The Definitive Vocal Credits Thread...

[No. Fourteen]

He was in Rishikesh, I think, for a lot of it. Something like that.

I think in terms of lead vocals, his  tally of one on L.A. Light Album is his least involved....

but is he even doing back-up on any of the other songs?  Are "Meant For You" and "Anna Lee" the only songs he performed on? 

Odd, very odd... could have sworn I was typing in English.

OK, in simple steps.

Mike was away in Rishikesh from February 28th to March 15th, therefore he wasn't at any vocal session held during that time (still with me ?), that is those for  "Little Bird" (2/29) and "Friends" (3/13).

The next vocal session was on March 18th for "When A Man Needs A Woman". Mike was back, so he sang on it. From March 30th to April 4th further vocal sessions were held at ID Sound for "Wake The World", "Be Here...", "Meant For You", "Anna Lee" and "Transcendental Meditation", all of which Mike was on. because he was in LA and not India. There were a few more sessions later in April, but he wasn't on those either because the band were on tour.

Hope that's clear now.

It certainly is.  Thanks.

[John]

Wikipedia, bless it, is wrong in this instance. He's clearly audible on the chorus of "Wake The World" and the "no calls for Korthof" bit of "Be Here...".

I'm certainly not doubting the dates, but I'm not sure I can hear Mike on there; if we're talking about the basic prominent vocal line - it sounds a lot like Mike, but that "wa-ter" at the end of the third line is really Alan-ish. Unless they're both there. Or I'm wrong, both of which are very, very possible. It sounds to me that the chorus is Al on the regular melody line and Brian on the high harmony. There could be a third voice there though. I can hear Mike on the "So much brighter now" low part, so he's there, but is that him singing the regular line?

I'm just throwing it out for the sake of completism, because if that's Mike doing the regular line and not Al, Mike is the guy who deserves the chorus credit.

EDIT: Now it sounds like Mike. Al sounds like everybody, that's the problem!

[Guy]

John, my guess is that AGD was merely pointing out that Mike contributed to those songs vocally, not that he was singing lead or prominent back-ups , etc. His voice is there among those of the others.

[John]

Yeah.

I garbled that post terribly in the phrasing. I guess all I meant to do was ask: "On  the choruses, there's two voices singing the first three lines, the high one appears to be Brian - do you think the lower one is Al or Mike?" it sounds like both.

[John]

Okay, let's stick a pin in the chorus of Wake The World for now, and do the next album, which I warn you is a doozy:

[John]

Stack O' Tracks:

All tracks instrumental.

[No. Fourteen]

Mike's not on this one much, is he?

Least vocal involvement from Mike on a Beach Boys album?

Better suited here, I suppose. 

Although - to be technical - the vocals aren't completely mixed out of a few of the tracks, right?  "Little Saint Nick" comes to mind.

[John]

HAHA, yeah, that's true. I put that album in for a goof, but I guess it's completism too.

I will do 20/20 soon...

[adamghost]

Please, not again ! 

Can't recall when, but a few years ago we almost came to blows over who was singing this. Turn's out, it is Alan.

BTW, Murry's contribution was the bass note on the word "full".

No, no, I buy it.  I was just shocked when I listened carefully and realized that was, indeed, probably who it was.

[adamghost]

I think in terms of lead vocals, his  tally of one on L.A. Light Album is his least involved....

Another reason to love the Light Album.

[adamghost]

Following up on an earlier post, and listening now, the one thing I can tell you for sure is that "Transcendental Meditation" is three voices, not two (or at least three vocal PARTS).  There's a low part that's in regular voice, a pedal tone part (e.g. one that largely stays on one note) that sounds like it's in head voice, that's mixed pretty loud, and a high falsetto that's fairly far back in the mix that moves in parallel with the bottom part.  The bottom two of 'em, to my ears, are Brian.  I don't hear Alan on it, but if you tell me one of 'em is Alan on falsetto doing his best Brian imitation, I'll believe it.  The highest harmony is so far back and so high, you can't really identify it as either one of them.  I'm not trying to be obstructionist, I'm just curious: what's the source that confirms Al is singing on this one?  Because when it came up last night, I swear I went:  "wow, that's all Brian.  I never knew that before."

I know I'm a day late with this, but hey, I was away all weekend, and this came up on the ol' I-Pod shuffle yesterday, so I want to comment!

[John]

There sounds to me like two voices on the lead which could be sloppy double-tracking, but could be two voices. After listening again to it, I think the only thing that really sounds like Al is the slightly "over-sung" "Transcendental Medi-tat-ion" at c. 1:20. I don't know whether it's not all Brian though. I think the CD booklet and subject matter (and subconsciously, the fact he sings TM Song) has prejudiced me towards thinking it's Al. It might well be a multi-tracked Brian. Taking Al out of the equation for a listen did sway me towards it all being Brian.

Throwin' this out to the floor, alongside the chorus of WTW.

[NightHider]

Wow, that's Mike on those Wild Honey leads? THAT'S AMAZING. I honestly thought they were Brian. Go Mike!

For the latecomers - which part on WH is Amazing Mike singing?

[MBE]

I think Aren't You Glad is a great lead.

[John]

Wow, that's Mike on those Wild Honey leads? THAT'S AMAZING. I honestly thought they were Brian. Go Mike!

For the latecomers - which part on WH is Amazing Mike singing?

If you mean what I think you mean, he means the album, not the song itself..

[Guy]

I've left my Friends/20/20 twofer at work, so can't check WtW and TM.

Let's move on to 20/20!

[John]

Sticking a pin in those? Okay!

[No. Fourteen]

3 Prominent something:  Dennis and a girl gittin' it ohnnnnn during the fade.

Early favorite for "Best notation"?

[adamghost]

I was gonna say "prominent humping."

And my understanding is Dennis did two "takes" to get it right?

[Jon Stebbins]

I was gonna say "prominent humping."

And my understanding is Dennis did two "takes" to get it right?

Right...it was something to do with microphone "placement"...bada bing!

[MBE]

Dennis not Carl sings "We're Together Again' I asked Brian and he confirmed this. Dennis' voice was just very gentle at the time. Listen to the way he says the word again and you will hear it is him.

[John]

Yes, he does. Good ear.

[John]

Right, I've updated that, and taken Al out of TM for now.

This is what's outstanding (I think Let the Wind Blow has more or less been settled):

1) Please Let Me Wonder "I love you" - still in debate, since there's a problem as I see it with the isolated vocal track.

2) TM - Brian AND Al or multitracked Brian?

3) Wake The World chorus: Brian and Al or Brian and Mike?

4) Ol' Man River: Is Bruce there? Or Dennis?

[MBE]

I think Bruce and Dennis are on Old Man River listening to the low end. That could be Carl though.

[adamghost]

Re "Old Man River":

OK, I pulled out the ol' I-Pod (let me know when everyone gets tired of me saying that) and without consulting what's already been written here, I hear Mike on the bottom, Brian on top, and when you get to the "don't plant taters" I'd say that's Carl and Al doubling each other.  For the middle of the harmony part in the beginning and end, I can't identify who's singing which part, but I do hear the timbre of Carl's and Al's voices in there.

I vote it's just the four of them and here's why:  besides the fact that I don't hear Dennis' or Bruce's voices in there (although Bruce could be one of the middle parts in the harmony section)...when you get to the "don't plant taters" part, you have Carl and Al (if my ears are correct) doubling the lead, Mike doing a low counterpoint, and Brian holding a low falsetto note by himself.  Nothing else.  I'd submit that if there were more than four people there, we'd hear them at this point, probably harmonizing to Brian's one note.  The fact that Brian's note is hanging out to dry by himself at this point in the recording makes me think there was no one else there.  From an arrangement standpoint, what they did here doesn't make any sense to me unless there were only four people.  So I vote Brian, Carl, Al and Mike for this one.