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Beach Boys - Pet Sounds


Paul Cooke
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My old LP copy got badly scratched a long time ago so I hadn't listened to it for ages. I found a CD in the bargain bin the other day and pounced on it...

oh wow... I'd completely forgotten how good the songs (and the bass lines) are...

anyone know of any good transcriptions?

And who actually played the bass? I've seen some rumours that Carol Kaye did some of the heavy lifting.. ooh, Wikipedia credits her with quite a few of the songs.

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Pet Sounds is considered by many here as THE American album of that era, and in someways comparable to the Beetles White album. In a Bass Player interview from a couple of years back, Brian Wilson ( the main writer and bassist for the Beach Boys) did credit Carol Kaye for playing several of the bass lines on the album, though Brian wrote them virtually note by note.

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my dad had a Stereo turntable back then so we splashed the extra cash for the stereo version of the disc... and promptly transferred it onto our 1/2 inch reel-to-reel to avoid scratching the disc. Gosh we were rich... first on our street to get a colour telly as well...

cost an absolute arm and a leg in today's money terms... I'm trying to find the 12 inch LP to see if the original price tag is on it...

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[quote name='Paul Cooke' post='227580' date='Jun 26 2008, 08:07 PM']And who actually played the bass? I've seen some rumours that Carol Kaye did some of the heavy lifting.. ooh, Wikipedia credits her with quite a few of the songs.[/quote]
Carol Kaye played on most of the Beach Boys records.

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Have you heard the boxed Cd set at all?

Apart from the mono & stereo mix versions there's a whole album of just the vocals (some of which are just amazing) and also one of just the instrumental parts. A few interesting out-takes and stuff as well.

Edited by molan
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In 1991 I had the pleasure of meeting and working with The Beach Boys. We did a handful of shows - as special guests - around Europe along with the Allman Brothers. The highlight of their show (for me) was most definitely "God Only Knows" one of my all-time favourites.

We also played with them again more recently, this time it was just Mike Love and Bruce Johnston and some younger guys, still a good show, but lacking some of the magic of '91.

As far as I'm aware Carol Kaye played bass on the majority of Pet Sounds.

Steve

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[quote name='molan' post='227662' date='Jun 26 2008, 10:35 PM']Have you heard the boxed Cd set at all?

Apart from the mono & stereo mix versions there's a whole album of just the vocals (some of which are just amazing) and also one of just the instrumental parts. A few interesting out-takes and stuff as well.[/quote]

Talking of the instrumental versions of some of their greatest hits, some years ago now I purchased all the available instrumental versions of tracks such as 'God Only Knows' form the Apple iTunes website which are absolutely stunning. They are exactly the same as the full blown tracks excluding the vocal only. I've also got:

'Sloop John B'
'Catch A Wave'
'Do It Again'
'Wouldn't It Be Nice'
'Help Me Rhonda'

and...

the superlative 'California Girls'

Highly recommend getting them as they are true gems and a great opportunity to hear the track less vocals in great and womderfully enjoyable detail.

Just some thoughts...

Ciao

Ian

Edited by SMART
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[quote name='SMART' post='227748' date='Jun 27 2008, 07:20 AM']Talking of the instrumental versions of some of their greatest hits, some years ago now I purchased all the available instrumental versions of tracks such as 'God Only Knows' form the Apple iTunes website which are absolutely stunning. They are exactly the same as the full blown tracks excluding the vocal only. I've also got:

'Sloop John B'
'Catch A Wave'
'Do It Again'
'Wouldn't It Be Nice
'Help Me Rhonda'

and...

the superlative 'California Girls'

Highly recommend getting them as they are true gems and a great opportunity to hear the track less vocals in great and womderfully enjoyable detail.

Just some thoughts...

Ciao

Ian[/quote]

There's loads of samples of the various instrumental only or vocal only versions on Amazon:

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pet-Sounds-Sessions-Beach-Boys/dp/samples/B000002U4U/ref=dp_tracks_all_1/202-3624856-4720608?ie=UTF8&qid=1214603361&sr=8-8#disc_1"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pet-Sounds-Session...p;sr=8-8#disc_1[/url]

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The 4-CD box set 'The Pet Sounds Sessions' that was released in the mid 1990s has some interesting mixes and backing tracks plus an excellent book on the 'making of Pet Sounds'.

The Bass players on these sessions (listed as Fender Bass & String Bass) were: Carol Kaye, Lyle Ritz, Ray Pohlman & Chuck Berghofer

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