the introduction I specified I was covering groups from the 60s-90s. He did not record it during this time period.

Answer: Vivian Copeland

Troy Newman, an Aussie, released this single on Warners in '91. He later died of drug intoxication in '97. He belonged to a group called The Boys in the mid 80s before branching out into a solo career.

Joey Heatherton released an album with "God Only Knows" in '72. She's also an American actress.

State of Mind was released on the Big Life label in the UK circa '89. There was evidently more than one group called State of Mind. I too have been known to have more than one state of mind, depending what I've been ingesting.

Answer: Melt Banana

New Happiness released this single on Columbia Mar. '67. "Mellow Yellow" was the flip side with Charles Calello producing both sides. He's done some work with the Four Seasons.

Electric Piano Playground can be found on Bell Records in the USA circa '67. An instrumental with piano as the main course, of course.

Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. I never heard of them. Evidently this Hip Hop group (Please forgive me 60s alum) had a number one hit with "Good Vibrations" in '91 on the Hot 100. I can't imagine what it sounds like and I'm afraid to.

Melt Banana who cares. All I know is that they did not record "Good Vibrations".

Answer: Go Robot, Go

Troggs recorded a satirically funny version of "Good Vibrations". One example is "the clothes she almost wears". They released this single on Pye in '75 in the USA. It's worth a listen.

Floyd Cramer is an elevator music instrumentalist who covered "Good Vibrations". He would cover the big hits of the day during the 60s and 70s.

Silver Blue did a Disco version of "Good Vibrations" on 12 inch vinyl on CBS in '78. Need I say more. Holy Moly! I just heard it on youtube. What a horrible Disco version! I guess I just did say more.

Answer: Pere Ubu

Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet were a Canadian surf instrumental band from Toronto, Canada. They released an album titled "Dim The Lights, Chill The Ham" in '91 with "In My Room".

Jody Miller's single was released on Capitol in '64 in the USA. She had a couple of Billboard Top 40 hits in '65. One of the singles was "Home Of The Brave".

Grant Lee Buffalo is a group from Los Angeles, California who got together in '91. "In My Room" comes from the "Friends" soundtrack, an American TV show.

Answer: Ricci Martin

David Cassidy released "Darlin'" as a single on RCA in '75. It was produced by former Beach Boy Bruce Johnston, but failed to generate any record sales,

A Taste of Honey is a Swedish group who released an album full of Beach Boy songs in the late 60s in Europe.

The Persuaders released a very soulful version on A&M in '75. One of the better covers of a Beach Boy song.

Ricci Martin, younger brother of Dino Martin, (Dino, Desi and Billy) did not record any covers but was involved with the Beach Boys in the mid to late 70s.

Answer: Half Man Half Biscuit

A Taste of Honey is a Swedish group who released an album full of Beach Boy songs in the late 60s in Europe.

Sunshine is a Canadian group from Vancouver, British Columbia who released this single on the Celebration label in Canada only circa '70. It's a fuzz oriented rocker which can be found on youtube. I uploaded it.

Bobby Vee released this single on Liberty in '67. Why he would pick this song is beyond me. He had many hits over the years but this was not one of them.

Half Man Half Biscuit is a real group and did cover a Beach Boy song but not this one.

Answer: Carpenters

Dino, Desi and Billy released an album titled "Memories Are Made Of This" on Reprise in '66. It's a very bland version of "Girl Don't Tell Me".

This Collage is not the same group as on Smash Records. It was released on the Coliseum label in '66 and they are from the New England area on the east coast of the United States. It is a remarkably well done cover for a garage record produced on a small independent label.

Smithereens' "Girl Don't Tell Me" cover appears on their album "Attack Of The Smithereens" released in '95.