The Smiley Smile Message Board

Its so weird to me that Brian does this so often.  I've never heard any other band do this that I can think of.  Mostly, it can be seen from Mike to Brian for the higher parts of a melody, but why does Carl switch to Brian on higher parts when he has incredible range as well (GV, Time to Get Alone)?  When I first started listening to the Beach Boys and started to be able to tell their voices apart, this would always trip me up because I wouldn't realize that the person singing at one point was not the one who started the lyric...

I would guess for the tone differences. Carl could sign hihg, but Brian has a different (i'd say fuller and brighter) tone. Maybe they just liked the way Brian sounded on those highest parts. I know I do.

Yes, Carl said in 1981 that when they recorded "Good Vibrations", his own voice wasn't strong enough yet to hit those high notes, so Brian did it for him.  Carl mentioned it was ironic that when he watched the band (who was touring without him that year) on the July 5th Queen Mary simulcast, Brian sang Carl's lead except that Bruce had to take the high notes that Brian sang on the record!

Also, did you ever notice that Brian sings the very high lead vocal part (the final line of the bridge:  "Church, bingo chances, and old time dances") on "Disney Girls"?  That's where the term "ghost singing" came from...Brian would step in and "ghost sing" lines the others couldn't reach.

Craig

Never knew they had a term for it.

With GV, that part isn't even that high though, so it is kind of weird that he was having trouble with it.  You hear the live recordings and it seems like he does it fairly easily.

My favorite ever vocal handoff is Brian handing the lead vocal over to Carl after the first line on "This Whole World"... although it's all fantasy, you almost can see Brian with his wife and everybody gathered around a microphone to sing all the backup "baddoom bop diddip" 's behind Carl's lead.... plus he sounds so crazy, it's just great "I'mmmm thinkin' bout this whole world!!!! badddooomm boppp diddup, badddooom bopp diddup!"

I didn't know that was Brian singing the first line on "This Whole World!"

And I didn't know he had any involvement at all with "Disney Girls!"

Ya learn something new every day.

^ Well, dont' trust me 100%, but I'm almost positive that's him on the 1st line... plus later, he does the same line in the background, it's the only audible words in the backup vocals "I'm thinkin' bout a this whole world!!!" then they go back to oohs, ahhhs, and badoom bop diddups. 

I, for one hope it's Bruce...who sings the last line (before the "tag") of 'Til I die ? It doesn't sound like the same voice who sang on Disney Girls...

Listened to "This Whole World" three times today, and I'm pretty sure it's CARL who sings the first line.  Though I agree with you that it's Brian singing the same line later on in the backup vocals.

It's to create the unique blend in voices on the particular song. Look at them like different saxaphones being selected for their range and tone color.

In "Good Vibrations" they wanted a lush, soulful lead vocal. Brian Wilson does not have a lush voice; possibly why Dennis was chosen to sing lead at first. Carl was next in line for a more husky and soulful voice, so when Dennis had his sore throat Carl took over. Brian's part (in the verses) is perfect. It has a bit more distinction than Carl's lead but flows so nicely into the rest of his brother's words.

That part has always sounded more like Bruce to me. Just the tone of the falsetto in that section of "Disney Girls" makes it sound like Bruce to me. Don't take my word for it though.

Hey guys

Just wanted to say that if i'm remembering things correctly, somewhere on the "Hotel Tapes" Bruce says that he couldn't sing that part of Disney Girls and that Brian did it for him...  its probably just before his rendition of Disney Girls (much at the request of Brian!)

Vinnie

Speaking of vocal handoff's, can anyone post a list of "falsetto" duties that were held in the Beach Boys' concert career?

As far as I know, the order of falsetto goes like this:

Brian 1961-65
Bruce / Al 1965-?
Blondie 1972-
Al - 1975 ish-?

(someone had to have sang the part in between this era and Jeff Foskett)

Jeff Foskett 1983- early 90's?
Matt Jardine 1985-90's?
Adrian Baker ??-2004
Randell Kirsh 2004-present

Can someone fill in the blanks?

Yep, that's true. I just wanted to post it, but then I saw your post. Bruce said that Brian sang that part, because he couldn't do it. On stage though he did it quite good....

Wow.  I've learned something today; I never knew that Brian sang the high part on the verse...The lines "I hear the sound of a" and "When I look", right?  Why didn't I pick up on this before?  I guess I'm dumb, but I don't care!