This song and album came out before Revolver. The Beatles didn’t just like The Beach Boys, but they were inspired by them, and kinda had a friendly competition with them. It’s crazy how overlooked Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys was. He was just as much of a visionary as any of the Beatles, without the team, record label, or producer to really support him.
@@futurereflections4097 McCartney said that the Pet Sounds album inspired him to make Sgt Pepper. And Brian Wilson said that Rubber Soul inspired him to make Pet Sounds. Rubber Soul also came out before Good Vibrations.
@@GoldTop57 From late 1965 to 1967 there was an ongoing "friendly rivalry" between the Beatles and the Beach Boys, with the Rolling Stones also playing a role, mainly with one entry, their album _Aftermath_ (among the titles the Beatles bandied about for what became _Revolver_ was _After Geography)._
I don't think they were underrated. They were hugely popular in the 60's and still popular enough in the 70's to tour with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
I thought it was over $100K to produce this. This was when Brian broke away from his father and wouldn't put out a song about the beach or cars (which his father wanted).
The soul of conducter who can hear multiple instrumen in their head and direct a full orchestra. I couldn't believe he walked into columbia studios and conducted a room full of wrecking crew and produce this track and many others. I just can't see myself doing that as a 24 yr old. Impossible but he did it.
His father was an overbearing perfectionist, especially about harmony but when Brian was ready to take charge, magic happened!! Only a handful of Rock songs rival this and beach boys best like pet sounds , Beatles best including rubber soul, sgt peppers, Simon and Garfunkel - bridge over..
Oh my God Harri That electronic device was a Therimin That inspired me to order a kit from popular electronics miles about I guess I was 15 years old and build a kit and make that device I don’t think I would’ve gotten involved in electronics except it was for that one friggin song That’s Brian Wilson was an absolute genius the Beatles admire him and Brian Wilson admire the Beatles it was so beautiful and still Is…
@@richardctaylor79 McCartney said it, not Lennon. That said, both heavily admired Wilson's songwriting and talent, and were inspired to write both Revolver and Sgt Pepper's after hearing Pet Sounds
I think you would like “Wouldn’t it be Nice”, “Sloop John B”, “Sail on Sailor” and “In my Room”. For fun, up tempo songs, I like “Darlin’” and “Barbara Ann”. Were you referring to “Kokomo”?
I don't think Harri would like these, as he insists on stopping every song repeatedly to give us his thoughts, ruining the flow of the music. His "take" on the songs is therefore skewed. It breaks my heart to hear my favorite songs butchered and listened to piecemeal. I am aware that one cannot simply play the song, especially the Beatles, due to copyright infringement, but it still is annoying. I hope Harri listens to the entire recording at some point.
This was Brian's magnum opus, he spent weeks assembling it. There are outtakes from these session on both their "Good Vibrations" 5-CD box set and the "Smiley Smile / Wild Honey" two-fer CD. This was to be part of the SMILE album, Brian's teenage symphony to God. He worked for months on various bits in 1966 and 1967 but in May '67 cancelled it. Under the pressure of the production race with the Beatles, a lawsuit against their record company, the drugs he was taking, and maybe his fading confidence he scrapped the new album. Songs were salvaged and issues as "Smiley Smile". Decades later the band and Brian would release their own separate versions of the SMILE album, I took the best bits of both and made my own disc. :-D Here's the 15 minute 'Good Vibrations (Sessions)' track from the box set, there's also an early version of the single on another track: ua-cam.com/video/N0QHxoly7m0/v-deo.html
"Good Vibrations" could sum up this entire channel. I only subbed a few days ago, but it's a good feeling here, and talk about a good vibe! This was what I was needing, couldn't have coincided better. It's going be one of those easy-going days at work today I can already feel it, walking on sunshine right now. Awesome!
This was out of this world in 1965 .Way ahead of the Beatles. Incredible at the time and even today, I was 19 when this released. Music was changing so fast during these years. 1950 to 1970 the world was experiencing a new world in music. I am so glad I was able to witness the evolution .
'Please let me wonder' is mad special. This is one the few songs I clearly remember when & where I heard it for the first time. Same goes with 'Good Vibrations'. The LP 'Today!' was the first Beach Boys' album that came out after Brian Wilson did psychedelics for the first time. I think we can hear it in this song in particular. Such a beautiful tune, man...
"When I was s little girl of age 6, I resided in London England in the 1960's,with Jamaican Mom and Dad:When watching/hearing,'Top Of The Popd',on the BBC t.v./radio'The Beach Boys'Good Vibrations'songlyric,was very elating to my ears,mind,and emotion'heart. . ."1-20-2022'
Brian Wilson IS The Beach Boys. He made all the musical arrangements in the studio with a large group of session musicians (the best) and guided them to get the exact sound he wanted. THEN, after the music was completed, the Beach Boys would come into the studio and work on the harmonies , directed by Brian . It's all Brian . All are his masterpieces .
I was a teenager when this music was first played on our local radio stations. I don't know why, but, although I really liked the music of the Beach Boys back then, I actually appreciate it more now. Maybe it has something to do with the cheesy, low fidelity sound coming out of those cheap, little transistor radios we used back then .... or maybe my ears just grew up ....
There was a silent friendly competition between the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Essentially, the Beach Boy's 'Pet Sounds' begat the Beatles' 'Sgt Pepper....' album. This song was not on that album but certainly this was an influence having been released many months before the Beatles' album. This is an amazing track. Music was moving more into art at the time. This is like an audio painting. You can almost see the quiet beach at night with the girl sitting just an arm length away in the flickering of the small camp fire. Unfortunately, Brian's mental state went south soon after. Some blame the competition with the Beatles for contributing to his breakdown. These guys were putting out music the likes we will never see again.
You forgot to mention that Rubber Soul influenced Pet Sounds which then inspired Paul to up the ante with Sgt Pepper. All praise to Brian but you should also mention his huge debt to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound.
Citing… Bassist Carol Kaye played on several of the "Good Vibrations" sessions, and has been identified as a prominent contributor to the track. However, analysis by Beach Boys archivist Craig Slowinski indicates that none of those recordings made the final edit as released on the single.
Brian Wilson worked on that song forever, years I remember hearing. He was obsessed with perfection. The Beach Boys layers of sound coming in and out are amazing. I was too young to appreciate it fully at the time but the more I hear it the more I realize what a genius song and arrangement it is.
Brian would actually record the same song in different studios because he might like the way the bass sounds in one and the way the piano sounded miles away in another studio, the vocals in another. He did have a drug problem...but he was a genius.
I know this song ofcourse very well. (I'm 69..). But suddenly i was thinking by myself: it's nearly the same technic as Bohemian Rapsody by Queen. A few different songs and melody packed in one......GENIUS...!!
The weird sound in this song is called a Theremin. It was widely used in science fiction movies in the 1950's. Here it is in action ua-cam.com/video/GcUgOEImP1o/v-deo.html
I built a simple one in my 9th-grade electronics class in 1968 and played at "Good Vibrations" on the bus to school. Didn't know the name "Theramin." Teacher called it a Light Controlled Audio Oscillator.
You are so right about that. He not only changed how music was produced, arranged, etc., but in "Good Vibrations" and other songs, he created a new form of songwriting, often referred to as "modular," which is as good a name for it as any. Even some of his minor hits show incredibly innovative structure, like "The Little Girl I Once Knew," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," and more recent solo songs like "Sail Away" and Beach Boys tunes like "From There to Back Again." If you haven't seen the movie "Love and Mercy," you should check it out. Brian's probably the only true American genius we've had in pop music in the last 60 years. Never been anyone else like him and most likely there never will be another one. But you need to listen to "Good Vibrations" in one swoop rather than in bits. Otherwise, you can lose the flow...
The lead vocal is celestial, and when you add the intertwining backing vocals, we're off to another realm. Throw in that bowed bass on the chorus, it's all ear orgasms from there.
Hi from Australia, I feel Brain Wilson was the drummer and the success of the Beach Boys, he wrote most of the music brilliant man and very sad ending Bless you Mr Brain Wilson
If you like the harmonies from the 1960s, you owe it to yourself to check out Britain's own...The Zombies, their album "Odessey and Oracle" (yes, they misspelled it) was amazing.
Masterpiece! The sound you might be wondering about comes from a theremin, an electronic musical instrument invented in 1920. Jimmy Page plays one in The Song Remains The Same during the middle passage to "Whole Lotta Love". P.S. Check out The Beach Boys "Help Me, Rhonda" -- and for something different from them, the instrumental "Let's Go Away For Awhile" from their Pet Sounds album.
The synth sound you are hearing is an electronic instrument called a theramin. It's played by waving your hand in front of it...seriously! And using bass harmonica is another trademerk BW trick. For another great BW love song try 'Caroline No' from 'Pet Sounds'.
It actually was not a theramin but an electrotheramin which had a slide you moved. This article talks about it. . www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2013/02/07/171385175/no-it-wasn-t-a-theremin-on-good-vibrations-remembering-paul-tanner
Similar in sound but technically a Theremin is controlled by hands moved in proximity to two antennas. What Brian Wilson used was an Electro-Theremin , which instead used a knob to control pitch.
Love good vibrations one of my favorites. The beach boys are very talented. Brian Wilson was referred to as a musical genius. Love the way you feel about music. Great reaction!!
You are right about Brian Wilson creating “new” instruments or changing existing ones during the recording of the music for Pet Sounds. It’s fascinating and beautifully brought to life, recreating videos filmed during these studio sessions by the film Love and Mercy. It’s about Brian Wilson during his early Beach Boy days, later breakdown, recovery and return to music. They made this smart decision to have two actors play Brian. Paul Dano is the young & troubled genius (he does most of the singing) and John Cusack is the fragile Brian who finds himself again with the help of the woman who became his second wife.
This song and a couple of others like God only knows and Wouldn't it be nice, were musically and technically advanced for the time. I've watched the making of these songs on UA-cam and Brian's perfectionist character really shines through. About 8 musicians were hired for these tracks. Genius
Greetings! try 'surf's up' Its dark its moody,prophetic.. a masterful song.. it takes you down a path in the mind of a sad depressed soul... thanks Hari
The Beach Boys are one of my favorites from my high school days. Haven't heard them for awhile. Great memories. Great music. Brian Wilson was such a talent. Thanks!
Well said. Imagine turning on the radio in the autumn of 1966 and this song comes on the radio. Mom’s mind would be blown and making a mess on the kitchen floor.
Obscure? Cool. There is a lovely innocence applied in the song "Don't Hurt my Little Sister". Very interesting note choices there Brian! Actually, I have not heard it myself in years so I might just slink off and give her a listen.
Great reaction. You are amazingly insightful and everything you have to say is filled with meaning. The music really matters to you and that's a beautiful thing, Harry
When I first heard it in 66 the BEACHBOYS had been dormant for a year or two and GOOD VIBRATIONS was on the radio. I went OMG and sat down at my friends piano trying to find the chords. The BEACHBOYS surprised me again. Sadly this album was the pinnacle and things never got back to this epic quality.. Never fear I can always go to my CD collection and relive this and other tracks. I hold the BEACHBOYS in my heart and soul. Pure AMERICAN rockn roll.
'Your summer dream' is a hidden gem. Lots of great comments here, but I haven't seen anyone mention this one. I remember smoking a spliff with a mate back in the days, who was not a Beach Boys fan at all. He went quiet and when the song ended, he went : "Wow, that was special man..." 'Please let me wonder' is mad special too.
More Beach Boys is always a good thing! And a sublime collaboration you should check out is the Chicago song “Wishing You Were Here”. Several members of The Beach Boys provided background harmony vocals and the result is ethereal perfection!
There's a biopic about Brian Wilson called "Love & Mercy" that gives a bit of insight into how he produced these songs. It also largely about his struggle with mental health.
I think there are "Behind The Music" videos for a lot of Beach Boys songs. I've read that Brian got the idea for the song from an article his mom read about how dogs can pick up on your vibrations to see if they like you or not. So I guess he extrapolated that to include people picking up on other people's vibrations. Also Brian did like to add strange instruments like you said. Drummer Hal Blaine once said he took 3 plastic juice bottles from a vending machine and cut them to different sizes, taped them together and used hammers from the vibraphone to tap on them and Brian loved its sound and included it in the final cut. One of their tightest harmonies is in the song "Warmth Of The Sun". It's Brian's way of writing a blues song. It's about a relationship ending, but was written right at the time President Kennedy was killed so everyone was feeling deep loss at that time. It's worth a listen!
Impeccably conceived and realized, innovative and evocative, at the forefront of songcraft and production. Such a signature achievement for Brian! ✌😘🎶💞
all through Brian Wilson's work you will hear one thing over and over again in almost every song. In an interview, Al Jardine said that when they just started and were riding about CA to get to gigs, Brian would assign them each an instrument to sing what that instrument played and they would use their voices as the instrument it was one thing that made their music unique... You will hear this especially ah the end of good vibrations in the la la la la la....lal la la section.
"Rubber Soul" inspired "Pet Sounds". There was a lot of good spirited competition between the two bands and it resulted in some of the greatest music ever.
This my fav Beach Boys song. It took Brian Wilson 7 months to get all of the sounds perfect for it. From Google: Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine; middle: Mike Love, Bruce Johnston; bottom: Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson. In 1966, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys spent seven months producing “Good Vibrations” at an estimated cost of more than $400,000 in today's dollars-a record at the time for a single.
The musicians on this song were members of the studio band, the Wrecking Crews. Beach Boys had to learn the part sot perform it live. Members of the Wrecking Crew include Glen Campbell and Leion Russel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wrecking_Crew_(music)
He recorded the verse and the chorus of this song in different studios on different tapes. He took a razor blade a cut them and taped them together somehow. You can hear the change if you listen closely when they start singing the chorus.
This is an old classic. One of the examples of a song that the Beatles heard and made them record REVOLVER, then SGT. Peppers, (What a kick in the butt, it caused them to record their best albums ever.) They were friends who just loved to impress the other group with their recording techniques, and songwriting, propelling rock music ahead, probably a decade, in one fell swoop of a pen. This album was inspired by the Beatles Rubber Soul Album. The b. Boys did this and the beatles responded with GOOD DAY SUNSHINE, and TAXMAN.
He used an electro-theremin (manually controlled instead of sensory controlled) for the weird sound, and The Wrecking Crew for the musicians (while the band was on vacation). The Wrecking Crew was a loosely grouped band of session musicians (members changed all the time). Glen Campbell was in The Wrecking Crew at 1 time, and even played on tour with the Beach Boys, but I am unsure if he played on this particular record. Anyway, when the band got back from vacation, The Wrecking Crew trained them on how to play the song. During the initial sessions, they worked with Brian and even helped him to come up with some of the weird ways things were played (the bass, the drums, etc.). It was definitely under his direction, but he would ask to have something played or sound a certain way, and they would make it happen. Genius, 1 and all, including Brian. BTW, the theremin is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the thereminist. It is named after its inventor, Leon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928. You get different sounds by moving in and out of close proximity to it, and it reacts by increasing or lowering the sound outputted. You've heard it in a LOT of sci-fi movies, I'm sure, especially from the 50's and 60's (ooh-wee-ew-ooh). However, on this track, they used an Electro-Theremin, or manually controlled one, which made it's changing sound via a knob on the side of the device.
If you want to listen to some Beach Boys inspired music, look up The Travoltas. I believe they're from Sweden. A good song to start with is "Pacific Coast Highway", "Alright" or "Do It Again".
"...How long did it take Mr. Wilson to put this together?" Yes, many months. But, the lyrics that you describe as perfectly matching the music? Mike Love wrote the lyrics at the last minute -- on the way to the studio so he and the other Beach Boys could sing them. The background harmonies were already laid down. Yes, Brian Wilson is the genius who created and put Good Vibrations together, but he had help. Van Dyke Parks suggested the cello playing triplets (in the chorus), Mike Love came up with the hook, "I'm pickin' up Good Vibrations" that leads into the chorus, the other Beach Boys persuaded Brian to add more harmonies, changing it from an R&B sound (listen to early version from the studio outtakes) to the etherial feel with the layers of harmonies.
Hey. Hey Harri, It's good to see you again. Happy New Year 2022 to you! I really do enjoy you and your channel so much. BTW, I believe that the name of the song that you spoke of during your Intro is: Kokomo Beach. Pronounced as Ko-Ka-Mo. (smiling). So until our paths cross again, I hope that you remain Well and Reasonably Happy and... Keep Smiling...
There's an amazing film about Brian Wilson that shows just exactly HOW incredible his skills were, including the creation of Good Vibrations". It also details the highs and lows and some genuine tragedies he experienced. "Love & Mercy". Worth watching over and over.
Not everyone"gets" the Beachboys, but the Beatles did and so does Harri
This song and album came out before Revolver. The Beatles didn’t just like The Beach Boys, but they were inspired by them, and kinda had a friendly competition with them.
It’s crazy how overlooked Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys was. He was just as much of a visionary as any of the Beatles, without the team, record label, or producer to really support him.
@@futurereflections4097 McCartney said that the Pet Sounds album inspired him to make Sgt Pepper. And Brian Wilson said that Rubber Soul inspired him to make Pet Sounds. Rubber Soul also came out before Good Vibrations.
@@GoldTop57 As it goes. It’s crazy how fast things went in the late 60s.
@@GoldTop57 From late 1965 to 1967 there was an ongoing "friendly rivalry" between the Beatles and the Beach Boys, with the Rolling Stones also playing a role, mainly with one entry, their album _Aftermath_ (among the titles the Beatles bandied about for what became _Revolver_ was _After Geography)._
Amen my friend 🤘🏼👋🏼🙏🏼😀✨✨✨✨✨✨
I personally believe that The Beach Boys are way underrated. Thank you for helping to enlighten the world on how awesome they truly are!
I don't think they were underrated. They were hugely popular in the 60's and still popular enough in the 70's to tour with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
They were only second to the Beatles.
I disagree that they were second to the Beatles. I think the Beatles were second to them.
I think you're both out of your minds for even trying to put them in that sorta bracket. However it's all a matter of opinion and there's mine ✌🙂
@@stanzaloan3454 lol
Back in the day this was the most expensively produced single ever.
Definitely not one of those songs written on the back of a napkin
I thought it was over $100K to produce this. This was when Brian broke away from his father and wouldn't put out a song about the beach or cars (which his father wanted).
And worth every cent!
@@wpollock1 That whole ordeal with his dad actually happened a few years earlier
@@wpollock1 it was $25000 but that's in 1966 dollars, about $240k today
The Beach Boys' best song (imo) and by far one of the most ambitious pieces of music of the 1960s. Brian Wilson was a musical genius twice over.
Brian Wilson is a musical genius, just simply a master
The soul of conducter who can hear multiple instrumen in their head and direct a full orchestra. I couldn't believe he walked into columbia studios and conducted a room full of wrecking crew and produce this track and many others. I just can't see myself doing that as a 24 yr old. Impossible but he did it.
The sustained "AHHH" at 6:51 is probably the best example of accapella harmony ever! 10/21/22
His father was an overbearing perfectionist, especially about harmony but when Brian was ready to take charge, magic happened!! Only a handful of Rock songs rival this and beach boys best like pet sounds , Beatles best including rubber soul, sgt peppers, Simon and Garfunkel - bridge over..
I always wait for that beautiful blast of voice and how it bounces off the airwaves
In my opinion, this is the best thing the Beach Boys ever recorded
Agreed! This is a masterpiece of music, for any time period or genre
I agree 100per cent
Arguably the best thing anyone’s ever recorded. Light years ahead of its time,
This might be the best song ever produced. From the mind of Brian Wilson.
@@italianboy1963 "Ever"..not really. But everyone has different taste towards music and is entitled to it..Cheers!!
Oh my God Harri
That electronic device was a Therimin
That inspired me to order a kit from popular electronics miles about I guess I was 15 years old and build a kit and make that device
I don’t think I would’ve gotten involved in electronics except it was for that one friggin song
That’s Brian Wilson was an absolute genius the Beatles admire him and Brian Wilson admire the Beatles it was so beautiful
and still Is…
I was a teen in the sixties and Beatles and Beach Boys were the soundtrack of our lives!☮️❤️😎
God Only Knows is their best song. Paul McCartney’s all-time favorite too!
Also John Lennon said in an interview that God Only Knows was the one song he wished he'd written...
@@richardctaylor79 Who is John Lenton?
@@waynemarvin5661 sorry typo, rectified now...
@@richardctaylor79 McCartney said it, not Lennon. That said, both heavily admired Wilson's songwriting and talent, and were inspired to write both Revolver and Sgt Pepper's after hearing Pet Sounds
Great song but have you heard the sunflower album from The Beach Boys because a lot of the music there are great
I think you would like “Wouldn’t it be Nice”, “Sloop John B”, “Sail on Sailor” and “In my Room”. For fun, up tempo songs, I like “Darlin’” and “Barbara Ann”. Were you referring to “Kokomo”?
I don't think Harri would like these, as he insists on stopping every song repeatedly to give us his thoughts, ruining the flow of the music. His "take" on the songs is therefore skewed. It breaks my heart to hear my favorite songs butchered and listened to piecemeal. I am aware that one cannot simply play the song, especially the Beatles, due to copyright infringement, but it still is annoying. I hope Harri listens to the entire recording at some point.
@Gwen Snyder, I'd like to add "I Get Around" to the fun songs!
Love all of your choices. Sail on Sailor and Darlin are two of the Beach Boys most underrated songs.
Darlin is one of the most underrated songs in history
You should hear their Legendary work of Art called..The Warmth of The Sun. It will haunt you forever.
I think Sail on Sailor will floor you, sublime harmonies.
This was Brian's magnum opus, he spent weeks assembling it. There are outtakes from these session on both their "Good Vibrations" 5-CD box set and the "Smiley Smile / Wild Honey" two-fer CD. This was to be part of the SMILE album, Brian's teenage symphony to God. He worked for months on various bits in 1966 and 1967 but in May '67 cancelled it. Under the pressure of the production race with the Beatles, a lawsuit against their record company, the drugs he was taking, and maybe his fading confidence he scrapped the new album. Songs were salvaged and issues as "Smiley Smile". Decades later the band and Brian would release their own separate versions of the SMILE album, I took the best bits of both and made my own disc. :-D
Here's the 15 minute 'Good Vibrations (Sessions)' track from the box set, there's also an early version of the single on another track:
ua-cam.com/video/N0QHxoly7m0/v-deo.html
"Good Vibrations" could sum up this entire channel. I only subbed a few days ago, but it's a good feeling here, and talk about a good vibe! This was what I was needing, couldn't have coincided better. It's going be one of those easy-going days at work today I can already feel it, walking on sunshine right now. Awesome!
Same here.
So glad you used genius! That’s absolutely correct about this song!
Harri - It's not only ingenious but also pure genius!!!!
This was out of this world in 1965 .Way ahead of the Beatles. Incredible at the time and even today, I was 19 when this released. Music was changing so fast during these years. 1950 to 1970 the world was experiencing a new world in music. I am so glad I was able to witness the evolution .
This was recorded over 6 weeks in 4 different studios.
Another really great Beach Boys song is "Please Let Me Wonder."
'Please let me wonder' is mad special. This is one the few songs I clearly remember when & where I heard it for the first time. Same goes with 'Good Vibrations'.
The LP 'Today!' was the first Beach Boys' album that came out after Brian Wilson did psychedelics for the first time.
I think we can hear it in this song in particular. Such a beautiful tune, man...
Surf's Up is another "Genius" composition.
It took 90 hours over at least 8-9 sessions to do this song. Released in October of 1966.
Check out the Fendertones 😂Beachboys cover band and they’re fabulous 🔥🔥🔥
The fall of 1966.the greatest year for music
Ever
"When I was s little girl of age 6, I resided in London England in the 1960's,with Jamaican Mom and Dad:When watching/hearing,'Top Of The Popd',on the BBC t.v./radio'The Beach Boys'Good Vibrations'songlyric,was very elating to my ears,mind,and emotion'heart. . ."1-20-2022'
Parents freaked a little when I started singing this with some friends from school....good times
Thanks much
You have to understand what a departure this song and album were for the band.. no girls and sun, incredible music and voices..
The bass guitar was played by Carol Kaye, amazing master of the art.
Not on the album. Her parts were cut.
I feel that _God only knows_ is the Beach Boys' most beautiful and important song, but _Good vibrations_ is probably their best overall song.
Brian Wilson IS The Beach Boys. He made all the musical arrangements in the studio with a large group of session musicians (the best) and guided them to get the exact sound he wanted. THEN, after the music was completed, the Beach Boys would come into the studio and work on the harmonies , directed by Brian . It's all Brian . All are his masterpieces .
I was a teenager when this music was first played on our local radio stations. I don't know why, but, although I really liked the music of the Beach Boys back then, I actually appreciate it more now. Maybe it has something to do with the cheesy, low fidelity sound coming out of those cheap, little transistor radios we used back then .... or maybe my ears just grew up ....
Think about all the forgettable tunes you’ve heard since this came out.
There was a silent friendly competition between the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Essentially, the Beach Boy's 'Pet Sounds' begat the Beatles' 'Sgt Pepper....' album. This song was not on that album but certainly this was an influence having been released many months before the Beatles' album. This is an amazing track. Music was moving more into art at the time. This is like an audio painting. You can almost see the quiet beach at night with the girl sitting just an arm length away in the flickering of the small camp fire. Unfortunately, Brian's mental state went south soon after. Some blame the competition with the Beatles for contributing to his breakdown. These guys were putting out music the likes we will never see again.
You forgot to mention that Rubber Soul influenced Pet Sounds which then inspired Paul to up the ante with Sgt Pepper. All praise to Brian but you should also mention his huge debt to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound.
@@John_Chu I could have mentioned all that and more, but I tried to keep it brief and to the point. Your comment is a welcome addition.
The Wrecking Crew is playing the instruments. The great Carol Kaye on bass.
Carol (no "e" at the end of her first name) Kaye is not dead. But that IS her stunning work on bass on this recording. :-)
Citing…
Bassist Carol Kaye played on several of the "Good Vibrations" sessions, and has been identified as a prominent contributor to the track. However, analysis by Beach Boys archivist Craig Slowinski indicates that none of those recordings made the final edit as released on the single.
"Warmth of the Sun" will never be surpassed!
True!! Their best, tightest harmonies and Brian's Falsetto was in top form at that time.
Brian Wilson worked on that song forever, years I remember hearing. He was obsessed with perfection. The Beach Boys layers of sound coming in and out are amazing. I was too young to appreciate it fully at the time but the more I hear it the more I realize what a genius song and arrangement it is.
Brian would actually record the same song in different studios because he might like the way the bass sounds in one and the way the piano sounded miles away in another studio, the vocals in another. He did have a drug problem...but he was a genius.
This is a fantastic representation of the Wrecking Crew. Fantastic studio musicians who played on 1000s of songs.
"Don't Worry, Baby" is my favorite! Love your channel, Harri! You're great!
THATS THEIR BEST
I know this song ofcourse very well. (I'm 69..). But suddenly i was thinking by myself: it's nearly the same technic as Bohemian Rapsody by Queen. A few different songs and melody packed in one......GENIUS...!!
Pet Sounds was one of the best albums ever. I believe even Mccartney said it was his favorite.
The weird sound in this song is called a Theremin. It was widely used in science fiction movies in the 1950's. Here it is in action ua-cam.com/video/GcUgOEImP1o/v-deo.html
I built a simple one in my 9th-grade electronics class in 1968 and played at "Good Vibrations" on the bus to school. Didn't know the name "Theramin." Teacher called it a Light Controlled Audio Oscillator.
One of the best make-out songs ever written ! It brings back memories of the late 60's , hmmm thanks Harri !
Brian's Mom told him that dogs can hear good vibrations. He ran with this idea and Mike Love wrote the lyrics. Great analysis.
I could show you the exact spot on the highway where I was driving my car in 1966 when Good Vibrations came on the radio. Just amazing
Saw them in concert in March. Amazing show. Mike Love is 82 and still sounds great.
In My Room by the Beach Boys is amazing also.
It was perfect and we don't hear music like this, with such harmony anymore.
You are so right about that. He not only changed how music was produced, arranged, etc., but in "Good Vibrations" and other songs, he created a new form of songwriting, often referred to as "modular," which is as good a name for it as any. Even some of his minor hits show incredibly innovative structure, like "The Little Girl I Once Knew," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," and more recent solo songs like "Sail Away" and Beach Boys tunes like "From There to Back Again." If you haven't seen the movie "Love and Mercy," you should check it out. Brian's probably the only true American genius we've had in pop music in the last 60 years. Never been anyone else like him and most likely there never will be another one. But you need to listen to "Good Vibrations" in one swoop rather than in bits. Otherwise, you can lose the flow...
The modular songwriting was used extensively in prog music, to where I think you could argue this was the first prog song.
Genius song writing and superb production and mixing. One of the greatest songs of all time.
Written, arranged and produced by Brian at the age of 24. Took 9 months to record
The lead vocal is celestial, and when you add the intertwining backing vocals, we're off to another realm. Throw in that bowed bass on the chorus, it's all ear orgasms from there.
Hi from Australia, I feel Brain Wilson was the drummer and the success of the Beach Boys, he wrote most of the music brilliant man and very sad ending Bless you Mr Brain Wilson
Spot-on, awesome analysis and reaction (especially at the half-way mark)!
Damn, this song is TIMELESS! ✌️
California girls is the special one for me
If you like the harmonies from the 1960s, you owe it to yourself to check out Britain's own...The Zombies, their album "Odessey and Oracle" (yes, they misspelled it) was amazing.
Masterpiece! The sound you might be wondering about comes from a theremin, an electronic musical instrument invented in 1920. Jimmy Page plays one in The Song Remains The Same during the middle passage to "Whole Lotta Love". P.S. Check out The Beach Boys "Help Me, Rhonda" -- and for something different from them, the instrumental "Let's Go Away For Awhile" from their Pet Sounds album.
Look up Leon Theremin. Russian immigrant. Fantastic story. Kidnapped and taken back to Russia.
The synth sound you are hearing is an electronic instrument called a theramin. It's played by waving your hand in front of it...seriously! And using bass harmonica is another trademerk BW trick. For another great BW love song try 'Caroline No' from 'Pet Sounds'.
It actually was not a theramin but an electrotheramin which had a slide you moved. This article talks about it.
.
www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2013/02/07/171385175/no-it-wasn-t-a-theremin-on-good-vibrations-remembering-paul-tanner
Similar in sound but technically a Theremin is controlled by hands moved in proximity to two antennas. What Brian Wilson used was an Electro-Theremin , which instead used a knob to control pitch.
Listen to the bass harmonica/banjo break in “Here Today “! One of my favorite moments in all BB’s music! Love the bass harmonica!
Love good vibrations one of my favorites. The beach boys are very talented. Brian Wilson was referred to as a musical genius. Love the way you feel about music. Great reaction!!
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were so inspired by the Beach Boys that they said so in many interviews
Love those harmonies! ✌️
It just don’t last long enough!❤
You are right about Brian Wilson creating “new” instruments or changing existing ones during the recording of the music for Pet Sounds. It’s fascinating and beautifully brought to life, recreating videos filmed during these studio sessions by the film Love and Mercy. It’s about Brian Wilson during his early Beach Boy days, later breakdown, recovery and return to music. They made this smart decision to have two actors play Brian. Paul Dano is the young & troubled genius (he does most of the singing) and John Cusack is the fragile Brian who finds himself again with the help of the woman who became his second wife.
Brian Wilson as a mad professor in a laboratory is a PERFECT description.
❤️❤️❤️
P.S. it's a Theremin.
My mom grew up down the block from The Beach Boys in Hermosa Beach. She could hear them playing in their garage.
Really? Wow! They grew up in Hawthorne, CA, about 5 miles inland. So when they made it they were still practicing in their garage? Whoa!
Cool
This song and a couple of others like God only knows and Wouldn't it be nice, were musically and technically advanced for the time. I've watched the making of these songs on UA-cam and Brian's perfectionist character really shines through. About 8 musicians were hired for these tracks. Genius
Not everyone acknowledges Wilson genius. Great pick and analysis.
Greetings! try 'surf's up' Its dark its moody,prophetic.. a masterful song.. it takes you down a path in the mind of a sad depressed soul... thanks Hari
The Beach Boys are one of my favorites from my high school days. Haven't heard them for awhile. Great memories. Great music. Brian Wilson was such a talent. Thanks!
Loved Beach Boys.
One of the best songs ever.
Well said. Imagine turning on the radio in the autumn of 1966 and this song comes on the radio. Mom’s mind would be blown and making a mess on the kitchen floor.
An absolute masterpiece and light years ahead of its time!!!!!
Obscure? Cool. There is a lovely innocence applied in the song "Don't Hurt my Little Sister". Very interesting note choices there Brian! Actually, I have not heard it myself in years so I might just slink off and give her a listen.
Great reaction. You are amazingly insightful and everything you have to say is filled with meaning. The music really matters to you and that's a beautiful thing, Harry
When I first heard it in 66 the BEACHBOYS had been dormant for a year or two and GOOD VIBRATIONS was on the radio. I went OMG and sat down at my friends piano trying to find the chords. The BEACHBOYS surprised me again. Sadly this album was the pinnacle and things never got back to this epic quality.. Never fear I can always go to my CD collection and relive this and other tracks. I hold the BEACHBOYS in my heart and soul. Pure AMERICAN rockn roll.
More Beach Boys to react to:. Little Deuce Coupe, California Girls, Surfin' USA, In My Room. Much better than Kokomo.
Yes! Also “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “I Get Around” and “Darlin’”! But PLEASE no “Kokomo”!
Took several hours and many studios to create Brian's masterpiece.
Yes about 20 takes. Have you watched the making of...?
Nice job Harri, you have given me new insight into the Beach Boys music after 50 years of listening to them.
'Your summer dream' is a hidden gem. Lots of great comments here, but I haven't seen anyone mention this one.
I remember smoking a spliff with a mate back in the days, who was not a Beach Boys fan at all.
He went quiet and when the song ended, he went : "Wow, that was special man..."
'Please let me wonder' is mad special too.
More Beach Boys is always a good thing! And a sublime collaboration you should check out is the Chicago song “Wishing You Were Here”. Several members of The Beach Boys provided background harmony vocals and the result is ethereal perfection!
TBH, I don’t dig that much of The Beach Boys stuff but this one is a masterpiece!🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻✌🏻
A Masterpiece from Genius Brian Wilson. Amazing #1 song. I remember buying the record as a kid. ♥️🎼🎵🎶🇨🇦🎵
There's a biopic about Brian Wilson called "Love & Mercy" that gives a bit of insight into how he produced these songs. It also largely about his struggle with mental health.
I think there are "Behind The Music" videos for a lot of Beach Boys songs. I've read that Brian got the idea for the song from an article his mom read about how dogs can pick up on your vibrations to see if they like you or not. So I guess he extrapolated that to include people picking up on other people's vibrations.
Also Brian did like to add strange instruments like you said. Drummer Hal Blaine once said he took 3 plastic juice bottles from a vending machine and cut them to different sizes, taped them together and used hammers from the vibraphone to tap on them and Brian loved its sound and included it in the final cut.
One of their tightest harmonies is in the song "Warmth Of The Sun". It's Brian's way of writing a blues song. It's about a relationship ending, but was written right at the time President Kennedy was killed so everyone was feeling deep loss at that time. It's worth a listen!
Impeccably conceived and realized, innovative and evocative, at the forefront of songcraft and production. Such a signature achievement for Brian! ✌😘🎶💞
8:10 Imagine being asked to perform it.
all through Brian Wilson's work you will hear one thing over and over again in almost every song. In an interview, Al Jardine said that when they just started and were riding about CA to get to gigs, Brian would assign them each an instrument to sing what that instrument played and they would use their voices as the instrument it was one thing that made their music unique... You will hear this especially ah the end of good vibrations in the la la la la la....lal la la section.
Lennon& McCartney said Brian's experimentation inspired them to do Sgt.Pepper! a lot of competition between the two bands at the time!
U would love the Fendertones a Beach Noys cover and🌹🌹🌹they’re fabulous
"Rubber Soul" inspired "Pet Sounds". There was a lot of good spirited competition between the two bands and it resulted in some of the greatest music ever.
This my fav Beach Boys song. It took Brian Wilson 7 months to get all of the sounds perfect for it. From Google: Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine; middle: Mike Love, Bruce Johnston; bottom: Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson. In 1966, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys spent seven months producing “Good Vibrations” at an estimated cost of more than $400,000 in today's dollars-a record at the time for a single.
The musicians on this song were members of the studio band, the Wrecking Crews. Beach Boys had to learn the part sot perform it live. Members of the Wrecking Crew include Glen Campbell and Leion Russel. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wrecking_Crew_(music)
He recorded the verse and the chorus of this song in different studios on different tapes. He took a razor blade a cut them and taped them together somehow. You can hear the change if you listen closely when they start singing the chorus.
All their voices are amazing together! Especially Mike Love Carl Wilson and Brian Wilson!
This is an old classic. One of the examples of a song that the Beatles heard and made them record REVOLVER, then SGT. Peppers, (What a kick in the butt, it caused them to record their best albums ever.) They were friends who just loved to impress the other group with their recording techniques, and songwriting, propelling rock music ahead, probably a decade, in one fell swoop of a pen. This album was inspired by the Beatles Rubber Soul Album. The b. Boys did this and the beatles responded with GOOD DAY SUNSHINE, and TAXMAN.
A cello, and a theramin.. who'd have thought these would make a hit song back in the day.
He used an electro-theremin (manually controlled instead of sensory controlled) for the weird sound, and The Wrecking Crew for the musicians (while the band was on vacation). The Wrecking Crew was a loosely grouped band of session musicians (members changed all the time). Glen Campbell was in The Wrecking Crew at 1 time, and even played on tour with the Beach Boys, but I am unsure if he played on this particular record. Anyway, when the band got back from vacation, The Wrecking Crew trained them on how to play the song. During the initial sessions, they worked with Brian and even helped him to come up with some of the weird ways things were played (the bass, the drums, etc.). It was definitely under his direction, but he would ask to have something played or sound a certain way, and they would make it happen. Genius, 1 and all, including Brian.
BTW, the theremin is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the thereminist. It is named after its inventor, Leon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928. You get different sounds by moving in and out of close proximity to it, and it reacts by increasing or lowering the sound outputted. You've heard it in a LOT of sci-fi movies, I'm sure, especially from the 50's and 60's (ooh-wee-ew-ooh). However, on this track, they used an Electro-Theremin, or manually controlled one, which made it's changing sound via a knob on the side of the device.
If you want to listen to some Beach Boys inspired music, look up The Travoltas. I believe they're from Sweden. A good song to start with is "Pacific Coast Highway", "Alright" or "Do It Again".
Easily the greatest American band ever and imo 2nd greatest band ever to the Beatles
"...How long did it take Mr. Wilson to put this together?" Yes, many months. But, the lyrics that you describe as perfectly matching the music? Mike Love wrote the lyrics at the last minute -- on the way to the studio so he and the other Beach Boys could sing them. The background harmonies were already laid down.
Yes, Brian Wilson is the genius who created and put Good Vibrations together, but he had help. Van Dyke Parks suggested the cello playing triplets (in the chorus), Mike Love came up with the hook, "I'm pickin' up Good Vibrations" that leads into the chorus, the other Beach Boys persuaded Brian to add more harmonies, changing it from an R&B sound (listen to early version from the studio outtakes) to the etherial feel with the layers of harmonies.
Hey. Hey Harri, It's good to see you again. Happy New Year 2022 to you! I really do enjoy you and your channel so much. BTW, I believe that the name of the song that you spoke of during your Intro is: Kokomo Beach. Pronounced as Ko-Ka-Mo. (smiling). So until our paths cross again, I hope that you remain Well and Reasonably Happy and... Keep Smiling...
Harri, I am a new subscriber. Your reaction to Good Vibrations is the best review of this great song that I have heard anywhere on UA-cam. Thank you.
This piece has the same structure as a classical symphony..... amazing... I remember when this song hit the charts....
There's an amazing film about Brian Wilson that shows just exactly HOW incredible his skills were, including the creation of Good Vibrations". It also details the highs and lows and some genuine tragedies he experienced. "Love & Mercy". Worth watching over and over.
Also, just about anything from the "Surf's Up" album . . . "Surf's Up", "Feel flows", "Don't Go Near the Water" "Disney Girls" . . . masterpieces all!
Watch a documentary called "The Wrecking Crew" and you get insight from the studio musicians who worked on this (and other Brian Wilson) tracks.