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I'm just trying to find moments where Brian is audible on L.A.  For some reason I hear a background bit on Angel Come Home that sounds like him, but I'm not entirely sure on that.  Are there any moments where Brian can be distinctly (or even vaguely) heard on this album?

There are pages dedicated to who sings what. Lots of them. This album is discussed beginning around pg 65 or so of the relevant thread. Give that a read and see what you think.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,4120.640.html

Well, I just read through it and it says that the only track Brian is definitely on is Angel Come Home.

If you read up to Page 68, the info is there.

[C-man says] I can confirm that Carl said "Brian sang on 'Angel Come Home' and other background parts" (Time Barrier Express, 1979).  When asked if Brian had any production input into the album Bruce said it was "More vocally", and Carl said "It was more performance this time", and then Bruce said "On 'Angel Come Home' it's mostly three-part harmony...until the choruses, then we added Mike".  An article published right around the same time in "Grooves" Magazine said "Brian's only real contribution to the new album has been his singing on a few tracks".  In that article, Carl said "Bruce and I had a lot of fun doing the background parts in Japanese" (on "Sumahama"), which might imply Brian in NOT on that one.

However I can also confirm that Bruce said Brian did NOT sing on "Good Timin'" (in another interview around 1995 or so, and I think he said it was b/c Brian was in the hospital at the time), and we know that he isn't on "Here Comes The Night" despite the fact that Bruce intended to get him on the high part. 

I can confirm that Bobby Figueroa said he did a lot of vocal work on the album with Carl.

And I can't confirm it, but I'm pretty sure Brian sang on "Shortenin' Bread" since they reportedly did the vocals in Miami.

Oh, and that ThomasOgg guy...Oy! ::)

Thanks for the info. I've been around the Definitive Vocal Credits thread before, but did not come across this stuff.  It's quite helpful, but I guess there's still a mystery on some of the other tracks.  Angel Come Home was the only one that really stood out for me in that regard, and it's nice to know my ears were right in that case.

Yeah, the Vocal Credits thread needs the albums splitting off from the discussion parts, in my opinion. As soon we declare it finished, I'll ask the mod.

I'm probably in the minority here, but I miss Thomasogg. Did he get booted from the board or something?

I believe he did. And if you miss him, just pretend this is him:

'Who cares what Brian sang on LA? We ought to be discussing Dennis's contributions. Dennis was by far the most talented Beach Boy. You can't even argue it after 1968, or you're an idiot with no ears. Dennis, Dennis, Dennis. Blah blah Dennis.'

There. a perfect thomasogg imitation, ladies and gentlemen.

:lol

I think I like this Thomassong guy!  heh!

You know you're a geek when...

You stop off at a coffee shop in the middle of a 12-hour drive on tour (from San Francisco to Portland) to post minutiae on a fan message board.

On my drive up I took the opportunity to listen to M.I.U. and L.A. in their entirety and I noticed a couple of possible Brian appearances on L.A. besides his one confirmed vocal turn (on "Angel Come Home").

I believe we'd eliminated him from:
Sumahama (by implication from interview referencing Carl and Bruce as b. vocalists)
Here Comes The Night (various sources)
Good Timin' (probably, per Bruce)
Shortenin' Bread (per Alan Boyd)
Baby Blue (probably, per Alan Boyd)

On further listening, there are two places that could conceivably be Brian.  On "Lady Lynda," the opening "lady" 2-part harmony has a very hoarse high vocal.  I was in the car but it always struck me as a little too hoarse to be Al that early.  Al's had a history of sticking Brian on the opening few lines of his songs...could this be a Brian cameo?  (It doesn't rule him out being on the rest of the song...it is one of the few songs he participated in vocally consistently live, and doesn't the recording date from pre-L.A.?  The vocals are thick and nasal enough that he could be in there somewhere)

The other one is on "Full Sail."  The "adventure on the high seas" part is very unusual in that it's a "unison" background vocal.  It's clearly Carl and a couple of other voices.  It might be a bunch of Carls of course (although that would tend to sound not very gang-like) or whoever's on the backgrounds for the rest of the song (Carl, Bruce and Denny?), but it occurred to me that Brian might be one of the other voices...the quality of tone is right and it might even have been an easy way to get Brian's voice on more of the record, partly explaining why Carl took the unusual step of having a unison vocal, though it certainly works in the context of the song.

I was listening in the car, so this is all very unscientific, but whatcha think?

Btw, I'm going to be up in the northwest the next several days playing a bunch of shows there...I had a cool night last night in SF...Adrian Bourgeois came up and sang "Long Promised Road."  If you haven't heard Adrian's album, I highly recommend it.  The show dates are on my myspace page (www.myspace.com/adammarsland) and I'll be doing some selected Wilson numbers...

OK, back to I-5
adam
Mt. Shasta, CA

I think some of the Good Timin chrous was done in 1974. I have an early version that's mostly instrumental but has that part. If it is from 1974 I would think Brian is on there.

If anybody has the transcript  of that AOL chat he did close to ten years ago...I think I asked Bruce that question. If I did, how did he respond? I vaguely remember asking him about Brian and Good Timin' , but I might have asked him a different time. Sadly, I didn't hear the 1974 version until recently. I *think* Brian's on there, but I could be wrong. That's just gut,though.

I think where we left that was Bruce had said Brian's not on it, but there was an open question as to whether that was just the '78 overdubs or the whole thing.

Any thoughts on the two parts I mentioned in "Lynda" and "Sail"?  I don't have access to headphones on the road, but someone else could give it a listen and see what they thought.

Lady Lynda there does seem to be an off key high voice buried in the mix. Full Sail no I don't think he was.

I really don't think Brian's on "Good Timin'".  The '74 mix only has Carl's vocal in the chorus.

I liked Brian's part on Good Timin on the old HBO 7/4 special.  Flat, somewhat off key, but prime BW live from that era.

In the unison part specifically?  That was the only part where I thought he might be.

I just listened to both bits Adam mentioned, and in my carefully considered, somewhat educated-on-the-subject opinion, I hereby rule ... could be. Can't tell either way for sure. You're welcome. Wake me up when next you need me.  ;D

One quick thing on that 7/4/80 "Good Timin" Brian vocal....If you look at the expression on Brian's face, it's almost as if he's looking at Carl for a cue as to when he (Brian) should come in with his "you need good timin" part. I always have to shake my head at that, I mean, how simple a part was that, to come in with "you need good timin" right after Carl. I believe at this same concert, Brian sang the first verse to "Sloop John B", but Carl handled the last verse, "poor cook he caught the fits", much like the Knebworth version. Was Brian that out of it - musically - that he was having so many problems with such simple parts? I don't know what this has to do with Brian on L.A. Light Album (the worst album title in the history of album titles). Carry on....

Not sure if Brian is on "Full Sail", but apparently Geoffrey Cushing-Murray is singing unison with Carl in the bridge. 

Yes the unison "Stay Lady" harmonies.

Brian was hospitalised (at Brotman) during the fall of 1978 for several months: he was released in March 1979, reportedly flying straight to NYC for the Radio City Music Hall gigs (1st-4th). I'd say he was hardly on that album at all.

The unison part (or "gang vocal" if you will) on FULL SAIL.  There's no unison on "Lynda" that I'm aware of.  The part on "Lady Lynda" I was referring to was the opening "lady, lady..." at the beginning of the song.  There's a two part harmony there, and the high part is reaaaalll hoarse.  AGD, wasn't that song started during MIU?  that's what made me think Brian might be on it.

I'll buy GCM on "Full Sail," that makes a lot of sense.  That clears up that mystery.

Oh I see. No I don't think he's on that, but like I said I think he may be in the "stay lady" background part.

I think Brian may be singing on all of Dennis's songs, but definitely on Love Surrounds Me, where he can be clearly heard with what I assume is Carl. Given that BW's relationship was closer with his brothers than the rest of the band, and with Dennis in particular due to a certain form of existential angst they shared, I think it likely that he would have wanted to make a contribution to DW's songs as an act of brotherly solidarity.

I can't hear him, but as he added a lot vocally to Celebrate The News, Forever, Sound Of Free, etc. perhaps he was.

An ironic line to sing if he was looking at Carl to know when to sing it!

The only other people I can here on Love Surrounds Me are Christie McVie and Carl. Or, am I correct that it's Christie McVie on the LA version and not just on the Bambu version?

Otherwise, I honestly don't think Brian sang a note on that album. Aside from me simply not hearing him, it just doesn't FEEL like he's there.

He (Brian's) definitely on "Angel Come Home", no question about it (I've been told his name's even on the track sheet, singing on two tracks with Bruce).  As for "Love Surrounds Me", I hear Carl and Dennis singing harmony parts together, and the really REALLY high part is Bruce Johnston and/or Bobby Figueroa.  Christine is indeed on the L.A. Light version, but mostly in the tag. 

Ah, good info.

Gotta give Bruce props for that high part. I love it, but always assumed it was Christie McVie.

Ya know as I have been reading this thread about Brian's vocals, something else occurred to me. Al Jardine was hardly on this album at all as well. Obviously Lady Lynda and Good Timin but what else? Seems like most of the harmonies are Carl and Bruce with Mike occassionally. Guess Al was busy with the horses during these sessions?

Well, of course, none of us actually know because we weren't there, but when I listen to the BG vox come in on Love Surrounds Me at 0.34, 1.04, (and particularly) 2.00 and 2.15 I hear BW's 'slightly unpleasant' 'mature' voice, and the 'A love of my own' at 2.54 and 3.06 sounds alot like that too.

But, hey, maybe we just hear what we want to hear.

I've just listened to that song and I thought I heard Brian in there on Love Surrounds Me.

He's definitely on Here Comes The Night.

heh heh, it's easy to forget about that one.

Al's also on "Shortenin' Bread".  But that might be it.

I've always thought I heard Brian in the middle part of "Baby Blue."  Right after the "I dream of you..." part at 1:44 it really sounds like him quoting his vocal scat from the tag of "Forever."  The vocal sounds slightly ragged enough, but the timbre of the vocals really sounds right to me.  Sounds similar to his vocals on MIU.

Hey gsmile...

I thought that too, was ready to swear it was Brian on the "Baby Blue" 2nd verse...Alan Boyd proved me wrong by playing me a mix with the vocal isolated.  It's Carl.

I figured it was probably just Carl, but maaaan, does he ever do a good imitation of his brother!