Harmony pre-Bruce vs Bruce in the band

[SurferDownUnder]

So we know that Bruce is noticeable in the harmony stack in "The Little Girl I Once Knew" "California Girls" and "God Only Knows" as his first major contributions to the bands harmony's, are there any examples of really noticeable changes in the vocal tracks? Bit of a muddled question but we have classics like "Don't Worry Baby" and "Warmth of the Sun" even the "Ballad of Ole' Betsy" where the vocal blend is really trademark. Does anyone think the vocal blend changed majorly after Bruce's addition? Some example would be great. I think that a song like Bruce and Terry's "Don't Run Away" would have been absolutely beautiful with the boys inclusion (although Mike did sing on it)....

[c-man]

So we know that Bruce is noticeable in the harmony stack in "The Little Girl I Once Knew" "California Girls" and "God Only Knows" as his first major contributions to the bands harmony's, are there any examples of really noticeable changes in the vocal tracks? Bit of a muddled question but we have classics like "Don't Worry Baby" and "Warmth of the Sun" even the "Ballad of Ole' Betsy" where the vocal blend is really trademark. Does anyone think the vocal blend changed majorly after Bruce's addition? Some example would be great. I think that a song like Bruce and Terry's "Don't Run Away" would have been absolutely beautiful with the boys inclusion (although Mike did sing on it)....

Bruce sings the falsetto on "The Girl From New York City" (pretty cool of Brian to use the new guy on the prominent, highest vocal part on the first cut of their new album). But aside from Bruce's voice popping out on those examples you mentioned, I think Brian mostly used him subtly, as another high voice "color" in the mix.  

[Magic Transistor Radio]

If there is a difference, to me, it still sounds great! Harmonies on Sunflower are just as good as harmonies on Today.

[tpesky]

One of Bruce's greatest talents up is being able to fit in the harmony stack seamlessly. ( That and his keyboard playing, which is he is very underused)

[NateRuvin]

Bruce is a great harmony/backing vocalist. He also was great at singing Brian's falsetto and playing his bass parts in concert.

[Autotune]

Right. Although I'm not sure if when he entered the band to replace Brian on stage, he sang all of Brian's vocals. My impression is that they were spread among the different guys, and Alan took the bulk of it. Bruce does Brian usually on wordless falsetto lines.

[Rocker]

Bruce is a great harmony/backing vocalist. He also was great at singing Brian's falsetto and playing his bass parts in concert.

Not so on "I get around" though. Judging by recordings it took years (early 70s I think) until they got that song right after Brian stopped touring in the 60s. That said, I don't remember a live version of that song that in any way would come close to the Brian versions in the early 60s, although there are some strong ones.

[adamghost]

I don't think Bruce projected super well up there - in a lot of the clips "I Get Around" you can't really hear him.  He's a terrific falsetto singer, but the fact that Al wound up doing a lot of it live makes me think he might have had vocal stress issues if he took all the high parts.  Plus he was playing bass a lot of the time, an instrument he wasn't that familiar with, so it makes sense to take a less taxing part.

I love Bruce's voice in the stack.  I would say the main difference with Bruce in the blend is it got smoother and less "edgy." Which if Dennis was also in the blend, could make for a really cool overall tone.  I think one other change is that some of the block harmonies, for a bit, got higher...I assume because more people could comfortably sing in the top range, and also probably because with more voices you just needed more space to fit them in!  You really hear this on SUNFLOWER.

[Jason Penick]

This is an interesting thread. I was listening to Smile sessions for the umteenth time just the other day, and I was caught off-guard by Bruce's voice jumping out clear as day during a particular segment (can't remember which one, sorry). I don't tend to think of Bruce even being around during the Smile era, so it was kind of cool.

I also feel like he's audible during Dennis's songs on L.A., but I'd have to re-listen to tell you exactly where.

My feelings on Bruce and his role in the Beach Boys was that he was brought in as something of a ringer: great voice, blends seamlessly, fantastic piano player and production chops to boot. He's a studio pro who understands his role and is never going to demand the spotlight, but he does all the little things that the featured players can't and makes the unit stronger as a whole. A "glue guy" in NBA parlance.

[adamghost]

This is an interesting thread. I was listening to Smile sessions for the umteenth time just the other day, and I was caught off-guard by Bruce's voice jumping out clear as day during a particular segment (can't remember which one, sorry). I don't tend to think of Bruce even being around during the Smile era, so it was kind of cool.

I also feel like he's audible during Dennis's songs on L.A., but I'd have to re-listen to tell you exactly where.

My feelings on Bruce and his role in the Beach Boys was that he was brought in as something of a ringer: great voice, blends seamlessly, fantastic piano player and production chops to boot. He's a studio pro who understands his role and is never going to demand the spotlight, but he does all the little things that the featured players can't and makes the unit stronger as a whole. A "glue guy" in NBA parlance.

Sounds pretty apt.  Bruce is extremely present vocally on L.A., btw.  Many of the harmonies are simply Carl and Bruce multi-tracking themselves, with possible occasional help from Dennis, Bobby F., G. Cushing-Murray, etc.

[Autotune]

I don't think Bruce projected super well up there - in a lot of the clips "I Get Around" you can't really hear him.  He's a terrific falsetto singer, but the fact that Al wound up doing a lot of it live makes me think he might have had vocal stress issues if he took all the high parts.  Plus he was playing bass a lot of the time, an instrument he wasn't that familiar with, so it makes sense to take a less taxing part.

Isn't Alan singing Brian's part in the 1980 Knebworth concert? Was that part sung at all during some of the concerts in that era?

[SurferDownUnder]

This is an interesting thread. I was listening to Smile sessions for the umteenth time just the other day, and I was caught off-guard by Bruce's voice jumping out clear as day during a particular segment (can't remember which one, sorry). I don't tend to think of Bruce even being around during the Smile era, so it was kind of cool.

I also feel like he's audible during Dennis's songs on L.A., but I'd have to re-listen to tell you exactly where.

My feelings on Bruce and his role in the Beach Boys was that he was brought in as something of a ringer: great voice, blends seamlessly, fantastic piano player and production chops to boot. He's a studio pro who understands his role and is never going to demand the spotlight, but he does all the little things that the featured players can't and makes the unit stronger as a whole. A "glue guy" in NBA parlance.

Bruce is definitely the consummate professional not doubt, I think it may have been Wonderful you were hearing Bruce prominently on? Bruce is all over L.A. especially Good Timin' and Lady Lynda at least to my ear
Sounds pretty apt.  Bruce is extremely present vocally on L.A., btw.  Many of the harmonies are simply Carl and Bruce multi-tracking themselves, with possible occasional help from Dennis, Bobby F., G. Cushing-Murray, etc.

[adamghost]

I don't think Bruce projected super well up there - in a lot of the clips "I Get Around" you can't really hear him.  He's a terrific falsetto singer, but the fact that Al wound up doing a lot of it live makes me think he might have had vocal stress issues if he took all the high parts.  Plus he was playing bass a lot of the time, an instrument he wasn't that familiar with, so it makes sense to take a less taxing part.

Isn't Alan singing Brian's part in the 1980 Knebworth concert? Was that part sung at all during some of the concerts in that era?

I think there was some discussion of this back in the day and the conclusion was reach that Bobby F. got drafted to sing a lot of the falsetto parts during this period, including that one.  (I'm assuming you mean "I Get Around.")

I think Bruce is present vocally on pretty much every track on L.A.  Probably, with Carl, the primary harmony vocalist on that particular album.  Pretty sure "Sumahama," "Baby Blue," "Goin' South", "Full Sail" and (less sure) "Love Surrounds Me" have background vocal sections that are just Bruce and Carl multitracked.  Not saying they are the only singers on the entirety of the tracks, but there are group vocal sections within those songs that are just them.

[SurferDownUnder]

Meant to say this btw just used the quote wrong  :

Bruce is definitely the consummate professional not doubt, I think it may have been Wonderful you were hearing Bruce prominently on? Bruce is all over L.A. especially Good Timin' and Lady Lynda at least to my ear

[metal flake paint]

I don't think Bruce projected super well up there - in a lot of the clips "I Get Around" you can't really hear him.  He's a terrific falsetto singer, but the fact that Al wound up doing a lot of it live makes me think he might have had vocal stress issues if he took all the high parts.  Plus he was playing bass a lot of the time, an instrument he wasn't that familiar with, so it makes sense to take a less taxing part.

Isn't Alan singing Brian's part in the 1980 Knebworth concert? Was that part sung at all during some of the concerts in that era?

The isolated centre channel extracted from the 5.1 mix suggests that it's Bobby F.

[tpesky]

Bobby on falsetto on I Get Around. Interestingly one of the only falsettos that Al never sang at 1 point at least to my knowledge. Wonder why?

[c-man]

Bobby on falsetto on I Get Around. Interestingly one of the only falsettos that Al never sang at 1 point at least to my knowledge. Wonder why?

Another is "Hawaii" - check out the version the Brian-less band performed on the Mike Douglas Show, December 1980: Bruce and Bobby share the falsetto. When present, Brian himself took the falsetto on that song '79-'80.

[adamghost]

Bobby on falsetto on I Get Around. Interestingly one of the only falsettos that Al never sang at 1 point at least to my knowledge. Wonder why?

Another is "Hawaii" - check out the version the Brian-less band performed on the Mike Douglas Show, December 1980: Bruce and Bobby share the falsetto. When present, Brian himself took the falsetto on that song '79-'80.

Falsetto ability can really vary a lot from person to person.  E.g., when I've gigged on BBs tunes with Probyn, we've noted that it's easier for me to sing the higher leads like "Wouldn't It Be Nice," but he can get notes I can't get and sustain them longer, so we would take each others' parts from time to time.  Probably the same thing in this case.  Or just splitting the workload so one person isn't killing themselves up top the whole time.

I've always been a bit surprised (despite what I wrote above) that Bruce's killer falsetto wasn't used more often, at least in studio.  Every time I hear it it just takes things to a new level.  Hearing him on "Bill and Sue" was a highlight of the reunion album.

[drbeachboy]

I have to agree, Bruce's vocals are very nice throughout the whole album. I have a question, are any Beach Boys on Strange World? As with the other tunes where I can pick out voices, on this one I cannot.

[EgoHanger1966]

I have to agree, Bruce's vocals are very nice throughout the whole album. I have a question, are any Beach Boys on Strange World? As with the other tunes where I can pick out voices, on this one I cannot.

If you listed super closely with headphones you can hear a low bass vocal during the chorus that sounds like Mike.