Surf's Up lead vocal

[mikeyj]

Has anyone heard the PurpleChick SMiLE. I think its really great that it has the Surf's Up version with the first section backing track and Brians lead vocal from the first section of his demo edited over the top. It sounds really good. But which sounds better over the backing track - Brian's or Carl's?

[Shady]

I never cared much for carl's vocal on surf's up, couldint hold a candle to Brians.

[mikeyj]

I never cared much for carl's vocal on surf's up, couldint hold a candle to Brians.

Yeh I agree. Carl's voice wasn't as suited to it. And Brians falsetto absolutely breath-taking. Carl's sounds more forced, whereas Brian's sounds so natural. Have you also noticed that Brian opens the song with "'THE' diamond necklace..." whereas Carl sings "'A' diamond necklace..." nothing major just something I noticed when listening recently as I hadn't picked up on that before.

[Chris Brown]

I never cared much for carl's vocal on surf's up, couldint hold a candle to Brians.

Yeh I agree. Carl's voice wasn't as suited to it. And Brians falsetto absolutely breath-taking. Carl's sounds more forced, whereas Brian's sounds so natural. Have you also noticed that Brian opens the song with "'THE' diamond necklace..." whereas Carl sings "'A' diamond necklace..." nothing major just something I noticed when listening recently as I hadn't picked up on that before.

I agree with both of you.  I love Carl's voice in general, but Surf's Up just sounds wrong coming from anyone other than Brian.  He puts more emotion into it, and he hits the falsetto part so much stronger.

Of course keep in mind also that Carl was never really intended to sing it in the first place....he only had to after Brian couldn't do the lead in '71 himself.  They also tried to fly in the backing track over Brian's piano version.  Basically Carl had to sing it because they couldn't find a way for Brian to do it.

[mikeyj]

I never cared much for carl's vocal on surf's up, couldint hold a candle to Brians.

Yeh I agree. Carl's voice wasn't as suited to it. And Brians falsetto absolutely breath-taking. Carl's sounds more forced, whereas Brian's sounds so natural. Have you also noticed that Brian opens the song with "'THE' diamond necklace..." whereas Carl sings "'A' diamond necklace..." nothing major just something I noticed when listening recently as I hadn't picked up on that before.

I agree with both of you.  I love Carl's voice in general, but Surf's Up just sounds wrong coming from anyone other than Brian.  He puts more emotion into it, and he hits the falsetto part so much stronger.

Of course keep in mind also that Carl was never really intended to sing it in the first place....he only had to after Brian couldn't do the lead in '71 himself.  They also tried to fly in the backing track over Brian's piano version.  Basically Carl had to sing it because they couldn't find a way for Brian to do it.

Yeh I still think Carl does a good job, just doesnt do justice to what it WOULD have sounded like. Like Carl did it better than most could in my opinion. I mean its not like I or I doubt many other people on this board could do better or anything, unless you sound like Brian....

I realise Carl wasn't spose to sing it in the first place. Im sure he wouldve let Brian sing it, if Brian was up to it. Obviously he wasn't...

[Emdeeh]

CARL'S version sounds best of all the SUs -- forever and always, imho!! It's the sensuous nature of his vocal that raises the song to another level. Brian had a beautiful voice back in the day, but Carl had a subtle expressiveness that couldn't be matched.

All my opinion, of course.

[Glenn Greenberg]

Carl did a great job on Surf's Up, but to my ears, he was just singing the song.

Singing it very well, mind you, but just singing it.

Brian, on the other hand, performs the song as if he's spiritually connected it--which isn't surprising, since he co-wrote it.  There's a command over the song in Brian's voice that's missing from Carl's, as if Carl is a "guest-singer" or understudy filling in for someone else (which, to a great extent, he was).

I love both versions, but I give the edge to Brian's.

Incidentally, while the PurpleChick version of "Surf's Up" is good, nothing, as far as I'm concerned, beats the Anne Wallace version.  Probably the closest thing we'll ever get to perfection.

[Mahalo]

I can't get into the version of SU w/ Carl singing....it just sounds wrong.

[Chris Brown]

Incidentally, while the PurpleChick version of "Surf's Up" is good, nothing, as far as I'm concerned, beats the Anne Wallace version.  Probably the closest thing we'll ever get to perfection.

Yep I totally agree.  The Anne Wallace version was how it should have sounded all along.  Now if someone could find a way to get the strings from the 2nd Movement of the BWPS version onto the Anne Wallace track, I could die a happy man!

[Emdeeh]

I can't get into the version of SU w/ Carl singing....it just sounds wrong.

And I can't "get into" any version of SU with Brian singing the first part after hearing Carl's version. I don't know how to put it, but Carl's vocal reaches deep into my heart. That's not a knock on Brian's efforts at all, it's just what listening to Carl's voice does to me.

Your mileage may vary and probably does in this thread.

[Mahalo]

Although I don't like this version, I am glad to have the demo version, 1971 version, and BWPS version, as well as the instrumental backing track from 66. Such an incredible song deserves lots of interpretations. 

I love Carl's voice. Carl is the man on WH,  GOK, GV, Trader, All This is That, Love You....just not on Surf's Up. imo Do they put an effect on Carl's voice on Surf's UP?? Maybe that is what kills it for me...who knows