The Smiley Smile Message Board

Seem to remember we hashed this out a while back, but "All I Wanna Do" and "Cassius Love" are the only two recorded examples of Mike singing falsetto, correct?  Any others?  I was surprised he could do it at all, but apparently he could and just chose not to...

Big Sur I got plans 4 u

"lying here with you in the night
underneath the heavenly skies
baby, what a beautiful sight
darlin, now hold me, hold me tight"

from Oh Darlin!

He's pretty close to a falsetto on the verses of "Everyone's In Love With You"

There's a difference between singing high in your register and singing falsetto...but I think Erik's right about the "now hold me" in "Oh Darling."  I forgot about that one.  Of course you can't really hear it, but still!

He sings a few pretty high notes in Brian's Back. It's probably not "falsetto" though.

Anyone can sing falsetto, d00d.

True, I'm typing this in falsetto right now.

"Aren't You Glad" also, very nice. I've always liked "Oh Darlin'", mainly because of the lead's including Mike's - No ... especially Mike's.

Aren't You Glad?  Mike doesn't go anywhere near falsetto in that song.  Big Sur either.  For that matter, All I Wanna Do is debatable as well.  I hate to go all music professor again, because the last time I discussed falsetto, a certain gentleman went all Catholic Church to my Galileo, and added "the physiology of falsetto singing" to Jefferson's list of self-evident truths. 

But anyway, as Adam suggested, singing high, is not necessarily falsetto.  Falsetto is a condition where the tone is created with vocal cords that are not tightly adducting.  It's called "Falsetto" for a reason, higher notes can be achieved "falsely" by letting the vocal cords "relax" in a sense.  But for there to be a "false" was of singing high by definition means that there is a "true" way to sing high.  That is legitimate head voice, with the vocal cords nicely adducted.

There's a lot more to it, but I think the distinction is important.  Brian is able to sing without a break because he sings his all but his very highest notes without resorting to falsetto, as Chuck Britz noted once.  Mike probably hadn't eliminated his break, but to me, he was "pushing" enough on the All I Wanna Do high notes to stay in legit head voice.

I understand that "falsetto" is a useful shorthand for "high," but it's not always accurate.

I think the name of this thread should be changed to "the closest Mike's come to singing falsetto"!

The "A gentle thought comes in my mind" line sounds like falsetto, to me. The rest of the song (and all songs you've named), no.

I think that's the line I'm thinking of. Can't understand a fuckin' word of the song due to the production, but that's a large part of why I love the song.

"Please Let Me Wonder" - the chorus.

Don't think that's right.

Indeed not...

This is why definitions are important.

What sez you about the "A gentle thought comes in my mind" line?

Sounds pretty full to me--he certainly has to lighten, but the timbral change doesn't suggest that he's let the cords slip--it would sound like a yodel otherwise.

All I wanna do

*swoon*

Now that I listen to it again, Josh may very well be right about "All I Wanna Do" - it's definitely a vocal timbre that Mike didn't use often, and obviously most of his parts didn't require him to go that high in the first place.  I know from experience that it's possible to train your voice to sing soft and high without going into head voice or falsetto.  Brian was a master at this, and because he also had no discernible break in his voice, he could do just about anything he wanted vocally. 

Mike's vocal skills were a lot better in the 60's and 70's than most give him credit for.  His voice was quite versatile, something Brian used in the vocal arrangements to great effect.  I've always thought that the super nasal style he's developed over the last 30 or so years is a result of him trying to artificially sound young again.  Unfortunately, you can only do so much to fight against nature.

Mike did that Arbor Day commercial a few years ago where he backed off and sounded great--but you can tell it's close to not being there anymore.  What Mike doesn't get enough credit for are his bass vocals.  He wasn't a singing genius or anything, but he really knew how to find a very resonant part of his voice and deliver such a solid bass sound.  His late 60s and early 70s bass singing is great.

Yeah, pretty much. Nasal Domination Mike is not a sight to behold, but his bass singing is so perfect. He's indispensable in the 'golden years' time period, but then even in the 70's/80's where his leads are much weaker his bass singing is still 'right'. Brian had honed that blend beyond sublimity and Mike's a huge part of it.

You disagree that it's Mike, or disagree that it's falsetto?

The latter.

Nasal Domination Mike.  LOVE it!

WHEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I hope somebody sees this and decides to name the next Beach Boys bootleg "Nasal Domination".  :lol

I am fainted on the floor next to you.  lol.

Yes, he sings falsetto on All I wanna do.  He even swirls up into it like Brian does better than anybody that ever lived.  The hardest thing for me to do is sing full, then raise that into Falsetto.  THAT is tough. 

That could be right.  He doesn't sound nasal at all however on "Cool Head Warm Heart".  Sounds great, actually! 

one of the worst sounds in recorded history is Mike going falsetto near the end of Student Demonstration Time. not surprised it hasn't been mentioned, since most mistake it as an outtake of the Country Air rooster.

Are you talking about the part at around 2:52, on the left channel? I've wondered who that was for fucking years .

wow, you people are super critical.

Nope, the one I'm talking about is at about 3:05: "student demonstration ti-i-ime!", that last "ime" is precisely why he never goes up that high.

Haha, sounds like he started to go for it, realized it wasn't any good, and choked. Poor "Student Demonstration Time" :(

T'be fair, he hits the same note in full voice on "All I Want To Do" and sounds just fine.

Not trying to argue with Mr.aeijtzsche, but the "A gentle thought comes in my mind" on "All I Wanna Do" still sounds like falsetto to me, and is pulled off pretty well. Specifically the last part of the word "my". I could be wrong, but yeah. imo.

Wow...I wonder who did the earlier part then? It sounded like Brian, but he was not on that track at all.

That's the very example I thought of first.  And yes, it is dreadful.

Mike did have a good voice. I really have no problem with him before the oldies direction because he did write and sing so well.

UPSIDE YO HEEEEAAAAD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix1-Coa7qQQ

Let's not be so harsh on SDT! I don't think he was trying to be the world's greatest singer on that track and the "falsetto" bust up at the end is just him going for it off-the-cuff and trying to sound loose if anything else. If it was a blown falsetto attempt, I doubt it would have passed Carl's quality control!

That's definitely Brian.

Years ago, in true music professor form, you stressed how Mike isn't a true bass singer and that the Beach Boys never had true bass vocals in the blend. Are you getting loose with your definitions, jazz boy?  ;)

It's Brian and someone else. If I had to guess, I wouldn't guess Mike, but it's somewhat possible. Doubtful, but possible. Like my face.

Definitely Brian... I think it could actually be mike too. Hard to tell. 

Mike is definitely singing the prominent falsetto. You can hear him take a breath before he comes back in with "You're too late mama..."
Between the shakiness of the pitch & the tone of voice, it's clear that it's Mike.
That said, I definitely hear Brian in the background singing the same part.

It's definitely the great vocal stylings of Michael Edward Love.

..Or is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXys3GmLdxg

I don't know about that...considering some of the other stuff they released that passed through Carl's quality control. He was clearly asleep at the switch a few times....

I'm not a true piano player but that doesn't mean I can't play some piano that would knock your socks off.

I don't think he's a true bass singer either, it's just what people call the low end of the harmony.  It's like how peple say Randy Travis was a bass singer, that's not bass.  I don't know if you'd call it Barritone more than you'd call it bass. 

The guy from the Oakridge Boys is a bass singer.  Giddy Up Bah Boom.