Editing Pet Sounds (section)

==Production==
===Backing tracks===
[[File:Exterior of 6000 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles (cropped).jpg|thumb|Former entrance of [[United Western Recorders|Western Studio]] on [[Sunset Boulevard]] (2019)]]

Recording for ''Pet Sounds'' primarily occurred between January 18 and April 13, 1966, across 27 sessions.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=126}} Three tracks—"You Still Believe in Me", "Pet Sounds", and "Sloop John B"—were initiated earlier, with the latter partially recorded in July and December 1965.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=108}} Most instrumental tracks were recorded at Western Studio 3 of [[United Western Recorders]], while [[Gold Star Studios]] hosted sessions for "[[Good Vibrations]]" and the backing tracks of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "[[I Just Wasn't Made for These Times]]".{{sfn|Badman|2004|pp=112, 115, 117}} [[Sunset Sound Recorders]] was used for the instrumental of "Here Today".{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=122}} Wilson produced the album largely with his usual engineer, [[Chuck Britz]], a staff member at Western.{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=130–131}} 

Since the 1963 ''Surfer Girl'' sessions,{{sfn|Dillon|2012|pp=24–25}} Wilson had gradually integrated Spector's choice of studio musicians, a group later known as "[[the Wrecking Crew (music)|the Wrecking Crew]]", into Beach Boys records.{{sfn|Moorefield|2010|p=16}}{{sfn|Schinder|2007|p=114}} Regular participants included [[Hal Blaine]] (drums), Glen Campbell and [[Billy Strange]] (guitar), [[Al de Lory]] (piano), [[Steve Douglas (musician)|Steve Douglas]] (saxophone) [[Carol Kaye]] (Fender bass), [[Larry Knechtel]] (Hammond organ), [[Don Randi]] (piano), [[Lyle Ritz]] (upright bass), [[Ray Pohlman]] (bass and guitar), and [[Julius Wechter]] (percussion).{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=136}} He relied on studio musicians to execute his increasingly complex arrangements, particularly as the band members were frequently touring,{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=136}} with ''Pet Sounds'' marking the first Beach Boys project in which he almost exclusively used these musicians for the backing tracks.<ref name="instrumentmyth">{{cite web |last1=Slowinski |first1=Craig |title=Introduction |url=http://www.beachboysarchives.com/page2 |website=beachboysarchives.com |publisher=Endless Summer Quarterly |access-date=May 14, 2022 |date=2006}}</ref> Carl, who sporadically contributed guitar parts during sessions, later reflected that the technical demands of the recordings had exceeded the group's collective abilities: "It really wasn't appropriate for us to play on those [''Pet Sounds''] dates—the tracking just got beyond us."{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=160}}

[[File:Brian Wilson Pet Sounds 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Wilson conducting a ''Pet Sounds'' session behind the mixing desk at Western]]
Backing track sessions typically lasted at least three hours, with Britz recalling that most time was spent refining sounds, as Wilson knew "exactly" which instruments he wanted and insisted on assembling all musicians simultaneously, despite the financial impracticality.<ref name="InTheStudio">{{cite AV media notes |chapter=In the Studio |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet |chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/In_The_Studio.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427191940/http://albumlinernotes.com/In_The_Studio.html |archive-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref> By layering combinations of instruments (such as multiple types of keyboards) playing in [[unison]], slight tuning discrepancies between them produced a [[chorus effect|chorusing effect]], a phasing texture unattainable through electronic means.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=158}}

Wilson characterized himself as "sort of a square" around these musicians, starting with each instrument's sound individually, typically beginning with keyboards and drums, followed by violins if not overdubbed.<ref name="BrianWilson1997"/> Sessions lacked pre-rehearsals, and he usually arrived with only rudimentary musical drafts.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=139}}{{refn|group=nb|Wilson retained his musical ideas mentally until recording sessions and rehearsed individual sections rather than full arrangements, leaving the musicians unfamiliar with complete songs until tracking began.  Accordionist [[Frank Marocco]] recalled the process as initially chaotic, though Wilson consistently unified the elements to match his vision by the session's conclusion. Despite the seemingly improvised workflow, Wilson adhered to pre-session plans developed during hours of solitary piano work.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=143}}}} He typically composed full arrangements mentally but conveyed them through shorthand notation prepared by session musicians, with separate charts for different instrumental groups.<ref name="BrianWilson1997">{{cite AV media notes |chapter=Interview with Brian Wilson |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet |chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Interview_w_Brian_Wilson.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427191939/http://albumlinernotes.com/Interview_w_Brian_Wilson.html |archive-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref> His approach relied on the musicians' improvisational skills; instead of detailed written scores, he hummed or vocalized parts during recording.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=139}} Blaine recalled using basic chord charts handwritten on standard paper, which Wilson photocopied for the group; they would adjust parts based on his feedback during takes.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=140}} While maintaining creative control, he welcomed additional input from these musicians and occasionally retained their mistakes if he felt they enhanced the recording.{{sfn|Schinder|2007|p=114}}{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=144}}

[[File:Scully 280 4-track tape recorder, Ardent Studios (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|alt=An elaborate tape deck|A [[Scully Recording Instruments|Scully]] four-track 280 tape deck, identical to the model used for ''Pet Sounds''{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=108}}]]
Compared to Spector's Wall of Sound, Wilson's productions achieved greater technical complexity through his use of four-track and eight-track recording.<ref name="Linett1997">{{cite AV media notes |first=Mark |last=Linett |author-link=Mark Linett |chapter=Notes on Recording and Mixing |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet |chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Recording_Mixing_Notes.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427203719/http://albumlinernotes.com/Recording_Mixing_Notes.html |archive-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref> While Spector recorded live ensemble takes in mono on three-track machines,<ref name="Buskin2007">{{cite web |last1=Buskin |first1=Richard |title=CLASSIC TRACKS: The Ronettes 'Be My Baby' |date=April 2007 |website=Sound on Sound |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr07/articles/classictracks_0407.htm |access-date=August 19, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620224552/https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-ronettes-be-my-baby |archive-date=June 20, 2016}}</ref> Wilson employed a Scully four-track 288 tape recorder for initial backing tracks,<ref name="Stromoff1996" /> later transferring them to eight-track.{{sfn|Moorefield|2010|p=18}} Instruments were grouped across three tracks: drums, percussion, and keyboards; horns; and bass with additional percussion and guitar. A fourth track held temporary reference mixes, later replaced by overdubs like strings.<ref name=Linett1997 /> Once Wilson was satisfied with a track, Britz provided a 7½ IPS tape copy for him to take home for further evaluation.<ref name="Britz1997" />

Principal recording commenced on January 18 with the basic track for "Let's Go Away for Awhile" at Western Studio 3. Sessions for "Wouldn't It Be Nice" began at Gold Star Studio A on January 22, while "Caroline, No" was tracked at Western Studio 3 on January 31. February saw more activity: "I Know There's an Answer" (February 9), "Don't Talk" (February 11), "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" (February 14 at Gold Star), and "That's Not Me" (February 15) were all recorded at Western Studio 3. March sessions included "I'm Waiting for the Day" (March 6) and "God Only Knows" (March 10) at Western, alongside "Here Today" (March 10 or 11 at Sunset Sound).<ref name="PS2016"/>

===Reactions from bandmates===
{{quote box
| align = left
| width = 25%
| quote =[...] it took us quite a while to adjust [...] because it wasn't music you could necessarily dance to—it was more like music you could make love to.
| source = —Al Jardine{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=166}}
}}

''Pet Sounds'' is sometimes considered a Brian Wilson solo album,{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=106}}{{sfn|Bogdanov|Woodstra|Erlewine|2002|p=72}}{{sfn|Doe|Tobler|2009|p=20}} including by Wilson himself, who later called it his "first solo album" and "a chance to step outside the group and shine".{{sfn|Umphred|1997|p=31}} Except for Mike Love, who received phone previews of tracks from Wilson, other band members were not consulted during production,{{sfn|White|1996|p=254}} though Brian had played excerpts to Dennis and Carl during their time in Japan.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=111}} Upon returning to the studio on February 9,{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=111}} the bandmates were presented with recordings that jarred with their expectations.{{sfn|Gaines|1986|p=149}}

[[File:Mike Love Pet Sounds.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|alt=A close-up of Mike Love smiling|Mike Love at a ''Pet Sounds'' vocal overdubbing session. He later rejected claims that he had disliked the album.<ref>{{cite web |last=Valania |first=Jonathan |date=May 27, 2015 |title=MIKE LOVE NOT WAR: Q&A With A Beach Boy |url=http://www.phawker.com/2015/05/27/incoming-mike-love-not-war/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301110418/https://phawker.com/2015/05/27/incoming-mike-love-not-war/ |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |publisher=Phawker.com |orig-year=2012}}</ref>]]

Critiques among the band members focused on lyrics rather than music,{{sfn|Leaf|1978|p=85}} with additional concerns about replicating the complex arrangements in live performances.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sky |first=Rick |date=November 2, 2016 |title=Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds – Royal Albert Hall, 28 October 2016 Live Review |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/brian-wilson/music/brian-wilson-presents-pet-sounds-royal-albert-hall-28-october-2016 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Contactmusic.com]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119160423/https://www.contactmusic.com/brian-wilson/music/brian-wilson-presents-pet-sounds-royal-albert-hall-28-october-2016 |archive-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref> In his 2016 memoir, Brian claimed Carl embraced the album while Love and Dennis initially did not.{{sfn|Wilson|Greenman|2016|p=182}} Dennis, in 1976, dismissed rumors of dissent as "interesting", insisting no member matched Brian's talent or opposed his vision.<ref>{{cite interview |interviewer=Pete Fornatale |title=WNEW-FM |type=Interview: Audio |location=New York City |date=November 1976 |subject=Wilson, Dennis}}; {{YouTube|cVItbEJBkJM|Dennis Wilson – Pete Fornatale Interview 1976}}</ref> Carl rejected such reports as "bullshit", declaring universal affection for the project during its creation<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Robertson |first1=Sandy |date=April 19, 1980 |title=The Beach Boys: The Life of Brian |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beach-boys-the-life-of-brian |magazine=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |via=[[Rock's Backpages]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref> and later stating in 1996, "We knew that this was really good music."<ref name="Carl1997">{{cite AV media notes |chapter=Comments by Carl Wilson |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet|chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Comments_by_Carl_Wilson.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427191940/http://albumlinernotes.com/Comments_by_Carl_Wilson.html |archive-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref> Love stated his sole objection targeted the original lyrics of "I Know There's an Answer".{{sfn|Love|2016|p=131}}{{refn|group=nb|Jardine described Love as "very confused" by the album's direction, calling him a "formula hound" dependent on clear [[hook (music)|hooks]].<ref name="Goldmine2000" />}}

Brian, in 1976, remembered arguments about the project being "too arty",{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=114}} while Marilyn later said that his bandmates had struggled "to understand what he was going through emotionally and what he wanted to create [...] they didn't feel what he was going through and what direction he was trying to go in."<ref name="Marilyn1997" /> Asher stated the bandmates—"certainly Al, Dennis, and Mike"—frequently voiced objections such as "What the fuck do these words mean?" and "This isn't our kind of shit!", recalling "those were tense sessions."{{sfn|Carlin|2006|p=83}} Notwithstanding such remarks, he added that the bandmates never "really challenged Brian" on his direction for the group because they had felt "they weren't talented enough" to make such judgments.{{sfn|Kent|2009|p=22}} He said Love's objections centered on the album's suitability for the Beach Boys' brand—reservations which Jardine shared{{sfn|Leaf|1978|p=84}}—rather than its artistic quality.<ref name="BDW">{{cite AV media |title=[[Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile]] |medium=Documentary |year=2004 |people=Leaf, David (Director)}}</ref> Jardine recalled initial hesitance toward the stylistic shift, saying the material required adjustment{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=166}} but that he "grew to really appreciate it as soon as we started to work on it".<ref name="Goldmine2000">{{cite magazine |last1=Sharp |first1=Ken |date=July 28, 2000 |title=Alan Jardine: A Beach Boy still riding the waves |url=http://www.brianwilsonfans.com/page11.php |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130109022135/http://brianwilsonfans.com/page11.php |archive-date=January 9, 2013}}</ref>

According to Brian, his bandmates were concerned that he might depart for a solo career, as he dominated the album's artistic direction.<ref name="Lunch76">{{cite magazine |last1=Cromelin |first1=Richard |date=October 1976 |title=Surf's Up! Brian Wilson Comes Back From Lunch |magazine=[[Creem]]}}</ref> He acknowledged their resistance to his vocal prominence, stating he "wanted people to know it was more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys album."{{sfn|Umphred|1997|p=32}} Love later wrote that he had desired "a greater hand in some of the songs and been able to incorporate more often my 'lead voice,' which we'd had so much success with."{{sfn|Love|2016|p=135}} Brian conceded that tensions eased when the group accepted the project "was still the Beach Boys" despite being "a showcase" for himself: "In other words, they gave in. They let me have my little stint."<ref name="Lunch76" />{{sfn|Leaf|1978|pp=85–86}}

===Vocal overdubs===
[[File:Carl Brian Al.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|The Beach Boys recording vocals for ''Pet Sounds''. From left: Carl, Brian, Jardine, and Johnston (obscured)]]
Vocal overdubs occurred at Western and [[CBS Columbia Square]]{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=123}} from February to April.<ref name="PS2016"/> The bandmates often arrived unprepared, with Britz recalling minimal rehearsal as they typically began singing immediately.<ref name="Britz1997" /> Jardine explained that Brian individually coached each member on their vocal parts at a piano. Following nightly playback sessions, members occasionally opted to re-record sections they deemed improvable.<ref name="Sharp2013">{{cite web |last1=Sharp |first1=Ken |title=Al Jardine of the Beach Boys: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About "SMiLE" (Interview) |url=http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2013/04/02/al-jardine-smile-beach-boys-interview |website=Rock Cellar Magazine |access-date=July 2, 2014 |date=April 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714111352/http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2013/04/02/al-jardine-smile-beach-boys-interview/ |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{Listen
|pos=right
|filename=Wouldn't It Be Nice vocals.ogg
|title=Group vocals of "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
|description=Isolated vocals excerpt of "Wouldn't It Be Nice". Mike Love remembered, "We would [sing] over again until it was right. [Brian] was going for every subtle nuance that you could conceivably think of."<ref name="ElliotLinerNotes1999" />
}}
The vocal sessions demanded unprecedented precision for the group,{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=168, 172}} with Love recalling Brian's meticulous scrutiny of harmonies, often requiring multiple retakes for minor pitch deviations.<ref name="ElliotLinerNotes1999" /> Love affectionately nicknamed Brian "dog ears" at the sessions due to his acute auditory sensitivity<ref name="Love1997" /> and insisting on exacting tonal and rhythmic accuracy, sometimes discarding completed tracks the following day to re-record them.<ref name="ElliotLinerNotes1999">{{cite AV media notes |first=Brad |last=Elliot |chapter=Pet Sounds Liner Notes |title=Pet Sounds |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1999 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=CD Liner |chapter-url=http://www.beachboysfanclub.com/ps-liner.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210144947/http://beachboysfanclub.com/ps-liner.html |archive-date=February 10, 2017}}</ref>

Recording employed [[Neumann U-47]] (for Dennis, Carl, and Jardine) and Shure 545 microphones (for Brian's leads),<ref name="Britz1997">{{cite AV media notes |chapter=Musician Comments: Chuck Britz |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet |chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Chuck_Britz.html |access-date=May 28, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615095656/http://albumlinernotes.com/Chuck_Britz.html |archive-date=June 15, 2015}}</ref> with Love requiring an additional microphone for his lower register.<ref name="Love1997" /> Brian allocated six tracks for individual vocals to refine balance during mixing. Mono overdubs utilized eight-track recorders,<ref name="Linett1997" /> reserving one channel for supplementary layers.<ref name="tracks" /> Columbia Studios hosted five songs, being the sole Los Angeles facility equipped with eight-track technology during the sessions: "God Only Knows", "Here Today", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", and "I'm Waiting for the Day".{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=133–134}}

===Mixdown, studio effects, and anomalies===

Tape effects were limited to [[slapback echo]] and reverb. [[Mark Linett]], who engineered Wilson's recordings after the 1980s, states that the reverb resembles [[plate reverb]] units more than [[echo chamber]]s, explaining that the album's distinctive sound stems from reverb being applied during live recording sessions rather than added afterward, as is common in modern music production.<ref name="Stromoff1996">{{cite magazine |last1=Smotroff |first1=Mark |title=Pet Project |magazine=[[EQ Magazine|EQ]] |date=June 1996 |volume=7 |issue=6 |url=http://lukpac.org:8080/~lukpac/public/EQ%20decrypted.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141203195535/http://lukpac.org:8080/~lukpac/public/EQ%20decrypted.pdf |archive-date=December 3, 2014}}</ref> Wilson often isolated reverb on the timpani, a technique audible in "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "You Still Believe in Me", and "Don't Talk".{{sfn|Everett|2008|p=24}}

{{quote box
| align = right
| width = 25%
| quote = It was full of noise. You could hear him talking in the background. It was real sloppy. He had spent all this time making the album, and zip—dubbed it down in one day or something like that. [When we said something to him about it] he took it back and mixed it properly. I think a lot of times, beautiful orchestrated stuff or parts got lost in his mixes.
| source = —Saxophonist [[Steve Douglas (saxophonist)|Steve Douglas]] recalling the album's draft mix<ref name="Douglas1997">{{cite AV media notes |chapter=Musician Comments: Steve Douglas |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet |chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Interview_w_Brian_Wilson.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427191939/http://albumlinernotes.com/Interview_w_Brian_Wilson.html |archive-date=27 April 2022}}</ref>
}}

Late overdubs, such as strings for "Don't Talk" (April 3) and a final adjustment for "I Know There's an Answer" (around April 17), completed the album's principal recording.<ref name="PS2016"/> Mixing occurred within days in a single nine-hour session,{{sfn|Doe|Tobler|2009|p=20}} initially planned for vocal overdubs on "Let's Go Away for Awhile" before Capitol redirected it to mixing.{{sfn|Doe|Tobler|2009|p=24}} Most time was spent blending vocals with the pre-mixed mono instrumental track.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=179}}

The original mono mix featured numerous technical flaws that contrasted with its refined arrangements and performances,{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=179}} alongside countertextural aspects emphasizing its recorded nature.{{sfn|Lowe|2007|pp=38, 219}} Among the most prominent examples: an audible tape splice occurs in "Wouldn't It Be Nice" between the chorus and Love's bridge vocal entrance, while a distant conversation was accidentally captured during the instrumental break of "Here Today" amid a vocal overdub.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=180}} Biographer [[David Leaf]] characterized these imperfections as "not sloppy recording, [but] part of the music".{{sfn|Leaf|1978|p=82}} Wilson's mixing process faced technical constraints, such as simultaneously recording overdubs while mixing existing tracks and combining multiple recordings into a single mono channel in real time, which risked unintended artifacts like noise or oversights due to limited monitoring. Granata posits Wilson "felt that performance and feeling outweighed technical perfection", akin to Spector's production ethos, and may have overlooked minor anomalies that were less noticeable on 1960s playback systems.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=189}}

A true stereo mix of ''Pet Sounds'' was not pursued in 1966 due to logistical constraints. Wilson deliberately mixed in mono, as Spector often did, believing it offered greater control over sound reproduction, unaffected by variables in speaker placement or playback systems. At the time, most consumer audio equipment and broadcasts were monophonic.{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=126–127}}<ref name="Linett1997" /> Another factor was Wilson's near-total deafness in his right ear.{{sfn|Wilson|Greenman|2016|p=138}} The unprecedented production costs totaled $70,000 (equivalent to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|70000|1966|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}}).{{sfn|Gaines|1986|p=146}}