Girl don't tell me (but please do)

[cube_monkey]

Hey all.
I haven't listened to the early BB stuff in decades (my first albums as a kid were BB's), having gone on to Jazz, progressive rock, whatever.  (notice i didn't say "progressed"   All music has its place.)  So reading this board about different topics  i pulled out Summer days and Summer nights.  Yes, California Girls is on it, but I forgot how I loved The girl from NYC...not to be confused with the other song by that name.
Anywho,  That Girl Don't Tell Me is fantastic.  I get it that they were copying the Beatles ect.  Does anyone have any details on this?  I am guessing since the Beatles were successful,  they thought they would try it.
No session people, except the bells player i think, which is interesting for that time.  Did that song chart? It sure as hell should of!

[EgoHanger1966]

The song was "inspired" by Ticket To Ride. It was a B-Side, it didn't chart.

[cube_monkey]

thats too bad.  In *my* opinion.   ( probably would have confused the public)

[LetHimRun]

It didn't chart, but it was the B side to Barbara Ann, so I'm sure a lot of people heard it in their homes.

[Lonely Summer]

It was also on Endless Summer, which everyone had a copy of in the 70's. Almost as ubiquitous back then as Rumours or Frampton Comes Alive!

[Runaways]

Isn't the story that Brian wrote it for the Beatles but they turned it down?

[runnersdialzero]

Isn't the story that Brian wrote it for the Beatles but they turned it down?

Story was he wrote it for them, but he either never submitted it or he never actually wrote it for them to begin with. Either way, pretty thankful it ended up being a Beach Boys song and Carl ended up singing it.

[Jon Stebbins]

Hey all.
I haven't listened to the early BB stuff in decades (my first albums as a kid were BB's), having gone on to Jazz, progressive rock, whatever.  (notice i didn't say "progressed"   All music has its place.)  So reading this board about different topics  i pulled out Summer days and Summer nights.  Yes, California Girls is on it, but I forgot how I loved The girl from NYC...not to be confused with the other song by that name.
Anywho,  That Girl Don't Tell Me is fantastic.  I get it that they were copying the Beatles ect.  Does anyone have any details on this?  I am guessing since the Beatles were successful,  they thought they would try it.
No session people, except the bells player i think, which is interesting for that time. 

No session people period. Brian - bass, Dennis - drums, Carl - guitars, Bruce - celeste...that's it.

[Wild-Honey]

I love this song.  Its one of the early ones that I listen to the most.

[bossaroo]

i thought Brian played celeste on this one.

the similiarity to Ticket To Ride isn't immediately apparent but glaringly obvious when discovered.

[Alan Smith]

A great listen but also a great one to play - fantastic chord progressions and key shifts - a fun workout for strummers the world over.

[shelter]

It's an enjoyable song, but it sounds unfinished to me. The instrumental track sounds like it still needs a few overdubs, it could've used some backing vocals, and it's pretty atypical for the group to just repeat a verse. Maybe Brian realized that it sounded a bit too much like 'Ticket to Ride' and decided to not put too much work in it?

[SBonilla]

...it sounds unfinished to me. The instrumental track sounds like it still needs a few overdubs, it could've used some backing vocals...

Not at all.  Brian's minimal production approach and instrumentation for "Girl Don't Tell Me" owes something to Buddy Holly's "Everyday." He was right on the money.

[MaxL]

...it sounds unfinished to me. The instrumental track sounds like it still needs a few overdubs, it could've used some backing vocals...

Not at all.  Brian's minimal production approach and instrumentation for "Girl Don't Tell Me" owes something to Buddy Holly's "Everyday." He was right on the money.

I've often thought that too.

Also it's a nice breather between the heavier productions of the era, for Brian and the listener.

[Mark Dillon]

"Ticket to Ride" was the Beatles' latest radio hit when the Beach Boys went into the studio to record this one. At Brian's most recent Toronto show he introduced it by saying "Here's a song I wrote for John Lennon."

[Shady]

In my experience it's one of those Beach Boys song  that everybody likes when they hear it

Such a great song 

[cube_monkey]

So Brian does it live. thats great. 
Its one of those damned songs once i hear it, it's stuck in my head for a week.  ( but thats a good thing!)   

[runnersdialzero]

There are a couple noticeable similarities between the two songs, but there's nothing "glaring" about imo. Certainly an influence on the song, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. "Girl Don't Tell Me" is very much its own song and above all, beats the pants off of "Ticket To Ride".

[positivemusic]

There are a couple noticeable similarities between the two songs, but there's nothing "glaring" about imo. Certainly an influence on the song, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. "Girl Don't Tell Me" is very much its own song and above all, beats the pants off of "Ticket To Ride".

I agree 100%. Definitely shows an influence while still being completely its own song. This is one of my absolute favorites by The Beach Boys overall.

[LostArt]

I received the Barbara Ann / Girl Don't Tell Me 45 as a gift for Christmas when I was 9 tears old.  I don't know why, really.  I was not really a Beach Boys fan at the time, but I loved The Beatles.  I do remember hearing Barbara Ann on the radio, so maybe my Mom heard me singing along and decided to buy the newly released 45 for me.  Anyway, I ended up playing Girl Don't Tell Me much more than the flip side because to my 9 year old ears, it sounded more like The Beatles.

[Wild-Honey]

On another thread people are saying Carl sings "stay with my Gran"?   Is it???!!!   I always sing stay with my friend   

[guitarfool2002]

On another thread people are saying Carl sings "stay with my Gran"?   Is it???!!!   I always sing stay with my friend   

I was never sure if I heard "gram" or "gran", they're both versions of the same thing.

[guitarfool2002]

When I was in Boston in '97 someone played me a cover version which was, I believe, a semi-popular local single at that time I had just moved back there: It was a local band named Fuzzy covering "Girl Don't Tell Me". I'd recommend seeking it out for a listen, although it is pretty hard to find and because of this thread I checked YouTube and no one has posted it. An interesting part of this cover song was the fact that it didn't stray too far from the original arrangement, and by that I mean they weren't running Fender Mustangs through Big Muff fuzz pedals to get the "indie" sound and speeding it up with a loud drummer...a practice which was somewhat standard among Boston indie bands covering oldies in 1997...

And the fact that a girl is singing the lyrics verbatim. It put an interesting twist on a good tune.

Honestly I haven't heard that since leaving Boston years ago, and maybe my motives in recommending a listen are in hopes someone has it and will make it available..."Fuzzy" doing Girl Don't Tell Me...Boston area circa 96-97.

[drbeachboy]

On another thread people are saying Carl sings "stay with my Gran"?   Is it???!!!   I always sing stay with my friend  

I was never sure if I heard "gram" or "gran", they're both versions of the same thing.

Whether Gram or Gran, either way he is referring to his Grandmother, with whom he is staying with for the summer.

[guitarfool2002]

On another thread people are saying Carl sings "stay with my Gran"?   Is it???!!!   I always sing stay with my friend  

I was never sure if I heard "gram" or "gran", they're both versions of the same thing.

Whether Gram or Gran, either way he is referring to his Grandmother, with whom he is staying with for the summer.

Definitely. If the song were written in 1980, the word gram would take on another meaning entirely.