Brian Wilson with Carole King - I'm Into Something Good (2008)

Among the seemingly endless number of songs Gerry Goffin and Carole King wrote together is "I'm Into Something Good." As usual, during their songwriting partnership she wrote the music and he wrote the lyrics.

"Something Good" was first released in 1964 by Earl-Jean McCrea who only used her hyphenated first name on the record. McCrea was also a member of The Cookies, a girl group who earlier had R&B and crossover successes with "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)" and "Chains." (The latter was later covered by The Beatles on their full-length, debut LP, Please Please Me.) Both of these Cookies' hits were also written by Goffin and King.

Earl-Jean's version was a pop-rhythm and blues single that only reached #38 on the Hot 100. The 45 rpm was arranged by King and produced by Goffin.

"I'm Into Something Good" didn't become famous until it was released as Herman's Hermits' debut single in both Britain and America later that same year. Their record was faster paced and that gave the song an even stronger mainstream, pop sound. A couple of years later the single would probably be derided as pure bubblegum-rock, but it also ranks as one of the British Invasion quintet's best songs because it gets stuck inside your brain so easily without any warning. You just can't be depressed while listening to this exuberantly melodic and upbeat, #13 hit.

I only discovered Brian Wilson's cover recently. King admits she wrote the song with him in mind. "I make no bones about it, that song was influenced by Brian's music."' I'm sure it's the reason she was invited to sing it with him as an exclusive bonus track that appeared on copies of Wilson's That Lucky Old Sun CD that were sold only at Best Buy.

On this track, Wilson is in full-blown, mid-60s, Beach Boys mode. He recorded it with his own band, but the guitar solo sounds like it's his brother, Carl, jamming with the Wrecking Crew. When Wilson and his renowned guest harmonize on the acapella bridge, it's summertime in Southern California.

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