Harmonic discussion of IJWMFTT

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Mods:  If you feel it's appropriate to merge this with the GOK thing, that's OK but I figured it might get confusing.

Clearly in 1965 and 1966, Brian was getting more and more "back" from the studio musicians and his continued listening of...the Rolling Stones(?) that he was really using some nice extended jazz harmony as it was started to be discussed in that GOK guitar chords thread.

I think IJWMFTT is probably the farthest Brian went down that road.  I can't think of another Beach Boys song that is as harmonically sophisticated.

Of all Beach Boys tracking sessions, I think that's the one I'd like to be at.  I would love to know how the arrangement developed, the conversation between Brian and Don Randi and Mike Melvoin, the keyboardists, in developing their parts.  Randi's part in the chorus is really great, it really swings and is definitely his own contribution, though I wonder how it came about. 


Anyway, I'm not going to spell out chords at the moment, though I'd love to hear some of your descriptions and thoughts about the functional harmonies.  If they had taught Pet Sounds in my theory and harmony classes, I might have had a better time...

[variable2]

great tune.. i'm bored so, here's how i usually play it on piano, might be some different interpretation,(Gm7/C could be written as Csus9 if you like) but should be basically right:

"I've been lookin.."
Gm7/C, Bb, Ab7, Dm7/G, Dm7/F
Gm7/C, Bb, Ab7, Dm7/G, G7b9
Eb,Eb/F, Eb, Dm7, Gm7, Dm7/G, G7b9

"each time things.."
Gm7/C, Dm7/C, Gm7/C, Dm7/C, Gm7/C, Dm7/C, Gm7/C, Dm7/C, F7

"sometimes i feel very sad"
Cm7, F7, Cm7, F7, Cm7, F7
Eb, A7#5, Gsus9, G7b9

"i just wasn't made.."
Gm7/C, Dm7/C, Gm7/C, Dm7/C, Bb

and the brilliant
F Bb C Bb C Bb D A F D C Bb melodic line before the theremin solo, with the harmony a minor 6th below.

[Shane]

Cm7....F6......Cm7.............F6............Cm7
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
Cm7....F6......Cm7.............F6............Cm7
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
Cm7....F6......Fm6/Ab.......G7...........Ebm6/Gb
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
.........................F6..............................Cm7
I guess I just wasn't made for these times

This is the part that blows my mind... that Fm6/Ab to G7 to Ebm6/Gb that just comes out of nowhere the third time through the round.  That chromatic descending bassline with crazy stuff on top is one of those "how did he come up with that??!!" moments.

[Boiled Egg]

brian obviously liked the Gm7-Dm7 shapes in the right hand.  (Gm7/C-Dm7/Bb in IJWMFTT, Gm7/D-Dm7/G in Surf's Up.)

also, that basic Bb/C to Bbmaj9/Bb harmony here (first two chords) is a flip of the opening chords of the verse of Trombone Dixie (and thus, also, Had To Phone Ya).

small world...

[hypehat]

The production/dynamics of that track is incredible too, lest we forget. The big swells of timpani into the verses, that bassline in the verses (which is effin' mental from a musical perspective), the storm of noise in the choruses, and the modulations towards the end that Shane pointed out.... It'd be my favourite production on Pet Sounds, if it wasn't for WIBN, GOK, Sloop John, YSBIM, Trombone Dixie, IWFTD, Here Today, Don't Talk...