Title: Questions About Who Played What On Good Vibrations Post by: TheWonderfulHarpsichord on January 11, 2017, 02:01:31 PM So recently I have ever been examining my Smile Sessions hardback book and several questions have been raised about the sessionography on Good Vibrations.
Each tracking session date shows all the instruments that were played over the whole part recorded, while only some parts of each session were used. My main question is which instruments are played on which section of the song? It's hard for me to differentiate between which instruments are in the spliced out sections and which ones aren't . Also I'd like to know if Carl's guitar playing made it on the final mix. He appears on many of session listings and for parts that were spliced into the final mix but again I can't tell which is him. I hope this makes sense, I don't really know how to word this question. Title: Re: Questions About Who Played What On Good Vibrations Post by: branaa09 on January 11, 2017, 04:25:15 PM Verses Only 2/18/66 (Pet Sounds Session)
Fender Bass: Ray Pohlman Upright Bass: Lyle Ritz Hammond Organ: Larry Knechtel Drums: Hal Blaine Bongos/with Sticks: Frank Capp Tambourine: Terry Melcher? Piccolo: Plas Johnson Flute: Jay Migliori Tenor Flute: Steve Douglas Contra-Clarinet: Bill Green Choruses Only (Part 3) 6/2/66 This ones a bit tricky because some instruments were only played on Part 1. For instance played Carl played Rhythm Guitar at this Session and Brian played Tack Piano. To my ears it sounds like this. Fender Bass : Lyle Ritz Drums: Hal Blaine/ Tom Fills as OD Electric Harpsichord: Don Randi Tambourine: Brian Wilson as OD with Hal playing his Toms. Electro-Theremin: Paul Tanner OD which was replaced on 9/12/66 with a better part by Tanner. Cello: Jesse Ehrlich as OD Dano Bass (with Fuzztone): Bill Pitman 1st Bridge (First Chorus) 5/4/66 Electric Rhythm guitars: Al Casey, Jerry Cole Fender Bass: Ray Pohlman Dano Bass (with Fuzztone): Bill Pitman Upright Bass: Jimmy Bond Tack Piano: Al de Lory (Plus a Second one as OD) Drums: Jim Gordon Bongos with Sticks: Frank Capp Electro-Theremin: Paul Tanner Bass Harmonica: Tommy Morgan Piccolo: Jim Horn Flute: Jay Migliori Tenor Flute: Steve Douglas Bass Sax: Bill Green Jews Harp: Tommy Morgan as OD Tambourines: Frank Capp and Hal Blaine? as ODs Sleighbells: Jim Gordon as OD 2nd Bridge (New Bridge) 9/1/66 Hammond Organ: Dennis Wilson Upright Bass: Lyle Ritz Shakers: Hal Blaine and Carl Wilson Chromatic Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. It just says harmonica but, a regular harmonica can't hit those octaves in which a Chromatic can. Tag and Fadeout 5/27/66 (Fade Sequence) Tambourine: Steve Douglas Upright Piano: Mike Melvoin Dano Bass (With Fuzztone): Bill Pitman Fender Bass: Arthur Wright Upright Bass: Lyle Ritz Vibes: Emil Richards Electric Rhythm Guitar: Carl Wilson (Fadeout Only) Sleighbells: Gary Coleman (Fade Out Only) Electo-Theremin: Paul Tanner (Fadeout Only?) Piccolos: Jim Horn and Plas Johnson (Fadeout Only) Flutes: Steve Douglas and Jay Migliori (Fadeout Only) Drums: Jim Gordon (Fadeout only) Cello: Jesse Ehrlich? as OD on the final Master for the Fadeout. Date unknown. Maybe C-Man can fix this. It's the best I could figure out. Title: Re: Questions About Who Played What On Good Vibrations Post by: TheWonderfulHarpsichord on January 11, 2017, 05:14:02 PM Verses Only 2/18/66 (Pet Sounds Session) Ah thank you very muchFender Bass: Ray Pohlman Upright Bass: Lyle Ritz Hammond Organ: Larry Knechtel Drums: Hal Blaine Bongos/with Sticks: Frank Capp Tambourine: Terry Melcher? Piccolo: Plas Johnson Flute: Jay Migliori Tenor Flute: Steve Douglas Contra-Clarinet: Bill Green Choruses Only (Part 3) 6/2/66 This ones a bit tricky because some instruments were only played on Part 1. For instance played Carl played Rhythm Guitar at this Session and Brian played Tack Piano. To my ears it sounds like this. Fender Bass : Lyle Ritz Drums: Hal Blaine/ Tom Fills as OD Electric Harpsichord: Don Randi Tambourine: Brian Wilson as OD with Hal playing his Toms. Electro-Theremin: Paul Tanner OD which was replaced on 9/12/66 with a better part by Tanner. Cello: Jesse Ehrlich as OD Dano Bass (with Fuzztone): Bill Pitman 1st Bridge (First Chorus) 5/4/66 Electric Rhythm guitars: Al Casey, Jerry Cole Fender Bass: Ray Pohlman Dano Bass (with Fuzztone): Bill Pitman Upright Bass: Jimmy Bond Tack Piano: Al de Lory (Plus a Second one as OD) Drums: Jim Gordon Bongos with Sticks: Frank Capp Electro-Theremin: Paul Tanner Bass Harmonica: Tommy Morgan Piccolo: Jim Horn Flute: Jay Migliori Tenor Flute: Steve Douglas Bass Sax: Bill Green Jews Harp: Tommy Morgan as OD Tambourines: Frank Capp and Hal Blaine? as ODs Sleighbells: Jim Gordon as OD 2nd Bridge (New Bridge) 9/1/66 Hammond Organ: Dennis Wilson Upright Bass: Lyle Ritz Shakers: Hal Blaine and Carl Wilson Chromatic Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. It just says harmonica but, a regular harmonica can't hit those octaves in which a Chromatic can. Tag and Fadeout 5/27/66 (Fade Sequence) Tambourine: Steve Douglas Upright Piano: Mike Melvoin Dano Bass (With Fuzztone): Bill Pitman Fender Bass: Arthur Wright Upright Bass: Lyle Ritz Vibes: Emil Richards Electric Rhythm Guitar: Carl Wilson (Fadeout Only) Sleighbells: Gary Coleman (Fade Out Only) Electo-Theremin: Paul Tanner (Fadeout Only?) Piccolos: Jim Horn and Plas Johnson (Fadeout Only) Flutes: Steve Douglas and Jay Migliori (Fadeout Only) Drums: Jim Gordon (Fadeout only) Cello: Jesse Ehrlich? as OD on the final Master for the Fadeout. Date unknown. Maybe C-Man can fix this. It's the best I could figure out. So Carl's playing did make it on the final mix, just in the fade out. I was very curious about those lower register parts. Are you aware at which points in the song the contra-Clarinet and bass sax are audible? Or do they just blend in with the flutes ands piccolos? Title: Re: Questions About Who Played What On Good Vibrations Post by: c-man on January 17, 2017, 07:06:16 PM <<So Carl's playing did make it on the final mix, just in the fade out.>>
Well, his playing is also present in the second bridge...but he's on shaker there, not guitar or bass. :) Also - I'm now inclined to think the harpsichord is a "real" harpsichord, not the electric variety. Title: Re: Questions About Who Played What On Good Vibrations Post by: hideyotsuburaya on January 18, 2017, 06:58:11 AM the electric harpsichord was known as the rocksichord
Title: Re: Questions About Who Played What On Good Vibrations Post by: c-man on January 18, 2017, 04:45:34 PM the electric harpsichord was known as the rocksichord Not exactly...the electric harpsichord I was referring to is a Baldwin. The Rock-si-chord is a different instrument, made by RMI, that hit the scene around '67 or early '68. It can sound similar to a harpsichord, or similar to a piano. It's all over late '60s and early '70s BBs tracks, but not prior to the Friends sessions. Title: Re: Questions About Who Played What On Good Vibrations Post by: hideyotsuburaya on January 19, 2017, 06:57:57 AM like the Mellotron vs. Chamberlin controversy, only different
Title: Re: Questions About Who Played What On Good Vibrations Post by: TheWonderfulHarpsichord on January 21, 2017, 04:41:41 PM <<So Carl's playing did make it on the final mix, just in the fade out.>> Well, his playing is also present in the second bridge...but he's on shaker there, not guitar or bass. :) Ha that kinda slipped my mind. Carl is almost as good as playing the shaker as Brian is at playing "everything". Now the real question is which shakes are Carl's and which are Hal's? :-D |