The Smiley Smile Message Board

Having recently listened to a recording of Dennis singing Good Timin', live. I got to thinking. I think this was 1978 at a convention, or am I mistaken? (the one which begins with someone saying "Audree's out there...")

Could someone add some more info on this recording and why Dennis was given the lead that time? Had he done it at other shows?

This also got me thinking about times Dennis took over the lead vocals of songs in concert that weren't his leads in the studio. Foe this, Help Me Rhonda comes to mind. Can anyone add any other leads he took from time to time in concert for songs he didn't sing lead on in the studio? Also, are there any specific reasons why they did this, other than to shake things up?

Thanks in advance.

I feel like it was said he was given the lead so Carl could do the chorus falsetto and contribute to the backing vocals.

Great question.  I love Dennis on GT and I love his comments as to why he is singing it too.  My Name Is Brian's theory as to why there is a switch is a good one.  I also enjoy Dennis' piano playing and Rhonda vocal.  He took this lead quite a bit over the course of more than a year, correct?  But only the bluesy version in the lower key right?  I can't think of any other leads he stole though beside these two.

Denny was owner of the best voice in the band if we talk about the seventies.

Love Denny, but I didn't think "Good Timin'" was the best fit for his voice. Not a bad vocal by any means, just not fitting for this particular song.

I distinctly remember a long time ago on this board, I mentioned that there was a live recording with Dennis doing the lead on this song, and someone telling me I was crazy.

In '66 to '68 Dennis often sang lead on the bridge section of Surfer Girl.

On the '72 Carnegie Hall recording Dennis sings Bruce's line on the tag of God Only Knows. Beginning at 2:11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnsH21pqDPU

Isn't the story behind Good Timin' that Brian wanted himself or Dennis to sing on the verses, to make it sound kinda gritty, but neither of them were available so Carl had to do it? I remember reading that somewhere.

There are at least three recordings of Good Timin' with Dennis on vocals. The first is from their appearance on The Midnight Special in 1979, where they played Good Vibrations, Here Comes the Night, Angel Come Home, and Good Timin'. The other two are from March 1 and March 3, 1979 during the infamous Radio City Music Hall gigs where Here Comes the Night was met with a less-than-favorable reception (chants of "YOU SUCK", "YOU SOLD OUT", and general audience malaise are heard throughout the shows before, during and after the song is played).

Everything about Good Timin''s backing track, backing vocals, song structure and lead are just a little too safe and sugary for my liking. I think a Denny lead would have made the song a bit more distinctive and interesting tbh.

everything from this era when dennis sang sounded great. wrecked voice, but there's something about it.

Is there any video out there of the whole Midnight Special appearance?

Dunno about circulating, but I've seen the whole show back in the day pre-internet).

I have the Midnight Special episode in part but Dennis sings Angel Come Home not Good Timin'. Unless others can confirm it aired, I think it may have been from a rehearsal for it.

I love that recording. Dennis brings more soul to the song than Bruce could ever hope to. I like Bruce on the tag in PS, but live this shoulda been Dennis all the way!

This.

The chorus vocals are great, but it woulda been much finer WITHOUT harmonies during the verses, regardless of who sang lead.

Hating on a wall of Carls = hating... uh, hating greatness. Yeah. That's right.

I finally got a more developed explanation of this from a reliable source...yes the rehearsal was taped and i think the circulating Good Timin'/Midnight Special audio is from that. However, Dennis' Good Timin' performance was apparently also filmed for the broadcast along with the other songs we've all seen that were on the show...but it did not air because he messed up the words. The footage is in the Brother archive from what I understand.

Granted I only heard one of those shows where they played HCTN but although the audience wasn't very receptive and started booing Mike was soon to save the atmosphere by saying that there's nothing wrong with the Beach Boys "showing them how it is done right" (or something along those lines) which led to applause and during the performance the crowd seems quite into it. But maybe you heard a different recording from another source.

Most of the booing is on the March 3 recording; the March 1 recording is a bit lower-key as far as the negative reception. They played four nights at Radio City Music Hall between March 1-4, and Here Comes the Night was played each night.

Incidentally, Brian only made the first show.

Thanks Jon, your answer is most appreciated!

I just found this on youtube - is this what everyone is referring to? I much prefer Carl on lead.....

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

There was a thread about this topic (best lead vocal on "Good timin'") on this board not too long ago.
I've said it before but I'd like to repeat it. Brian '67- '70 would've sung the hell out of this song. But as it is Carl was the best that was possible at the time the song was released imo

So far, I know of.....

Carl -- studio version
Dennis -- some live versions. Personally I don't think his Bambu-era voice is a good fit though.
Mike -- sang a very nasally, very Mike Love-y vocal on their Easter Seals telethon performance
Brian -- in solo shows a few time
David -- didn't he sing it a few times during the 50th anniversary tour???

So it looks like all "main" Beach Boys except Bruce or Al have sung it at some point....

Actually, Brian sang lead on the verses in the 50th anniversary tour, and Al did the choruses.

Thanks Jon. I thought that's what it was. Didn't know about the details though and they are interesting.

I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere that some time after the Midnight Special was taped, Dennis overdubbed his vocal on Angel Come Home, because he was "impaired" and made a mess of the words. Can you confirm this? I suspect that whomever said it(I can't remember the exact source) might have just got the two Dennis led songs mixed up. Dennis does seem to cover his mouth/lips with the microphone for a good portion of Angel Come Home, though.

Thanks for that link! That is the most fantastic stuff I have heard in eons!  Not far away from the Boston College show, in 1972...is there complete video for this? Now, that would be awesome for any BB fan to enjoy. 

YouTube in the car!  Yahoo!!!

Thanks, again!    :love

My source was very specific that both Angel and Good Timin were taped for the broadcast, both were a mess, but only one was de-shambled adequately for airing.

Again thanks for all the information on the taping. Dennis wasn't in great shape that night (the part where Al intoduced several of the Byrds with Dennis interjecting comes to mind), but I'm glad they were able to save at least one of the songs