Bruce in the vocal mix

[Wylson]

This topic may have been discussed but I can't find it. I was listening to Hawthorne today and 'Lonely Days' came one - it got me thinking that I don't think I've ever noticed Bruce in the vocal blend in the late 60s/early 70s albums, where you would expect him to be at his most prominent. In fact, I think the only time I hear him are when he sings leads, or when he has a prominent tag (e.g California Girls, God Only Knows). I assume there could be a few reasons for this:
a) Bruce is a great harmony singer so you don't notice him
b) in that classic period, Bruce sounds quite a bit like Brian in the harmony (i.e. high and crisp) so I'm not hearing him
c) He actually isn't in that many of the group vocals (I find it unlikely as I get the feeling Brian really likes Bruce's voice)

It's weird because I hear all the others quite clearly at one point or another. I do him in the later period stuff - perhaps the mixing gets clearer, and his voice a bit huskier. I'd be interested in others perceptions, and also if anyone can point me to a prominent Bruce bit of harmony that would be great.

And while I'm on Bruce, for anyone with spotify, what the hell is this?! http://open.spotify.com/track/2Xm3gg9RRvKPCNePtvmfHQ
For anyone wondering, it is The King's Singers (a fantastic vocal harmony group, although not best used here) doing a version of Please Let Me Wonder, with what sounds like Bruce on lead vocals and a Mike love 'new' middle 8. Very weird.

[hypehat]

I can hear Bruce on SMiLE stuff, he's usually going way up high with Brian's parts though. He's obviously a very good singer and his voice blends well with the group, which I guess makes a lot of sense as to why he's hard to spot. I do get guilty pleasure spotting him on albums he's not supposed to be on in the 70's, such as Love You.

Then again, looking at the sessionography for SMiLE, sometimes it's just the 5 Beach Boys - not Bruce. Maybe this practice continues further into the 60's, but I'm not sure.

I would say in the later period stuff, it's that everyone else's voice gets worse and not necessarily his - I mean, you lose Dennis and Brian in their traditional places in the blend. So he's going to stick out more.

[Myk Luhv]

The only place I notice it's obviously Bruce on Love You -- because it certainly couldn't be anyone else at that point -- is the tag to "I'll Bet He's Nice" where I reckon he wins that bet, at least as far as his singing goes! Where else does he show up?

[hypehat]

I swear someone round here said he pops up on every 70's Beach Boys record except In Concert, but I'm tired as hell so will have to pitch that one to the board. Obviously, there are cheat ones - he's probably on Susie Cincinnati as it was recorded whilst he was still in the band, for example.

[Craig Boyd]

I swear someone round here said he pops up on every 70's Beach Boys record except In Concert, but I'm tired as hell so will have to pitch that one to the board. Obviously, there are cheat ones - he's probably on Susie Cincinnati as it was recorded whilst he was still in the band, for example.

I don't know the ins and outs of the Bruce leaving/coming back situation and I don't know for sure if he appears on any songs after he left but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. I mean the way he slipped back into the band appeared kinda seamless so it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to think he'd helped them out on previous albums by singing a bit.

[Autotune]

Excellent harmony singer. Extremely talented and skilled musician. His harmony singing, to this day, remains a milestone in the live performances. No matter when or where, he's always there, spot-on, flawless. Always in tune, effortlessly singing high regular voice into falsetto, great sense of phrasing and rhythm. What a great asset to any group!

I grew up thinking that, as he came into the group to replace Brian, he had to sing Brian's parts all the time. This is partiañly true, but a lot of times he took Alan's original part when Al sang Brian's.

[Craig Boyd]

Excellent harmony singer. Extremely talented and skilled musician. His harmony singing, to this day, remains a milestone in the live performances. No matter when or where, he's always there, spot-on, flawless. Always in tune, effortlessly singing high regular voice into falsetto, great sense of phrasing and rhythm. What a great asset to any group!

I grew up thinking that, as he came into the group to replace Brian, he had to sing Brian's parts all the time. This is partiañly true, but a lot of times he took Alan's original part when Al sang Brian's.

I totally agree, he still sounds exactly the same as he's always done on the middle section of God Only Knows. When Al took over the lead on Sloop John B, Bruce would cover the harmony above that Al used to sing when Brian or Carl sang lead.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I swear someone round here said he pops up on every 70's Beach Boys record except In Concert, but I'm tired as hell so will have to pitch that one to the board. Obviously, there are cheat ones - he's probably on Susie Cincinnati as it was recorded whilst he was still in the band, for example.

Only studio BB album he's not on since he joined is MIU. He's on 15BO on at least one contemporary session ("Blueberry Hill", I think) - check the credits.

[Wylson]

Thanks really helpful responses. Can anyone hear Bruce much on Friends (my favourite album)?

Also any background info on this kings singers/Bruce/mike thing I linked to?

[adamghost]

 I noticed the same thing as you listening to the '69 concert album, that Bruce was hard to pick out.  I finally figured out that it was that (a) I was expecting to hear him up high but he was actually, as was stated upthread, covering Al's part, and (b) he seems to sometimes be far from the mic or a bit quiet to the blend.

I don't hear Bruce at all on the non-SMILE parts of SMILEY SMILE.  I hear him quite a lot on SUNFLOWER.  Beyond that, I'd have to go back and listen -- I never thought of him being conspicuously absent on the other records but it's true I don't get the sense of his voice coloring the harmonies as much on them.  It's a good question, because my sense is that Brian favored him for PET SOUNDS or SMILE based on his versatility and skill (benching Dennis a lot of the time) and it may well be that with Brian not as in control, the other guys in the band may have not always used him when cutting their own tracks.  Certainly when people talk about Bruce's contribution in that era, I hear a lot about his INSTRUMENTAL contributions...that he would finish tracks that Brian started, for example.

If you want to hear a lot of Bruce, LIGHT ALBUM is the place to go.  Many of the songs are mostly Carl and Bruce overdubbing themselves.  One of my favorite harmony albums for the boys, too...Bruce is an ace backup singer for sure.  Check out some of the stuff he did outside the band, e.g. "Crazy Water," one of my favorite Elton John tracks.

[adamghost]

Not feeling well today so I thought I'd give FRIENDS a listen and see if I can pick Bruce out in the mix.  I'd always assumed he was all over that one but it's an intriguing question.

MEANT FOR YOU -- He's not there.
FRIENDS -- I can't tell.  I always assumed he was in there but I can't specifically pick him out.  The overall smoothness of the blend and how high it goes makes me think he's there.
WAKE THE WORLD -- I do think I hear him on "When you're calling me" in one of the lower harmonies.
BE HERE IN THE MORNING -- I'd bet he's on "full" but I can't swear he's on the other parts, and the voices are fairly easy to pick out.
WHEN A MAN NEEDS A WOMAN -- Pretty sure he's in the stack here.
ANNA LEE THE HEALER -- Not on the verses, do think I can hear him in the stack on the choruses.  Pretty sure I can hear him at 1:36.
LITTLE BIRD -- Can't tell, but I would say no.  I don't hear his "color" in the ending harmony the way I think I do on the others.
The last four there's no harmonies to speak of except for "TM" which we've established is all Brian.

So you know what?  There's not a single point on FRIENDS where I could swear with certainty I hear Bruce.  That said, there's a lot of places where the vocal stack is really smooth (a sign Bruce is in the mix) and there's more than four parts (remembering Mike was gone for a lot of these sessions).  So I would bet he's on most of those fat stacked spots. The thing is, the top parts on these tracks are still Brian, Carl and Al from the sound of it.  So it sounds like you're got a layering where it's Dennis-Bruce-Carl-Al-Brian top to bottom as opposed to Mike-Dennis-Carl-Al-Brian.  As well balanced as these harmonies are, and with Bruce's voice being infinitely more "blendy" than Dennis' (not a knock, I love Dennis' voice in the stack, just a statement of fact), what you would get is exactly what you hear -- a smoother, fatter vocal blend where you can't pick Bruce out at all.

So that's my guess.  The later albums Brian's not in the vocal mix as much, so you start to hear Bruce's voice more as he gets out of the midrange stack.  The last time we had this discussion (on CARL & THE PASSIONS) Bruce himself settled it.  I'm into having that happen again!

[Wylson]

Really good to get your impressions Adam. I went back and listened, an agree with the places you think he might be there. Maybe I'll take my query over to BBB and try and get Bruce to settle it!

Ps I agree that the smoothness of some harmonies makes me think Bruce is there. I think he adds a lot.

[cablegeddon]

He is a great singer but..often I find that the others "outshine" him. Mike and Al have so much character when they sing. Bruce Johnston, not so much. This is a good example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avqh4xukkuo

Mike Love's biggest strenght as a singer is that his voice so recognizable.

Bruce Johnston's biggest flaw as a singer is that is that his voice isn't that recognizable.

[tpesky]

I demand to be warned before a link to anything is SIP related!!! 

[Stegibo]

That live version of "Summer In Paradise" is far superior to the album version.

[Craig Boyd]

That live version of "Summer In Paradise" is far superior to the album version.

It is. If it had decent lyrics in the verses it'd be a good song. They should do a rewrite.

[cablegeddon]

That live version of "Summer In Paradise" is far superior to the album version.

I want to know who plays guitar because he botched the intro

[Aegir]

That live version of "Summer In Paradise" is far superior to the album version.

I want to know who plays guitar because he botched the intro

Ed Carter.