"I Can Hear Music" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector[2] for American girl group the Ronettes (credited as The Ronettes Featuring Veronica) in 1966. This version spent one week on the Billboard Pop chart at number 100.[3] In early 1969, the Beach Boys released a cover version as a single from their album 20/20 (1969), peaking at number 24 in the US.

"I Can Hear Music"
Single by the Ronettes
B-side"When I Saw You"
ReleasedOctober 1966[1]
GenrePop
Length3:00
LabelPhilles
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jeff Barry
The Ronettes singles chronology
"Is This What I Get for Loving You?"
(1965)
"I Can Hear Music"
(1966)
"You Came, You Saw, You Conquered!"
(1969)
Official audio
"I Can Hear Music" on YouTube

Cash Box said that "Ronnie sings a strong lead throughout the teen-oriented, emotion filled tune which is effectively backed by throbbing sounds."[4] Record World described it as a "slow but torrid goodie."[5]

The Beach Boys version

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"I Can Hear Music"
 
Single by the Beach Boys
from the album 20/20
B-side"All I Want to Do"
ReleasedMarch 3, 1969[6]
RecordedOctober 1, 1968
Length2:36
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Carl Wilson
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"Bluebirds over the Mountain"
(1968)
"I Can Hear Music"
(1969)
"Break Away"
(1969)
Official audio
"I Can Hear Music" on YouTube

"I Can Hear Music" was covered by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on their 1969 album 20/20 with Carl Wilson on lead vocals. This version peaked at No. 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (their final top 40 hit until 1976). The song did best in Europe, reaching number 10 in the United Kingdom.[7]

Within the US and Canada, it peaked on playlists in the top 5 in Boston, Houston and Dallas; No. 7 in New York and Chicago (WCFL); No. 8 in Toronto and San Diego, No. 9 in Seattle; No. 10 in Vancouver and Indianapolis; No. 11 in Los Angeles, Louisville, Providence, and Chicago (WLS); No. 12 in Milwaukee and Columbus.[8][citation needed]

Personnel

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Credits from Craig Slowinski.[9][10][11]

The Beach Boys

Session musicians

Chart history

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Chart (1969) Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set) 13
Canada RPM Top Singles[12] 34
Chile 12
Germany 13
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 15
Malaysia 6
Netherlands 6
New Zealand (Listener)[14] 11
Poland 7
Sweden 5
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] 24
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 20
U.S. Record World 20

Larry Lurex version

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"I Can Hear Music"
 
Single by Larry Lurex
B-side"Goin' Back"
Released29 June 1973 (US)
StudioTrident, London
Genre
Length3:22
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Robin Geoffrey Cable
Official Lyric Video
"I Can Hear Music" on YouTube

In 1973, Larry Lurex, the solo stage name of Freddie Mercury, recorded "I Can Hear Music" on the EMI label.[16] His version peaked at #115 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart.[17]

Kathy Troccoli version

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In 1996, the Beach Boys rerecorded the song, with contemporary Christian singer Kathy Troccoli on lead vocals, for their country album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1.

References

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  1. ^ Rodriguez, Robert (2012). Revolver: How the Beatles Re-Imagined Rock 'n' Roll. Montclair: Backbeat Books. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-61713-009-0.
  2. ^ "I Can Hear Music – The Ronettes". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ "The Ronettes". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 1, 1966. p. 30. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  5. ^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Record World. October 8, 1966. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  6. ^ Badman, Keith. The Beach Boys. The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band: On Stage and in the Studio Backbeat Books, San Francisco, California, 2004. ISBN 0-87930-818-4 p. 29
  7. ^ a b "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1969-04-03. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
  8. ^ Arsa Surveys, las-solanas.com
  9. ^ "I Can Hear Music". smileysmile.net.
  10. ^ "What Music is Being Made in This Video?".
  11. ^ Slowinski, Craig (Spring 2019). Beard, David (ed.). "20/20: 50 Year Anniversary Special Edition". Endless Summer Quarterly Magazine. Charlotte, North Carolina.
  12. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-04-21. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  13. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Can Hear Music". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  14. ^ "Flavour of New Zealand, 19 May 1969".
  15. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  16. ^ "Larry Lurex - I Can Hear Music". June 1, 1973 – via www.discogs.com.
  17. ^ Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959–2004
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