hi there

[c-man]

Funny that the album where they decide to include detailed and minute technical credits had to be 15 Big Ones!!!!!

I first heard that album via a cassette tape a friend made me, and I'd been told Hal Blaine played on the album, and I can remember figuring ALL the drum tracks must have been him.  I remember listening to those big loping drum fills on Back Home and thinking "Man, that's classic Hal Blaine"!!!!

Standing there in 1976 (at age 13) in the record section of JC Penney's at the local mall in North Platte, Nebraska, picking up that album, turning it over and seeing ALL THOSE CREDITS...that's where the obsession began.  To think, all these years later, I'd be assembling the credits for the SMiLE box set...it's a weird (but sometimes wonderful) world!

[Jon Stebbins]

Funny that the album where they decide to include detailed and minute technical credits had to be 15 Big Ones!!!!!

I first heard that album via a cassette tape a friend made me, and I'd been told Hal Blaine played on the album, and I can remember figuring ALL the drum tracks must have been him.  I remember listening to those big loping drum fills on Back Home and thinking "Man, that's classic Hal Blaine"!!!!

Standing there in 1976 (at age 13) in the record section of JC Penney's at the local mall in North Platte, Nebraska, picking up that album, turning it over and seeing ALL THOSE CREDITS...that's where the obsession began.  To think, all these years later, I'd be assembling the credits for the SMiLE box set...it's a weird (but sometimes wonderful) world!

Lucky for us...your obsession is helping to define Beach Boys history. Congrats and thanks.

[cube_monkey]

well crap!  I DIDN'T KNOW THIS!!!!!!!!!!!   I don't come to this site as a expert, just a fan. so this is great.  Thank you.

Al Jardine played bass? well damn. something else new I didn't know. Its all good!

dang.  ok...well now I have to go lay down and let it sink in.

Jay

[cube_monkey]

I am guessing Carl on  "I was meant to love her" ?   Only because as I recently learned here,  the BB's retreat after the problems with the record company and they weren't using session musicans?   And I if i remember, Carol said she didn't do any sessions at the house.

I don't think Carol is a create force. You could never compare her to Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Miroslav Vitous.  I heard a PBS interview and she
was excited she came up with the Surfer Girls dum-de-de-de-dum-de-de-de bass line.  As a bass player (among other things) how could you
not with that rhythm.  

[Loaf]

From what I can recall the musician credits are a bit sketchy for Wild Honey. Maybe Bruce played some bass, maybe Al, but there's talk of a (Motown?) session musician called Ron Brown on some of the album at least.

[Jon Stebbins]

I heard a PBS interview and she
was excited she came up with the Surfer Girls dum-de-de-de-dum-de-de-de bass line.  As a bass player (among other things) how could you
not with that rhythm.  

I'm detecting a pattern here. Her first Beach Boys session was many months after the "Surfer Girl" single was recorded. Musicians on "Surfer Girl" - Brian (bass), Dennis (drums), Carl (guitar), David (guitar)

[bgas]

I heard a PBS interview and she
was excited she came up with the Surfer Girls dum-de-de-de-dum-de-de-de bass line.  As a bass player (among other things) how could you
not with that rhythm.  

I'm detecting a pattern here. Her first Beach Boys session was many months after the "Surfer Girl" single was recorded. Musicians on "Surfer Girl" - Brian (bass), Dennis (drums), Carl (guitar), David (guitar)

I expected you'd see that and reply! 
Perhaps Carol was referring to "The Surfer Girls" and their recording of "draggin wagon"  ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpzlVvCN1p8 ) after all they were on the east coast where Carol spent all her time....

[cube_monkey]

I will not click that link!   ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpzlVvCN1p8 )     ....I don't think i could take it.
the title itself says enough.

Or....maybe....I....should.....

um, was she banned from this board?  It was  her participation in the Draggin wagon wasn't it?

I was reading reviews on amazon for Wolf Marshall's  Signature Licks for Joe Pass.  Keeny Burrell -- jazz heavy  & now head of jazz studies at UCLA
and some other heavy said this book was great for learning the basis of Joe's style and theory.  She wrote a review,  "He does not understand".  that
took me back.   First Carl, now Wolf.    

Also, still suprised AL played bass. because when i see him on DVD's it always looks like its his first day after learned some new chords.
and on their  first live album, in the intro to Little Duece Coupe, when they say "Al Jardine, on rhythm guitar!" you dont hear anything. AHAHAHAHAHAHA
I do like al though. His stories about regording California Saga and Brian were very funny.

[c-man]

Al was the Beach Boys' original bassist...he played upright on their first single.  Then, when he rejoined the band in '63, it was to take Brian's place onstage, as electric bassist & falsetto vocalist.  Brian obviously wanted to play more piano in the studio, so Al began playing bass on the sessions again, while Carl and Dave continued to handle the guitars.  After Dave left, Carl would play rhythm on the basic track and then overdub the lead.  Lots of their best records were made that way ("Don't Worry Baby" for one).  As Jon said, the session players didn't start to dominate til '65.

[Andrew G. Doe]

First documented BB recording with major Crew involvement was "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", 1/7/64. That's major as in no BBs played on the track.

I stand to be corrected - and doubtless will be - but  I think the first time the name Carol Kaye appears on a BB session AFM is the 12/16/64 session for "Kiss Me, Baby". Prior to this she'd played on several non-BB BW productions, but no BB tracks, despite what she or her site may claim.

[guitarfool2002]

I thought it had been established that Carol Kaye played on Wild Honey's "I Was Made To Love Her", whether she said she didn't do any sessions at the house or not. Remember too that at that time, Smiley Smile into Wild Honey, Brian was cutting random tracks at Wally Heider's studio in LA, so not everything we may think was done at the house was actually done at the house.

Is there an AFM contract for the I Was Made To Love Her BB's session?

[cube_monkey]

just an fyi. If i say something, like carol didn't play at the house or whatever -- and its wrong, but mentioned somewhere else here,  I apologize,
I don't get to read everything and I am not an expert.   It would probably take someone like Carol to play the bass on "I was made to love her".

I was listening to Surfin Safari last night, and a picture with david playing guitar and carl on bass. I thought, DAMN IT!, STAY ON YOUR ORIGINAL
INSTRUMENTS!!!!!!  This switching around stuff only makes it more confusing in this forum!  didn't they realize that?
And there is a picture of dennis at a early 70ish concert playing a moog.  I wanna say. ok, get off that moog.  either play the drums, or just stand and sing.    damn it.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Well, this is just the thing with The Beach Boys: they really weren't a "band" like most. They were primarily a vocal entity (aside from the Carl/Dave two guitar attack era) of multi-instrumentalists whose entire goal was achieving the best sound/vibe possible in order to serve the material. Who played what was secondary, and for such a major historic group: the utter lack of musician ego is staggering. No one in the band seemed to care what they played on what song/record if if they even played at all.

[bgas]

Well, this is just the thing with The Beach Boys: they really weren't a "band" like most. They were primarily a vocal entity (aside from the Carl/Dave two guitar attack era) of multi-instrumentalists whose entire goal was achieving the best sound/vibe possible in order to serve the material. Who played what was secondary, and for such a major historic group: the utter lack of musician ego is staggering. No one in the band seemed to care what they played on what song/record if if they even played at all.

It was all about the $$.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Well, this is just the thing with The Beach Boys: they really weren't a "band" like most. They were primarily a vocal entity (aside from the Carl/Dave two guitar attack era) of multi-instrumentalists whose entire goal was achieving the best sound/vibe possible in order to serve the material. Who played what was secondary, and for such a major historic group: the utter lack of musician ego is staggering. No one in the band seemed to care what they played on what song/record or if they even played at all.

It was all about the $$.

They certainly weren't f*$king with the formula!

[c-man]

Is there an AFM contract for the I Was Made To Love Her BB's session?

Yep...and guess what, no Carol Kaye. 
FYI, it was indeed cut at Wally Heider's (those of you who own the wonderful 1983 Capitol "Rarities" album should already know this!).

[bgas]

Is there an AFM contract for the I Was Made To Love Her BB's session?

Yep...and guess what, no Carol Kaye. 
FYI, it was indeed cut at Wally Heider's (those of you who own the wonderful 1983 Capitol "Rarities" album should already know this!).

Most of us "KNOW" it; it's the remembering what we know that's the hard part!

[Dove Nested Towers]

Whew! Time for me to meditate....

[guitarfool2002]

Is there an AFM contract for the I Was Made To Love Her BB's session?

Yep...and guess what, no Carol Kaye. 
FYI, it was indeed cut at Wally Heider's (those of you who own the wonderful 1983 Capitol "Rarities" album should already know this!).

No Carol Kaye? I'm surprised at that news, I guess I always assumed it was her or maybe someone said it was her...whatever the case thank you for the info! So if it was not Carol, was it Ron or someone else on bass?

I've also been interested in the fact that given those sessions held at Wally Heider's, which was a professional studio, how did they manage to mix those tracks so they sounded like they all came from Brian's home studio? Going from Gold Star to Western is one thing, but going from a living room to a pro studio and emerging with a cohesive sound and texture is actually quite an accomplishment.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Is there an AFM contract for the I Was Made To Love Her BB's session?

Yep...and guess what, no Carol Kaye.  
FYI, it was indeed cut at Wally Heider's (those of you who own the wonderful 1983 Capitol "Rarities" album should already know this!).

No Carol Kaye? I'm surprised at that news, I guess I always assumed it was her or maybe someone said it was her...whatever the case thank you for the info! So if it was not Carol, was it Ron or someone else on bass?

I've also been interested in the fact that given those sessions held at Wally Heider's, which was a professional studio, how did they manage to mix those tracks so they sounded like they all came from Brian's home studio? Going from Gold Star to Western is one thing, but going from a living room to a pro studio and emerging with a cohesive sound and texture is actually quite an accomplishment.

Not all the Wild Honey sessions were at Heiders (which makes it even odder, of course).

Gigs & sessions 1967

[cube_monkey]

So if it was at Wallys,  I assume *everything* was recorded through SM57's.

Let the wind blow had to be recorded "back at the house" .  They are using some (maybe) omni mic. or a mic up...and we hear...a chair bang.  its become part of the dang song for me as I have heard that bang about 500 times.  And that sounds like an upright piano.  I remember a picture of
carl in the studio in the house, its a rectangular room, and there was an upright, and some other keyboards I think. He was sitting on the floor...smoking.   Mind is drifting.    I am sure its very important i remember this.

thats why i find smiley smile and WH fascinating.  So much chaos going on and its not a polished super over-produced (to say the least) thing.

[Andrew G. Doe]

 I remember a picture of
carl in the studio in the house, its a rectangular room, and there was an upright, and some other keyboards I think. He was sitting on the floor...smoking.   Mind is drifting.   I am sure its very important i remember this.

That pic - and you're recalling it correctly - was taken a good five/six years later, when the proper home studio was working: for Smiley Smile and Wild Honey, maybe Friends too, it was more a living room studio. Bit of a lash-up jobbie.

The home studio situation is actually one of the more endearing BB myths - the impression gained is that after Smile collapsed, the band never set foot in a commercial studio again until they came back from the Dutch escapade. In reality, although an increasing amount of work was done at 10452 as the studio improved from very basic 8-track to quad-capable 16-track, the following commercial rooms were used:

Smiley Smile - Sound Recorders, Western
Wild Honey - Wally Heider
Friends - ID Sound
20/20 - Bell Sound (NYC), Capitol, Valentine, ID Sound, Western
Sunflower - Sunset Sound, Gold Star, Valentine
Surf's Up - Sunset Sound
CATP - Village Recorders, Sunset Sound

[c-man]

 I remember a picture of
carl in the studio in the house, its a rectangular room, and there was an upright, and some other keyboards I think. He was sitting on the floor...smoking.   Mind is drifting.   I am sure its very important i remember this.

That pic - and you're recalling it correctly - was taken a good five/six years later, when the proper home studio was working: for Smiley Smile and Wild Honey, maybe Friends too, it was more a living room studio. Bit of a lash-up jobbie.

The home studio situation is actually one of the more endearing BB myths - the impression gained is that after Smile collapsed, the band never set foot in a commercial studio again until they came back from the Dutch escapade. In reality, although an increasing amount of work was done at 10452 as the studio improved from very basic 8-track to quad-capable 16-track, the following commercial rooms were used:

Smiley Smile - Sound Recorders, Western
Wild Honey - Wally Heider
Friends - ID Sound
20/20 - Bell Sound (NYC), Capitol, Valentine, ID Sound, Western
Sunflower - Sunset Sound, Gold Star, Valentine
Surf's Up - Sunset Sound
CATP - Village Recorders, Sunset Sound

To be completely accurate, I think the only "Surf's Up" session held at Sunset Sound was the attempted remake of "Surf's Up" itself.  From the evidence I've seen, all of the tracks that actually made it on the album were recorded & mixed at Bellagio (the 1966 backing track for "Surf's Up" being the exception, of course).  Unless someone knows otherwise, that is.

[c-man]

And that sounds like an upright piano.

I believe it's a detuned grand. 

[c-man]

Is there an AFM contract for the I Was Made To Love Her BB's session?

Yep...and guess what, no Carol Kaye.  
FYI, it was indeed cut at Wally Heider's (those of you who own the wonderful 1983 Capitol "Rarities" album should already know this!).

No Carol Kaye? I'm surprised at that news, I guess I always assumed it was her or maybe someone said it was her...whatever the case thank you for the info! So if it was not Carol, was it Ron or someone else on bass?

The only people listed on that contract are the six Beach Boys and Diane Rovell, with no indication of instruments played.  The Sea Of Tunes set includes tape from this session, but my recollection is it doesn't reveal who is playing bass.