The Definitive Vocal Credits Thread...

[John]

Now, I don't whether or not this is something to be ashamed of, but my BBs collection stops at 85. I have Still Cruisin' on vinyl, but no vinyl player.

Can someone give me the info on:

Happy Ending
Rock and Roll To The Rescue
Make It Big
Still Cruisin'
In My Car


And anything else from the 1986 to 1990 period - I'm confident about Kokomo, California Dreamin', Somewhere Near Japan and Island Girl. Thanks. I don't need line-by-line breakdowns, unless it's totally necessary, just the way I've been doing it lo these many months. AGD?

Thanks.

[SloopJohnB]

In My Car - Lead vocals: Brian on verses, Carl on first chorus, Al on the other choruses

[signum]

"Wind chimes": "Close your eyes and lean back, listen to wind chimes" is Bruce I think, although it does sound in part similar to Dennis.

Sorry, but I don't see it. It is Dennis, before his voice became too raspy. The others I'll have to go back and recheck. We did go over them quite painstakingly though.

I admit the "Listen to wind chimes" bit sounds rather like Dennis, but why then does the voice seem to be a higher pitched one than Dennis' voice? If you compare it with Dennis' "hung up on wind chimes" you notice that Dennis' voice was deeper. But in terms of accent I think Bruce and Dennis could sound similar (to me anyway).

[signum]

I'm sorry that I can't help with the post-'85 vocal credits. That's where my Beach Boys collection stops too. I might have a look for the last two albums, though from what I'm hearing I'm expecting the main good thing to be the singing.

Re: Bruce and Smile/Smiley Smile: I would have thought he would have sang in the group vocals as he was a full member by then, or is it that he was elsewhere?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Now, I don't whether or not this is something to be ashamed of, but my BBs collection stops at 85. I have Still Cruisin' on vinyl, but no vinyl player.

Can someone give me the info on:

Happy Ending
Rock and Roll To The Rescue
Make It Big
Still Cruisin'
In My Car


And anything else from the 1986 to 1990 period - I'm confident about Kokomo, California Dreamin', Somewhere Near Japan and Island Girl. Thanks. I don't need line-by-line breakdowns, unless it's totally necessary, just the way I've been doing it lo these many months. AGD?

Thanks.

"Rescue" needs a line-by-line for sure. I'll do them as best i can by the weekend.

[MBE]

I'm sorry that I can't help with the post-'85 vocal credits. That's where my Beach Boys collection stops too. I might have a look for the last two albums, though from what I'm hearing I'm expecting the main good thing to be the singing.

Re: Bruce and Smile/Smiley Smile: I would have thought he would have sang in the group vocals as he was a full member by then, or is it that he was elsewhere?

Bruce was barely at Smiley, and missed a number of sessions for Wild Honey and Friends too.

[SloopJohnB]

Rock & Roll To The Rescue

[Group, but might be considered as a Carl "lead"]
Gotta get a ticket cause i really gotta go
There's a party goin' down at the rock'n'roll show
Baby get ready if you really wanna go
Now everybody's goin' to the rock'n'roll show

[Brian]
I saw some surfer girls in west L.A.
And right away it got me thinkin' 'bout my high school days
Well i was always kinda shy you know i never learned to dance
And i remember bein' nervous i was scared to take a chance
And it happened it was lookin' through my mamma's things...
I found some rock and roll records and i learned to sing!

[Group]
Rock'n'roll to the rescue
Rock'n'roll's gonna get you
Rock to the rescue

[Mike]
I said it rescued me
And it'll rescue you

[Al]
Now believe it when i tell ya that i never felt alive
Not 'til the night i started rockin' to my mamma's 45's
Well it was one for the money now and two for the show

[Carl]
And you'd better get a'ready now and go cat go!

[Brian]
Yeah the long tall Sally got me boppin' 'round the room
She's singin' bop wadda loo bop a-whop bam boom

[Group]
Rock'n'roll to the rescue
Rock'n'roll's gonna get you
Rock to the rescue

[Mike]
I said it rescued me
And it'll rescue you

[Brian]
So we got a band together now we're really quite the rage

[Brian with prominent Carl harmony]
And i lose my inhibitions when i move across the stage

[Brian]
We're the hottest ticket goin' what a fantasy flight

[Brian with prominent Carl harmony]
They tell me fifty thousand people come to see us every night

[Group]
Rock'n'roll to the rescue
Rock'n'roll's gonna get you
Rock to the rescue

[Mike]
I said it rescued me
And it'll rescue you
I said it rescued me

[Group, but might be considered as a Carl "lead"]
Gotta get a ticket cause i really gotta go
There's a party goin' down at the rock'n'roll show
Baby get ready if you really wanna go
Now everybody's goin' to the rock'n'roll show

[Andrew G. Doe]

Substitute Alan for Mike, and you've nailed it.

[southbay]

Really? I have sworn for 22 years that was  Brian with "I said it rescued me  and it'll rescue you" line...
Also, Mike is there with "Hey Now, Hey Now" duuring the verses

[Andrew G. Doe]

if you've ever heard the percadella mix, you'll nkow Mike does a great bass part too.

[SloopJohnB]

Substitute Alan for Mike, and you've nailed it.

I was hesitating between Mike and Al on that one. But I've just listened closely to the percadella mix (which I hadn't thought about before your remark about it) and it almost sounds like there are two different voices... I'm wondering if Mike and Al sang that part together!

Because when you hear Al's verse just after it, you feel like "this can't be the same guy". There's something different in the litigious part, a "nasal" thing that sounds like Mike to me. Al is definitely there, but either he forced himself into sounding unnatural or Mike was singing with him.

[southbay]

I just don't hear Mike there at all.  Only on the bass part ("hey now").  Why don't we just look at the Solid Gold clip from '86...whoever sang that part would be synching it on the show, right?  My $ is on Brian...

[adamghost]

Wait a minute here...the "rescue me, rescue you" part...I believe that's Brian, isn't it?  I don't think Mike sings lead anywhere on this song, ironically enough.

[tpesky]

I think one of the "rescue me, rescue you" parts is Alan, somewhere in the middle of the song.  I always thought the others were Brian.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Nope - all Alan.

[Guy]

Can someone give me the info on:

Happy Ending
Rock and Roll To The Rescue
Make It Big
Still Cruisin'
In My Car

Still cruisin'                         - Mike and Carl *1
Make it big                         - Carl and Mike *2
In my car                           - Brian (verses and bridge), Carl (choruses, except;) Alan (second chorus)

*1 response vocals on chorus by Bruce and Alan
*2 response vocal on chorus by Bruce

I don't have Happy endings, unfortunately.

[southbay]

Nope - all Alan.

OK. I have never been one to argue with the esteemed Mr. Doe ( and I mean esteemed, no sarcasm there), but "resuce me...rescue you" is Brian.  Sounds exactly like his vocal on the verses.  In addition, watching the band "perform" this on Solid Gold in '86 and watching the video (both on youtube) it is Brian "singing" those lines, not Alan not Mike not anybody else.

[SloopJohnB]

Nope - all Alan.

OK. I have never been one to argue with the esteemed Mr. Doe ( and I mean esteemed, no sarcasm there), but "resuce me...rescue you" is Brian.  Sounds exactly like his vocal on the verses.  In addition, watching the band "perform" this on Solid Gold in '86 and watching the video (both on youtube) it is Brian "singing" those lines, not Alan not Mike not anybody else.

Now that you mention it, the strange "Mike + Al" blend I was hearing might as well be the 1986 Brian! A couple of listens with this idea in mind made me realize that it certainly wasn't Mike, that it doesn't sound like Al, and that it's remarkably close to Brian's vocals on some parts of the verses. Plus, there's the "lipsynch" thing.

[CosmicDancer]

I was also always convinced that it was Brian on that part of RARTTR, but I tend to believe what Andrew says on such matters.  Can you post a link to the Solid Gold performance?  I searched and couldn't find it. 

[southbay]

I was also always convinced that it was Brian on that part of RARTTR, but I tend to believe what Andrew says on such matters.  Can you post a link to the Solid Gold performance?  I searched and couldn't find it. 

youtube.com/watch?v=suQ2cDxsxFE.  If the link doesn't work, search you tube for Beach Boys medley.  You have to sit through the medley first, then RRTTR is performed

[Aegir]

If it's a lipsynch, it doesn't matter who's singing what. Brian lipsynched a few lines in the Somewhere Near Japan video, but he didn't sing on that song.

[southbay]

If it's a lipsynch, it doesn't matter who's singing what. Brian lipsynched a few lines in the Somewhere Near Japan video, but he didn't sing on that song.

Agreed.  The lipsynch itself is not conclusive, but is strong circumstantial evidence.  Especially true because Brian's synch is present twice, once on Solid Gold and again in the actual music video (which was not taken from the show).   Why would the group decide to have Brian "synch" Al's vocal, esp. when Brian was SO BAD AT IT? Doesn't make sense.  As for the Somewhere Near Japan reference, Brian was synching to a group vocal, not someone's else's lead

[CosmicDancer]

I listened to Rock and Roll to the Rescue last night and paid particularly close attention to the part in question and I can hear slightly in some of the phrasing that it could very well be Al!!  It does sound remarkably like Brian, but I think I have just become a believer.  It is a tone of voice that I have never before or since heard Al use.  Very interesting!  So sorry I ever questioned you Andrew!!!

[Andrew G. Doe]

As for the Somewhere Near Japan reference, Brian was synching to a group vocal, not someone's else's lead

True, but the fact remains that, as with "California Dreamin'", he's lipsynching to a song he doesn't sing on.

As for his lipsynching so badly in Solid Gold, um, well, have you never noticed that he's plain not good at it ?   Check out the "IJWMFTT" 'live' performances, notably "Do It Again" & "'Til I Die" - way off.

[tpesky]

Amazing thing about the Beach Boys....we have 2 guys who aren't related and it is so hard to distinguish their voices in the late 60's and early 70's and then again 20 years later, we still have a hard time distinguishing their voices on a song and both of the voices had changed alot by then! One of the reasons that makes me love them!