This masterpiece of a song was not easy to perform live. Even the Beatles were doing complex arrangements in studio never intending to bring it to stage. The BB's deserve a ton of credit for pulling it off so nicely.
This is such an important insight. This was the most expensive rock and roll song ever produced at the time. To translate that all to a slimmed down performance on a variety show must have been a task in itself.
The Beach Boys came to my city in April of that same year. I was sick in the children's ward of a hospital and they came to visit the kids. I remember sitting in my bed when cameras were flashing in the outside hallway. Suddenly, Mike Love and Dennis Wilson came into the room I shared with another kid. Mike Love came over and chatted with me and we laughed that we were both named "Mike." He gave me an autographed photo of the band that I still have. They invited all those who could to come into the hallway were they performed a couple of acapela versions of their songs. It was a great memory for a seven-year-old. :-)
People need to understand just how hard this song was to pull off live. All those complex arrangements, harmonies, different instruments used... there are a total of 29 musicians on the original recording, including the six Beach Boys. Nowadays, you could easily include all those arrangements in a live version, but back then they had to make it work with just 2 guitars, a drumkit, a keyboard, and an electro-theremin. They were able to pull off a stripped-down version very well, and they deserve a lot of credit for that.
The difficulty pulling it off live is quite audible. It feels like a real missed opportunity, in that if they'd augmented the band with a bunch of pros, as The Beatles did for the live broadcast of All You Need is Love, 6 months later, this could've been an absolutely stellar performance. Mike Love in particular looks to be really struggling with his instrument while trying convey good vibrations - in that he's playing it OK for the most part but his vocal isn't quite hitting the spot it could be if he didn't have to also contend with that.
I like the Beach Boys sound post Wrecking Crew. I especially like Dennis's drumming. They had a garage band feel, albums like 20/20 and tunes like Do it Again had a raw rock and roll vibe, much more so than Pet Sounds or Smile.
@@MichaelAnthonyPresents you are absolutely correct...Al Jardine is a much better singer than Mike Love as well....also Mike Love is an asshole, so, there's that too lol
@@gregpiazza7150 mike love isnt a bad singer and is actually good baritone. His parts in a lot of the songs were actually very hard, but the issue he has is his ego which doesnt match his skill
Mike was occasionally a jerk but so was Brian!!! Also Mike wrote the lyrics to Good Vibrations so my hat is off to him, not an insignificant accomplishment!!!
This would have to be the most difficult song they ever performed live, and to actually have it near perfect is a testament to their talent and quality of musicianship.
Jeez, this is 1968. Very sophisticated live arrangement and the video production is pretty cool for the time. How many knew then this song would become a classic?
They played it live at some colleges at the time, with Brian, I'd recommend checking the recordings out. They were able to play it live pretty well except for Mike with the Theramin, which he mentions on stage that he's still learning it.
My favorite live version of this song is on their Live in London album from ‘69. Absolutely perfect energy from all of them and made me fall in love with the song. Same goes for God Only Knows. This was my first intro to these songs by the way so it’s very nostalgic for me.
These guys had the kohonies to insist on NOT lip-syncing this performance as so many others have done on the Ed Sullivan show. And while the performance falls short of the released studio version it was a very good rendition of it. Good on them! The video editing shows the limitations of the technology of the day.
@@Rollin_L The Beatles were never a great live band. When they were playing live their music was more simple but the moment they focused on studio production the music became more complex.
Yes !! Yes !! I hope they'll going to uploaded full performances , this it's history right here , and The Ed Sullivan Show it's the Library , they'll have a lot of Amazing performances please , please don't let us down , and give us more and more .
Indeed. I like to see pictures from the early seventies performances where Al is wearing a hat. I think he looked pretty cool that way! Others might say he looked goofy.
This sounds like a kind of live performance which is really unbelievable! Such o complex stuff was not intended for live playing, which makes this guys even more valuable!
I can remember seeing this on a TV programme here in the UK called 'The Rock 'N' Roll Years' that was on in the late 1980s. I was blown away by how modern it looked, and couldn't believe it was from 20 years ago (at the time)....
As a Beatles fan, this was the greatest song of the 60s, a masterpiece that the Beatles took note of & from this song pop rock music changed & led to Sgt Pepper.
Superb live rendition. These guys played way better than their reputation has it, at least in the 1960s. Poor Bruce Johnston--almost like the invisible Beach Boy, yet he performed and recorded with them as early as 1965. I used to hear his voice on their sides and wonder who it was.
I love the beach boys from early year's to later year's. I love all all there song's. They are brilliant. Lady linda was a great classic song of all time along with this one. Are they still alive
@@agathaellajadwiszczok9840 If you listen to Mike Love's "performance" during the chorus you can hear that they are indeed singing live. If they were lip syncing the vocals wouldn't sound THAT shitty.
Brian has always been the heart and soul of this band, so much of the hits were written by him. I love all the voices and without Carl it would not be the same along with Mike as well. It shows what a band really means, great vocals and play by all the members. The Beatles had it, the Stones, the Moody Blues and the Beach Boys, it takes all of them to 'make it happen'.
The song had been composed in the studio two years earlier with no Beach Boys playing instruments. Instead it was all studio musicians in different studios. You can tell the Beach Boys worked very hard to practice and arrange this version for the 5 of them to sing and play live. A year earlier, they attempted a live recording of this song in Hawaii and it was much rougher with the time changes and such.
Actually, Carl did play guitar and Brian did play tack piano and both played percussion( Carl played the shaker and Brian, the tambourine) on the studio version. Dennis, in turn, played the Hammond organ we hear on the second bridge ( the "gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations a-happenin with her" part) also on the studio version. All of them sang on the track, either singing lead vocals or backing vocals and in the case of Brian, Carl and Mike, both.
The Wall of sound.. I saw the Beach Boys live 1983 Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo MI about 1983..... after a Broncos football Game .. Western MI University ..
This masterpiece of a song was not easy to perform live. Even the Beatles were doing complex arrangements in studio never intending to bring it to stage. The BB's deserve a ton of credit for pulling it off so nicely.
I am walrus was played in the movie magical mystery tour
@@brianrocks2087 not live
@@JosephCranitch But was played
Especially in this video, where it’s just the band and no touring members.
This is such an important insight. This was the most expensive rock and roll song ever produced at the time. To translate that all to a slimmed down performance on a variety show must have been a task in itself.
What a voice Carl had, beautiful.
It’s really beautiful isn’t it
It is great!
Shame about mike
he really has
“voice of an angel” is thrown around a lot, but with carl wilson i think it’s 100% true
10/10 would reccomend
The Beach Boys came to my city in April of that same year. I was sick in the children's ward of a hospital and they came to visit the kids. I remember sitting in my bed when cameras were flashing in the outside hallway. Suddenly, Mike Love and Dennis Wilson came into the room I shared with another kid. Mike Love came over and chatted with me and we laughed that we were both named "Mike." He gave me an autographed photo of the band that I still have. They invited all those who could to come into the hallway were they performed a couple of acapela versions of their songs. It was a great memory for a seven-year-old. :-)
Great memories! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Michael!👋👋👋
It's a story like yours that makes it worthwhile to go on the internet sometimes, thanks for sharing, that is a beautiful memory!
That’s so heartwarming.
cool history bro
I’m so jealous :) but that’s amazing wow
Al always looks like he's having the best time.
😍
Because he’s outside the family, and outside the drama.
Because he isn't stoned out of his mind. Looks like the other boys paused for a little too much refreshment...
He's really got those good vibrations
He's very nice guy ☮️
Carl Wilson’s voice is amazing. Light, vulnerable, full of light. His high parts in the harmonies are killer.
I like to think they made Mike Love play an instrument here as a last resort to stop him from "dancing"
They asked Paul Tanner the Inventor of the Tannerin to tour with them and play and he declined. No it isn't a theremin, it's a Tannerin.
Or voting.
@@danerd8978 They used a Tannerin on the record, but Mike is playing some kind of ribbon controller. I've been trying to figure out what that is.
@@resplendentpeace its a tannerin
Terrible visuals tho with Bruce & Dennis barely a look at. It was a live vers or done live then lip synched. Union rules.
One of the best harmonizing bands ever. Way ahead of their time.
People need to understand just how hard this song was to pull off live. All those complex arrangements, harmonies, different instruments used... there are a total of 29 musicians on the original recording, including the six Beach Boys. Nowadays, you could easily include all those arrangements in a live version, but back then they had to make it work with just 2 guitars, a drumkit, a keyboard, and an electro-theremin. They were able to pull off a stripped-down version very well, and they deserve a lot of credit for that.
The difficulty pulling it off live is quite audible. It feels like a real missed opportunity, in that if they'd augmented the band with a bunch of pros, as The Beatles did for the live broadcast of All You Need is Love, 6 months later, this could've been an absolutely stellar performance. Mike Love in particular looks to be really struggling with his instrument while trying convey good vibrations - in that he's playing it OK for the most part but his vocal isn't quite hitting the spot it could be if he didn't have to also contend with that.
I like the Beach Boys sound post Wrecking Crew. I especially like Dennis's drumming. They had a garage band feel, albums like 20/20 and tunes like Do it Again had a raw rock and roll vibe, much more so than Pet Sounds or Smile.
They are not doing anything extraordinary here. Carl sounds great but the song itself sounds kind of rough.
But they were lip syncing here!
Carl's voice is fantastic on this song. Love his grins and smiles, too adorable!! 🖤
Id grin too if I could sing like that
One of the greatest rock songs ever. Brian Wilson was a genius song writer.
Imo good vibrations is their best song
Mike Love was involved in writing the song as well.
There should have been a giant picture of Brian's head, staring down at the Boys. Just to freak Mike out more.
hahaha yes
wish he could have made it to this one
Yes. But Mike did write the lyrics, even if he sings them here as if from the bottom of a grave.
Classic, THAT would've been cool!
I doubt a picture of his cousin would freak him out. I mean he's known him his whole life.
I love Al Jardine - as usual he’s the only one having a great time ALL the time, just happy to be entertaining the crowd everywhere
I am a big Al Jardin fan, I wished he had sang lead vocals on more of The Beach Boys songs !
He avoided the family drama
Love it... We had the time of our lives
This song is a Masterpiece!
This song was way ahead of its time in late 1966/early 1967. Definitely a complex song to sing live and a true psychedelic masterpiece
Beach Boys answer to the up and coming psychedelic era! A short but awesome time in Rock and Roll.
Mike looks like he hasn't felt those good vibrations in years
I don't think he ever did. Ever since the Beach Boys stopped being a surf rock group, Mike Love started to feel disinterested.
By this time they were all over the whole thing. They were all sky high and hated each other
Mike never had good vibes lol
He's just struggling on playing the Electro-Theremin and singing at the same time. Man can't double task.
Mike usually just sang- here he had to learn to play the Theramin while he was singing. Not easy!!!
Brian Wilson's artistic genius is so powerful that it carried Mike Love for half a century.
LOL, so true. Carl Wilson as well
@@Knards nah Carl was very talented, probably the best singer in the band
@@MichaelAnthonyPresents you are absolutely correct...Al Jardine is a much better singer than Mike Love as well....also Mike Love is an asshole, so, there's that too lol
@@gregpiazza7150 mike love isnt a bad singer and is actually good baritone. His parts in a lot of the songs were actually very hard, but the issue he has is his ego which doesnt match his skill
Mike was occasionally a jerk but so was Brian!!! Also Mike wrote the lyrics to Good Vibrations so my hat is off to him, not an insignificant accomplishment!!!
This would have to be the most difficult song they ever performed live, and to actually have it near perfect is a testament
to their talent and quality of musicianship.
This song has more layers than philo dough, and the fact they could do it live is a testament to the sheer talent that is the Beach Boys.
This is a phenomenally beautiful song. And it sounds like they actually performed it live here. Incredible.
This is a great live arrangement of a pretty complex song. The Beach Boys don't always get their full due. this is awesome.
Carl’s voice… I don’t know where, but he sends me there!!!💙💙💙The Beach Boys forever!
Jeez, this is 1968. Very sophisticated live arrangement and the video production is pretty cool for the time. How many knew then this song would become a classic?
It was a classic the day it was released and they knew it.
Can’t believe they could play this live, and even the Beach Boys are pushed to play this well live. BUT this is a very cool version.
It's lip syncing not 'live'
Ignore the other two comments, they did perform this. I can tell just from Mikes voice, he sounds very....nervous
Music was pre-recorded, vocals are live.
They played it live at some colleges at the time, with Brian, I'd recommend checking the recordings out. They were able to play it live pretty well except for Mike with the Theramin, which he mentions on stage that he's still learning it.
not live watch live aid for a good live version,even though they get lost halfway through.
Carl Wilson's voice is out of this world
Carl was incredible, omg
His part was so nice, and he sounded almost like Brian.
@@pabloalvez915 Carl sang this part on the recording too. Carl's and Brian's voices were quite similar, but Carl's voice had a sweeter quality.
They actually sound like they’re playing and singing live. Not everyone did that on variety shows, but they sound great.
They were probably partying a lot at that stage as well and also probably not practising as much as they would have in previous years.
Back then they All played live , no more though mostly .
I believe most musical acts were live on Ed Sullivan's show.
Often times the studio orchestra backed them up
Except Mike, he completely phoned it in that day
@@conorburke1999 he was focusing on playing the slide-theremin (or Tannerin?) - he isn't really much of a musician so much as a singer....
Carl and his angelic voice ❤️
HE DOES HAVE THE PERFECT VOICE FOR THIS SONG.
Brian Jones image
Mike Love looks like he's the employee that was ordered in to work on Saturday at the factory, crushing his BBQ plans.
this is comedy gold
I know the feeling
Hahaha.
I think it's because he's trying not 2 screw up the theremin.
Lol!!!!
Maybe was worried for play the theramin and sing at the same time
this is both uncomfortable and cool at the same time. Mike looks like he doesnt wanna be there lol
He doesn’t know how to play any instruments so he’s probably out of his comfort zone
Theramin is a beast, your relative pitch has to be dead on. Same skill that singers use, not perfect pitch or so the fairytale goes.
Funny that, 'cos virtually nobody wanted Mike to be there anyway.
That is actually a Tannerin, it's like Theremin cousin
Stephen Mountenay-Henhawke: I've seen him do a few toots on a saxophone during 'Shut Down', but it didn't look particularly challenging.
Carl Wilson... what a voice
The chord progressions and the smooth changes. The harmonies between the vocals and the instruments. Pure gold
Man do i love me some Carl Wilson singin'.
He's so under appreciated.
He's the king!
Carl's singing and his guitar playing at the same time, like two different melodies. It's a nice melody on his guitar; I'm glad I can hear it on this.
@kirchfam I am amazed at that every time I see it. It's like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time.
Beautiful song, Beautiful lyrics. Brian Wilson is a musical genius.
My dad just passed away and my favorite memory with him was watching this on tv 😢
I'm sorry for your loss. I used to love watching the Ed Sullivan Show with my family as well.
My Dad died 6th of July - same day as Ennio Moricone.
So sorry for your loss. In the 60's, I used to watch the Ed Sullivan show on tv every week. I loved it.
Saw Brian Wilson band perform this 2 years ago, a 15 minute rocking version with Lenny Kravitz. It was superb.
holy s***
that's so cool!
How lucky u are!!!
Glad he kicked the drugs.
One of my favorite beach boys songs.
Harmony. Such harmony.
Extremely cool beach boys/Ed Sullivan special. What a psychedelic treat.
My favorite live version of this song is on their Live in London album from ‘69. Absolutely perfect energy from all of them and made me fall in love with the song. Same goes for God Only Knows. This was my first intro to these songs by the way so it’s very nostalgic for me.
Who's singing for God Only Knows?
wow those 1968 special effects blow my mind!
These guys had the kohonies to insist on NOT lip-syncing this performance as so many others have done on the Ed Sullivan show. And while the performance falls short of the released studio version it was a very good rendition of it. Good on them!
The video editing shows the limitations of the technology of the day.
They clearly were partying too hard and there are other live version from the mid 1960s that sound so much better.
Big props!
*cojones
@@bighands69 The Beatles were partying just as hard and didn't perform live for the last half of their career. At least the Beach Boys kept touring.
@@Rollin_L
The Beatles were never a great live band. When they were playing live their music was more simple but the moment they focused on studio production the music became more complex.
Yes !! Yes !! I hope they'll going to uploaded full performances , this it's history right here , and The Ed Sullivan Show it's the Library , they'll have a lot of Amazing performances please , please don't let us down , and give us more and more .
Nice performance by Carl.
I agree Smash Runner. For a music historian like myself this is gold.
I love how the reverb along with Mike's voice makes it sound like Mike is sadly singing to himself alone a big room or perhaps a large cave.
Rare hatless performance from Mike Love.
Gotta show us that 27yr old combover!
He already had advanced balding at 23, it's not surprising tbh.
take out "performance"
😂😂
Indeed. I like to see pictures from the early seventies performances where Al is wearing a hat. I think he looked pretty cool that way! Others might say he looked goofy.
The hat gives him power
Carl play the Riff and sing at the same time is wiiiilllldd
Crazy how his guitar is unplugged as he’s doing it.
@@abt7217tc😅
@@abt7217tc It's known by most music fans that Carl Wilson was one of the first guitarists to go wireless.
This video looks like a Beach Boys LSD trip
Typical of the special effects for rock acts at the time. Very groovy!
From their performance here I would say they were on some type of "downer"
First day using Adobe after effects
🤣
Hilarious!
I Can Play This Song Over & Over That's How Much I Love This Great Classic Song
Good to see mike playing an instrument
Bass Guy Isn’t he always tooting his own horn?
Anything to keep him from "dancing".
That didn't last long though. Concert footage by 1970 period, and he's no longer on the Electro-Theremin. He looks unsure of himself in this video
I think he played it into at least ‘73 or ‘74 (maybe ‘75 was the last time?)
@@ttteclassic2994 he played it up until 73 then musicians took over
One of the GREATEST songs ever!
Mike looks like a pilot that has to fly on Christmas Day
😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂
I think mike got a bit more depressing from when he got the beard
Musical genius. Nothing more can describe.
Carl has the voice of an angel 😇❤😢
the beach boys...truly were the epitome of a generation
Love Dennis’ drumming!!
For such a fussed over heavily produced band, this proves how great these songs and harmonies are. Sounds great live.
Until I finally see a video of this band.. Simply 60s🎸🍺
Carl and Brian trully have the most angelic of voices
I loved this and sang along with it. Thank you for sharing it. This is really difficult to perform and they did an excellent job.
How many artists today sound this good without autotune? Every note is spot on to the recording!
That's cause they are playing a recording and lip syncing to it!
@@agathaellajadwiszczok9840 You couldn´t be any more wrong buddy. Try again
@@Smitkowski They are obsessed with repeating this lie. Probably one of Landy's family members.
Some songs just contain a bit of magic, and will inject you with that magic anytime you hear the song. TIMELESS!
What is Mike Love playing? A keyboard Theremine thing?! Like a Stylophone.. Love it. I need one!
This is so high quality- love it!
How wonderful is that! Great tune and played live without all those cumbersome guitar leads getting in the way!
When of the best songs ever recorded.
Love It. Thanks Terry.
Carl is doing some first rate vocal work.
You made me laugh out loud with that! Well said.
This sounds like a kind of live performance which is really unbelievable! Such o complex stuff was not intended for live playing, which makes this guys even more valuable!
LIVE! No help at all! Just a sound effect or echo effect or two. AMAZING. GREAT JOB.
But they were lip syncing!
I can remember seeing this on a TV programme here in the UK called 'The Rock 'N' Roll Years' that was on in the late 1980s. I was blown away by how modern it looked, and couldn't believe it was from 20 years ago (at the time)....
The history of rock invented and influenced almost all of pop music.
Incredible good song at all levels and for all good reasons.
Capture the time and its vibration perfectly ❤
This could be one top 10 greatest songs every recored.
This Is One of most beautiful and engaging songs ever made.
As a Beatles fan, this was the greatest song of the 60s, a masterpiece that the Beatles took note of & from this song pop rock music changed & led to Sgt Pepper.
One of the most Awesome bands of all rock !!
So impressive seeing they could play this live.
They were lip syncing!
the background haha i love them!!!
Superb live rendition. These guys played way better than their reputation has it, at least in the 1960s. Poor Bruce Johnston--almost like the invisible Beach Boy, yet he performed and recorded with them as early as 1965. I used to hear his voice on their sides and wonder who it was.
But they were lip syncing!
@@agathaellajadwiszczok9840 This is not the released version.
I love the beach boys from early year's to later year's.
I love all all there song's.
They are brilliant.
Lady linda was a great classic song of all time along with this one.
Are they still alive
Give the Boys credit for performing live, and not lipsyncing to their own recording.
Oh boy. I will burst your bubble.
I love pop music, too, but they are lip-syncing!
@@agathaellajadwiszczok9840 If you listen to Mike Love's "performance" during the chorus you can hear that they are indeed singing live. If they were lip syncing the vocals wouldn't sound THAT shitty.
This performance is a masterpiece
It’s hard to believe that during this performance Brian Wilson, the man who wrote this song, was institutionalized. Mind blowing..
Um no he wasn't
@@boscotheman82 he was, its why hes not on the album cover for 20/20
This is the best song ever (!).
The Beach Boys are the greatest group in American history.
This is just so brilliant. And live! Absolutely brilliant.
They were lip syncing
Brian has always been the heart and soul of this band, so much of the hits were written by him. I love all the voices and without Carl it would not be the same along with Mike as well. It shows what a band really means, great vocals and play by all the members. The Beatles had it, the Stones, the Moody Blues and the Beach Boys, it takes all of them to 'make it happen'.
Mike wrote some of the best hits including Good Vibrations.
The greatest pop rock song ever written
Mikes lookin like "great, i gotta sing ANOTHER drug song......" lmfaooo
Good times: I saw the Good Vibrations tour in 1967 when I was a mere sprat of a lad. First time I ever saw a theremin in person.
The song had been composed in the studio two years earlier with no Beach Boys playing instruments. Instead it was all studio musicians in different studios. You can tell the Beach Boys worked very hard to practice and arrange this version for the 5 of them to sing and play live. A year earlier, they attempted a live recording of this song in Hawaii and it was much rougher with the time changes and such.
Actually, Carl did play guitar and Brian did play tack piano and both played percussion( Carl played the shaker and Brian, the tambourine) on the studio version. Dennis, in turn, played the Hammond organ we hear on the second bridge ( the "gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations a-happenin with her" part) also on the studio version. All of them sang on the track, either singing lead vocals or backing vocals and in the case of Brian, Carl and Mike, both.
When I say all of them sang, that includes Bruce. And Al, of course
ONE OF THE BEST HARMONIC SONGS OF ORIGINALITY THAT I HAVE EVER HEARD
In summer 2020 we need this.
this is live !!1 unreal
This song has one of the best bass lines of all time and none of the band are even pretending to play bass lol
There's a woodwind player missing too but the vocals are definitely live.
Probably Carol KAye designed
I miss the cellos.
@@MePJtheDJ Nope. Brian wrote all the instrumental parts to Good Vibrations, including the bass part.
at 13:00 and on you can see it super imposed behind the band, Carl is playing the bassline on his guitar while singing his verses.
The Wall of sound.. I saw the Beach Boys live 1983 Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo MI about 1983..... after a Broncos football Game .. Western MI University ..
Wow this was sung live ?! Sounds amazing!
It wasn't sung live. They were lip syncing.
Great Music