THE BEACH BOYS, CREATING A CLASSIC (2023): Good and bad vibrations

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THE BEACH BOYS, CREATING A CLASSIC (2023): Good and bad vibrations

The Beach Boys had begun their career in the early Sixties singing songs about surfing and cars and good times under the Californian sun.

But their songwriter Brian Wilson -- copping licks from Chuck Berry and ideas from doo-wop harmony groups -- was always a keen student of arrangements and was musically ambitious.

As Beach Boys' songs became more and more musically complex, Brian retired from touring to concentrate on studio work where he employed some of the finest LA musicians available, notably those known as the Wrecking Crew. Aand constructed highly complex vocal and instrumental parts.

Good Vibrations from late 1966 was the most elaborate, and it almost drove him nuts.

It took about 10 months to construct and went through a number of variations along the way. When Paul McCartney heard it he went back and told the Beatles they had to up their game (hence Sgt Peppers the following year)

This is the extended album version which is rarely heard

Good Vibrations, complete unedited version
 

And here are just some of the sessions (in two different studios), variations and component parts which Brian Wilson pieced together . . .

Good Vibrations instrumental parts, Feb '66

Good Vibrations first chorus, May 66

Good Vibrations, second chorus, May '66
 

Good Vibrations, part 1, May '66

Good Vibrations, parts 2 and 3, May '66

Good Vibrations, part 4, May '66

Good Vibrations, part C, May '66

Good Vibrations, chorus, May '66

Good Vibrations, part 1, June '66

Good Vibrations, part 2 and verse, June '66

and from October '66

Good Vibrations, new bridge, October '66

They got there in the end but this kind of studio intensity could drive musicians crazy and for some bands it does

Like . . .

The Troggs had some big hits in the Sixties (notably the classic Wild Thing, With a Girl Like You and Love is All Around). This is their primitive sounding hit Wild Thing. Written by a guy called Chip Taylor very quickly for a band due in the studio the following day. The Troggs covered it but punched it up quite a bit.

But by the end of the decade the hits had dried up for the Troggs so they were a little desperate.

This is a segment from the notorious Troggs Tape, the band going nuts in the studio in 1970. This became infamous when it was leaked out but in later years the band actually included it on a double CD collection of their hits and misses.

Ironically the song they were working on was called . . . Tranquility. 


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