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I did a few searches on this through this site and nothing came up, but through some other googling today, I found that Darlene Love said that she sang on In My Room with the Beach Boys. Forgive me if this has been covered somewhere else, but I figured it might be worth some discussion or research.

Obviously we've all listened to In My Room hundreds, if not thousands of times, and I've certainly never noticed a female (or multiple female voices) on this record. But does anyone know anything about this? Has anyone ever heard anything about this? Is it possible she's getting confused with a different Beach Boys track?

Here's what I found online from a couple interviews:

There's this:

MW: You not only sang lead, but you also sang back up on records like “Johnny Angel”, “Monster Mash”, “The Shoop Shoop Song”, “Goodbye Cruel World”, “Rockin Robin”, “Chain Gang” and so many more. Could you mention a few of the other records you sang back up for?

DL: There were so many but to just mention a few, I worked with the Beach Boys and did “In My Room”, also “Everybody Likes to Cha Cha Cha” with Sam Cook and “For Your Love” with Ed Townsend. I worked a lot with Jan & Dean and the Mama’s and the Papa’s to help make their sound fuller. I sang with Luther Vandross on his first number one pop record, which was “The Power of Love”, and was also on many of Aretha Franklin’s and Tom Jones’ records. I did the 1968 comeback special with Elvis Presley. I was very close to Elvis, because he liked Gospel. I ended up doing the 1969 movie with him called “Change of Habit”.

from here: http://michaelwestfall.tripod.com/id130.html

and this:

She also worked with Brian Wilson during sessions for ''In My Room.'' She said Wilson treated the Blossoms with more respect than Spector did and the group wasn't ''used as instruments.''

from here: http://www.examiner.com/article/interview-if-anyone-deserves-to-be-the-rock-hall-it-s-darlene-love-video

...She did grow up in Hawthorne, and she's only a year apart from Brian.

Erm, she's quite clearly tripping. Maybe the classic Carole Kaye syndrome of mistaking a knock-off cover for the original?

Well, on her Darlene's wikipedia it also mentioned she did background for Sharon Marie, and at least one person thinks he can hear Darlene backing in Run-Around Lover (though I'm having trouble picking her out): http://www.girl-groups.com/cresci.htm

Obviously Brian wouldn't have been recording Sharon Marie around the same time as In My Room, so I'm kind of at a loss for that song, but it does seem that she worked with Brian at one point.

That would be the same person who stated Sharon Marie recorded eight tracks with Brian, which is four more than she remembers. I recall DL stating that she recorded with the BB in an empty swimming pool at Brian's house. I also recall a lot of folk going "yeah, riiight !"  As more than one notable name involved with the BB has proven time and again, just because you were there doesn't guarantee perfect recall... especially when you weren't there in the first place.

For what it's worth, at least her memories of Presley sound about right. But the Blossoms did so many stuff it's hard to remember everything correctly. I don't hear anyone besides the Beach Boys on "In my room"'s singing

There's always the chance that Darlene recorded a vocal that didn't make it to the released version.

I'd say that would be on a par with the world actually ending  on 12/21/12.

Reviving this topic, b/c I see something on Songfacts about Darlene supposedly helping with the arrangement of - not "In My Room", but - the Boys' version of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love":

<<The Beach Boys recorded this in 1964, with Darlene Love helping with their arrangement. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys said in Q Magazine's 1001 Best Songs selected this as one of his five favorite ever songs, commenting: "I first heard this in a cafe in Hawthorne (California) when I was a kid. My dad played the song on one of those little jukeboxes. I went, 'What is this fantastic sound?' I like the sax break, plus all the singers. It got inside my head." (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)>>

and, a piece on The Beach Boys' (and Darlene Love's) involvement with the Joan Jett number "Good Music", where it's stated that Darlene not only helped with that "WDFFIL" arrangement, but also sang on - not "In My Room", but - "Fun, Fun, Fun"...and the claims, as AGD mentioned, that she also sang in Brian's pool:

<<Jett wrote this with Kenny Laguna, a producer and songwriter who worked with Tommy James, Jay & the Americans and Tony Orlando before helping Jett with her career as a solo artist. Here's what Kenny told us:
"We were trying to say good music as opposed to hack music. The bells are from 'Rag Doll' by The Four Seasons - if you listen carefully, it's the exact same part. We took a bit from 'Take It Easy' by the Eagles. We had The Rolling Stones, we had 'Bang A Gong' by T-Rex. It was just a little homage, we'd take just a tiny bit, not long enough to get sued, but just little bits like the rhythms or melodies. We had 'Layla,' if you listen carefully you can hear a little bit of 'Layla' in the fade. We also had 'Lean On Me' in it."Kenny Laguna explained: "We wanted the Beach Boys. We were getting very friendly with Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys, and I said to Carl, 'I want you to play the Sloop John B guitar in the second verse of the song.' He said he'd do it, we were in New York and he came over to the studio - The Record Plant on 44th Street. Carl comes over and says, 'Bruce Johnson's going to come over,' So he comes over. I'd been told by their agent that if you try to get all the Beach Boys, they will not be in the same room together, they don't even make their records in the studio together. So now we've got 2 of them, then their tour manager calls me in the studio and says, 'Mike [Love] is feeling left out, he's wondering why you didn't invite him.' I told him the story, that I heard if I invite all of them, nobody will come. So the next thing I know, all the Beach Boys are showing up. We worked on it and Bruce Johnson goes, 'We're going to show you how to make a Beach Boys record.' They were putting those beautiful 'oohs' on. I was managing Darlene Love, who never mentioned that she helped arrange 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love,' she sang on 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' sang on all those great Beach Boys records during their heyday, because she was one of Phil Spector's voices and she would sing in Brian's pool. So now I have Joan, Carl, Bruce Johnson and Darlene Love, and the 4 of them together sound like the Beach Boys, because there were always females on the Beach Boys records, but people didn't know that - like one girl and all those high voices. They're doing this and I hear, 'Hey, do I have to take a number to get on your record,' and it's Mike Love and he sings the low part. Eventually Al Jardine came and said, 'What are you doing, you're stealing our sound.' We finally called everybody down and made the record. It had all these beautiful Beach Boys parts with Darlene Love.">>

Not saying I believe it, but thought I'd throw it out there.

"I was managing Darlene Love, who never mentioned that she helped arrange 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love,' she sang on 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' sang on all those great Beach Boys records during their heyday, because she was one of Phil Spector's voices..."

So if you sang on a Phil Spector record, you also sang on The Beach Boys songs: everyone got that ? FWIW, the AFM sheet for "WDFFIL" makes no mention of any arranger.

"... and she would sing in Brian's pool"

Until Brian moved into the Laurel Way house (late 1965 or thereabout - Cam, you got the skinny on this ?) Brian didn't have a pool.

"So now I have Joan, Carl, Bruce Johnson and Darlene Love, and the 4 of them together sound like the Beach Boys, because there were always females on the Beach Boys records, but people didn't know that..."

There's a big stack of session tapes 1961-1969 that say "no, there weren't".

Sorry, don't buy it.

I think Darlene Love is the Goddess of Rock and Roll.  If she had sung harmony on IMR, it would not have been a lesser record.    :old

Hmm...

Andrew, did Darlene sing on the California Music version of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?"  That would make more sense.

Lee

Marilyn and Diane were on a few of the songs, but Darlene Love? That belt-y voice would overpower all those smaller voices on Beach Boys' records. There's no way it could be hidden.

Not that I'm aware. Maybe I'll ask around.

Another theory... What was on the flip side of "In My Room?"  "Be True to Your School," with its female cheerleaders.  It's well-documented that The Honeys were cheerleaders on that.  But could there have been more than three cheerleaders?  If Darlene was around the mic too, then she would technically have been on the record "In My Room" -- just on its flip side!  :)  But that's a stretch -- and it's also a theory that I can substantiate or refute with one phone call...

Lee

Interesting theory, Watson, but one completely refuted by this statement from Ms Love: "I worked with the Beach Boys and did “In My Room”...". Unequivocal, wouldn't you say ?

Yes... I am humbled in your presence!  ;D

So the question remains. Who was the female singer who sang on the California Music version of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"? She has a verrry sexy voice!

Gloria Grinel?

Name sounds familiar.  I'll bet that's it!

That seems correct; at least  it sounds familiar. I'd swear this has been prviously discussed on this board, tho I haven't searched for it. 

maybe we should get together, and call the whole thing off  ::)

RickB

I was aware of the "Darlene Love -vs-LaLa Brooks/Da Doo Ron Ron" controversy (at one time Darlene claimed she sang lead on the record ...she didn't...but has since backtracked on that statement.) This latest claim really takes the cake.     

Back in 2008:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,5585.msg89827.html#msg89827 (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,5585.msg89827.html#msg89827)

Slightly off-topic but if you haven't seen 20 Feet from Stardom, you have got to see it when you have the chance.  It is the perfect movie for every rock and roll music fanatic.  Darlene Love is one of the women profiled which is why I bring it up.  It's a wonder she never became a bigger star (aside from the fact that Phil Spector was continuously screwing her over), she's certainly had an incredible career and that voice, wow, nobody can match that.