Released in 2016 as an Amazon Music Original track on their compilation Songs of Summer is Brandi Carlile’s cover of the classic Beach Boy’s track God Only Knows
On May 27, 2016 Alexandra Schwartz for Glamour magazine wrote:
“Today, we’re premiering the perfect version for the summer of ’16: a stunning version from folk songstress Brandi Carlile as part of Amazon’s Songs of Summer Playlist (which debuts in full on June 3).
Carlile hits the nostalgic note to perfection and adds vocal dimension to enhance the ethereal appeal of the classic. “Pet Sounds was such an impactful record for me and the Hanseroth twins [Carlile’s singing and writing counterparts],” she tells us. “They always say that ‘God Only Knows’ is perhaps the greatest song ever written, right up there with ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen.”
Adding to the magic of Carlile’s rendition is a guitar accompaniment by Mike McCready, a founding member of the band Pearl Jam. “One of the things that is most special about this recording is that Mike played the electric guitar,” she says. “He played the part so simply and with such reverence for the song that you may never guess it’s him! But his spirit and his tone are very much there. It was also his idea to start the song with that weird acapella vocal, and I love it. We marked the transitions with an actual harp through a reverb pedal and doubled my vocals.” What’s more romantic than a harp? Apart from her adoration of the track, “God Only Knows” has personal to meaning to Carlile: “I got married in the late summertime and the twins sang this song with a ukulele while we walked down the aisle.” The sweetest.
So, without further adieu, take a listen to Carlile’s beautiful delivery of the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” below. Plus, she put together a summer playlist of the rest of the songs she’s listening to and loving right now (complete with Elton John, Queen, and Stevie Wonder). Check it out on both Amazon Prime and YouTube—and mark your calendars for June 3, when Amazon debuts the rest of their Songs of Summer playlist for your listening pleasure.
Listen to the song:
