Wonderful

[Mahalo]

Well, I'm going on record to say that I think Wonderful is Brian's most enchanting song, and often times my favorite. I've listened to the many variations of this tune, and even in it's avante-garde manifestations, the song is beauty realized. The bass line and soprano melody are in perfect balance, as well as everything in between....the lyrics are one of a kind, and the feeling is one of joy, not of a God-Only-Knows kind of hue.

This song could be played by toilets flushing in harmony and still be beauty realized because of it's chords, structure, and melodies. Like a Warhol series, or a Beethoven theme and variations, Brian took a good idea and developed it in many (and IMO- not enough) different ways.

Probably the one song that I would play for "non-believers" of the Beach Boys' music.

Even if the lead vocal is auto-tuned and the harpsichord is imitation, the BWPS version is the most fully realized harmonically speaking. The Smiley version is so cool though...it took a lot of courage and insight to take a Norman Rockwell painting of a song and turn it into a Raushenburg. I guess it all goes back to the Heroes and Villians theme variations. Amazing.

I know this post is a bit of a blog or diary entry, but I endeavor to start a thread on this most symmetric, delicate, and expressive songs of not just the 20th century, but in all documented musivc....

It's not as good as Surfer's Rule, but it's dang close.....

[Shane]

I think the 1966 Smile harpsichord version is the most definitive...BWPS is great, but it doesn't have Brian's vintage era voice.  The Smile version is an amazing example where the purity of Brian's voice goes so far to carry a song into greatness.

The chord changes in this song are indeed wonderful.  Sitting down at a keyboard and playing it is such a thrill... its really one of those songs that makes me so glad I ended up having the gift of being able to play the keyboard.

Rock With Me Henry has to be one of the strangest moments of the entire Smile debacle.  Its right up there with having the guys on their backs making animal noises.

[Mahalo]

Rock With Me Henry seems to have come out of left field, for sure.....but I really dig it. It is very abstract and expressive when compared to the sweet version. I wish that they would have both the unfinished and finished versions of Rock With Me Henry. Funny you used the word, debacle....

I say the BWPS version is the most harmonically fulfilled version in terms of background vox. Indeed, Brians voice from 66/67 will never be surpassed by anyone anywhere, but on BWPS the full production is finally realized.

Wonderful is one of those tunes that seems a lot simpler than it really is, and vice versa.

Bruce Johnston should've done a disco version of this, instead of HCTN....but I guess it's not too late for me or anyone else to try....

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm no authority on the Smile sessions, but I'm pretty sure it's been established that the "rock with me, Henry" version is from Smiley Smile. Further thoughts welcome.

[c-man]

I'm no authority on the Smile sessions, but I'm pretty sure it's been established that the "rock with me, Henry" version is from Smiley Smile. Further thoughts welcome.

Andrew, the SMiLE version of "Wonderful" was tracked and sung at sessions on August 25 and December 15, 1966.  Then there was a January 9, 1967 "Wonderful" insert (overdub) session that would seem to me to match up to "Rock With Me, Henry" based on the instrumentation used  (drums & basses), whereas neither the original 1966 version or the later Smiley Smile version have drums. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Much appreciated - like I said, no authority on those sessions.

Is it possible the vocal was later dubbed on to the 1/9/67 track ?

[c-man]

Much appreciated - like I said, no authority on those sessions.

Is it possible the vocal was later dubbed on to the 1/9/67 track ?

Yeah, that's what I was wondering...I've got documentation for pretty much every known SMiLE session, including the vocal sessions, but none for "Wonderful" vocals post 1/9/67 (not counting the Smiley Smile version).  So it's possible.

[Chris Brown]

Wonderful is one of my all time favorites too...that chord structure and melody blow my mind every time.  I too prefer the 1966 harpsichord version, although I think the Smiley version is cool too, in a more avant garde way.  Like you said, its amazing that Brian could take such a beautiful, delicate song and turn it into such an odd thing, but he pulled it off nicely.  The Smiley version is so demented and weird, I love it!

I don't mind the BWPS version, but what puts me off is (unfortunately) Brian's voice.  The song is about innocence, and as you said nobody can top Brian's Smile-era voice in that department.  Its a tough song to sing for anyone, let alone a guy in his 60's.  Thats why I don't really listen to the BWPS version, although I do agree that it is cool hearing all the background parts fully realized.

No matter which version it is, Wonderful is (I think) in the top 5 on any list of Brian's most beautiful compositions.

[pixletwin]

I always took the "rock with me Henry" version of Wonderful to be a sort of failed attempt by Mike Love to contribute to the song. I think it is horrible.

[Bicyclerider]

Not to mention the half-assed Carl vocal which he quits on because he's thirsty.  Shows how Brian was losing the thread on Smile in January.

[Andrew G. Doe]

If the vocal was recorded in January... which, listening to it, I'm beginning to doubt. The band's vocals during Smile were tight, focussed and professional, even when they were stoned. "Henry"... isn't.

[Mahalo]

I thought it would be sweet to have the Henry version released with He Gives Speeches on an A-side as a single potentially to contrast the Harpsichord version on an album.
Maybe the B-side could've been Wind Chimes, the version that  has the longer ending.....It's just that I thought the Henry version sounds valid, in some way, shape, or form.....if it was completed.

[Shane]

"Its a tough song to sing for anyone, let alone a guy in his 60's."

On "Rock With Me Henry", notice how Carl, who had an incredible ear, managed to get completely thrown off by the unusual intervals of the melody line of this song.

I took the instrumental acetate version of the harpsichord version, burned it onto a CD, played it in my car, and tried to sing it.  It was thus confirmed to me once and for all, truly how difficult of a song this is to sing.

[Chris Brown]

"Its a tough song to sing for anyone, let alone a guy in his 60's."

On "Rock With Me Henry", notice how Carl, who had an incredible ear, managed to get completely thrown off by the unusual intervals of the melody line of this song.

I took the instrumental acetate version of the harpsichord version, burned it onto a CD, played it in my car, and tried to sing it.  It was thus confirmed to me once and for all, truly how difficult of a song this is to sing.

Between all the leaps and the fact that it really isn't in any one particular key, its certainly a challenge.  Actually my biggest problem in singing it isn't so much the melody itself, but the fact that I can't make those smooth transitions that Brian does when the melody leaps up into falsetto.  That's why young Brian was the perfect singer for it, he had that amazing ability to go between voices without any noticeable break.

[Mahalo]

"Its a tough song to sing for anyone, let alone a guy in his 60's."

On "Rock With Me Henry", notice how Carl, who had an incredible ear, managed to get completely thrown off by the unusual intervals of the melody line of this song.

I took the instrumental acetate version of the harpsichord version, burned it onto a CD, played it in my car, and tried to sing it.  It was thus confirmed to me once and for all, truly how difficult of a song this is to sing.

Between all the leaps and the fact that it really isn't in any one particular key, its certainly a challenge.  Actually my biggest problem in singing it isn't so much the melody itself, but the fact that I can't make those smooth transitions that Brian does when the melody leaps up into falsetto.  That's why young Brian was the perfect singer for it, he had that amazing ability to go between voices without any noticeable break.

That is why I'd be surprised if there is ever a person who can sing and write with such effortless transitions and ideas as Brian did back then. Best voice ever......Wonderful is THE song that epitomizes Brian to me....mysterious, meaningful, colorful, simple, complex, unknown, smooth, genius, stupid, ....................................perfect.

I remember when I first heard Wonderful, it was the version from the GV Box set and the ending killed me...."WTF!!!! Where does it go??!!! 'One, one, One...' One what??!!!" I knew that this wasn't the end of the tune because the fade was unnatural, and the lyrics implied continuation....Here I was listening to the greatest song ever, and it seemed like it was ending too soon, or I was only spoon fed a part of the tune......so it is with SMiLE! itself......

It was the bassline that prompted me to write about this tune in the first place.....that bass line is Bach to me. Period. Brian makes it seem so easy, that bastard.......Wonderful is all the elements of music at it's finest....melody, harmony, lyrics, texture, structure, rhythm, and tempo. Tchaikovsky would've approved, without a doubt.

[c-man]

"I remember when I first heard Wonderful, it was the version from the GV Box set and the ending killed me...."WTF!!!! Where does it go??!!! 'One, one, One...' One what??!!!" I knew that this wasn't the end of the tune because the fade was unnatural, and the lyrics implied continuation....Here I was listening to the greatest song ever, and it seemed like it was ending too soon, or I was only spoon fed a part of the tune......so it is with SMiLE! itself......"

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Seems to me that problem was solved with the version on "BWPS".  Maybe it was always planned to work that way, maybe not, but it's the perfect resolution in my opinion.  That second movement (Wonderful / Song For Children / Child Is Father / Surf's Up) is the finest piece of pop craftsmanship in all of Brian's solo work to date IMO.  It is absolutely gorgeous and absolutely perfect. 

[Cam Mott]

Memory is vague but I seem to remember that there is good reason, based on the engineers voice, from the tapes that some vocals were done at Sound Recorders, so probably in April 1967 based on available docu?

[carl r]

"I remember when I first heard Wonderful, it was the version from the GV Box set and the ending killed me...."WTF!!!! Where does it go??!!! 'One, one, One...' One what??!!!" I knew that this wasn't the end of the tune because the fade was unnatural, and the lyrics implied continuation....Here I was listening to the greatest song ever, and it seemed like it was ending too soon, or I was only spoon fed a part of the tune......so it is with SMiLE! itself......"

*******************************************************************************

Seems to me that problem was solved with the version on "BWPS".  Maybe it was always planned to work that way, maybe not, but it's the perfect resolution in my opinion.  That second movement (Wonderful / Song For Children / Child Is Father / Surf's Up) is the finest piece of pop craftsmanship in all of Brian's solo work to date IMO.  It is absolutely gorgeous and absolutely perfect. 

Totally agree, the second movement is a gigantic achievement. I still feel it just isn't appreciated enough!

[Mahalo]

An argument can be made that the Second Movement could Brian's finest piece of craftsmanship for his whole career. When I first heard BWPS I weighed most heavily on Wonderful: I felt that it was all-too-easy for 2004 Brian to butcher the hell out of this song....however I was amazed at how well it sounded....not his sweet 60's voice, but still great even if it is auto-tuned. Then to hear the transition into Song For Children.....I could expound on the genius that shines bright for this music, but we all know where it goes from there....I'll choose wondering......

Were complete background vox ever recorded in 66/67? The "yodeleyoo's" (!?) and what- nots?

[Bicyclerider]

The yodeloo/backing vocals were recorded in 66 - but completely different backing vocals were recorded onto a new instrumental track (piano) in April 67 during the week or so of Vegetables sessions - this can be heard on the SOT Smiley Smile outtakes disc.  As Cam points out, the engineer's voice marks it as Sound Recorders.

[Mac the Hat]

I've heard some of the backing vocal tracks (from the SOT sessions) and there's a mamamamamamamama (mike) with some additional humming backgrounds (Brian?) chant type of on there. I've never been able to work out where they would have fit on the song? Anyone know?

[Bicyclerider]

We know it was recorded as a tag for the end of the song - the only problem is that when you try to edit it onto the end, the tempo is much too fast and the effect is very jarring and doesn't really work IMO - there's a slower version that is incomplete with less backing vocals that may have worked better if they had finished it.  I put this fragment on the end of side 1 of my Smile mix (after Child).

[Dan Lega]

I've heard some of the backing vocal tracks (from the SOT sessions) and there's a mamamamamamamama (mike) with some additional humming backgrounds (Brian?) chant type of on there. I've never been able to work out where they would have fit on the song? Anyone know?

See if you can find a copy of Net Sounds 3.  I did an version (even though it's an instrumental version) which shows how the all the extra vocals could have worked.  They would not have worked as a tag.  The tag is essentially just one chord, while mamamamama and wee-oops, etc. are for two chords, and therefore fit into the verse and not the tag.

          Love and merci,   Dan Lega

[Bicyclerider]

I was talking about it as an a capella tag after the song "ends" with a butt edit from the end of the song.  But that's an interesting idea - you're saying it fits (in that fast tempo) as backing vocals over the verse?  I'd like to hear that.

[Dan Lega]

I was talking about it as an a capella tag after the song "ends" with a butt edit from the end of the song.  But that's an interesting idea - you're saying it fits (in that fast tempo) as backing vocals over the verse?  I'd like to hear that.

Well, you have to match the tempos.  I didn't try to use the original recordings and place them together, I did an all new recording using different instruments and voices on my synthesizer.  As for the tag concept, I just don't get it, because you've already got the song ending on the "One, one, One, one...", etc.  If you go to the "new tag" at that point you're essentially going back to the verse.  I mean, I guess it could work, but it sounds so much cooler as an alternate background for the verses to me.

Love and merci,    Dan Lega