Brian Wilson Wanted His Brother, Carl, To Sing ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys
Brian Wilson is one of the songwriters for the Beach Boys, co-writing “God Only Knows” with Tony Asher. When it came to picking a lead vocalist for this song, Wilson “put on his producer hat” and chose his brother, Carl. Here’s what we know about this Beach Boys hit song.
Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys co-wrote ‘God Only Knows’
“God Only Knows” what fans would do without this surf rock group. The original lineup for the band featured brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine.
In addition to being a vocalist, Brian Wilson was one of the Beach Boys’ main songwriters. He’s the mastermind behind “God Only Knows,” co-writing the hit with Asher.
“Tony Asher and I tried to write something very spiritually…,” Wilson said, according to Songfacts, noting its similarities to “The Sound of Music.” “Tony came up with the title ‘God Only Knows.’ I was scared they’d ban playing it on the radio because of the title, but they didn’t.”
Why Brian Wilson wanted his brother to sing ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys
Years after its release, “God Only Knows” was added to a list of Brian Wilson’s favorite Beach Boys songs. Regarding the vocalist for “God Only Knows,” Wilson specifically wanted his younger brother, Carl, to perform on the track.
“I wanted [Brian’s brother] Carl to sing it. I thought he had the right voice for the song,” Brian Wilson said during an interview with Esquire. “That song is very personal — it’s a very personal statement — but I really wanted Carl to sing it because he was one of the greatest vocalists of all time and a really expressive singer.”
“So I was able to put on my producer hat rather than satisfy my ego and sing it myself,” he added. Although he functioned as the Beach Boys’ lead guitarist, Carl Wilson lent his voice to “Full Sail,” “I Can Hear Music,” and “Girl Don’t Tell Me.”
However, most members of this band sang, harmonizing for songs like “Kokomo.” (The third Wilson brother, Dennis, appeared as a drummer for the Beach Boys.)
‘God Only Knows’ is a fan-favorite song by the Beach Boys
As a fan-favorite track, other artists created their versions of “God Only Knows.” That includes John Legend, who performed this song live at the Grammy Awards with Cynthia Erivo. In 2019, Pentatonix created an acapella cover of “God Only Knows.”
This track remains one of the most popular Beach Boys songs, with over 200 million Spotify plays in 2022. Other personal favorite Beach Boy songs of Brian Wilson, according to the same Esquire magazine, include “In My Room,” “Surf’s Up,” “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times,” and “Good Vibrations.”
Brian Wilson continued to write, record, and release music as a solo artist. Now, music by the Beach Boys is available on most major streaming platforms.
