The Definitive Vocal Credits Thread...

[Chris Brown]

As far as "Barbie" goes, I've always been curious as to who the background vocals are.  Obviously Brian is the lead, and I would assume that the backing vocals are Mike, David and Carl, but the sound is so different from almost all other BB songs, so I really can't say for sure.

The bvs on "Barbie" have been accurately documented for close to 30 years. They are Brian, Carl, Alan, Audree and possibly Val Poliuto.

Thanks Andrew, I totally didn't know that.  I got two right anyways...Brian I should have figured, but Audree I would have never guessed.

Who is/was Val Poliuto?

[shelter]

Who is/was Val Poliuto?

He sang for a group called The Jaguars:

http://www.answers.com/topic/jaguars-rock-band?cat=entertainment

[shelter]

Karen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlH9HEuXBU8&feature=related

[Aegir]

Wow, why have I never heard about Karen before? That's so cool the Beach Boys did a TV theme song.

[Ian]

Ths show only lasted a season and the group never put out their version on an album. I looked into this and could find no AFM sheet for this session-which had to be recorded in the late Spring or early Summer of 1964. The only AFM for the song in the union archives is for the Surfaris version.  Someday paperwork will turn up that shows when the group was contracted to record a song-but for now the exact date of this session is a mystery.  A two sided acetate of Karen was sold at auction a year ago

[John]

ALL SUMMER LONG it is then.

Last call for "Problem Child", folks! Who sings it?

[NHC]

i never thought about this before until seeing the closing credits clip for Karen on youtube, where the Beach Boys are credited with performing the theme song.  Did they write it as well (Brian/Mike)?  I always figured for 44 years it was a BB composition.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The song was written by Bob Mosner & Jack Marshall.

[Andrew G. Doe]

ALL SUMMER LONG it is then.

Last call for "Problem Child", folks! Who sings it?

Mostly Carl, Mike takes the last line of each verse. Alan's prominent in the chorus.

[shelter]

Suggestion: Luau, Lavender, Judy, Barbie, What Is A Young Girl Made Of, Beach Boys Stomp and the early versions of Surfin', Surfin' Safari and Surfer Girl could be added to the Surfin' Safari bonus tracks...

[Andrew G. Doe]

Suggestion: Luau, Lavender, Judy, Barbie, What Is A Young Girl Made Of, Beach Boys Stomp and the early versions of Surfin', Surfin' Safari and Surfer Girl could be added to the Surfin' Safari bonus tracks...

Or... they could be included on an album called, oh, I don't know - how about Lost and Found (1961-1961)  ? 

[shelter]

Suggestion: Luau, Lavender, Judy, Barbie, What Is A Young Girl Made Of, Beach Boys Stomp and the early versions of Surfin', Surfin' Safari and Surfer Girl could be added to the Surfin' Safari bonus tracks...

Or... they could be included on an album called, oh, I don't know - how about Lost and Found (1961-1961)  ? 

Yeah, but so far this has been studio and live albums only and no compilations. So adding them to Surfin' Safari as bonus tracks seems more consistent... Otherwise you could also do Rarities, Endless Harmony, Hawthorne CA, Ultimate Christmas and the GV box set and delete pretty much all of the bonus tracks...

[John]

I think we could do it as Lost and Found at the end as a special case.

[TimeToGetAlone]

A couple of things I'm not sure about from the Surf's Up album.  I was always sure the falsetto just before the tag in 'Til I Die was Brian.  It doesn't sound like Carl at any rate.  And with the title track, isn't it Brian on the tag?  I heard something about it being slightly sped up considering the range he sang it on, but I've never heard of Al doing it even if I can see it sounds like him.

[mikeyj]

A couple of things I'm not sure about from the Surf's Up album.  I was always sure the falsetto just before the tag in 'Til I Die was Brian.  It doesn't sound like Carl at any rate.  And with the title track, isn't it Brian on the tag?  I heard something about it being slightly sped up considering the range he sang it on, but I've never heard of Al doing it even if I can see it sounds like him.

Not sure I agree with you on Surf's Up. It's Al to me. But you could be right. As for 'Til I Die, if you are talking about the bit "Until I Die" just before the tag, then yes that is Brian to my ears as well. Is that the part you mean? Firstly it just sounds like Brian. And secondly there is that session outtake where Brian+Carl are overdubbing vocals and you can cleary hear that it's Brian. And then they both go into their falsettos for the backing vocals on the tag. Incredible!!

[TimeToGetAlone]

Not sure I agree with you on Surf's Up. It's Al to me. But you could be right. As for 'Til I Die, if you are talking about the bit "Until I Die" just before the tag, then yes that is Brian to my ears as well. Is that the part you mean? Firstly it just sounds like Brian. And secondly there is that session outtake where Brian+Carl are overdubbing vocals and you can cleary hear that it's Brian. And then they both go into their falsettos for the backing vocals on the tag. Incredible!!

If I didn't know any information on the Surf's Up tag, I could go either way on Brian or Al.  It just made me wonder because every source I've seen lists the tag as a 1971 Brian.  It was something like Brian didn't want to work on the session, Carl did most of it, but then when it came time to recording he was there to sing it.  I can see the similarities to it in vocal quality with the lead moments Brian has on Break Away (BA- "That Very Same Love" vs. SU - "Have You Listened").

'Til I Die I was already pretty sure about, but was just caught offguard when in this thread it was listed as Carl.  That moment in the song has to be one of my all-time favorite BB moments!

[mikeyj]

If I didn't know any information on the Surf's Up tag, I could go either way on Brian or Al.  It just made me wonder because every source I've seen lists the tag as a 1971 Brian.  It was something like Brian didn't want to work on the session, Carl did most of it, but then when it came time to recording he was there to sing it.  I can see the similarities to it in vocal quality with the lead moments Brian has on Break Away (BA- "That Very Same Love" vs. SU - "Have You Listened").

'Til I Die I was already pretty sure about, but was just caught offguard when in this thread it was listed as Carl.  That moment in the song has to be one of my all-time favorite BB moments!

Hmm, now you have made me think twice about that. I don't have the track available at the moment as I'm not at home, but you could be right in regards to Surf's Up. I'm still pretty sure it's Al but as we all know, Brian+Al can sound REALLY similar at times.

I agree TTGA, that part in 'Til I Die sends a shiver down my spine every time. Especially on that vocal session since there is no music audible. Incredible stuff.

[TimeToGetAlone]

Hmm, now you have made me think twice about that. I don't have the track available at the moment as I'm not at home, but you could be right in regards to Surf's Up. I'm still pretty sure it's Al but as we all know, Brian+Al can sound REALLY similar at times.

I agree TTGA, that part in 'Til I Die sends a shiver down my spine every time. Especially on that vocal session since there is no music audible. Incredible stuff.

I haven't heard it in a bit either, so I'll revisit it.  The amount of history on that part I've heard on the actual 1971 sessions just make me wonder how it could be anything else.

I'm glad someone else shares the feelings.  I'd have to give other moments like the middle of ASMTYD and TTGA (inspiring my name).


Another part I thought I would revisit was "...Mess of Help...".  I was pretty confident the maniacal background harmony on the main part of the song was Brian, even though that really threw me off the first time.  I'm basing a lot of that on what I've heard, and if I didn't know otherwise it could very well have been something else.

[Chris Brown]

As far as "Surf's Up" goes, I'm almost positive it's Al singing lead on the tag.  The vocal inflections are just so "Al", although Brian was singing a bit differently around that time period, and of course as the story goes, he rushed down to the studio and tought the tag to the group, so who knows?

And with "Til' I Die", I'd say the part you are talking about has to be Brian.  Again, the vocal inflections tell me it can't be Carl...always sounded like Brian to me.

[MBE]

You Need A Mess Of Help is Brian, Mike said so in a 1972 interview. Til I Die is certainly Brian because I heard a version of the song they played on a 2-71 broadcast and all of Brian solo lines were not on there yet. That includes the ending Til I Die bit. Surf's Up is hard because Desper remembers Brian doing it, and it being a big moment for him as he conqured a fear. It sure sounds like Al though.

[Andrew G. Doe]

You Need A Mess Of Help is Brian, Mike said so in a 1972 interview. Til I Die is certainly Brian because I heard a version of the song they played on a 2-71 broadcast and all of Brian solo lines were not on there yet. That includes the ending Til I Die bit. Surf's Up is hard because Desper remembers Brian doing it, and it being a big moment for him as he conqured a fear. It sure sounds like Al though.

It is Alan. Someone asked him, and he said it was... more to the point, someone else isolated out the vocal on the multitrack - and it was Alan. Brian came down and sang a part on the tag... but not the 'lead'.

[pixletwin]

You Need A Mess Of Help is Brian, Mike said so in a 1972 interview. Til I Die is certainly Brian because I heard a version of the song they played on a 2-71 broadcast and all of Brian solo lines were not on there yet. That includes the ending Til I Die bit. Surf's Up is hard because Desper remembers Brian doing it, and it being a big moment for him as he conqured a fear. It sure sounds like Al though.

It is Alan. Someone asked him, and he said it was... more to the point, someone else isolated out the vocal on the multitrack - and it was Alan. Brian came down and sang a part on the tag... but not the 'lead'.

AGD, are you referring to the tag on Surf's Up or Till I Die? The last few posts have made it kid of hard for me to follow. I use to think the tag on SU was Mike. 

Al is like a beach boy chameleon.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm talking about "SU" - "A children's song..." etc is Alan. Not Brian.

[pixletwin]

Ok, thats what I thought. Thanks AGD. 

[John]

A couple of things I'm not sure about from the Surf's Up album.  I was always sure the falsetto just before the tag in 'Til I Die was Brian.  It doesn't sound like Carl at any rate.  And with the title track, isn't it Brian on the tag?  I heard something about it being slightly sped up considering the range he sang it on, but I've never heard of Al doing it even if I can see it sounds like him.

Yeah. the "Until I Die" in falsetto just before the tag IS Brian. Carl is the main voice singing the title phrase DURING the tag, which is what I've listed. Maybe I should clarify that.