Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys

Written by: Brian Wilson, Mike Love
Recorded: February 17 - September 21, 1966 (Gold Star Studios, Western Recording, Columbia Studios, Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, CA)
Mixed: September 1970
Length: 3:35
Takes: unknown
Produced by: Brian Wilson

Musicians:

Carl Wilson, Mike Love: lead vocals 
Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson: backing vocals
Mike Melvoin: organ (Hammond)
Carol Kaye, Jimmy Bond, Ray Pohlman, Lyle Ritz: bass
Hal Blaine, Jim Gordon: drums and percussion
Paul King: banjo, kazoo, jug
Glen Campbell, Bill Pitman: guitars
Al De Lory: piano
Jesse Ehrlich: cello
Tommy Morgan: harmonica, mouth harp
Don Randi: harpsichord
Paul Tanner: electro-theremin

Releases:

Capitol 5676 (October 10, 1966; b-side "Let's Go Away for Awhile")

Highest chart position: (US #1 on December 10, 1966 for one week; UK #1 on November 17, 1966 for 2 weeks)

History:

"Invisible feelings." That was the way Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' main songwriter and resident pop genius, once described the subject matter of what was arguably the group's most famous hit. In the middle of a notoriously troubled childhood, Brian was frightened by a dog barking at him, to which his mother responded that it wasn't personal; dogs always bark at someone when they get "bad vibes," in this case, fear. The young Wilson was simultaneously horrified and fascinated by the idea that his innermost feelings could be broadcast unintentionally and picked up by others, and the memory stayed with him into adulthood.

While in the process of creating his first masterpiece, the 1966 LP Pet Sounds, Brian revisited the concept, penning what was originally a midtempo R&B number about the concept of "good vibes" -- turning a negative into a positive, as he always did with his muse -- and tricking it out with instrumentation typical of his middle period: cello triplets as an homage to Phil Spector's productions with the Ronettes, vocalisms that hearkened back to his doo-wop past, and a chorus hook sung in a lower register in honor of one of his heroes, 19th-century composer and American pop pioneer Stephen Foster.

Perhaps in order to augment the otherworldly metaphysics of broadcasting one's soul, Brian also added an instrument he'd already used on the Pet Sounds track "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," an electrically-controlled variant on the primitive waveform generator known as a theramin. Its spooky "woooo" sound, altered by hand movements, had been used in many a sci-fi and horror movie to establish the unease of the unknown.

So far, so good. But what was still a simple pop song sounded unfinished by Wilson's own ever more demanding standards, so rather than include the song on the new album, he shelved it. That is, until Pet Sounds was released to stunningly lukewarm reviews and sales, at which point the composer became determined to make his new song the selling point of his new vision. Over the course of the next nine months, Brian used as much studio time as he could get, occupying all four of Los Angeles' main recording studios for at least 12 and as many as 19 sessions. Most of the musicians came from the city's famed "Wrecking Crew" of pop musicians, led by drummer Hal Blaine, and Wilson spent many, many hours, not to mention what by today's standards would amount to about $400,000, perfecting the sound of this one three-and-a-half minute single, Additions to the established verses would be embellished at Gold Star Studios, the song's big hook was worked on at Western Recording, and the all-important new sections, when they were relaized and kept at all, would be recorded at Sunset Sound. (Final vocal takes, lead and harmony both, were done at Columbia Studios.)

In the meantime, the song's content started to warp and shift as well: what had begun as a very literal explanation of the "vibes" phenomenon would eventually evolve into a landscape of the West Coast and its contribution to the feel-good aura of the burgeoning hippie movement. (Brian himself has said that the song was meant to be a Phil Spector-style production filtered through a LSD trip.) Sounds lyricist Tony Asher was brought in to give words to this vision, and while his contributions didn't make the final cut (aside from the opening line "I love the colorful clothes she wears"), his suggestion to use "vibrations" instead of "vibes" helped the song scan much better. Singer Mike Love wound up writing the famous words at the very last minute on the way to the studio, dictating them to his wife as he drove.

In the meantime, Wilson was combing the history of pop to find new sections for his masterpiece: a jangle-piano breakdown, a jazz vocal scatting section, a quiet and almost holy moment of reflection complete with churchy organ. Mouth harp, harmonica, and harpsichord were added, as was an acoustic double bass, adding an even deeper bottom end to the electric bass parts already present. Carl sang the verses, for which Dennis provided the guide vocal, while Mike took on the low "She's giving me good vibrations" hook, and Brian himself provided the top-end falsetto in the "good, good, good" harmony "stacks."

After more than 90 hours of recording, Brian had what he needed, and it was by all accounts worth the effort -- only Capitol, the band's record label, balked at releasing the single, which at 3:35 was actually a minute longer than standard hits of the day. Fortunately, Brian had the band behind him, and "Good Vibrations" became the band's third and biggest #1 hit. Unfortunately, the composer's reaction was to begin an entire LP of songs like "Vibrations," built around endless sections of pop Americana but lacking the boy-girl dynamic that helped sell the concept of the single. SMiLE would become the most famous unrealized album in rock history; the band's scuttling of the project affected Brian so deeply that he retreated into a world of drugs, dementia, and overconsumption of all kinds that it took decades for him to undo.

Trivia:

• In the '80s, Sunkist used its own version of "Vibrations" in an ad, one which replaced the odd phrase "Gotta keep those love good vibrations happenin' with her" with "Gotta keep those Sunkist vibrations happening."
• Todd Rundgren rather audaciously included this song on his covers album of note-for-note recreations of pop hits, appropriately entitled Faithful. In fact, it was the leadoff single from that album and a minor hit on its own.
• Brian's endless mutation of "Good Vibrations" means that the song not only changes chords and keys but entire modes of musical expression in its brief run. The main key of the song moves from Dm# in the verses to F#, where it walks up dramatically to G# and A#. Then in the first bridge, it moves to D# before dropping to F for the "gotta keep those" section, then backs down through A# and G# at the song's climax.
• There are alternate mixes of the song which incorporate ideas trimmed out of the oriiginal sessions, including extra instruments, vocal parts, and a "gotta keep those" section that goes on for twice as long as the original release. There is no official stereo version of "Good Vibrations," as the vocal tapes were lost before one could be created, but several stereo versions have been created by adding outtakes to the original mono mix.
• Beatles press officer Derek Taylor, when hearing the final product, referred to "Good Vibrations" as a "pocket symphony," which Wilson loved. The phrase later became the title of an album by synth-based French lounge-pop act Air.
• The master tapes for this song once disappeared from the studio entirely, sending Brian into a deep depression until they mysteriously showed up unharmed three days later. The culprit was never found.
• Tony Asher's original lyrics were used for the re-recording of "Vibrations" WIlson did for his 2004 re-creation of SMiLE. They include this second verse, which attempts to explain the concept: I bet I know what she's like / And I can feel how right she'd be for me / It's weird, how she comes on so strong / And I wonder what she's pickin' up from me?

Covered by: Brian Wilson, Todd Rundgren, The Troggs, The Cowsills, Fleshhouse, Phil Keaggy, Nina Hagen