Brian the instrumentalist...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Okay, what BB songs through out the years feature Brian playing something other than piano (other than on the first album)? I'm trying to compile a complete list. I know he played drums on Funky Pretty...is that the only song he did so on? Love You...I've never gotten a straight story on that. Some say Brian, some say Dennis. I know this will likely turn into a large list, but since there's a vocal credits thread, I figured this might prove interesting. Didn't somebody say Brian played guitar on a track or two, too?

[MBE]

Brian drummed on Surfin using a box I think. Probably played bass on much of the first three or four albums. The 67-71 period probably saw Brian play bass a number of times.

[HighOnLife]

According to Desper, Brian played guitar on 'Breakaway'.

Brian played almost all the bass on the first two records, then sporadically after that. (cuts like 'Dance, Dance, Dance', 'Then I Kisser Her', 'Girl Don't Tell Me', etc.)

He played the xylophone on 'All Summer Long'. Played the harpsichord on 'When I Grow Up'. Supposedly played the harmonica a few times, 'Susie Cincinnati' perhaps?

[c-man]

I believe Brian played drums (as well as bass) on "Sandy She Needs Me", and drums on "'Til I Die".
I think the xylophone on "ASL" is actually a marimba.

On "Love You", the drums are about half Brian and some Dennis.  The Dennis-drummed cuts are "Mona", "Honkin'", and "I Wanna Pick You Up", plus maybe a couple of others. 

[John]

There's: glockenspiel (Lana) and celeste (Noble Surfer), marimba (All Summer Long), harpsichord (When I Grow Up), drums (The Wanderer as well as the other songs mentioned), Tympani (Probable; Then I Kissed Her), Probable Tambourine (Party! album tracks), then a whole lot of synths on 15 Big Ones and BBLY, plus Harmonica (Susie, Santa Ana Winds), Bells, Chimes and other mallets of various stripes (15 Big Ones)

[XY]

I once read that he played everything on "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling".

[Andrew G. Doe]

Correct. According to Earle Mankey, who engineered the session.

[Rocker]

and drums on "'Til I Die".

Wasn't that a drum machine?

[matt-zeus]

I think pretty much most of Love you, except for a few guitars and drums is Brian too, but in fact, take away the drums and guitars and all thats left are keyboards anyway!

[Andrew G. Doe]

On the new tracks on Love You, only "Mona" & "Highway" have Dennis drumming (and Steve Douglas on sax, too) - pretty much all the other percussion, which is usually a snare, is Brian.

[PongHit]

author=Rocker link=topic=4188.msg68834#msg68834 date=1183123790]
Wasn't that a drum machine?

I don't think it is a drum machine, altho I agree it sounds like it could be...

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

author=Rocker link=topic=4188.msg68834#msg68834 date=1183123790]
Wasn't that a drum machine?

I don't think it is a drum machine, altho I agree it sounds like it could be...

It was a drum machine, according to many sources, the best being the original console tape.  Specifically, it's a Gibson/Maestro Rhythm King.

At the end of the song, a single acoustic snare does come in to emphasize the back beat.

[Andrew G. Doe]

It was a drum machine, according to many sources, the best being the original console tape.  Specifically, it's a Gibson/Maestro Rhythm King.

That the same doo-dad that Dennis used on "Lady" ?

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

It was a drum machine, according to many sources, the best being the original console tape.  Specifically, it's a Gibson/Maestro Rhythm King.

That the same doo-dad that Dennis used on "Lady" ?

Yep.  They also used it on the original Big Sur, and it's on the multitrack of HELP, too though I don't think it was mixed in at all.

I've never owned one or used one, but the rhythm king basically generates a preset rhythm pattern which you can adjust.  I think you can make it faster or slower and maybe adjust the tone a bit.  It was also Family Stone's "There's a Riot goin' on."  Cool little box, I'd like to pick one up.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Also, one place where Brian has been credited with playing something and didn't actually play it is bass on Suzie Cincinnati.  That was probably Daryl Dragon, but could have been just about anybody, other than Brian.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Also, one place where Brian has been credited with playing something and didn't actually play it is bass on Suzie Cincinnati.  That was probably Daryl Dragon, but could have been just about anybody, other than Brian.

Really? Were there other cases like that?

[John]

Also, one place where Brian has been credited with playing something and didn't actually play it is bass on Suzie Cincinnati.  That was probably Daryl Dragon, but could have been just about anybody, other than Brian.

Didn't Brian play either a bass line on the low organ notes or on the organ pedals themselves ( a la Bill Wyman on Paint It, Black)  on Susie though?

[Andrew G. Doe]

I think you'll find that pretty much all the instrument credits for Brian during the 2nd Landy era are, shall we say, open to question ?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Even the keyboards on Crack of your ass, I mean, "Crack of your Love" ?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Sorry, I meant the solo stuff.

[c-man]

author=Rocker link=topic=4188.msg68834#msg68834 date=1183123790]
Wasn't that a drum machine?

I don't think it is a drum machine, altho I agree it sounds like it could be...

It was a drum machine, according to many sources, the best being the original console tape.  Specifically, it's a Gibson/Maestro Rhythm King.

At the end of the song, a single acoustic snare does come in to emphasize the back beat.

That's what I'm talking about...I'm guessing that's Brian (or maybe Carl).

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Andrew,
then in that case, you can include the post-Landy stuff too!

[HighOnLife]

I remember reading that Brian played some bass on BWPS. Not sure if that came from Mark or someone else.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Okay, what BB songs through out the years feature Brian playing something other than piano (other than on the first album)? I'm trying to compile a complete list. I know he played drums on Funky Pretty...is that the only song he did so on?

That's interesting, considering Dennis and Rikki Fataar weren't exactly overwhelmed with studio work in Holland!

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Okay, what BB songs through out the years feature Brian playing something other than piano (other than on the first album)? I'm trying to compile a complete list. I know he played drums on Funky Pretty...is that the only song he did so on?

That's interesting, considering Dennis and Rikki Fataar weren't exactly overwhelmed with studio work in Holland!

I don't believe Funky Pretty was recorded in Holland, I think it was one of the songs that was done back in LA.