Maybe I have missed it. I hope I did. Was there anything released? Any shady 1.5 minute dump of stuff like last year? Any… anything? Is this thing on? Hello?

Do we know what SIZE timpani was used on those Today and Pet Sound sessions? I can't recall any timpani work on Summer Days. That's why I ask about Today and PS.

Forgive me if this has been answered: Is it Dennis singing the 'dom dom... king-dooom' part on 'Radio King Dom'? Really sounds like him. Have we had a whole break down on the Beach Boys that have played and or sang on the Fairy tale EP?

I don’t think it’s a mandolin. I recall reading a Rick interview where he discusses the song. Rick say Dennis came in, and Rick thought he was going to change this and that, but all Dennis did was slow down and then speed up … whatever it was, and it ‘gave a shimmering mandolin’ effect. I can’t remember much else. But that Rick liked Dennis contribution and spoke highly of them and Murry. I know someone knows that interview. I remember ‘shimmering’ being used as an adjective.

So, I’d like all of the unreleased stuff, acapellas, backing tracks, etc. but I do not own a record player. I’d like a CD so I can dump it into iTunes to put it on my phone. What are my options?

Can anyone recommend great record players too?

I seem to recall with Feels Flows I didn’t have this problem. I don’t want to miss out on unreleased stuff. And I’d like the booklet thing.

Howie, can you narrow it down to a month? Has this box set been a ‘circular firing squad’ fiasco like the last?

So are we trying to bite the hand that feeds us? What circular firing squad? I was very happy with the last years set and I don’t see the need to stir up sh*t. But maybe I’m off base and if so I apologize. But let’s just not get snappy with a guy who has already given some neat info about this set.

Please calm down. Way way down. Circular firing squad was a term used by I thought Howie, or someone else in the know in regards to the delayed sunflower boxset. No one is biting any hands. Nor is anyone stirring anything up. It was merely a question if this box set went smoother than Feel Flows boxset. That’s it. That’s it.

Howie, can you narrow it down to a month? Has this box set been a ‘circular firing squad’ fiasco like the last?

Can you at least tell us some things to be excited about? Or songs/snippets you enjoyed?

Edit

Are your castanets machine castanets or hand-held-on-a-stick??  There's these:

My belief is that, for stuff like "Then I kissed her" or "san miguel," the percussionist in question would use the machine castanets to tick out the same rhythm with both hands, so it almost sounds double tracked.  They probably got a little bit closer miking, as well.  The castanets on Sloop John could have been either type of the above, and are just tapped as single strokes, a little more distantly miked.  I'm 99% they are castanets -- it actually does sound like it, if you don't believe me wait till I do my Sloop John B video, and Brian had a little bit of an unconventional use of castanets thing going Sloop and That's Not Me.  Definitely not a temple block in any state.  Even muted, they still have a more defined pitch and fuller body than the Sloop sound.

Joshilyn, thank you for the great reply. I love your videos and I devour each one numerous times. You are a real treasure to this community. As a musician myself, I especially appreciate your videos and feedback. Are you saying that the 'clip-clop' sound in 'That's Not Me' is indeed a type of castanet? I am not denying this claim, but I am certainly intrigued. It sounds unlike any type of castanet. You do know Brian Wilson was asked this question directly, right? I would imagine Brian is well aware of castanets, but he did not say it was castanets. Something I think he would be familiar with - and something I think he would remember if Hal was playing something as simple and identifiable as castanets. But it's also Brian, so...

What do you think in regards to the castanets being over dubbed? For something like San Miguel - do you think it's simply one take of Hal and then effects are applied? Or do you think it's multiple takes and him playing it slightly off to give it a fuller sound?

Another reason I doubted Sloop was castanets is because of the Fendertones version on Youtube. A dude uses a single temple block held and that sounds much closer to the intro than castanets would. mic-ing them at different spots may yield different frequencies and tonality peaks that I admittedly have not explored in my own recordings as I typically close-mic castanets and woodblocks. Check out the Fendertones version if you haven't.

Also, this is slightly off-topic Joshilyn, but have you heard the fantastic 1964 album 'The Marketts - Out of Limits'? Great drumming by Hal. (and of course numerous fellow Wrecking Crew stalwarts). Some songs feature some castanets mixed way up in some songs, like 'Hyper-Space'. This is what brought me down the rabbit hole of: 'is it just Hal doing one take with some effects applied, is it multi over-dubs played slightly off, or is it multi takes and some effects applied'?

To answer your question: The castanets I have are the 'LP castanet machine' mounted to my drums. They can be played with a stick or with your hands. Both are the exact same note/frequency.

I'll also add that a lot of percussion instruments record a lot sharper sounding than they do acoustically in a room, something about the transients.  Castanets in particular are prone to sounding much thinner and clickier on record than they do in a room.

Yeah but that the Sloop John B intro sounds vastly different than San Miguel intro. I have some LP Castanets, which are meant to emulate the old sound. They do sound like the San Miguel sound, but not Sloop. That was one reason why I asked if Hal's castanets are over-dubbed / multi-tracked or if he intentional plays them a little off on an over-dub to give them more 'space'... Or if some delay/echo is applied after one tracking to give it a fuller sound. I think Sloop's intro uses something totally different than castanets. Doesn't sound close to that sound. I'm guessing a muted temple block.


Another question - does anyone know why 'Things We Did Last Summer' was left unreleased for so long? I think it's a great sounding record, albeit a little different than other tracks at the time. Perhaps it didn't fit? Has there ever been a definitive reasoning?

This is utterly fascinating and super appreciated. Thank you. Do you have an idea of the bass tone for Anna Lee? Or I’m so Young, equipment wise to get that sound?

What is the muted clicky wood block sound at the beginning of Sloop John B?

What are the castanets sounds on all The Beach Boys records? Like San Miguel for example. Can anyone link to some examples that sound like The Beach Boys / Hal used? I have bought some LP castanets and they sound nothing like their records.

Who is singing on the end vocal harmony stack of don’t go near the water? Was this Brian’s idea and arrangement? I have always loved that ending so much

Thanks for the reply. I’m obsessed with your videos. I watch them all… multiple times too!

Still some questions left unanswered. Though im sure some are destined to be unknown.
Im just really curious about the truck drivin man questions now. Perhaps C Man will know?

We know that this song may have been the straw that broke Mike’s back.
It’s also also known that Carl and Dennis provided overdubs for the song during 20/20 sessions.

Here’s some of my rambling questions:

Did Brian produce these over dubs? Or oversee it?
Did Brian provide instructions or ideas (whether ‘original vintage’ ideas or ‘new’) for the instrumental overdubs?
Did Brian provide instructions for vocal overdubs?
Were the ‘truck drivin’ man lyrics written back during Smile? Or new?
Who’s idea was it for the truck drivin man to be buried as a hidden verse?
Was the truck drivin man hidden verse a vintage idea or just included for 20/20
Was Brian present for this overdub? Did he pick Dennis for this or did he volunteer himself?
We know Dennis was proud of the truck drivin man line. Have other Boys commented on it?

“Think I’ll stop here”

Thanks.

I believe that Come Go With Me is entirely Al in the intro. Perhaps the entire song.

Isn’t Cuddle Up all Dennis?

Had the same reaction to this song and actually for awhile I thought of it as autobiographical to Brian's life, which I sounded incredibly tragic and sad to me and it made me have a deep emotional connection with the song. Then I read Jack wrote the lyrics and literally meant it about a tree (and the environment in general) and it disappointed me a bit to know Brian didn't write it. Still it is an amazing bit of writing and the song is definitely one of the most beautiful songs Brian wrote, along with Til I Die and Surfs up, which I feel elevate the album higher than it actually is. There are some weaker songs like Take a Load Off Your Feet, Student demonstration time and Disney Girls which are so much weaker than the other songs. At least even the silly Don't Go Near The Water is quite brilliant musically and has nice piano playing from Brian. I do agree that Dennis's songs would have helped quite a bit and it's a shame they were left off.

Gee I hate to spoil anything else for you but Brian didn't play piano on Don't Go Near the Water - that was Al and Daryl Dragon.

Al jardine played piano on DgntW?

Didn’t he also play guitar on the unreleased ‘Thank him’?

Did other beach boys ever comment on a day in the life of a tree and or jacks vocals on it?

I've always loved this song, even in boot form. I can't stop listening to it now it much better quality. How could this have gone unreleased? Does it have something to do with Rick Henn? Same with Soulful Old Man - he was involved in this song too. I recall him saying that the Beach Boys were goofing off during that track. Did him working with their dad have something to do with both of these great songs being left in the can?

Has there ever been a list? I feel like I’ve asked before. Maybe I dreamed it.

"She kills people, withered hands"

I knew the original line I just sometimes like to imagine an alternate Anna Lee where she isn't a healer .. but a ... killer

I feel like I saw a topic on this, but I can't find it. Surfermoon has been down for quite some time. I recall reading that the owner is apparently sick. Does anyone have a way to get into contact with him to potentially restore it or pass the domain on? If it's a money issue I will happily contribute. I used to enjoy reading chord changes while listening to songs. I'm sure many others did as well.

Do we know what if any participation Marilyn had vocally? Sounds like she is on Feel Flows backing, or am I mistaken?