What did Bruce do on Smiley Smile?

[Aegir]

Bruce has said he was on every album from Summer Days through Carl & the Passions, but I don't hear him at all on Smiley Smile.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"GV"

[runnersdialzero]

I'd never thought about this before - I definitely can't think of one instance of hearing him on the entire record. "Good Vibrations" make sense, but it was recorded much earlier than the rest of the album.

Odd :\

[Awesoman]

Bruce has said he was on every album from Summer Days through Carl & the Passions, but I don't hear him at all on Smiley Smile.

He was probably pretty stoned at the time...

[c-man]

Bruce is on "Heroes", "Vegetables" (probably just the fade), and "Good Vibes".  According to the session sheets, he's not on the others.  He once said he showed up at the Bellagio house, but thought it silly to sing in the shower and at the bottom of the pool, so he left.  The other guys being stoned probably was not to his liking, either.  Which is why he also didn't go on the "mini-tour" to Hawaii that August.

[lance]

Doesnt he sing half of a line in windchimes, right before Dennis? If not someone is doing an imitation of him.

[runnersdialzero]

Doesnt he sing half of a line in windchimes, right before Dennis? If not someone is doing an imitation of him.

"Close your eyes and lean back"?

I could never tell who in the hell that was. Actually, I can't tell who is singing a good 60% of the time in that version. The vocal credits thread seems accurate about it, but it lists Dennis as singing the entire line and I don't think that's him on, "Close your eyes and lean back." Also doesn't fit the pattern of the rest of the song.

I don't think it sounds like Bruce. Could be, though. Hmm...

Edit: Sounds like Brian upon further inspection.

[c-man]

Doesnt he sing half of a line in windchimes, right before Dennis? If not someone is doing an imitation of him.

"Close your eyes and lean back"?

I could never tell who in the hell that was. Actually, I can't tell who is singing a good 60% of the time in that version. The vocal credits thread seems accurate about it, but it lists Dennis as singing the entire line and I don't think that's him on, "Close your eyes and lean back." Also doesn't fit the pattern of the rest of the song.

I don't think it sounds like Bruce. Could be, though. Hmm...

Edit: Sounds like Brian upon further inspection.

I've always thought it was Mike.  Definitely not Bruce.  He's not on any of those songs other than the ones I mentioned above.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

It sounds like either Mike sped up, or Brian holding his nose.

[The Heartical Don]

It sounds like either Mike sped up, or Brian holding his nose.

Might it be Al?

[phirnis]

Bruce is on "Heroes", "Vegetables" (probably just the fade), and "Good Vibes".  According to the session sheets, he's not on the others.  He once said he showed up at the Bellagio house, but thought it silly to sing in the shower and at the bottom of the pool, so he left.  The other guys being stoned probably was not to his liking, either.  Which is why he also didn't go on the "mini-tour" to Hawaii that August.

That guy is such a square...

[runnersdialzero]

It sounds like either Mike sped up, or Brian holding his nose.

Might it be Al?

Could be, although I'm still thinking Brian.

[Chris Brown]

It sounds like either Mike sped up, or Brian holding his nose.

Might it be Al?

Could be, although I'm still thinking Brian.

That's what I always thought too.

[Bicyclerider]

I thought it was Brian doing a little bit of his "goofy" voice on that line.

[SG7]

Yeah, I can't even imagine Bruce singing much on Smiley Smile 

[Dr. Tim]

Doesn't sound like Bruce to me on "Vegetables", his voice is higher and softer.

Whoever is singing that "close your eyes and lean back" line is stifling a yawn, which is why it sounds so peculiar.  Guess they liked how that sounded.  Could be any of them.

[Bean Bag]

I always thought that it was Carl!  But I never thought about....

Hmm.  Does anybody else find this album...odd?   

[The Heartical Don]

I always thought that it was Carl!  But I never thought about....

Hmm.  Does anybody else find this album...odd?   

No. It is the utmostest totally average AOR calculated hi-tech product any band in the universe ever released. Don't be fooled by the vox pop.

[Dancing Bear]

For years I thought "Close your eyes and lean back" was Bruce, til the vocal credits thread. yeah, could be anyone of them doing a goofy voice. I wouldn't discard the possibility that it's those Hawthorne dudes mocking Bruce's unique vocal style.

[Bean Bag]

I always thought that it was Carl!  But I never thought about....

Hmm.  Does anybody else find this album...odd?   

No. It is the utmostest totally average AOR calculated hi-tech product any band in the universe ever released. Don't be fooled by the vox pop.

It's soooo slick, and soooo overproduced that it sounds low-fi.

In a weird way...isn't that the story behind Smiley though?   

[The Heartical Don]

I always thought that it was Carl!  But I never thought about....

Hmm.  Does anybody else find this album...odd?   

No. It is the utmostest totally average AOR calculated hi-tech product any band in the universe ever released. Don't be fooled by the vox pop.

It's soooo slick, and soooo overproduced that it sounds low-fi.

In a weird way...isn't that the story behind Smiley though?   

  wonderful! You made the little discussion here go full circle, back to basics, hands down...

[Ganz Allein]

Hmm.  Does anybody else find this album...odd?   

Has anyone ever asked Brian in an interview exactly what he was doing with SS?  Reaction to junking SMiLE?  The "humor" album?  Beach Boys' Stoners Party? 

[Dancing Bear]

Hmm.  Does anybody else find this album...odd?   

Has anyone ever asked Brian in an interview exactly what he was doing with SS?  Reaction to junking SMiLE?  The "humor" album?  Beach Boys' Stoners Party? 

No. Any question about Smiley Smile will make Brian's head explode, Cronemberg's Scanners style.

[Alex]

I think I remember reading an interview a while back where Brian said something along the lines of "bad vibes", or something like that, and saying he prefers Friends.

[phirnis]

I think I remember reading an interview a while back where Brian said something along the lines of "bad vibes", or something like that, and saying he prefers Friends.

Seriously, who doesn't? 
Reading about Friends being Brian's (then) favorite record really deepened my own interest in the Beach Boys, by the way. I used to wonder why BW would prefer a group production over his very "own" records after all the turmoil and quarrels I had read about in his "autobiography".