Dennis’ contributions to L.A.

[nts and the drum]

We know what Brian did on L.A at this point, but what about Dennis?

Good Timin’ - Drums
Lady Lynda - Co-wrote the orchestral arrangement & helped with the vocal arrangement
Angel Come Home - Lead Vocal
Love Surrounds Me - Lead Vocal, Fender Rhodes, Piano, Oberheim & Minimoog Synthesizers, Additional Drums, Timpani
Baby Blue - Co-Lead Vocal, Piano, Oberheim & Minimoog Synthesizers, Drums, Orchestral Arrangements
Shortenin’ Bread - Bass Vocal, Drums

Is that correct? Is there more?

EDIT: Added vocal arrangement for Lady Lynda & removed Hammond Organ for Baby Blue. Thanks Craig! He told me on the EH board.

[Jim Curtis]

I always thought that the falsetto on Baby Blue was Dennis.  Who else are you referring to on the co lead?

[Rocker]

I always thought that the falsetto on Baby Blue was Dennis.  Who else are you referring to on the co lead?

The falsetto? I remember reading it was Carl, although personally I thought it was Bruce.

[Rob Dean]

I always thought that the falsetto on Baby Blue was Dennis.  Who else are you referring to on the co lead?

The falsetto? I remember reading it was Carl, although personally I thought it was Bruce.

Its Deffo Carl

[nts and the drum]

Actually the co-Lead I mentioned was the “Late at night when the whole world is sleeping” vocals. I consider those co-Lead vocals in contrast with Carl’s vocal in the chorus, which is what I would consider the lead. Sorry about the mix up!

[Jim Curtis]

Ever since I bought the album in 1979 I thought it was Dennis on falsetto.  I just listened again and I think it is Dennis.  Dennis occasionally sang with a falsetto.  The falsetto backing vocal on “You and I” is Dennis and it is similar to Baby Blue.  It definitely is not Carl on the falsetto.  And yes we know that it is Dennis on the bridge. 

[nts and the drum]

I thought it was proven that Carl was on the falsetto years ago?? Didn’t Alan Boyd confirm that?

[jwoverho]

Back in my BB listening infancy, I thought it was Brian singing on Baby Blue since I'd heard some of his singing around the LOVE YOU-era.

[sloopjohnb72]

It's important to be specific, as it's not really clear what "falsetto" anyone's talking about here - the backing vocals are done by Bruce, Carl and Dennis, with Bruce and Carl doing the highest parts, and Dennis mainly singing the mid-range shouty parts. If you're referring to the lead vocal, that's Carl on the verses and choruses, with Dennis singing the "late at night" bridge. Clear as day, if a little raspier than usual.

[nts and the drum]

I think we’re talking about the ooooo waha falsetto Carl does during the bridge that has Dennis on lead, but at this point I’m not even sure.

[Jim Curtis]

Gl back and listen to the backing falsetto vocal on Dennis’ solo album POB song “You and I”. ( No more lonely nights......).  After that listen to the falsetto lead on Baby Blue.  It is the same Dennis falsetto.  I know Wikipedia has identified the falsetto to be Carl but my ears of 62 years hear Dennis.   

[nts and the drum]

Maybe it’s both of them then! I always thought there was little Dennis on that vocal, but it still sounds like Carl a bit too. My vote’s on the both of them now, but if it’s Carl I wouldn’t be surprised.

[nts and the drum]

Also, and I just realized this... doesn’t Carl sing backing vox on You & I too, amongst the others?

[c-man]

The high, "Brian-like" vocal in the bridge of BABY BLUE is Carl. It's been confirmed by Alan Boyd.

On YOU AND I, the console strip notations for backing vocals indicate two tracks of "Dennis-Carl-Billy" (presumably low to high), one track of "low Dennis", one track with "violins Karen vocal", and one track simply marked "No More Lonely", which is presumably the track where that line is sung. Draw your own conclusions.

[nts and the drum]

“Violins Karen Vocal”? The ARP String Ensemble, and Karen’s vocal were done at the same time? If not, it’d be great to know!

[c-man]

“Violins Karen Vocal”? The ARP String Ensemble, and Karen’s vocal were done at the same time? If not, it’d be great to know!

More likely, they are on different parts of the same track, recorded separately. Or, possibly, two tracks internally bounced down to one.

[nts and the drum]

Thanks!

[Rocker]

The high, "Brian-like" vocal in the bridge of BABY BLUE is Carl. It's been confirmed by Alan Boyd.

Yes, I remember it now. Alan mentioned it on this board iirc.
It sounds like a classic 60s Brian, the same sound as on "Endless Harmony". That's why I thought it was Bruce on "Baby Blue". Learning that it was Carl just made me appreciate the Boys' craft of sounding alike even more. Even this late, when their individual voices all had matured.

[nts and the drum]

Agreed. 

[Steve Latshaw]

"The falsetto? I remember reading it was Carl, although personally I thought it was Bruce."

There are two falsettos on this track.  During the bridge, Carl sings the falsetto after Dennis' line "I dream of you..."  For decades I thought this falsetto was Brian but Alan Boyd confirmed it was Carl.  The second falsetto comes on the tag of the track.   This falsetto is Bruce.  Bruce also provided falsetto on Pacific Ocean Blue (notably on End of the Show).

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I know I'm not going to win this battle, but I think it would behoove us all to stop using "falsetto" semantically like it's some whole other thing. 

First, things commonly described as falsetto often aren't -- they're just high.  And sometimes someone will sing a line over their break and some of it is true falsetto and some is not.

Second, I think it just makes it harder to communicate -- it's not as if these high parts are specialized parts needing a trained operatic countertenor to sing.  They're just high parts that get tackled in different ways, and in the context of trying to break down a BG for credits, it's much better to think of the parts in context rather than singling one out as "the falsetto."

But I know I've lost this one. 

[nts and the drum]

I know I'm not going to win this battle, but I think it would behoove us all to stop using "falsetto" semantically like it's some whole other thing. 

First, things commonly described as falsetto often aren't -- they're just high.  And sometimes someone will sing a line over their break and some of it is true falsetto and some is not.

Second, I think it just makes it harder to communicate -- it's not as if these high parts are specialized parts needing a trained operatic countertenor to sing.  They're just high parts that get tackled in different ways, and in the context of trying to break down a BG for credits, it's much better to think of the parts in context rather than singling one out as "the falsetto."

But I know I've lost this one. 

Actually you make a good point. People can sing high parts without technically making it a falsetto.

[ForHerCryingSoul]

Falsetto in my sense after studying music for many years is singing above the break of the voice, without the undertones of the chest. IMO Brian's is easily distinguishable and most iconic. The BB's stack their voices in 4's, 6's, or 8's (at the most), and are mostly doubled, making any falsetto part sound bigger (have more depth). Carl had the smoothest transition from chest to head voice (falsetto). Bruce's voice gets weaker and quieter as it moves to head voice (falsetto), same for Al. In LA, what makes the voices sound odd, is that they play around with their iconic vocal stack due to Brian's unwillingness to participate. M.I.U. was probably the last album to feature the traditional vocal stack of the Beach Boys that we come to recognize as the Beach Boys sound. I think there was a struggle to try and replicate this sound in LA, so it is naturally difficult to pinpoint as to who is on top, and so on.

[WillJC]

Head or mixed voice and falsetto are distinguishable vocal techniques above the break. The signature high sound of the Beach Boys, especially in Brian's case, is head voice. Falsetto was hardly ever within Brian's musical vernacular. He just didn't develop his voice in that way. Al, Bruce, and occasionally Dennis did in the odd specific circumstances, although that wasn't the norm for them either.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Head voice or mixed voice and falsetto are distinguishable vocal techniques above the break. The signature high sound of the Beach Boys, especially in Brian's case, is head voice. Falsetto was hardly ever within Brian's musical vernacular. He just didn't develop his voice in that way. Al, Bruce, and occasionally Dennis did in the odd specific circumstances.

Brian reminds me a little bit of some prominent countertenors who sang high as kids, and then never stopped singing high even after their voices broke.  Cenčić comes to mind.  They immediately figured out how to sing with more or less complete chord closure as high as they needed to go.  I actually would posit that Brian never sang without complete chord closure until the 70s.  Carl was similar, but his voice was even lighter than Brian's.

It's an interesting topic, but I agree that the Beach Boys signature sound is distinguished by the fact that their high singer never needed to rely on falsetto (unlike Bee Gees, 4 Seasons, etc)