The Smiley Smile Message Board

Anybody up for starting a track talk feature, where we just discuss a specific track, the egg heads & honoured guests can chime in with some choice facts and we all might learn a bit more about our fave songs? I guess there's a risk that the board will be littered with threads on every recording within a day or so but maybe, if we wait for one thread to peter off before starting another, it might work. Anyway here goes:

The Guardian have started a regular blog feature on their favourite 'old music' and Add Some Music kicks the series off!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/22/old-music-beach-boys?newsfeed=true

Thought it might be a good excuse to discuss the track. It's one of my favourites. The clumsy lyrics, the blissed out feel, and the incredible middle 8 (or whatever you'd call it) - "Music, when you're alone, is like a companion to your lonely soul". That should be the corniest line, but backed up with the lush chord changes and incredible harmonies it reinforces the truth behind the sentiment.

There's a great vocals only version which really highlights the beauty of the harmonies. Mike's backing vocals on that middle 8 are outstanding. And then the "When Day Is Over" part - wow!

I used to dislike this song and skip it most of the time, but it kind of grew on me. It's not a great work of art by any means, but it's enjoyable. A song that combines a Friends-ish "vibe" with a Sunflower-arrangement.

Great idea by the way! If it catches on, maybe the moderates could consider creating a subforum (in the review section perhaps) for this?

Finding out that Alan Jardine sang the "And on every day of the summertime" part instead of Brian Wilson kind of ruined this song for me. :-D

Great to see Sunflower getting some much-deserved mainstream press attention these days!

Agree, it's a terrific track with some of the best group harmonies committed to tape. When you hear the vox-only track, you realise how Brian Wilson (I'm assuming he largely produced this even though the band bore the credit for the whole album) never really needed all that instrumentation on his work. The fact that he could exert such utter control over both, and produce such beauty in either discipline, makes you understand why his genius was recognised as such.

Just when I was beginning to enjoy this topic. What's the point of a remark like that? That's a rhetorical question, by the way.

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. In all seriousness, I had always pictured BW singing this part and I thought it sounded amazingly youthful and bright for someone who was supposedly feeling all down and depressed by that point. I had probably just read the "Wouldn't It Be Nice" pseudo-biography when I first bought Sunflower/Surf's Up. That's all. To this day, however, I still wish there were more BW lead vocals on Sunflower. One of the record's very, very few real flaws.

Hey, it's your mind. If you want it to be Brian instead of Al, then by all means- go for it. Don't let that one little thing ruin it for you. ;)

I remember being nonplussed the first time I heard it. It grew on me, but only so much - perhaps coming after This Whole World on Sunflower makes it suffer by comparison. The Guardian article hits the nail on the head: "What makes the song, of course, is the singing: for all the facility of the instrumental arrangement, there's barely a song at the heart of this – it's a custom-built vehicle for the voices." Which is probably why I prefer the a capella version.

Love the part Brian sings "When day is over I close my tired eyes".

I do find it a prefect companion song to This Whole World though. Obviously not as complex, but it shares the same starry eyed sentimentality, and as I already mention, the middle 8 is a knockout. I almost wish that section was repeated again in the song, but there's something about it only appearing once that makes it special. A bit like the "Break my heart ..." part of Caroline No.

I can relate - the same thing happened to me only with the song 'Meant For You' - for ages I thought that that was Brian singing, then I found out it was Mike - call it stupid, but I was really let down when I heard that (there is something about the story behind Brian that makes his singing seem so much more sincere and beautiful). I got over it, and 'Meant For You' is still one of my favorite BB songs.
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As for this thread itself, what a fantastic idea! My favorite moments on this board are when guitarfool2000, aeijtzsche, or Jon Stebbins chime in with either recording equipment factoids or anecdotes about a recording session. Can't wait to hear where this goes!

This song really grew on me too.  I read how the record label loved the song when they released it as a single and were shocked that it bombed, so I was expecting it to be a great song from the first listen.  It wasn't.  I though it rambled with them saying Add Some Music over and over.  But I kept giving it a chance and I started to really like it.  It would have made a great album opener (not that Slip On Through isn't great too) and I agree that it didn't feel quite right coming after This Whole World.  I was happy to see Brian perform it on tour this year, though I wish he'd introduce it as a Beach Boys track because I had the feeling most of the audience weren't familiar with it (though a handful of people gave it a standing ovation at the end).  I've always been a fan of how the Beach Boys would share lead vocals with each other and on this one, you get everyone involved, though it's still primarily Mike singing. 

This song to me sums up the spirit of the Sunflower era and how everyone was contributing as a true band.  It's criminal that the album failed so badly in America when it came out. 

I remember hearing it on radio for the first time-it was pleasant enough, but I immediately knew this wasn't going jump start their recording career by any stretch of the imagination. The whole concept of adding music to one's day was way too juvenile in 1970. The lyrics were sappy and yes it did drag on for a single. But, as a dutiful fan, I bought the single with SC on the flip(Alan Jardino! yes, JardinO). SC , ASM, IAT, CCW did generate a decent amount of airplay, though. I think the jocks liked and appreciated it as did I.

I would describe this song----and most of Sunflower----as childlike. Childish is an accusation I'd level at later things of theirs ("Happy Endings", anyone?) but "Add Some Music" is childlike and most endearing.

I always expect not to like it and still it gets to me every time. "A companion for your lonely soul". I'll buy that.

This album has to be heard on a good sound system to best be appreciated.  It is very nicely recorded and the clarity and seperation afforded by a good system and/or good headphones really brings it out.  Looking back it really captured some of the musical trends of the day.

So do I. It´s an awsome song from my favourite BB album! Brian and his band performed this one last time he played in sweden.. And I cried.... So good!

i liked the time when brian, despite having written the basis of it, didn't know what the song was and wouldn't participate in recording it because he was too busy playing the "shortenin' bread" riff.

In DC at the time we had an AM "underground" station called WHMC hosted in the evenings by Barry Richards (who has a new DVD out of some of his local 60's-70's TV shows).  He played "Add Some Music" steady for about a week and even pushed it a little by talking about it (Fred Vail hype?), but it never caught on and after a week it wasn't played anymore.  It really wasn't in tune with the heavier stuff played on that station, but it did get a good airing- I could sing all the lyrics by the time they stopped playing it. The single was available in all the record shops- wasn't hard to find at all, unlike every other single they put out until R&R Music.  I liked the song a lot but thought some of the lyrics were corny-  my 13 year old sister thought the "dentist chair" line was funny.

Thanks for this. It's fascinating to hear the reactions of fans who were there as this stuff was coming out.

Add some music me to the list of admirers of that Brian part.

I'd always assumed that was Dennis, for some reason. Didn't cotton on until I read your post!

Yeah, I think that's Brian in that part, with Mike echoing him in the background. 

I like how somebody said the 'lazy' lyrics.  Or lazy lead vocals, in a good way.  Brian had a really cool way, on some songs like this one, of making things like melody, structure, etc. not have to be rigid.  So for instance you have that one really cool part, (I'm trying to remember off the top of my head) it's just after the Movie part.

So before that you've got the "dum dum dum, dum dee dooooo" answer to the phrasing of the lead vocals... but then for whatever reason, you've got the lead go

"At a Movie; you can feel it!  Touching your heart......"

Then instead of doing the response "dum dum dum, dum dee doooo"... for whatever reason, he lets a couple beats go by, THEN the band does it... then Al rushes in, over the backup vocals with the "And On Everyday! Of the Summertime! You'll hear Children Chasing Ice Cream Carts!".... so the next time they do it, it's pushed back similarly after Al's line.  So for whatever reason, he shifted when the backup vocals come in, for the last verse. 

I don't know why, but that part's always fascinated me.  Why did he choose to do it like that?  It's off.  It sounds great!  Maybe it's just to make Al's line stand out. 




Another great part.  If you listen REALLY close, on headphones or something, there's the most beautiful melody behind the "Music... when you're alone, it's like a companion" part.  Kind of mid-high, somebody (possibly Carl, behind himself singing lead!) is singing really beautifully, it goes "Ahhh, ohh ohh ohh.... Ahhhh, ohhh ohhh ohhh"  Just twice.  Once you hear it, you'll never miss it again. 

Brian always had a way of sticking out of the harmony like a sore thumb.  In a good way.  His 'crazy' sound.  The thing that proves he's still the same person.  If you listen closely to the background vocal 'pads', you can hear crazy Brian singing a little shrill sticking out all over the place.  Beautiful.

Amid all the Smile madness, anyone care to continue this thread idea and nominate a song for Track Talk #2?

Well, this has definitely grown on me over the years. At first I dismissed it, but later on I too likewise enjoy the Friends vibe with the Sunflower production. Track Talk 2? What about This Whole World, now that song blew me away from day one!

In another thread I've mentioned the professor in Indiana University (the one in Indiana not Pennsylvania) who later this month will start teaching, for a whole semester, a course devoted to the Beach Boys. He could easily devote a class or two to examining Add Some Music. It holds up to that kind of intensive analysis as well as a Bach cantata. Easily one of the BBs four or five greatest achievements. And the fact that Brian persuaded the guys to put it in pole position in the second set leads me to think he agrees.

And how about the nod to Uncle Phil at the end?

Great song.

For all the facility of the instrumental arrangement, there's barely a song at the heart of this – it's a custom-built vehicle for the voices.

This pretty much sums up my feelings about this song. The arrangement is great and the singing is lovely, but it's not that great a song.

...though I have to admit, when I saw them do this live, gathered around Brian's piano, it was one of the more moving parts of the concert.

Nice song for driving the car. Use to sing along it while on the road traveling.

Is a quote from Roy Orbison's "Only Lonely."

It's called the Bridge. Many (most, I'd say) writers stick stick to the 8 bar bridge formula. Caroline No has a five bar bridge. James Brown's bridges are unto themselves.

Testify!

I have always thought the lyrics had more depth to them than they might initially seem.  Sitting at the Jones Beach concert this summer with my eyes closed allowing myself to be immersed in the harmonies, lyrics, soul of the song was a tremendous experience personally.

Another musical quote is The Cadillacs' "Speedoo," which pops up in a couple of different ways during the song. The 'bop bop a diddle it,' backgrouind vocal riff is sung in harmony between verses. It also appears midway through of the bridge (underneath 'your lonely soul') as a bass vocal part.

The "music is in my soul" line is an amazing piece of harmony.

The only thing I don't like about the song is that Dennis doesn't get a vocal solo like everyone else. They could have cut back on Mike or Bruce's part to give him a line. I know (thanks to his own songwriting) that Sunflower features more Dennis leads than any other except LA (two solo, two shared with Carl), but it just seems strange everybody gets a turn except Dennis.

Good idea for a thread.  We do this at a Stones board that I'm on.  I think the only way for it to really work is if you take control of the threads yourself.  There's no rush to get through all the songs right away...so we should take our time with each thread and not feel the need to post a new one so quickly.  On the Stones board, one person took the lead on the threads and posts a new thread probably once every couple weeks..but usually once a month.  The threads have been going on for a few years now and since they've been coming in at a very comfortable pace---they haven't litered the board or annoyed any members.

Just a suggestion....

A nice song on a good album.

The trade off of lines by the individuals and then the harmonies (which is the trademark of the group) fit together well here.

I like how the lyrics tie in with the title - cite the many places where music is added to your day.

When they did this in the reunion concert - gathering around the piano, trading off the lines, just looking relaxed and being like friends getting together to sing a few songs as people do at perhaps at a party or the like - that was a great concept and made the performance of that song all the more meaningful.

BTW, this concept of track talk is a great idea - looking forward to reading about people's comments on the songs and learning some insights from those with the know...

I used to feel that way too. It took hearing an a cappella vocal mix of ASMTYD before I realized how prominent Dennis' voice is in the song. Every time they roll around to the chorus Dennis actually has a recurring vocal line in the round of "Add Some, add some, add some music to your day". He's there, very clearly, its a cool part. He pops in at 0:31-0:33, 1:07-1:09, 1:42-1:45 and 3:01-3:03. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBkA4-U4MPk

Thanks, Jon. I couldn't tell that was Dennis. I still think it would have been good to have him sing a more prominent part, but it's nice you picked him out of the mix.

Of course, the one who got screwed vocally on Sunflower was Al. I'm surprised Bruce sang the Brian-Al song At My Window while he had already sung his own songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeaJ6ns_lF4

Here's the link to the a cappella version being discussed.  Simply beautiful and amazing.  You can clearly here Dennis throughout the song.  I could listen to this all day... and sometimes do!

This would be an interesting track for one of Desper's study videos... just sayin'.

Here's a link to the IU BB class (apologies if this has already been posted in the other thread):

http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/22892.html

I think a large portion of Sunflower would be a fruitful area of exploration for future clips from Mr. Desper and Will C.

Of course, the song that would be most interesting of all would (methinks) be "Surf's Up."

I think with "Add Some Music" that WB was hoping that the chorus would put the song over for the public. Great chorus, great bridge, but the verses are really not quite up to the same level. Then again, I don't think anything the BB's did could have put over for the public in 1970--at least not in the U.S.

'Country Air' for next song to discuss? Anyone?

(http://anythingurban.typepad.com/.a/6a011278db110528a401127965012128a4-800wi)

Sorry.  I had to.

Looks like he could be the guy who's bookending Spector's cell with Zeppo.

It took me ages to realize rn57 was not talking about this Uncle Phil. It actually happened just now - before, I had no idea if he was referring to this Uncle Phil or someone else.

I've tried to get into this song numerous times, but it just doesn't do much for me at all. Brian's "When day is over" part makes me tear up just a bit occasionally because he just sounds that good, the lyrics are really nice and I can recognize why it's a good song (and the reunion performances of it have been so cool), but otherwise I just can't get into it. It may be one of those instances where I can tell a song is good but have yet to hear a version I liked. WHOKNOZ