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Can anyone post who sings what parts on "Rock N Roll To The Rescue?"

Out of my head I believe Brian sings everthing except the second verse which is sung by Alan until Carl sings "and you better get ready now go cat go", after that Al comes back. All the rest is Brian I believe. One of my very, very favorite Brian-leads btw

yea it should have been a hit. much better than kokomo.

I think it's a terrible song.

[Group] Gotta get a ticket cause i really gotta go
There's a party goin' down at the rock'n'roll show
Baby get ready if you really wanna go
Now everybody's goin' to the rock'n'roll show

[Brian] I saw some surfer girls in west L.A.
And right away it got me thinkin' 'bout my high school days
Well i was always kinda shy you know i never learned to dance now
And i remember bein' worried i was scared to take a chance now
And it happened it was lookin' through my mamma's things...*
I found some rock and roll records and i learned to sing now !

[Group] Rock'n'roll to the rescue
Rock'n'roll's gonna get you
Rock to the rescue
[Alan] I said it rescued me
And it'll rescue you

[Alan] Now believe it when i tell ya that i never felt alive
Not 'til the night i started rockin' to my mamma's 45's
Well it was one for the money now and two for the show
[Carl] Hey you better get a'ready now and go cat go!
[Brian] Yeah the long tall Sally started boppin' 'round the room yeah
She sing be bop wadda loo bop a-whop bam boom yeah

[Group] Rock'n'roll to the rescue
Rock'n'roll gonna get you
Rock to the rescue
[Alan] I said it rescued me
And it'll rescue you

[Brian] So we got a band together now we're really quite the rage now
[Brian & Carl] And i lose my inhibitions when i move across the stage now
[Brian] We're the hottest ticket goin' what a fantasy flight now
They tell me fifty thousand people come to see us every night now

[Group] Rock'n'roll to the rescue
Rock'n'roll's gonna get you
Rock to the rescue
[Alan] I said it rescued me
And it'll rescue you

[Group] Gotta get a ticket cause i really gotta go
There's a party goin' down at the rock'n'roll show
Baby get ready if you really wanna go
Now everybody's goin' to the rock'n'roll show

[* this line has always worried me...]

Listening to the song right now, during the chorus I think it's Brian singing "I said it rescued me, And it'll rescue you", but I could be wrong. I've always enjoyed this tune

c*ck an ear to the percadella mix - who's singing what is much easier to work out. Nice bass line by Mike, too !

yea the remixes are great

Andrew, thanks for posting the lyrics and vocalists.

Where does this "Percadella" mix exist? My copy is a 7" 45 with a live GV on the flip.

It's the B side of the 12". Sometimes, size does matter.  ::)

I had always thought it was "through my mama's knees" and actually, as I listen to it right now, I really hear "knees" and not "things". And "knees" seems a little more... Appropriate.  :-D

So, in your cosmos, "knees" rhymes with "sing", does it ?  ::)

Yeah, it does! And "We could be married" rhymes with "And then we'd be happy" too!

But I'm sorry my dear Lord, you can't be wrong, so you're right, and I'm wrong, and I shouldn't even have talked about this, because this probably is the kind of remark you'd expect from the Blueboard, and not from here. I repent. Please hit me, I deserve it.  :p

Just joking! Actually I find it weird too, as it would be the only place in the song where the "ending words" don't rhyme. But still, I hear "knees" and not "things"... Maybe because I'm French?  :-D

Peut-être.  :)

Hey! ;D

But what do other people hear? Knees or things?

Edit: I feel bad about my "joke"... I made this "edit" just because I wanted to let you know that I have a lot of respect for you.  :)

Hey, no probs.

And I hear "things".

It's just what kind of...' things' that concerns me.  :o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT8n6gIp9yk

and yes its THINGS  :-D

Well... As Brian would say... "Well I'll be GODD*MNED!"  ;D  ¨(edit: stupid automatic corrector... "blesseded" doesn't mean anything!)

Thanks to both of you for your enlightenment! Lyrics are always a point of interest to me, as much as the music, so...

I love this song!! One of the best Brian vocals of the 80's imo. They should totally do this on the BAD tour!

Given we're resurrecting six-year-old threads, I would like to note that AGD's work on the lyrics and singers has some things that I hear quite differently.

-- "And i remember bein' worried i was scared to take a chance now" should read "And i remember bein' NERVOUS i was scared to take a chance now"
-- Those solo response lines in the chorus are surely sung by Brian rather than Al, no? (Someone already posted about this, and I agree.)
-- Carl joins with Brian again on the line: "They tell me fifty thousand people come to see us every night now"
-- Some minor transcription errors on the last couple of verses, but nothing huge.

You can listen to the percadella mix here, by the way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUMrtEJuKZw

Another fact about this song I find interesting is (I believe) AGD's note in his book that Brian produced the initial sessions for this tune. Wonder why that happened, and why they took it away from him? (I think the giveaway is the baritone sax.)

In a interview shortly thereafter, Brian related how he & Terry did the initial production then "Gene took me away to Hawaii for a few weeks, and when we came back, they'd finished it !"

Who does the falsetto after the line "I saw some surfer girls in west LA"

Last great falsetto by the band imo!

Could be Jeff. He was on the BB85 album, after all.

Could that possibly mean that the rough outline of the song might have gone back a few years, meaning 1982 to possibly January 1983? Or did Brian take a second trip to Hawaii for some reason?

It does sound like Brian to me.

I agree, and the accompanying video backs this up - and what's not believeable about that fine piece of visual art?

All the production work in the world couldn't save this song. The songs a dud and if someone had said it early on they could have saved a lot of time and effort and put the work into something better.

For what tho? at this point the Beach Boys were past their time and nothing much was going on during that time as far as i can remember.

I think it's alright and agree that it deserves to be more popular than Kokomo i guess, what mostly bothers me is the "wouhouhouh" somewhere in the intro..
i havn't read anything about the song so i don't know if it was intended but it's obviously the same as the one the Beatles did in Back in the USSR by actually "making fun" of the Beach Boys..

I am one of the hardy bunch who rank this as one the best songs (relatively speaking) that the band recorded in the 1980s. It's obviously just a throwaway fun song but I think it succeeds on those terms.

I think its actually quite promising for the first minute but the weak ass chorus kills it IMO and its all downhill from there

- it indeed seems to be "mama's things".

- the "Tutti frutti" quote is "wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom", not "be bop wadda loo bop a-whop bam boom". Brian's singing "wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom" though.

- the "rescued me...." lines are Brian

original video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKqd_9Xx9IQ

remix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh_Aqxhib8o

Yes, and easily ranks way up there with some of the worst things they've done. Embarrassing as hell. Should never have seen the light of day.

Just listened to it again and it still sounds to me like "And it happened I was lookin' through my mama's knees."

But I just checked the Daywin Music (Terry Melcher's publishing) lyric sheet, which "includes the professional fake book arrangement" and sho 'nuff it's "things."

'Course they spell "mama" as "mamma" on the sheet music so I think some things aren't always right with interpretation........

Rock and Roll to the Rescue is absolutely appalling, much like practically everything else they did in the '80's. And the video? Shoot me now. The moment at 1.45 when Carl sings into the camera, wobbling his head while he does so, and then it cuts to Mike appearing beside some bikini-clad babe and eyeballing her tits - honestly, even taking into account the Summer of Love video, I would say this is the single most embarrassing moment in their career. Just horrid. And again, a rubbish song.

I think seeing Carl having fun in the video is great to be honest.

Mike was...being Mike.  :)

I think the video was a fun, goofy party-video and the boys went with that. I like how they act like they having the ball of their life

I really like it. You have to put it in context. Is it great art? No. But is it good natured fun for beach boys fans? Yes.  Same opinion of last studio album. It may not be pet sounds revisited but its better than any lp since. 1979

Indeed. It's also interesting to compare that with the image of the band presented in Stephen McParland's book in 1986.

The video was awesome! Cheesy as hell but awesome because they actually look like they're having some fun. If Carl/Brian weren't into the song and attempting to make a cooky video then we would of been able to tell! Granted, Brian is a little spaced out on the faux live tv performance but that 80's Brian for you.

If you can look past some of the production and try and put yourself in 1986(Dear God...) then it really works! After Carl wails his "You better get ready, now go, cat, go" and Brian comes in with his "Long tall Sally.." line. Ah! SO GOOD!

I feel like this song could of been on the SDASN album only way more "Brian Wilson"-esque sounding (Crazy to think it was 21 years after SDASN!!). Did Terry Melcher write the music to this?

I miss Ron when I read posts like this. I mean, on one level I kind of agree with it. The tune is a tarted-up trifle.

But on the other hand, if you can't appreciate the Beach Boys' take on a song like this (with actual Brian involvement in lead vocals, production and from the sound of it, vocal arrangements), I feel like you miss out on a big part of the band. At a certain level, the BBs are tacky and square and like your dad trying to dance, and that's an essential piece of their appeal.

Why would one forsake a "big part of the band" if they didn't care for a couple of their songs? Especially songs that reek of parody? Does one have to subscribe faithfully to everything they do in order to not miss out on on a part of the band? Just sayin'.

At the time I remember thinking this could've been hit if they had just let Al sing the whole thing. The Brian Wilson of 1986 is not exactly the kind of voice talent you want on a tune that's targeting a mainstream pop audience (2012 yes...with some studio wizardry).   ;D

I can't fault the video. ALL of the guys (including Brian) look like they're having the time of their lives. This is one of those situations where high art can go take a hike. "What? You want us to cavort with a bunch of twenty year old girls with big t**s on the beach?....Yeah, we'll ALL be there. In fact, we're can't get there soon enough!". Can't say I blame them.

Thanks oldsurferdude! You saved me the trouble of having to write exactly what you've just said myself.

What's percadella mix mean anyways?

Percussion and vocals?

I always assumed they intended to call it the "percapella" (PERCussion & a cAPELLA DO YOU SEE?) mix. But someone got it wrong somewhere along the way.

No doubt at all that it's Brian singing "I said it rescued me, and it'll rescue you."  Also it is clearly "my momma's things."

Not a great song, but I love the way they really let the vocals rip.  Hearing Brian and Carl sing like that has to be worth something, no?

Can this song be found on any currently in print cd? I ended up having to get a used copy of Made In the USA, or whatever it's called. I love the song. I think it was probably the most "Beach Boys" sounding song since Good Timin'.

Interesting to see all the "love it" and "hate it" reactions to this song.  Add me to the group who thinks this is an embarrassingly bad song in just about every respect, easily one of the worst recordings the Beach Boys ever made.

Ok record nothing I would buy if it wasn't The Beach Boys. Video is hideous.

I can't decide which is worse, the video or the song itself. Both are embarrassingly poor and reek of pure desperation.

And yes, the decision to have Brian sing most of the lead was just.... perverse, if they were hoping to have a hit.

Listening to this again, I am reminded why I was so happy when Brian Wilson (88) came out.  At least with The Beach Boys ('85), they had made a (flawed) effort.  This song and the "California Dreamin'" cover on Made in USA made me feel like they were just giving up artistically.  Hearing it now, it's harmless enough, but at the time it pretty much ended my buying new Beach Boys product.  I don't think I bought another non-archival new BB release until TWGMTR.

It's certainly not great art. But it has something to it, and all the band members sound like they're trying. It's a Brian Wilson co-produced track, for goodness' sake, and certainly sounds like he had something to do with the vocal arrangements, too.

But yeah ... Brian sounds incredibly strained. And the lyrics are -- well -- has anyone else here lost their inhibitions moving 'cross the stage now? Cause if so, you should probably be arrested.

As I said earlier, Ron made these arguments much better than I do. Give me a few years.

You sure you want to post like Ron? ;D

Not really. But the man had a perspective! And love it or hate it, he argued it passionately and (sometimes) persuasively.

What happened to the guy?

Wore out his welcome with posting booze fueled angry rants. He isn't banned, but just doesn't log on much anymore.

They all look like they're having great fun, especially Carl.

I see on Youtube, the Boys minus Brian did a solid version of this song at Farm Aid 1986, with Mike taking Brian's lead vocal.

It's cool to see Al giving a rougher vocal than usual on the live version and when Carl comes in with, 'Hey you better get a'ready now and go cat go!', Mike is visibly taken aback by Carl's power  ;D .

It's not a classic BB song, but for me, it's definitely one of their best tracks from the '80s. It has a genuine rock n' roll energy and the Boys are clearly really enjoying themselves with it.

I put it on my personal playlist of the Still Cruisin' album and it certainly boosts things there. The Percadella Mix is interesting though, as the vocal parts are much clearer.

Am currently playing the Extended Mix over on Youtube - 6.31, dig it cats and kiddies! Can't say it improves anything and the sampled 'Rock rock!' parts sound like the Boys doing a dog barking and get irritating very quickly.

Do you really think Ron rarely visits the board because he "wore out his welcome"? That'd be very silly. What if he's just on vacation or on the contrary, has a busy working schedule? Also, I've never seen him posting sth. rude. He suggested many good & fair points to discussions. I usually enjoyed reading his posts. I'm sure am not alone on having this notion. Glad he isn't banned, in short.
Of course, nothing against you, SMiLE Brian, it just kind of upsets me when people here post sth. negative about each other because I got accustomed & eventually happened to like them. So, as EgoHanger once said, you are better than this.