When did Dennis lose his voice?

[Jay]

People always talk about Brian and his voice, but not much is said about Dennis's voice changing. Are there any concert or studio recordings from 1974-1975 that document when Dennis started losing his voice? I have heard a 1974 live recording of him singing "Help Me, Rhonda" from the Nassau Collisium, and he sounds good. But by the time he sang "In The Still Of The Night" from 15 Big Ones, there was a definite drop in his range, and he sounded a little hoarse overall. By the time he sang "Mona"  just a year later, his voice was totally shot, never to return to what it was in the 1960's.

[MBE]

I heard an interview from early 1974 where he sounds like he would from 75-80, yet you are right he sounds pretty much like he did in 1973 on the June 1974 Help Me Rhonda. THe earliest I know for sure his voice changed was the Chicago tour when he sang In The Back Of My Mind. It's from May 1975. It's a lot smoother then it would be say on L.A. Light, but it sounds pretty much like it does on In The Still Of The Night.

[Ana-Lu]

It's interesting to compare his two Christmas messages on the Christmas CD, one from 1964 and the other from 1977 IIRC.  The difference is pretty dramatic, and sad.  I think his age is around 33 by the time of the second one, but he sounds like he's 80.  Hard livin' catches up.

[CarCrazyCutie]

It's interesting to compare his two Christmas messages on the Christmas CD, one from 1964 and the other from 1977 IIRC.  The difference is pretty dramatic, and sad.  I think his age is around 33 by the time of the second one, but he sounds like he's 80.  Hard livin' catches up.

I've always thought it was so sad too. Don't get me wrong I love his vocals on POB, Mona, In The Still Of The Night, and everything else from then on, it's great, but I think it's heartbreaking because we knew he didn't always sound like that. His voice before that was so amazing. There was even something about his speaking voice that was attractive and unique. It had this cool attitude to it that was sweet, and nobody else sounded exactly like him. It's sad to think he couldn't sing his important part in the harmonies, and all his leads the same way again. And so young, at 25 he was singing Forever, at 31 In The Still OF The Night. What a change

[Dave in KC]

High cola usage is very damaging to the voice box. And not the liquid.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I wish you could magically erase the year 1975 from the Beach Boys' history...

[MBE]

I know what you mean, so much vocal damage happened that year.

[Jay]

I wish that most of 1974-76 could be erased from the BB's history. By the time 15 Big Ones came out, they were almost a completely different group. So many things went very badly for them between that time.

[Jay]

I think that "In The Still Of The Night" was the last vocal from Dennis that could be called "very good". It's clear that a lot of damage had already been done, but it's a lot smoother than it would be within a year.

[Jon Stebbins]

I think that "In The Still Of The Night" was the last vocal from Dennis that could be called "very good". It's clear that a lot of damage had already been done, but it's a lot smoother than it would be within a year.

"You and I", "Rainbows" and some others on POB have far superior vocals to ITSOTN...and were recorded later.

[MBE]

Jon where do you first hear the change? I assume you heard some things from 1973-75 that we haven't. Also you are right those are better vocals, but ITSOTN is a little clearer, kind of like the Beacago ITBOMM.

[Jon Stebbins]

Jon where do you first hear the change? I assume you heard some things from 1973-75 that we haven't. Also you are right those are better vocals, but ITSOTN is a little clearer, kind of like the Beacago ITBOMM.

Right ITSOTN is clearer or smoother, it just isn't a very good vocal. To me things like River Song, and Angel Come Home are much better vocals than that one, even if they are raspier. But to me raspy doesn't equal bad. I know a lot of folks feel differently.

As far as commenting on this thread's question...I think its a gradual loss until 1978/79. Dennis had a raspy voice in 1961, you can hear it in the rehearsal tape for Surfin', and on Luau...it just became gradually rougher over time. There were moments when he could sing clearly like on Barbara, Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again...Little Bird, Forever...things like that...but listen to the way he says "faster" on Little Honda...the middle section of Girls on the Beach...its great but raspy and that's '64. There are actually a few moments on things in '76 and '77 that still show brief smoothness in tone...but the rasp, or hoarseness is there 90% of the time or more by then. But DW smoked before the BB's, he lived hard throughout...he had moments of peacefulness...like '69/70 with Barbara and I think his voice shows the glow he had in his personal life. By '78 he'd really battered it with drugs and booze and fighting and staying up for days...and by '80 it was like going off a cliff...never to return even for a moment. So I'd say he "lost" his voice in '78 to '80.

[MBE]

Since we have the Brian topic up I thought we could revive this one. I recently heard a few 1973-74 recordings and I would like to share what I thought. Granted these are all audience recordings so there are subtleties that I am sure I miss. I heard a 12-73 show where Dennis does Forever. He sounds really good. If I didn't know better I would have guessed it was from 1970. Then I heard an April 1974 Help Me Rhonda, he is singing in a different style of course but you can still hear some higher range. We discussed the June 1974 Help Me Rhonda and he sounds pretty good there too although again the type of song it is makes it a touch harder to determine. Finally I heard a 9-74 recording of Help Me Rhonda and his voice is very raspy and deep. He doesn't sound bad, but he sounds like the older Dennis. I just wish I could confirm when he first got punched in the throat. We know his voice collapsed completely in January 1981 on Superbowl Sunday when Stan and Rocky beat the hell out of him, but the apparent fight with Steve Love has yet to be dated. Again I do get confused a little because that early 1974 interview I heard has him pretty hoarse. I guess I have narrowed the first big change down to happening between the very end of December 1973 and the very end of August 1974.

As an aside isn't it sad that from 1973 on he only really did Help Me Rhonda and You Are So Beautiful. Sure he did Angel Come Home for 3 months  but other then three or four 1977 shows where he did solo material, he really didn't get to have the spotlight vocally. I think the lack of Dennis leads was just about the worst thing about the Beach Boys set in those days. Of course by 1981 a whole lot more was wrong with the shows and Dennis couldn't sing anyway.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Jon where do you first hear the change? I assume you heard some things from 1973-75 that we haven't. Also you are right those are better vocals, but ITSOTN is a little clearer, kind of like the Beacago ITBOMM.

Right ITSOTN is clearer or smoother, it just isn't a very good vocal. To me things like River Song, and Angel Come Home are much better vocals than that one, even if they are raspier. But to me raspy doesn't equal bad. I know a lot of folks feel differently.

As far as commenting on this thread's question...I think its a gradual loss until 1978/79. Dennis had a raspy voice in 1961, you can hear it in the rehearsal tape for Surfin', and on Luau...it just became gradually rougher over time. There were moments when he could sing clearly like on Barbara, Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again...Little Bird, Forever...things like that...but listen to the way he says "faster" on Little Honda...the middle section of Girls on the Beach...its great but raspy and that's '64. There are actually a few moments on things in '76 and '77 that still show brief smoothness in tone...but the rasp, or hoarseness is there 90% of the time or more by then. But DW smoked before the BB's, he lived hard throughout...he had moments of peacefulness...like '69/70 with Barbara and I think his voice shows the glow he had in his personal life. By '78 he'd really battered it with drugs and booze and fighting and staying up for days...and by '80 it was like going off a cliff...never to return even for a moment. So I'd say he "lost" his voice in '78 to '80.

Aloha Jon - any word about the reissue of "The Real Beach Boy"?

[Mark A. Moore]

I think Dennis always had a fairly rough voice . . . evidenced early by the bridge for "Girls On the Beach."

It got worse later . . . But Dennis developed a major songwriting talent.

I think Dennis's creative endeavors far outweighed his vocal abilities.

M.

[rasmus skotte]

Dennis' original beautiful singing voice is last heard in a studio recording on Make It Good, Cuddle Up, Barbara which would make it 1971. On Holland he lets' Carl sing his upper lead vocals. One rumour has it that Dennis' voice was 'ruined' from a kick to the throat during a bar-fight!?
Barbara - his wife at the time - didn't know how or why his voice changed when asked about it at the BB-Stomp convention. Other than maybe it was the result of accumilated abuses(?)

[MBE]

Actually the fight did happen and it was probably Steve Love. Ed Roach and Steve Desper remember it happening vividly. The last studio recording I heard with a smooth voice was an early River Song that was probably recorded the summer of 1973 but it could be as late as summer of 1974.

[Dove Nested Towers]

I think Dennis always had a fairly rough voice . . . evidenced early by the bridge for "Girls On the Beach."

It got worse later . . . But Dennis developed a major songwriting talent.

I think Dennis's creative endeavors far outweighed his vocal abilities.

M.

That's horrible if it was being kicked in the throat that caused his voice to get much worse.
(especially if it was Steven Love).

I LOVE his early-period voice and have to disagree that his songwriting was superior to
his vocal skills, at least until the mid-to-late '70s. He had an amazingly sensitive, delicate
combination of gentleness and raspiness.

He was a great, subtle, underappreciated singer.

[MBE]

Agreed I think he had a very unigue voice when he was in his twenties. I like his later voice more and more each year but something is still gone.

[Beach Boy]

Well, I think Dennis got some moments on his later years, he sung on Surfer Girl, sometimes Good Vibrations, Heroes & Villains, Help Me Rhonda and got to sing before the encore "You Are So Beautiful". They played quite often "Angel Come Home" and Dennis did "Good Timin'" too. Besides Mike (and maybe Al) he talked the most with the fans.

I think it's too a shame what happened with his voice, but actually I enjoy his later leads much more. Angel Come Home just sounds so great, one of the best Beach Boys lead vocals ever and I can't say he did bad singing on one song 'til 1981. His voice was rough, but with passion. Just like the same thing what happened with Keith Richards. Both sounded even cooler then. ^^

[MBE]

Well Keith I think really sounded better in in sixties and seventies but I see what you mean. Both continued to have character. I still think Dennis didn't get to sing enough live though.

[Alex]

I've heard a version of You Are So Beautiful from the Chicago tour in the summer of '75 and he still sounded like his old self...   
When was In The Still of the Night Recorded?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Keith Richards turned 65 years old today BTW....I think Keith still sounds pretty good on his occasional leads.

[Pablo.]

Like Dylan (one of the best singers out there), Keith has great phrasing and feeling, specially on the ballads. You listen to him sing and you feel he really means it.

[Jay]

Since we have the Brian topic up I thought we could revive this one. I recently heard a few 1973-74 recordings and I would like to share what I thought. Granted these are all audience recordings so there are subtleties that I am sure I miss. I heard a 12-73 show where Dennis does Forever. He sounds really good. If I didn't know better I would have guessed it was from 1970. Then I heard an April 1974 Help Me Rhonda, he is singing in a different style of course but you can still hear some higher range. We discussed the June 1974 Help Me Rhonda and he sounds pretty good there too although again the type of song it is makes it a touch harder to determine. Finally I heard a 9-74 recording of Help Me Rhonda and his voice is very raspy and deep. He doesn't sound bad, but he sounds like the older Dennis. I just wish I could confirm when he first got punched in the throat. We know his voice collapsed completely in January 1981 on Superbowl Sunday when Stan and Rocky beat the hell out of him, but the apparent fight with Steve Love has yet to be dated. Again I do get confused a little because that early 1974 interview I heard has him pretty hoarse. I guess I have narrowed the first big change down to happening between the very end of December 1973 and the very end of August 1974.

As an aside isn't it sad that from 1973 on he only really did Help Me Rhonda and You Are So Beautiful. Sure he did Angel Come Home for 3 months  but other then three or four 1977 shows where he did solo material, he really didn't get to have the spotlight vocally. I think the lack of Dennis leads was just about the worst thing about the Beach Boys set in those days. Of course by 1981 a whole lot more was wrong with the shows and Dennis couldn't sing anyway.

I have heard a version of Help Me Rhonda with Dennis singing from July 21, 1974 in Millwaukee, and Dennis sounds great. Better than he did on the Nassau Collisium show from the same year. I have also heard a version of You Are So Beautiful from June 14th 1975 in Madison Square Garden. It was part of the Tour with Chicago. He sounds better than he did on the version of ITBOMM from June of that year. He's really hoarse, but his voice still sounds "young", if that makes any sense. He was hoarse, but it sounded to me like anybody's voice after a two hour concert. It didn;t seem like anything was really "wrong" with his voice, like it did a year or two later. Listening to all these recordings, it almost maddens me that Dennis couldn't/wouldn't slow down for a good 6 to 9 months to heal from that punch to the throat in 1974.