Beach Boys Acapella - Their Hearts Were Full of Spring

[Andy Volk]

Forget about the lip synch and the lyrics and just listen to those harmonies. Now THAT's singin'!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jttr7zDf ... r_embedded

[Doug Beaumier]

Great sound! Brian Wilson was a huge fan of The Lettermen in his youth and the connection is evident in this clip and the amazing harmonies. Shindig - I watched that show every week (or was it every day) when I was 15 years old! As far as the lip synch... that's how they do it in the movies. Singers have been doing that in film for about... 60 years?

[Michael Robertson]

Andy I’m sure you have seen this before.

http://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/

With great vocals up front and these folks behind, you’ve got a winner.

[Doug Beaumier]

Michael, that's an interesting clip, thanks for posting it. The Wrecking Crew reminds me of Nashville's A-Team of the 70s, or the Muscle Shoals session guys. Great, creative players who got little or no credit for making the music come alive.

[Andy Volk]

Michael, yep, I've been aware of the film for a few years but have yet to see it. The Wrecking Crew in LA, The Muscle Shoals Guys, The MGs in Memphis, and in NY, the cream of the jazz guys all were the consummate pros behind the hit singles of early rock and pop. Most of 'em had little regard for many of the songs and artists with whom they played (with some big exceptions). It was a way to put food on the table.

Doug, the Letterman and Gene Purling and The Hi-Los were the spine of the Beach Boys sound.

[Dave Hopping]

To me the BBs' a cappella singing sounded more like the Four Freshmen than anything else.

[Kevin Hatton]

I agree Dave about The Four Freshman. The Andy Williams clips are live. There intonation abilities were outstanding. What superior talent they were. Beautiful harmony ranges. Each one a great singer.

[Andy Volk]

Brian Wilson quote from the liner notes to the Hi-Los CD "Nice Work If You Can Get It"

The Hi-Lo's helped me get through high school. They turned me on to modern harmony and taught me how to arrange vocals. The Hi-Lo's were the greatest.

I rest my case.

[Mark Eaton]

Yeah, I think it was The Four Freshmen that Brian admired so much, not necessarily The Lettermen, though I've read he liked them as well.

Of the dozens of interview, books, and articles I've read about the man it was The Four Freshmen that is brought up most consistently.

You can rest your case Andy on the Hi-Lo's quote, but you might have to re-open it if you investigate how many times Brian has cited the Freshmen as the biggest influence on his vocal harmonies.

[Andy Volk]

Okay, fair point. I reopen my case!

[Richard Damron]

Sounds like most any cut on my 9 Four Freshmen albums.

[Chad Karnitz]

Absolutely the Four Freshmen, not the Lettermen. This is pretty much a note-for-note rendition of the Four Freshmen version on their album "The Freshman Year" from 1958.

[Craig Stock]

I was reading Dominic Priore's book 'Smile' and in the beginning he references that Brian was a fan of both the Hi-Los and the 'Four Freshman' not saying that either was his fave. He also said that at the time Lambert, Hendricks and Ross was big at the time in LA.

[Andy Volk]

I guess it's safe to say that the top vocal groups of the 50s were an influence on BW as well as Chuck Berry and his own musical creativity and brilliance.

[Craig Stock]

BTW, has anyone heard the new CD by Brian doing Gerschwin songs. I think it's real good, hoping to see him do it live here in June.

[Barry Blackwood]

Only my opinion, but as much as I love the Beach Boys and BW, I feel he's really out of his league here. Given this material, he sounds more juvenile than usual.