Did Brian do all the early vocal arrangements?

[I. Spaceman]

However, I have some unfavorites there. Namely, Blue Christmas, White Christmas & Auld Lang Syne. But it's not Reynolds or the group's fault. Just don't like the melodies of those 3. Id est it's composers' fault. I shall even dare to say that the said songs are among the most terrible & the dullest traditional (or non-) Christmas songs I've ever listened to. 

I swear to God, you have the oddest musical taste of anyone I have ever come across. Ever.

[Sheriff John Stone]

However, I have some unfavorites there. Namely, Blue Christmas, White Christmas & Auld Lang Syne. But it's not Reynolds or the group's fault. Just don't like the melodies of those 3. Id est it's composers' fault. I shall even dare to say that the said songs are among the most terrible & the dullest traditional (or non-) Christmas songs I've ever listened to.

To each his/her own I guess. I respect your opinions. But...

Maybe I'm being a little melodramatic, but, even if you don't care for the songs or melodies (Really, you don't care for the melodies?), "Blue Christmas" and "White Christmas" are important recorded performances in Brian Wilson's history, displaying that pure, incomparable voice that moved millions. For as great as Brian's voice was in that short period (1962-66), there are relatively few solo performances like these, and they alone make the Christmas album indispensable. With few exceptions, he never sang like that again.

[Wirestone]

Again, why are we assuming that it's all or nothing?

Couldn't Reynolds have guided the arrangements in question with some form of active input from Brian?

Precisely. The notion that there was no collaboration at all, especially in this period in which Brian was hyper-competitive and with it, seems a little far-fetched, doesn't it?

[Ian]

Perhaps-but put it in perspective.   The Beach Boys were doing a lot of touring (with Bri playing all the shows) and they made appearances in three films, as well as tons of TV/radio/print promotion, photo shoots, etc.  Plus Brian was asked to come up with 5 albums of material!!! Indeed he was finishing All Summer Long up while also getting the Christmas LP together...perhaps he might, just might, have been happy to let Reynolds do the work-especially since in all probability the Christmas LP was Capitol's idea rather than Brian's.......Perhaps

[I. Spaceman]

Yes, I don't care for melodies. 

Apparently.

[guitarfool2002]

Perhaps-but put it in perspective.   The Beach Boys were doing a lot of touring (with Bri playing all the shows) and they made appearances in three films, as well as tons of TV/radio/print promotion, photo shoots, etc.  Plus Brian was asked to come up with 5 albums of material!!! Indeed he was finishing All Summer Long up while also getting the Christmas LP together...perhaps he might, just might, have been happy to let Reynolds do the work-especially since in all probability the Christmas LP was Capitol's idea rather than Brian's.......Perhaps

A collaboration of sorts combined with an apprenticeship or on-the-job training from an older pro to a younger study is what it sounds like to these ears. Some of the instrumental flourishes, the old-tyme Hollywood orchestral sweeps and all of that ear candy on certain songs...that sounds more like the standard Hollywood "holiday cheer" type of arrangement than what Brian was capable of or was doing on his albums at that time...his stock and trade was *vocals* set to standard rock/R&B backings as of that time. He was not doing full studio orchestrations in 1963/64 anything like what is heard on the Christmas album...let's be honest, was he?

If his working method of singing out parts for small combos, then having a section leader like Steve Douglas transcribe and transpose the actual parts to be read by the other horns was his working method as producer and arranger going into 1966, he surely did not draft those arrangements and orchestrations with strings and horns on the Christmas album. That is not saying he didn't have the ideas or compose the counter-melodies and hooks!

I've mentioned before that there is a certain mythology around composers and arrangers once they become known names and or famous on the weight of their name on a piece of music. I had one professor in the past who worked with some of the more prominent names as composer/arrangers, and what it amounted to was a scenario like any production house: The person with the big name may have a simple melodic  line in mind, which he would sketch out, then a staff of writers would expand the idea, arrange it, orchestrate it, hand it to the copyists who would prepare the score and parts, then the composer would show up at the studio ready to record the cues or the arrangement if it were a song and not a film and conduct/direct the session.

Which is perfectly fine, but remember that what you hear and what you see credited to one individual may very well have been a melodic idea developed and realized by a team of anonymous staff writers and arrangers.

Yet who gets the awards and the accolades when it becomes famous? Some very famous names who have very recognizable music credited to them had less to do with the finished product associated with a film or song than many would assume.

I'm just restating that because having someone outside the core group pull things together and flesh out ideas to sweeten original ideas would not have been out of the realm of an arranger in the 60's. And if that outsider was capable of adding that Hollywood lush orchestral touch and the original arranger wasn't able to do so for a variety of reasons including scheduling issues, it's not unexpected and would be standard practice. Nothing wrong with that.

[DonnyL]

Btw, love organ break! Jolly groovy melody!

that organ break is the best part of the whole record. it would later resurface in 'when a man needs a woman'. i'd put money on BW having played in on both occasions. and the Chamberlin on 'Country Air' too !

[DonnyL]

The Christmas LP is kind of bland, but the Dick Reynolds stuff on ADULT CHILD is way cool !

[I. Spaceman]

The Christmas LP is kind of bland, but the Dick Reynolds stuff on ADULT CHILD is way cool !

And his vocal performances on Stella By Starlight and How Deep Is The Ocean are astounding! Almost as good as Jim Nabors.

[guitarfool2002]

All non-kidding aside, anytime I see a mention of Jim Nabors I think of a Gomer Pyle episode where Jim/Gomer sings "O My Papa"  in a restaurant and later ends up avoiding trouble with the mob when a boss hears him sing it and it brings him to tears. It's been 20 years since I've seen that or any Gomer Pyle episode, so my memory on details is hazy.

Anyway, yeah, Jim Nabors records were one of those constants when digging through boxes of old albums at yard sales.  Definitely a style from a bygone era, and Reynolds' crooning does have that vibe!

[DonnyL]

The Christmas LP is kind of bland, but the Dick Reynolds stuff on ADULT CHILD is way cool !

And his vocal performances on Stella By Starlight and How Deep Is The Ocean are astounding! Almost as good as Jim Nabors.

Although I fail to see the humor, I also don't really understand the comparsion.

So Reynolds is a schmaltz fan? So is Brian Wilson. The 'big-band' stuff on Adult Child is brilliant, and totally unlike anything else ... Beach Boys, Dick Reynolds, Jim Nabors, or otherwise.

[I. Spaceman]

The Christmas LP is kind of bland, but the Dick Reynolds stuff on ADULT CHILD is way cool !

And his vocal performances on Stella By Starlight and How Deep Is The Ocean are astounding! Almost as good as Jim Nabors.

Although I fail to see the humor, I also don't really understand the comparsion.

So Reynolds is a schmaltz fan? So is Brian Wilson. The 'big-band' stuff on Adult Child is brilliant, and totally unlike anything else ... Beach Boys, Dick Reynolds, Jim Nabors, or otherwise.

His arrangements on Adult Child are fine, no one was impeding your absolutely precious and indispensable commentary and opinions.
I was making a joke, I hope that is fine with you. If you don't see the humor in what I said, and the comparison, maybe Craig above nailed it. Not very hard to comprehend at all.

[DonnyL]

The Christmas LP is kind of bland, but the Dick Reynolds stuff on ADULT CHILD is way cool !

And his vocal performances on Stella By Starlight and How Deep Is The Ocean are astounding! Almost as good as Jim Nabors.

Although I fail to see the humor, I also don't really understand the comparsion.

So Reynolds is a schmaltz fan? So is Brian Wilson. The 'big-band' stuff on Adult Child is brilliant, and totally unlike anything else ... Beach Boys, Dick Reynolds, Jim Nabors, or otherwise.

His arrangements on Adult Child are fine, no one was impeding your absolutely precious and indispensable commentary and opinions.
I was making a joke, I hope that is fine with you. If you don't see the humor in what I said, and the comparison, maybe Craig above nailed it. Not very hard to comprehend at all.

xoxoxoxo

[Jason Penick]

I wondered if, for example, Hite and/or Dorinda Morgan might have had input into the "Lavender" arrangement.

For what it's worth, I was reading an interview online with one of the guys from the band Smokestack Lightnin' (sixties L.A. blues rock band), who was well acquainted with the Morgans by way of their studio. It was his contention that he knew for a fact that Dorinda Morgan had more than a little to do with the composition of both "Surfer Girl" and "In My Room". So if that's the case then your theory is highly plausible.

EDIT: In trying to find the exact quote, I came upon an old discussion on this board of the Smokestack Lightnin' guy's assertion that was at least partially debunked by Carrie Marks amongst others. Still it seems quite possible that Dorinda Morgan may have at least given young Brian some early assistance with his arrangements.

[SufferingFools]

I wondered if, for example, Hite and/or Dorinda Morgan might have had input into the "Lavender" arrangement.

For what it's worth, I was reading an interview online with one of the guys from the band Smokestack Lightnin' (sixties L.A. blues rock band), who was well acquainted with the Morgans by way of their studio. It was his contention that he knew for a fact that Dorinda Morgan had more than a little to do with the composition of both "Surfer Girl" and "In My Room". So if that's the case then your theory is highly plausible.

EDIT: In trying to find the exact quote, I came upon an old discussion on this board of the Smokestack Lightnin' guy's assertion that was at least partially debunked by Carrie Marks amongst others. Still it seems quite possible that Dorinda Morgan may have at least given young Brian some early assistance with his arrangements.

Thanks; I had wondered since Dorinda did write "Lavender."

I'm sure Brian would have idolized Dick Reynolds in 1964 and must have relished the chance to work with him.  By the same token, if Reynolds brought finished vocal arrangements to the studio, it's possible Brian might have been too much in awe of him to suggest any changes.