The last instance of Brian's "classic" vocals

[runnersdialzero]

Hey guys - I'm sort of new to the Beach Boys, just got into them over the summer through downloading (AND LATER BUYING!!!) the obvious introductory stuff - Pet Sounds, the stuff from Smile, etc.

Anyway...

I know this is sort of a dumb question, but out of curiosity, does anyone know the last song or songs featuring Brian's older style of vocals before the way he sounded on Love You? Any songs that sound "transitional"? Please tell me it's not "Magic Transistor Radio".

[runnersdialzero]

And my first post ever is in the wrong forum.

Can someone move this? :\

[MBE]

Hey guys - I'm sort of new to the Beach Boys, just got into them over the summer through downloading (AND LATER BUYING!!!) the obvious introductory stuff - Pet Sounds, the stuff from Smile, etc.

Anyway...

I know this is sort of a dumb question, but out of curiosity, does anyone know the last song or songs featuring Brian's older style of vocals before the way he sounded on Love You? Any songs that sound "transitional"? Please tell me it's not "Magic Transistor Radio".

Actually there are several things after Magic Transistor. One is him playing Mt. Vernon for a reporter in 1973 or so. Bad quality but interesting. Another I have heard is Hard Times AKA Rolling Up To Heaven aka Ding Dang (dirty version). It was recorded in late 1974 and is a comical harmonised ditty with a lot of swearing repeated over and over. It's really funny and actually produced very well by Brian. Another late 1974 recording (which is the only one of these to come out) is Child Of Winter. Brian's biggest part is his Grinch voice in the middle but he's prominent on the back up. Finally there are two late 1974 demos I never heard. One is an early version of California Feeling which is supposed to be the last really great Brian vocal and one is called Lucy Jones which AGD described as shouty but I assume not hoarse. He also did some guest vocals from 73-75. The 1973 American Spring session you can hear him a little on Shying Away. Not really upfront but he is probably in there. He also sang Help Me Rhonda with Johnny Rivers, Why Do Fools Fall In Love with California Music, and Boat To Sail by Jackie De Shannon. These are all from 1975. On the 75 cuts he doesn't sound quite like Love You maybe more like he does on MIU. The first time you can really hear the vocal damage is on Back Home from 15 Big Ones. It was recorded fall of 1975.

[The Shift]

Great post MBE.

I actually love Brian's vocal on Back Home though -  it's coarse but full of feeling, gritty and exuberant. I can believe that he believes the words he's singing. Heartfelt.

[Alex]

Rollin' Up to Heaven is definitely the latest song with Brian's old school voice that I've heard.

[Amy B.]

Couldn't you also argue that Brian's voice was different in 1971 than it was in 1965? Thinner, less "choirboy," so much so that when I first   heard "Til I Die" as a new fan, I didn't realize that was Brian on the solo parts. Maybe that particular change was just him moving into a more adult voice, but it's interesting that his voice has gone through so many changes. He definitely even sounds different now than he did 10 years ago. If you put all the voices together , they sound like five or so different people. His own band!

[boxOclox1]

Although I don't like the song.... "Matchpoint Of Your Love" for me, was the last time Brian sang, well, like Brian. However, the vocals he did while he was working with Gary Usher "Still A Mystery", "I'm Broke", "Chain Reaction Of Love" etc.... Re: "Still A Mystery"... with Brian, Mike and Al... on vocals makes me yearn for the a project (Album) that will probably never happen.

[Jay]

The last time that I've heard Brian sounding anything close to his 1964 voice is on the last few seconds of Love Is a Women from the 1977 Maryland show.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Although I don't like the song.... "Matchpoint Of Your Love" for me, was the last time Brian sang, well, like Brian.

Yes, I agree! And I love the song.

But there is a fairly recent song, Brian's take on Carl's "Heaven", which I think is his best vocal since "Matchpoint". I can't believe how clear and emotional he sounds on it....

[MBE]

It's funny you mention 1965 as I think You're So Good To Me is the first you hear of Brian's more adult undamaged voice ala Til I Die. I think he just developed a stronger mid range. Afterall at the end of Til I Die he hits the high notes perfectly.

If I had to pick one pst 1974 moment, he actually sounds like an older version of the original Brian Wilson on the 1994 take of GIOMH. It's the only time I can really hear that old phrasing.

If I had to really think about it I feel his voice went through three distinct phases. One is the pre 1975 voice. He sounded older by the seventies but so did every other member of the group. Afterall he was 19 when the Beach Boys started and you do sound different as a teen then you do as an adult. Listen to even the Candix Surfer Girl, it's a bit higher then the Capitol take. Then you get the smokey voice he used from 75-82. Sometimes like at the MIU sessions (for both the Beach Boys and Spring) it was on pitch and had some range. At times it was horrible. By 1983 Brian began to sound like he does now, just much less disciplined. I think he has made some great strides as a singer loosing most of the whiny quality that ruins many of the Landy era recordings. He seems to understand what his range is better and selects a more approprate part more times then not.  Still I have to say that while I enjoy his voice at times since 1975, he isn't often an amazing singer since then. Pleasent for sure, sometimes quite effectively plaintive (MAD "Love and Mercy") but not "Brian Wilson".

BTW I do like Back Home for what it is. I mean it makes me sad in one way because it ends the classic era, but what did on it is quite fun.  He isn't hitting any bum notes, or trying to sound like his old self so it works.

[runnersdialzero]

Couldn't you also argue that Brian's voice was different in 1971 than it was in 1965? Thinner, less "choirboy," so much so that when I first   heard "Til I Die" as a new fan, I didn't realize that was Brian on the solo parts. Maybe that particular change was just him moving into a more adult voice, but it's interesting that his voice has gone through so many changes. He definitely even sounds different now than he did 10 years ago. If you put all the voices together , they sound like five or so different people. His own band!

I get what you're saying - I didn't know it was him during the solo parts of "'Til I Die" at first, either. But on that song and others, he still sounded like Brian. When I first heard "Solar System" I had to check a few times just to make sure that it was really him - there was only a few years difference in those two songs, too. Damn cocaine to Hell

Don't get me wrong with this thread - I do agree that he's recognized the change and has really learned to roll with the punches, he sounds less awkward than he used to, and I still enjoy his voice nowadays. I've just sort of been curious about this for a while.

[lance]

I think there is a difference between even 70 and 65. His falsetto was very pure in the early days. From Youre so good to me on he has a slightly abrasive quality. It will sound strange, and people will not like it, but, you know, I think from 65-70 he sounds a bit like Axl Rose.

I like his sound on Love You and 15BO personally. The only period where his voice really drives me nuts in a bad way is late eighties and early nineties. He just sounds like crap on some of those BW or Sweet INsanity songs. I can overlook it on BW, because the rest of the music really does it for me, but SI pretty much blows donkeys.

[matt-zeus]

I tend to think of Brians voice in these categories;

1962-1967 - Full of confidence, high notes often sung in chest voice rather than pure falsetto (Think 'Wouldn't it be nice'), quite a 'trained' and full sound, a good example of the properness is Brians leads on the traditional side of the Christmas album.
1967-1972 - Loss in confidence leads to a quieter and thinner sounding voice, rather than projecting the higher range like before often is sung in proper falsetto (head voice). Think 'Good time'. Also vocals are less 'mannered' or 'proper' with more natural feelling as if Murry has stopped telling him how to enunciate. This is my favourite era of Brians voice where he does perhaps sound more 'Mickey Mouseish'. I love the fadeout of 'Forever' as an example.
1975-1982 - Give or take the odd smoother vocal ('Matchpoint), this is Brians gruff era, 'Back home' is a good example and so is 'Solar System', plus loads of outtakes. I particularly like Brians falsetto in this era though as it sounds quite shrill and emotive (His bits on 'Airplane', Middle 8 on 'You've lost that loving feeling', 'She's got rhythm'). To my mind he sounds a bit more like Frankie Valli in this era too falsetto wise in the slightly off-key shrillness. A good example of this is 'Sherry she needs me' (perhaps namechecking the 4 seasons song?) which might be my favourite song of the era, perhaps with the vocals adding something to the 1965 backing track that would have been lacking actually in 1965?
1983 - 1995 - Hard to really pinpoint the beginning and endpoints of this voice, but basically this is Brians less gruff but more whiny and slurred 80s voice as exemplified on BW88 and Sweet Insanity. I actually don't mind the falsettos here at all, though they are sounding quite strained. My favourite album of this era might be 'Orange Crate art' which is less robotic sounding than Brians outings perhaps as Van Dyke was egging him on? However the Paley sessions must be mentioned as 'GIOMH' (original version) and 'You're still a mystery' have his best vocals in many years.
1998-2008 - A more mellower, less whiny sound overall though lacking in clarity but perhaps slightly more pleasing. SMiLE is pretty good and we even get a grand (shouted) falsetto on the 'Childrens song' bit in Surfs up. Also leads like on the single tracked 'Wind chimes' are lovely. Brians cover of 'Heaven' as mentioned is a great vocal too.

So for me, Brians voice has 5 eras!

[shelter]

How about "Winter Symphony"?

[picassosson]

Check out Brian's shared lead with Mike on "Wontcha Come Out Tonight" from M.I.U.  I don't know why people always overlook this one; it's a superb vocal - better than "Matchpoint".  IMO this is the last song where you can hear the voice of the "old Brian". He could still do it. I'm glad Mike and Al dragged him off to Iowa and got these vocals out of him, even if the songs suck.

I don't know what happened between this point and 1979 (well, I have a few guesses  ), but check out Brian's lead on the early version of "Oh Darlin"...  a good reference point for his transition into the bizarre shouty, slurred, 80's voice. 

[MBE]

matt-zeus good post and I tend to agree with your points. Oh Darlin is a little more gruff then later but there is that whineyness. I really don't hear it too much though until some of the live 1983 vocals. He slurred less in 83 though. By 1986 he had the slur pretty bad which he still has in his speaking voice. Funny enough last time I heard him speak with no slur was in 1990 on a ET report on David Marks.

[TdHabib]

I've always had this opinion and it might be a bit controversial but I always think that the gruff voices on 15 Big Ones and Love You were slightly put on. Listening to things like "Sherry, She Needs Me," he's gruff as hell on the verses but once the refrains hit he's much smoother, clearer and lighter, especially in the falsetto; "Airplane" has that on the "clouds in the sky" and the "down, down, on the ground". It always seemed to me that he was putting a little bit of it on, since he could easily sing more naturally in a less gruff register.

[Fall Breaks]

Hard Times AKA Rolling Up To Heaven aka Ding Dang (dirty version).

So "Hard Times" was also a alternate title for "Rolling Up To Heaven"? Isn't there a Chaplin/Fataar song from the around the same time also titled "Hard Times"?

[Mr. Cohen]

'Sherry she needs me' (perhaps namechecking the 4 seasons song?)

No, I think had to do with his love of chilled wine. If his chilled sherry "starts crying", it's because he hasn't drank it, he neglected it, he left it alone, and now there's condensation on the glass. A woman has convinced him to give up drinking, although he hopes his sherry "keeps her cool" and that he and his new girlfriend can be "friends with her [sherry]" again some day. He hopes his sherry doesn't hate his new girlfriend because she took him away from drink. Unfortunately, drinking didn't work out the way he planned it, but maybe he can still drink now and again.

[matt-zeus]

'Sherry she needs me' (perhaps namechecking the 4 seasons song?)

No, I think had to do with his love of chilled wine. If his chilled sherry "starts crying", it's because he hasn't drank it, he neglected it, he left it alone, and now there's condensation on the glass. A woman has convinced him to give up drinking, although he hopes his sherry "keeps her cool" and that he and his new girlfriend can be "friends with her [sherry]" again some day. He hopes his sherry doesn't hate his new girlfriend because she took him away from drink. Unfortunately, drinking didn't work out the way he planned it, but maybe he can still drink now and again.

Ah, I see now why they rewrote it from 'Sandy she needs me'.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I had no idea Brian was doing any recording from 73-75! I thought he was withdrawn in his bedroom. Or has that been much exaggerated?

[mikeyj]

I had no idea Brian was doing any recording from 73-75! I thought he was withdrawn in his bedroom. Or has that been much exaggerated?

Yeah I think it is over exaggerated in a lot of cases... like on the back of Heroes & Villains when it says he stayed in bed for 20 years!! Really? That long? I think Brian has always had the odd moment of inspiration even in his lean years.

[adamghost]

I recently heard a Brian recording (piano/vocal demo) not in the hands of collectors -- I'd rather not say where I heard it or which song it was -- that stunned me because it was exactly 50/50 Brian's old and new voice.  You could literally hear it turning on this one track...half of it he'd go for the high notes and sound great, but there were other places where he'd croak or go flat.

I heard "California Feeling" once and it's about 75/25 old Brian.  That dates from Nov. '74.

I don't recall the exact date of the session I heard, and Andrew Doe's site doesn't list this particular song being recorded (though I had heard of it). It was clearly late '74 or early '75, though.

[the captain]

Talk about a tease... 

[mikeyj]

Talk about a tease... 

I know!! I wish he'd just said nothing