Take A Load Off Your Feet—one of the very strangest Beach Boys tracks

By Jack Brummet, Music Ed.

After Brian Wilson lost his way, his songwriting became, for a time, extremely bizarre.  This is probably one of The Beach Boys top five weird tracks. . .Brian Wilson's ode to good foot care.

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Annette Funicello and The Beach Boys play "The Monkey's Uncle"

By Jack Brummet, American Music Ed.

The Beach Boys and the recently departed Annette Funicello sing the opening track in the movie The Monkey's Uncle.

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Add Some Music To Your Day!

By Jack Brummet, Music Editor


The Beach Boys' fine song Add Some Music [to your day]. . .with lyrics.  They each take a turn on the vocal lead in the tune.  This is from their later, uneven, but fascinating album Sunflower, not long after they'd largely abandoned singing songs of surfing, teen love, and cars.

ADD SOME MUSIC [TO YOUR DAY] (B.Wilson/J.Knott/M.Love) 

The sunday mornin' gospel goes good with the soul
There's blues, folk, and country, and rock like a rollin' stone
The world could come together as one
If everybody under the sun
Add some music to your day
(Add some music, add some add some music to your day)

You'll hear it while you're walkin' by a neighbor's home
You'll hear it faintly in the distance when you're on the phone
You're sittin' in a dentist's chair
And they've got music for you there
To add some music
To your day

Add some music music everywhere
Add some add some add some add some music
Your doctor knows it keeps you calm
Your preacher adds it to his psalms
So add some music
To your day

Music
When you're alone
Is like a companion
For your lonely soul

When day is over
I close my tired eyes 
Music is in my soul

At a movie you can feel it touching your heart
And on every day of the summertime
You'll hear children chasing ice cream carts
They'll play it on your wedding day
There must be 'bout a million ways
To add some music
To your day

Add some music to your day 

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We beat The Beach Boys?

By Pablo Fanque,
All This Is That National Affairs Editor

and

Jack Brummet
All This Is That Poetry, Pranks, Paranormal, Pop, Painting, and Persiflage Editor

As you probably don't know, All This Is That is named after a Beach Boys song with the same name. The song itself is about eastern philosophy and meditation. Why did we name this blog All This Is That? Because we liked The Beach Boys, and we liked the way it sounded. And because All This IS That. It really is.

These days on most search engines (especially Google), All This Is That is the first result. We beat the Beach Boys! Jack's wife Keelin looked at us with a jaundiced eye when we told her that. Kind of a "OK. Who cares?" look. And she's probably right. It's narcissistic? Maybe. But it really just feels like a tiny bit of vindication. . .something we don't get a lot of. Just an acknowledgement that maybe four and a half years flogging this blog hasn't gone completely unnoticed...

Craven, 'though we may be, it's kind of cool. A video of the song appears below. . .


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Video; The Beach Boys' Darling

CLICK THE BEARDED ONES TO ENLARGE

This is a nice uptempo performance of an uptempo song by the Beach Boys. This YouTube video is from the Knebworth Festival, and had to happen sometime prior to 1983, since Dennis Wilson appears in the video, still alive and well. The great vocalist Carl Wilson gives a true blue-eyed soul performance here. The lyrics are weak, but they are well-propelled by the tune.

Darlin'
(Brian Wilson/Mike Love)

Ohh darlin'
My darlin' you're so fine
Ohhhh-hhh-hhh

Don't know if words can say
But darlin' I'll find a way
To let you know what you meant to me
Guess it was meant to be
I hold you in my heart
As life's most precious part

Oh darlin'
I dream about you often my pretty darlin'
(Darlin' you're so fine)
I love the way you soften my life with your love
Your precious love uh huh oh

I was living like half a man
Then I couldn't love but now I can
You pick me up when I'm feeling sad
More soul than I ever had
Gonna love you every single night
Cause I think you're too outta sight

Oh darlin'
I dream you often my pretty darlin'
(Darlin' you're so fine)
I love the way soften my life with your love
Your precious love uh huh huh

Woah oh oh oh

Every night darlin'
Gonna love you every single night, yes I will
Cause I think you're too doggone outta sight

Oh darlin'
I dream you often my pretty darlin'
(Darlin' you're so fine)
I love the way soften my life with your love
Your precious love uh huh huh
Oh

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Music video: The Beach Boys' heartbreaking "Trader" (with lyrics)

Almost anything Carl Wilson sang is worth listening to, and Trader is way up there.







Trader

[whispered by a child...for who knows what reason?: Hi]
Trader sailed a jeweled crown
Humanity rowed the way
Exploring to command more land
Scheming how to rule the waves.
Trader spied a virgin plain
And named it for velvet robes
Wrote home declaring,
"There's a place
Where totally folks are free
(Happily completely)
Nourishment fills the prairies and the hillsides
And animals stalk the mountains and the seaside
And fish abound the lakes and birds the skies
Signed sincerely."

Trader found the jeweled land
Was occupied before he came
By humans of a second look
Who couldn't even write their names shame
Trader said they're not as good
As folks who wear velvet robes
Wrote home again and asked, "Please help
Their breasts I see; they're not like me
Banish them from our prairies and our hillsides
Clear them from our mountains and our seaside
I want them off our lakes so please reply
Signed sincerely."

Trader he got the crown okay
Cleared humanity from his way
He civilized all he saw
Making changes every single day say
Shops sprang over the prairies and the hillsides
Then roads cut through the mountains to the seaside
The other kind fled to hide, by and by,
And so sincerely
Cried.

Making it softly
Like the evening sea, trying to be
Making it go
Creating it gently
Like a morning breeze, a life of ease
Eyes that see
Beyond tomorrow, through to the time without hours
Passing the Eden of Flowers
Reason to live.

Embracing together
Like the merging streams, crying dreams
Making it full
Begging intently
For a slight reprieve, a night of ease
Hands to touch
Beyond the sorrow, on to the force without power
Piercing the crust of the tower
Reason to live.

Hoping
Like a budding rose, humbling shows
Making it.
Struggling lonely
Like a desert field, break the seal, make it real
Ears to hear
Beyond the showers, on to the suns of tomorrows
Burning the flesh of all sorrows
Reason to live.
Reason to continue
Reason to go on
Reason to live
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The Beach Boys Perform All This Is That With The Monster Saxaphonist Charles Lloyd

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The Beach Boys (and Back Street Boys) "When I Grow Up To Be A Man" (with lyrics)

This is without a doubt one of the great Beach Boys' songs. Only Brian Wilson could have written this song, although his cousin Mike Love later sued him and was granted credits and royalties. If you know the songs Brian wrote solo, you'd know a knucklehead like Mike Love could have never written this. [1] If he DID write the lyrics, they were clearly channeled straight from Brian's skull. I am in London, at two at night in my hotel room, and I naturally thought about the Boys. For a long period of time, they completely owned England, and often outsold concurrent Beatles releases. They influenced the Beatles, and pushed them forward to new frontiers (particularly with Summer Nights and Pet Sounds). These moving man-child lyrics that capture the soul of Brian Wilson.



Incredibly enough, the Backstreet Boys have covered this tune. I don't know much about them, being a little outside their target demo, but they have incredible voices, and this is an incredibly respectful and interesting cover...



When I grow Up To Be A Man

When I grow up to be a man
Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?
Will I look back and say that I wish I hadn't done what I did?
Will I joke around and still dig those sounds
When I grow up to be a man?

Will I look for the same things in a woman that I dig in a girl?
(fourteen fifteen)
Will I settle down fast or will I first wanna travel the world?
(sixteen seventeen)
Now I'm young and free, but how will it be
When I grow up to be a man?

Oooooo Ooooooo Oooooooo
Will my kids be proud or think their old man is really a square?
(eighteen nineteen)
When they're out having fun yeah, will I still wanna have my share?
(twenty twenty-one)
Will I love my wife for the rest of my life
When I grow up to be a man?

What will I be when I grow up to be a man?
(twenty-two twenty-three)
Won't last forever
(twenty-four twenty-five)
It's kind of sad
(twenty-six twenty-seven)
Won't last forever
(twenty-eight twenty-nine)
It's kind of sad
(thirty thirty-one)
Won't last forever
(thirty-two...)
When I grow up to be a man
Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?
Will I look back and say that I wish I hadn't done what I did?
Will I joke around and still dig those sounds
When I grow up to be a man?

Will I look for the same things in a woman that I dig in a girl?
(fourteen fifteen)
Will I settle down fast or will I first wanna travel the world?
(sixteen seventeen)
Now I'm young and free, but how will it be
When I grow up to be a man?

Oooooo Ooooooo Oooooooo
Will my kids be proud or think their old man is really a square?
(eighteen nineteen)
When they're out having fun yeah, will I still wanna have my share?
(twenty twenty-one)
Will I love my wife for the rest of my life
When I grow up to be a man?

What will I be when I grow up to be a man?
(twenty-two twenty-three)
Won't last forever
(twenty-four twenty-five)
It's kind of sad
(twenty-six twenty-seven)
Won't last forever
(twenty-eight twenty-nine)
It's kind of sad
(thirty thirty-one)
Won't last forever
(thirty-two...)

[1] According to the Wikipedia, (and my own earlier research) "In November 1969, the Wilson's father Murry Wilson, sold the copyrights to the band's songs to Irving Almo for approximately $700,000.[1] Many years later in April 1992, just after Brian Wilson had won a lawsuit which recovered many of the copyrights to his songs, Mike Love filed a lawsuit against Brian Wilson claiming that he had not been given credit, and therefore hadn't received royalties, on over thirty of the band's songs, many of them hit singles.[2] One of these songs was "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)". The song was originally credited solely to Brian Wilson but Mike Love claimed that he had a hand in writing the lyrics. Mike Love won the lawsuit and the song-writing credit was amended, therefore ensuring future royalties on all of the songs that he had claimed he had a hand in writing.

Recording
The song was recorded over two sessions in 1964 at Western Recorders. The instrumental track was most likely recorded on August 5 with the vocals being overdubbed five days later on August 10. The instrumental track, arranged by Brian Wilson, features Carl Wilson on lead and rhythm guitars; Al Jardine on electric bass guitars; Brian Wilson on acoustic piano & harpsichord; Carrol Lewis on harmonica and Dennis Wilson on drums. The song features both Mike Love and Brian Wilson on the lead vocals with backing vocals by Brian, Carl & Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine.
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Video: The Beach Boys' demo of "Walk On By"

If only the Beach Boys had finished this fab Hal David-Burt Bacharach tune! The one minute demo is tantalizing. This song was made for them. But alas, they never came back to it, although Brian had clearly spent time orchestrating the vocal parts. Would it be blasphemy for me to say I like it better than Dionne Warwick's completed version/hit?



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Video: The Beach Boys' Friends

This is one of my favorite songs by the Beach Boys, one that was never particularly popular,and one you may have never heard.


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Video/lyrics: The Beatles - I Am The Walrus:::::speculations on Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper, Rubber Soul and The Beatles and Beach Boys mutual influence

And we are all, in fact, The Walrus. At this juncture in rock music history, everyone was influencing everyone. It gets pretty circuitous here. . .not all that long before this, Bob Dylan hooked up with The Beatles in London and introduced them to marijuana. But more importantly, he influenced John Lennon with his new work. He was no longer a folkie, but a singer-songwriter creating imagistic, and often, surrealistic, and even Da-da-istic lyrics, densely packed with images, allusions, humor, and callbacks to other musics, past and present.

I am in the minority, preferring The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour over their 8th album, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I'm not denying the massive critical and popular acclaim the album achieved. It was innovative, from its structure to the recording techniques to the fantastic cover collage covering a broad range of pop culture heroes and villains. Sgt. Pepper's influence was massive and almost monolithic, and it actually changed the way other musicians did business.

One of the inspirations for Sergeant Pepper was The Beach Boys' masterpiece Pet Sounds. Interestingly, Pet Sounds was inspired by an earlier Beatles' album, Rubber Soul. When Wilson heard that album, he launched into making an album that cohered the same way as Rubber Soul.

Brian Wilson said about Rubber Soul: "I really wasn't quite ready for the unity. It felt like it all belonged together. Rubber Soul was a collection of songs ... that somehow went together like no album ever made before, and I was very impressed. I said, "That's it. I really am challenged to do a great album."

When McCartney and Lennon heard Pet Sounds, they were stunned. Paul McCartney said: “ It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water. I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life ... I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album ... I love the orchestra, the arrangements ... it may be going overboard to say it's the classic of the century ... but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways ... I've often played Pet Sounds and cried. I played it to John [Lennon] so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence ... it was the record of the time. The thing that really made me sit up and take notice was the bass lines ... and also, putting melodies in the bass line. That I think was probably the big influence that set me thinking when we recorded Pepper, it set me off on a period I had then for a couple of years of nearly always writing quite melodic bass lines. "God Only Knows" is a big favourite of mine ... very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me, that one. On "You Still Believe in Me", I love that melody - that kills me ... that's my favourite, I think ... it's so beautiful right at the end ... comes surging back in these multi-coloured harmonies ... sends shivers up my spine. ”

Eric Clapton said that "I consider Pet Sounds to be one of the greatest pop LPs to ever be released. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out and rolled it all into one."

Elton John thinks that "Pet Sounds is a landmark album. For me to say that I was enthralled would be an understatement. I had never heard such magical sounds, so amazingly recorded. It undoubtedly changed the way that I, and countless others, approached recording. It is a timeless and amazing recording of incredible genius and beauty."

Beatles producer George Martin said that that "Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper wouldn't have happened... Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds." After Sgt. Pepper was released, Wilson was so despondent that he went to bed for months. Uh no, he went to bed for years. But that's a story for another day.

Once again, I have taken an ostensibly simple subject--a video of The Beatles I Am The Walrus--and turned it into a bramble of shredded wheat. This is an example of music influencing music influencing more music. Nonetheless, as great as Sgt. Pepper is, I happen to like the follow on album more, while in no way detracting from Sgt. Pepper's monolithic and lasting influence (likewise for Pet Sounds).



The Walrus
by John Lennon and Paul McCartney


I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.
See how they run like pigs from a gun, see how they fly.
I'm crying.

Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come.
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday.
MAN, you been a naughty boy, and let your face grow long.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
coo coo c'choo

Mister City P'liceman sitting
Pretty little policemen in a row.
See how they fly like Lucy in the Sky, see how they run.
I'm crying. I'm cry------------ing,
I'm crying. I'm cry------------ing.

Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye.
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess,
Boy, you been a naughty girl and let your Knickers down.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
coo coo c'choo

Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun.
If the sun don't come, you get a tan
From standing in the English rain.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
coo coo c'choo coo coo c'choo

Expert texpert choking smokers,
Don't you think the joker laughs at you? (ho ho ho, he, he he, ha, ha, ha)
See how they smile like pigs in a sty, see how they snide.
I'm crying.

Semolina Pilchard, climbing up the Eiffel Tower.
Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna.
Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus,
coo coo c'choo, coo coo coo c'choo, coo coo c'choo, c'choo coo c'choo c'choo
(rhythmical speaking along with juba's).
Juba juba juba, juba, juba, juba, juba, juba, juba juba. Juba juba.....
(speaking)

--Repeat (eventually juba's will stop) and fade until end.--
during the fade out background vocals:
[Simultaneously:] 'Everybody smokes pot' and 'Oompa, oompa, stick it up your joompa' [jumper]
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