The Smiley Smile Message Board

So for Christmas I was given a very nice copy of MADE IN CALIFORNIA and looking through the credits noted Al Jardine's presence on keyboards.  This in itself wasn't a surprise (he's pictured on SURF'S UP playing the piano and also plays it in ENDLESS HARMONY) but it got me thinking...what exactly did he play on?

I thought about it and could only come up with two probables:  the piano on the original version of "Come Go With Me" (deleted on the MIU version but heard by mistake on the first CD release) and the organ on "Out In The Country" (still unreleased).  I can't think of any song that he was likely to have played keyboards on that actually got released...."Don't Go Near The Water" is a possibility but the beginning is a pretty crazy piano part, though the end is fairly simple, so I suppose there could have been two pianos.

C-Man or anyone else, wanna chime in here?

Postcard.  There is a YouTube.  ;)

He's listed as proving Moog synths on "Don't Go Near the Water"... at least according to Wikipedia which didn't feel the need to cite its sources. ::)

Just a guess but I say it's very likely he plays the organ on Lookin' At Tomorrow.

Isn't the OP talking about Made in California?

Maybe then it refers to the solo on Second Home By The Sea by Genesis.

Al plays one of the pianos, as well as the organ, on "Don't Go Near The Water". And he possibly plays the organ on "California Saga". Incidentally, I saw Al play piano onstange twice in the '80s - both times on "Be True To Your School" (in '82 and in '84...and in '88. he played the electronic drums on that song)!

C-man, I'm confused as to why that sessionography you were working on couldn't be put up. Even if it was missing some stuff I'm sure people would have enjoyed it and you could have noted that updates were forthcoming. I understand that these things happen but I was definitely looking forward to seeing it in time for the holidays.

Patience...good things come to those who wait.

Don't think Tony would let anybody else do that.  Not even Phil.

Craig is taking the long view, and rightly so. And of course, if it was missing stuff, you'd never hear the end of it...  ;D

That's a fair point there. Just a bit impatient, didn't mean to come off as entitled.

No worries...being a super-fan myself (obviously), I'd be chomping at the bit, too. It's just that new info keeps surfacing, long past the actual release date...so instead of unleashing an inferior "product", I've stuck with my commitment to make it as "right" and "complete" as possible! 

If you need any more ear help, Craig, I'm all yours.  Did you still need that quote thingy?  I am sorry I didn't get to that.

Great answers, btw.  They all make sense.  I'll throw out another one:  we know that Mike could play rudimentary keyboards.  Did he ever play on anything, ever, in the studio (even solo)?  We saw him play organ in the OUR TEAM film but that means precisely zero.

Robin Gibb is interesting to me in that he apparently could play decent keyboards and a few other things but after 1970 apparenly he never recorded on anything other than vocals.

Yes and yes...you'll hear from me soon on the former. Regarding Mike on keyboards...no, I don't think so...would love to be proven otherwise, though.

Swore I read Brian played piano on "Don't Go Near The Water". Yay? Nay?

Doesn't sound like him.  I'd vote for Daryl Dragon on the intro part and Al Jardine on the end part.  This is without listening to it at all, just thinking about the nature of what's being played, so take that for what it's worth.

That is correct.

I just thought of another probably candidate:  the moog bass on "California Saga/California."  And, come to think of it, likely the piano on "Big Sur," which is very similar to the part at the end of "Don't Go Near To The Water"  (and moog/organ on the same track?)