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In a thread awhile back, there was some discussion about the lead vocals on "Aren't You Glad", and some folks were theorizing that Brian (slowed down) may have been the lead vocalist on the chorus.

This started me listening intently to the song (in all of the versions I can) and considering it may not be Carl after all.

After considering this for awhile, I've come to the conclusion that I'm hearing Mike on the verses, Brian on the pre-chorus ("I've got a heart ..."), and on the chorus:

Carl with the first and third lines ("Aren't you glad now darlin' there's me and you", "Aren't you glad now tell me you're so glad"), but Dennis on the second line of the chorus ("Aren't you glad each day there comes something new").

Additionally, I believe it's Dennis on the "Tell me tell me you know what I mean", followed by Brian on "when I say-hey" background vocals.

Before you dismiss this out of hand, listen closely (comparing to Dennis' style on something like "I'm Going Your Way").

What do you guys think?

Just listened a few times... and WOW...I think that is Dennis on the "tell me tell me you know what I mean" interjections during the chorus. The verse is definitely Mike and the pre-chorus and "when I say" are definitely Brian. As for the chorus, I believe all three lines are sung by the same person. Initially, I think I just assumed it was Carl, but I can hear it as Brian, particularly the "OH-O-O-OH" immediately preceding the third line. I'll have to listen closely many more times before I'm sure.

It is Brian in the tell me tell me part. I have messed around with the pitch, and it never sounds like anyone else

If you listen closely to the second line in the chorus, the voice is a little raspier than the first and third.

WAIT WAIT WAIT --

I just compared the 2017 stereo mix to the original mono -- the first line in the chorus is *a different take*:

Orig. mono, the first "arent" is pretty straight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2CLfm02EaU

... on the stereo mix, the singer goes down a little on the first "aren't": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2CLfm02EaU

I disagree. I honestly think the mono mix is the one that he comes through the loudest. I'm not 100% sure it's Dennis on the main lead in the middle, but the "tell me tell me" I am.

Also, if you listen closely the person who comes in with "... when I say-hey" (which is CLEARLY Brian) sounds like he's coming in before the "Tell me tell me you know what I mean" fully ends.

I think you're right, Donny, and I think additional evidence that supports it can be heard on various live versions of the song available to us.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there just aren't very many instances of bands whose members trade off the lead vocal as much as the BBs...and it seems to be something that Brian became very interested in embedding into his songs, making it more intricate as time went on. Is there any other band that approaches this level of "lead singer musical chairs" (for lack of a better term)?

Holy sh*t you're right...I never realized it was two different people as it sounds so seamless

Wouldn't it be more likely to be Alan than Dennis?

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I hear what you mean *on the stereo mix* ...

Listen closely to the mono mix though. The takes are different in places.

I'm pretty confident the middle line in the chorus is Dennis on the mono. I'm still hearing Carl on the third line there.

Also on the original mono, the chorus is *one* recording, which was spliced on the end in full, so no need comparing the first chorus to the second (this seems to be the case in the stereo mix too).

Since Wild Honey was such a cut and splice job, recorded in bits, the multi may not have the same takes as the final.

Agree to disagree on "tell me tell me you know what I mean" :) ... again though, make sure you're using the original mono, that's my main reference (the backing vocals are somewhat buried on the stereo on this part)

To me, it sounds like Carl singing the "lead" throughout the chorus, with Brian singing the "Tell me, tell me" supporting part, and CARL singing the "when I say hey!". Let me check with Mr. Boyd on his thoughts.
Hmmm...on second thought, MAYBE it IS Dennis singing the second lead line in the chorus...

Meantime, what are everyone's thoughts on this: to me, it sounds like the trumpet lines in the intro and pre-verses are from the Chamberlain, as opposed to the trumpets in the chorus, which are definitely real...

EDIT: in the stereo mix, it sounds like one guy singing that lead chorus line throughout...maybe Carl, maybe Dennis...as opposed to the mono mix, where I agree it sounds like Carl on the first and third line, and Dennis on the second...

I'll have to listen again re: Chamberlin, but based on memory it's a real horn there ... I think the strings are Chamberlin throughout though.

What an unusual song, when you really dig into it ...

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I know what you mean, it's a bit of a mindfuck ...

Listen to Carl on "How She Boogalooed It" ... now listen to the third line in the chorus of "Aren't You Glad".

To my ears Dennis sings, "tell me, tell me, you know".

Brian finishes the line and sings, "what I mean".

Also would like to take a moment to note this may be The Beach Boys' greatest song ... even under this kind of scrutiny, every damn time I'm straight up ENJOYING the hell out of it, and can't help getting uplifted

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Compare the tracks to the live version included in SUNSHINE TOMORROW, where it sure sounds to me that Dennis is definitely singing the "tell tell me you know what I mean" line. (It also sounds like Al is doing Brian's "I gotta heart that won't stop beatin' for you" line.)

With that in mind, and re-listening to all the available versions on my iTunes (four or five, IIRC!), it becomes harder to think that it's Dennis on the studio version, for the reasons zatch is referencing.

Of course we'd love to hear from Mr. Boyd about this point...!

I actually think that the live version on ST is at least as great as the studio track, even though the vocals aren't as polished. The horns are so smokin' that Mike gets caught up in the moment and says "you guys are soundin' real good over there"--a rare breaking of the "fourth wall" on stage that makes it clear he knew they'd all just done something extra special. Also it's about 25 seconds longer--and any added time that this song is in process is postively sacramental...

Beyond the hybrid brilliance of this track, which is probably the best BB "soul" track ever--BW assimilating and transcending Motown, with Mike at or near his career best during the verses--the entirety of WILD HONEY has (or always should have) made it clear that Brian was managing to hold up against the torments he'd endured earlier in the year and trying to help move the band into a new tomorrow. He managed to get back to a high point despite all that, and a good bit of the response to the album was positive and encouraging. It really seems that he hit the wall when FRIENDS tanked so badly, and that's when the pattern of retreat and reclusiveness really begins.

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Yeah, the more I listen the more I think it's just Brian on the chorus (the 3 main lines and "tell me tell me..." and "when I say"). It definitely plays with your mind, though!

What's missing from all of our comparisons is a contemporary example of Dennis using his "soul" style.

The closest I can find is this (minus two years of smoke and booze), particularly pay attention to the first few lines and the "sliiiiiiide in" around 0:18-0:20:

https://youtu.be/plhEWLBX_V4

Compared to the isolated "Aren't You Glad" above ... I think Dennis is 1 and 2 there, and Carl is 3.

On the mono, I think it's Carl on 1 and 3, Dennis on 2.

Heard back from A.B.:

"Well, I obviously can’t say for sure exactly who’s singing what on Aren’t You Glad, but I could believe that Dennis MIGHT be singing the tell me part. That thought had crossed my mind before. But I’m not sure. The next time I have the unreleased mixes handy I’ll give it a close listen and let you know what I think...

"Yes, we had to grab an 'aren’t' from later in the chorus to fill that bit since it’s not on the 8 track.  In Pro Tools, Mark flew in the word and edited it into the vocal track on the digital multi. As for how they handled that edit back in 1967, it’s hard to say since we don’t seem to have the actual first gen album mono master (like Smiley, the mono 'master' of the album was actually a second generation dub, presumably because the first generation tape, as per Smiley, would have been too fragile and splicey to use for production, and might not have had all of the fades in place). So we can’t say for sure that there’s an edit there on the tape at that point. One certainly never leapt out at me, listening to the mono all these years (unlike edits in Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Good Vibrations, Heroes and Villains, and others)

"So yes, I’m betting Carl overdubbed the part when they did the mixdown. That would certainly explain why it sounds like a different take. That fix would have been wayyy easier in 1967 than trying to nail that edit on a 1/4’’ mono master with a razor blade.

"We had to fly in the little “doo doo” vocal part after the first chorus, as that wasn’t on the multi, either. Fortunately, it’s almost acapella in the mono mix, so that was easy to grab.

"The master tape of Aren’t You Glad was slowed down before they laid down the vocals. My guess is that may have been to get the song more into Mike’s comfort range for the verse leads? Just speculation on my part here."


So there - some questions answered, some still a mystery! Remember, those Wilson boys had a knack for sounding like each other...but I agree that it MIGHT be Dennis on the second chorus lead line of the Mono mix (perhaps added during the mixdown, like the above-mentioned parts that are not on the multi-track).

Interesting ...

So we have some additional info/facts, but still more questiosn that answers.

To summarize:

* Conventional wisdom says Carl sings the Lead on the chorus
* The multitrack has some missing vocals, therefore the mono mix may be different in places
* Some speed adjustment was done during tracking
* No one can agree on who the lead vocalist(s) are/is on the chorus, or the "tell me tell me" :)

Personally, I really don't know. If I listen with a particular singer in mind, I can hear it as Brian, Carl, or Dennis in places. I do think the final line is pretty clearly Carl though, and the "Tell me tell me" is Dennis then Brian. It's just those "me and you" and "something new" lines really sound like Dennis to me.

I thought it was some combination of Brian/Carl/Al (!) all these years, but after listening to the isolated vocals presented above, my vote is... Brian singing all the lines in the chorus, albeit at a different tape speed than the final version.

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I hear what you mean --

A couple points though ...

The mono mix may not be the same take

That third line sounds like Carl sped up

So, am I to understand that the new stereo mix has been slightly digitally altered/ "fixed" in Pro Tools? That's interesting. Thanks for that info from Mr Boyd.  :)

DonnyL, do you think that 'Ah-o-o-oh' (I don't know how to type it!) immediately preceding the 3rd line of the chorus is Brian? Personally, regardless of speed, I can't hear that as anyone other than Brian.

Edit: Thanks for all the isolated audio, by the way! It's much appreciated  :)

This is so fascinating

Oh my God.  :o I've gone my whole life thinking that the chorus was sung by Carl.  :thud

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I wonder if Brian purposely manipulated his voice to sound like Carl's, knowing that he wouldn't be touring and singing the song in concert?

That's the part that I'm really hearing as Carl!

The first "aren't" in the chorus is a copy/paste job from the second "aren't", at least.

The rest of them *might* be the same ... but on the mono, the middle vocal sounds a little raspier than the first.

Also, makes no sense that they would sing "aren't" on just the final mix ... while stranger things have happened, more likely they dubbed down the chorus section, then overdubbed something and accidentally left it recording into that first "aren't"?  Not sure, I'd have to know how the multis are laid out.

Another possibility is that the first line in the chorus is a different take. Could be a different singer too.

At the end of the day -- to my ears -- the "something new" part on the mono sounds distinctly like Dennis (and the "tell me tell me"), and the third line of the chorus sounds like Carl. The rest ... really, I don't know!

I just listened again, through headphones, to the mono mix...and I'm now convinced that we had it right to begin with - Carl all the way on the chorus lead (all three lines). MAYBE it's Dennis on the "Tell me, tell me" background part, with Brian finishing the line. Approaching it with the notion that it may be Dennis singing the lead on the second chorus line leads to me thinking it could be Dennis on ALL of those chorus lead lines, AS WELL as on the "I-I got a heart" part, which we all know is Brian. And approaching it with the notion that it might be Carl on ALL those lead lines leads me to believe it MIGHT be Carl on all of them (including "I-I got a heart...").

In short: it's in the genes. Wilson DNA was such that those three bros could, and often did, sound uncannily alike (at least before B and D turned into human chimneys with their nicotine intake).

Ok...I just listened very quickly...don't know what mix it is but it's the default one on Spotify.

Carl on chorus lead except Dennis ("tell me, tell me") EXCEPT Carl might sing that one line the first time it is sung in the first chorus.


I'll check my 60's-era LP tomorrow and check in with what that sounds like.

No offense but there is no way that's not Brian on the I got a Heart section.  My expertise may lie more on the 70's recordings but that's one area I can't be swayed from minus the invention of a time machine

Oh yeah, I totally agree...I'm just sayin' if I listen thinking it's Dennis or Carl with their soulful late '60s voices, I could convince myself of that...but of course, I know better. :)

Listening to the Party! album tonight and Brian sounds exactly like Dennis on the word "cry" at 1:38 of Devoted To You.