"Help Me Rhonda" from the box-set - Preview

[El Molé]

I always felt it was gracious of Al to 'let' Dennis sing one of the few hit leads he sang on.

Do we know that's how it happened? Maybe Al wasn't happy about it(?)

Don't forget that Dennis was a true leader at that point. Well, together with Carl. He didn't play drums. Instead he sang and played piano. He was quite talkative, too. I think it was quite fair to give him a lead vocal now and then. Al already had quite a few leads, songs like You Still Believe In Me, Heroes and Villains, Wouldn't It Be Nice, Funky Pretty (shared lead), Don't Worry Baby.

 

I always assumed it was because Al had taken over as lead vocalist on several other hits. Carl and Al probably had the biggest ranges and so fitted in where Brian's voice might have been on the studio tracks. So it probably made a lot of sense to give Al's voice a partial rest and in doing so give something else to Dennis. Dennis' voice still seems underused in both live and studio setting.

I really like this version but I probably prefer the version from Nassau Coliseum in '74, just. It'll be great to have a Dennis live lead in such good quality and it seems like a great performance. It's also interesting to hear that his voice is still pretty much intact at this point.

[PaulTMA]

Damn, I can't get it with Soundcloud downloader.

You can download the MP3 here:

http://www.wikiupload.com/ZGH8353V8NHC28I

Thanks!

[Pretty Funky]

Youtube version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdYWCOxwDO0

[adamghost]

Sounds to me like the part of the second verse with Dennis "forgot" part of the words he actually was distracted by a mental X-rated lyrical substitution.  Can't think of too many words that end with "-nis" as he gets back on the mic to explain what shattered their plan. 

[phirnis]

This version makes the subsequent decline of DW's singing voice seem downright tragic, even depressing. For some reason I never saw it that way before, even though I'm a huge fan of his CATP material where his voice sounds very similar in tone. I love the soulful expressive singing he did on albums like POB and especially L.A., but this is really something else. He sounds like a natural lead vocalist here.

[Eric Aniversario]

Is "Rhonda" possibly the only Beach Boys song in which we've heard every single "core" member sing lead on? I don't know if there's a Mike lead out there, but I'm certain Al, Dennis, Brian and Carl all have sang it.

Someone should make a list of all this crap some time, just fer fun. Obviously the list would have a lot of redundant Brians listed given his solo shows, but then there are neat things like this to be found, or Bruce singing "Wendy" etc.

good timin'?

Yup - we have live versions of Good Timin by Dennis, Mike, Carl, Brian/Al. Oh and John Stamos. :-)

[Lowbacca]

He sounds like a natural lead vocalist here.

Amen.



The Beach Boys were some rock & roll band, weren't they.... 5 (/6) guys blessed with so distinctively different voices, yet each of them capable of prominently carrying lead vocal duties. And fused together, their voices' sound was even more unique. In that regard alone: best band ever.

[Jim V.]

Is "Rhonda" possibly the only Beach Boys song in which we've heard every single "core" member sing lead on? I don't know if there's a Mike lead out there, but I'm certain Al, Dennis, Brian and Carl all have sang it.

Someone should make a list of all this crap some time, just fer fun. Obviously the list would have a lot of redundant Brians listed given his solo shows, but then there are neat things like this to be found, or Bruce singing "Wendy" etc.

good timin'?

Yup - we have live versions of Good Timin by Dennis, Mike, Carl, Brian/Al. Oh and John Stamos. :-)

Mike on the "Good Timin'" lead? When?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Is "Rhonda" possibly the only Beach Boys song in which we've heard every single "core" member sing lead on? I don't know if there's a Mike lead out there, but I'm certain Al, Dennis, Brian and Carl all have sang it.

Someone should make a list of all this crap some time, just fer fun. Obviously the list would have a lot of redundant Brians listed given his solo shows, but then there are neat things like this to be found, or Bruce singing "Wendy" etc.

good timin'?

Yup - we have live versions of Good Timin by Dennis, Mike, Carl, Brian/Al. Oh and John Stamos. :-)

Mike on the "Good Timin'" lead? When?

This is from memory, but I think Mike sang the lead on a telethon that I videotaped back in the day, maybe an Easter Seals Telethon in 1979. I'm getting visions of Jack Klugman and Don Kirschner....

[punkinhead]

Is "Rhonda" possibly the only Beach Boys song in which we've heard every single "core" member sing lead on? I don't know if there's a Mike lead out there, but I'm certain Al, Dennis, Brian and Carl all have sang it.

Someone should make a list of all this crap some time, just fer fun. Obviously the list would have a lot of redundant Brians listed given his solo shows, but then there are neat things like this to be found, or Bruce singing "Wendy" etc.

I heard mike do the lead on Good Timin', it was awful! It wasn't a live cut either…it was an early studio cut. I can't remember where I heard it, on YT or somewhere.

good timin'?

Yup - we have live versions of Good Timin by Dennis, Mike, Carl, Brian/Al. Oh and John Stamos. :-)

Mike on the "Good Timin'" lead? When?

[Pretty Funky]

He sounds like a natural lead vocalist here.

Amen.



The Beach Boys were some rock & roll band, weren't they.... 5 (/6) guys blessed with so distinctively different voices, yet each of them capable of prominently carrying lead vocal duties. And fused together, their voices' sound was even more unique. In that regard alone: best band ever.

For sure! Amazing to think that after Bruce and Dave singing leads on the C50 we now have 7...yes seven, official Beach Boys on live albums plus Blondie. I'll also have to do a shout-out to Jeff I guess!

[Ted]

Amazing to think that after Bruce and Dave singing leads on the C50 we now have 7...yes seven, official Beach Boys on live albums plus Blondie.

Otherwise known as eight.

[Pretty Funky]

Amazing to think that after Bruce and Dave singing leads on the C50 we now have 7...yes seven, official Beach Boys on live albums plus Blondie.

Otherwise known as eight.

Well that subject has been done to death but I go by Bruce who should know the ins and outs of the legalities of the topic. When discussing Blondie and Ricky he has said "..they were never royalty members as such.."

Your definition can be different, which is fine by me.

[Phoenix]

For sure! Amazing to think that after Bruce and Dave singing leads on the C50 we now have 7...yes seven, official Beach Boys on live albums plus Blondie. I'll also have to do a shout-out to Jeff I guess!

Since Blondie does make it eight, that means we have nine.     Check your math, check your ears, or check your facts. 

And Jeff (whom I'm a big fan of but is NOT a Beach Boy) would make ten!

[Pretty Funky]

Oh its 9 BB lead vocalists now? What song did Ricky sing live and I can find on one of my official concert release albums?

[Jay]

Didn't he sing Leaving This Town?

[Phoenix]

Oh its 9 BB lead vocalists now? What song did Ricky sing live and I can find on one of my official concert release albums?

I suggest you look or listen harder.  He does the verses and choruses on "We Got Love".  Blondie only does the bridge sections ("I made my home out in the city...").

[Pretty Funky]

You got me!

To be fair I have only listened to that album for 34 years, and thought it was Blondie all along.

To get those leads is pretty good  for a couple of hired hands.

[Phoenix]

No problem.  Just some good natured ribbing on my part.  

And I don't care what Bruce says.  I think there's a big difference between Blondie & Ricky and the guys in the backing bands.  I think Bruce looks down on their contributions because they inadvertantly squeezed him out of the group back them.   

[BergenWhitesMoustache]

No problem.  Just some good natured ribbing on my part.  

And I don't care what Bruce says.  I think there's a big difference between Blondie & Ricky and the guys in the backing bands.  I think Bruce looks down on their contributions because they inadvertantly squeezed him out of the group back them.   

Totally. They were on the record covers, had songs on the records...the Beach Boys pissy legal definitions are utterly irrelevent. For those couple of years they were Beach Boys

Seem to remember from LLVS that AL wasn't a 'proper' member, legally speaking til '66 or something.

[Phoenix]

No problem.  Just some good natured ribbing on my part.  

And I don't care what Bruce says.  I think there's a big difference between Blondie & Ricky and the guys in the backing bands.  I think Bruce looks down on their contributions because they inadvertantly squeezed him out of the group back them.   

Totally. They were on the record covers, had songs on the records...the Beach Boys pissy legal definitions are utterly irrelevent. For those couple of years they were Beach Boys

Seem to remember from LLVS that AL wasn't a 'proper' member, legally speaking til '66 or something.

Right.  But that doesn't make him any less of a founding member.  Also, the liner notes for The Best Of The Brother Years (or whatever it was called) lists them as members.  For those years, yes.  But as members, not hired guns.

[Mike's Beard]

I don't think Dennis' voice works for this song at all. The official 73 Concert version is still where it's at.

[MBE]

Though I love Sunflower Ricky and Blondie do a lot more for me musically than Bruce ever did.

[Jay]

Though I love Sunflower Ricky and Blondie do a lot more for me musically than Bruce ever did.

Amen. Blondie and Ricky were a welcome breath of fresh air on the CATP and Holland albums. Could you imagine Bruce on Holland?    If Bruce had never left the group, the 1972-74 concert era probably wouldn't have been nearly as great. Or were Blondie and Rickey already members before Bruce left?

[SonicVolcano]

Though I love Sunflower Ricky and Blondie do a lot more for me musically than Bruce ever did.

Amen. Blondie and Ricky were a welcome breath of fresh air on the CATP and Holland albums. Could you imagine Bruce on Holland?    If Bruce had never left the group, the 1972-74 concert era probably wouldn't have been nearly as great. Or were Blondie and Rickey already members before Bruce left?

Yes.

The early 1972 concerts feature Blondie, Ricky and Bruce. And Ricky joined the band in 1971 at some point, if my mind serves me well.