Be Here In The Mornin' Question

[WonderBill]

The recent thread about God Only Knows reminded me of a similar question I've been meaning to ask...

Who sings the verses of Be Here In The Mornin'? To my ears, I'd swear it's Al on the verses and Brian in the chorus.

Al is not listed as a lead singer of this song in the Wikipedia article on Friends; Brian and Carl are. I actually added Al as the lead singer in that article last year because I thought a mistake was present, but it was soon changed back.

Anyone know?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

When I was younger I thought was all Brian, but then I was told it was Al & Brian...

[WonderBill]

They all of a distinctive ability to sound like each other if they really try to. All except for Dennis, I guess; he has the most different voice from the rest of them.

One example I can think of that I mistook one for another was Bruce during the coda of God Only Knows. I used to think that was Mike.

I guess if anyone on this board has Al's email address, they could ask him. 

[c-man]

It's Al on the verses. Compare his vocal there to that on "Loop-De-Loop". And it's Carl on the choruses.

[John Brode]

I've always thought the verses were Al. It can be hard to tell him apart from Brian, but when they go into falsetto, I think Brian's voice sounds a little more "sweet."

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

It's Al on the verses. Compare his vocal there to that on "Loop-De-Loop". And it's Carl on the choruses.

I hear Carl on the choruses, but it's not Brian on the "ahhh haaaa" part after Carl sings?

[RangeRoverA1]

2WonderBill: Hello. Check this post in Definitive Vocals List thread: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,5525.msg69787.html#msg69787

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

^ Yup, and according to that thread my ears are correct

[zachrwolfe]

‍

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I actually love his voice on it

[John Brode]

I agree. Both sound great singing falsetto, and I think here it's clearly Al due to that distinction. When they sing high notes normally without going into falsetto, they can sound exactly alike. (I always thought Brian sang IKTTA).

[Rocker]

They all of a distinctive ability to sound like each other if they really try to. All except for Dennis, I guess; he has the most different voice from the rest of them.

Not too fast, IIRC according to Stephen Desper this is all Dennis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHA65ZadrjM

[wjcrerar]

.

[c-man]

On "Be Here In The Mornin'" - Dennis DOES sing the wordless "uh-uhhh-uh-uh"s at the start and later in the song. And yes, that's definitely Brian on the falsetto chorus responses. But I would credit the "lead" simply to Al and Carl, and consider the other two parts as backgrounds. Same with Murry's low "whole"s in the choruses.

[Awesoman]

It's Al on the verses. Compare his vocal there to that on "Loop-De-Loop". And it's Carl on the choruses.

+1

[wjcrerar]

.

[B.E.]

On "Be Here In The Mornin'" - Dennis DOES sing the wordless "uh-uhhh-uh-uh"s at the start and later in the song. And yes, that's definitely Brian on the falsetto chorus responses. But I would credit the "lead" simply to Al and Carl, and consider the other two parts as backgrounds. Same with Murry's low "whole"s in the choruses.

Pretty sure the wordless "uhhhh" part at the start of the song is Brian, it's only Dennis when it returns later.

Woah, I'm pretty sure you're right. Dennis' "uh-uhhh-uh-uh"s later in the song have always been a highlight of the album for me, so I may have just assumed the intro was him by association.

[Stephen W. Desper]

They all of a distinctive ability to sound like each other if they really try to. All except for Dennis, I guess; he has the most different voice from the rest of them.

Not too fast, IIRC according to Stephen Desper this is all Dennis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHA65ZadrjM

COMMENT:   The A Cappella in the above clip from Hawthorne album was mixed by myself for my own pleasure. Some years later, BBI made copies from my tape and eventually it was released on this album.

The song is almost all Dennis Wilson singing. Some vocal sweeting was added later, but only a couple of voices toward the end.  I've recorded Dennis for years. I remember leaning over the harp of the nine-foot Baldwin Concert Grand Piano as Dennis played this song -- leaning over the harp so I could hear Dennis singing the song, to me, while looking me straight in the eyes. Just he and I in the studio for morning sessions. From thereon the song evolved with the addition of track after track.  So don't tell me I can't recognise a vocal! You can collate all the comparative vocal sounds you wish and argue among yourselves. I was there, it is Dennis front to back.

As to 'Mornin'  The song is fairly-well structured.

uh-uhhh-uh-uh   Dennis

[Verse 1]
It's been such a long day so you better hurry home     Brian
Lit all my incense and I wish you were home     Group
Only five minutes and you walk through my door     Brian

[Pre-Chorus]
Be here in the morning     Carl  & Alan (a-ha’s)
Be here in the evening     Carl & Alan (a-ha’s)
Be here and make my life full     Carl

[Chorus]
Be here in the morning     Carl & Brian & Alan (a-ha’s)
Be here in the evening     Carl & Brian & Alan (a-ha’s)
Be here and make my life     Carl & Brian

[Verse 2]
Stay here on the weekend and unplug the phone     Brian
(Alright then)
No calls from Korthoff, Parks, or Grillo     Group
I only hope that you come here alone     Brian & Brian

[Pre-Chorus]
Be here in the morning     Carl through Lesley & Alan (a-ha’s)
Be here in the evening     Carl through Lesley & Alan (a-ha's)
Be here and make my life full     Carl through Lesley

Repeats

[Vamp]

uh-uhhh-uh-uh     Dennis

Repeats  … (no Lesley)

  ~swd

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

So the verses are actually Brian singing and NOT Al?

[wjcrerar]

.

[John Brode]

Pretty sure the wordless "uhhhh" part at the start of the song is Brian, it's only Dennis when it returns later.
[/quote]

I agree; I've always noticed that the first one sounds completely different from Dennis later in the song. I've never doubted that that part was Brian.

[Stephen W. Desper]

Stephen, while I have absolutely no authority to doubt you (since...you were actually there and I wasn't) and this response isn't meant to be disrespectful in any way, to my ears Brian, Carl and Mike are present in the Hawthorne CA mix of Forever in the same places I hear them on the Sunflower mix. Dennis singing most of the vocal parts including the "together my love" response, Brian at the top of the harmony stack throughout and the high "na-na-na"s in the coda (surely that has to be him speaking at the end?), Carl occasionally in the harmony stack and singing the initial "my-my-my"s before a higher response by Brian, and Mike on the low "baby" parts. That's just what I hear though. There's every possibility I'm wrong.

As for Be Here in the Mornin', I think your notes may have the parts Al and Brian sing mixed up, with Al on the verses and Brian on the high "ahh-ha"s in the chorus. Actually, to me it sounds like Carl (or maybe Al?) sings the high "ahh-ha"s in the first chorus with Brian harmonising above Carl's lead, then Brian takes over the "ahh-ha"s in the second chorus when the Lesley effect on Carl enters, with the final chorus being back to Carl on "ahh-ha"s when Brian is once again harmonising with the lead. Again, that's just what I hear.

.

COMMENT to wjcrera:  I don't take offence or anything like that with fans who wish to voice their opinions.

Forever is covered in the study-video on Sunflower (Recording The Beach Boys part one). . Most vocals Dennis originally sung for his demo (to the group) remained. There is some sweetening, but very little. The Hawthorne mix sounds the same as the Sunflower mix because both are gleaned from the same multi-track and both were made by me.

I am very familiar with the multi-track of BHITM, but again the last time I played the tracks separately was 50 years ago.  Some of the vocals I recorded, but most were already recorded by engineer Jimmy L. And of course, the singers you hear were several decades younger. Aside from listening to the overtones of each vocal for identification, try to visualize the singer's mouth in your mind as the words are formed. How they phrase and how they shape each word, especially the endings of each word. Note the nasal sound of the a-ha's - typical of Alan.

The liner notes credit the lead vocal to Brian and Carl, but I think in this case "lead" means "featured" -- trading "featuring" between the verses and choruses. However the liner notes mistakenly label the orchestra bells as Glockenspiel, so can't always be trusted to get things correct.

This was a time when some choruses that are the same, were actually just recorded once and then copied and edited into the correct place. I can't recall about 'Mornin', but you should suspect that technique, i.e., Dennis

I'm certainly open to making mistakes and bad calls, so your analysis may have some merit. At any rate, although the song is not complex and even harmonically frugal, it is inarguably well structured.  ~swd  

[Rocker]

They all of a distinctive ability to sound like each other if they really try to. All except for Dennis, I guess; he has the most different voice from the rest of them.

Not too fast, IIRC according to Stephen Desper this is all Dennis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHA65ZadrjM

COMMENT:   The A Cappella in the above clip from Hawthorne album was mixed by myself for my own pleasure. Some years later, BBI made copies from my tape and eventually it was released on this album.

The song is almost all Dennis Wilson singing. Some vocal sweeting was added later, but only a couple of voices toward the end.  I've recorded Dennis for years. I remember leaning over the harp of the nine-foot Baldwin Concert Grand Piano as Dennis played this song -- leaning over the harp so I could hear Dennis singing the song, to me, while looking me straight in the eyes. Just he and I in the studio for morning sessions. From thereon the song evolved with the addition of track after track. So don't tell me I can't recognise a vocal! You can collate all the comparative vocal sounds you wish and argue among yourselves. I was there, it is Dennis front to back.

 ~swd

That's why I brought it up. It wasn't meant in a sarcastic way.
Apart from the lead (obviously) I seem to hear Dennis on the Mike-part ("baby") and on the Carl-part ("my my my my my"). The Brian-part is difficult for me to say. It sounds vrey much like Brian but after the song is over and the same voice says "Let's hear that back" (or something along those lines) it could very well also be Dennis. I probably need to listen to it a couple more times.


On another note:
Is it correct that Murry is on "Be here in the morning"? I think that was mentioned in the liner notes of the Friends/20/20 twofer.

[Stephen W. Desper]

They all of a distinctive ability to sound like each other if they really try to. All except for Dennis, I guess; he has the most different voice from the rest of them.

Not too fast, IIRC according to Stephen Desper this is all Dennis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHA65ZadrjM

COMMENT:   The A Cappella in the above clip from Hawthorne album was mixed by myself for my own pleasure. Some years later, BBI made copies from my tape and eventually it was released on this album.

The song is almost all Dennis Wilson singing. Some vocal sweeting was added later, but only a couple of voices toward the end.  I've recorded Dennis for years. I remember leaning over the harp of the nine-foot Baldwin Concert Grand Piano as Dennis played this song -- leaning over the harp so I could hear Dennis singing the song, to me, while looking me straight in the eyes. Just he and I in the studio for morning sessions. From thereon the song evolved with the addition of track after track. So don't tell me I can't recognise a vocal! You can collate all the comparative vocal sounds you wish and argue among yourselves. I was there, it is Dennis front to back.

 ~swd

That's why I brought it up. It wasn't meant in a sarcastic way.
Apart from the lead (obviously) I seem to hear Dennis on the Mike-part ("baby") and on the Carl-part ("my my my my my"). The Brian-part is difficult for me to say. It sounds vrey much like Brian but after the song is over and the same voice says "Let's hear that back" (or something along those lines) it could very well also be Dennis. I probably need to listen to it a couple more times.


On another note:
Is it correct that Murry is on "Be here in the morning"? I think that was mentioned in the liner notes of the Friends/20/20 twofer.

COMMENT to Rocker:

Sorry Rocker, nothing personal. I appreciate your comment quoting me. That comment you made in BOLD was just me reacting to other posters who said I wasn't always right in my study-videos. It rubbed me the wrong way. I know it wasn't you, but made the comment as a broader response.

Although there is a disclaimer about accuracy in the study-videos, I make every effort to be accurate. The study-videos may bear my name, but more then myself is involved as the credits state. Each study-video is review by two historians, one has written several reference books and the other person is a professor of rock history. If they think further checking is needed, I will ask Alan or Bruce for their opinion. Many times fans believe they have the facts because they read it in a book, a book based on interviews of other people who claim to be in-the-know because they hung around the action -- but were not in the action. This "false news" becomes the base-line so that when the "real news" is stated, brings about an accuracy challenge.

When Dennis says to "hear it back" that's from the multi-track on one of the overdubs.

Murry could have sung in the background parts, but I cannot say one way or the other. He did visit Brian during the time of those sessions and has been known to insist on singing with them. But whether on that song or another, I can't say with certainty.

~swd

[Rocker]

They all of a distinctive ability to sound like each other if they really try to. All except for Dennis, I guess; he has the most different voice from the rest of them.

Not too fast, IIRC according to Stephen Desper this is all Dennis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHA65ZadrjM

COMMENT:   The A Cappella in the above clip from Hawthorne album was mixed by myself for my own pleasure. Some years later, BBI made copies from my tape and eventually it was released on this album.

The song is almost all Dennis Wilson singing. Some vocal sweeting was added later, but only a couple of voices toward the end.  I've recorded Dennis for years. I remember leaning over the harp of the nine-foot Baldwin Concert Grand Piano as Dennis played this song -- leaning over the harp so I could hear Dennis singing the song, to me, while looking me straight in the eyes. Just he and I in the studio for morning sessions. From thereon the song evolved with the addition of track after track. So don't tell me I can't recognise a vocal! You can collate all the comparative vocal sounds you wish and argue among yourselves. I was there, it is Dennis front to back.

 ~swd

That's why I brought it up. It wasn't meant in a sarcastic way.
Apart from the lead (obviously) I seem to hear Dennis on the Mike-part ("baby") and on the Carl-part ("my my my my my"). The Brian-part is difficult for me to say. It sounds vrey much like Brian but after the song is over and the same voice says "Let's hear that back" (or something along those lines) it could very well also be Dennis. I probably need to listen to it a couple more times.


On another note:
Is it correct that Murry is on "Be here in the morning"? I think that was mentioned in the liner notes of the Friends/20/20 twofer.

COMMENT to Rocker:

Sorry Rocker, nothing personal. I appreciate your comment quoting me. That comment you made in BOLD was just me reacting to other posters who said I wasn't always right in my study-videos. It rubbed me the wrong way. I know it wasn't you, but made the comment as a broader response.

Yeah, I thought so. I just wanted to make sure that nothing I said offended anyone. All is good.

Thanks for the infos!
Regarding Murry's participation, I was sure that it was written he sang on the song in the booklet of said twofer. But I just took a look and there's no mention of Murry. So now I don't remember where I heard about that and therefore I can not say how reliable that source is/was.