The Smiley Smile Message Board

Since she is the one who sang on County Fair, is she the blond seen in the 1962 session photos that are in the 2fer and box set? Carrie or Jon will know this I hope.

No, Andrea was dark haired. But if you can find the Dave and the Marksmen's single Cruisin she's on that too, and its obvious its the same voice as County Fair.

Thanks Jon. I heard that was Nik Venet's girlfriend but as Steve McPharland wrote on the cover of his sessions book "Who Knows?"

Actually, that appears to be Dave's handwriting on the cover of McParland's book...he wrote the little message at the bottom, too, about how they played their own instruments on those first five albums.

This question might be in a different direction but did Dave play any lead on a Beach Boys-track or was all of that handled by Carl (or a session musician)?

According to Jon's excellent book, Dave played lead live [against Murry's wishes, as the elder Wilson had issued an edict about Carl playing the leads], including an extended solo that really pissed Murry off, but if I remember correctly, the only time Dave defied Murry's rule in the studio is the little run you hear in the fade-out to Shut Down, which is Dave. A little flurry of Chuck Berry notes...

Well...first of all for about the 20000th time...there were no session guitarists on any BB's track while Dave was a Beach Boy(except Derry Weaver's very minor appearance on the first LP). Carl was designated as the "lead' guitar player by Murry on all the sessions, a keep it in the family thing...though David and Carl were very equal as guitarists in ability(teacher John Maus will attest to this), starting out together and learning from the same teacher, and able to play each others parts perfectly(Dave passed Carl up by '67, while Carl became one of the world's greatest singers).

During the live shows David did often solo on certain BB's songs, in fact some eye witnesses to those early BB's shows told me David was clearly the best musician in the band, but that's just anecdotal. Specifically there are a few instances of David straying out side the rhythm role on some Beach Boys records, but these are mostly quick flourishes and flashes of lead...the last notes on Shut Down as it fades out is one example that we've all heard a zillion times...those notes are David... the downslides on the tag of Surfin USA are him...the opening notes of Surf Jam are Dave...things like that can be considered more lead than rhythm I guess. But Dave's most enduring recorded parts are the great rhythm tracks he laid down on songs like Surfin' USA, Surfer Girl, In My Room, Your Summer Dream where his great distinct chording really stands out.

I have a question about Dave on guitar - who is the lead guitar on "Moon Dawg" if Carl is drums? Is it "Derry Weaver"? or overdubbed Carl?

And also - did Dave do any backing vocals on any other BB album than the first one?

Good question about Moon Dawg...I think its Carl overdubbed. Carrie?

second question...The short answer is... maybe a little.
It seems Dave's voice is definitely on the first LP in a few places and a bit on the first couple of singles, perhaps he sings on the second LP but only minimally, for sure he's helping shout out the Stoked and Lets Go Trippin's but that not really singing is it? Al was back for some of the third LP and added his voice, while Dave concentrated on being a guitarist. Dave really became a fine vocalist by his Moon work in 1967 at age 18. To check what his voice was like in '67 listen to Brother Lou's Love Colony and She's On My Mind on The Moon's first LP Without Earth.

And i have to tell you, folks, that David really has a wonderful voice.  It's a combination, as he says, of Carl, Dennis, and Mike, and it has a very cool and unique quality to it.  Don't ever let anyone tell you that David doesn't have a good voice; they're wrong.

I was once told by Domenic Priore that it was Elliot Ingbar of the Gamblers.

You know what you are correct.

Is that, by chance, Elliot Ingber of the Mothers of Invention and of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band?

I was pleasantly surprised by his singing voice last Tuesday.  He didn't really get a chance to showcase that while on tour with Mike & Bruce in the late 90s.

You know, I'm not sure...I see it spelled "Ingbar" in relation to the Gamblers, and "Ingber" in relation to the Mothers...

Same guy...but I seriously doubt he was on the BB's song.

I just listened to it, and it certainly could be an overdubbed Carl.  I would think it's easily within his 1962 competancy range.