Did anyone mention the Bob & Bobby tracks "Twelve-O-Four" and "Baby What You Want Me To Do" for their wish list yet? These are 1968 BW productions correct? Would like to have clean mixes of these.

Twelve-O-Four was released in 2000 on this compilation: https://www.discogs.com/Various-Rare-Surf-Volume-5-The-Capitol-Masters-1/release/4329252
The mix on there is a very clean mono mix from the master.

Do you have the second overdub from SOT isolated and readily available as well -- I'd like to hear it if so. I agree that the link you posted above sounds like it's probably all Brian, however I'm not convinced the stereo mix has exactly the same elements as the original mono mix. And certainly we don't know if all tracks were used for SOT (there could be 7 lead vocal tracks for all we know).

Here is that track with the 2nd lead separated as much as I could: https://soundcloud.com/smileyhoneyfriends-1/ijwmftt-lead-vocal-2nd-overdub  I could also post a mono version of this with less of the backing track audible if that's more desirable.

The tracks on the SOT boot are a sequential dump of each track laid on top of eachother and after the 2nd overdub track turns into a mess.  Most of the tracks are just Brian (though there are two with the group vocals...the wordless oohs and the part in spanish...which I assume Dennis sang on).  I'm not discounting the theory completely, but given the evidence I think people are hearing Dennis when it's just Brian whining in a lower register.

That's only one of two lead vocal tracks though. Any all bets are off when the SOT boot is the source. My opinion is whoever was making these "mixes" was not paying much attention, they were getting a fast and dirty "transfer". Additionally, see my comments above re: existing multis.

It's not audibly clear that there's another voice in the mix with the 2nd overdub either.  These are the exact same tracks that they used to make the vocal only mix from the box set that is being cited as evidence.  The Be-"HIND" part that people think sounds like Dennis (at :23 in the link I posted) is just Brian.

I really want to believe this theory, but I honestly can't hear it and a listen to the first lead vocal overdub of the song confirms (to me) that it's just Brian singing throughout.  Here is a remix of that track on the SOT set isolated as much as I could: https://soundcloud.com/smileyhoneyfriends-1/ijwmftt-lead-vocal

You can obviously hear tape punches after certain sections, but that doesn't really prove that Dennis is the one singing those parts.  There are tape punches and general anomalies all over the vocals throughout Pet Sounds (heard clearer in the mono mix).  The only thing giving credence to this theory is the bit of Dennis at the very end, a fragment of an earlier take that was likely completely recorded over that does not remain in the final mix.

The Don't Talk track is the essentially the same thing that's on the SOT bootleg, Pet Sounds Vol. 2 Disc 3 Track 18-19, the only difference that those are presented in a stereo mix.  I'm not saying that Brian's people wouldn't have access to the "real" thing, but it also wouldn't surprise me if that bootleg were the source for whoever is compiling these videos.

I've heard a theory posited that Brian wrote the lyrics to the version of Please Let Me Wonder that was released, and Mike wrote the lyrics for the unused alternate version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8B6T49bDBM  Don't know if that's actually the case, but PLMW as released seems like something Brian wrote himself.

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I'm a little bit confused as to who is singing the lead vocal on the Pet Sounds Sessions track "God Only Knows [Brian Wilson Vocal]." I've seen some people comment that David Leaf apologized and incorrectly called it that, but some still claim it's Brian. Every time this is brought up on here, it never gets resolved. I'm almost certain it's Carl, but what do you guys think?

It's definitely an early, alternate take of Carl.  Leaf was incorrect.

Sorry, man, but apparently you can't discern Brian's voice and vocal intonations from Carl's in 1966.

It's absolutely 100% Carl.  I know that won't convince you, but it is. And being an asshole and insulting my knowledge of the group or lack of familiarity with their voices isn't going to change my mind.  I'm sorry you've been duped by David Leaf, a lot of people have.

It's Brian all the way and exists in the vaults only because BW realized that Carl was capable of infusing a level of transcendent tenderness, delicacy, and soul power to the song that Brain (not to mention everyone else who has ever recored the song) could not.

Let's argue facts, not emotions.  Brian has stated repeatedly that he wrote the song for Carl to sing.  There's no reason for him to have recorded any lead vocal for it (even a scratch vocal). Carl was in town that week and present for the tracking session.  There's even the story told by Bruce that they recorded most of the vocals immediately following the tracking session.  The so-called "Brian take" is just an early alternate vocal take done in a more forceful way before Carl became tired.

I'm a little bit confused as to who is singing the lead vocal on the Pet Sounds Sessions track "God Only Knows [Brian Wilson Vocal]." I've seen some people comment that David Leaf apologized and incorrectly called it that, but some still claim it's Brian. Every time this is brought up on here, it never gets resolved. I'm almost certain it's Carl, but what do you guys think?

It's definitely an early, alternate take of Carl.  Leaf was incorrect.

Does the better quality version include Mike saying "THAT IS A MOTHER F'ER!" at the end?

I actually think that might be a strike against this stuff being officially released.  AFAIK, they'd have to include an explicit content warning which might limit the sales (some retailers won't carry it).  Have they ever included session chatter that contained profanity?

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Transcendental Meditation (vocals only) could be really interesting.

How many released, BBs album songs are there where the are a bunch of vocal harmonies, and Brian is the ONLY BB doing all of the singing on the *entire* song?

Would this be the only one? Songs like Caroline, No and Your Summer Dream aren't in the running since there are no harmony vocals.

Wipeout kinda doesn't count in my book; not a real BBs song, plus there's other vocalists on the song. I guess there's the non-album "Beach Boys" song from the late 80s, Barbie. We have the all-Brian Don't Talk intro snippet from the Pet Sounds Sessions, but that was of course never on an actual album. There have been claims of I Just Wasn't Made for These Times being all Brian (even the harmonies), but I thought that was debunked (even prior to the revelation that Denny is likely heard in bits of the lead).

Just for the unusual nature of this song alone, not to mention the fact that it's probably the only released BBs all-Brian harmony song, it should definitely get a vocals-only treatment.

Also... how about some sessions of Murry doing his vocal overdubs on Be Here in the Morning? That must be fascinating to hear. Maybe really awkward to hear the studio chatter too, I wouldn't count on much of it being released unedited. Not to mention hearing some isolated Murry singing vocals, if any exist (not sure if he sung into a separate mic, Mike Love style, or if he got around a single mic with the other Boys). Isolated Murry vox is something I doubt anybody has ever even thought of hearing before.

Lots of possibilities for odd curious on this set.

On songs only sung by Brian, isn't "I'm Waiting For The Day" one? I always thought he's doing all the backing vocals for the song, I could be wrong though.

Mostly but Carl's doing the lower harmony on the backing "aahhhh"s and Mike chimes in with the "baby don't you know" during the second verse, and also the "NO" responses in the tag but there's no way I would've realised that's not Brian without someone else pointing it out

The track sheets for "I'm Waiting For The Day" seem to indicate that all the vocals are Brian and Mike...meaning it would be Mike, not Carl, singing the lower harmony "aahhh's...and I'm pretty sure it's Brian singing the "baby don't you know" bit.

The third vocal OD by Mike is when the "Baby Don't You Know" and the "No!" and "Uh Huh" interjections in the tag were recorded, as well as some unused stuff in the middle.  This can be heard crystal clear on the SOT bootleg.  It's definitely him.  Also I've never seen (or heard) any convincing evidence that Brian is doing all of the backing vocals, though I concede that he might have done most of them.  Wouldn't there have to be a tape bounce done before the lead vocal was recorded for that to be the case?

Wow - that's amazing, guys! Based on the isolation provided at 12:22 in the video above, I think it safe to say it's "organ only". And, the reediness evident in that isolated track does make me think "harmonium rather than Hammond". On the finished product, it sounds like the "highs" have been tweaked via EQ, but here it sounds more "flat" and "reedy". What was your source for the isolation?

I'm the author of those videos and the source for the organ audio there is from the SOT Pet Sounds box, which is essentially a haphazard dump of the multis.  I think I used the vocal track from another track on there to pan the organ out and further isolate it, which is why it sounds a little phasey.

Here's another question related to "IKTAA" - Glen Campbell's banjo overdub appears twice in the song: during the bass harmonica solo, and again during the tag. Does anyone think that there's also a woodwind part on the same track as the banjo in the tag? To me, listening to the stereo mix, it kinda seems like a prominent clarinet line might be doubled on the same track as the banjo, but the separation isn't profound enough for me to tell for sure. The reason I suspect this is that both Glen and Steve Douglas were paid a full hour of overtime on that recording date, and they're the only two musicians who were (engineer Chuck Britz also was - but the other players only got a half-hour of OT)...Glen's extra half-hour of OT is obviously because he stayed behind after the others were dismissed and played that banjo overdub part. I hear no woodwind during the solo, but during the tag, not only do I hear the clarinets (and likely alto flutes) from the basic track, but as I said, possibly another clarinet on the banjo track, doubling the main clarinet part from the basic track. Anyone else hear that? Is it possible to isolate the banjo track during the tag?

The full banjo track can be heard in the far right channel on the SOT Pet Sounds box also on the track labeled "Take 12 Master Take".  The first part of the song Glen can be heard tuning up and practicing.  From what I can hear there's nothing else on that track but the banjo.

The SOT sets have nearly everything, but there are a few sessions that showed up on earlier boots and are no longer in the official tape archive: an early take of "Don't Talk" on a boot called "Unreleased Gems" and excerpted session chatter from that session and excerpted session chatter from "Let's Go Away For A While" on a boot called "Leggo My Ego".

Here's the pic

For those wondering where the proof that Dennis sang on this at all: https://soundcloud.com/smileyhoneyfriends-1/ijwmfttdennis

That's taken from the 1st Vocal Overdub for the song, found on the SOT bootleg.  It fades out pretty quickly but you can hear a remnant of the track with Dennis that Brian recorded over for his lead.

I really think that a finished Lei'd In Hawaii album as presented on Sunshine Tomorrow had a good chance of being a hit and in that event given them some much-needed breathing room with Capitol.  Obviously things went differently and I'm grateful for the music they recorded for Wild Honey/Friends and 20/20, but with a hit live album in '67 you might have seen more realized versions of those albums and Brian sticking around longer.

I would have loved to see Lei'd in Hawaii released back then, but the overdubbed audience would have just ruined it for me IMO. It's the reason that I really don't like the original Party! album, but I adore the "uncovered" mix. I'm here to listen to the band play, not to hear clapping and screaming girls!

I'm guessing because none of the tracks (save the two from Michigan '66) would have actually been "live" I think the audience overdubbing would have been more subdued, at least more than the original live album from '64 (which was made up of mostly real live recordings with real screams).  I mean, the entire reason why the live recordings from the Hawaii shows were deemed unusable (I think) is because there was too much screaming and interjections from the audience.  During one of the performances of God Only Knows, some girl is screaming Carl's name and Brian yells "HE'S SINGING, COOL IT!".

But who knows, maybe they would have hired hundreds of girls to scream at the Hollywood Bowl for half an hour with a tape recorder running.  I'm not sure how the overdubbing would have worked.

I really think that a finished Lei'd In Hawaii album as presented on Sunshine Tomorrow had a good chance of being a hit and in that event given them some much-needed breathing room with Capitol.  Obviously things went differently and I'm grateful for the music they recorded for Wild Honey/Friends and 20/20, but with a hit live album in '67 you might have seen more realized versions of those albums and Brian sticking around longer.

Now a question I've had, and either forgot the answer or never figured it out...what do those girls in the audience scream at Brian in unison after the song? He didn't hear what they said, and I can't make it out either for some reason. Anyone?

I think it's "Hey Brian, how's your dog?!?"  He had been photographed a lot with Louie and Banana for teen magazines in '66 so not too strange.

Ultimately it's the screaming, whistling and general distractions that made those recordings unusable...the performances aside.  It's too bad that they didn't just record their rehearsals in the empty dome and just add the concert applause later...which is basically what they ended up attempting later at Wally Heider's studio anyway.  "Lei'd in Hawaii" really might have been the hit LP they needed in '67.

Judging by a first listen of the tracking session/backing track for "Aren't You Glad", the backing track was recorded in a higher key/ faster tempo and was slowed down for the vocal overdubs...so maybe that chorus vocal in question was just recorded before they decided to slow it down?  Just a thought.  I'll have to listen to it more in depth once I have my physical copy.

Sunshine Tomorrow is up on Apple Music, (presumably iTunes as well).  Sounds fantastic!

"Aren't you glad now darlin ..." - Carl

Always thought it was Carl there, but I'm leaning towards it being Brian slowed down after hearing it in this quality.

Check it out:

https://soundcloud.com/smilead/arent-you-glad-brian-chorus

I think this might be closer to the original speed if your theory is correct: https://soundcloud.com/smileyhoneyfriends-1/arent-you-glad-chorus

Nailed it buddy!

Is this 1 semitone up?

I went back and forth between 1 & 2. For some reason 1 still sounded a little slow to me, but I think you hit it on the head!!

It's exactly 7% faster, so a bit more than one semitone?  The human voice has a certain characteristic when the speed is changed, and I think that's the closest I can get it to Brian's natural timbre.

I do think it's most likely Brian and not Carl.  It seems like they were actively experimenting with speeding up or slowing down vocals around this time.

"Aren't you glad now darlin ..." - Carl

Always thought it was Carl there, but I'm leaning towards it being Brian slowed down after hearing it in this quality.

Check it out:

https://soundcloud.com/smilead/arent-you-glad-brian-chorus

I think this might be closer to the original speed if your theory is correct: https://soundcloud.com/smileyhoneyfriends-1/arent-you-glad-chorus

anyone dl this before it got taken down?

nm it got axed on soundcloud

I had a Triumph motorcycles shirt for a while and only one other person ever mentioned the Bob Dylan/Highway 61 connection when I wore it, so that was neat.

If you ever want to make a "non-stealth" shirt, a version of the Pet Sounds cover done in a cartoony 60's Hanna Barbera style would be neat.  The lack of any good Pet Sounds shirts out there is depressing

I think the inherent problem with digital downloads compared to physical media is that it isn't yet feasible, financially, for digital products to offer lossless audio quality.  This is an issue I have a personal contention with.  iTunes only offers lossless audio in selected products, for the hardcore fans, and the casual fan could care less.  In the case for audio preservation/back up, it is infuriating (especially as a BB fan) that record companies refuse to accommodate these needs.

Some (perhaps not all) of the previously released "copyright extension" releases have been released in 24bit/88kHz (much higher than CD quality) via HDtracks and other sites and there's no reason why that couldn't be continued with future digital-only releases.

The "speed corrected" version still doesn't sound right to me. Unless Bruce used a weird singing technique. "Whaaaaat would you thhhhiiinnnnkkk if I saaaaang out of tuuuuunnnneeeee would you stttttaaaannnd up and waaaaalllllllkkkk oooouuuuutttt oooooooonnnnnnnn mmmmmmeeeeeeeeeee".

It still sounds like it is just a smidge slow still (if slow vs. fast are the terms we're using here). I realize this sits low in Bruce's range, but this still doesn't quite sound natural.

That's what I'm saying. It doesn't sound natural or "right".

This is probably close to the original speed re: Bruce's vocal: https://soundcloud.com/smileyhoneyfriends-1/with-a-little-help-from-my-friends-speed-corrected
I have no idea how they could get the track/BGV's and Bruce's vocal to all be at the same speed without some weird digital pitch/speed correction.

Looking forward to this new set and eagerly await another one for Friends next year!