Revelations and 'new' discoveries in BB music!

[Eric Aniversario]

I've been a big BB fan since 1991, and I am STILL finding new things in the music that I hadn't noticed before.  "All This Is That" has been in my top 3 favorites for much of the past decade, yet it wasn't until about 5 years ago that I noticed that Carl was singing "Jai Guru Dev" on the outro.  Well, TONIGHT, on what must have been my 3500th listen, I noticed that Mike is singing in a whispering voice, "Jai Guru Dev" as well during that last 30-45 seconds or so!  I had heard the voice but had never thought to listen to what it was saying...I had always assumed it was Mike singing more "I am that"s and "thou art that"s.  Wow...

Another one that comes to mind...I had always thought that the lyric was "to the rhythm of a steel drum PAN"...until I heard Mike sing "steel drum BAND" at a concert in Newport Beach around 2005 or so!

Another one...In Concert has always been in my top 3 BB albums; I've listened to it hundreds and hundreds of times.  But it wasn't until probably the mid to late 2000's that I suddenly realized that Carl was singing "Sloop John B".  I had always thought that it was Al for some reason.

Were there any things that you discovered after you were years or decades into your fandom?  I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I thought it would be fun to allow some people who might have missed those threads to contribute.

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

Another one...In Concert has always been in my top 3 BB albums; I've listened to it hundreds and hundreds of times.  But it wasn't until probably the mid to late 2000's that I suddenly realized that Carl was singing "Sloop John B".  I had always thought that it was Al for some reason.

That recording of Sloop John B had the tape sped up so it sounds faster and higher pitched than was actually performed. I figure they were trying to make it sound more exciting, but Carl's voice sounds really weird there! 

[The Shift]

Think I've mentioned this before here, but having my attention drawn to the buried "Truck Driving Man" lyric in Cabinessence - I think by John on the old Smileshop board - opened my eyes as well as my ears. I'd only been listening to the sing for maybe 20 or 30 years at that time!

[Fall Breaks]

That Carl, and not Al, sings "How She Boogaloed It". Really weird how much the liner notes to the two-fers influenced my hearing.

[Stegibo]

I always thought that Al sings "Heroes And Villains" on Smiley Smile, until i read that it's Brian
They sound very similar in that time though.

[Pretty Funky]

So many new things each listen. For years I would play the music through a speaker system but now with a family its on my ipod. You can just pick up so much more detail with a headset or earphones.

I liked the 74 concert CD issue a few years back. More onstage chatter over the 4 side album. you almost feel like you are onstage listening.

[Alex]

I've heard In Concert countless times since I first bought a copy in '06, but it was only a couple months ago I noticed either Carl or Al says "Shut up, you guys" before Caroline No.

[Eric Aniversario]

That Carl, and not Al, sings "How She Boogaloed It". Really weird how much the liner notes to the two-fers influenced my hearing.

What!?!?!?!?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Were there any things that you discovered after you were years or decades into your fandom?  I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I thought it would be fun to allow some people who might have missed those threads to contribute.

Until I read it somewhere (here?), I never realized that Brian and Carl traded lead vocals on "Good Vibrations"; my ears never would've picked that up.

[Fall Breaks]

That Carl, and not Al, sings "How She Boogaloed It". Really weird how much the liner notes to the two-fers influenced my hearing.

What!?!?!?!?

You haven't read the Definitive Lead Vocal Credits Thread and/or List, I take it. Do it. That wasn't the only surprise I got. Funny how it works. First, I read that, as in this case, Carl sing HSBI. I think, 'no way', then I listen to it, imagining Carl singing it, and it's stands so clear. Then I read more people confirming that it is Carl, and I get even more convinced. (Another giveaway was the late '67 live versions which Carl clearly sang...)

[Andrew G. Doe]

Slightly on a tangent, it always amazed me when people went nutso over how seamless George Martin's edit in "Strawberry Fields Forever" was. I was about 11 when I first heard it (on the radio) and even back then I recall thinking "jeez, what happened there ?"

[TheLazenby]

I agree with you, Andrew.  That edit ALWAYS stuck out to me.

On that matter, as a kid in elementary school, all of the edits in the live version of "In A Gadda Da Vida" (which is very obviously shortened in spots, and spliced together from different venues) bugged the hell out of me.

[phirnis]

Love You had been on constant repeat for several weeks when recently I first realized (after years of it being among my very favourite records by anyone) that there's a brilliant vocal arrangement at the end of "I'll Bet He's Nice" that makes the song really take off (it's the one that has Mike singing "You, my darling"), while some of the synth touches going on in the background are highly reminiscent of "Mt. Vernon and Fairway" (in terms of sound, that is).

[Eric Aniversario]

Until I read it somewhere (here?), I never realized that Brian and Carl traded lead vocals on "Good Vibrations"; my ears never would've picked that up.

Wow.    I'm in shock here...gonna have to re-listen here.  Crazy...I've only heard that song 5000 times! haha

[adamghost]

I've heard In Concert countless times since I first bought a copy in '06, but it was only a couple months ago I noticed either Carl or Al says "Shut up, you guys" before Caroline No.

Oh yeah, I heard that!  It's Carl...he does the gentle intro for the song and you can just visualize him then turning around and cussing all the people noodling while he's talking.

My biggest shock was finding out Al sang "Be Here In the Morning."

[MBE]

Again Brian insisted to me that he sang Be Here. I think it's Al doing the call lyrics and Brian and the group doing the responce vocals.

[Loaf]

As mentioned above, the GV vocal edits, with Brian and Carl trading lines, really surprised me. I must have head that song a thousand times, closely too, without noticing it.

Also, how's this for cloth-eared, I had Love You for quite a while before I found out Good Time was cut years before the other songs...it was the days before the internet, i'll mind you.

[BillA]

A few of things -

1. Brian's whispered "poof" and "Window" is "At My Window" - truly sublime.

2. Carl's vocal in "I'll Bet He's Nice" ("Baby Don't you ever tell me that you're leaving, Now that you got me to believe in, You are the sunshine and the flower, Come on and make my every hour).  This might be the best post 1974 Beach Boys moment.

3. The part of 'Fairy Tale Music" that starts at 3:36.  This is the best moment on Holland.  I wish there were a song to build around that. 

4. "Aren't you Glad" from "Live in London".  "Wild Honey" was called the Beach Boys R&B album.  This brings that claim to life. 

[Loaf]

A few of things -

1. Brian's whispered "poof" and "Window" is "At My Window" - truly sublime.

There's something about At My Window that I find haunting. I might be reading too much into this, (because isn't it mostly Al's song...?), and I'm also basing my interpretation based on a mondegreen, but i picture Brian, or someone, standing at their first floor window on a sunny day, absorbed in dreamlike thought, thinking about whether to jump out of it, and then he sees the little sparrow which distracts him and he doesn't jump. One of Brian's lines (in Spanish?) sounds to me like he's saying "supposing i might go next".

Also, the little musical interlude with the flutes sounds fluttery, like he's imagining losing his balance and falling out of the window.

[punkinhead]

Slightly off topic, I found that Peter Tork whistles part of Strawberry Fields Forever on the movie Head when he comes in the bathroom

[The Shift]

I always thought that Al sings "Heroes And Villains" on Smiley Smile, until i read that it's Brian
They sound very similar in that time though.

Thought the same myself -  probably cos I'd seen Al sing it in concert...

[Ganz Allein]

A few of things -

2. Carl's vocal in "I'll Bet He's Nice" ("Baby Don't you ever tell me that you're leaving, Now that you got me to believe in, You are the sunshine and the flower, Come on and make my every hour).  This might be the best post 1974 Beach Boys moment.

Interesting.  I always thought Carl sounded kinda drunk there!   I'm more of a fan of Carl's pre-'76 voice because over time he got too heavy on the vibrato for me.

[Chris Brown]

Were there any things that you discovered after you were years or decades into your fandom?  I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I thought it would be fun to allow some people who might have missed those threads to contribute.

Until I read it somewhere (here?), I never realized that Brian and Carl traded lead vocals on "Good Vibrations"; my ears never would've picked that up.

Just so I'm clear, you're referring to Brian singing the high Bb in the verses ("I hear the sound of a..." and "when I look...") right?  Or are there more places where Brian takes over the lead that I've missed hearing/reading about somehow?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Were there any things that you discovered after you were years or decades into your fandom?  I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I thought it would be fun to allow some people who might have missed those threads to contribute.

Until I read it somewhere (here?), I never realized that Brian and Carl traded lead vocals on "Good Vibrations"; my ears never would've picked that up.

Just so I'm clear, you're referring to Brian singing the high Bb in the verses ("I hear the sound of a..." and "when I look...") right?  Or are there more places where Brian takes over the lead that I've missed hearing/reading about somehow?

Nope - just those bits.

[Chris Brown]

Were there any things that you discovered after you were years or decades into your fandom?  I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I thought it would be fun to allow some people who might have missed those threads to contribute.

Until I read it somewhere (here?), I never realized that Brian and Carl traded lead vocals on "Good Vibrations"; my ears never would've picked that up.

Just so I'm clear, you're referring to Brian singing the high Bb in the verses ("I hear the sound of a..." and "when I look...") right?  Or are there more places where Brian takes over the lead that I've missed hearing/reading about somehow?

Nope - just those bits.

Thanks Andrew, that's what I thought.