Dave's Playing on the TWGMTR Album

[c-man]

OK, after multiple listenings to the new album, I've put together a rundown of what I think MIGHT be Dave's specific guitar contribution to each of the tracks he plays on.  I must say first of all, I have no "insider" knowledge on this...I wasn't at the sessions, and I haven't spoken with Dave about this, so I really don't know.  I'm just going by my ears on this.  Jon Stebbins, feel free to weigh in with any additions or corrections you may be privvy to.  And of course, Carrie, if you witnessed any of these sessions and/or can get Dave to share specifics with us, that would be great.  Guitarfool2002, I greatly respect your knowledge of vintage guitar sounds, so please add any observations your ears may have caught.

THAT'S WHY GOD MADE THE RADIO:  As I mentioned in an earlier thread, there's four guitarists credited on this song who are apparently playing electrics, including Dave (plus there's Jeffrey Foskett's acoustic guitar).  From watching them perform the song on TV and in person, it seems to me that Dave is playing a part really similar to what he's said was his role on most of the early BBs songs (a "jinka-jink" eighth note pattern on mostly the root and fifth of a barre chord).  Nicky Walusko seemed to be playing a tremelo-y part live, so that's likely what HE did on the record.  During the live performances, Jeff strums away across all six strings of his electric, as he likely would have on his studio acoustic part, while Scott Totten plays the heavier electric part that includes strumming once and sliding between frets with his neck hand, so I'm thinking that part was played on the record by one of the two session guitarists credited (Tom Bukovac out of Nashville and Nick Rowe in L.A.).

ISN'T IT TIME:  An easy one, since Dave's the only credited guitarist and I only hear the one distorted electric rhythm guitar part, mixed in behind the ukulele.  Sounds like he plays some chimey fret harmonics during the bridge, too.

SPRING VACATION:  Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is on lead guitar for this one; I hear a Dave-like rhythm part coming in at 0:01 in the Right channel, and at a more prominent level starting at 0:20.  There's another rhythm guitar audible in the Left channel, coming in behind the lead at 1:04; I'm guessing that's either Nicky or one of the two session guitarists credited.  

THE PRIVATE LIFE OF BILL AND SUE:  Not an easy one to discern Dave on, assuming he's playing electric (he's credited with "guitar", while Probyn, Jeffrey and sessionman Tom Boukovac are all credited with "acoustic guitar").  There's a chimey fret harmonic opening the song, but I'm thinking that's one of the acoustics.

SHELTER:  This is an interesting one.  Jeff's background acoustic rhythm guitar part sounds like it's a 12-string.  There are at least two distinct electric lead parts:  a rhythm/lead part in the Left channel, and a lead guitar on the RIght that starts with a lower-register root/fifth "chunk" part.  The two electrics play the same lead line at 0:29 and elsewhere, and at 2:35 they combine to sound like one 12-string electric, but I really think they are actually just two 6-strings.  In keeping with Dave's apparent Right channel placement throughout the album, I'm thinking that's where he is on this song, while the Left channel part is Bukovac.  Strangely, there's no mention in the credits of drums or bass, although both are very clearly present throughout (this song is just one example of parts missing from the credits...but this happens on almost every song!).

BEACHES IN MIND:  According to Joe Thomas in the latest issue of ESQ, Brian called Jeff "Skunk" Baxter in specifically to play lead on this song (and he also ended up playing on "Spring Vacation" as well), but in the same issue Dave says he's playing most of the surfy lead licks on this one, even though everyone thinks that's Baxter.  This isn't a contradiction, since there's clearly two lead parts audible, plus a less-prominent rhythm part mixed in with the clavinet, which must be the other credited electric guitarist (L.A. session player Jim Riley).  I think Dave is playing the more consistently-used of the two lead parts (again in the Right channel), starting with a root/5th rhythm part at 0:12, then lead licks at 0:34, 0:54, and 1:06, and a rhythm-y part in the bridge.  Baxter's part must then be the louder (but less used) lead part audible in the Center of the mix at 0:25 and 1:27.  At 2:00, there is a guitar solo with both leads playing, panned Center and Right.  Incidentally, although only Probyn Gregory is credited with acoustic guitar on this track, Scott Totten told me that he also played acoustic, along with Probyn, on the session.  The acoustics are mixed really low in the track, but you CAN hear them a little in the background at 0:46.    

STRANGE WORLD:  In another example of missing info, there is no guitarist listed in the credits for this song, yet there is definitley at least one electric guitar part weaving in-and-out throughout, and this is even heard on its own for several seconds at the very end of the track.  Thanks to ESQ, we know this is Dave's guitar work, recorded at Gary Griffin's studio (which, although used for recording several parts throughout the album, fails to get a mention in the liner notes' studio credits!).  Dave is clearly playing with his volume knob on this one, to produce a "strange" vibrato/tremelo effect worthy of a song titled "Strange World".  At different points, there's also an almost B-bender/pedal steel effect (which may be a similarly-uncredited Tom Bukovac, or it could all be Dave).

SUMMER'S GONE:  I thnk Dave is playing a part very similar to his one on "Strange World", in the Right channel (with possible use of a volume pedal at 4:03).  A louder electric guitar enters the Left channel around 1:30, at first playing a rhythm part, but changing to lead lines at 2:20 or so and throughout the remainder of the song (I'm thinking this part is Nicky Wonder, who is also credited with a seemingly-electric part, since Tom Bukovac is credited specifically with "acoustic guitar").  A very atmospheric use of the two electric guitars, and a neat way to end the album as the song fades to just the tenor flute parts and ocean/rain sound effects.

That's it, assuming the guitar credits on FROM THERE TO BACK AGAIN are correct and Tom Bukovac is the only guitarist on that one (his part sounds a lot like a Baritone guitar at certain points, with use of a wah-wah pedal at other times)...but who knows, given the appalling credit omissions throughout!

[Rocker]

Thanks for that c-man ! The wrong/not complete credits in the booklet are really annoying. I wonder if David did any singing. I believe someone asked him and he mentioned that he was at least on the title track.

[Jonathan Blum]

Yeah, Dave said he was definitely on "Radio".

Incidentally, Probyn said he recorded a theremin part for "Radio", which was then mixed out -- he didn't want to speculate on the politics of it, but he kind of suggested that some of the missing credits might be a similar situation.  Possibly the credits were based on mixes which discarded various parts, and then they were tweaked further and brought them back in...  Wouldn't explain the drums on "Shelter", though!

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[mabewa]

Thanks, c-man, this is awesome! 

I too would like to know about any of Dave's singing--interesting to hear that he is on the title track.  Can anybody identify what parts he is singing?

[runnersdialzero]

Brian played all guitar on the album and I refuse to believe otherise because he am songwriting genius of forever.

[hypehat]

Thanks, c-man, this is awesome! 

I too would like to know about any of Dave's singing--interesting to hear that he is on the title track.  Can anybody identify what parts he is singing?

Would posit that he's singing lower parts either along with Mike or just up in the stack. Without an acapella, the track is too shiny for me to really grasp. The parts he sings live are probably an indication?

[Dave Modny]

Thanks, c-man, this is awesome! 

I too would like to know about any of Dave's singing--interesting to hear that he is on the title track.  Can anybody identify what parts he is singing?

Would posit that he's singing lower parts either along with Mike or just up in the stack. Without an acapella, the track is too shiny for me to really grasp. The parts he sings live are probably an indication?

Indeed. I'd reckon that he's probably there (and elsewhere) in the unison section that begins at the 2:23 mark. Just like the live performances.

And that alone would seem to indicate that the CD's vocal credits -- namely his complete absence in them -- should be taken, at the very least, with a tiny grain of salt.

[Rocker]

And that alone would seem to indicate that the CD's vocal credits -- namely his complete absence in them -- should be taken, at the very least, with a tiny grain of salt.

Although it still would be frustrating, I wouldn't mind as much if they forgot to give some session guy credits in the booklet but to not give a Beach Boy his singing credits (if he was singing on the cuts)? Kinda weird to me
But that way I'm sure we'll have some nice discussions after the celebration things is over.

[Aegir]

either

A) David is not singing on the album

or

B) David is singing on the album but for some legal, financial, or contractual reason he cannot be mentioned as singing in the liner notes.

They would not have simply forgot.

[Rocker]

either

A) David is not singing on the album

or

B) David is singing on the album but for some legal, financial, or contractual reason he cannot be mentioned as singing in the liner notes.

They would not have simply forgot.

But what about the session players that weren't mentioned and the not complete instrumentations? Also contractual reasons?

[Jonathan Blum]

Would posit that he's singing lower parts either along with Mike or just up in the stack. Without an acapella, the track is too shiny for me to really grasp. The parts he sings live are probably an indication?

Dunno about the new stuff, but he's said in the classic tracks he tends to take Dennis' part.  Back when they recorded the first albums, Brian tended to have Dave and Dennis doubling one part, because neither one of them was a strong singer at that point.  That'd give you an idea where to look for him in the stack...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[the professor]

OK, after multiple listenings to the new album, I've put together a rundown of what I think MIGHT be Dave's specific guitar contribution to each of the tracks he plays on.  I must say first of all, I have no "insider" knowledge on this...I wasn't at the sessions, and I haven't spoken with Dave about this, so I really don't know.  I'm just going by my ears on this.  Jon Stebbins, feel free to weigh in with any additions or corrections you may be privvy to.  And of course, Carrie, if you witnessed any of these sessions and/or can get Dave to share specifics with us, that would be great.  Guitarfool2002, I greatly respect your knowledge of vintage guitar sounds, so please add any observations your ears may have caught.

THAT'S WHY GOD MADE THE RADIO:  As I mentioned in an earlier thread, there's four guitarists credited on this song who are apparently playing electrics, including Dave (plus there's Jeffrey Foskett's acoustic guitar).  From watching them perform the song on TV and in person, it seems to me that Dave is playing a part really similar to what he's said was his role on most of the early BBs songs (a "jinka-jink" eighth note pattern on mostly the root and fifth of a barre chord).  Nicky Walusko seemed to be playing a tremelo-y part live, so that's likely what HE did on the record.  During the live performances, Jeff strums away across all six strings of his electric, as he likely would have on his studio acoustic part, while Scott Totten plays the heavier electric part that includes strumming once and sliding between frets with his neck hand, so I'm thinking that part was played on the record by one of the two session guitarists credited (Tom Bukovac out of Nashville and Nick Rowe in L.A.).

ISN'T IT TIME:  An easy one, since Dave's the only credited guitarist and I only hear the one distorted electric rhythm guitar part, mixed in behind the ukulele.  Sounds like he plays some chimey fret harmonics during the bridge, too.

SPRING VACATION:  Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is on lead guitar for this one; I hear a Dave-like rhythm part coming in at 0:01 in the Right channel, and at a more prominent level starting at 0:20.  There's another rhythm guitar audible in the Left channel, coming in behind the lead at 1:04; I'm guessing that's either Nicky or one of the two session guitarists credited.  

THE PRIVATE LIFE OF BILL AND SUE:  Not an easy one to discern Dave on, assuming he's playing electric (he's credited with "guitar", while Probyn, Jeffrey and sessionman Tom Boukovac are all credited with "acoustic guitar").  There's a chimey fret harmonic opening the song, but I'm thinking that's one of the acoustics.

SHELTER:  This is an interesting one.  Jeff's background acoustic rhythm guitar part sounds like it's a 12-string.  There are at least two distinct electric lead parts:  a rhythm/lead part in the Left channel, and a lead guitar on the RIght that starts with a lower-register root/fifth "chunk" part.  The two electrics play the same lead line at 0:29 and elsewhere, and at 2:35 they combine to sound like one 12-string electric, but I really think they are actually just two 6-strings.  In keeping with Dave's apparent Right channel placement throughout the album, I'm thinking that's where he is on this song, while the Left channel part is Bukovac.  Strangely, there's no mention in the credits of drums or bass, although both are very clearly present throughout (this song is just one example of parts missing from the credits...but this happens on almost every song!).

BEACHES IN MIND:  According to Joe Thomas in the latest issue of ESQ, Brian called Jeff "Skunk" Baxter in specifically to play lead on this song (and he also ended up playing on "Spring Vacation" as well), but in the same issue Dave says he's playing most of the surfy lead licks on this one, even though everyone thinks that's Baxter.  This isn't a contradiction, since there's clearly two lead parts audible, plus a less-prominent rhythm part mixed in with the clavinet, which must be the other credited electric guitarist (L.A. session player Jim Riley).  I think Dave is playing the more consistently-used of the two lead parts (again in the Right channel), starting with a root/5th rhythm part at 0:12, then lead licks at 0:34, 0:54, and 1:06, and a rhythm-y part in the bridge.  Baxter's part must then be the louder (but less used) lead part audible in the Center of the mix at 0:25 and 1:27.  At 2:00, there is a guitar solo with both leads playing, panned Center and Right.  Incidentally, although only Probyn Gregory is credited with acoustic guitar on this track, Scott Totten told me that he also played acoustic, along with Probyn, on the session.  The acoustics are mixed really low in the track, but you CAN hear them a little in the background at 0:46.    

STRANGE WORLD:  In another example of missing info, there is no guitarist listed in the credits for this song, yet there is definitley at least one electric guitar part weaving in-and-out throughout, and this is even heard on its own for several seconds at the very end of the track.  Thanks to ESQ, we know this is Dave's guitar work, recorded at Gary Griffin's studio (which, although used for recording several parts throughout the album, fails to get a mention in the liner notes' studio credits!).  Dave is clearly playing with his volume knob on this one, to produce a "strange" vibrato/tremelo effect worthy of a song titled "Strange World".  At different points, there's also an almost B-bender/pedal steel effect (which may be a similarly-uncredited Tom Bukovac, or it could all be Dave).

SUMMER'S GONE:  I thnk Dave is playing a part very similar to his one on "Strange World", in the Right channel (with possible use of a volume pedal at 4:03).  A louder electric guitar enters the Left channel around 1:30, at first playing a rhythm part, but changing to lead lines at 2:20 or so and throughout the remainder of the song (I'm thinking this part is Nicky Wonder, who is also credited with a seemingly-electric part, since Tom Bukovac is credited specifically with "acoustic guitar").  A very atmospheric use of the two electric guitars, and a neat way to end the album as the song fades to just the tenor flute parts and ocean/rain sound effects.

That's it, assuming the guitar credits on FROM THERE TO BACK AGAIN are correct and Tom Bukovac is the only guitarist on that one (his part sounds a lot like a Baritone guitar at certain points, with use of a wah-wah pedal at other times)...but who knows, given the appalling credit omissions throughout!

The professor's thanks are way overdue on this one; thanks cman. I just got back from China. Love every mention of Dave and every instance of his contribution; can't wait for him to cross-reference and confirm all this.  I am confident of him on Shelter, since those parts sound very Beatleesque and Dave loves figuring our Beatles songs.