The original track listing of Pet Sounds

[HeroesandVillains]

From what I've heard, Good Vibrations was meant to be on Pet Sounds but Brian dropped the track to spend more time on it. Does anyone know where it was meant to be on the album?

[Ram4]

It was never a contender for the final tracklisting because it wasn't considered finished during the Pet Sounds sessions.  It was shelved to be worked on after Pet Sounds was released.

[HeroesandVillains]

I see. Well if that's the case, say it had been on Pet Sounds for whatever reason, Where do you think it would have been?

[PetSmile]

I think Al said it should have been the opener. Still, GV would feel quite incongruous on Pet Sounds. It's more appropriate as a Smile track.

[HeroesandVillains]

I agree. Let us never speak of this again.

[c-man]

The original track listing for Pet Sounds, as indicated in a Capitol internal memo dated February 23, 1966, was thus:

1. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE?
2. CAROLINE, NO
3. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD VIBRATIONS
4. MY CHILDHOOD
5. THAT'S NOT ME
6. HANG ON TO YOUR EGO
7. SLOOP JOHN B.
8. THE OLD MAN AND THE BABY
9. DON'T TALK (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
10. I JUST WASN'T MADE FOR THESE TIMES

The memo then explains that two more selections would be added to the album: an instrumental written by Brian (title yet undecided, but obviously RUN JAMES RUN/PET SOUNDS), and "one other tune for the whole group to work on which also hasn't been named yet".

Subsequent handwritten notes include an "X" and the word "out" next to title number 3, "YOU STILL BELIEVE IN ME" written in above the title MY CHILDHOOD, and "X"s next to titles number 6, 8 and 9.

A subsequent memo, dated March 3, 1966, reads:

"The selection GOOD, GOOD, GOOD VIBRATIONS will not be included in subject album.

The title 'MY CHILDHOOD' has been changed to 'YOU STILL BELIEVE IN ME'.

The following titles are being changed and therefore will not be included in subject album:

'HANG ON TO YOUR EGO'
'THE OLD MAN AND THE BABY'
'DON'T TALK (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)'"

[HeroesandVillains]

Thank you so much. This is what I meant before with the track listing sent to Capitol.
Thank you!!

[Matt H]

Is 'THE OLD MAN AND THE BABY' a working title for something?  I have never heard of that track.

[HeroesandVillains]

Old Man and The Baby is a working title for Let's Go Away For Awhile

[Bicyclerider]

The "one other tune" which hasn't been named yet is presumably God Only Knows? or perhaps I'm Waiting for the Day, but hadn't that been already named?

[DonnyL]

I have the idea in my head that "Here Today" was a 'replacement' for "Good Vibrations" but I have no idea if that's based on anything real or just the similar dynamics/productions of the two tracks. That early track list above could support the theory.