“Don’t Worry Baby” by Foxes and Fossils

February 17, 2021 • 2:30 pm

Not many groups can do decent covers of Beach Boys songs: the harmonies are so intricate and familiar that messing with the songs seems like blasphemy. One group who does a terrific job is the cover band Foxes and Fossils, presumably named because it comprises three good looking young women and five old white guys. They don’t do new material, as far as I know, but their versions of old and popular songs are very appealing. This one, covering an old Brian Wilson song, is almost as good as the original.

Their YouTube channel is here; among the songs I’ve most enjoyed are “Mr. Sandman” (sung in pajamas), “Dedicated to the One I Love,” “Angel from Montgomery“, “Let it Be Me,” and, for live versions, “Amie” and “Landslide“, though for the last one nobody will ever come close to Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (the Dixie Chicks also did a great countrified version).

This group doesn’t seem to make much money, few have heard of them, and the bios imply that the younger members, at least, will be moving on to other lines of work. It’s a pity, as they have a lot of talent. What they need is a good songwriter.

31 thoughts on ““Don’t Worry Baby” by Foxes and Fossils”

  1. Whereas (Of) Fossils and Foxes is a book about Leicester Fosse (Fossils) and Leicester City (The Foxes).

  2. I’ve been following F&F for a few years now. I’m very impressed. Some of their older work back to 2010 is great too. They have recently seen skyrocketing views in the last 6 or 10 months now. Sammie, and Amy have finished college but have day jobs, and Chase, the youngest has just recently joined the group at 15. The song that led there recent popularity is Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” Check that one out.

    https://www.ajc.com/life/arts-culture/foxes-and-fossils-two-generations-make-sweet-music/MMB4IQHENRDHJIR77KVT3VAJ3M/

    1. Chase is 21 and attending the university of Iowa after 2 years majoring in commercial voice at Belmont U.

  3. A very creditable version of “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” featuring the obligatory tight harmonies and some very nice guitar work by one of the “Fossils”.

    1. Still goin’ strong. I think the rumors of their demise started when Sammie and Amy left for college. They continued to record on school breaks and remotely.

      1. Maggie not Amy. She is 27, finished college long ago and works promoting music artists in Nashville.Sammie is 26 recently completed her master’s in journalism and is employed by a publisher in Atlanta.

  6. “Don’t Worry Baby” — the B-side of the Beach Boys’ 45 “I Get Around.” In my mind’s eye I can still see both sides of that orange and yellow yin-yang Capitol Records label spinning around on my turntable.

  7. also……the transistion from the bridge to the chorus in Don’t Worry Baby where the song modulates up a tone, and you don’t hear it, and then goes back down to the original key for the next verse…… OMG, (as the kids say), that is one of the most beautiful things written/recorded in pop music. The hairs on my neck stand up with that song.

    I know our host doesn’t like folks to say “better than The Beatles”, but to my ears Don’t Worry Baby is every bit as good as anything The Beatles did. The Beatles definitely win on average, but Don’t Worry Baby is the longer home run. In my opinion, of course.

    1. The only issue is the lyrics, which are about car racing. In terms of melody it’s as good as a great Beatles song, but the lyrics are far inferior in terms of creativity to, say, “Eleanor Rigby.”

      1. Like the Beatles, the Beach Boys often put out B-sides that were every bit as good as — hell, sometimes better — than their A-sides. “Don’t Worry Baby” was one. And “God Only Knows” was the B-side to “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”

    1. The young blond is Sammie Purcell, Tim’s daughter – Tim being the band’s leader. I think she debuted at a fairgrounds when she was 15. At that performance she did 4 or 5 songs her father asked her to prepare. Chain of Fools, Mercy, We Run, Game of Love, I Want You to Want me, and Midnight Train.

      1. Those are all really good! My only quibble is that The Shirelles did Dedicated to the One I Love before the Mamas and Papas did. All great versions.

        1. Girlfriend did a credible job on Aretha’s “Chain of Fools.” Takes some big, brass lady balls just to give that a try. 🙂

          1. One thing I find appealing about this group is that they are all so humble and lovable.
            There are no big bombastic egos. They all sing for the joy and pleasure of the music.

          2. Rick you are 100% correct. I found them by accident glad I did.. In these times a smile is worth everything. They provided this and much more, Hope they get to New England soon

  9. This is terrific; thank you.

    Of course it’s hard to go wrong with this song. And so I commend to you my candidate for the best version: Lorrie Morgan and the Beach Boys from 1996. This performance also comes with a very cute backstory: Morgan was nervous about singing this song with the Beach Boys. (She recalled “making out in the back of cars” to the song as a girl, and said she had idolized the band growing up.) She confided her nervousness to one of the original band (Carl Wilson, as I remember it), who said (of course) “Don’t worry baby, everything will turn out all right.”

    1. I’m trying hard not to post too much in this thread, but Don’t Worry Baby really does affect me that much. Lorrie Morgan is awesome, I liked the gender shift in the lyrics. DWB really speaks to that first love, high-school crush. It doesn’t come off creepy in retrospect like My Sharona does.

      Billy Joel does it well:

      https://youtu.be/1zSbHADm32o

      1. These big star versions are probably technically superior to the F & F version. But, sometimes you just rejoice in hearing and seeing a small group manage so well. They can bring out the deepest charm and passion in an innocent way that the mega-stars can’t quite achieve.

  10. I’ve also followed F&F for many years now and almost all of their videos on YouTube are excellent.. If you like the music of Todd Rundgren (I do), then check out their covers of Love is the Answer (recent) and We Gotta Get You a Woman (10 years ago, live at the pizza joint).

  13. Pretty good cover band. I’m an Anchor Head, though, so I follow Yacht Rock Revue–a band that has the daughter and granddaughter of Millie Jackson as backup singers!

  14. “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” sounds quite inferior to “Don’t Worry Baby”. . . until you hear the a cappella version

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