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How the Beach Boys made records


risingson
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[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1348737514' post='1817450']
I'm not defending Love in any way but it isn't quite that simple. Love already had a touring BB band without Brian, Jardine and David Marks. These three members were added in for a reunion tour which has now finished. The intention was always that the stripped down (profitable) version of the band would then do some more shows later and this band doesn't include those members, it's just business. As I said I'm not defending Love and it is always upsetting seeing the founder and main talent in a band lose control over it but then I get quite uncomfortable watching Brian anyway in his current state of health.
[/quote]

Mike Love pretending that *he* is the Beach Boys and freezing out the rest of them---particularly Brian, without whom they would be nothing---is a ridiculous state of affairs. Frankly I find his claims that his "touring" band are more profitable rather laughable. I'd never consider going to see them in that format, they're little more than a tribute act (and I'd probably rather see a tribute act that didn't include Love, ironically). Add Brian, Jardine, and Marks and I might actually be tempted to go. I think many Beach Boys fans would feel the same way, and the people who don't care about the band politics who just think "ooh, the beach boys" aren't going to care either way. Given that Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds and SMiLE tours sold loads of tickets at upwards of £40 a head in the UK, there's obviously still enough people interested in the real deal...

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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1348440123' post='1813756']
Brilliant. Never mind Lennon/McCartney ---the real hero of the 60s will always be Brian Wilson as far as I'm concerned. In a world where the word genius is thrown around far too often he really does fit the bill.
[/quote]

While I agree about his then genius (I have loved Pet Sounds throughout my life) his inspiration was listening to the Beatles.

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[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1348341210' post='1812642']
I've been listening to the Beach Boys, probably due to the fact I've got a P-Bass again and have once more gotten totally hooked on the brilliance of Carol Kaye!

Thought I might share this audio clip for those who haven't heard it before, it details Brian Wilson in the studio directing 'The Wrecking Crew' session players and other assorted musicians from L.A on what to play and where on one of my favourite songs, 'Sloop John B'. It touches on Wilson's need for absolute perfection from the guys and girls he had in the studio during the Pet Sounds sessions, really incredible stuff and an superb ear for arrangement and production. It has also got one of my very favourite Carol Kaye bass lines on it also. Check it out:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9iu65sot1E&feature=related[/media]
[/quote]

Thanks for this, fascinating. Carol was playing a scored bass line.

The achievement of this is all the more impressive when you hear balancing the flutes, for example, is by moving one closer to the mic. Having just completed a vocal recording on Logic simply using the best bits and pieces from a series of takes with an almost limitless number of separate tracks its all so much easier nowadays.

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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1348826400' post='1818705']
While I agree about his then genius (I have loved Pet Sounds throughout my life) his inspiration was listening to the Beatles.
[/quote]

And The Beatles' inspiration was Brian Wilson :) They spurred each other on:

"It was [i]Pet Sounds[/i] that blew me out of the water. I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life ... I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album ... I love the orchestra, the arrangements ... it may be going overboard to say it's the classic of the century ... but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways ... I've often played [i]Pet Sounds[/i] and cried. I played it to John [Lennon] so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence ... it was the record of the time. The thing that really made me sit up and take notice was the bass lines ... and also, putting melodies in the bass line. That I think was probably the big influence that set me thinking when we recorded [i]Pepper[/i], it set me off on a period I had then for a couple of years of nearly always writing quite melodic bass lines." ---Paul McCartney

The Beatles were great. But Brian Wilson was better* ;)












*in my opinion

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[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1348829210' post='1818756']
And The Beatles' inspiration was Brian Wilson :) They spurred each other on:

"It was [i]Pet Sounds[/i] that blew me out of the water. I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life ... I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album ... I love the orchestra, the arrangements ... it may be going overboard to say it's the classic of the century ... but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways ... I've often played [i]Pet Sounds[/i] and cried. I played it to John [Lennon] so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence ... it was the record of the time. The thing that really made me sit up and take notice was the bass lines ... and also, putting melodies in the bass line. That I think was probably the big influence that set me thinking when we recorded [i]Pepper[/i], it set me off on a period I had then for a couple of years of nearly always writing quite melodic bass lines." ---Paul McCartney

The Beatles were great. But Brian Wilson was better* ;)

*in my opinion
[/quote]

Great quote, thanks. The Beatles had George Martin to do the 'music' stuff (for example Eleanor Rigby - fab!) whereas, assuming Wilson did the scoring, it was just him, no partner to test ideas etc.

I have always thought the bass was extraordinary both rhythmically and harmony. While we ought to give Carol the credit for the playing (according to the video clip, this is one session she WAS on!) but the rhythm and harmony comes from Wilson. In the second clip above a guitar and bass track each other to get that sound. His vision was amazing and can be appreciated in these clips where almost everything had to be pre-arranged and set for the group of musicians in one go. Interesting that despite his otherwise impatience he was open to their suggestions.

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[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1348848423' post='1819120']
Great quote, thanks. The Beatles had George Martin to do the 'music' stuff (for example Eleanor Rigby - fab!) whereas, assuming Wilson did the scoring, it was just him, no partner to test ideas etc.
[/quote]

I don't think either George Martin or McCartney's ability to arrange can be underestimated. They likewise inspired each other, GM certainly had the classical training but McCartney had the ears and ideas that paired perfectly.

Comparing the Beach Boys and The Beatles is apples/oranges. They drove each other on so much, and in their attempts to draw influence from each other they kept upping their games until Brian ultimately crashed out.

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[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1348341210' post='1812642'][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9iu65sot1E&feature=related[/media]
[/quote]

Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
While to my shame I know very little about the band, though I never fail to love listening to them; I do remember watching a drama-doc about the Beach Boys and it seemed to link the drying up of the Smile sessions with Brian's first hearing of Sergeant Pepper?

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[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1348854772' post='1819237']
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
While to my shame I know very little about the band, though I never fail to love listening to them; I do remember watching a drama-doc about the Beach Boys and it seemed to link the drying up of the Smile sessions with Brian's first hearing of Sergeant Pepper?
[/quote]

That's right Stu, Brian lost the plot after hearing Sgt. Peppers with the mindset that nothing could ever top the sheer achievement of it. I suspect his mind wasn't all there either!

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