Brenda and the Tabulations

Listen/Download Brenda and the Tabulations – God Only Knows

Greetings all

The end of the week is here, so I will once again remind you to spin the dial on your wireless sets to Viva Radio, this and every Friday night at 9PM so that you might dig the Funky16Corners Radio Show. If you can’t be there at airtime, you can always subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 at the blog.

The tune I bring you todayis yet another one of those “right under my nose” surprises that I unearthed in the Funky16Corners record vault.

I was digging around, looking for something else (naturally) when I happened upon Brenda and the Tabulations 1967 LP “Dry Your Eyes’.

It occurred to me that I had wanted to record ‘The Wash’, which had oddly enough turned up in a TV advert in the last few months, but while I was looking over the jacket I realized (perhaps for the first time) that the group had also recorded a cover version of the Beach Boys ‘God Only Knows’.

I flipped the disc onto the turntable, gave it a spin and realized that it was not only excellent but would make a much more interesting entry here at the blog, so I recorded it.

Originally recorded for the Beach Boys legendary 1966 LP ’Pet Sounds’, ‘God Only Knows’ is widely regarded (here as well) as one of the finest songs that Brian Wilson (with Tony Asher)every wrote.

There aren’t a great many soul versions of Beach Boys tunes – though Freddy McCoy’s soul jazz take on ‘Pet Sounds’ is transcendant – so when I saw that Brenda and the Tabulations had recorded it my interest was piqued.

The group had only come together and recorded for the first time in 1966, havin their first major hit, ‘Dry Your Eyes’ (Top 10 R&B/Top 20 Pop) in early 1967.

They went on to have 17 R&B chart hits over the next ten years, moving from Dionn records to Top & Bottom, Epic and Chocolate City.

Their version of ‘God Only Knows’ is a fairly reverent take, opening (like the original) with French horns, strings and a lovely lead vocal by Brenda Payton. The band does kick up the tempo a bit, and there are some really unusual – vaguely trippy – backing vocals.

It’s an unusual, and excellent version of a very well known song.

I hope you all dig it, and I’ll see you all on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!

The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.

They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).

Click here to go to the ordering page.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

 

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.