Bruce's Falsetto

[Shane]

I just came across this collection of 3 different Bruce & Terry clips, loaded onto the same youtube file.  Take a listen to the last clip, which starts at 2:58.  It's an isolated track of a young Bruce, doing some very high falsetto work. 

There are points in there where it's obvious that it's Bruce, but at other moments, if someone told me it was Brian Wilson, I would believe them.  Rather fascinating.  If I was Brian, I'd ask this guy to be my replacement on the road.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPSKx0FcYEY

[SloopJohnB]

That's from "Look Who's Laughing Now"... One of my favorites from Bruce & Terry. You can still tell the difference between Bruce & Brian, Bruce sounds a little "thinner", but still excellent.

[Sam_BFC]

Sounds kinda like a cross between Brian and Frankie Valli...sounds really cool.

[ghost]

Bruce is actually a piss poor substitute for Brian Wilson, but that's just my humble opinion and everything. Good on keyboards, decent on bass. Decent vocally but not compared to Brian's unique sound. There's something huge missing in the Beach Boys live sound without Brian and I really notice it. Always.

[Mr. Wilson]

I like Bruce"s Falsetto.. 1980 wash Dc show.. HBO...The ending falsetto is very high and brilliant On..Good Timin....overall i like Bruce alot but he coasts in concert alot..Altho not as much as he used to..To me he is a full member of the band + should be included in the Hall of Fame

[Myk Luhv]

I miss when Brian (or Carl for that matter) would shoot looks at his bandmates every so often for singing off key or missing a note or whatever, that's always amusing to me.

[ghost]

There's a cool clip on YouTube of the band minus Brian around 69 doing a medley of songs. When they go into the Please Let Me Wonder chorus it sounds truly amazing - that's just about the single time I thought that Bruce really filled in for Brian's shoes properly. Not that he sounded like Brian at all - just that the groove was just right for the performance and it all sounds pretty damn great.

[Mr. Wilson]

Yes Ive seen that 69 concert and Bruce does a excellent job there.. Sometimes stands to far away from mike when playing bass and his falsetto is hard to hear..His bass playing had improved also since the SOT box set  Michigan shows 1966..

[SMiLE Brian]

His falsetto in studio could take Brian's place, not live where it was really needed. Even in the studio it wasn't needed with Mr. Wilson still there.

[runnersdialzero]

Bruce is actually a piss poor substitute for Brian Wilson, but that's just my humble opinion and everything. Good on keyboards, decent on bass. Decent vocally but not compared to Brian's unique sound. There's something huge missing in the Beach Boys live sound without Brian and I really notice it. Always.

Not as good as Brian, sure, but then who is? I'm actually pretty impressed with his performance, here.

[Mark H.]

Yes Ive seen that 69 concert and Bruce does a excellent job there.. Sometimes stands to far away from mike when playing bass and his falsetto is hard to hear..His bass playing had improved also since the SOT box set  Michigan shows 1966..

When did Bruce last play bass?  Early 70s?

I also consider Bruce a full member of the band from 1980 on - I think he sort of saved a sinking ship.

[drbeachboy]

Bruce's falsetto sure is pretty on Wonderful. As for live in concert, Carl more than made up for Bruce's deficiencies.

[ghost]

Bruce's biggest hits are The Little Girl I Once Knew and California Girls which feature very distinctive Bruce parts. And God Only Know. Brian seemed to really like him a lot in the blend around that point.

[Rocker]

I wonder why Bruce was called in for the high parts, yet it was Al who did most of them after Brian left.

[adamghost]

Bruce is actually a piss poor substitute for Brian Wilson, but that's just my humble opinion and everything. Good on keyboards, decent on bass. Decent vocally but not compared to Brian's unique sound. There's something huge missing in the Beach Boys live sound without Brian and I really notice it. Always.

I'm not a Bruce hater, but this post is hysterical.

[Aegir]

When did Bruce last play bass?  Early 70s?

I think he played bass during their performance on Baywatch... but that was just a TV show so it might not've been real.

[Rocker]

When did Bruce last play bass?  Early 70s?

I think he played bass during their performance on Baywatch... but that was just a TV show so it might not've been real.

He played not too long ago IIRC (wasn't there a thread about this?)
The last time regularly though it probably was the early 70s

[Nicko1234]

Bruce is actually a piss poor substitute for Brian Wilson, but that's just my humble opinion and everything. Good on keyboards, decent on bass. Decent vocally but not compared to Brian's unique sound. There's something huge missing in the Beach Boys live sound without Brian and I really notice it. Always.

I don't think the BBs were ever a particularly good live act when Brian was with them. They lost little when he retired to the studio...

[southbay]

In the Box Set shows in 93, who is doubling Matt Jardine's falsetto?  I am referring in particular to "You Still Believe In Me." Somebody else is clearly handling the high falsetto background just as Matt comes in at the song's ending crescendo. 

[runnersdialzero]

Bruce is actually a piss poor substitute for Brian Wilson, but that's just my humble opinion and everything. Good on keyboards, decent on bass. Decent vocally but not compared to Brian's unique sound. There's something huge missing in the Beach Boys live sound without Brian and I really notice it. Always.

I don't think the BBs were ever a particularly good live act when Brian was with them. They lost little when he retired to the studio...

You're skimping on a whole hell of a lot of details, there.

[Forshorn]

I'll say this about Bruce's falsetto. If you listen to his version of "Disney Girls" he sings the very, very high note in the midsection. People who covered the song, like Art Garfunkel and The Captain and Tenille, didn't even attempt the note. They switched a half-octave down for that part.

[Autotune]

Been said before: these days he's wailing the tag of FunFunFun. And he sings good falsetto on the new album. Notably the chorus to Bill and Sue.