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Author Topic: Beach Boys studio disasters and screwups?  (Read 22414 times)
CenturyDeprived
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« on: September 20, 2018, 02:27:43 PM »

Curious if anyone has compiled any sort of list of times when some sort of mistake happened (that would be something inherent to the analog tape era that most BBs songs were recorded in)... such as the engineer accidentally destructively taping over a section of audio on a studio song that was intended to be kept, or a tape that got damaged by spilling or something of that nature... that resulted in the final released recording being different than it would have otherwise turned out.

The closest incidents I can think of were a master tape (as I recall?) of Do It Again falling off a car and getting lost, and also the live shows that the band were recording themselves (for their own internal reviewing purposes) being taped over to save tape (this was intentional I think).

PS - not looking for examples of songs that stink and could be considered disasters  LOL
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Jay
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« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2018, 02:43:34 PM »

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're after, but I'll give an example of what I think you're asking for. In the song Anna Lee, The Healer, you can hear a music stand and papers falling. At least that's what it sounds like. It's been quite a while since I've listened to it, so I can't say exactly when it happens in the song.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2018, 02:44:58 PM by Jay » Logged

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Tony S
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« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2018, 03:48:36 PM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???
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CenturyDeprived
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« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2018, 04:00:41 PM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???




Yeah, I'm sort of thinking more along the lines of if Denny's vocal had been taped over (but it had been by accident).

Or if the tape of Denny (and the mystery lady's) "outro" of All I Want to Do had been lost, thus necessitating a full retake/re-record  LOL


I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're after, but I'll give an example of what I think you're asking for. In the song Anna Lee, The Healer, you can hear a music stand and papers falling. At least that's what it sounds like. It's been quite a while since I've listened to it, so I can't say exactly when it happens in the song.

And not so much the papers falling down. More something where some actual vocal or instrument take was inadvertently destroyed or taped over/damaged/lost, resulting in having to re-record a given song/song section.

I would venture to guess this must have happened a time or two or three, particularly in the pre-digital age of destructive recording. Or perhaps a tape splice happened wrong, resulting in cutting a good section of tape, which then caused a vocal to need to be rerecorded.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2018, 04:03:52 PM by CenturyDeprived » Logged
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« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2018, 04:01:47 PM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???

I agree, aside from a most unfortunate typo!
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« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2018, 10:29:26 PM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???

I agree, aside from a most unfortunate typo!

Well that typo certainly made me laugh, however the operative word is correct for someone recording over a Dennis vocal  LOL
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Jon Stebbins
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« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2018, 10:46:32 PM »

John Hanlon told me he was asked by Dennis to put a short guitar solo on the song "Dreamer" and punch out right before Dennis' previously recorded Fender Rhodes piano solo kicked in...Dennis was out of the room and Hanlon spaced and kept playing right through the spot where he was supposed to punch out, and unfortunately recorded over the track that contained the Dennis solo. He had to tell Dennis when he came back that his piano solo was gone. He said Dennis was pretty cool about it because he liked the guitar part.
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« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2018, 12:53:20 AM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???

I agree, aside from a most unfortunate typo!



 LOL


I don't know if it was a disaster that Dennis' vocal was taped over. Maybe it wasn't any good. Yes, I would like to hear it but a disaster?
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« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2018, 05:49:40 AM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???

I agree, aside from a most unfortunate typo!

Well that typo certainly made me laugh, however the operative word is correct for someone recording over a Dennis vocal  LOL

 LOL
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CenturyDeprived
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« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2018, 11:00:48 AM »

John Hanlon told me he was asked by Dennis to put a short guitar solo on the song "Dreamer" and punch out right before Dennis' previously recorded Fender Rhodes piano solo kicked in...Dennis was out of the room and Hanlon spaced and kept playing right through the spot where he was supposed to punch out, and unfortunately recorded over the track that contained the Dennis solo. He had to tell Dennis when he came back that his piano solo was gone. He said Dennis was pretty cool about it because he liked the guitar part.

Thanks for sharing this story, Jon. This is just the type of story I was looking for.

I feel like this type of thing must have also happened other times throughout the history of the band (somebody forgetting to punch out).
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2018, 11:49:58 AM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???

COMMENT to Tony S:  Because it wasn't good. It only took one take to realise Dennis was not the person to sing lead on this song.

Most leads or instrumental parts that do not please the performer are removed at the performer's request.

Brian's original lyrics and lead for Til' I Die that were almost ready for mixdown, were erased to make room for the present version. That was Carl's decision. (More on this in Part two of my book.

I once accidentally did not get out of an insert cut on the multi-track, thus wiping out $5,000 worth of a string sweetening session. (Also more detail in my book)
~swd
« Last Edit: September 21, 2018, 11:56:37 AM by Stephen W. Desper » Logged
Tony S
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« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2018, 11:53:35 AM »

Thanks Stephen....would still like to have heard it though, understandably.
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CenturyDeprived
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« Reply #12 on: September 21, 2018, 12:03:03 PM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???

COMMENT to Tony S:  Because it wasn't good. It only took one take to realise Dennis was not the person to sing lead on this song.

Most leads or instrumental parts that do not please the performer are removed at the performer's request.

Brian's original lyrics and lead for Til' I Die that were almost ready for mixdown, were erased to make room for the present version. That was Carl's decision. (More on this in Part two of my book.

I once accidentally did not get out of an insert cut on the multi-track, thus wiping out $5,000 worth of a string sweetening session. (Also more detail in my book)
~swd

Can't wait to read your book, Stephen!
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CenturyDeprived
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« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2018, 12:04:18 PM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???

COMMENT to Tony S:  Because it wasn't good. It only took one take to realise Dennis was not the person to sing lead on this song.

Most leads or instrumental parts that do not please the performer are removed at the performer's request.

Brian's original lyrics and lead for Til' I Die that were almost ready for mixdown, were erased to make room for the present version. That was Carl's decision. (More on this in Part two of my book.

I once accidentally did not get out of an insert cut on the multi-track, thus wiping out $5,000 worth of a string sweetening session. (Also more detail in my book)
~swd


I'm guessing destructive tape editing - even when one is very good at it - must be more nerve wracking than digital editing, since there's no CONTROL + Z to undo an incorrect punch or tapeover.
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #14 on: September 21, 2018, 12:34:39 PM »

Don't know if this cunts, but taping over Dennis' lead vocal on Sail on Sailor. Why oh why???

COMMENT to Tony S:  Because it wasn't good. It only took one take to realise Dennis was not the person to sing lead on this song.

Most leads or instrumental parts that do not please the performer are removed at the performer's request.

Brian's original lyrics and lead for Til' I Die that were almost ready for mixdown, were erased to make room for the present version. That was Carl's decision. (More on this in Part two of my book.

I once accidentally did not get out of an insert cut on the multi-track, thus wiping out $5,000 worth of a string sweetening session. (Also more detail in my book)
~swd


I'm guessing destructive tape editing - even when one is very good at it - must be more nerve wracking than digital editing, since there's no CONTROL + Z to undo an incorrect punch or tapeover.

COMMENT to Century Deprived:   Actually it was constructive tape editing that solved the problem. Details in the book, but editing an analog tape is just as easy and accurate as in digital, provided the tape speed is 15IPS or faster.  AND, as you will lean in Part Two, there are some tricks you can do in analog that you cannot do in digital. ~swd
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« Reply #15 on: September 21, 2018, 12:34:40 PM »

Not Beach Boys-related, but still "studio disasters and screwups" related - most of the multi-track for Steely Dan's song "The Second Arrangement" was accidentally erased by an assistant engineer, forcing Becker and Fagen to use a different song in its place on the Gaucho LP. Pretty legendary story (bootlegs of the song do circulate, apparently sourced from an earlier rough mix).
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« Reply #16 on: September 21, 2018, 12:54:10 PM »

Not Beach Boys-related, but still "studio disasters and screwups" related - most of the multi-track for Steely Dan's song "The Second Arrangement" was accidentally erased by an assistant engineer, forcing Becker and Fagen to use a different song in its place on the Gaucho LP. Pretty legendary story (bootlegs of the song do circulate, apparently sourced from an earlier rough mix).

COMMENT to c-man:   Here's one you may not know.  It was a tracking session at GoldStar, Sunset, or Valentine OR one of the independent studios. Dennis was to provide the drumming, but arrived having had a little too much adult beverage in his blood and managed to trip over a mic stand near the drum kit. This propelled the mic boom arm to fall into the cymbal support, which knocked over the high-hat and this caused the snare to smash into the toms. No damage to the drums proper, but not a good thing to happen when you have all the drum mics open and the monitor up high to hear balances of the drums. So all of a sudden all hell broke loose with an atomic bomb level of sound emanating from the monitors in the control room. Unfortunately burning out one of the mid-range drivers of the monitor speakers. The boys covered the cost of the monitor fix, but the session was busted for the day until equipment repairs could be finished the following day.  ~swd
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« Reply #17 on: September 21, 2018, 05:25:46 PM »

Not Beach Boys-related, but still "studio disasters and screwups" related - most of the multi-track for Steely Dan's song "The Second Arrangement" was accidentally erased by an assistant engineer, forcing Becker and Fagen to use a different song in its place on the Gaucho LP. Pretty legendary story (bootlegs of the song do circulate, apparently sourced from an earlier rough mix).

COMMENT to c-man:   Here's one you may not know.  It was a tracking session at GoldStar, Sunset, or Valentine OR one of the independent studios. Dennis was to provide the drumming, but arrived having had a little too much adult beverage in his blood and managed to trip over a mic stand near the drum kit. This propelled the mic boom arm to fall into the cymbal support, which knocked over the high-hat and this caused the snare to smash into the toms. No damage to the drums proper, but not a good thing to happen when you have all the drum mics open and the monitor up high to hear balances of the drums. So all of a sudden all hell broke loose with an atomic bomb level of sound emanating from the monitors in the control room. Unfortunately burning out one of the mid-range drivers of the monitor speakers. The boys covered the cost of the monitor fix, but the session was busted for the day until equipment repairs could be finished the following day.  ~swd

That almost sounds like something you'd see in a Chevy Chase routine!  Smiley
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« Reply #18 on: September 21, 2018, 05:47:59 PM »

Not Beach Boys-related, but still "studio disasters and screwups" related - most of the multi-track for Steely Dan's song "The Second Arrangement" was accidentally erased by an assistant engineer, forcing Becker and Fagen to use a different song in its place on the Gaucho LP. Pretty legendary story (bootlegs of the song do circulate, apparently sourced from an earlier rough mix).

I was thinking about "The Second Arrangement" too! I'd vote that as perhaps the biggest or most infamous studio blunder in rock history, with added weight because of Becker and Fagen's OCD studio meticulousness.

Perhaps second to that is the story of "Rael" from the Who Sell Out sessions. Al Kooper (as he's known for doing) told the story since he was on that session in NY. They had finished up recording and left for the night. Someone left the reel of the day's sessions out on the console, they forgot to box it and put it away safely.

A member of the studio janitorial staff came in to clean up after hours, and for some reason threw the reel in the trash can. Then, proceeded to dump ashtrays, remnants of drinks, etc on top of it. When the engineer came in the next day, he had to tell Townshend what happened because the first part of the song had been ruined. He told Pete "Sometimes these things happen..."

Pete picked up the engineer's chair, threw it through the studio glass, shattering it, and said "Don't worry, sometimes these things happen..."
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« Reply #19 on: September 21, 2018, 06:24:01 PM »

Not Beach Boys-related, but still "studio disasters and screwups" related - most of the multi-track for Steely Dan's song "The Second Arrangement" was accidentally erased by an assistant engineer, forcing Becker and Fagen to use a different song in its place on the Gaucho LP. Pretty legendary story (bootlegs of the song do circulate, apparently sourced from an earlier rough mix).

I was thinking about "The Second Arrangement" too! I'd vote that as perhaps the biggest or most infamous studio blunder in rock history, with added weight because of Becker and Fagen's OCD studio meticulousness.

Perhaps second to that is the story of "Rael" from the Who Sell Out sessions. Al Kooper (as he's known for doing) told the story since he was on that session in NY. They had finished up recording and left for the night. Someone left the reel of the day's sessions out on the console, they forgot to box it and put it away safely.

A member of the studio janitorial staff came in to clean up after hours, and for some reason threw the reel in the trash can. Then, proceeded to dump ashtrays, remnants of drinks, etc on top of it. When the engineer came in the next day, he had to tell Townshend what happened because the first part of the song had been ruined. He told Pete "Sometimes these things happen..."

Pete picked up the engineer's chair, threw it through the studio glass, shattering it, and said "Don't worry, sometimes these things happen..."

Wow...I guess it's a good thing Fagen just walked out without saying anything!
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« Reply #20 on: September 21, 2018, 07:44:38 PM »

Not to derail away from BB's studio mishaps...but I read years ago a studio story which I now cannot find anything to back it up. I swore it was U2's "Where The Streets Have No Name". Not the famous story about Eno almost wiping the tapes in frustration, but a story about how either the studio or the studio complex had caught fire, and an engineer actually risked his life to run back in and save the tapes.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else? I may have read it in something like Mix, Musician, or Pulse in the early 90's.
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« Reply #21 on: September 21, 2018, 07:53:53 PM »

Not to derail away from BB's studio mishaps...but I read years ago a studio story which I now cannot find anything to back it up. I swore it was U2's "Where The Streets Have No Name". Not the famous story about Eno almost wiping the tapes in frustration, but a story about how either the studio or the studio complex had caught fire, and an engineer actually risked his life to run back in and save the tapes.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else? I may have read it in something like Mix, Musician, or Pulse in the early 90's.

I seem to recall a Bill Wyman story about how he ran into the burning studio at Olympic to retrieve Jean Luc Goddard's raw footage of the "Sympathy For The Devil" sessions...
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« Reply #22 on: September 21, 2018, 08:26:56 PM »

I remember a story a few years ago that seemed to confirm that a copy of the version of Till I Die with the original lyrics exists. Of course, that doesn't mean that the original master itself was erased.
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« Reply #23 on: September 21, 2018, 11:18:34 PM »

I am so looking forward to Recording the Beach Boys Part 2.

Stephen, what is your best estimate as to when it will be available?

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« Reply #24 on: September 22, 2018, 12:36:37 AM »

Ooh, here's another one...according to Carli Muņoz, Carl recorded a solo for Dennis' Bambu opener "Under The Moonlight" that was "absolutely fantastic", but it was accidentally erased (the final solo we hear was performed by Ed Carter).
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