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Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2021 11:52:56 GMT
In late December 1965, apparently dissatisfied with the poor performance of "The Little Girl I Once Knew," Capitol Records rush-released another single on behalf of the band. That song, a cover of The Regents' 1961 hit "Barbara Ann," became one of their most enduring songs and biggest hits, reaching #2 in the US charts, #3 in the UK, and performing well in other countries.
Famously, Brian Wilson's high vocal was doubled, uncredited, by Dean Torrance of Jan & Dean.
The B-side, "Girl Don't Tell Me," was taken from the group's summer 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights). One of Carl Wilson's earliest lead vocals, it has a similar sound and arrangement to mid-60s Beatles music, most notable "Ticket To Ride."
Please discuss and rate "Barbara Ann" backed with "Girl Don't Tell Me."
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Post by kds on Apr 26, 2021 12:26:34 GMT
This is why I tend to take chart success with a grain of salt.
I'm not a Barbara Ann hater. For what it is, it's a fun little single, and I think it really comes to life in concert. But, of all of the Beach Boys 60s hits, this is probably the one I've gravitated to the least.
Girl Don't Tell Me is slightly better, but still not really great IMO. I've also found it nearly impossible to separate it from Ticket to Ride.
I'm going to settle on a seven for this single.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2021 13:01:10 GMT
I'm going to likely end up a 7 as well. "Barbara Ann" is inarguably infectious, though I've never especially liked it. It is so simple, so repetitious ... which is probably also why it's so memorable and such a favorite. But it makes for a little tedium after a few decades, at least in my opinion. When it's part of an experience--a live show--I think that takes a backseat to the energy and participatory nature of it. But on record, no thanks.
"Girl Don't Tell Me" has a great sound, but feels lacking without background vocals. I prefer this to the A-side, but that said, I don't actually think this should've been an A-side, either. It's B-side level material.
So there's nothing I strongly dislike here, but nothing I strongly like here, either.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 26, 2021 13:47:48 GMT
A long, boring story...Many years ago, I met this girl who I was very, very interested in. This was in the early days of my making mix tapes, so, naturally, I would make her a Beach Boys' tape. But, this would be no ordinary Beach Boys' Greatest Hits tape. I had two goals. First, and most importantly, I wanted to impress her, reach her, you know, emotionally, through Brian Wilson's music in a way that only his music could do. And, second, I wanted to show her that The Beach boys were much more than "let's go surfing" and "round, round, I get around". I was going through my self-conscious stage with the band, trying to show or...prove...how great their "serious", obscure music was. So, half of the 90-minute Maxell cassette would be comprised of the hits, plenty of songs from the 1962-66 period. I couldn't ignore them; I knew their power. However, the other half of the tape would be the "real music" (ha ha). I threw in "This Whole World", "Til I Die", "Cuddle Up", "The Night Was So Young", "Only With You", "Surf's Up", "All I Wanna Do", "All This Is That", and others from that period. I thought, "those oughta really get to her, hook her, show her that I'm sensitive, that I'M deep". So, I gave her the tape, waited a week, and then asked her what her favorite song was. I expected her to say "Cuddle Up" or "Only With You" or something. She was a mellow person musically. Instead, with no hesitation, she blurts out "Barbara Ann". Go figure.
"Barbara Ann" is a great song. Period. In any form. The Regents. The Beach Boys' Party version. Their many rock and roll versions. And, Brian knows it, too. That's why he kept performing it. Growing up, "Barbara Ann" was one of the few Beach Boys' songs that I knew. It was always fun to hear when it would pop up on the radio. It was a simple enough song with some great hooks that it just made you want to sing along; there were plenty of parts to sing! I believe the record is one of The Beach Boys' greatest singles. It was a huge hit and to many fans, general music fans and general Beach Boys' fans, it is one of their most identifiable songs. With Mike's opening "Ba Ba Ba, Ba Barbara Ann" and Brian's falsetto singing, it is one of, if not their most FUN song. Who doesn't know "Barbara Ann"? Most children know it. It makes you happy. It makes you smile. It's a 10!
I like "Girl Don't Tell Me", but, again, I thought they could've milked the Party album for another fast one, maybe "Mountain Of Love" or "Papa Ooo Mow Mow". Or, again "Devoted To You". But, then they would've had a cover on both sides of the single. So, they chose to go BACK again. Very strange. It might've been similar to "Let Him Run Wild" where they were trying to showcase Brian's advancing songwriting. "Girl Don't Tell Me" is a very good, borderline great song. And, for some reason (maybe the lyrics) it made the cut on Endless Summer.
I'm going with a 9 on this one based on the strength of "Barbara Ann". It's iconic Beach Boys. Yes, I know some fans are tired of it, mostly long-time fans. I just think it's an important song in their career.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2021 13:58:22 GMT
"Barbara Ann" is a great song. ... And, Brian knows it, too. That's why he kept performing it. ... It was a simple enough song with some great hooks that it just made you want to sing along; there were plenty of parts to sing! I believe the record is one of The Beach Boys' greatest singles. It was a huge hit and to many fans, general music fans and general Beach Boys' fans, it is one of their most identifiable songs. With Mike's opening "Ba Ba Ba, Ba Barbara Ann" and Brian's falsetto singing, it is one of, if not their most FUN song. Who doesn't know "Barbara Ann"? Most children know it. It makes you happy. It makes you smile. ... It's iconic Beach Boys. Yes, I know some fans are tired of it, mostly long-time fans. I just think it's an important song in their career. Tough to argue against.
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Post by kds on Apr 26, 2021 14:01:22 GMT
"Barbara Ann" is a great song. ... And, Brian knows it, too. That's why he kept performing it. ... It was a simple enough song with some great hooks that it just made you want to sing along; there were plenty of parts to sing! I believe the record is one of The Beach Boys' greatest singles. It was a huge hit and to many fans, general music fans and general Beach Boys' fans, it is one of their most identifiable songs. With Mike's opening "Ba Ba Ba, Ba Barbara Ann" and Brian's falsetto singing, it is one of, if not their most FUN song. Who doesn't know "Barbara Ann"? Most children know it. It makes you happy. It makes you smile. ... It's iconic Beach Boys. Yes, I know some fans are tired of it, mostly long-time fans. I just think it's an important song in their career. Tough to argue against. Yes, and I think the song really benefits when being played by a full band, be it any incarnation of The Beach Boys (with or without The Tanner Family) or The Wilsonmints. I'd rank any live version of the song much higher than the Party version.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2021 14:04:20 GMT
Yes, and I think the song really benefits when being played by a full band, be it any incarnation of The Beach Boys (with or without The Tanner Family) or The Wilsonmints. I'd rank any live version of the song much higher than the Party version. One thing I think is unfortunate is the lack of a "true" studio version from the band. Some of what I dislike about Party! in general is that it's neither fish nor fowl. The single doesn't have the sonic polish of a real studio version or the energy of a real live version.
Actual live versions do capture that energy, that great singalong vibe. But I'd like a real studio version to have compared it all to, a version that really put the group's talents to work. Oh well.
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Post by kds on Apr 26, 2021 14:09:18 GMT
Yes, and I think the song really benefits when being played by a full band, be it any incarnation of The Beach Boys (with or without The Tanner Family) or The Wilsonmints. I'd rank any live version of the song much higher than the Party version. One thing I think is unfortunate is the lack of a "true" studio version from the band. Some of what I dislike about Party! in general is that it's neither fish nor fowl. The single doesn't have the sonic polish of a real studio version or the energy of a real live version.
Actual live versions do capture that energy, that great singalong vibe. But I'd like a real studio version to have compared it all to, a version that really put the group's talents to work. Oh well.
I couldn't agree more. I'd have loved to hear a real studio cut circa 1965, maybe backed by The Wrecking Crew, rather than Carl's famous ash tray.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 26, 2021 14:09:30 GMT
Yes, and I think the song really benefits when being played by a full band, be it any incarnation of The Beach Boys (with or without The Tanner Family) or The Wilsonmints. I'd rank any live version of the song much higher than the Party version. After 45 years of fandom, I also prefer the live, full band versions. But, the Party version has its place. It sounds better on the radio, whether it was AM radio back in the day or an oldies station today. Also, the Party version is easier and, yes, more fun to sing along to. The vocal parts are easier to pick out. As much as I like the recorded BB live versions, and they rock, none of them has a good falsetto singer. I guess it's Al on both Live In London and Knebworth, and he's weak.
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Post by kds on Apr 26, 2021 14:16:32 GMT
Yes, and I think the song really benefits when being played by a full band, be it any incarnation of The Beach Boys (with or without The Tanner Family) or The Wilsonmints. I'd rank any live version of the song much higher than the Party version. After 45 years of fandom, I also prefer the live, full band versions. But, the Party version has its place. It sounds better on the radio, whether it was AM radio back in the day or an oldies station today. Also, the Party version is easier and, yes, more fun to sing along to. The vocal parts are easier to pick out. As much as I like the recorded BB live versions, and they rock, none of them has a good falsetto singer. I guess it's Al on both Live In London and Knebworth, and he's weak. I think the Live at the Roxy with Jeff is pretty good, but overall, I'm not a huge fan of when Brian sings Mike's low parts. Yeah, the single version has it's place, but it's probably the one big BB hit that I could probably go without ever hearing again for the rest of my life. I actually made a BB playlist a couple years ago on Spotify with over 100 songs (even though Spotify sticks to the same 25-30), and I don't think I have Barbara Ann on it.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 26, 2021 14:28:30 GMT
Yes, and I think the song really benefits when being played by a full band, be it any incarnation of The Beach Boys (with or without The Tanner Family) or The Wilsonmints. I'd rank any live version of the song much higher than the Party version. One thing I think is unfortunate is the lack of a "true" studio version from the band. Some of what I dislike about Party! in general is that it's neither fish nor fowl. The single doesn't have the sonic polish of a real studio version or the energy of a real live version.
Actual live versions do capture that energy, that great singalong vibe. But I'd like a real studio version to have compared it all to, a version that really put the group's talents to work. Oh well.
If it would've sounded something like the version below, it would've been great!
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Post by jk on Apr 26, 2021 17:56:19 GMT
I'll read everyone's posts later. For now, I'll say this is the only BB 45 I ever bought at the time (or at any other time). I loved that "joyous racket" from the first time I heard it. It's still in my top 5 favourite BB tracks. And here it is:
Maybe more later. Ten.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 26, 2021 19:07:02 GMT
I Like the B side better but it kind of sounds unfinished. Yeah...no harmonies! How many Beach Boys' songs can you say THAT about?
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2021 19:41:04 GMT
Definitely that's my biggest complaint about the song, too.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 26, 2021 19:46:16 GMT
So far, this is the most diverse voting we've had...I think.
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