Vocals on "Take a Load..." and "Surf's Up"

[Poprocks]

Hey folks, this is my first post.

I've always thought the vocals on Take a Load Off Your Feet sound bizarre.  Were they sped up?  Or are Al & Brian just singing in weird voices?

Also, on the topic of sped-up vocals, I've read that some of Brian's vocals were sped up for the 1971 version of Surf's Up.  Does anyone know specifically which vocals those are?

Thanks!

[the captain]

Welcome aboard. Without getting specific to those tunes, I can tell you that the Beach Boys' engineer of the time, Stephen Desper, has said that they often played with tape speeds in vocals. I don't think the lead in "Take..." is sped up, though. Al is doing what I'd call an animated voice, though--certainly playing around to make a fun song. I know some people here don't like it, but while I know it is a bit gimmicky, I think it's cool.

[Mahalo]

Welcome Poprocks....Those two songs rule...

[Poprocks]

Welcome Poprocks....Those two songs rule...

Thanks, noname!  I agree, they both rule. 

I'm mainly trying to get a sense of exactly what Brian's voice sounded like around 1971.  I read on Wikipedia that Brian's voice had gotten "dramatically lower" by then, but it doesn't seem to be anywhere close to how it is ~ 1976-81.  And then from like 1984-present and on there are plenty of ways to hear his voice, through interviews, BB 85, his solo career, etc.

[the captain]

I've seen numerous discussions about when Brian's voice really changed, and I don't know if anyone has a real, definitive answer. The unreleased "Rollin Up To Heaven (Hard Times)" dates from, I think, 1974, and it is different by then. But he is singing pretty well in the early '70s. So it's narrowed, I think, to '73 or '74. I have no doubt someone will happily correct me, though, if I'm wrong.

[John]

I think possibly the best gauge, meagre as it is, is his intro vocal on "California (On My Way To Sunny Californ-i-a)". Sounds about the same as on, say, Break Away.

[Aegir]

Brian's vocal on California Saga is sped up.

[MBE]

Actually I think Rolling Up To Heaven is the last time he sounded like his old self. In 1971 Brian's voice was in pretty good shape. I corrected that wikipedia thing but I see it was put back on there. His voice from Pet Sounds on was a little lower pitched ala Heroes, or I'm Waiting For The Day, but Back Home from 1975 is the first time it doesn't sound right to me. Try to find the demo recording of Awake from 1971 it shows how good Brian could still vocalize, and I know that Brian's lead lines on 'Til I Die weren't done until 1971 because early that year the Beach Boys played a version without them on a progressive radio station.

[Poprocks]

Yeah, I was going to say, wasn't 'Til I Die written in Spring 1971 or so?  So it had to have been recorded after that.  And his vocals, particularly the falsetto backgrounds, are very strong.

[Bicyclerider]

There are points where Brian showed Alan how to sing while manipulating his "voice box" up and down with his fingers - it gives a quavering, higher pitched sound to the vocal - this is from Desper's book.

[John]

'Til I Die was recorded in summer of 1970, I think. That's Badman talking so I could be wrong.

Brian's sped up on California? Why did they need to do THAT?

[phirnis]

On youtube there used to be a short audio clip of Brian doing some American Spring promotion in 1972 or '73 and while he sounds rather exhausted and shy on it, his voice still has its natural sweetness to it. His speaking voice, that is. Still, it's not even close to the way he'd be talking in his 1976 comeback interviews.

Wish he would have been more of an audible singer throughout the whole of Holland. While it's a great Beach Boys record in its own right, just imagine Brian doing a totally dedicated lead vocal on Funky Pretty or even a prominent backing vocal on any of the other tracks...

[Andrew G. Doe]

On youtube there used to be a short audio clip of Brian doing some American Spring promotion in 1972 or '73 and while he sounds rather exhausted and shy on it, his voice still has its natural sweetness to it.

If that's the famed Spring promo tape, early November 1971.

[MBE]

Yeah, I was going to say, wasn't 'Til I Die written in Spring 1971 or so?  So it had to have been recorded after that.  And his vocals, particularly the falsetto backgrounds, are very strong.

He doesn't sound sped up on California Saga, but he was sped up at the end of Funky Pretty doing the "oooooh funky" part. 'Til I Die was largely recorded in 1970, but as my previous post mentioned he overdubbed his lead in probably the late winter/early spring of 1971

[MBE]

On youtube there used to be a short audio clip of Brian doing some American Spring promotion in 1972 or '73 and while he sounds rather exhausted and shy on it, his voice still has its natural sweetness to it.

If that's the famed Spring promo tape, early November 1971.

It was recorded pretty late at night after a session so that's why they sound a bit tired. I like it though how loose it is, it gives you a view of Brian's personality before it really changed. Seemed like a funny guy, a little shy

[brianc]

"California Feeling" 1974 demo... his voice is as sweet as it was on "Surf's Up."

[jmc]

I've seen numerous discussions about when Brian's voice really changed, and I don't know if anyone has a real, definitive answer. The unreleased "Rollin Up To Heaven (Hard Times)" dates from, I think, 1974, and it is different by then. But he is singing pretty well in the early '70s. So it's narrowed, I think, to '73 or '74. I have no doubt someone will happily correct me, though, if I'm wrong.

I think Brian still sounds good on "Rollin' Up to Heaven (Hard Times) and he sounds like the old Brian in 1973's single with Jan Berry "Don't You Just Know It".  I think it was late 1974/early 1975 that he decided to chain smoke cigarettes, which ended the youthful Brian voice for good.

[Wrightfan]

"California Feeling" 1974 demo... his voice is as sweet as it was on "Surf's Up."

Wait...how did you hear it?

Thought it was unbooted.

[brianc]

Back in 2003, I co-produced the Carl Wilson Cancer Foundation's documentary about Carl's life with Alan Boyd. One day, a batch of rough mixes came to Alan's while we were working on the film. He played them... it sounded great... and that was that. I don't know if the demo was ever bootlegged or not. I know Alan didn't want to give it out, and that's his perrogative.

[brianc]

I also think "CF" demo was played at several Beach Boys conventions.

[Wrightfan]

Back in 2003, I co-produced the Carl Wilson Cancer Foundation's documentary about Carl's life with Alan Boyd. One day, a batch of rough mixes came to Alan's while we were working on the film. He played them... it sounded great... and that was that. I don't know if the demo was ever bootlegged or not. I know Alan didn't want to give it out, and that's his perrogative.

Cool story.

I'm now also insanely jealous