Rock and Roll music was born in the 50s and during the next decade went to a whole new level when many incredible bands appeared especially in the United States and Unitead Kingdom. Formed in London, England in 1962, The Rolling Stones are one of the most important bands that appeared during that era. Led by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the group became one of the most successful of all time.
Over the decades, the band’s guitarist talked about many other groups from that same era and one of them was The Beach Boys. To show a little more about Keith Richards’ love for them, Rock and Roll Garage selected the 3 songs from the American band that Richards said he likes.
The 3 Beach Boys songs Keith Richards said he likes
“I Get Around”
The songs were mentioned by Keith Richards according to his official statement about The Beach Boys, featured on Brian Wilson‘s official website. “I was more interested in their B-sides, the ones he slipped in. There was no particular correlation with what we were doing so I could just listen to it on another level. I thought these are very well constructed songs,” Keith Richards said.
The first one mentioned was “I Get Around”, to which Richards said: “Round, round get around / I get around” – I thought that was brilliant. Brian Wilson had something.” First released as a single in 1964, the track was also featured on their sixth album “All Summer Long”. Brian Wilson and Mike Love are credited as the songwriters and it was Love who sang the lead vocals.
At the time the track performed really well on the charts, peaking at number 1 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 charts.
“In My Room”
The second Beach Boys track mentioned by Keith Richards was “In My Room”, written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher. The track was featured on the band’s third studio album “Surfer Girl”, released in 1963. In this one is Brian who was the lead vocalist.
The song performed really well when it was released but it wasn’t such a big hit like other Beach Boys tracks. It was eventually inducted in 1999 into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Brian Wilson, who is The Beach Boys mastermind, is also a huge fan of The Rolling Stones. He even told Spin in 2021, that “Between The Buttons” (1967) was one of his favorite albums of all time. “At least for today…I’m thinking about this album. The song ‘My Obsession’ is, well, I’m obsessed with it,” Brian Wilson said.
“Don’t Worry Baby”
The third track mentioned by the Rolling Stones guitarist was “Don’t Worry Baby”, which was first featured on the American band’s fifth album “Shut Down Volume 2” in 1964. Brian Wilson was the lead vocalist and he wrote the track with the help of Roger Christian.
At the time the song was released it peaked at number 24 on the United States Billboard Hot 100. 13 years later, B.J. Thomas covered the track and his cover peaked at number 17 on the same Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Wilson was a huge fan of the female group The Ronettes, especially from their 1963 “Be My Baby”. So the track was the main inspiration for “Don’t Worry Baby”. In an interview with The New York Times in 2004, Wilson was asked if his band was more artistically adventurous than the Rolling Stones. He said that both were equal but that the British group played the instruments better.
“I think we’re about even. The Beach Boys were a pretty good singing group. But the Stones played their instruments better,” Brian Wilson said.
