Help me make a "mostly Brian Wilson" Pet Sounds

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by DEAN OF ROCK, Apr 19, 2017.

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  1. DEAN OF ROCK

    DEAN OF ROCK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hoover, AL
    And yes....I have the first Pet Sounds box set from 1996. TIA
     
  2. G00dVibrations

    G00dVibrations Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I'm not entirely sure what you mean.

    Brian did release a live album of Pet Sounds in full, so there is that.
     
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  3. DEAN OF ROCK

    DEAN OF ROCK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hoover, AL
    With his vocals over the original tracks.....sorta like a solo album.
     
  4. G00dVibrations

    G00dVibrations Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Well, their is a version of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" where Brian sings Mike's bridge (I remember reading that some stereo versions of Pet Sounds have it, although it doesn't seem to be the case on the 2016 box set - the "stack-of-vocals" vocal track sounds like Brian to me though.)

    The 2016 box set also has versions of "Sloop John B" and "God Only Knows" with Brian singing the whole lead.

    "You Still Believe In Me", "Don't Talk", "I'm Waiting For The Day", "IJWMFTT" and "Caroline, No" all have Brian leads already, which just leaves "That's Not Me", "I Know There's An Answer" and "Here Today". The first two have Brian singing part of the leads.
     
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  5. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Yes, the vocals-only version is Brian on lead throughout, including the bridge. If you find the original Pet Sounds Sessions box, the stereo mix on that has the all-Brian-lead version. This was before Mark Linett placed Mike's vocals in future stereo mixes.
     
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  6. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    @DEAN OF ROCK You can get pretty close to an all-Brian Pet Sounds. @G00dVibrations left a couple things out of his list above.

    Wouldn't It Be Nice - stereo mix on original Pet Sounds Sessions box is Brian on lead for the whole song
    You Still Believe In Me - album version
    That's Not Me - no alternates available, as far as I know; you'll have to stick with the album version for this
    Don't Talk - album version
    I'm Waiting For The Day - album version
    Sloop John B - Pet Sounds Sessions box has a version with Brian doing all the vocals.
    God Only Knows - see above
    I Know There's An Answer - The PSS box has an earlier version with different lyrics called "Hang On To Your Ego" which has Brian on lead. However, the version in the video below is not the same version as on the PSS box. It has Brian on lead throughout, while the PSS box has Mike in the same places. -

    Here Today - PSS box has an alternate version with Brian on lead, but one verse is repeated, so it's not the full set of lyrics.
    I Just Wasn't Made For These Times - album version
    Caroline, No - album version

    So, except for "That's Not Me," you have a pretty Brian-lead-vocal album.
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2017
  7. DEAN OF ROCK

    DEAN OF ROCK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hoover, AL
    Where would you insert "Trombone Dixie"?
     
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  8. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Nowhere.

    1. I'm not a fan of the song.
    2. You asked for a mostly-Brian Wilson Pet Sounds, and that song isn't on the album. :)
     
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  9. oldsurferdude

    oldsurferdude Forum Resident

    Location:
    detroit, mi. 48150
    Wondering if there were any Tony Asher lyrics with Brian leads on "Pet Sounds" and "Let's Go Away For Awhile". Wouldn't that be something? :uhhuh:
     
  10. Jesse Reiswig

    Jesse Reiswig Zen Master of Playlists


    The above is pretty definitive, except the the God Only Knows version advertised as being sung by Brian in the Pet Sounds Sessions box is actually an early scratch vocal by Carl. Take a closer listen. That's definitely not Brian.
     
  11. DEAN OF ROCK

    DEAN OF ROCK Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hoover, AL
    It's a PS outtake.
     
  12. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Nope, it's really Brian (double tracked). Take an even closer listen. :)
     
  13. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I know. As such, I did not feel the need to include it in the list I made for you, especially because I thought you wanted the Pet Sounds album with as much Brian singing on it as possible. Since "Trombone Dixie" has no vocals, I did not include it.
     
  14. Jesse Reiswig

    Jesse Reiswig Zen Master of Playlists

    Just listened again, VERY closely! Still sounds much more like Carl than Brian. The only place where it sounds remotely like Brian to me is on the word "on," in "though life would still go on, believe me." It's possible Brian is "ghost singing" this one line, as he was wont to do a lot around this time (for instance the words "I hear the sound of a" in place of Carl on the first verse of "Good Vibrations" and "when I look in her" on the second verse). Otherwise, it's very clearly all Carl to me.

    The only other possibility I would give credence to is that rather than a double-tracked Carl the whole thing is Brian and Carl singing together in unison, though the timbre of Carl's voice dominates on most lines. If this were the case it might explain why we disagree. Another example of Brian doing this would be the bridges of "In the Back of My Mind," where Carl and Dennis (or possibly Carl and Brian) sing in unison ("I tried to run far away from the past . . .") and the resultant voice sounds a bit like both of them. Or the lead vocal in "All Dressed Up for School," which to me sounds very clearly like Carl and Brian singing in unison.
     
  15. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Yes, Brian did this kind of stuff sometimes, but for a scratch vocal, I doubt he'd go through the effort. I took another close listen as well, and there are times when I think it sounds like Carl, too, but surely Mark Linett had the isolated vocals and could tell it was Brian before compiling the version on the box, unless it was already mixed and taken from an acetate or contemporary mix.

    In summary, I think Carl has a breathier voice that can't really be denied, especially in this song. I don't hear that at all in this. :)

    P.S. I think "who sings what" in Beach Boys Land is fascinating.
     
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  16. Jesse Reiswig

    Jesse Reiswig Zen Master of Playlists

    Well, we'll agree to disagree. And yes, I'm fairly certain that alternate vocal version came from an acetate of a vintage mix, not from multitracks. And it may have been an attempt at a final vocal, not a scratch version.
     
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  17. Jesse Reiswig

    Jesse Reiswig Zen Master of Playlists

    "P.S. I think "who sings what" in Beach Boys Land is fascinating."

    Agreed. And because three of them were brothers sometimes telling them apart is positively forensic. And Al and Brian often sound uncannily alike too.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2017
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  18. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    :agree:
     
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  19. Aftermath

    Aftermath Senior Member

    No joke. I once heard Al's isolated vocal for the coda to Surf's Up and it sounded just like Brian to me.
     
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  20. jawilshere

    jawilshere Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massapequa, NY
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  21. Jesse Reiswig

    Jesse Reiswig Zen Master of Playlists

    I did know about that thread. I disagree with some of the assessments, but it's a good resource. Thanks for the reminder!
     
  22. Larce

    Larce Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    I'm guessing that's not on YouTube?
     
  23. Aftermath

    Aftermath Senior Member

    It may be now, but I honestly have no idea.
     
  24. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy

    Location:
    USA
    I do wish Brian would have made this a solo record with only his vocals, that would have been superb.
     
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