Did Al Jardine ever sing falsetto?

[metal flake paint]

"Ooh she's so fine, what a turn on" from All Dressed Up For School
The lead in Surfer Girl, e.g. New Years Rockin' Eve 1974, Knebworth 1980, etc.

Craig Slowinski also lists Al singing falsetto parts in the follwoing:

"I'm So Young" (Today version): http://www.tiptopwebsite.com/custommusic2/craigslowinskicom.pdf#page=1 (page 28)
"I'm So Young" (alternate take): ESQ, Issue 86, Vol. 22. No. 3, p. 13
"You're So Good To Me": ESQ, Issue 84, Vol. 22, No. 1, p. 32

[Mikie]

Al's sung Surfer Girl a lot - 70's, 80's......

[TimeToGetAlone]

Other than "All This Is That," are there any songs with Carl doing falsetto?

Hot Fun in the Summertime

The falsetto on "Hot Fun" is Adrian Baker. Maybe Carl reaches falsetto on a word or two, I can't remember.

Upon listening to it again, you're right.  For some reason I had in my head that there was an instance where Carl's lines went very high, but it seems only the second sections that are falsetto.  Then again, Summer in Paradise doesn't get heavy rotation.

[Wylson]

I think the OPs question was about whether he sang it on record... He says he knows he did it live.

It is surprising he didn't do more of it. But I've always found Al's strongest range is his mid range - seems to be where his voice resonates.

[Autotune]

Al sang a majority of the high parts from 1965-1980.  See In Concert or Knebworth.

I beg to differ.  You're forgetting Glen Campbell (briefly) in '65 and then Bruce sang high parts from '65 to '72.  Al and Carl from '72 to '80, then Adrian Baker briefly then Foskett took over.

Please correct if wrong, but my understanding is that -vocally- Bruce did not replace Brian's parts consistently. Al sang a lot of the highest parts even with Bruce around. I assume Alan had replaced Brian's parts consistently when he re-joined in 1963 (although I have not heard any show from that era sans Brian, with Al and David).

Regarding Hot Fun... Isn't it Carl the one to end phrase "everything is cool"?

[Cabinessenceking]

Carl does the duet falsetto with Brian in the outro of Til I Die!

[Mikie]

Please correct if wrong, but my understanding is that -vocally- Bruce did not replace Brian's parts consistently. Al sang a lot of the highest parts even with Bruce around. I assume Alan had replaced Brian's parts consistently when he re-joined in 1963 (although I have not heard any show from that era sans Brian, with Al and David).

I haven't heard any early shows either, but I think you may be right about that, Leonard.

[The 4th Wilson Bro.]

You guys will correct me (and rightfully so) if I'm wrong, but I believe falsetto is actually one of the easiest parts for many guys to sing.  I can do a passable falsetto, and I'm a natural baritone.  Of course, Brian's falsetto in the early years was special and better than just about anyone else I've ever heard.  Maybe Frankie Valley (sp?) came close?

[bringahorseinhere?]

and maybe Barry Gibb and Lou Christie, but Brian was the master best sounding (to my ear) falsetto ever instilled in a bloke..

RickB

[The 4th Wilson Bro.]

and maybe Barry Gibb and Lou Christie, but Brian was the master best sounding (to my ear) falsetto ever instilled in a bloke..

RickB

Ah, yes, that Brother Gibb.  Those guys WERE amazing and Barry's falsetto was truly Brian Wilsonesque.  Christie did have a couple of great hit records (Lightning Striking Again was a personal favorite), but I, personally, don't have him on the same level as Brian or Barry.

[TimeToGetAlone]

The thing that gets me about Brian's is just how smooth a transition he could make from his falsetto to his regular register.  I can't think of many singers who could pull off Don't Worry Baby or Wouldn't It Be Nice with such a natural blend of the two.

[c-man]

Al sang a majority of the high parts from 1965-1980.  See In Concert or Knebworth.

I beg to differ.  You're forgetting Glen Campbell (briefly) in '65 and then Bruce sang high parts from '65 to '72.  Al and Carl from '72 to '80, then Adrian Baker briefly then Foskett took over.

Please correct if wrong, but my understanding is that -vocally- Bruce did not replace Brian's parts consistently. Al sang a lot of the highest parts even with Bruce around. I assume Alan had replaced Brian's parts consistently when he re-joined in 1963 (although I have not heard any show from that era sans Brian, with Al and David).

Regarding Hot Fun... Isn't it Carl the one to end phrase "everything is cool"?

Yes on the first understanding, no on the second.

[drbeachboy]

Al sang a majority of the high parts from 1965-1980.  See In Concert or Knebworth.

I beg to differ.  You're forgetting Glen Campbell (briefly) in '65 and then Bruce sang high parts from '65 to '72.  Al and Carl from '72 to '80, then Adrian Baker briefly then Foskett took over.

Please correct if wrong, but my understanding is that -vocally- Bruce did not replace Brian's parts consistently. Al sang a lot of the highest parts even with Bruce around. I assume Alan had replaced Brian's parts consistently when he re-joined in 1963 (although I have not heard any show from that era sans Brian, with Al and David).

Regarding Hot Fun... Isn't it Carl the one to end phrase "everything is cool"?

Yes on the first understanding, no on the second.

I'd bet money that it is Carl on that line, mainly because it starts off with "and everything is..." in Carl's normal range.

[Autotune]

Al sang a majority of the high parts from 1965-1980.  See In Concert or Knebworth.

I beg to differ.  You're forgetting Glen Campbell (briefly) in '65 and then Bruce sang high parts from '65 to '72.  Al and Carl from '72 to '80, then Adrian Baker briefly then Foskett took over.

Please correct if wrong, but my understanding is that -vocally- Bruce did not replace Brian's parts consistently. Al sang a lot of the highest parts even with Bruce around. I assume Alan had replaced Brian's parts consistently when he re-joined in 1963 (although I have not heard any show from that era sans Brian, with Al and David).

Regarding Hot Fun... Isn't it Carl the one to end phrase "everything is cool"?

Yes on the first understanding, no on the second.

I'd bet money that it is Carl on that line, mainly because it starts off with "and everything is..." in Carl's normal range.

Agree. What sense would it make to have Baker sing the (unnecessary, ad-lib sounding) last note of Carl's phrase. Besides, it is not like Carl could not hit it. In the live version I've seen, Carl sings the whole line but doesn't end it up high. But perhaps it's been confirmed that Baker sings that and all this talk is futile.

[zachrwolfe]

‍

[bringahorseinhere?]

mmmmm........ yeah, the second part of Carl's line and everything is cool....... cooo - hoooolllll.......... has gotta be Baker.....

no doubt in my mind....

RickB

[Dave Modny]

"It's been such a long day so you better hurry home..."

"Loop de Loop," too, right?  Isn't part of the original recording Al doing a Brian imitation?

These would be obvious studio choices for me as well.

In concert...I think this is a pretty good example of his live falsetto range when he was young.


Papa Oom Mow Mow -- Michigan State 1966:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq5QJJ8nuao&index=6&list=PL6qtJ4lUEQ0IxgvbHf3gaEG0fFgMT6YDW

[Ron]

You guys will correct me (and rightfully so) if I'm wrong, but I believe falsetto is actually one of the easiest parts for many guys to sing.  I can do a passable falsetto, and I'm a natural baritone.  Of course, Brian's falsetto in the early years was special and better than just about anyone else I've ever heard.  Maybe Frankie Valley (sp?) came close?

Brian is in a class by himself, in my opinion.   Most guys (mine included) falsettos sound thin... the reason for that is, when you sing falsetto what you're physically doing is only using half of your vocal chords, this allows them to vibrate faster, which makes a much higher pitched sound... but it's not as strong as your full voice, or your head (singing) voice.  

Brian somehow still had a nice, full, falsetto, though, that was comparable to his full voice.  If you listen to Frankie Valli, of course he's got a fantastic voice, but his false is thin like most people's.  The Gibb brothers were the same, think of the thin way the vocals are in "Stayin' Alive" or whatever.  Then think about Brian singing "I Get Around".... or the crazy gymnastic part in "Surf's Up".  NOBODY sang falsetto that full.

Brian also had a really smooth transition between his chest voice, head voice, and falsetto, often going from falsetto to head, and then back up to falsetto in the same phrase, with no pause or break discernable.  Try it yourself; sing a note in your head voice, and then try to turn it into a falsetto note without breaking it.  Then try going out of falsetto, back down into your head voice.  

You can hear a great example of that in "Don't Worry Baby"... Nearly the whole song, he's singing back and forth, some notes are in head voice, but some syllables and words he stretches up into falsetto, and then back down into head voice.  ... and of course, on the famous run in "You Still Believe In Me", he starts in head voice, goes up into falsetto, then walks down into head voice again, and finally ends up in his chest voice.  F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C singer.


I do agree with you though, that normally falsetto is one of the easiest parts to sing, I would say that Al and Carl had the two hardest parts to sing in the group, consistently.

[Watch a Cave]

Nothing can top vintage 60s era Brian falsetto.. what an amazing sound.

Also I mentioned this before in another thread that I think a huge part of the group's commercial decline from 69 onwards was that the magical Brian falsetto had disappeared from their new material!

I mean who else could sing like that? Nobody.

[The 4th Wilson Bro.]

Nothing can top vintage 60s era Brian falsetto.. what an amazing sound.

Also I mentioned this before in another thread that I think a huge part of the group's commercial decline from 69 onwards was that the magical Brian falsetto had disappeared from their new material!

I mean who else could sing like that? Nobody.

I had never thought about that (the disappearance of Brian's falsetto as a possible reason for the band's commercial decline), but I believe you may be onto something.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out that those beautiful falsetto parts were at least part of the reason those early Beach Boys songs became mega-hits.  The Brian falsettos and the wonderful harmonies are what made the band's sound unique – and great.  It somewhat boggles the mind to think that the Boys may have continued to crank out Top 10 records if Brian would have only kept writing and singing those falsetto parts.

[Cabinessenceking]

Al sings falsetto when doing Runaway which was released on MiC. Not sure if that was ever a concert staple.

[RangeRoverA1]

Al sings falsetto when doing Runaway which was released on MiC. Not sure if that was ever a concert staple.

According to this board, it was. Even though I never read Ian & Jon's concert book, other folks said it covers everything wrt BBs shows, so it's easy to say "Runaway" performance is there too.

I think it's Al who sang the falsetto on "You Still believe In Me"-1973, in unison with Carl.

[Awesoman]

Al sang lead on "Be Here In The Morning".  That's pretty falsetto if you ask me.  I thought Al handling Brian's high parts was also hit or miss.  His upper range just never had the warmth Brian could deliver.  And because they had to shift the vocal positions around because of this, the harmonies never really sounded good until later in the 80's and 90's when Jeff and Matt handled the high parts.

[bonnevillemariner]

Nothing can top vintage 60s era Brian falsetto.. what an amazing sound.

Also I mentioned this before in another thread that I think a huge part of the group's commercial decline from 69 onwards was that the magical Brian falsetto had disappeared from their new material!

I mean who else could sing like that? Nobody.

Absolutely agreed.  At the very least, it's why I prefer the 60's stuff to everything thereafter.

[Lowbacca]

Al sings falsetto when doing Runaway which was released on MiC. Not sure if that was ever a concert staple.

According to this board, it was. [...]

I'm not sure what qualifies a "staple" - but, as far as I know - it was played quite regularly in the early to mid 80s. Maybe even earlier(/later). I've always enjoyed Jardine's voice on one of my all-time favourite songs.