The Smiley Smile Message Board

Decided to make a list of non-Beach Boys who have collaborated on songs with Beach Boys members that were released on official albums. Unfortunately it left off songs like Breakaway, but for the sake of brevity and sanity, I needed an end point. I was somewhat inspired by the "After the members, who was the most important person to the band" thread.

Poll coming.

Van Dyke Parks: (12)
Heroes and Villains
Vegetables
She’s Goin’ Bald
Wonderful
Cabinessence
Surf’s Up
Sail On, Sailor
Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)
I’m in Great Shape
Barnyard
Child Is Father of the Man
Wind Chimes

Terry Melcher: (11)
Getcha Back
Still Cruisin’
Somewhere Near Japan
Kokomo
Make It Big
Summer of Love
Island Fever
Still Surfin’
Strange Things Happen
Lahaina Aloha
Summer in Paradise

Joe Thomas: (11)
Think About the Days
That’s Why God Made the Radio
Isn’t It Time
Spring Vacation
The Private Life of Bill and Sue
Shelter
Beaches in Mind
Strange World
From There to Back Again
Pacific Coast Highway
Summer’s Gone

Jack Rieley: (10)
Long Promised Road
Feel Flows
A Day in the Life of a Tree
You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone
Marcella
Sail On, Sailor
Steamboat
The Trader
Funky Pretty
Radio King Dom

Roger Christian: (9)
Shut Down
Little Deuce Coupe
Ballad of Ole’ Betsy
Car Crazy Cutie
Cherry, Cherry Coupe
Spirit of America
No-Go Showboat
Don’t Worry Baby
In the Parkin’ Lot

Gary Usher: (8 )
County Fair
Ten Little Indians
Chug-A-Lug
409
Lonely Sea
In My Room
Pop, Pop Play Girl
We’ll Run Away

Tony Asher: (8 )
Wouldn’t It Be Nice
You Still Believe in Me
That’s Not Me
Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)
God Only Knows
Here Today
I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times
Caroline, No

Ron Altbach: (4)
She’s Got Rhythem
Belles of Paris
Winds of Change
Lady Lynda

Geoffrey Cushing-Murray: (4)
Full Sail
Angel Come Home
Love Surrounds Me
Goin’ South

Bob Norberg: (3)
Your Summer Dream
Keep an Eye on Summer
Back Home

Steve Kalinich: (3)
Little Bird
Be Still
All I Want to Do

Gregg Jakobson: (2)
Forever
Baby Blue

Gary Winfrey: (2)
Take a Load Off Your Feet
Lookin’ at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)

Tandyn Almer: (2)
Marcella
Sail On, Sailor

Darryl Dragon: (2)
Make It Good
Cuddle Up

Randy Bachman: (2)
Keepin’ the Summer Alive
Livin’ with a Heartache

Myrna Smith-Schilling: (2)
It’s Gettin’ Late
Maybe I Don’t Know

John Phillips: (2)
Somewhere Near Japan
Kokomo

Larry Millas: (2)
That’s Why God Made the Radio
Isn’t It Time

Jim Peterik: (2)
That’s Why God Made the Radio
Isn’t It Time

Terry Sachen: (1)
I Know There’s an Answer

Steve Korthof: (1)
When a Man Needs a Woman

Jon Parks: (1)
When a Man Needs a Woman

Al Vescovo: (1)
Diamond Head

Lyle Ritz: (1)
Diamond Head

Jim Ackley: (1)
Diamond Head

Joe Knott: (1)
Add Some Music to Your Day

Bob Burchman: (1)
It’s About Time

Ray Kennedy: (1)
Sail On, Sailor

Lynda Jardine: (1)
California Saga/The Beaks of Eagles

Diane Rovell: (1)
Had to Phone Ya

Roger McGuinn: (1)
Ding Dang

Ed Tuleja: (1)
Winds of Change

Karen Lamm: (1)
Baby Blue

Robert White Johnson: (1)
It’s Gettin’ Late

Steve Levine: (1)
Maybe I Don’t Know

Julian Stewart Lindsay: (1)
Maybe I Don’t Know

Eugene Landy: (1)
In My Car

Alexandra Morgan: (1)
In My Car

Scott McKenzie: (1)
Kokomo

Bob House: (1)
Make It Big

Craig Fall: (1)
Summer in Paradise

Jon Bon Jovi: (1)
Summer’s Gone

Van Dyke, no question.  He probably inspired Brian more than anyone and his non Beach Boys work is awesome too (including Brian's Orange Crate Art which I think is way too underrated).

Simply balancing the quality and quantity of songs, my top 5 would consist of...

1. Van Dyke Parks
2. Tony Asher
3. Jack Rieley
4. Joe Thomas
5. Roger Christian

I guess it all depends on where their involvement lies.  I'd place musical involvement far higher than lyrics, but the lyrical contributions of Van Dyke Parks and Tony Asher are arguably more significant than anyone actually in the band.

Some tough choices on there.  I voted for Tony Asher but aside from Van Dyke, I'm also a fan of Reilly and Thomas's contributions as well.

I don't know how he did it, but Rieley did a great job of getting the best out of Carl.

I went for Gary Usher, because I liked the handful of early 'landmark' stuff he did - 409, Lonely Sea, etc.  - when it was important for the band to make their mark, so to speak.  I know it wasn't a lot, but to me it was very important.  I got to know Gary Jr. back in the 90's when we were living on Guam and he was managing a record store at the Micronesia Mall.  He had a lot of good history he passed on to me, cleared up a few things, told me some things I didn't know, (and also played a mean guitar in a local band.  They opened for Sammy Hagqr in a street concert when Hard Rock opened thee in 1998 down on the Tumon Bay resort strip.) A really nice guy who was surprised and glad to find a guy on a little island in the middle of the Western Pacific ocean who knew who Gary Usher was.

give me a C
give me an O
give me a C
give me an A
give me an I
give me an N
give me an E

I went for Roger Christian, because he's an underrated lyricist, some of his stuff is brilliant.  "Shut Down" is incredible.

No Charles Manson? OK I'll go for Rieley.

 :lol


I went for Tony Asher. You write the lyrics to 8 songs on Pet Sounds, you're OK in my book.

Being the main collaborator/ lyricist on the best BB album, it has to be Tony Asher. 

Tony's lyrics aren't especially bad or anything, but for a lot of songs, I never thought they were especially special. A chorus that consists entirely of repeating "Sometimes I feel very sad" three times? Meh.

There are certainly some good lines in there, but overall I wouldn't rank him as a favorite. I'm sure someone's gonna say "But the simple lyrics are important to Pet Sounds!" or something, and they are to an extent, but they could have been better. Jack Rieley had the same approach but did a better job of it, for instance.

I've heard people who don't like Pet Sounds use "Sometimes I Feel Very Sad" as a dismissive comment against the legitimacy of Pet Sounds lyrically. If you're gonna use something to say Pet Sounds lyrics aren't special, don't use that! I think that's one of the best build ups of a chorus ever. Instead of singing three seperate lines, Asher (and Wilson) take the main sentiment ("sometimes i feel very sad") and repeat it thrice becuase it's so important. But that's not all - they know that would seem a bit childish or simple, so they add in "ain't found the right thing I can put my heart and soul into" twice. And if that wasn't enough, there's "people I know don't wanna be where I'm at" at the last line of the buildup. All of these lyrics (while very '60s'), are poignant and meaningful. They are highly personal and developed, paining a portrait of an isolated man feeling out of it in his surroundings. Add in the spanish backing vocals (which translate to something like "when will it be, one day it will be", and you have a lyrical masterpiece.

Far more meaningful than "over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield" anyway.

I voted for Tony Asher.  I love Van Dyke and Roger Christian but there's a real timelessness to Brian's collaboration with Asher.

Just personal opinion.

I voted Asher by the way. Favorite Beach Boys album and favorite lyrics. Roger Christian and Van Dyke are essentially tied for second.

As I stated before, Rieley did something that no one else could out of Carl Wilson and that's help churn out his greatest songs. He definitely deserves some credit there.

Looking at Melcher's songs are interesting, he actually started out pretty strong with the one off singles he was writing. Getcha Back, Still Cruisin', Somewhere Near Japan and Kokomo are all great, underrated songs in my opinion. It's when he and Mike tried to churn out a whole album's worth of material is when things got ugly.

No one's probably going to vote for Joe, but we all love TWGMTR, which is interesting. It's possible the perception of Joe may be worse than the actuality.

With all due respect to many of the others, and especially Van Dyke Parks and Roger Christian, as Pet Sounds is pretty much universally recognized by the industry as the Beach Boys high water mark, best work and one of the top albums of all time (which I agree), I have to give the nod to Tony Asher.

My sons name is Asher if that tells you anything.

...that you're a Peter & Gordon fan?  ;D

Asher!

Jack didn't do badly with the other guys either. I don't know how much he contributed as a collaborator, but I like everything he was associated with. There's some cool stuff there:

The Jack Rieley Collaborations

Side A

1. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
2. Feel Flows
3. Long Promised Road
4. Marcella
5. Funky Pretty
6. A Day In The Life Of A Tree

Side B

7. Sail On Sailor
8. Steamboat
9. The Trader
10. Mt. Vernon And Fairway

Tie with Asher and Van Dyke, I chose Van because I feel he had an overall musical and lyrical effect, while Asher helped Brian achieve on his own.

What an obvious but great idea, can't believe I never made such a comp for myself. I would replace the fairy tale with "Fourth of July" though.

Funny you say that, we were having dinner at a Mexican dive near my house and a guy sitting near us asked what his name was, he mentioned Peter & Gordan but was also familiar with Tony Asher.

Tony Asher! :jedi

In terms of quality, its got to be Tony Asher. 

Gee, this is hard...

Tie between Van Dyke Parks, Tony Asher and Jack Rieley.

...I'll use "Surf's Up" as tiebreaker and vote for Van Dyke.

Good call, W. I'll use Surf's Up (the album) as tiebreaker and vote for Jack Rieley. ;D

1. Tony Asher

2. Roger Christian
3. Jack Rieley
4. Van Dyke Parks
5. Joe Thomas

I think Joe gets a ton of deserved flack for his production on Imagination, but I think it overshadows the really good things he contributed to the band. His collaboration on the TWGMTR tracks is impressive as hell...especially with the life suite. I’m not sure to what degree he worked on every song that has his name on, but given the quality of the material it’s obvious he at least had a positive influence on Brian when these songs were written/recorded.

Is it possible to change my vote? I voted for Landy as a joke but meant to vote for VDP. Didn't realize there wasn't a "change vote" button.

Hard decision. But today I'm going with Rieley.
I like the songs he did with Carl, and Brian seemed to enjoy working with him as well.