what a square

I fear that your "drug" argument fails to sway me in regards to the "Wind Chimes" vocal arrangement.   I continue to cling steadfastly to the notion of accuracy in terms of my opinion.  In other words, I respectfully disagree, sir!   Yes, let us now turn the floor over to Democracy . . .

[Dennis:]

I hear a couple of differences in regards to Wind Chimes

Dennis: Close your eyes and lean back
Listen to wind chimes

I hear Brian singing "close your eyes and lean back" before Dennis comes in

Nah, that sounds like Dennis to me. It's got the same vibe as some of his talking on the Party album. The speaking voices are very similar at this point...

Carl: It's so peaceful
Close to a lullabye

this sounds like Al to me

I'll listen to this again. EDIT: Still sounds like Carl. I can see what you mean, but I'm pretty sure it's Carl. As ever, I'll throw it out to the floor!

I'm following the "logic" of the arrangement as well as my ears in terms of forming my opinion.  Why would they give Dennis an entire line like that when all of the others are split up?  And it seems that Al would get the end of the second verse since he handled the end of the first verse, just like how he sings all of the first answering "wind chimes" by himself.  Anyway, that's my two cents . . .

[Dennis:]

I hear a couple of differences in regards to Wind Chimes

Dennis: Close your eyes and lean back
Listen to wind chimes

I hear Brian singing "close your eyes and lean back" before Dennis comes in

Carl: It's so peaceful
Close to a lullabye

this sounds like Al to me

What do you mean, "Oh, we could be married"? That's not Mike, it's Brian echoed by Alan isn't it?

yes, im sorry, I should have said someone is echoing Brian's lines.  Al, huh?  Does someone know for sure?  To me it sounds like it could be Al, Dennis or Carl

Yeah, I've listened to it about twenty times and I'm pretty sure it's Al. The first line - the "married" line in particular definitely sounds like Al's early voice to me.

Well, I wouldn't argue if you put it down as Al.  The only reason I would think otherwise is the way "happy" is sung sounds very Dennis-y to me.

What do you mean, "Oh, we could be married"? That's not Mike, it's Brian echoed by Alan isn't it?

yes, im sorry, I should have said someone is echoing Brian's lines.  Al, huh?  Does someone know for sure?  To me it sounds like it could be Al, Dennis or Carl

Wait a freaking second!   Who the frick is echoing Mike's lines during the bridge of Wouldn't It Be Nice?  Those are solo lines, I contend that they shouldn't just be ignored

Well, someone's singing those answering lines.  My guess is Dennis, or maybe Carl

What about Dennis's(I think) answer vocals during the middle-8 of Wouldn't It Be Nice?

Okay, now tell me what a Hohner Pianet N, a celeste, and a clavioline sound like - just kidding, sorry!

It is a flute. A mellotron sounds nothing like a flute.

What does a mellotron sound like?

I know that Blondie and Ricky were against apartheid.  That's what We Got Love was about.  I remember years ago thinking that was the subject of the song and wondering if it was right, then I think it was a Mojo article that revealed that I was correct.  I was quite pleased with myself!

I think Dennis also sings "faster" on Little Honda

off the top of my head:

Me Japanese Boy
This Guy's In Love With You
One Less Bell To Answer
Walk On By
What The World Needs Now
I Say A Little Prayer

Probably NOT Dennis on "Friends" (more likely Jim Gordon).

it sure sounds like Jim Gordon

Ever hear "When I Was a Cowboy?" from Harper's Bizarre.  Although not written by Parks, it sounds like a 1968 version of Rio Grande.

wait a second - Lenny Waronker produced both of those songs

You guys may be on to something.   I have just recently gotten into the Harper's Bizarre and soon as I heard them, I was like " wow, some of this sounds SMiLE "ish".   Ever hear "When I Was a Cowboy?" from Harper's Bizarre.  Although not written by Parks, it sounds like a 1968 version of Rio Grande.  I am not too sure how much Van Dyke was involved with Harper's Bizarre. Was he at alot of the sessions? Suggesting instruments, arrangements? even though he did not write all of the songs for the group? There is most certainly Smile like sounds to the group in places (When I was a Cowboy) , perhaps due to Van Dyke, therebye indicating that his musical stamp was not only all over Harper's Bizarre's recordings, but SMiLE's also?    Surely Parks did more than write Come to the Sunshine, said "here you go" and walked away.  It sounds like he must have been involved with arranging and producing the song.  I am not too familiar with the group, so I am just speculating. Maybe someone else could care to comment.  Interesting thread though.  Thought provoking.

It's hard to say exactly how much VDP was involved with Harpers Bizarre, because the memories seem to be somewhat hazy.  For example, VDP insists that he named the band, but Lenny Waronker scoffs at this notion.  Then again, Lenny Waronker didn't even remember that Harpers Bizarre recorded Vine Street on the Secret Life Of.  VDP does claim involvement in the creative formation of Harpers Bizarre and seems to have been around in the early days, and Lenny Waronker says VDP actually sang quite a few background vocals on the Anything Goes album in the absence of the National Guard-occupied Dick Scoppettone.  The bottom line is, VDP definitely had some influence, but how much is not quite clear.   Lenny had the final say on everything, though - Harpers Bizarre was actually much more his band than it was the actual band members'  . . .

1. Mike
2. Carl
3. Brian
4. Dennis
5. Blondie
6. Ricky
7. Al
8. David
9. Bruce

Mike has always had the most interesting, hard-to-pin-down personality to me

I can hit it most of the time

The gold jacket - forgot about that one-how about the white , flowing robes?

I've performed in a robe before, on a few occasions, in direct emulation of Mike.  It was only at open mics though - never during a real gig.

But did the Beatles not wind up not owning their publishing, as well as the Stones?  It wasn't that unusual for acts to lose their publishing in that era, even ones you would never think would be that stupid.  After all, the Beatles and Stones were selling way more records when they lost their publishing.

How many bands that wrote their own material in those days A) knew anything about how publishing worked, B) managed to retain all or even some of their own publishing?  Let's not forget that if it wasn't for the quick thinking of Gary Usher and the largesse of Dick James respectively, Sea Of Tunes and Northern Songs may very well have not have even existed in the first place . . .

Did Mike ever play any instruments in the studio other than sax?

I didn't dance around but I did make Mike Love-style lyric-related gestures onstage at a gig once because one of the chicks in my band liked it when I did that.  I may do it again sometime.

Brian - Warmth Of The Sun
Mike - All I Wanna Do
Al - I Know There's an Answer
Carl - Trader
Dennis - Be Still
David - Summertime Blues
Bruce - God Only Knows
Blondie - Leaving This Town
Ricky -We Got Love