When you think of the banjo, you probably don't think of the Beach Boys. However, we're smack dab in the middle of summer, and I can think of precious few things that sound better during the sunny season than the banjo and the Beach Boys.
My love for the Beach Boys has snuck in at times on this blog before. In fact, my love for music pretty much started with the Beach Boys. Their songs are among the earliest I can remember falling in love with, as my parents played their records in the house as I was growing up. I remember being excited to get the Cocktail soundtrack in 1988 so I could play "Kokomo" non-stop. It was the only Beach Boys song that became popular in my lifetime. The Beach Boys were also my first concert in 1991, after a baseball game.
As grunge music exploded in the early 1990s, and as I started to get into punk and my local music scene during high school, my Beach Boys fandom lay dormant. However, they slowly started to worm their way back into my consciousness. I went through an instrumental surf music phase in the late 1990s and early 2000s, from Dick Dale to Man or Astro-Man. Then, in 2007, Okkervil River used part of "Sloop John B" in their song "John Allyn Smith Sails" on their album, The Stage Names.
Of course, that's about when I started playing banjo and dove into the deep end of bluegrass and old-time music. I scarcely listened to anything beyond fiddles and banjos. A few years later, I read this article reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Pet Sounds and followed a link to another story on the band's deeper cuts, and it sparked something deep inside.
I had grown up with my parents mostly playing the Beach Boys' early music, those surf and hot rod hits from 1961 to 1965. They had Pet Sounds, but I don't recall them playing it much, and I barely heard anything after 1966 until "Kokomo" came out. There was a huge gap missing from my knowledge of the Beach Boys catalog. I have spent the better part of the last two years trying to fill that void.
This Beach Boys reawakening also coincided with my resurgent interest in buying LPs. Aside from trying to find old-time music on my vinyl hunting trips, I have also searched for those late 1960s and 1970s Beach Boys albums. So far, I've collected 22 of their records, including two Dennis Wilson solo albums and the soundtrack to the 2014 movie, Love & Mercy.
So, what's all this have to do with the banjo? We five-string fanatics are all too familiar with the proliferation of the banjo in popular music in recent years. Contemporary groups like Mumford & Sons and Judah & the Lion and Iron & Wine — they like their ampersands, don't they? — and others have incorporated the banjo to varying degrees for modern audiences.
Well, guess what? The Beach Boys did it first.
According to my research, the banjo appears onfive six seven Beach Boys albums over the last 50-plus years. Brian Wilson weaved the five-string into Pet Sounds and on the aborted Smile sessions. The band would use it again a couple more times in the 1970s, and then finally on their last studio album in 2012.
As fellow Beach Boys and banjo enthusiast Tom Collins said in my interview with him in March, the band's use of our favorite twangy instrument tends to sound "cartoony." In three cases, they have a guitar player using guitar techniques to play banjo. Only once did they team up with a real, live banjo expert.
Regardless of how it's used, thefive six seven Beach Boys songs that feature the banjo provide a snapshot of how the band's sound evolved over time. So, let's break it down. Here are the five six seven times the Beach Boys used the banjo in chronological order:
"I Know There's an Answer"
Album (Year): Pet Sounds (1966)
Banjo Player: Glen Campbell
Notes: Before embarking on his solo career, Glen Campbell was a long-time session musician and member of the infamous Wrecking Crew. He started playing on Beach Boys albums in 1964 for All Summer Long. He even replaced Brian Wilson on stage for a time after Wilson quit touring to focus on writing and producing music. Campbell appears throughout Pet Sounds on guitar, but he plays banjo on this track as backup for the sweet bass harmonica solo about halfway through. He's just strumming the banjo here, playing choppy chords.
"Little Bird"
Album (Year): Friends (1968)
Banjo Player: Unknown
Notes: One of Dennis Wilson's first songwriting contributions for the Beach Boys, it was released on April 8, 1968, as the B side to "Friends" prior to the album release on June 24, 1968. No additional personnel is listed for the album, aside from the main band members. The banjo sounds like it's being plucked with a pick. It's possible Al Jardine is playing banjo here, as he does on "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)," which is listed below.
"Cabinessence"
Album (Year): 20/20 (1969)
Banjo Player: Carol Kaye
Notes: Originally recorded in 1966 for Smile, the aborted follow-up to Pet Sounds, this song was partially re-recorded and remixed for stereo in 1968 for its album release. Carol Kaye was another member of the Wrecking Crew and played on numerous Beach Boys albums. Known for her bass playing, here Kaye plays the banjo in a kind of flamenco style. The original mono recording was released in 2011 for The Smile Sessions.
"Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)"
Album (Year): Surf's Up (1971)
Banjo Player: Al Jardine
Notes: This one is a bit odd. Al Jardine is credited as the banjo player on this song, but it's not obvious in the mix. I believe he filtered his banjo through a distortion pedal. As such, it's difficult to discern exactly how he's playing it. Considering he mostly played rhythm guitar in the Beach Boys and some bass, I doubt his banjo is anything more than a guitar style adapted to the banjo.
"You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone"
Album (Year): Carl and the Passions — So Tough (1972)
Banjo Player: Doug Dillard
Notes: The 1970s were a weird time for the Beach Boys. They branched out into more socially conscious songs and were incorporating a country rock sound that was becoming popular at the time. What better way to keep that trend going by enlisting the help of one guy who was credited with pioneering country rock? Doug Dillard first made a name for himself in the bluegrass world with his brother in the Dillards, and then he joined former Byrds member Gene Clark for a pair of albums before becoming a popular session musician. This is the one Beach Boys song where the banjo is featured prominently, but doesn't feel like a gimmick.
"California Saga: California"
Album (Year): Holland (1973)
Banjo Player: Al Jardine
Notes: Played in a shuffle pattern, the banjo playing echoes the rhythm of the Beach Boys' iconic 1965 hit "California Girls." Al Jardine seems to be slowly finger picking the five-string on what may be his finest songwriting contribution to the band. The banjo is only prominent during the beginning of the song, but it's tasteful.
"H.E.L.P. Is On the Way"
Album (Year): Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys (1993)
Banjo Player: Unknown
Notes: Recorded circa 1970, during the sessions for Surf's Up, "H.E.L.P. Is on the Way" was written by Brian Wilson about a Los Angeles restaurant that the Beach Boys frequented and mentions Wilson's health food store the Radiant Radish at the end, during which a banjo comes into the mix. I couldn't find personnel information for this song, but I'd guess it's Al Jardine, since he plays banjo on the aforementioned "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" that was released on Surf's Up. This track, however, wasn't released until 1993, when it was included as part of a multi-disc, career-spanning box set. The banjo comes in at about the 2:15 mark. Thanks to David in the comments for alerting me to this omission.
As grunge music exploded in the early 1990s, and as I started to get into punk and my local music scene during high school, my Beach Boys fandom lay dormant. However, they slowly started to worm their way back into my consciousness. I went through an instrumental surf music phase in the late 1990s and early 2000s, from Dick Dale to Man or Astro-Man. Then, in 2007, Okkervil River used part of "Sloop John B" in their song "John Allyn Smith Sails" on their album, The Stage Names.
Of course, that's about when I started playing banjo and dove into the deep end of bluegrass and old-time music. I scarcely listened to anything beyond fiddles and banjos. A few years later, I read this article reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Pet Sounds and followed a link to another story on the band's deeper cuts, and it sparked something deep inside.
I had grown up with my parents mostly playing the Beach Boys' early music, those surf and hot rod hits from 1961 to 1965. They had Pet Sounds, but I don't recall them playing it much, and I barely heard anything after 1966 until "Kokomo" came out. There was a huge gap missing from my knowledge of the Beach Boys catalog. I have spent the better part of the last two years trying to fill that void.
This Beach Boys reawakening also coincided with my resurgent interest in buying LPs. Aside from trying to find old-time music on my vinyl hunting trips, I have also searched for those late 1960s and 1970s Beach Boys albums. So far, I've collected 22 of their records, including two Dennis Wilson solo albums and the soundtrack to the 2014 movie, Love & Mercy.
So, what's all this have to do with the banjo? We five-string fanatics are all too familiar with the proliferation of the banjo in popular music in recent years. Contemporary groups like Mumford & Sons and Judah & the Lion and Iron & Wine — they like their ampersands, don't they? — and others have incorporated the banjo to varying degrees for modern audiences.
Well, guess what? The Beach Boys did it first.
According to my research, the banjo appears on
As fellow Beach Boys and banjo enthusiast Tom Collins said in my interview with him in March, the band's use of our favorite twangy instrument tends to sound "cartoony." In three cases, they have a guitar player using guitar techniques to play banjo. Only once did they team up with a real, live banjo expert.
Regardless of how it's used, the
"I Know There's an Answer"
Album (Year): Pet Sounds (1966)
Banjo Player: Glen Campbell
Notes: Before embarking on his solo career, Glen Campbell was a long-time session musician and member of the infamous Wrecking Crew. He started playing on Beach Boys albums in 1964 for All Summer Long. He even replaced Brian Wilson on stage for a time after Wilson quit touring to focus on writing and producing music. Campbell appears throughout Pet Sounds on guitar, but he plays banjo on this track as backup for the sweet bass harmonica solo about halfway through. He's just strumming the banjo here, playing choppy chords.
"Little Bird"
Album (Year): Friends (1968)
Banjo Player: Unknown
Notes: One of Dennis Wilson's first songwriting contributions for the Beach Boys, it was released on April 8, 1968, as the B side to "Friends" prior to the album release on June 24, 1968. No additional personnel is listed for the album, aside from the main band members. The banjo sounds like it's being plucked with a pick. It's possible Al Jardine is playing banjo here, as he does on "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)," which is listed below.
"Cabinessence"
Album (Year): 20/20 (1969)
Banjo Player: Carol Kaye
Notes: Originally recorded in 1966 for Smile, the aborted follow-up to Pet Sounds, this song was partially re-recorded and remixed for stereo in 1968 for its album release. Carol Kaye was another member of the Wrecking Crew and played on numerous Beach Boys albums. Known for her bass playing, here Kaye plays the banjo in a kind of flamenco style. The original mono recording was released in 2011 for The Smile Sessions.
"Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)"
Album (Year): Surf's Up (1971)
Banjo Player: Al Jardine
Notes: This one is a bit odd. Al Jardine is credited as the banjo player on this song, but it's not obvious in the mix. I believe he filtered his banjo through a distortion pedal. As such, it's difficult to discern exactly how he's playing it. Considering he mostly played rhythm guitar in the Beach Boys and some bass, I doubt his banjo is anything more than a guitar style adapted to the banjo.
"You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone"
Album (Year): Carl and the Passions — So Tough (1972)
Banjo Player: Doug Dillard
Notes: The 1970s were a weird time for the Beach Boys. They branched out into more socially conscious songs and were incorporating a country rock sound that was becoming popular at the time. What better way to keep that trend going by enlisting the help of one guy who was credited with pioneering country rock? Doug Dillard first made a name for himself in the bluegrass world with his brother in the Dillards, and then he joined former Byrds member Gene Clark for a pair of albums before becoming a popular session musician. This is the one Beach Boys song where the banjo is featured prominently, but doesn't feel like a gimmick.
"California Saga: California"
Album (Year): Holland (1973)
Banjo Player: Al Jardine
Notes: Played in a shuffle pattern, the banjo playing echoes the rhythm of the Beach Boys' iconic 1965 hit "California Girls." Al Jardine seems to be slowly finger picking the five-string on what may be his finest songwriting contribution to the band. The banjo is only prominent during the beginning of the song, but it's tasteful.
"H.E.L.P. Is On the Way"
Album (Year): Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys (1993)
Banjo Player: Unknown
Notes: Recorded circa 1970, during the sessions for Surf's Up, "H.E.L.P. Is on the Way" was written by Brian Wilson about a Los Angeles restaurant that the Beach Boys frequented and mentions Wilson's health food store the Radiant Radish at the end, during which a banjo comes into the mix. I couldn't find personnel information for this song, but I'd guess it's Al Jardine, since he plays banjo on the aforementioned "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" that was released on Surf's Up. This track, however, wasn't released until 1993, when it was included as part of a multi-disc, career-spanning box set. The banjo comes in at about the 2:15 mark. Thanks to David in the comments for alerting me to this omission.
"The Private Life of Bill and Sue"
Album (Year): That's Why God Made the Radio (2012)
Banjo Player: Probyn Gregory
Notes: Multi-instrumentalist and Oberlin College alumni Probyn Gregory joined Brian Wilson's touring band in the early 2000s around the time when Wilson completed his aborted 1967 opus as Brian Wilson Presents Smile, released in 2004. When the Beach Boys reunited in 2011 for a 50th anniversary tour and album, Gregory was involved with both. The banjo isn't prominent here, but it's mixed nicely into the background of this silly song about reality TV stars.
My favorite Beach Boys song that uses banjo is "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone." It's a funky and weird song, and Dillard's banjo is showcased in a way that feels authentic, compared to the more clownish uses discussed above. There's also some fiddle in there. I wonder who that was? At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this side trip into my other musical obsession. Enjoy the sounds of summer!
[Photo courtesy of The Beach Boys official website thebeachboys.com, © Capital Photo Archives. Don't sue me. I don't have any money. UPDATED 10/4/18: Added "Little Bird." UPDATED 11/26/18: Added "California Saga: California." UPDATED 2/15/22: Added "H.E.L.P. Is On the Way."]
Album (Year): That's Why God Made the Radio (2012)
Banjo Player: Probyn Gregory
Notes: Multi-instrumentalist and Oberlin College alumni Probyn Gregory joined Brian Wilson's touring band in the early 2000s around the time when Wilson completed his aborted 1967 opus as Brian Wilson Presents Smile, released in 2004. When the Beach Boys reunited in 2011 for a 50th anniversary tour and album, Gregory was involved with both. The banjo isn't prominent here, but it's mixed nicely into the background of this silly song about reality TV stars.
My favorite Beach Boys song that uses banjo is "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone." It's a funky and weird song, and Dillard's banjo is showcased in a way that feels authentic, compared to the more clownish uses discussed above. There's also some fiddle in there. I wonder who that was? At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this side trip into my other musical obsession. Enjoy the sounds of summer!
[Photo courtesy of The Beach Boys official website thebeachboys.com, © Capital Photo Archives. Don't sue me. I don't have any money. UPDATED 10/4/18: Added "Little Bird." UPDATED 11/26/18: Added "California Saga: California." UPDATED 2/15/22: Added "H.E.L.P. Is On the Way."]
Love this article, Brad! Perfect timing for me as I'm in my summer Beach Boys phase (again).
ReplyDeleteH.E.L.P. Is On the Way (@ 1970)
ReplyDeleteGreat find! Might have to make another revision, though unfortunately I'm not seeing any information on the personnel on this track to find who was playing the banjo. Any idea? My guess would be Al Jardine, since "H.E.L.P. Is on the Way" was recorded during Surf's Up, and Al played banjo on that album for "Looking at Tomorrow."
Delete