Brian the instrumentalist...

[Jon Stebbins]

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.

Not to mention Dennis had a hand injury that kept him from playing drums until late 1974.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Jon, you're probably the guy to ask...

What's the story on Dennis' hand injury - when did it happen, how did it happen, how long was he out of action, etc.

[Jon Stebbins]

He put his hand through a sliding glass door and severed tendons in the right hand in mid 1971. The doctors said he wouldn't be able to drum again. Being Dennis of course he tried to a few times before the hand was healed and messed it up even more. Convinced he was never going to play again he  left it alone until the last third of 1974. He tried playing a bit at rehearsals and in the studio and found he had adequate power again. For a while towards the end of '74 he played sporadically at live gigs while Ricky was still there, they double drummed on occasion.  And once Ricky left for good in early '75 he took the job back full-time with Bobby Figueroa as his back-up.

[c-man]

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.

Not to mention Dennis had a hand injury that kept him from playing drums until late 1974.

Ricky said in an interview awhile back that he thinks he had a bad cold the day "Funky" was recorded so stayed away from the studio that day, which is why Brian played the drums.  In an article from the "Holland" era though, Carl said that he, Brian & Ricky did all the instruments on that song, which would indicate Ricky did some kind of overdub(s) at a later date (other that drums...I think there's some congas on there, so maybe that's Ricky).

[the captain]

I didn't see anyone mention this one: Brian played harpsichord on the Smile version of Wonderful, didn't he? If I'm not mistaken, you can hear him complain about his mistakes and sticky keys during the sessions.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

How about the songs recorded for New Album/Adult Child?

[Chris Brown]

I didn't see anyone mention this one: Brian played harpsichord on the Smile version of Wonderful, didn't he? If I'm not mistaken, you can hear him complain about his mistakes and sticky keys during the sessions.

Yep I'm pretty sure you're right about that one. 

We should also add a bunch of tracks from Smiley, as I beleive Brian played all those organ parts with his Baldwin (H & V, Fall Breaks, Wind Chimes, Wonderful, With Me Tonight).

What song(s) did Brian allegedly play bass on BWPS?  As I recall he is only credited with piano (on Wind Chimes, I think).

[Bicyclerider]

It's interesting how little bass Brian has played on BB sessions and yet he has the reputation of the "bassist" of the group, no doubt from his playing bass on live shows in the early days - I remember Paul McCartney assumed Brian played bass on all of Pet Sounds! 

[John]

Since posting here, I've come to think of Al as the bassist...

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

It's interesting how little bass Brian has played on BB sessions and yet he has the reputation of the "bassist" of the group, no doubt from his playing bass on live shows in the early days - I remember Paul McCartney assumed Brian played bass on all of Pet Sounds! 

Since posting here, I've come to think of Al as the bassist...

Yeah, Al and Brian played (very) roughly the same amount of bass on Beach Boys records over the years, and Al played bass live an awful lot too.

Still, I wouldn't say Brian, or Al for that matter, didn't contribute a good amount of bass.  Let's just say they've played more bass on Beach Boys records than I have.

Plus, Brian was completely responsible for most of the basslines he didn't actually play himself.  So in some sense, despite sharing the actual playing with Al, Ray Pohlman, Carol Kaye, et al, you could still get away with calling him the group's bassist, in my opinion.

[John]

How much bass did Bruce play in the studio? Aside from Party!, I mean? Any ideas?

[HighOnLife]

How much bass did Bruce play in the studio? Aside from Party!, I mean? Any ideas?

That might be it.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

How much bass did Bruce play in the studio? Aside from Party!, I mean? Any ideas?

That might be it.

Yeah, it was surprisingly little.  Party!, Wild Honey the song, He claims "Add Some Music", and a few others here and there.

[HighOnLife]

I thought Brian played bass on 'Add Some Music'?

[c-man]

I thought Brian played bass on 'Add Some Music'?

That's what Desper said in his book.

[c-man]

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.

Just to clarify for those who may not know, "I Wanna Pick You Up" is a "15 Big Ones" outtake, and has Dennis playing the drums.  "Ding Dang" is from a few years earlier, and that could be Ricky.  "Good Time" is from the "Sunflower" era, and the drums could be Dennis Wilson, Dennis Dragon, or someone else....Badman says it was recorded the same day as "Susie", so therefore Dennis Dragon is the likely drummer, but the pattern is very "Brian-esque", and the drums sound very much like they were added as an overdub instead of being played on the basic track...which suggests Brian may have played them himself.  That's the way Brian's drum peformances were played on "Sandy", "'Til I Die", and "Funky Pretty", and they were probably done that way on the other "Love You" cuts as well.  The basic track for these songs were played to a "time-keeping device" other than drums:  on Sandy, it was Ron Swallow holding down the tempo on tambourine, for "'Til I Die" they used the Rhythm Ace, and for "Funky" they probably used a click track (or metronome if they didn't have a click track)...and I would suspect the "Love You" stuff also used a click or metronome.  Then the drums were added later. 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

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.

"Good Time" is from the "Sunflower" era, and the drums could be Dennis Wilson, Dennis Dragon, or someone else....Badman says it was recorded the same day as "Susie", so therefore Dennis Dragon is the likely drummer, but the pattern is very "Brian-esque", and the drums sound very much like they were added as an overdub instead of being played on the basic track.

Good Time is unequivocally Dennis Dragon, played live on the basic track with Bruce on Clavinet, Carl on Ukulele, and Brian on Harmonica.  Likely Daryl on bass but it could be Al, I suppose.  Whoever it is doesn't speak up on the session tape and might have been in the booth anyway.

[the captain]

Good Time is unequivocally Dennis Dragon, played live on the basic track with Bruce on Clavinet, Carl on Ukulele, and Brian on Harmonica.  Likely Daryl on bass but it could be Al, I suppose.

This is, for me, one of the greatest things about the Beach Boys. The basic track for a pop/rock 'n' roll band includes drums (ok), bass (sure), harmonica (hmmm), clavinet (uh...) and ukelele (wtf?). Talk about creative instrumentation and arrangements.

[c-man]

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.

"Good Time" is from the "Sunflower" era, and the drums could be Dennis Wilson, Dennis Dragon, or someone else....Badman says it was recorded the same day as "Susie", so therefore Dennis Dragon is the likely drummer, but the pattern is very "Brian-esque", and the drums sound very much like they were added as an overdub instead of being played on the basic track.

Good Time is unequivocally Dennis Dragon, played live on the basic track with Bruce on Clavinet, Carl on Ukulele, and Brian on Harmonica.  Likely Daryl on bass but it could be Al, I suppose.  Whoever it is doesn't speak up on the session tape and might have been in the booth anyway.

Alright...good to know!  So...the piano and organ must've been overdubbed?  On the finished track, I hear piano, organ, bass, drums, percussion (temple blocks or plastic orange cups ala "God Only Knows"), and 12-string electric guitar (plus horns, overdubbed later).   What does the basic track you described sound like?  Is it pretty sparse without the piano, organ, and "cup" percussion"?  Do the ukulele and clavinet survive to the finished product in a way that's not obvious ('cause I sure never noticed them before), or is for instance the line I always assumed was a 12-string guitar in fact the clavinet (y'now, the part in the wordless bridge before the final chorus)?  I'm dying to know! 

If Badman is correct with the date of this song being the same as that for "Susie Cincinnati", then perhaps the lineup on THAT song actually has Bruce on clavinet (instead of Daryl), Daryl on bass (instead of Brian, as you said), Brian on harmonica (as the credits say), Dennis Dragon on drums (as the credits say), along with Carl & Al on guitars (as the credits say)....On the "Susie" tape, can you tell who's playing clavinet?  Is the harmonica live on the basic?  Again...I'm dying to know! 

[John]

I love these threads...vocal and instrumental credits, I'm like a junkie for them!

While we're Sunflowery, can anyone answer:

1) What kind of organ is that on At My Window, and do you know who played it? And who played bass?
2) Did Denny drum on Slip On Through and It's About Time? That'll be Dennis Dragon on congas, right?


(Also, can one of you dog-ears please hit the vocal credits thread and confirm or deny whether Denny sings on Lord's Prayer? And Auld Lang Syne, for that matter!)

[HighOnLife]

I don't believe Dennis drummed on 'It's About Time'. That might have been Dragon.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I don't believe Dennis drummed on 'It's About Time'. That might have been Dragon.

It's about time was Earl Palmer on drums and Dragon on Congas.

1) What kind of organ is that on At My Window, and do you know who played it? And who played bass?

Not sure about organ, can't even remember any on the track from memory...  Bass, I have no idea.  On the basic track for Raspberries Strawberries (which became At my Window) there is actually a string bass that seems to be all but eliminated on the final mix.  It played kind of lumbering lines only here and there.  Probably played by "Mort Klanfer."

I'll get to your questions in a little bit, Craig.  I'll have to go listen to the final mix of Good Time.

[Andrew G. Doe]

(Also, can one of you dog-ears please hit the vocal credits thread and confirm or deny whether Denny sings on Lord's Prayer? And Auld Lang Syne, for that matter!)

I hear him on "ALS"

[HighOnLife]

Who played bass on 'Wendy'? Was that Pohlman, Brian, or Al?

[John]

Thanks for the replies!

Re: At My Window: When I said organ, I was thinking of the instrument that plays the intro - is that something else again? Is it a mellotron, or not even a keyboard at all?