Been playing the Won't You Tell Me 2019 mix and Brian's demo on repeat for a while and thinking about trying to recreate the instrumental...

Does anyone know what instrument is being used on the verse from around 0:22?

It's fast picking/tremolo and I'm pretty sure it's a few mandolins being played.

Just wondering if anyone can shed any more light on this? Perhaps there were track notes released for the session that have a mandolin player listed.

If it is the same desk Brian is leaning over https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musicianship_of_Brian_Wilson#/media/File:Brian_Wilson_1976_crop.jpg
it is the one from Clover Recorders. As seen in the second picture here.

https://www.discogs.com/label/359005-Clover-Recorders

I am pretty certain it is the same console, just looking at the pictures they align perfect with those white
sugar cube buttons. When people talking about building up the studio in Holland they just imagine the desk/console
but that was probably the most easy part. The hard part is the patch bay, tape machines, reverbs, dolbys, wiring etc.

You can read all about it here:

http://troun.tripod.com/holland.html

Hmm. They look pretty different to me, but I might be wrong.

The fader caps are different, vertical thin ones in the Brian photo and the horizontal scooped ones in the Tom Petty image.  I know fader caps can usually be exchanged, but on such a large console you'd only do it as a last resort. It looks like the select buttons above the faders are also different.

Does anyone know where I can buy a copy or Mr. Despers book ‘Recording the Beach Boys’?

I know it’s out of print but hoping someone can help me out.

Didn't it end up at Brother Studios?

I think you might be right, not sure where I got village recorders from.

Just realised the famous photo of Brian with long hair at a desk in 1976 is probably the same one used in Holland. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can chime in..

Does anyone know what happened to the beautiful recording console built by Steven Moffitt for the Holland recording sessions after it was shipped home? I read somewhere that there are photos of the band using it back at Village Recorders in Santa Monica.

Presumably it was used to record Sail On Sailor there? I wonder if it is still in one piece or whether it was sold as parts.

Hello all! Been a while since I posted anything on here.

So.. I got tired of the Evil God Perfectionism getting in the way of finishing any music so I just sat down and recorded two rough demos. No mixing or any of that jazz. I've been listening to a lot of late 60's and early 70's albums by the boys recently (man I can't get enough of 20/20!!!!!)

The lyrics are complete gibberish, but I thought there might be someone out there interested in having a listen!

It's quite a freeing feeling to just go through and finish whatever comes out of you regardless of how you like it. Makes me think of that BW quote: Follow through on your ideas. If you have an idea, don't go 50% of the way on it and then junk it. Go 100% and get it done. Follow through with what you start. That's a very good lesson in life. Sometimes you poop out halfway through, but not me - I go all the way through.

Might take to feeding myself burgers when I finish a song 

https://soundcloud.com/willmansell/sets/demos

Will

This is a journey many of us have taken, I suppose: with a limited catalog, eventually one tries to find lookalike supplements. In the late 90s to the mid 00s I was doing the same thing, including with some of those bands you mentioned. My unsolicited opinion on the whole effort is that it ends up empty: any group worth its salt isn’t trying to ape another band, but to add different influences or (hopefully) create something new. Those bands, then, peel off from being Beach Boys (or Beatles, or whoever) sound-alikes, while those that really stick to a script are just inferior and somewhat dull copycats.
 
It complicates it even more that the Beach Boys, like every great band worth copying, is too diverse to be easily copied. Are you channeling “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Surf’s Up,” “Kokomo”? Maybe “Sail On, Sailor,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” or “Busy Doin Nothin”? There are so many elements to incorporate, and it’s pretty unlikely that any band’s taste would lean toward more than a couple of them (unless it’s an actual copycat pastiche kind of act). Think of it this way: would the Beach Boys have been great if they served as the result of a Chuck Berry fan’s quest to find a band that sounded like Chuck Berry? Or the Four Freshmen? It’s the combination of diverse sounds in a unique way that makes any band great.
 
But while you’re searching, and since you mentioned Olivia Tremor Control (who pretty rarely sounded like the Beach Boys, I think, but certainly worshipped Smile-era stuff), you can dig a lot deeper into the associated bands from that same circle, the Elephant 6 collective. Especially in the late 90s and early 00s, a lot of those groups (especially since they tended to share the same musicians) mined that Beach Boys territory, along with the adjacent Beatles, Kinks, and Os Mutantes. If you liked OTC in particular, their offshoot bands Sunshine Fix and Circulatory System would probably be to your liking. Early Of Montreal has its Beach Boys moments, and did Beulah. The Music Tapes shared the so-called experimental vibe of OTC. Chocolate USA, the Essex Green, the Ladybug Transistor, Black Swan Network, Major Organ and the Adding Machine, the Late BP Helium, Marshmallow Coast, and the Minders are others that had a mid-to-late 60s pop vibe that sometimes reflected various Beach Boys sounds… Heck, Apples in Stereo basically came into existence based on a chance train-ride conversation about the Beach Boys and later named their studio Pet Sounds Studios.
 
Most longtime posters have seen a lot of these bands name-checked a million times by now, as this sort of thread pops up somewhat often. Usually the better music being cited doesn’t really sound like the Beach Boys on a consistent basis, but is heavily influenced by them in some way; the influence shows up only here and there, not everywhere. (Raspberries and Eric Carmen, Big Star and Alex Chilton, REM, Super Furry Animals, Belle & Sebastian and God Help the Girl, the Delgados, Flaming Lips, Wondermints, Cotton Mather, the Shins, Fleet Foxes, Dent May, Eels, Girls, Jeremy Messersmith, Euros Childs, Tame Impala, aforementioned Animal Collective and offshoot solo Panda Bear, some Dirty Projectors, etc.) That or it name-drops the BBs. Sometimes it’s some of each, like in Splitsville’s Pet Soul. None of these really sounds like the Beach Boys, but all of these has moments that are clearly either inspired by, similar to, or derivative of them to some degree.
 
Happy hunting (even though I hope you give up).

Thanks Captain, a really thought out and well articulated response. As much as it is about finding similar music, I think my hunt for these bands is also just so I can read about how much other musicians love the BB and Brian's work. I get a big kick when a band I like starts fawning over albums like Holland or Love You that the general public doesn't know exist.

As you say any group worth their salt diverge from their influences and create something new, but it's nice to see how they've incorporated the musical approach and sounds that they loved in Brian's compositions.

I will continue the search, and although I know I'll never find The Beach Boys reincarnate, I'll be able to remind myself there are others out there who are still successfully building on the BB's legacy.

Haha, obviously not. I like the BB for their uniqueness.

I just find it interesting that whilst a lot of characteristic older songwriting/production styles are being copied today to huge success (i.e uptown funk with the eighties, Greta Van Fleet the Led Zep cover band, Amy Winehouse etc. etc.), no one has tried to step in Brian's footsteps and produce orchestral, jazzy, catchy rock music with huge vocal backing... or at least not successfully.

Perhaps the chemistry between the boys is something that will never again be achieved. I don't think one singer stacking themselves could get close to that.

What are everyone's favourite modern (90's and beyond) bands that sound like or take heavy inspiration from the Beach Boys?

I've been compiling playlists, mostly with chamber pop bands like the High Llamas and Olivia Tremor Control. There's also newer bands like the Explorers Club and The Lemon Twigs.

I'd like to know what others have found over the years!

 

Not sure where the notion of the ARP Odyssey on Love You is from...can any vintage keyboard nerd (meant affectionately) tell us for sure? All the track sheet documentation seems to indicate only mini-Moog and ARP String Ensemble were used on that one (and on Big Ones as well)...

Sorry I might be completely wrong on that, I’ve just seen pictures of Brian playing one and assumed it was Love You.

He certainly loved playing his organ.

Can’t tell if this is a poor attempt at innuendo or not

[Can anyone name any instruments he was noted to enjoy playing throughout his career?]

Obviously Brian was pretty big on certain instruments and the unique sounds they could make. I've been thinking about what his favourites might have been.

Can anyone name any instruments he was noted to enjoy playing throughout his career?

Off the top of my head I can think of the famous white Baldwin organ and perhaps the tack piano at Wally Heiders they used on Wild Honey (although I'm sure he's played numerous tack piano's in his time). Perhaps the ARP odyssey he used in the 70's on Love You?

I've seen this discussed previously before the 1967 Sunshine Tomorrow CD was released, but will this set a precedent for more session tapes to eventually be released in the future?

Hearing outtakes from Friends, 20/20 and Sunflower would be amazing. Especially the contrast of the stuff recorded at Brian's home studio.

Does anyone know where the Beach Boys got the whole white trousers and blue striped shirts uniform from?

Was it a surfing thing? or a sixties thing?

Just saw this on Facebook, the band in Hawaii and Dennis with short-ish hair. Really nice pic I’d never seen before so I thought I’d post it here

Wow I didn't realise Carl had a Hofner Bass at one point. That organ looks cool as well, a Farfisa Compact by the looks of it.

I can understand how difficult a dynamic it must be between the remaining BB, Brian and Melinda. When Brian is probably quite happy to think about music and creativity and go with the flow, the organisational reality seems to be left to either the BB or Melinda - both of whom have different points of view.

I'm starting to think though, about all the resentment we put down in writing towards and about Mike Love. Now I've bashed as much as anyone, but is it worth it? Does it make us as bad as Mike and this article in Mojo? Whilst we argue that Mike can't understand or appreciate Brian and the Beach Boy's legacy, we also must see as outsiders that we can't understand their own family dynamic. And if anything, to me the way Mike acts shows a need for sympathy not apathy. After all, living with that much unhappiness and built up resentment for so long wouldn't be nice for anyone. Just my thoughts.

Didn't Switch On Bach heavily inspire 'Love You'?

He once listed Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" as a personal favorite album.  So I would imagine some of those years in bed (1972-1975) were spent listening to that quite a bit.

Is there a source for this? I have never heard about this before and can only wonder what his reaction was to "On The Run"...

I first read it here: http://petsounds40.blogspot.com/2006/07/day-at-beach-boys-house.html


Must've been wild, those years in bed and sneaking out at night to go to random parties.  Waking up everyday with "Be My Baby" on a loop and then some Randy Newman and DSOTM sprinkled in. 

 

Wait so Brian wasn't a complete mess at this time? I had it in my head he was a recluse out of choice - I didn't imagine he would be out partying.

Does anyone know of any pictures of Mike where he isn't wearing a hat post 1976?

Neil Young says in his Autobiography that Pet Sounds was recorded on the 'Green Board' that he purchased and moved to his ranch. Is that accurate?

From what I've gathered from the more knowledgeable replies, no, in a word.

Although it's possible some of the modules used for PS could have made their way into that board. The 610 modules and chassis used for PS were likely sold to Papa John Phillips and then later dismantled in Canada.

The thread sort of broke down into an argument about Brian's autonomy (or lack of) over the mixing desk at Columbia (lol).

I know that Sly Stone bought John Philips' house, including the studio (where the group recorded the Papas & Mamas LP), and recorded There's a Riot Goin' On there. Not details about whether or not it was the same board. Curious about how it ended up in Canada, etc.

I think Sly recorded Riot on the N32 Matrix https://reverb.com/uk/item/2334814-sly-stone-s-custom-flickinger-n32-matrix-recording-console

Neil Young says in his Autobiography that Pet Sounds was recorded on the 'Green Board' that he purchased and moved to his ranch. Is that accurate?

From what I've gathered from the more knowledgeable replies, no, in a word.

Although it's possible some of the modules used for PS could have made their way into that board. The 610 modules and chassis used for PS were likely sold to Papa John Phillips and then later dismantled in Canada.

The thread sort of broke down into an argument about Brian's autonomy (or lack of) over the mixing desk at Columbia (lol).

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151520752691401&set=a.105331031400.98115.684221400&type=1&theater

This console was purported to have been owned by Sinatra, but it was never installed at Western or used by the Beach Boys. The UA console in Studio 3 was an older model with difft signal path. That console was later sold to John Phillips and eventually ended up in Canada where it was dismantled.

A picture of the Studio 3 console taken in 1968 can be downloaded here:  https://personal.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8d706a89605f76afb49b

I  own the UA console that was installed in Western Studio 2 and used for much of the Party album , some early sessions like "punchline" and occasional overdubs. I used it for many sessions with Brian as well as the stereo mix of Pet Sounds.

The one in the UK has similar modules to the one in Western Studio 2

Mark Linett

Wow thanks Mark, that picture is perfect - just what I need!

Does anyone have any of the above photos of the modular UA 610 console from Western #3 saved? They've all expired as far as I can see.

I don't know if anyone here records using tape machines but...

Recently I've been need of a tape sheet template that I can use to organise the reels I've recorded on, so I thought why not copy the Western Recorders sheet from the Pet Sounds sessions. You can find the original WR one and a blank sheet so you can add your studio name for fun below:

https://imgur.com/a/Ld9WX

I deliberately added small imperfections to make it look like it's been printed, and you might need to play around with resizing dependent on the reels you use. I think they look pretty similar to the originals though. The font is Futura Bold.

Are there any examples of Brian showing a real interest in the gear? Past obviously getting a nice mix level. It strikes me he wasn't so interested in compressors/EQ and the like and would leave this to Chuck or another engineer..?

Also - I've been trawling the interwebs and can only find one other picture of the desk from Western #3.



Anyone know of any others?