The Beach Boys - God Only Knows covers

Today's post is inspired by a post on Said The Gramphone a few days back that featured a fantastic cover of The Beach Boys' God Only Knows, that most utterly irresistable of songs. Lots of people have covered it: a quick iTunes search gives exactly 150 results, including a disgustingly sentimental one by Joss Stone. *voms* Having said that, a surprising number of those results are not covers, but original songs. I'm surprised that anyone would try to write a track with the same name as such a classic as it's just asking to get negative comparisons. Even Gary Numan wrote an original "God Only Knows". Anyway, here's a randomish assortment of God Only Knows covers, plus the original.

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows (A Capella)

That second track is just the vocals from the original recording, taken from the Pet Sounds Sessions box set released a couple of years back. It prompted a bunch of self-proclaimed bedroom composers to release a mashup of the full Pet Sounds sessions, titled "Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds". This track, like the album, is a bit patchy but excellent in places. I particularly like the beautiful, tentative opening and the accompaniment to the vocal bit about 2 minutes in.

Nybbl - God Only Knows

Here's an inoffensive cover from the curiously named Jonatha Brooke, taken from her 2004 album Back In The Circus

Jonatha Brooke - God Only Knows

A lovely version by Petra Haden that captures the quirkiness of the original track, with some funny attempts at bass lines.

Petra Haden - God Only Knows

And finally, the track that inspired this post, the excellent video game music style version by PDF Format.

PDF Format - God Only Knows 64

Props to Said the Gramophone for the unintentional inspiration.