The Beach Boys

[Hello Goodbye]

And here are The Trashmen doing a more familiar surf song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn0guNnXiQk&feature=player_embedded#!


...collarless jackets and all!   

[Hello Goodbye]

'Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow' is a song by The Rivingtons from 1962. The Beach Boys covered it in it's original form, The Trashmen combined it with another Rivingtons song, 'The Bird's The Word' (it's kind of like what we today would call a mash-up). So basically they're both covers of the same song.

Joost, to emphasize just how unfair R&B covering was, here's Dick Clark making it sound like Surfin' Bird (The Bird Is The Word/Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow) originated with The Trashmen (external embedding is disabled so click on the link)...


T RA SHMEN - Surfi n Bird (1963)

Steve Wahrer had the audacity to say that The Trashmen wrote the song.  Dick Clark didn't refute him.

[Joost]

And here are The Trashmen doing a more familiar surf song...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn0guNnXiQk&feature=player_embedded#!


...collarless jackets and all!   

That does sound awfully familiar. I hear Roll Over Beethoven, Johnny B. Goode and Shut Down...

[Joost]

No band re-wrote Beach Boys songs as obviously as The Fantastic Baggys did... One of the two singer/songwriters behind this studio project was P.F. Sloan, who would go on to write 'Eve Of Destruction' for Barry McGuire...

Wait for the chorus:

The Fantastic Baggys - Surfin´ craze

Beach Boys - Surfin' USA (with Lyrics)

[Hello Goodbye]

Wait for the chorus:

Oh yeah!


But, as we know, it started like this...

Chuck Berry Sweet Little 16

[Hello Goodbye]

That does sound awfully familiar. I hear Roll Over Beethoven, Johnny B. Goode and Shut Down...

I knew you'd pick up on that, Joost.


The Beach Boys - Shut Down

[Joost]

Oh yeah!


But, as we know, it started like this...

On the first pressing of the 'Surfin' USA' single, the song was credited to only Brian Wilson. Of course Chuck Berry didn't take that, as the song was obviously based on 'Sweet Little Sixteen'. So The Beach Boys agreed to give him credit for writing the music... And accidentally gave him the copyrights on the lyrics as well! So until the late 80s, 'Surfin' USA' was credited to only Chuck Berry! Currently the offical credit is Berry/Wilson.

[Hello Goodbye]

On the first pressing of the 'Surfin' USA' single, the song was credited to only Brian Wilson. Of course Chuck Berry didn't take that, as the song was obviously based on 'Sweet Little Sixteen'. So The Beach Boys agreed to give him credit for writing the music... And accidentally gave him the copyrights on the lyrics as well! So until the late 80s, 'Surfin' USA' was credited to only Chuck Berry! Currently the offical credit is Berry/Wilson.

A similar story occured with The Trashmen's Surfin' Bird.  This, from Wikipedia:

The Trashmen's major notable hit was 1963's "Surfin' Bird", which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the later part of that year. The song was a combination of two R&B hits by The Rivingtons, "The Bird's the Word" and "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow". The earliest pressings of the single credit the Trashmen as composers, but following a threat from The Rivingtons' legal counsel, that group was subsequently credited as composers.

[Hello Goodbye]

OK   Here's another original novelty song, this time by the Hollywood Argyles called Alley Oop, a #1 song here in 1960...

THE HOLLYWOOD ARGYLES- "ALLEY OOP"



...and covers by Dante & the Evergreens and The Beach Boys..


Alley Oop - Dante & the Evergreens

Alley Oop - Beach Boys

[Hello Goodbye]

...and another cover by The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band...

The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band - Alley Oop

[dcowboys107]

Joost, I'm trying to transcribe the vocal harmonies for "Help Me, Rhonda" and I have a question about Brian and Carl's part.  First of all, I know on the chorus Mike is the bass, and Al is singing right under the brothers per custom. However, is Carl doubling with Brian on the Ab?  I can hear Brian's falsetto but I can't really make out Carl's voice.  Is he just singing that part in his modal voice or what? 

[Joost]

Around 1965, Brian and Carl sounded almost identical. It's very hard to tell them apart even when they sang lead, let along when they were harmonizing.

This is all I could find:

"Bow-bowbow-bow-bow": Mike
"Help me Rhonda, yeah!": Al (lowest), Carl (high) and Brian (highest)
"Get her outta my heart!": Mike
First "Come on, Rhonda": Mike
Second "Come on, Rhonda": Mike, Brian, Carl and Dennis

[dcowboys107]

I think I've figured it out after a few hours of pounding on the keyboard.

I'll talk specifically about the refrain. 

Mike and Dennis are doing the "Ra -Ra"s" With Mike being the lowest and Dennis a minor 3rd above him.

I have 3 tenors, Al, Carl and Brian.

Al is the lowest and carries the main melody line notes, Carl and Brian double the high part here.  You can tell the distinction but it's the same line.  Brian has a more shrill, powerful tone and Carl is softer.  Same melody all the same though.

I'll work on the verses next.

[Hello Goodbye]

Does this help?

The Beach Boys - Help Me Rhonda

The Beach Boys - Help Me Rhonda

[Joost]

Maybe this helps:
http://www.tiptopwebsite.com/custommusic2/craigslowinskicom3.pdf