The Smiley Smile Message Board

I listened to Hawaii for the first time in ages the other day and something dawned on me – it's Dennis singing lead vocals! That can't be right, I thought, I was always led to believe it was Mike. I listened again.... still sounded like Dennis. And again I listened... now it seemed more like Mike. And again... that is Mike, but he sounds very much like Dennis in places. When you compare other Mike leads from Surfer Girl (and I suppose Surfin' USA and Little Deuce Coupe seeing as they were from a similar period), the Hawaii lead vocal sounds different to Mike's voice on tracks like Little Deuce Coupe, Our Car Club, Surfin' USA, Finders Keepers, etc.. it's like he was straining for his words.

Has anyone else noticed this or am I in the minority? And if anyone else has noticed this, why was Mike's voice 'different'' on Hawaii? I am intrigued.

It's Mike having a sore throat.

Hawaii and Catch a Wave were both recorded when Mike had a cold. 

For Hawaii, I've always thought it was Mike but I also always thought that Mike sounded very Dennis-y. It's amazing how the members of the band hadvery individualistic voices but at the same time so often sounded exactly like someone else in the band.

Indeed! Mike on Hawaii and Catch a Wave doesn't sound unlike Dennis on Surfer's Rule.

I understand Alan can sound like anyone in the band, except himself.

Quite true. As you know, there is evidence that Al has no idea at all what he would sound like if he didn't sound like one of the other band members. Some say Tony Bennett.

In my early days of Beach Boys fandom I thought Dennis sang on She Believes in Love Again.  That was before I knew the dates!

When I first saw a picture of The Beach Boys, a famous early one with Brian (with surfboard) and Mike stood at the back, with Dennis, David and Carl at the front, I didn't know who was who, so tried to guess. I think I got Brian spot on, but I thought David was Mike, as he looked to me like he would have that nasally voice, I thought Carl was Dennis (I guess I pictured someone with the name Dennis as being tubby, don't know why) and to me, Dennis was Carl! I presume I thought Mike was Al, as I probably didn't realise at the time that David had been in the band...

Almost everyone sounds like they had a cold on Beach Boys 85. Was it the mics that were used?

That was more the digital processing, I think.