The Smiley Smile Message Board

I used to have a version of "Good Vibrations" that started off with Carl singing the opening of the final version of the song.  Then it went into Brian singing the song's original lyrics.  Was this a fan mix or something that was actually released.  I know there was an "early take" officially on the Smiley Smile/Wild Honey two-fer, but it didn't include the opening line from Carl.  I cannot find this version anywhere.  Anyone know anything about it?  If I had to guess, it was probably some sort of fan mix, but I'd like to find it again.

I'm pretty sure it was something released on The Smile Sessions.

(BTW, that's actually Carl, singing in a different style.)

That version or the version were the boys were overdubbing their vocals onto a Four Track, it's on a bootleg. I can't remember what one. I get what he's talking about. The bootlegger spliced two versions together the original 1st set of vocal overdubs Mix and the first set of Brian's overdubs Mix on the early version.

I think that this version you´re talking about is a fan mix version!
 The take with Brian (not Carl!) singing early T. Asher lyrics were is on Smiley Smile/Wild Honey two-fer, you´re right about that.

I must have an unusual pressing...mine definitely has Carl singing it. :)

It's Carl folks. Somewhere it was misprinted that it was Brian, but I am pretty sure cman has verified that it is Carl, beyond a doubt.

Those aren't the original lyrics (in the sense that they were recorded for release, then dumped): they're scratch, or dummy lyrics, never intended to be anything more than placeholders. Guy named Asher told me that.

Carl double-tracked on the verses, possibly Brian on the choruses. Also added at that session were Carl's Fender bass and Jews harp by a guy whom Bruce refers to as "Tony", but a good guess would be it's actually Tommy Morgan, and Bruce simply misspoke. The 2/18/66 basic track, transferred to 4-track and overdubbed at Western on 3/3/66, same day as that noted for the "second" rough vocal mix of "Wouldn't It Be Nice". None of these 4-track overdubs to "GV" were kept in the final mix.

This what I was thinking of when he mentioned it earlier.

https://youtu.be/LCfRbHl44ro

(double post)

So Carl sings an early version of GV, including the high note of the verses ("Iiii" and ""weeeeird") in full voice, but than can't sing the same note in the released version? Also, before debuting the song in Ann Arbor, Brian flies out to teach Carl sing the high note, which he apparently could sing earlier that year? I'm confused.

FWIW, about 1:15:15 into Love & Mercy, Brian (Dano) is signing some of the early lyrics to GV.

Yeah, and that was probably the only part of the movie that made my cringe...my wife had to practically hold me down and say, "I know, I know."

Yet Dennis sang those same early lyrics in an attempt at a lead vocal, so I'm wondering just how much were they a placeholder or scratch set of lyrics if Dennis took a shot at recording a lead vocal with them? Brian, Carl, and Dennis taking various lead vocals on those words, it seems like it could have been more than a placeholder. If it were just Brian doing a guide vocal, it would make more sense, but not Dennis doing them as well.

I was told the same thing, or more specifically that Tony thought they were not going to be his final lyrics, that he thought he and Brian were going to revisit the song but it didn't happen. The Boys may have thought of them as a finished lyric at the time.

I wonder if they were actually also the lyrics when VDP was asked to write new lyrics for GV. I'm pretty sure VDP has said that GV rewrite was the first thing discussed when he started. Vosse seems to put the beginning of the BW/VDP collab in August, which is also supported by Frank Holmes memories, which would be too early for Mike's lyrics.  These would also be the lyrics Macca would have heard at Derek Taylor's GV listening party too wouldn't they (if they heard lyrics)?

Or am I confused?

Possibly the PurpleChick fan mix?

That "Tony" voice sounds like Tony Asher to me. Anybody else?

I thought it sounded like Tommy Morgan!

Maybe Tony and Tommy sound somewhat alike. Just my impression and even I don't trust my ears.

I'm focusing on the fact that Dennis sang a lead vocal with those earlier GV lyrics, along with what we know was most likely a "scratch vocal" from Brian on the recording most have already heard and whatever Carl did with it as well.

The point is, a scratch vocal from Brian would make perfect sense, in a way that would be the placeholder as a track in the flow of the recording process. Brian would lay down rough vocals, guide vocals, often demo the actual parts too, and then deal those parts out to whichever band member would be doing those parts. We know he did that on other tracks especially in 1966 where we can actually hear them.

So if those lyrics were just placeholders, why would Dennis then be singing lead on the track with those lyrics at that point in the process? Does it make sense to have Dennis bothering to sing a lead vocal using lyrics that were nothing but a placeholder? I don't think it does, and I also think there is more to it. That's the challenge.

My point is Tony may have considered them scratch/placeholder lyrics but Brian and the Boys don't seem to have.

seems like the two of you agree. Whew!!  Now we'll have whirled peas