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From: BehindTheSounds
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  • After listening to Pet Sounds a million time over the years i've only just noticed the opening guitar part returns in the middle section beginning at 4:35.

  • Wow, before this video this arrangement seemed so simple. But now...

  • Man....Brian Wilson was being a real Donald Fagen. Steely Dan Fans know what I mean. (;

  • I was watching this thinking like "why the hell don't they just play it like it should sound?" and then I had this thought that it's all pretty much in brian wilson's head and he's trying to the explain to them what he wants to hear which is the actual song and then my head exploded

  • Nice work, thank you.

  • how come the "god only knows" behind the sounds was blocked from america? i really wanna see it :(

  • I lived next to Dennis in Venice off of Speedway and Hurricane in the 70's he was great guy Mike Love was an a2#hole.

  • 1. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" YES 2."You Still Believe in Me" YES 3. "That's Not Me" YES 4. "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" YES 5. "I'm Waiting for the Day" YES 6. "Let's Go Away for Awhile" YES 7. "Sloop John B" N/A b/c it's a traditional song 8. "God Only Knows" YES 9. "I Know There's an Answer" YES 10. "Here Today" YES 11. "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" YES 12. "Pet Sounds" YES 13. "Caroline, No" YES Conclusion: Pet Sounds is the greatest pop album of all time.
  • 1. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" NO 2. "With a Little Help from My Friends" YES 3. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" NO 4. "Getting Better" YES 5. "Fixing a Hole" NO 6. "She's Leaving Home" NO 7. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" NO 8. "Within You Without You" NO 9. "When I'm Sixty-Four" YES 10. "Lovely Rita" NO 11. "Good Morning Good Morning"  NO 12. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" NO 13. "A Day in the Life" NO
  • @imau2ber You're crazy, but entitled to your own opinion I guess. To me, the only song at any fault is "She's Leaving Home". Anyway, Revolver is the best Beatles record anyway and much more comparable to Pet Sounds. Also, Pet Sounds has a more baroque pop style and Revolver thru Magical Mystery Tour is a more psychedelic pop style. I'm sure a great many people can relate to Rubber Soul, Pet Sounds, Revolver, Smile, Sgt. Pepper's, etc. still very much in 2012.

  • Regarding the ongoing debate about Pet Sounds vs. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band being the greatest pop album of all time . . .

    I ask the question, Which album is timeless?

    Of all the songs on the two albums, which are timeless? Not which are good songs but which songs hold up now and touch us as relevant and meaningful today --- without being fashioned or tied to a previous era --all these almost fifty years later?

    I'll rate them and answer my own question next.

  • I have Pet Sounds a few times over, and the boxed set of Pet Sounds a few years back, these instrumental wrecking crew tracks tracks as well as the California Girls and good to My baby off the Today Album just add so much to this body of work of The Beach Boys and Brian the producer we will never see the like again such a privilege, thanks for excellent work

  • Comment removed

  • Brian is a rock and roll Beethoven

  • This is brilliant. Thanks so much for posting it. This happens to be my favorite single of all time. The U.S. has produced a few muscians who qualify as geniusus, in my book - and Brian Wilson is definitely one of them.

  • Incredible, sent shivers down my spine.

  • This is amazing! ha =)

  • I agree. Mike Love deserved something, but when you consider the genius and work that Brian contributed in creating this masterpiece - Mike's part had to have been 1% or something. Maybe more - but not a full credit. I just can't see that. Brian should have settled though, obviously. 20/20 hindsight is easy, aint it?

  • @HuntersMoon73 The audio is from the Pet Sounds Sessions box set, available at Amazon etc... very cool set. There is an equivalent Smile Sessions box set coming out soon

  • @tenvolt Oh my. It's a good time to be a Beach Boys fan. I only wish Carl Wilson was still around to enjoy it.

  • I'm as much blown away by this song now as I was 45 years ago!  Wow, and double Wow!

  • Pierre Bouvier sent me here. Wooo awesome (:

  • Geez, These are incredible! I guess the Mike Love thing is like some singers today. They add a line or a couple of words, and they get song writing credit.

  • These are awesome! Thanks BehindtheSounds!

  • You did an awesome job on all of the video's. Well done.

  • brian should say 'play it like you hear on the cd, geez'.

  • @HuntersMoon73 yes. Beach boys pet sounds box set

  • I have always loved this song and have wondered about the instruments in it. Thanks for posting this.

  • @BehindTheSounds Thanks for posting this. Absolutely brilliant. One of the finest pop prodictions ever created.

  • Behind the Sounds is one of the most interesting music clips here on YT. Thanks a lot!

  • Make one for Good Vibrations!

  • WOW.

  • @BehindTheSounds Fantastic job! Amazing. 

  • No words can adequately describe the brilliance of this man and this song. Perfection that few have ever achieved in pop music. He belongs to a very small list of pure geniuses.

  • The word genius seems to understate Brian's work here! It is utterly fascinating to see all that went into this masterpiece and to know it came from one mans vision and ear for the intricacies of music. Thank you for posting this!

  • Must add my thanks to BehindTheSounds.

    And – along with Brian the Great - to all of the Beach Boys (hear Brian’s versions with others singing to appreciate their irreplaceable contributions), and Tony Asher’s brilliant lyrics. Also, give Love some love. Without him “Good Vibrations” is “Heroes and Villains.”

    I also had a chance to say a quick word to Brian once. The best I could come up with was “Thank you and your brothers for the music.” He said “No. Thank you for saying so.”

  • amazing...thanks for the upload

  • These were the sessions that inspired Sgt.Pepper ;) I agree that this is amazing production even by todays standards but unheard of in 1965.

  • Did Mike Love often come up with great parts like the at the end of the song as stated in the subtitles? I was under the impression that the lawsuit he brought against Brian Wilson was seen as "greediness." But honestly, that part is VERY memorable in this song. Almost like a song within a song. I can see partial songwriting credit being warranted here.

  • @ShelterDogs Many of the song credits Love argued for were completely justified. Others he admits he only wrote a line or two. I wouldn't call it "greediness" but IMO a contribution like "Good night baby, Sleep Tight Baby" doesn't deserve a full song credit and years of back royalties.

    Brian's biggest mistake was going to trial instead of settling out of court. A $13 million mistake.

  • @BehindTheSounds Isn't it ironic that I should justify Mike Love in deserving song credit here. I was partial in my thoughts, though. I was kind of asking at the same time what everyone thought. You are right. There's an aweful lot that went into creating this song, and that is part Love did is minimal. Did Brian think he'd win? I'd think a good lawyer would've known what to do.

  • @BehindTheSounds Brian didn't make a mistake, he and Mike couldn't agree on a fair settlement so they agreed to take it to court and let the court decide. Anyone who contributes words or music to a song deserves credit, but that doesn't mean he got "full song credit", if he wrote a few lines he probably got 5% or 10% of the royalties, they are divided down to the percentage point (even tenths of a percent) based on contribution and agreement between the co-writers. Nothing unfair about it.

  • @tenvolt tell me did mike get anything, i mean he really didnt deserve anything if u listen to what Brian did for that group, to me he was a hanger on.

  • @tenvolt Mike only sued for a specific number of songs he was involved in writing brian wrote california girls himself mike didnt get anything for that or for what van dyke parks wrote with brian ...

  • absolutly awesome!!!the shit today doesnt come anywhere near this. these guys nailed it with their voices. nobody today cant even come close no one!

  • This is incredible. Who KNEW there was even one accordion in this song, let alone two? Brian's genius has just been magnified for me.

  • This video is such catharsis. After years of loving this song and discussing it with other people (who listen politely and nod their heads), I finally have proof of the complexity that went into creating the sound for this song. Wouldn't It Be Nice is an absolute MASTERPIECE. It's stuff like this that makes you lament modern music. Williams didn't simply sample from other people's work. He put something together from sheer genius and effort. Williams is a GOD. This song is PERFECTION.

  • @childeharold Who is Williams?

  • @BehindTheSounds He meant B. Wilson I'm sure. Hard to believe he'd get his name wrong not once, but twice. It's a great comment despite that, though. Maybe he wrote it late at night or was very tired.

  • @childeharold You mean Wilson lol. But yeah, people don't seem to realize the genius behind The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. Still, Pet Sounds was listed at no. 2 in the Top 500 Greatest Albums in the Rolling Stones magazine (voted by many musicians), so that's some recognition, don't you think? =p

  • gem of a video; and they worked with Barney Kessel, the Top Dog in 60s Jazz Guitar and prob. most asked for studio recording artist at the time.

  • ear kandy

  • I wonder why Brian wanted Dennis to cup his hands?

  • Watching this, the making of one of my all-time favorite BB songs, was a real treat.

  • Kids today wonder why music should cost money AND why todays music is shit...

  • Brian Wilson... Totally genious!

  • Mastermind, genius he is like Bethoven or Mozart, how can he imagine those sounds!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • What an awesome video!! Without wathing it, it would be impossible for me to even try to record a cover version of this songs. There are so many different instruments...

    Thanks to Brian Wilson and the beach boys for this masterpiece, and thanks to the uploader for sharing this video!

  • Amazing production. One question, why did Brian taught Dennis to "cup his hands over his mouth while singing", what was the purpose of that? That "triple bellow shake" on the accordion is just amazing!

  • "No guys, the strings are not tangy. They're salty. Am I crazy?!"

  • @jtaft55 fifty-thousand digeridoos

  • Thanks for the post of all the great pictures of Brian and the Beach Boys. shows how smart and gifted Brian is and kew exactly how he wanted this album to sound. I have the album and it has many liner notes about how they recorded it and lots of pictures of the Beach boys. The album is the best that he ever recorded.

  • That was very cool.  Thanks BTS

  • I would love you for an eternity if you did a video for Good Vibrations.

    I guess that would be, like, a 6 part video, though. xD

  • @RazrHack Now that you mention it, I'd like to see that too. But you're right, it would take a LONG time to get all that into video format. Still, it'd be interesting to see.

  • Brilliant. Abso-f'ing-lutely brilliant. I'm a Beatles guy, but Brian Wilson is the single most brilliant mind in all of rock/pop music.

  • He's like Beethoven or something, he's got this great melodic music in his head and the real challenge is getting it out!!

  • It is interesting to see a younger Frank Marocco in this video, but after all he did a lot of studio credits in his career.........

  • Fantastic video. A light bulb just went on over my head! Very ashamed to say I never knew any of this. Never even gave it a thought although I've heard the song thousands of times. It is one of my all time favorite songs. I actually thought it was just the guys in the group playing and Brian doing some tweaking in the studio. I feel stupid but I'm glad I finally found out. Thanks for the great work on this!

  • great work on these videos

  • brian is GOD

  • I stand Corrected....I was thinking in terms of a 12 string ACOUSTIC sound..if these are 12 strings they're electric...

  • @closethippy2000 Yes, two electric 12-strings. BW generally didn't use acoustic guitars in his arrangements.

  • @closethippy2000 Simply Rickenbcker 12 string son, because that's what ruled the day way back yonder, and did so gloriously

  • forget the accordion put in the flute or recorder

  • yeah, just find those triad-playing, double tonguing flute players and put them in....

  • music!

  • GENIUS!! NEVER BEEN A BETTER SONG!

  • excellent studio work! =0]

  • Dear Brian, thank you so much for the beautiful music i have enjoyed for most of my life. I still love it today like i did when i was a young boy. and also, thanks behindthesounds, for this video.

  • I'm confused about something....I played 12 string acoustic for many years, and that intro has NEVER sounded to me like a 12 string...not even 2 12 strings...it sounds very much like individual notes on a harp...there might be a 12 string playing along with it but the dominate sound is that of a harp...

  • @closethippy2000 It's a documented fact at this point that the intro consists of two 12 stringed instruments that were direct injected into the console.

    Not a single harp was used during the Pet Sounds recording sessions.

  • @BehindTheSounds

    "Not a single harp was used during the Pet Sounds recording sessions."

    Not true, sorry.....

    youtube.com/watch?v=DVUBpzlELO­g&feature=related

  • @jeremystanford I'm not really sure what you're trying to prove by posting that link. There are no harps in God Only Knows. There's a HARPsichord, which is obviously not the same thing.

    Also, you're linking to one of MY videos to point out an inaccuracy in my research?

  • @closethippy2000 Read the video notes guys.... It's an acoustic Mandola.... basically. The guy who wrote the notes called it a mandolin with a guitar neck..... you get a Mandola when you do that or possibly a Mando-Cello.

  • @JoeGancher Also known as an octave mandolin or bouzouki. 8 string like a mandolin but an octave lower, in the same range as a guitar but tuned differently

  • @closethippy2000 Acording to other sources, There were playing mandolin instead of 12 strings guitars, but they say the intro was played by Barney Kessel.

  • @the6l6ers Barney Kessel was using a custom built mandolin with pickups. This is explained in the video.

  • @the6l6ers Now.. I thought I read that the intro was played by Jardine & possibly one of the other BB's

    reaching inside a grand piano & plucking the strings- ie, a "harp" - like effect. Interesting

    to hear the vocals by themselves- Brian almost sounds like he is singing out of his range here.

    I expect he doubled his part in the studio for the final take.

  • @timjmoran You're thinking of the intro to "You Still Believe In Me", performed by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher and achieved, as you said, by plucking the strings of a piano and pressing the keys simultaneously. Al Jardine offered nothing towards the instrumental portions of Pet Sounds.

    Almost all Beach Boys lead vocals after their first album were double tracked.

  • incredible pics, incredible music - love to hear Brian's direction - THANKS

  • Thank you very much for all of these, they are very much appreciated!

  • pure genius!

  • thank you for posting!

  • I can't pick up what the man says all the time, can you please analyse it down for me?

  • love the "Mike wrote this part" part. HA!

  • Perfect vocal synchronization from 6:18 to 6:29 No easy task for 4 guys standing at a studio mic.

  • so impressive, such talent simply amazing

    

  • Great to hear all this so exposed. Some iffy tuning in the backing tracking track by todays standards!

  • As far as Mike Love's contribution...I dig it!!! I think it's catchy and gives a final simple emotional end "summary" to a complex musical piece with a lyrical message. Brian saw the greatness of it, which is why it's in the song. Don't underestimate it!

  • I love listening to the studio tapes that have surfaced of Brian working the Beach Boys on their vocals or producing amazing instrumental sounds. Vocals-only, instruments-only, take-after-take - what a treasure we have of the Beach Boys catalogue.

    {Click BB45s for rare Beach Boys video archive}

  • My compliments for some of the preceding comments/replies. I would like to leave some technically meaningful comment but my mind is overwhelmed; my breathing is labored because of the lump in my throat and from fighting the urge to break into tears (yeah, I'm a big baby; so what). Truly amazing. Thank you for bringing this to YouTube.

  • 1:10 american anthem

  • jut cannot get enough of this stuff.

  • whos the dumb ass that dislikes this!!!!

  • Just Amazing...Brian is a genius

  • This Song is Total

    PHIL SPECTOR

    God Bless The GREAT GOLD STAR MUSIC STUDIO.

    THANK YOU

    DISCO FREE KRTH FM 101

  • this is amazing to listen to

  • thank you for that brilliant music - brian!!!

  • Simply brilliant. Music was never as good as when Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney were pushing each other to greater and greater heights.

  • Brian certainly knew what he was doing here. The Wrecking Crew are to be commended too, for immediately recognising what he was looking for. Brilliant stuff.

  • If only music like this was the same......

  • SIMPLY STUNNING.. Thank your for your videos.. have taught me a great deal.

  • I never, until now, knew that sound was 2 accordians!

  • Chilling..what I would give to bottle some of that inspirational air from those laborious sessions and sample it when I am in need of some muse. Pet Sounds as many know has been considered the benchmark of vinyl multitrack recording and is known for it's trail blazing arrangements which was noted as inspiration for Sgt. Pepper...an incredible mind ......to put such complexities layered Brian Wilson's genius.....right next to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.

  • Beautifully produced, and wonderfully informative all in one place, (even if the info is out there already in various sources, as you said). Thanks for this.

  • Brian goes from genius to magic to holy.

    Holy fun..Thank you sir

  • Amazing stuff. Thanks so much for finding and posting!

  • SO cool of you to put this together. Thanks for posting!!! :)

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! for posting these.

    I'm in such awe of the brilliant talent of Brian Wilson. I love this window into his genius.

    These are truly fascinating and inspiring. Sorry to repeat myself, but thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

  • I like the bit @ 1:10, where one of the guitarists starts noodling out "The Star-Spangled Banner", then quickly segues into "Darktown Strutters' Ball".

  • Awesome. Freakin' awesome. I'm sure there are bits in here I've not heard/noticed from the sessions boxset before. Mooorrrreeee please!! :)

  • Yeah, I'm old school, but this was music back in the '60's! I was a self proclaimed "6th Beach Boy" as I loved all of their music, lyrics & harmony's. We could not wait until their next single or LP, and then grab my cheap box guitar to try and cover the notes & chords. Good times my friends, such good times. Today, their music to me is still some of the greatest ever produced.

  • that's Hal Blaine on drums who played on just about every hit out of LA in the 60's and early 70's. The Byrds, Mommas & Poppas, The Monkees, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Association, 5th Dimension, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Sonny & Cher, ad nauseum. Thanks for sharing this, it's great hearing the sections isolated.

  • He certainly did have the wind under his sails when he was recording these songs.

    Thank you for the music Brian.

  • dude, you are insane. great work!!!

  • I feel an absolute fool. I thought that the intro was a single harpist.

    Brian fooled me. that's why he's such a genius

  • is that brian burping at 0.47??

  • A beautiful series of lucky accidents.....could it be the hand of God at work here?

  • Listen to the bass line playing behind the accordion bellow shake. Incredible.

  • Breathtaking....can't help but pondering what Brian (and the Beachboys) could have accomplished with today's production tools at their disposal. And a healthy Brian throughout his career. Thanks for posting these fascinating and emotional vids!

  • Just out of this world! The story behind....

    Brian was, is and always be a true genious. He and the Beach Boys were

    part of my own living and I still listen to

    their music almost every day. It's positive

    and happy music and Brian indeed was

    way beyond time. This particular song

    from 1966 sill sounds unbelievable

    today. Can you imagine today's heavy metal music compared to this???

  • just farking amazing

    you've got these monster musicians in the studio and Brian feeding them their cues

    amazing music

  • This is amazing - I always thought the beach boys were way ahead of their time.

    Jazz, pop, & surf all infused together - it get's better everytime I here it - Thanks!

  • Genius came with a price! Brian has given us all a great gift.

  • So who is this song really about? Does anybody know? According to this video, it may be about a few different women close to Brian. I didn't look thru all the comments and my question might have been answered already but can someone tell me anyways?

  • @mchavez633 Maybe it´s the first time you´ve heard it... Wouldn´t ib Be Nice? is a reflection on the youth of love... i think...

  • When we hear those little nuances, we take them for granted, but Brian Wilson put all those little things together. What a fucking genius!!

  • I love how he has that iconic drum blast fully formed in his mind before ever having heard the intro being played.

  • @Doleafol happens once. "they got lazy"?? sigh.

  • Wow very cool to get the background on the song.

  • Hi...

    ...are you THE Tony Rivers....?

  • Doubt it.

  • LOVE IT!

  • This is the best deconstruction of a Brian Wilson recording I have seen on Youtube. Kudos and then some!

  • I love that first photo of Brian.

  • so wonderful.....a revelation.

  • WOW! Thank you so much for that look under the hood of an absolutely brilliant piece of music!

  • *burp* @ :47

  • This is so wonderful. Thank you so much for all of these videos. This song... perfect.

  • And thank you sooooo much for the upload!

  • I love Sgt. Pepper, but it come no where near this. I mean, the complexity of the instrumentals mixing with the most beautiful harmonies...Pet Sounds, #1 album of all time in my book.

    As DonZabu asks below, is not 6:29 the most beautiful piece of music ever made?

  • Seriously, whoever is making this has enhanced this excellent music. I suggest watchers of this video pay something for the enjoyment!

  • This is an extraordinary video, a document about the genial construction of that tender song by the genius Brian

  • What about 7:00 - 7:24 ..the best brige ever written...So full of emotions, so sublime....every time I hear it, remids me why I believe Brian is the best songwriter ever. Tanks Mr Wilson for your magic !!!

  • 6:29-6:45

    Is that the most beautiful piece of music ever recorded or what?

  • This is such an awesome and educational video. Wouldn't It Be Nice is my favorite song of all of the Beach Boys music catalog, and has been since I was age 5 in 1966. Now I understand better why I love this song and always will.

  • I just love listening to Brian's direction. What a gift he is. Me must have been such a lovely young man.

    I really love all the information the maker of this video has given us. You must have been very close to the Boys to know this much about the production. I'd really love to have a peep at your library.

  • I don't know any of them personally. All of this information is freely available if you read enough.

  • @BehindTheSounds

    Great answer

  • Thank you once again " behind the sounds " this is absolutely superb and Maroccos accordian ( mandolin ) is amazing , These videos have been an absolute revelation .

  • "Mike wrote this part".

    LOL

  • Which explains why it's the only annoying part of one of the best songs of all time.

  • GREAT TO SEE !

  • wow...that's all I can say....

  • What a great posting, my favorite Beach Boys song. Thanks!

  • It's a damn good thing Mike wrote that part. LOL. (8:00 to the end). The song just isn't the same without it.

  • Mike is a silly, ungrateful, douche. He brought a lot of pain to Brian and whether Mike deserved millions for his meager contributions is still a moral dilema.

    When I watch footage of live performance I am often embarrassed at the way Mike wears that stupid hat, jigs about like a dork, and snarls at Brian. He added something, but with all the other talent who actually played an instrument, Mike could have disappeared and it would have been fine.

  • I feel the same way but can you imagine the Beach Boys touring without him? Who would be the front man? None of the rest of them have the personality to pull it off.

  • What a fascinating insight to one of the best pop songs ever written - Brilliant Posting - Well Done!!

  • Fantastic job. Thanks so much for posting this. And a question: is it possible it's a "Vox guitar", rather than "box guitar"?

  • It's listed as that, depending on what session info you go by.

    Brian uses the term "box guitar" specifically between takes 1 & 2 of "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", which is also featured at the end of the "Highlights From Tracking Date" of that song on the "Pet Sounds Sessions" box set.

  • After the first take, Brian complains that "not very many notes" of Glen Campbell's instrument (Sounds like a banjo) are coming through, and he asks him if he has "a box". Glen responds: "Guitar?", and Brian says, "Yeah, can you use the box right there? That'd be great."

    The instrument that Glen plays in the session after that sounds a lot like a banjo, but in a much higher register.

  • thankyou so much for posting this .....awsome history here

  • was tommy tedesco part of this recording session i dont see his name mentioned in your video clip. thought he was big part of the wrecking crew

  • Tedesco was a big part of the Wrecking Crew in general, but he wasn't on "Wouldn't It Be Nice". The lineup for each session was different.