All-time favorite Beach Boys harmony?

[Beach Boy]

If we are talking true harmony, as in barbershop harmony, there is nothing that comes close to the open of School Days. Take that from a barbershopper's son. Of course the other stuff above is great too.

Are you talking about the album version? Sounds horrible to my ears. The live cut is another story. To add some later stuff I love some bits of "Goin' On" and especially the intro to "Island Girls".

[Paulos]

Our Prayer
A Young Man Is Gone
Girls On The Beach
Cabin Essence
Mama Says
The humming at the end of Vegatables
The choruses of Good Vibrations

[Sie W]

Can't Wait To Long that get's my vote.

[chris.metcalfe]

Soulful Old Man Sunshine
Meant for You
Little Bird
Long Promised Road
Do You Wanna Dance

[Dave in KC]

If we are talking true harmony, as in barbershop harmony, there is nothing that comes close to the open of School Days. Take that from a barbershopper's son. Of course the other stuff above is great too.

Are you talking about the album version? Sounds horrible to my ears. The live cut is another story. To add some later stuff I love some bits of "Goin' On" and especially the intro to "Island Girls".

Yes, the album cut. You must not like or recognize true barbershop harmony then.

[Jukka]

Goin' On. Simply stunning.

[Wah Wah Wah Ooooo]

If we are talking true harmony, as in barbershop harmony, there is nothing that comes close to the open of School Days. Take that from a barbershopper's son. Of course the other stuff above is great too.

Are you talking about the album version? Sounds horrible to my ears. The live cut is another story. To add some later stuff I love some bits of "Goin' On" and especially the intro to "Island Girls".

Yes, the album cut. You must not like or recognize true barbershop harmony then.

LOL, there are some arrogant, condescending folks on this board, I'm learning.  Can't he just not like the album version of "School Days?"  I used to sing barbershop and I know a thing or two about it, and I don't particularly care for "School Days," either. The studio version anyway.  There are far better "barbershop" harmonies in the Beach Boys canon than that...you must not have ever listened to "Heroes and Villains."

[Waspinators]

Wouldn't It Be Nice. Especially "Know it's gonna make ree-ooooooh!", "stay together", Mike's 'dude' bass part in the verse, "Wish that every kiss was never-ending" and the final "Ron-ron-ree-ooooh" under Mike's coda. Being able to hear those parts in concert made my year, even though they've NEVER been able to totally replicate those parts live.

Also the "Don't Go Near the Water" coda, the "Cabin Essence" vocal banjos and the mystical "Who ran the iron horse?", verse backings on DWB, "This Whole World", "The Trader", the da-da-daaaa-daaaa's on "Beaks of Eagles", and "Oooooh, rev it up now" on "Shut Down".

[Justin]

The barbershop section of "Heroes and Villians"

[Danimalist]

Wouldn't It Be Nice. Especially "Know it's gonna make ree-ooooooh!", "stay together", Mike's 'dude' bass part in the verse,

I wouldn't be so sure that's Mike.

[Dave in KC]

If we are talking true harmony, as in barbershop harmony, there is nothing that comes close to the open of School Days. Take that from a barbershopper's son. Of course the other stuff above is great too.

Are you talking about the album version? Sounds horrible to my ears. The live cut is another story. To add some later stuff I love some bits of "Goin' On" and especially the intro to "Island Girls".

Yes, the album cut. You must not like or recognize true barbershop harmony then.

I said the open to School Days and that alone. I was listening to H/V before your mother broke her water.

LOL, there are some arrogant, condescending folks on this board, I'm learning.  Can't he just not like the album version of "School Days?"  I used to sing barbershop and I know a thing or two about it, and I don't particularly care for "School Days," either. The studio version anyway.  There are far better "barbershop" harmonies in the Beach Boys canon than that...you must not have ever listened to "Heroes and Villains."

[Waspinators]

Wouldn't It Be Nice. Especially "Know it's gonna make ree-ooooooh!", "stay together", Mike's 'dude' bass part in the verse,

I wouldn't be so sure that's Mike.

Really? The "Doo, do-doo, do-doo, dooooo-do-doo" type part? Are you saying it could be Denny? That would flip my world upside down.

Edit: Just re-listened to the Stack-O-Vocals cut, that's gotta be the Lovester.

[MaxL]

Wouldn't It Be Nice. Especially "Know it's gonna make ree-ooooooh!", "stay together", Mike's 'dude' bass part in the verse,

I wouldn't be so sure that's Mike.

Really? The "Doo, do-doo, do-doo, dooooo-do-doo" type part? Are you saying it could be Denny? That would flip my world upside down.

Edit: Just re-listened to the Stack-O-Vocals cut, that's gotta be the Lovester.

A quick listen to the Pet Sounds Sessions box says otherwise.

[onkster]

For me, it's a tie between Our Prayer, and Can't Wait Too Long. Both of these define BB harmony for me.

[The Heartical Don]

The Lord's Prayer

Wouldn't It Be Nice

Time To Get Alone

Our Prayer

All I Wanna Do

(valid only on June 18, 2012)

[MaxL]

All-time is tricky, but these have been pretty constant:

- "Time to Get Alone" ("deep and wide" - oh man)
- "All This is That"
- I have a soft spot for the harmonies on a few S&S songs, namely "Don't Worry Baby", "The Warmth of the Sun", "I Can Hear Music" and "Caroline, No" - pretty breathtaking (not that I'm saying I prefer them to many classic BB harmonies)

[Waspinators]

Wouldn't It Be Nice. Especially "Know it's gonna make ree-ooooooh!", "stay together", Mike's 'dude' bass part in the verse,

I wouldn't be so sure that's Mike.

Really? The "Doo, do-doo, do-doo, dooooo-do-doo" type part? Are you saying it could be Denny? That would flip my world upside down.

Edit: Just re-listened to the Stack-O-Vocals cut, that's gotta be the Lovester.

A quick listen to the Pet Sounds Sessions box says otherwise.

Haha wow, and all this time I thought it was Mike doing that part. No wonder he didn't do it live!

[jamsvet]

If we're talking snippets rather than whole songs, go to 2:45 of Lady Lynda on Live at Knebworth. And that's live.

[Danimalist]

If we're talking snippets rather than whole songs, go to 2:45 of Lady Lynda on Live at Knebworth. And that's live.

I was just listening to this a few days ago as I was reminiscing about their late 70's/early 80's shows. The Lady Lynda vocal break was always a highlight...pretty damn magical. Always made listening to the MIU version disappointing.

[Dave in KC]

LL is not on MIU.

[southbay]

The closing round/fade of You Still Believe in Me.

Modern day honorable mentions: the isolated BGV's to Don't Worry Baby and the acapella intro to the Warmth of the Sun from the Nashville Sessions DVD; the acapella closing to Colin Raye's Winter Wonderland sung by the Boys during that same 1996 Nashville recording period

[Danimalist]

LL is not on MIU.

Yep. I actually wrote "LA" and then noticed the MIU cover on Spotify as I was listening and changed it. I was thinking: "Weird, I'd swear this was on LA." The twofer through me.

[Gdraft]

Pretty much every song! But...

God Only Knows
Don't Worry Baby
Kiss Me Baby
Little Surfer Girl

[Don_Zabu]

It may just be because it was one of, if not the, first Beach Boys harmony I ever heard, but Good Vibrations is just a perfect mix of each singer's voices on the stacks.

That, and just listen to that bit before the last chorus, where, after everyone sings "ahhhhhhhhhhh", the sound just echoes for a second or two before the chorus starts. To be the proverbial fly in the echo chamber...

[Jim McShane]

Wow, what an impossible task! But here goes:

Warmth Of The Sun
Can't Wait Too Long
Girls On The Beach
Friends - BTW I thought Cal Saga did a great job on it too
Our Prayer
Goin' On

BW Solo

What I Really Want For Christmas
The Like In I Love You - listen to the bass vocal line in particular!

Special category for cheesiest song with KILLER background vocals

Sumahama

Picking is an impossible task - there's just too many great moments to choose from!