Behind The Sounds: God Only Knows Part 1

A video detailing the creative process behind "God Only Knows" from The Beach Boys' 1966 Album "Pet Sounds".

[@stevenkirsner]

My cousin Alan Robinson was the French Horn player who played on the opening of this song!

[@prodaidyn]

your cousin is an icon for that

[@katielynneastoria]

cool indeed!

[@swisstrader]

Very cool!

[@Harriet-Jesamine]

That is definitely Outtasight! 👍

[@gerryschultz5974]

Alan and I were sweethearts at the time. He called me from the studio and asked me to bring him some old wooden organ pipes. He told me to look for the box of them in the closet and...hurry! I drove down to Hollywood and went in with the box. I don't think they used them that night, but I was awestruck. After a while I had to go home and to bed because I was a school teacher and had to get up early the next morning. My darling Alan introduced me to so many music greats our years together, of course, including his brother, Gayle Robinson, also a fantastic French horn player.

[@guitarguywill4157]

To think that Brian was just 23 at this point.. and Carl who sang the lead is just 19. Quite incredible.

[@totalmassretain6199]

One of the best songs ever written. Period.

[@StanKindly]

..and to think it didn't go straight to number 1. In fact the album didn't sell that well at the time in the US. It did great in England but there is a good chance that Brian didn't know it - labels back then generally didn't want the Artists to know overseas sales, for a variety of reasons.

[@BehindTheSounds]

@@StanKindly Pet Sounds had a 39 week run on the Billboard Top 100. During that time, it was in the Top 40 for 21 weeks and in the Top 20 for 12 weeks (Peaking at #10). This was in a year when Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and soundtracks to Broadway Musicals were at the top of the charts and teen/youth oriented albums were not holding high chart positions for very long. It had actually reached gold record status by 1967 but the Beach Boys were in litigation with Capitol at that point and that was suppressed. Basically, looking at the chart positions, sales figures and taking everything in context: Pet Sounds sold fine. Part of the reason why it perhaps didn't sell as well in the U.S. as it could and should have was that Capitol A&R did not support the album and essentially sabotaged its release by releasing a Greatest Hits compilation only two months after the release of Pet Sounds: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_of_the_Beach_Boys

[@nedrobinson7490]

@@BehindTheSounds record label execs ruining the art. Lol What’s new? Thankfully, we don’t need those dickheads to release good music into the world anymore. That’s one place where society has certainly improved for the BETTER in the years since 1966

[@Eeohippus]

I would literally sell my soul to have been a fly on the wall during all of these sessions. There is nothing more that I love than watching someone who really loves their craft and is really great at it. Brian sounds so alive and happy in these recordings and so in his eliment. I saw Brian in concert in October and he looked and sounded fabulous, but I'm still in love with this young, beautiful, talented California boy. Bless him...

[@jameshensel6778]

Despite Brian's amazing genius he still had room to listen to suggestions and without hesitation incorporate them into the song. To those he trusted, like the guys at Wrecking Crew, he listened and and took the advice without ego. Brian was just searching for perfection in his song.

[@philliesfan1971]

+Jim Hensel And the one gal.

[@PeterBondeVillain]

Image the pressure of having all of these world-class musicians in the same room and having to instruct them all individually on how their parts went. To say Brian is a genius is putting it mildly!

[@simonlarson7230]

A kid genius, let loose in an LA studio with the world's greatest session musicians ...

[@brilliantatbreakfast]

Listening to all the pieces being put together you realize just how gorgeous this song is.

[@k1j2f30]

I just can't imagine what it would be like to have this kind of music coming from your mind. So simple yet so complicated and detailed and having everything coming together in complete perfection without endless rehearsal. It must have been so difficult to try to get the musicians and singers, mere mortals, to play the music the way Brian heard it in his head. I think this is what Brian had to deal with endlessly in rehearsals. Also he had to listen to so many musicians and critics wanting to make changes they thought would make it better. That would drive anyone, especially a perfectionist like Brian, to tears and worse. He never acted like he was above anyone even the ones that put him down. I think he was much stronger than anyone gave him credit for. Brian Wilson had vision and musically, he was pure genius,. Just close your eyes and listen (preferably with headphones on and the volume cranked) to the full version of this song. Pure genius!

[@MrLikeke]

+k1j2f30 I often have full length movies in brilliant color with the rich tones of symphonic soundtracks running in my head. But to get them out is the hard part. So I learned to write well. People have said I should write books or scripts. But you know, even my best efforts are unsatisfactory in capturing what I intend. So I am resigned to keep them in my head rather than to be bastardized in the transcribing. To our great fortune Brian Wilson is a master in introducing his thoughts to the world.

[@thomthum2000]

It's just amazing to hear the process of this music. So many musicians nowadays get so lazy with protools and they just slap anything on without a care in the world. It seemed like Brian had to move mountains to make his music a reality.

[@bluebird28tl]

God only knows what life would be without Pet Sounds. Thank you Brian and all.

[@CapAnson12345]

I could listen to this for hours on end. In fact I have.

[@bobdesmond8970]

Brian Wilson is a musical genius.

[@tigermatty]

Around the 6.30 mark where Brian hears the snare fill is such a beautiful moment. He instinctively knows that’s the sound.

[@feliciaromero1646]

Perfectly arranged. Absolutely gorgeous. Evokes longing, sadness. Carl’s voice is so sweet.

[@machia-mw1lm]

Brilliance, hard to believe that this level of complexity can sound so natural. Beautiful flow.

[@MrNurserob]

Using the pick reverb sound on the bass guitar almost in place of a drum- incredible. All these little pieces without which the song wouldn’t be the same. Definitely a fail safe favorite song… newer ones come and fade, but for millions of people, when God Only Knows comes on, it does something to the chemistry in the brain.

[@coffeehigh420]

its like i was able to be a fly on the wall listening to these recordings ~~~~ unreal!!!!

[@gabe2968]

This is the greatest song humanity has ever created. Nearly 60 years and it's still yet to be beaten

[@eileenwojton6672]

The best love song ever.

[@smaze1782]

For me, this is the greatest song of a time. Just incredible. So moving and heart felt.

[@PorcelainLeigh]

SO great this process was recorded, especially going back MANY years.

[@antonioskyrunner127]

Man what an incredible masterpiece, I love this song, Pet Sounds indeed.

[@richardkirk5098]

Very impressive. Wilson was a real artist on so many levels.

[@karllieck9064]

Children of today: This is making real music.Brian, you blow us away with your talent and untiring commitment to excellence. Thank you.

[@tensaichigo2]

Fascinating look at the origin of a great song

[@alchemyst2000]

Just saw the Love and Mercy movie based on this period of the Brian and the Beach Boys..pretty mind blowing..great movie

[@StanleyButton]

alchemyst2000 I really want to see that film but it's playing nowhere I'm at.

[@BehindTheSounds]

Stanley Button It unfortunately had a very limited release, but it's going to be on Blu Ray/DVD in about a month and is well worth watching. www.amazon.com/Love-Mercy-Blu-ray-Digital-HD/dp/B01127XNHQ

[@StanleyButton]

***** Thanks for the heads up! I'll definitely buy it when it comes out on Blu-Ray.

[@AlexLandress]

+alchemyst2000 Just watched it last night. I had no idea about The Beach Boys history. It was an amazing movie.

[@StanleyButton]

Alex Landress I know right! I bought it for Blu-ray the moment it come out. Did not regret it. Favorite film of the year!

[@user-yg1rh3og2q]

I realize I'm stating the obvious but Pet Sounds was basically entirely created by Brian. Pure and gifted genius. There are beautiful songs that you can listen to a couple of times and then you move on to another because you get tired of hearing it. I can listen to this song all day, every day. Another is "In My Life" by the Beatles.

[@zequekestrada6012]

This is such a cool thing to see. I wish there was more of this. I love Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.

[@moritzternien8744]

"God Ony Knows" indeed presents only his genius! He's my idol too, because he is a phenomenal producer too!

[@ideniseb]

American music legends at work and thank you for sharing this with us because we don't get to hear it every day!

[@guitarreman]

Brian had a vision. And he created on the fly. He knew what he wanted but didnt convey thst using musical terms. It was...go to that part....hey horns are sagging. He didnt mention bar number or mention rhythms of notes. His genius was in being able to relay his desires in common language.

[@yourtiowally]

Haven't read all the comments. But the "clip-clop" is Hal Blaine playing the bottoms of a set of plastic juice bottles. Proving once again: There is no end to the use of duct tape.

[@jawoody9745]

("Short")? "Yeah Brian. As in staccato!" I love the one-note slap-back delay on Ray's bass guitar. That is the master-touch of Brian Wilson - always over and under-doing it and making it very special for everyone who is listening.

[@elenij3781]

Pure genius.

[@AbWischBar]

Thanks for creating these - you just appreciate a song so much more, when you can witness its creation and follow the tiny details that were so essential to get right.

[@softclay4thought]

So much better than showing how sausage is made.

[@youtubeviewer7030]

a masterpeice in the making

[@jamesanderson348]

Brilliant. My fave Beach Boys song. It holds up well after all these years. Oh to have been a fly on the wall when this was made.

[@pibly7784]

Seeing footage of this is awesome.

[@BehindTheSounds]

This isn't "footage" and the pics here are not from the actual session...but ok.

[@OZRIC1985]

That's a trip that Don Randi was on this! I got to see him play at his club "The Baked Potato" in Studio City, CA a few times. He sure has played with a lot of great bands over the years. The best of the best musicians play in his club all the time.

[@paulcasey6759]

I like the establishing shot of late-night traffic on the boulevard. Brian called all these ace session guys out in the middle of the night. Anyone else would have been met with an earnest and heartfelt entreaty to be left alone G-DAMMIT, no doubt.

[@charlesfosterkane8034]

Brian Wilson used the best manufactured instruments a real producer has: his ears filtered through his heart. :) Be damned you audio meter :)

[@Sunny105121]

I love this clip. Thank you so much for posting.

[@mohammedmaher9697]

Pet Sounds is the greatest album ever recorded.

[@T.Ramby11]

You can really hear the Gershwin influence, especially when the horns play by themselves during the bridge.

[@StanKindly]

Brian and Tony Asher both said the song took about 30 minutes to write. Talk about a Mind Meld!

[@LeeNottingham]

So good to hear musicians working together 'by ear' . I can understand that this may have been a frustrating process for some of the more classically trained musicians that were, perhaps not used to a guy speaking in "bam badda bam bam bam" terms but...at the end of the day, music MUST come from the heart and we can all see that, in this song he accomplished what he 'heard' in his own mind. Its a great track that is full of emotion. That emotion doesnt just come from him, it comes from all those that worked on the track. The song is the sum of all its parts, thats why it works so well. Its a piece of musical history......and I like it!!!

[@marcodavoli4334]

The most amazing thing for that time is completely innovative use of tape echo and reverb to plate the only technologies available at that time apart from some compressor and condensed microphones

[@deckard43]

love the Wrecking Crew!

[@gregdahlen4375]

deckard43 well if they wrecked it who then built the new structure?

[@illinoizrichy1]

i guess the half dozen thumbs downs,just do not like to listen to masterpieces in the making

[@saguaroboy]

A smart man will listen to the seasoned musicians. So brilliant then the note clipping on the jazzy sections...

[@ericynot]

BTS, another great installment of the Brian Wilson/WC chronicles. Thank you, thank you for making these things. They're a great contribution to the appreciation of music, recording, and creativity.

[@Ianstrox]

1:00 is so lovely, sounds like a fleet of ships rising from the depths

[@oldhiway66]

Great collage of photos. Appreciate the detail given to the roster of players. Thanks!

[@fungerz]

For a video about the making of the song to be full of revelations & moving is a major plus point. There's no way to escape Brian Wilson's spark.

[@johnallen2771]

I have to admit that the Beach Boys was my first album I bought. Strange since for years I thought it was the Beatles first album, but then I remembered Surfin USA, I think it was called. I was so cool in Ohio where I was from. I got to go to California to visit my big sister and got a skateboard and some really nice clothes which I took back. Nobody knew what to think as I skated around my little town. Everybody thought I was an idiot. But I was in Huntington Beach and everybody there wore surfing clothes and rode skateboards.

[@sandragonnerman7522]

John Allen Go John!!! I was in Sacramento doing the same thing! Love your post. Live well and enjoy!

[@johnallen2771]

Good

[@MrLikeke]

+John Allen Your comment reminds me of something. We lived in Hawaii and had gone to Chicago to visit my mom's sister. I was walking home with my cousins after their school had let out. A crossing guard looked at me wearing T shirt and shorts and of course no shoes. She asked were are my school books? What's my teacher's name? and 20 other questions. She tried to keep me until the police arrived because she thought I was a truant or something. Like, duh! I'm tan and wearing my normal every day 'ensemble', do I look like I'm from here? Talk about people not knowing what to think!

[@GarethJones1979]

This is one of the best things I have ever see on You tube. well done Behind the sounds. Truly great.

[@carolynglaser607]

Brian did all the arranging, etc. on this particular song, but it was the amazing voice of Carl singing the lead. Brian does the falsetto background only, not the lead.

[@jtexconsult]

Pet Sounds is awesome, a brother from another mother in Denton Texas introduced me to it when I was bashing the Boys years back at a party. Problem, however, if you are under the age of thirty, you may be uncomfortable listening to the music travel back and forth between left and right speaker. Keep in mind this is part of the trip when listening to older multi-track studio music. a couple of songs, minutes, into it and you'll be used to it. Thx for this historical behind the scenes post.

[@AlexandrMaltsev]

Thank you so much for adding this video! It´s one of the most beautiful clips I've ever seen. It´s not just the song, it´s Brians voice n' everything getting together in one clip. Thanks!

[@erickmac88]

@BehindTheSounds Please do! And wow. The commitment you put in...if anyone ever says that they are bigger Beach Boys fans than you....I will personally smack them. Awesome thing you did here man. Thanks from a person who is barely beginning to understand how great they really were.

[@mrtwang32]

I love around 6:30 when Brian and Hal work out the drum fill, with Blaine trying first the hit on the tom-tom before trying the snare. "That's it," Brian calls out and moves on to another issue. The man was SERIOUSLY on top of his game.

[@iferraro]

You have really outdone yourself with this song, the magnum opus of Pet Sounds. Love the intro shot of LA at night, with the moving lights... My fave series of videos on KZbin. I'll never forget when the channel first came out, as I was beginning to get totally obsessed with Pet Sounds. I recall it was last summer and I was home alone for a couple months and smoking a lot of pot. It was the best time of my life. We're the same age... thanks man.

[@edwardpasby5237]

Amazing. Beautiful.

[@heinkle1]

Love the tiny clip of Dead Man's Curve at the beginning - Jan Berry had his accident a month after this recording session at Dead Man's Curve.

[@BehindTheSounds]

Heinkle Just to clarify, Berry's accident was a few blocks away near the Dead Man's Curve on Sunset...and on a straight stretch of road.

[@univibe23]

There at the very end where he wants to hear the bass notes the play the "Satisfaction" lick.

[@BehindTheSounds]

People keep bringing this up and it makes me wish I hadn't included it in the video. Don Randi is just playing the notes from the figure in GOK in a descending pattern. Not the same pattern of notes (or even key) as the riff in Satisfaction.

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

Thanks for all your work in putting these clips together. Enjoyed every single one so far. Brian really knew what he was doing in the studio sound wise, height of his powers. A musical genius...A

[@prrbill1]

All I can say is thank you. While so many were ignoring Brian's creative genius during the British Invasion and the transition from rock & roll to rock, some of us (American phobics?) were deeply dependent on some traditional American R&R band to 'strike' back. Pet Sounds was the answer. Somewhere I remember reading that John & Paul heard the album and were so blown away that they scrapped their plans and leapt to "Magical Mystery Tour" as an answer.

[@mradnanchowdhury]

"clip clop" percussion is called the temple blocks

[@petercrowl9467]

French Horns and Sleigh Bells make Brian Wilson my favorite.

[@sunrise4783]

pet sounds is a masterpiece. unmatched.

[@biblerockets]

brilliant. i love Brian and wow , what a great album . so cool to get a glimpse of the work in progress and hear the construction of a masterpiece . great job .

[@BunneRabb]

making records is not for the faint of heart.

[@eviltwinrecords]

This is amazing!

[@oddball8974]

genius always was always will be.

[@cashfan1]

These videos are great! I can't wait to see part 2! Thanks for posting.

[@PeterGrenader]

Until recently, one of the most underrated producers in the history of pop. Thankfully another case of 'the truth wiil out"

[@mitch19636]

Masterful...

[@eddo1983]

Carl Wilson's vocals made this song come alive! SUPERB!!

[@lizhoopes4531]

Wonderful to learn so much. Thank you, I heard this on the radio and knew someone would know something more. I love You Tube for allowing me to learn a little more each day.

[@SamSneed-th4du]

One of the most difficult progressions to learn by ear even for a skilled musician born with perfect pitch

[@jerlewis4291]

The band playing he music is named The Wrecking Crew. Google them to see how many songs and albums they played on. Glen Campbell was in the band. Hal Blaine Tommy Tedesco, Carol Kaye

[@paskuniag]

Like them on Facebook and you will hear musical history like nowhere else. I first heard this outtake on their FB page about a year ago. The Beatles had each other. LA had the Wrecking Crew. If you like American pop songs from the 60s, chances are the Wrecking Crew played on them. Even The Byrds and The Doors used them in the studio.

[@terrypursell4332]

Jer Lewis According to Carol Kaye, the Wrecking Crew, was not the name they were known by at the time. Carol says they were known as "The Clique". In the interview which is available on KZbin, Carol says she does not agree with a big portion of the "Wrecking Crew" movie. She says in the interview that "The Wrecking Crew" is mostly the story of Hal Blaine, and Tommy Tedesco. I am glad the movie is out there, and I'm also glad to hear what to look out for, according to Carol Kaye.

[@BehindTheSounds]

Terry Pursell Carol Kaye claims to have played on a lot of things that she clearly didn't such as Motown sessions. She also claims to have played on several Beach Boys songs, when in fact she played on a few cash-in cover versions made by other artists. She may have been there but she's not the end-all authority and she's nasty to anyone who questions her faulty memories. I'm not entirely sure what the Wrecking Crew was referred to back then, but it seems like different people could have had different names for it. Brian never even refers to them as a group in his sessions, so maybe he didn't think of it that way.

[@terrypursell4332]

***** Thanks for the reply! As for Motown sessions, I don't see why she would claim she played on Motown tracks, since that was in Detroit. I believe she did work for Phil Spector, as maybe a lot of the studio players did that are a part of this clique, or wrecking crew.....

[@BehindTheSounds]

Terry Pursell The reason why she takes credit for Motown recordings is because she apparently played on a few covers of Motown songs and somehow confuses that with the hit single versions recorded in Detroit with Jamerson (who is now dead and can't speak). It's pretty shameless and infuriating that she sticks to this story dispelled by so much evidence. It's not the mistake that's the problem, it's that she sticks to her guns when confronted about it. She did work for Phil Spector a lot, but she has this thing where she tries to present herself as "the" bassist of the Wrecking Crew. I honestly think the evidence shows that Ray Pohlman was Brian's no. 1 choice for bassist and if he couldn't get him (or wanted two bassists as was often the case) Carol Kaye would do as a replacement. She'll play the bassline for "Good Vibrations" in interviews as though she owns it when she wasn't even on any of the sections used in the final single version. Just her whole persona these days strikes a lot of bad chords with me. Hal Blaine is much cooler about taking credit for what he actually played and realizing when he makes an error in taking credit for a session he wasn't on.

[@davidmcpherson4085]

The master at work!

[@TotalSinging]

and to think this amazing recording was done with EVERY instrument in the same room is astounding. But that was the genius of Brian - he liked the bleed over of instruments to make his "third sound".

[@jprg1966]

I think praise is due to both Don Randi for a productive suggestion (to tighten that transition), and Brian for willing to roll with it and see how it sounded.

[@eddieedmo4266]

It's amazing what they used back in the day to record. Someone mentioned a plastic jug was recorded in this, which reminds me of the plywood and trash can lid the "Funk Brothers" used in their Motown recordings. This is a true artist at work.

[@goldbugnz]

the is fantastic! Thanks for posting. Mesmerizing.

[@crietman29]

- I think he was really cute in the glasses!

[@lady12480]

"cause it's reverb and it sounded hot."

[@KenHeath]

In 1966, "Dad" was a common reference to just about anybody... derived from Beatnik culture... "Dad", "Big Daddy", "Daddy-O"... ;)

[@raystaar]

Studio Three @ Western Recorders. I spent many, many hours there.

[@bobblue_west]

Where about in LA were the Western Recorders Studio? Thanks. (From locked-down in London, UK)

[@BehindTheSounds]

@@bobblue_west 6000 Sunset Blvd. The space is now called EastWest Studios: www.eastweststudios.com/studio3/

[@bobblue_west]

@@BehindTheSounds Thank You.

[@nitedrive2956]

Pure gold here.

[@Eeohippus]

Did you? Wow, I'd like to get a look at your library Mate. I'm going to see Brian in a few weeks and I must say that I'm looking more forward to this than when I saw the Eagles, Paul McCartney, or anyone. I grew up in LA during the 70s and we all loved the Boys; I used to look at Brian with wonder in my mind and hoped I'd be fortunate enough to see him one day. It's a small venue, with a stroke of luck maybe I'll get to see him up close... I'm in the 2nd row so I can't hope for more!!

[@susietigger2280]

You do such and awesome job! I love these sessions. I could listen to him arrange alll day!

[@rab2591]

thanks so much for these vids. I have been watching them over the past few weeks and I have become floored at Brian's genius as a songwriter, producer, singer. They need to put these vids in the next BB boxed set!

[@dangaynor]

@BehindTheSounds Yeah. The session player is just goofing off with 'Satisfaction' in mind after rehearsing his part with the harpsichordist. 'Satisfaction' is in a different key, has a different number of notes and that part falls on a different beat.

[@cepson]

These videos are mesmerizing. If I knew anything about writing or playing music, I imagine they would be almost pornographic.

[@JeffOfTheMountains]

Thank you for uploading these videos. I'm looking forward to God Only Knows Part 2.

[@MyKeith999]

People set this tune as your morning alarm and live a happier life. Love it! as Elvis would say "always have, always will!