Guitars on "Good To My Baby"

[c-man]

Hey, everyone - I'm revisiting all of my sessionographies at beachboysarchives.com - a healthy thing to do every few years or so, as new info becomes available and previously unnoticed things are now noticed.

So, on this track, Carl is playing lead, and one of the Wrecking Crew guys is doubling him. There's at least one electric rhythm guitar, but what else do we hear? I hear an auto-harp being strummed between takes at one point (at 3:22 of Track 11 on the SOT U.M. unofficial release). I don't, however, think the auto-harp is being played on the actual track...it IS, however, played on the track for "I The Back Of My Mind", recorded at a separate session later that day, according to the notation in Capitol's twofer release. So, besides Carl, the guitarists on the session were Billy Strange, Tommy Tedesco, and Bill Pitman. What parts do we think they are playing? I'm pretty sure Billy Strange would be the one doubling Carl's lead part, with the other two assigned to rhythm parts. I don't hear the dark texture of an electric baritone rhythm (which is tuned anywhere from a third to a fifth below concert pitch), like we sometimes do around this time (e.g., "Do You Wanna Dance?", "Don't Hurt My Little Sister", "Salt Lake City"), and there only seems to be one electric bass (Carol Kaye on Fender), ruling out the chance of Bill Pitman playing Dano bass here (as he often did on later sessions for Brian). Pianos are faint, and possibly not even individually mic'd (rather, they could just be picked up by the drum and guitar mics), but any "acoustic" texture we hear could come from them, rather than from a guitar. On the other hand, if there's already one straight electric rhythm part, it would make sense for an acoustic or electric/acoustic semi-hollowbody to be used for the additional rhythm guitar part. Thoughts, anyone?

[JK]

Probably simplistic on my part but it doesn't sound to me like a solid body electric playing the chord at 2:05: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk0adxnUI4k

[DonnyL]

I was thinking there could be a Dano, doubling the brighter main lead part. But the more I listen, I think it's just a darker guitar. It sounds like a Dano on the plucky parts on the "... and when we're out with our friends now" sections. Confusing to tell because the bass is fairly plucky and seems to be playing the same line as the guitar parts.

The brighter/smaller sounding rhythm guitar could be an autoharp on the final track? Never thought about that but it does sound similar to the Lovin Spoonful rhythm sound. I don't hear an acoustic guitar in there, but the "autoharp" sounds like an unamplified electric guitar.

Sounds like a piano and a tack piano in there.

Here's a possible scenario:

Carl - brighter lead
Billy Strange - darker lead
Tommy Tedesco - autoharp or bright rhythm
Carol Kaye - Fender Bass

Starting from the beginning of the final instrumental track, it sounds like -

Percussion begins > Carol plays a note > Carl plays a chord along with the bass > Billy Strange plays the main intro > Carl joins him near the end of the second riff > Carol joins them both as the rhythm track kicks in (all three are now playing the main riff), while Tommy Tedesco plays the rhythm on the autoharp (with pianos joining) > when it gets to the "when we're out with our friends now" section, Carl switches to playing rhythmic chords (along with the autoharp and pianos), while Billy and Carol double on the plucky parts.

I can't hear another guitar in there, but I do hear a "phantom" Dano bass. So maybe Bill Pitman played the Dano just to "plucken" up the bass and darker guitar parts?

OR ... what I'm hearing as Carl switching to rhythmic chords in the second section is actually Bill Pitman joining in on another guitar, while Carl continues to double Billy Strange.

[astroray]

Why do I love this kinda talk about the Beach Boys? Never tire of this stuff!

[JK]

Why do I love this kinda talk about the Beach Boys? Never tire of this stuff!

Couldn't agree more. I've always been fascinated by "classical" orchestration and Brian can clearly hold his own in that department. Stuff like this is a joy to read...

[Cool Cool Water]

Why do I love this kinda talk about the Beach Boys? Never tire of this stuff!

The benefits of forums and real fans. 

[c-man]

Thanks, Donny - I'm leaning towards this second possibility, but will listen again to see:


<<OR ... what I'm hearing as Carl switching to rhythmic chords in the second section is actually Bill Pitman joining in on another guitar, while Carl continues to double Billy Strange.>>

[DonnyL]

Thanks, Donny - I'm leaning towards this second possibility, but will listen again to see:


<<OR ... what I'm hearing as Carl switching to rhythmic chords in the second section is actually Bill Pitman joining in on another guitar, while Carl continues to double Billy Strange.>>

I was thinking that too after while, but now I'm back to the other theory.

... The thing is, I really only hear 3 guitars in the arrangement itself. It really sounds like Carl plays that first chord in the intro (otherwise, why would he not begin that main riff along with Billy Strange? It really sounds like he plays the chord, then switches to the lead at the tail end ... almost sounds like he comes in at the 'wrong' time on the final actually). I guess I'm thinking if there's a fourth guitarist playing rhythm, why wouldn't he play that first chord? Also, the two lead guitars playing in unison throughout the verses sound very strong, whereas the 'plucky' parts lose some power and volume ... which I think supports Carl switching to a rhythm part at that time. Is there a possibility that Pittman (or Strange, I suppose) was not playing on the track or was playing something else? I also wouldn't rule out a Dano being in the mix. You know more than me, but it seems like BW would have 3 guitars (including the possible autoharp) and 2 basses as opposed to 4 guitars and 1 bass.

[sockittome]

Why do I love this kinda talk about the Beach Boys? Never tire of this stuff!

The benefits of forums and real fans. 

There are fakefans? 

[mabewa]

You guys are awesome! 

[c-man]

I just listened to the track, in stereo, with headphones, from the Hawthorne, CA compilation - and I now think there is, indeed, an auto-harp which plays through the whole song! I'm hearing a weird kind of sonority that I initially thought was the echo chamber echo washing back over the track, but I don't really hear that same effect on other BBs tracks from the era. Knowing that an auto-harp was present, I gotta say that's what it is! As for the other parts, I think Carl plays that chord in the intro, Billy Strange starts the riff on a darker-toned guitar, Carl joins in with his brighter-sounding guitar, then with the two of them playing lead through the verse, Bill Pitman plays rhythm guitar and Tommy Tedesco plays auto-harp. Carl switches to rhythm for the choruses (which is where the extra rhythm guitar Donny mentions comes from), while Billy Strange doubles Carol Kaye's bass line with his guitar on the choruses (giving it that extra "plucky" sound Donny mentions).



Ta-da!

[DonnyL]

I just listened to the track, in stereo, with headphones, from the Hawthorne, CA compilation - and I now think there is, indeed, an auto-harp which plays through the whole song! I'm hearing a weird kind of sonority that I initially thought was the echo chamber echo washing back over the track, but I don't really hear that same effect on other BBs tracks from the era. Knowing that an auto-harp was present, I gotta say that's what it is! As for the other parts, I think Carl plays that chord in the intro, Billy Strange starts the riff on a darker-toned guitar, Carl joins in with his brighter-sounding guitar, then with the two of them playing lead through the verse, Bill Pitman plays rhythm guitar and Tommy Tedesco plays auto-harp. Carl switches to rhythm for the choruses (which is where the extra rhythm guitar Donny mentions comes from), while Billy Strange doubles Carol Kaye's bass line with his guitar on the choruses (giving it that extra "plucky" sound Donny mentions).



Ta-da!

I have to say that makes a whole heck of a lot of sense.

Only minor issue is I don't think I can hear Pitman ... but then again, you can't really "hear" the pianos either

[c-man]

I just listened to the track, in stereo, with headphones, from the Hawthorne, CA compilation - and I now think there is, indeed, an auto-harp which plays through the whole song! I'm hearing a weird kind of sonority that I initially thought was the echo chamber echo washing back over the track, but I don't really hear that same effect on other BBs tracks from the era. Knowing that an auto-harp was present, I gotta say that's what it is! As for the other parts, I think Carl plays that chord in the intro, Billy Strange starts the riff on a darker-toned guitar, Carl joins in with his brighter-sounding guitar, then with the two of them playing lead through the verse, Bill Pitman plays rhythm guitar and Tommy Tedesco plays auto-harp. Carl switches to rhythm for the choruses (which is where the extra rhythm guitar Donny mentions comes from), while Billy Strange doubles Carol Kaye's bass line with his guitar on the choruses (giving it that extra "plucky" sound Donny mentions).



Ta-da!

I have to say that makes a whole heck of a lot of sense.

Only minor issue is I don't think I can hear Pitman ... but then again, you can't really "hear" the pianos either

I think Pitman is playing the electric rhythm guitar that Tedesco is doubling with his auto-harp...if you listen to Take 1 on U.M., or to the stereo track on Hawthorne, CA, I think you'll see what I mean...the part where Billy Strange and Carl are playing their lead riff is supported by the rhythm guitar/auto-harp combination, with the rhythm guitar louder and the auto-harp softer...I think Pitman is playing 8th notes (1-and-2-and-3-and-4) while Tommy backs him on quarter-notes (1 - 2 - 3 - 4), stroking and counter-stroking that thing. Then, when they get to the chorus (actually, I should say second half of the verse), Carl and Strange split off, like you said - Billy doubles Carol while Carl joins Tedesco and the Pitman on the rhythm (Carl playing a rather "excited" part). That's what I hear, anyway.