There are certain songs that just sound great because of the vocal harmonies. Here are some of my favorites. They’re mostly from the 1960s.
Follow me under the fold.
The Mamas & The Papas: California Dreaming
The Cyrkle: Red Rubber Ball
Nice vocals. This song was written by Paul Simon (of Simon and Garfunkel), and the band was managed by Brian Epstein (of Beatles fame), but the Cyrkle only had two hit songs before they faded away.
The Kinks: Sunny Afternoon
A lovely song with nice harmonies by a band that has created numerous hits.
The Beatles: I’m Down
This is the punk-rock garage-band version of the Beatles. It’s kind of a weird video. It alternates between b&w and color. But it’s got energy. Better than a cup of coffee. And I like the harmonies.
Junior Brown: 409
Who? What? The song was originally by the Beach Boys. I don’t know how he did it, but Junior Brown convinced the Beach Boys to sing backup vocals on his version of 409. And it’s the best cover song ever.
Marshall Crenshaw: There She Goes Again
There she goes again with another guy. I believe that Elvis Costello is a great songwriter and Marshall Crenshaw is just as good. But MC never got quite as famous as EC.
Carrie Underwood: Some Hearts
OK, I’ll admit that I don’t really like Carrie, but this song is good. Marshall Crenshaw recorded a much better version of this song. The Crenshaw version can't be found on YouTube. So I’m posting the cartoon version of the Carrie Underwood version. C’est la vie.
Buffalo Springfield: Rock ‘n’ Roll Woman
Are you a fan of CSNY? You can hear their roots here.
The Beatles: If I Fell
Three words: fucking gorgeous vocals. The video doesn't sync with the vocals, but ignore that. Listen to the music.
Blondie: Denis
Debbie Harry singing like a girl group from the early 1960s. I love this song.