The Smiley Smile Message Board

I hardly hear anything about this group, but you'd think people on Beach Boys boards would be talking about them. They were a powerpop group from the 1970s featuring Jeff Foskett on bass and Randell Kirsch on guitar. I got my hands on their demos the other day and it's some pretty cool stuff. It's funny - both Jeff and Randell are known these days for singing Brian-esque falsetto vocals, but I hear nothing like that in the Pranks' stuff. You'd think 30 years ago their voices would be even stronger.

I haven't heard them. But when you say you hear nothing of that [BW falsetto], do you mean they're failing at it, or just not doing it? If it's the latter, then you're thought that their voices would've been stronger 30 years ago seems out of place: that would be a matter of style decisions, not a matter of vocal strength.

Well, I mean I hear some high harmonies, but they're very blah. I didn't mean to phrase it the way I did, but I mean, imagine how great their falsetto voices must've been 30 years ago if they're at good-enough-to-imitate-BW-professionally level today.