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I think it should be stated here what an incredible ear Adam has. I know there are others with this ability, but at this level I have found it somewhat rare. It is quite cool that Adam has chosen to share his abilities, and his good research, with the rest of us. Atta boy, Adam!
Thanks so much for these videos... very well done! I have a copy of the "Surfin' USA" LP signed in 1963 by everyone but Brian, evidence of this odd touring lineup. One of the things that strikes me most about this period of time is the sheer amount of music Brian created in 1963. When you add up the Beach Boys albums and singles, the outside productions, and the unreleased demos on all the boots... it's pretty astounding. He was a workaholic, even if partially off the road. I love this period of time because Brian was trying new things, being creative, and able to spend time off the road to be creative... before all the craziness happened.
I've always thought I could hear Dennis in the "paddle out, turn around and raise...." part most of all. In fact two of the things that always stick out for me in the early records are Dave taking his shot with a conspicuous lick or rhythm change, and the equally obligatory Dennis peaking out on bgs or while doubling lead on almost every song.
Great job Adam! These videos are great. A bunch of random thoughts: "Surfer Girl": You're blowing my mind, because I always thought it was 4 part harmony going into 5 parts. And yes, I hear the low G. I just assumed that all these years. And the possibility that it's not is pretty cool. "Catch a Wave": Also, I always wondered about Mike's vocal part on "Catch a Wave" and have gone back and forth thinking "I think that's Dennis", I guess I never thought of the possibility that it could be both! David Marks: I often wondered why they didn't use Dave's voice more. Was it all Murray? I get that maybe he wasn't the greatest singer at the time, but I've listened to all the Dave & The Marksmen singles with him on vocals from this period and I could see where they could have used him a bit more from time to time.
Thanks Paul! Dennis is only on a few spots in "Catch A Wave," the end of the first line of each verse is where you listen for him. Curiously random! You did just make me wonder if somehow this isn't left over from an earlier vocal pass with Dennis, but that's probably a needlessly complicated explanation. I think David probably just couldn't sing very well and singing harmony is a particular kind of skill that's different than just holding a tune. You have to be able to glom onto your own part and not let the other parts distract you. For a novice singer, this is tricky. Dave told me that he sometimes was asked to double Dennis, and that's much easier because if you're standing next to someone who's singing the same part as you it's easier to keep to your own note. This came up in this show because there was some theorizing that Dave was singing harmony on "Hawaii" and I objected to this partly because we don't know of any occasion where Dave sang his own part (as opposed to doubling someone else) and it didn't make sense to use Dave for that when you have Al right there ready to roll. I think as soon as Al enters the picture Brian didn't *need* to use Dave, he had enough skilled harmonists to cover all the parts. There is a possibility that he's on "South Bay Surfer" and "Surfers Rule" but again, he'd be singing with other people covering the same part. Usual codicils apply: I wasn't there.
Adam, by the way, thank you so much for posting these videos on RUclips. I truly appreciate the nuggets of information! Can you direct me to a site/page where I can find a Craig Slowendowski list of all the various musicians on each recorded song of The Beach Boys so I can use it as a quick reference? Any good links you can provide are greatly appreciated. I don't know if there's one in particular or if you had to check with him for each track. I'm especially interested in seeing more videos from the 1964-65 period.
Craig Slowinski. :) I am grateful that he takes the time to consult with me on this show, and it is a hands-on process. I think he is learning new things (with the help of his team) every day and it's possible that the show itself has contributed a few things as we've hashed out some mysteries. Craig does have a website, it only covers a few albums, but happily it does include 1965 so it might be a great starting point for you: beachboysarchives.com/
Re: the accordion on "Lana". When I was a child I had a little reed organ like this one: i.etsystatic.com/8798821/r/il/2713cf/2895496626/il_fullxfull.2895496626_exmn.jpg Note the push buttons on the left, which would give off very accordion-esque reedy sounds with a bit of a fifth in the overtones. However, the solo section in Lana seems to be in G#, so it would only be possible for something like this if the tape was sped up (or slowed down). - So it's possible it could be something beyond the obvious. Just throwing that out there.
Reed organ, right! At any rate, those kind of push button mechanisms were pretty common and the really cheap ones would sometimes be set in fifths so that you didn't have to have discrete buttons for major or minor. For my part, because of the parallel up-down voicings and the smooth transitions between them, I'm pretty certain it was something like that rather than someone manipulating a keyboard, but as I like to say...I wasn't there. I can't speak to the key without going back and listening but I'd guess it wasn't originally in G#. Good input!
Really interesting about the 5 vocal parts on Surfer Girl, I will ask Sean Macreavy (he scored our band parts for this and pretty sure we do 5 parts) - I know i do a practicle non-audible (if you know what I mean) bass vocal in part of the song
Fascinating muso insights into a cool little album - really enjoyed your vocal recreation and the angles you delve into due to your work as a performer and artist. Having said that, I think Darian is half on the right track - it's some kind of lucky harmonic either in the room or during mixing. Or maybe Mike just assed it somehow. I'm thinking' if Brian went to the trouble of adding a 5th part at specific points, he would also have been inclined to sharpen up his double tracking in the "We would ride..." bit (btw, love the Guitar melodics in that section). One little suggestion - re the Lana drama, maybe move it into an addendum to pt 2, and get the focus on SG album. It's great peeps wanna delve into the deep, but lazy album fodder like Lana?
Ah, but the thing is...we know Brian added the 5th part in sections of the songs. Everyone - me, Darian, Craig's team - agrees on this. I did try to make this clear in the video but I guess I didn't do a good enough job making the distinction between the spot where there's clearly five parts and the parts where we aren't sure. You take that certainty, then it becomes a lot less unlikely Brian rearranged that spot on the fly. I'm not saying he did...just that I can't disprove it, and that's what I hear. It may well be an artifact as Darian says. Good suggestion on Lana but that would be impossible without re-editing both videos and uploading them again.
Oh what's hilarious is that I edited out a moment of me searching my mind to confirm that. I should have left it in, since it was wrong. It would have been funny.
@@karmafrog1 Ha, I never noticed that Brian was singing a four seasons melody in his falsetto (on Surfers Rule). Brian's falsetto was so FAR superior to the Four Seasons ... so ... he DID show them up ;)
I don't think I was given one in that case, but I could be misremembering. At any rate, if I do get something in confidence to listen to, generally I'm not supposed to share it. I do think that there are some extraction tools in use by researchers that I myself don't have. I do often throw things into Protools so I can better listen to each stereo channel individually with good quality headphones.
@@karmafrog1 I'd love to learn more about the extraction tools. I've heard of this often - technology is amazing - but it would be great to get a hands on approach.
@@devengen I know literally nothing about them, though I can guess at how some of them work. But I bet other commenters here can point you in the right direction. Gang?
Darian *is* likely right, but the live version isn't relevant. If there is an extra part, it was only done at the session to accommodate five guys being there, never to be repeated before or after. It's easy to miss but I did say that in the video. There's no question the original and live arrangement does not have Mike going that low. The question is did they throw on a fifth part there for the recording, as they did in other spots.
Once Brian discovered in the summer of '63 that he could just hire Hal Blaine for sessions anytime he wanted, I have a hard time believing that he ever used Dennis again.
And yet the session tapes are very clear that he did. The Beach Boys were the default studio band up until Jan. '65, which is the point where Brian left the touring band. He certainly had Hal and Ray in there playing along to keep Dennis and Al on the rails a large portion of the time, but they were there for the bulk of the tracks. However, if it was a project earmarked for outside the BBs, it was the Crew all the way. We can assume there were political reasons in play as much as musical ones for why Brian kept the original band on the tracks.
Thanks for this. Fantastic research and presentation. Regarding Surfer Girl. All folks of a certain age in the UK will know the novelty song ‘My Brother’ by Terry Scott. Written by Mitch Murray and produced by George Martin. Now I know it’s a long shot that Brian ever heard this (maybe Brian even wrote Surfer Girl before My Brother’s release - in 1962). But the opening seven note phrase is EXACTLY the same in both songs - this is way closer than When You Wish Upon A Star for example. So probably a coincidence. But it struck me immediately on first hearing Surfer Girl just how similar they are... My Brother: ruclips.net/video/t3ODRbw69vs/видео.html
Surfer Girl, IMHO still one of the greatest produced BBs albums (Because BDW is now in control) so so crystal clear AND Not an Accordian in sight , or is there ? ;-)
The Surfer Girl LP always stood out to me for its sound quality. Lush. No wonder MFSL chose it for an 'audiophile' reissue in the early '80s. I had it, but don't recommend it (high end boosted too much). But...the Analogue Productions 2X45 reissue from a few years back is a slice of heaven IMO. But really, every copy I've ever owned sounded really nice -- from original US Capitol, '60's German Capitol, UK Capitol, '80s US green label abridged Capitol...One thing though -- for me it's got to be stereo. The voices on those Chuck Britz true stereo mixes bring out the voices that mono doesn't if you ask me.
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I think it should be stated here what an incredible ear Adam has. I know there are others with this ability, but at this level I have found it somewhat rare. It is quite cool that Adam has chosen to share his abilities, and his good research, with the rest of us. Atta boy, Adam!
Thanks so much for these videos... very well done! I have a copy of the "Surfin' USA" LP signed in 1963 by everyone but Brian, evidence of this odd touring lineup. One of the things that strikes me most about this period of time is the sheer amount of music Brian created in 1963. When you add up the Beach Boys albums and singles, the outside productions, and the unreleased demos on all the boots... it's pretty astounding. He was a workaholic, even if partially off the road. I love this period of time because Brian was trying new things, being creative, and able to spend time off the road to be creative... before all the craziness happened.
Wow, where did you get the LP signed?
I always learn so much from these videos. Thank you for putting in all of the effort.
I've always thought I could hear Dennis in the "paddle out, turn around and raise...." part most of all. In fact two of the things that always stick out for me in the early records are Dave taking his shot with a conspicuous lick or rhythm change, and the equally obligatory Dennis peaking out on bgs or while doubling lead on almost every song.
Yup! Precisely
Adam , great video again - Makes me love these guys again even more, I guess as we get older our love does sometimes wane a little SO Thank you
Great job Adam! These videos are great. A bunch of random thoughts:
"Surfer Girl": You're blowing my mind, because I always thought it was 4 part harmony going into 5 parts. And yes, I hear the low G. I just assumed that all these years. And the possibility that it's not is pretty cool.
"Catch a Wave": Also, I always wondered about Mike's vocal part on "Catch a Wave" and have gone back and forth thinking "I think that's Dennis", I guess I never thought of the possibility that it could be both!
David Marks: I often wondered why they didn't use Dave's voice more. Was it all Murray? I get that maybe he wasn't the greatest singer at the time, but I've listened to all the Dave & The Marksmen singles with him on vocals from this period and I could see where they could have used him a bit more from time to time.
Thanks Paul! Dennis is only on a few spots in "Catch A Wave," the end of the first line of each verse is where you listen for him. Curiously random! You did just make me wonder if somehow this isn't left over from an earlier vocal pass with Dennis, but that's probably a needlessly complicated explanation.
I think David probably just couldn't sing very well and singing harmony is a particular kind of skill that's different than just holding a tune. You have to be able to glom onto your own part and not let the other parts distract you. For a novice singer, this is tricky. Dave told me that he sometimes was asked to double Dennis, and that's much easier because if you're standing next to someone who's singing the same part as you it's easier to keep to your own note.
This came up in this show because there was some theorizing that Dave was singing harmony on "Hawaii" and I objected to this partly because we don't know of any occasion where Dave sang his own part (as opposed to doubling someone else) and it didn't make sense to use Dave for that when you have Al right there ready to roll. I think as soon as Al enters the picture Brian didn't *need* to use Dave, he had enough skilled harmonists to cover all the parts. There is a possibility that he's on "South Bay Surfer" and "Surfers Rule" but again, he'd be singing with other people covering the same part.
Usual codicils apply: I wasn't there.
This is great! I’m very, very happy to see this video.
Thanks! I really enjoyed that deep dive.
Outstanding! So interesting Adam!
Adam, by the way, thank you so much for posting these videos on RUclips. I truly appreciate the nuggets of information! Can you direct me to a site/page where I can find a Craig Slowendowski list of all the various musicians on each recorded song of The Beach Boys so I can use it as a quick reference? Any good links you can provide are greatly appreciated. I don't know if there's one in particular or if you had to check with him for each track. I'm especially interested in seeing more videos from the 1964-65 period.
Craig Slowinski. :) I am grateful that he takes the time to consult with me on this show, and it is a hands-on process. I think he is learning new things (with the help of his team) every day and it's possible that the show itself has contributed a few things as we've hashed out some mysteries.
Craig does have a website, it only covers a few albums, but happily it does include 1965 so it might be a great starting point for you: beachboysarchives.com/
Re: the accordion on "Lana". When I was a child I had a little reed organ like this one: i.etsystatic.com/8798821/r/il/2713cf/2895496626/il_fullxfull.2895496626_exmn.jpg Note the push buttons on the left, which would give off very accordion-esque reedy sounds with a bit of a fifth in the overtones. However, the solo section in Lana seems to be in G#, so it would only be possible for something like this if the tape was sped up (or slowed down). - So it's possible it could be something beyond the obvious. Just throwing that out there.
Reed organ, right! At any rate, those kind of push button mechanisms were pretty common and the really cheap ones would sometimes be set in fifths so that you didn't have to have discrete buttons for major or minor. For my part, because of the parallel up-down voicings and the smooth transitions between them, I'm pretty certain it was something like that rather than someone manipulating a keyboard, but as I like to say...I wasn't there. I can't speak to the key without going back and listening but I'd guess it wasn't originally in G#. Good input!
Really interesting about the 5 vocal parts on Surfer Girl, I will ask Sean Macreavy (he scored our band parts for this and pretty sure we do 5 parts) - I know i do a practicle non-audible (if you know what I mean) bass vocal in part of the song
Defo 4 parts, really didn't kick in with 5 parts until SDVol2 (with Al back firmly in the fold) and then the addition of Bruce
Very interesting. Love the history and the band👍💕😊
Fascinating muso insights into a cool little album - really enjoyed your vocal recreation and the angles you delve into due to your work as a performer and artist. Having said that, I think Darian is half on the right track - it's some kind of lucky harmonic either in the room or during mixing. Or maybe Mike just assed it somehow. I'm thinking' if Brian went to the trouble of adding a 5th part at specific points, he would also have been inclined to sharpen up his double tracking in the "We would ride..." bit (btw, love the Guitar melodics in that section). One little suggestion - re the Lana drama, maybe move it into an addendum to pt 2, and get the focus on SG album. It's great peeps wanna delve into the deep, but lazy album fodder like Lana?
Ah, but the thing is...we know Brian added the 5th part in sections of the songs. Everyone - me, Darian, Craig's team - agrees on this. I did try to make this clear in the video but I guess I didn't do a good enough job making the distinction between the spot where there's clearly five parts and the parts where we aren't sure.
You take that certainty, then it becomes a lot less unlikely Brian rearranged that spot on the fly. I'm not saying he did...just that I can't disprove it, and that's what I hear. It may well be an artifact as Darian says.
Good suggestion on Lana but that would be impossible without re-editing both videos and uploading them again.
Great episode!
Slight correction: the Four Seasons quote at the end was from Walk Like A Man.
Oh what's hilarious is that I edited out a moment of me searching my mind to confirm that. I should have left it in, since it was wrong. It would have been funny.
@@karmafrog1 Ha, I never noticed that Brian was singing a four seasons melody in his falsetto (on Surfers Rule). Brian's falsetto was so FAR superior to the Four Seasons ... so ... he DID show them up ;)
@@devengen Although one could argue the Four Seasons were better at playing disco music...
@@karmafrog1 "Here Comes The Night" - extended disco version ;)
@@devengen ruclips.net/video/D_YJBej7fcA/видео.html
Nice job, Adam :)
Adam, regarding "Surfers Rule", is there any way we can hear the vocal "extraction" you were given?
I don't think I was given one in that case, but I could be misremembering. At any rate, if I do get something in confidence to listen to, generally I'm not supposed to share it. I do think that there are some extraction tools in use by researchers that I myself don't have. I do often throw things into Protools so I can better listen to each stereo channel individually with good quality headphones.
@@karmafrog1 I'd love to learn more about the extraction tools. I've heard of this often - technology is amazing - but it would be great to get a hands on approach.
@@devengen I know literally nothing about them, though I can guess at how some of them work. But I bet other commenters here can point you in the right direction. Gang?
I am going to agree with Darian. The giveaway is found in live versions. Mike in the verse doesn’t sing that low.
Darian *is* likely right, but the live version isn't relevant. If there is an extra part, it was only done at the session to accommodate five guys being there, never to be repeated before or after. It's easy to miss but I did say that in the video.
There's no question the original and live arrangement does not have Mike going that low. The question is did they throw on a fifth part there for the recording, as they did in other spots.
Once Brian discovered in the summer of '63 that he could just hire Hal Blaine for sessions anytime he wanted, I have a hard time believing that he ever used Dennis again.
And yet the session tapes are very clear that he did.
The Beach Boys were the default studio band up until Jan. '65, which is the point where Brian left the touring band. He certainly had Hal and Ray in there playing along to keep Dennis and Al on the rails a large portion of the time, but they were there for the bulk of the tracks. However, if it was a project earmarked for outside the BBs, it was the Crew all the way. We can assume there were political reasons in play as much as musical ones for why Brian kept the original band on the tracks.
Isn't Carl saying "smash!" on "South Bay Surfer" in response to Mike saying "You're gonna eat it!"?
Oh is he? Maybe! How cool is that? Thanks for pointing that out!
Thanks for this. Fantastic research and presentation. Regarding Surfer Girl. All folks of a certain age in the UK will know the novelty song ‘My Brother’ by Terry Scott. Written by Mitch Murray and produced by George Martin. Now I know it’s a long shot that Brian ever heard this (maybe Brian even wrote Surfer Girl before My Brother’s release - in 1962). But the opening seven note phrase is EXACTLY the same in both songs - this is way closer than When You Wish Upon A Star for example. So probably a coincidence. But it struck me immediately on first hearing Surfer Girl just how similar they are...
My Brother:
ruclips.net/video/t3ODRbw69vs/видео.html
Fascinating! Hard to see how Brian would have heard this, and SG dates from '61, but it's still interesting!
Surfer Girl, IMHO still one of the greatest produced BBs albums (Because BDW is now in control) so so crystal clear AND Not an Accordian in sight , or is there ? ;-)
IS THERE?!?!?!
@@karmafrog1 :-) :-) :-)
The Surfer Girl LP always stood out to me for its sound quality. Lush. No wonder MFSL chose it for an 'audiophile' reissue in the early '80s. I had it, but don't recommend it (high end boosted too much). But...the Analogue Productions 2X45 reissue from a few years back is a slice of heaven IMO. But really, every copy I've ever owned sounded really nice -- from original US Capitol, '60's German Capitol, UK Capitol, '80s US green label abridged Capitol...One thing though -- for me it's got to be stereo. The voices on those Chuck Britz true stereo mixes bring out the voices that mono doesn't if you ask me.
@@dalesinner3678 yes, for some reason this is the most "audiophile" of the early Beach Boys LPs.
No low G on Surfer Girl.
We need a poll! I'd love that