When Beach Boys sound like other Beach Boys.

[etrueholly]

This has always fascinated me, as I’m sure it has many people over the years, when listening to the vast BB catalog... moments where you actually think you’re hearing 1 BB, only to find out it’s really someone else. Or, moments where you know it’s someone singing, but they momentarily capture the sound of another BB.

Some examples:

-  “This Car of Mine” – at 0:43, when Dennis sings “No clunker”, it’s so bizarre, almost sounds like Brian for that one line. Especially on the phrasing in the “ker” in “clunker”.

- For some reason, for a good long while after getting the Smiley Smile/Wild Honey 2-fer, I thought that Bruce sang lead on “Aren’t You Glad” (I must have overlooked the liner notes or info online somewhere, that it was Mike on lead vocals). A very un-Mike vocal performance, I totally dig it. Not that Mike doesn’t have his share of good or great leads, but to my ears, this is sort of a different kind of styling for him.

- All Dressed up for School – I’m confused on this one... I thought I’ve heard from different places that it’s Carl singing, or that it’s actually Brian. Who is it? I can’t quiet tell.

Anyone had the same experience(s) as above, or got any other examples?

-Ben

[Ebb and Flow]

The lead on "All Dressed Up For School" is Carl.  But I actually think the high part singing "Ooh, she's so fine...what a turn on" sounds like Al and not Brian.

"I Know There's An Answer" is probably the best example of Al and Brian sounding alike.

[slothrop]

Mike on "Hawaii". Thought it was Dennis. Must've been that cold. Also thought the SMiLE version of Wind Chimes was Brian for the longest time.

[etrueholly]

Mike on "Hawaii". Thought it was Dennis. Must've been that cold. Also thought the SMiLE version of Wind Chimes was Brian for the longest time.

The SMiLE version of Wind Chimes isn't Brian? Who is it, since this is news to me...

[OneEar/OneEye]

Nice point.  There really is an overlap of how the voices sound sometimes, even though they've each got very unique properties to their vocal qualities.  
I guess it's part of what makes that "blend" so damn special.

[grillo]

How about Al singing EXACTLY like Mike on All This Is That during the 'golden auras' parts(at least I think it's Al, but it could be mike singing like Al singing like mike, no kidding!)
Is it Carl or Brian on the GOK 'demos'?
Al as Brian on Be here In the Morning.
Brian's 'I LOve You' at the end of PLMW sounds exactly like Carl.
.......

[Ebb and Flow]

Is it Carl or Brian on the GOK 'demos'?

100% Carl...it's just a rough vocal take.

[Jon Stebbins]

Dennis sounding more like Mike than Mike while singing bass on Its OK, Steamboat, River Song, Moonshine and at least part of Wouldn't It Be Nice.

[runnersdialzero]

Is it Carl or Brian on the GOK 'demos'?

100% Carl...it's just a rough vocal take.

Are you sure? Is this an error in the booklet?

[runnersdialzero]

Mike on "Hawaii". Thought it was Dennis. Must've been that cold.

I've found that Dennis and Mike can sound a lot alike on some of the earlier albums.

The SMiLE version of Wind Chimes isn't Brian? Who is it, since this is news to me...

Carl.

[Ebb and Flow]

Is it Carl or Brian on the GOK 'demos'?

100% Carl...it's just a rough vocal take.

Are you sure? Is this an error in the booklet?

I'm positive, but I'm sure some people will disagree with me.  It's certainly not the first error regarding vocal credits in the booklets.

I do think there's something weird about that vocal though.  The lead sounds triple tracked (A rarity for that era of their recording) and Carl gives a much different vocal performance, both of which I think are factors that made people like Leaf think it was Brian.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Is it Carl or Brian on the GOK 'demos'?

100% Carl...it's just a rough vocal take.

Are you sure? Is this an error in the booklet?

I'm positive, but I'm sure some people will disagree with me.  It's certainly not the first error regarding vocal credits in the booklets.

I do think there's something weird about that vocal though.  The lead sounds triple tracked (A rarity for that era of their recording) and Carl gives a much different vocal performance, both of which I think are factors that made people like Leaf think it was Brian.

It may be similar to 'In the Back of My Mind' in that Brian doubled the voice.

One song that I always thought was one lead singer throughout was 'It's Over Now'. Blown away to find out there are 3. Carl, Brian and Marilyn! If you aren't paying close attention its hard to catch. I bet a lot of people assumed that 'Sail On Sailor' was Carl. My brother thought that 'Meant for You' was Dennis. In 'Breakaway' and 'Time To Get Alone' it is hard to tell between Carl, Al and Brian. 'Wouldn't it Be Nice' sounds like Mike in a higher register.

I understand how 3 brothers and even a cousin could blend so well but Al Jardine has to have some genetic connection with them! Seriously!

[runnersdialzero]

I'm positive, but I'm sure some people will disagree with me.  It's certainly not the first error regarding vocal credits in the booklets.

I do think there's something weird about that vocal though.  The lead sounds triple tracked (A rarity for that era of their recording) and Carl gives a much different vocal performance, both of which I think are factors that made people like Leaf think it was Brian.

Ah, awright. I haven't been sure ever since hearing it, really. Almost sounds like it could be one Brian vocal, one Carl vocal, too - not sure at all who it is.

The credits on the original vocal round at the end always confused me, too. The original mix sounds like Brian, Bruce, then Carl, to me, but credits it as being Brian, Bruce, then Brian again.

Or rather, the first part, "God only knows" sounds like Carl and "What I'd beeee withouuuut" sounds like Brian, although a Carl falsetto could sometimes sound like a Brian falsetto. On the stereo mix, it's clearly Carl, Bruce, then Brian, with Brian sounding a hundred times more like Brian on the "God only knows" section. Sounds too subdued to be him on the original mix. I'm probably wrong, but it never sounded as it's listed, to me.

On that note, I recall someone saying that the original "You Still Believe In Me" had both Carl and Brian doing the lead at the same time (which would make what I said about both possibly doing the one mix of "God Only Knows" pretty interesting), but that Carl's vocal was missing when they did the stereo mix. The booklet states that it's just Brian double tracked. Anyone know for sure?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

There's a part on Rock & Roll to the Rescue where Al sounds like 80s Brian.

[Sound of Free]

At first I thought it was Dennis singing the first line of each verse of "Catch a Wave" until I head about Mike having a cold. I know it IS Mike with a cold, but it's weird he sounds so much like Dennis on the first line on each verse but like Mike on the third line of each verse.

I used to think Brian sang "This Whole World." Of course it was him on the first line, but the vocal "handoff" to Carl was so smooth I didn't notice it.

Dennis sounding more like Mike than Mike while singing bass on Its OK, Steamboat, River Song, Moonshine and at least part of Wouldn't It Be Nice.

How about the line "but baby don't you know" on "I'm Waiting for the Day." Is that Dennis or Mike?

[Chris Brown]

I thought Brian sang lead on the Smile version of "Vegetables" for the longest time.  The second verse of "I'm Waiting For The Day" threw me off too...I thought that was Al for awhile. 

Like many others, I thought it was Dennis singing lead on "Hawaii."  It sounds so eerily like him at times, so much so that I wish Brian had chosen him to do it instead of making Mike sing with a cold.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I used to think Brian sang "This Whole World." Of course it was him on the first line, but the vocal "handoff" to Carl was so smooth I didn't notice it.

Yeah, it makes you wonder why Brian didn't just sing the whole song.

The two biggies for me would be the codas to "A Day In the Life Of A Tree" and "Surf's Up". Is it Al or is it Brian? That's been debated a lot.

And now, the newest one, is it Al or is it Mike on "Don't Fight The Sea"?

[TdHabib]

At first I thought it was Dennis singing the first line of each verse of "Catch a Wave" until I head about Mike having a cold. I know it IS Mike with a cold, but it's weird he sounds so much like Dennis on the first line on each verse but like Mike on the third line of each verse.

I used to think Brian sang "This Whole World." Of course it was him on the first line, but the vocal "handoff" to Carl was so smooth I didn't notice it.

Dennis sounding more like Mike than Mike while singing bass on Its OK, Steamboat, River Song, Moonshine and at least part of Wouldn't It Be Nice.

How about the line "but baby don't you know" on "I'm Waiting for the Day." Is that Dennis or Mike?

I think that's Mike. My ears tell me Dennis is doing the "No" (which also has a cool "ah-ah" that gets burried in the mix) response on that song. I also hear him on the full harmony "You Still Believe in Me," the Sea of Tunes makes this evident as he sticks out on the last of these that got faded out.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The two biggies for me would be the codas to "A Day In the Life Of A Tree" and "Surf's Up". Is it Al or is it Brian? That's been debated a lot.

Debated and conclusively settled over a year ago, in this very forum. It's Alan.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Picking up on another concurring thread, I guess you could add "Wipe Out" to this list. Is it Brian or is it Mike or is it Memorex? My biggest question about this one is why would Mike allow Brian to do his part on Wipe Out? Doesn't sound like something Mike would do in 1987. The duet/song was Mike's idea wasn't it? Mike wasn't exactly trusting of Brian or Landy around this time. And, unless Mike had something more pressing (more pressing than a Beach Boys recording session - WITH Brian Wilson contributing?!), I can't see why he couldn't take a day and cut the vocal. And, never mind that the bass vocal sounds exactly like Mike, and I seriously doubt Brian could pull that off....

[Sheriff John Stone]

The two biggies for me would be the codas to "A Day In the Life Of A Tree" and "Surf's Up". Is it Al or is it Brian? That's been debated a lot.

Debated and conclusively settled over a year ago, in this very forum. It's Alan.

My memory must be getting senile. First, I forgot a lot about the infamous SMiLE handwritten note thread. Now, I'm drawing a blank on the Brian/Al vocal debate. Didn't Steve Desper, who engineered the session, say that it was Brian on the "Surf's Up" coda?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

...especially the buh-buh-BOMP-bomp part.  Or was it some unheralded session singer?

[grillo]

I'm still not convinced its Al on vega-tables. Damn Al and his mysterious BW voice!!!!!!!!!!

[Jay]

I always thought it was Dennis doing the "I love you" in "Please Let Me Wonder". I also always thought it was Bruce doing the "Heaven is far away" part in "It's Over Now". I am about 97% sure that it's Brian and Carl on "Till I Die", but there is still that slight doubt that it may be Al and not Brian. I THINK the coda on ADITLOAT is Jack Riely(yes, I know I spelled it wrong), Al, and Van Dyke.

[Eric Aniversario]

For about 15 years, I thought that the lead on the In Concert version of Sloop John B was Al...until one day I realized, wait a minute...that's OBVIOUSLY Carl!!!

Then there was the whole thing about Good Vibrations...I think when I first heard it, that I heard Carl & Brian, but because of various things I read, I assumed it was Carl all the way through (except of course Mike's lead part)...but then I found out just a couple months ago that I was right the first time! haha