While The Beach Boys’ limited-edition book, ‘The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys,’ is waiting for release in 2024, Mike Love joined a chat with The Vinyl Guide podcast to reflect on the band’s past material. Speaking about Brian Wilson‘s attitude behind the scenes, he detailed the recording process of ‘Pet Sounds’ by saying:
“It wasn’t always pleasant or easy, but we were looking for the perfect blend, the perfect harmony, the perfect vibration together. If one person sang just a little bit off on a four-part thing, they’re behind or ahead of something, or flat or sharp or whatever it might be, just a tad, just a little bit, most people wouldn’t pick up on it or care. But Brian was, I call him, the ‘Stalin of the Studio.’ Because he wanted it perfect. And he was looking for something that normal human beings don’t hear.”
According to Love, for ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ alone, The Beach Boys performed almost 25 takes while working on the 1966 album. This approach and Wilson’s control over the recording sessions reportedly caused some conflicts between the band members at the time.
Still, ‘Pet Sounds’ received critical acclaim and secured three platinum certifications in the UK and the US upon its release, while it also received mixed reactions from the Capitol Records’ marketing team, as Love recalled:
“‘Gee, guys, this is great. But could you do something more like ‘California Girls’ or ‘I Get Around’ or ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ or ‘Don’t Worry Baby?” In other words, they wanted that hit 45 formula to continue on ad infinitum. But we were interested in breaking boundaries, experimenting, and in getting a little complex in the orchestration.”
You can listen to Mike Love’s interview here and find The Beach Boys’ full album below.
