Pet Sounds (a cappella) (1966)
Brian Wilson’s Teenage Chorale To God
An a cappella version of one of the most revered albums ever made, Pet Sounds. Just the cherished vocals of The Beach Boys… without music. And, maybe not surprisingly, it’s even more beautiful than the original. Brian Wilson’s elaborate musical instrumentation has never taken a back seat to the group’s equally elaborate vocals, so hearing Pet Sounds “naked” truly emphasizes the sheer beauty of The Beach Boys’ heavenly harmonies. This is a rare, alternate mix of what would eventually be on 1997’s The Pet Sounds Sessions box set. On the released version, Wilson actually left some music in the mix to avoid silences during extended instrumental passages. On this version, however, there is no music whatsoever (except for the opening seconds), and it’s a better mix as a result. Comparing the two, it appears time was edited to avoid lengthy silences. Stack-O-Vocals, as it’s referred to on the Sessions box, is a title nod to the Boys’ unusual 1968 LP, Stack-O-Tracks (HERE), an early example of a karaoke record featuring only the music of The Beach Boys, no vocals. That LP sold so poorly it became their first album to go out of print. Find The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds Sessions at Amazon, HERE.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice (a cappella)
You Still Believe In Me (a cappella)
That’s Not Me (a cappella)
Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulders) (a cappella)
I’m Waiting For The Day (a cappella)
Sloop John B (a cappella)
God Only Knows (a cappella)
I Know There’s An Answer (a cappella)
Here Today (a cappella)
I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times (a cappella)
Caroline No (a cappella)
Thanks to pj for sending us a nifty homemade cover for this a cappella version. Since it’s not a part of the download, you’ll need to click on it and drag the image to your desktop.
44 Comments
Thanks! This is so cool.
Wonderful.
Many thanks.
I should've waited until I listened to this – 'God Only Knows' [predictably - lol] is particularly, simply, truly exquisite – spine tingling. But what a revelation to hear the previously inaudible, inspired subtleties in some of the melodic lines that comprise the harmonies. I've listened so often to the orig tracks with intense concentration trying to explore the arrangements and always been in awe of Wilson's genius, but this is something else.
Hoo – ee.
Oh, how right you are, only moi.
You should strongly consider getting the Pet Sounds Sessions box set. It's full of revelations, not to mention instrumental versions, tons of variations and more detail than any normal human should require. But these vocals only versions are, indeed, heaven on earth.
Thanks for getting on board the boat.
This is absolutely wonderful! As far as I'm concerned, "Pet Sounds" is in the top three albums of the 1960s: I have listened to it many, many times and it has always filled me with joy. These versions, though, send shivers down my spine. I think I'll be listening to this frequently until the end of (my) time. Thanks, willard.
John_R in Western Australia
Shivers up the spine at Blade Manor! Awesome post.
thanks for this,
i linked to it from my blog.
hi fellas
thanks a lot!
who mixed it eventually?
A revelation…thanks.
Alan
Cheers Willard! Any version of 'Pet Sounds' (and I have many) is a delight!
Very cool. I remember when I was in the Army in 1976 one of my roommates had this LP.
Dave
Wow…this really has to be heard to be believed…40 years old and still fresh today.
Thanks a million for posting this.
Steve
A floating musical ride to heresville. Thanx!
Wow…simply wow. Beyond gorgeous vocals…thank you for posting!!
Sweet mother of God. This is so sublimely amazing, there's no words. Thank you so much… this is going to be my favorite for a while. (Better even than the original album if that's possible!)
Wonderful stuff, thanks so much
silsurf
Magique !!! quel son !
Oh Man this is good stuff. Thank You!
WOW ,like i never knew this shit existed ,i love it,CHEERS TO YOU AND YOUR BLOG , thanks
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Search HERE
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Wow! Great post. I somehow missed this one before. Always find some surprises here. Keep up the great work. THANKS.
Gorgeous.
I again bow to the Master! Willard your choices of posts and the significance of the music chosen is impeccable! Many Thanks!
A THOUSAND THANKS!!!!
(Took me a little while to find The Link)
Thanks pj,
That's mighty nice.
W
From one PJ to another, thanks for for the most excellent cover.
Not to gush, but wanted to remind you Willard that it's not just the shares, but your commentary and community that makes your site so special. Appreciate the effort and the taste. Thanks.
Thanks for the kind words and the (forbidden) comments. Cheers.
Thanks for all your hard work,it is very much appreciated.Please,if at all possible could you post SAM the sham and the pharaohs woolly bully, my old 33 album is wore out. I HAVE THEIR RHINO RELEASE GREATEST HITS, BUT ITS NOT AS GOOD AS THIS ALBUM. THE COVER IS ALSO A HOOT. I LOVE THE HEARSE AND THEIR OUTFITS. AGAIN THANKS FOR YOUR WORK.
Sorry, don't have any Sam. To be honest, I'm not sure I've ever even heard one, much less owned one. Nothing against the Shammys, of course. Just one of those acts I've never looked into.
AMAZING! Loved "wouldn't it be nice"! Where would I find the link for the whole album?
THANKS!
-JackieP
Above. Nov. 17, 2009
Wow! This is awesome! But what I found really interesting when I listened through headphones is that this appears to be in stereo. I thought Brian Wilson always mixed down to mono, so I was wondering about this stereo mix of the vocals. Does anyone know anything about that?
Brian didn’t “always” mix to mono. It was his preference, but the BB’s had stereo mixes, too.
wow – that’s fantastic!
Thanks very much for these wonderful reups!
i linked to your post again, still the most beautiful music on the planet
The voices of angels, or the closest thing to it, anyway. Thank you so much. The Pet Sounds Sessions box set has always been one of my favorite possessions. This will be an excellent supplement. Outstanding.
I’m sorry, but where is the link?
#20
thank you very much
@34 stereo vs mono: as I understand it (and i think the box set makes this clear) lots of BB stuff was recorded in 3 track stereo (back before 4 and 8 track machines were widely available) partly as a technical convenience (easier to add tracks to existing material for later mixdown). The final releases were mixed to mono on 5″ speakers, approximating the “hi fi” setup in most passenger cars back then. One thing that delayed the PS stereo release was that the 3-track masters weren’t even found until…er…maybe 2000 or so. (again, the booklet with the box set lays this out in detail).
Thanks, Willard, I’ve snagged some of these tracks off of YouTube, but that’s “internet” sound quality, and I look forward to hearing these. Your site is brilliant and I love the range of your taste. My hat’s off to you!
Thanks for the insight. Coincidentally, we’re posting Stack-o-Tracks tomorrow, since the link we’re now linking to in this post no longer works.
“Wouldn’t it be nice” sounds stunning in that clip. Never knew such things existed. Thanks