The Smiley Smile Message Board

I recently discovered these and truly, deeply love them, but I have a question.

The original Pet Sounds version of WIBN has Mike on the bridge "maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray."

The stereo version has Brian singing that part.

With God Only Knows, the Pet Sounds version, on the outro has just Brian (singing two parts) and Bruce (singing one).  On the stereo remix, one of Brian's parts is given to Carl.

How were these versions with alternate vocals created?  Why were they done that way?  Were there other changes to the vocals other than the parts I'm noting above?  The stereo versions do such an incredible job of bringing the vocals forward (especially the backgrounds), but why weren't the original vocals used?  Personally I like having Brian on the bridge of WIBN, but would prefer to keep the "extra" Brian in place of Carl on the GOK outro.  I just love the effect of Brian's voice coming in the first time he sings "God only knows what I'd be without you."

I guess it just seems since it was Brian's decision to allocate the vocal parts the way he did in 1966, I'm not clear on why they were altered for the stereo versions.  Also, how did Carl's vocal get grafted into the recording of GOK for the stereo remix?  Evidently Carl recorded that part at some point (as Brian did the "maybe if . . ." bridge of WIBN), but Brian decided to go a different route.  Who decided to overrule that decision for the stereo remix?

Maybe you should read the booklet that comes with it?

I'm not that dumb -- I don't have the booklet!  :) 

I should add that while I own every BB album from Surfin Safari through BB85 on CD (including Party and Stack o Tracks!) I never bought the Pet Sounds box sets.  I discovered these stereo versions on youtube. 

Them vocals are on the mono mix because Brian recorded them directly to the master. They don't exist on any other tape, so couldn't be used when making the stereo mix. The Carl & Brian vox you describe are what he recorded before the mixdown. We're lucky he did that, as I'm not sure Capitol would have sanctioned a mix with vocals completely missing. Also missing because of this is the doubled lead on You Still Believe...

And buy the boxset! You won't regret it.

EDIT: Hypehat beat me to the answer.

Hypehat -- Thanks for the answer.  I will definitely get it -- the stereo versions are really a revelation.

You might find a Pet Sounds "box set" on ebay or in some record store at a reduced price...I had luck finding a second set that way. The "sessions" and unfinished sections are worth their weight in gold.  I would not suggest buying it just to "say you have a complete collection" but, because it is SO cool.   Some would consider it  a box of "out-takes" but it shows the "refining" process of renaming some of the songs, tightening up the album, and working with a more or less finished product.  

One of my sons (BB brainwashed from the cradle) saw Brian with me a couple of years ago and, then, became very interested in Pet Sounds.  In addition to his own copy, he has a "sessions" CD on mp3 and could not get over how young Brian was when he did that work.  We, who sort of grew up (me, as a teen) with Pet Sounds, take it for granted, and it is a "whole new ballgame" for the young people.

Brian is almost a sort of hero for some of them and they don't take him for granted at all, likely because I don't think there is anyone of the caliber of Brian and the Boys.  Sure, they listen to that vile hip hop, etc., but little compares with Pet Sounds.
I also think there was some kind of "crossover" when these young people saw Hootie and the Blowfish dressed in the old Pendleton shirts.  And young people "connecting the dots" between Brian's work and younger talented performers, like Darius Rucker who is a generational favorite for them.  

It is kind of backwards, for my son, after seeing Brian "live" around the time and the hoopla of the Kennedy Center awards, but he enjoys listening to the session clips where Brian is directing the guys and the musicians and the banter among them...after he has known the "finished product" and the "big hits" his whole life...I don't know how much of the "sessions" are on YouTube because I have not looked for them, but am delighted that young people are interested in the work, all these years later.

It is so cool!  8)

Cool story, filledeplage.  My kids are younger (8 and 4) but I am already indoctrinating them in the Beach Boys -- almost entirely through youtube.  Funny thing is that they both gravitate very strongly toward Dennis!

I bought mine used (in very good condition) for $30 on amazon. Hands down the best music-related purchase I have ever made. As was mentioned on another thread, the vocals-only of WIBN and Sloop John B make the set worth every penny. Plus the two booklets are incredibly fascinating.

In the meantime, if you haven't heard the 'Dont Talk' vocal snippet - here it is on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scIncjf0y0E&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scIncjf0y0E&feature=related)

My favorite moment on the whole set.

There is one on amazon for $34 right now in very good condition with a 30 day refund guarantee.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000002U4U/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1289422064&sr=8-1&condition=used (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000002U4U/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1289422064&sr=8-1&condition=used)

Thanks, rab.

Thanks, that is funny...but not surprising that they gravitate towards Dennis...

Kids like people who are "exciting" - that would be Dennis...and on YouTube...

I forgot that you can hook up a big computer or TV monitor so they get a feel for the video...great idea for the kids! (I taught 4/5 year olds for long time, in my "earlier" life- and they paid me - it was like "stealing" money every week!

They can do their own "rock star - thing!" Cool idea!  ;)

Glad you found the stereo mixes . I want to give a more detailed answer to your questions.

On WIBN Mike originally sang the lead but at some point Brian decided to sing it himself erasing MIke's vocal on the 8 track tape in the process. However, when he did the final mix Brian decided he preferred Mike in the bridge so he edited in the bridge from an earlier mono mix that had Mike's vocal. But since only Brian's vocal is now on the multi-track tape when I did the stereo mix we didn't have Mike's vocal. Since the stereo mix was never intended to replace the original mono one,  with Brian's approval we left his vocal in the bridge on the boxset. However when Capitol decided to issue the stereo mix on its own we used a stereo track mix and a small piece of the original mono mix syncd up to put Mike back in the bridge. This version can be found on the 40th anniversary set and I believe on the 2001 mono/ stereo CD. It is also the version used on all compilation releases of Beach Boys tracks since that time.

GOK is a similar situation. The vocals heard on the stereo mix are the only ones on the multi-track master , so the ending on the original record is from an earlier mix before some of those vocals were re-recorded. There are also additional vocals in the vamp on the 8 tracks that were apparantly recorded but not used and a mix with those vocals can be found on the boxset.

BTW the song "You Still Believe In Me" only contains a single vocal by Brian on the stereo mix , not the doubled one that appears on the mono. On this song Brian sang the double to his lead as the 4 track master was being mixed to mono so the double was not available for the stereo mix.

I suggest that you try and find an affordable copy of the box complete with both booklets . Together they provide the best history of the making of the album.

Mark Linett

It's been awhile now, but wasn't this one of the primary reasons the Pet Sounds box set was held up from release for a year back in 1996? In addition to Mike contending that he didn't get enough recognition in one of the accompanying books, wasn't it Mike who also objected that the original stereo version of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to be used in the box did not include his vocal on the bridge?

i love the stereo wouldn't it be nice (in cd/digital anyway).  The mono WIBN on CD is muddy for some reason.  Stereo lets it all breathe.

I feel the same way.  There's so much going on vocally and instrumentally in that song that gets lost in the mono mix.  The stereo mix gives you the full picture, allows you to hear every nuance of Brian's brilliant arrangement.

My question is this: where could I find single-tracked versions of these?

Mark -- Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.  The stereo versions are truly wonderful -- it is like hearing a whole different song.  As someone else said in the thread, there is so much going on in WIBN that I never picked up in decades of listening to the mono.  But the stereo brings it out.  Listening to the stereo I think it may now be my favorite thing that Brian ever did and that is obviously saying something.  On GOK I noticed the instruments particularly come out in the stereo version in a beautiful way.  Thank you so much for your work on these recordings and for posting to answer my questions.

I think that's what Brian was going for. It's very Spector to have everything mixing together to create one giant noise rather than having it mixed so that you can pick out on instrument from another.

Oh you're absolutely correct, no doubt about that.  I just think it's a damn shame to have all of these incredible orchestrated parts that you can't hear - almost makes it seem like a waste.