(All tracks were recorded at Western Studio 3 unless otherwise noted. Vocal session track sheets are incomplete, but indications are that they were done at both Western and Columbia (with Ralph Balantin engineering). It is also possible that some were recorded at Capitol. Vocal session dates are very sketchy, and we have included them where possible. Actual dates are uncertain; it seems that most of the vocal work was done in March and April.)
1) "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
1/22/66
Recorded at Gold Star/Engineer: Larry Levine
Capitol Master #55558-Take 21 is master.
Drums: Hal Blaine
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
String bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Jerry Cole, Barney Kessel, Bill Pitman, Ray Pohlman
Piano, Al de Lory
Tack piano: Larry Knechtel
Accordions: Carl Fortina, Frank Marocco
Timpani, bells: Frank Capp
Trumpet: Roy Caton
Saxophones: Steve Douglas, Plas Johnson, Jay Migliori
1) "You Still Believe In Me" (AKA "In My Childhood")
1/24/66
Engineer: Chuck Britz
Capitol Master #55314-Take 23 is master.
[On the same day, dubdown to take 2A was made for vocal overdubs]
Drums: Hal Blaine
Percussion: Jerry Williams
Bicycle bell/ Finger cymbals: Julius Wechter
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
String bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel
Piano: Al de Lory
Trumpet: Roy Caton
Tenor Sax: Steve Douglas, Plas Johnson
Alto Sax: Bill Green, Jim Horn
Baritone Sax: Jay Migliori
(This was a typical breakdown of the saxophone section)
1) "That's Not Me"
2/15/66
Engineer: Chuck Britz
Capitol Master #55591-Take 15 is master.
(Dubdown to take 1A was made for two leads and background vocals)
Drums: Hal Blaine
Organ: Brian Wilson
Guitar: Carl Wilson
(NOTE: An AFM contract for this date lists Carl, Dennis, Al and Bruce as having played on this track, but the surviving session tape seems to indicates otherwise. Only Hal, Brian and Carl are clearly audible on the basic track, which includes just drums, organ, one guitar and percussion. It's possible that it's Dennis who is playing percussion; as Brian is in the studio, it sounds like it's Bruce in the booth talking to Carl on the floor. Brian recalls that Terry Melcher played tambourine and Lyle Ritz played a bowed string bass; that bass and everything else...guitar, piano, additional percussion, etc... was overdubbed at a later time. It is virtually impossible to determine who played what.)
1) "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)"
Tracking date: 2/11/66
Capitol Master #55597-As the tracking session tape could not be found, we don't know what take number is the master.
Drums: Hal Blaine
Percussion: Steve Douglas
Kettle drums: Frank Capp
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Glen Campbell, Billy Strange
Organ: Al de Lory
4/3/66
String overdub session
Master is take 1A
Engineer: H. Bowen David
Violins: Arnold Belnick, Ralph Schaeffer, Sid Sharp, Tibor Zelig
Cello: Joe Saxon
Viola: Norm Botnick
5) "I'm Waiting For The Day"
3/6/66
Engineer: H. Bowen David
Capitol Master #55865-Take 14 is master.
First session of the day
Drums: Jim Gordon
Timpani, Bongos: Gary Coleman
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitar: Ray Pohlman
Piano: Al de Lory
Organ: Larry Knechtel
Flutes: Bill Green, Len Hartman, Jim Horn, Jay Migliori
Second session, string overdub
Violins: Bill Kurasch, Lenny Malarsky, Ralph Schaeffer, Sid Sharp
Cello: Justin DiTullio
Viola: Harry Hyams
6) "Let's Go Away For Awhile"
1/18/66
Engineer: Chuck Britz
Capitol Master #55557-Take 18 is master.
Drums: Hal Blaine
Timpani, Vibes: Julius VVechter
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Al Casey, Barney Kessel
Piano: Al de Lory
Trumpet: Roy Caton
Saxophones: Steve Douglas, Jim Horn, Plas Johnson, Jay Migliori
Overdub 1/19/66
Flute: Jules Jacob
Violins: Jim Getzoff, Bill Kurasch, Lenny Malarsky, Jerry Reisler, Ralph Schaeffer, Sid Sharp, Tibor Zelig
Viola: Joe DiFiore, Harry Hyams
Cello: Justin DiTullio, Joe Saxon
7) "Sloop John B"
7/12/65
Engineer: Chuck Britz
Capitol Master #53999-Take 14 is master.
Drums: Hal Blaine
Percussion: Frank Capp
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Al Casey, Jerry Cole, Billy Strange
Piano: Al de Lory
Flute: Steve Douglas
Saxophones: Jim Horn, Jay Migliori, Jack Nimitz
Overdub on 12/29/65, 12-string guitar solo by Billy Strange and two lead vocals.
Vocals recorded 12/22/65
Dubdown 1B (date unknown) to add high lead vocal and extra backgrounds.
7) "God Only Knows"
3/10/66
(AFM contract indicates session began after midnight.)
Capitol Master #55849Take 20 is master with pickup edited in on same date.
Engineer: Chuck Britz
Drums: Hal Blaine
Percussion: Jim Gordon
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Ray Pohlman
Pianos: Don Randi
Organ: Larry Knechtel
Accordions: Carl Fortina, Frank Marocco
French Horn: Alan Robinson
Saxophones: Bill Green, Len Hartman, Jim Horn, Jay Migliori
Violins: Lenny Malarsky, Sid Sharp
Viola: Darrel Terwilliger
Cello: Jesse Ehrlich
9) "I Know There's An Answer"
(AKA "Hang On To Your Ego")
2/9/66
(On AFM contract, it was titled "Let Go Of Your Ego")
Capitol Master #55596-Take 12 is master.
Engineer: Chuck Britz
Drums: Hal Blaine
Percussion (Tambourine): Julius Wechter
Fender Bass: Ray Pohlman
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel
Piano: Al de Lory
Organ: Larry Knechtel
Saxophones: Steve Douglas, Jim Horn, Jay Migliori
Bass Harmonica: Tommy Morgan
(As the AFM contract indicates that Glen Campbell was paid for "a double," it may mean that it's him playing banjo as well as guitar.)
10) "Here Today"
3/11/66
Recorded at Sunset Sound- Engineer: Bruce Botnick
Capitol Master #55680--Master take is combination of take 11 (front half of track) and take 20 (from letter C out).
Drums: Nick Martinis
Percussion: Frank Capp
Fender Bass: Ray Pohlman
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Al Casey, Mike Deasy
Piano: Don Randi
Organ: Larry Knechtel
Saxophones: Steve Douglas, Bill Green, Plus Johnson, Jay Migliori, Jack Nimit
Trombones: Gail Martin, Ernie Tack
11) "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times"
Recorded at Gold Star Studios
2/14/66
Capitol Master#55598- Take six is master.
Engineer: Larry Levine
Drums, Temple Blocks: Hal Blaine
Percussion: Frank Capp
Fender Bass: Ray Pohlman
String Bass: Chuck Berghofer
Guitars: Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel
Piano: Don Randi
Harpsichord: Mike Melvoin
Saxophone: Steve Douglas, Plas Johnson, Jay Migliori
Harmonica: Tommy Morgan
Theremin: Paul Tanner
12. "Pet Sounds"
(AKA "Run James Run")
11/17/65
Capitol Master #55848-Take 3 is master.
Dubdown to 1A was made and bongos and two Leslie'd guitars were added.
Drums: Richie Frost
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Jerry Cole, Billy Strange, Tommy Tedesco
Saxophones: Bill Green, Jim Horn, Plas Johnson, Jay Migliori
Trumpet: Roy Caton
13) "Caroline, No"
1/31/66
Master #55536-Take 17 is master. Brian overdubbed second keyboard, second bass, drums in the vamp and saxophones.
Drums: Hal Blaine
Percussion: Frank Capp
Fender Bass: Carol Kaye
Guitars: Glen Campbell, Barney Kessel
Ukulele: Lyle Ritz
Harpsichord: Al de Lory
Saxophones: Steve Douglas, Jim Horn, Plas Johnson, Jay Migliori
Flute and bass flute: Bill Green
14) "Good Vibrations"
Recorded at Gold Star 2/18/66
(The session actually started at 11:30pm on 2/17/66)
Take 28 is the master.
Engineer: Cal Harris
Drums: Hal Blaine
Percussion: Frank Capp
Fender Bass: Ray Pohlman
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Guitars: Al Casey, Billy Strange
Piano: Don Randi
Organ: Larry Knechtel
Saxophone: Steve Douglas, Bill Green, Plas Johnson, Jay Migliori
Theremin: Paul Tanner
14) "Trombone Dixie"
11/1/65
Drums: Hal Blaine
Percussion: Jerry Williams
Latin Percussion/Vibes Fender Bass: Julius Wechter
String Bass: Carol Kaye
Piano: Lyle Ritz
Guitar: Don Randi
Saxophone: Jerry Cole, Barney Kessel, Billy Strange
Trombone: Steve Douglas, Jay Migliori, James Henderson, Lew McCreary
Trumpet: Roy Caton
(This session information was compiled using research generously supplied by music historian Russ Wapensky whose forthcoming book from Greenwood Press will formally document the history of Los Angeles recording sessions from 1945-1968. By combining Russ' incredible work (hours of painstaking conversations with the original session musicians to determine who played what) with the existing session sheets, we have included as much information as possible. NOTE: As the American Federation of Musicians contracts for most of these sessions no longer are in the files, this information may not be 100% accurate. The session dates are taken from the tape box legends themselves.)
(NOTE: According to all previous accounts of their collaboration, the track for "You Still Believe In Me" was already cut before Brian Wilson and Tony Asher began working together. However, as the session information indicates that "Wouldn't It Be Nice" was tracked prior to "You Still Believe In Me," we are presented with a serious anomaly which casts question on the accuracy of dates of the sessions. Combined with the way AFM contracts were done, all we know for sure is that none of the dates are 100% certain.)
