"Heroes and Villains" was an ambitious follow-up to "Good Vibrations," showcasing Brian Wilson's fragmentary writing style to an extreme. The song, part of the “Smiley Smile” album, remains a unique achievement in pop music for its disjointed yet innovative approach. Despite its challenges, it features impressive lyrical content and a diverse range of musical instruments, infused with a playful whimsy not always present in the Beach Boys' work.
Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, it was envisioned as a grand, Old West-themed musical comedy that would surpass the success of "Good Vibrations." Despite high expectations, the song didn't live up to its critical and commercial hopes but still became a hit, reaching number 12 in the US and number 8 in the UK. It was also the first single released by the Beach Boys' Brother Records label.
"Heroes and Villains" marked the first collaboration between Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. When Wilson first shared the melody with Parks, Parks spontaneously created the opening line. The song was influenced by California's early history, incorporating references to Spanish and Native American themes. Initial versions of the song included elements inspired by the standard "You Are My Sunshine" and featured lyrics about farm animals ("Barnyard") and health ("I'm in Great Shape").
"Heroes and Villains" underwent at least 20 recording sessions over several months, as Wilson was meticulous about its production. Its creation was extraordinarily complex, with recording spanning almost the entire Smile sessions. Brian Wilson experimented with numerous versions of the track, some extending between six to eight minutes. Some sections, like "Cantina Scene" and "Bicycle Rider," were eventually dropped but were frequently included in live performances.
Brian Wilson delayed the release of "Heroes and Villains" for a month, waiting for what he believed was the astrologically right moment. On July 11, 1967, he and producer Terry Melcher personally delivered the vinyl to KHJ Radio. Despite Wilson’s excitement, the DJ initially refused to play it due to programming rules. After some intervention, the song was eventually aired, but the experience left Wilson deeply frustrated.
Filmmaker Peter Clifton created an early music video for "Heroes and Villains," featuring surfers and broadcast on the BBC's *Top of the Pops* on August 31, 1967. An official music video was shot at Brian Wilson's home and was scheduled to air on September 21. However, this official video was ultimately scrapped.
BEACH BOYS - FUN, FUN, FUN
Released: February 3, 1964
Charts: US: #5
"Fun, Fun, Fun" is a song from the album “Shut Down Volume 2”. Released as a single in February 1964, it was backed by "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." The song is a classic example of the "California myth" genre, which the Beach Boys helped define—songs that celebrated the carefree, sun-soaked lifestyle associated with California.
"Fun, Fun, Fun" tells the story of a rebellious daughter who borrows her dad's Ford Thunderbird, claiming she's going to the library, but instead uses it to show off and race other drivers. When her father finds out, he takes the car away, but she gets the last laugh by running off with someone who admired her driving.
Written by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love, the song's concept came from Love, who was more in tune with teenage culture. Love suggested writing about a girl cruising instead of studying, and also inspired the Chuck Berry-style guitar intro played by Carl Wilson. Originally, the song was credited solely to Brian Wilson due to issues with publishing rights managed by Murry Wilson, but songwriting credits were adjusted in the 1990s.
Mike Love clarified that there was no specific girl who inspired "Fun, Fun, Fun." He explained that the song was more of a generic story reflecting a common teenage experience. According to Love, most teens, after getting their driver's license, look forward to borrowing the family car to go cruising, sometimes using excuses like going to the library.
There are two popular stories about the inspiration behind "Fun, Fun, Fun." One version involves a girl that Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson was dating. She was from a wealthy family in Palos Verdes, Los Angeles, and would tell her father that she needed his Ford Thunderbird to go to the library, but instead, she'd spend time with Dennis at his apartment. Dennis reportedly joked, "We'll have fun till her daddy takes the T'bird away," which became the hook for the song.
The second story involves Shirley Johnson England, whose father owned an Utah radio station, KNAK. Shirley claims that she borrowed her dad's Thunderbird and was caught after taking it to a drive-in instead of the library. The Beach Boys, who often made promotional appearances at the station, supposedly heard this story and wrote the song about her. Despite these claims, Mike Love has said that the song was more of a generic story reflecting typical teenage behavior rather than being based on any specific person.
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EARTH, WIND & FIRE - LET’S GROOVE
Estrena: setembre de 1981
Llistes: EUA: #3 Regne Unit: #3
"Let's Groove" d'Earth, Wind & Fire és una cançó de post-disco, pop i funk que es va llançar com el primer senzill del seu àlbum de 1981, “Raise!”. Escrita per Maurice White i Wayne Vaughn, la cançó es va convertir en un dels èxits més grans de la banda, arribant al top 20 en diversos països, incloent els Estats Units, el Regne Unit i el Canadà. Malgrat la forta reacció negativa contra la música disco en aquell moment, Earth, Wind & Fire va optar per reviure el so disco a "Let's Groove", combinant-lo amb sintetitzadors, teclats i guitarres elèctriques, creant un single memorable i comercialment reeixit.
"Let's Groove", produïda per Maurice White, va ser l'últim èxit de la banda en el top 10 de les llistes de Billboard i va significar el final del seu període "clàssic" abans d'una pausa de vuit anys. La cançó fa èmfasi en perdre's en la música, amb l'enfocament espiritual de White animant els oients a trobar positivitat i presència a la pista de ball. Allee Willis, coautora de "September", va assenyalar que White donava prioritat al ritme per sobre de la lletra, assegurant-se que el groove fos el focus central de la cançó.
Maurice White va adaptar saviament el so d'Earth, Wind & Fire a l'escenari musical canviant, garantint l'èxit de la banda en diferents èpoques, incloent el període disco. Amb "Let's Groove", White buscava un atractiu ampli, i ho va aconseguir. En una entrevista amb NME, White va descriure la cançó com una cosa natural i generosa, destacant la seva honestedat i la intenció de la banda de compartir alegria amb el seu públic.
El so vocal sintetitzat a "Let's Groove" es va crear utilitzant un vocoder, un dispositiu que altera la veu per produir efectes electrònics, que es va avançar dècades a l'Auto-Tune modern. El so del vocoder era similar al del talkbox utilitzat per Roger Troutman en l'èxit de Zapp "More Bounce to the Ounce" un any abans. Aquest efecte també ha estat utilitzat en altres cançons populars, com "Mr. Blue Sky" d'Electric Light Orchestra i "Radio Ga Ga" de Queen.
La portada de "Let's Groove" i de l'àlbum “Raise!” inclou temes egipcis, com una figura semblant a una deessa que podria estar inspirada en la deessa egípcia Isis. Això formava part d'un moment de moda egípcia als Estats Units durant finals dels anys 70 i principis dels 80. Aquesta tendència va ser en part desencadenada per la gira mundial de 1977 dels tresors del Rei Tutankamon. Earth, Wind & Fire es van afegir a aquesta tendència incorporant símbols egipcis a la seva imatge, incloent-hi el seu logotip.
El vídeo musical, dirigit per Ron Hays, és notable pel seu ús extens d'efectes electrònics vintage, creats utilitzant el sistema d'ordinador analògic Scanimate a Image West, Ltd. L'estil diferencial del vídeo va influir posteriorment en el vídeo de Bruno Mars per a la seva cançó "Treasure."
EARTH, WIND & FIRE - LET’S GROOVE
Released: September 1981
Charts: US: #3 UK: #3
"Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind & Fire is a post-disco, pop, and funk track that was released as the lead single from their 1981 album “Raise!”. Written by Maurice White and Wayne Vaughn, the song became one of the band's most successful hits, charting in the top 20 in multiple countries, including the United States, the UK, and Canada. Despite a significant backlash against disco music at the time, Earth, Wind & Fire chose to revive the disco sound in "Let's Groove," blending it with synthesizers, keyboards, and live electric guitars, creating a memorable and commercially successful single.
"Let's Groove," produced by Maurice White was the band's last Top 10 hit on the Billboard charts and came at the end of their "classic" period before an eight-year hiatus. The song emphasizes losing yourself in the music, with White's spiritual approach encouraging listeners to find positivity and presence on the dance floor. Allee Willis, co-writer of "September," noted that White prioritized the groove over lyrics, ensuring that the rhythm remained the focus of the song.
Maurice White expertly adapted Earth, Wind & Fire's sound to the changing musical landscape, ensuring the band's success across different eras, including the disco period. With "Let's Groove," White aimed for broad appeal, and he achieved it. He described the song as a "natural giving thing" in an interview with NME, emphasizing its honesty and the band's intention to share joy with their audience.
The synthesized voice sound in "Let's Groove" was created using a vocoder, a device that alters vocal input to produce electronic-sounding effects, which predates the more modern Auto-Tune by decades. The vocoder's sound was similar to the talkbox used by Roger Troutman in Zapp's hit "More Bounce to the Ounce" a year earlier. This effect has also been used in other popular tracks, such as "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra and "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen.
The cover art for "Let's Groove" and the “Raise!” album features Egyptian themes, including a goddess-like figure that might be inspired by the Egyptian goddess Isis. This was part of a broader Egyptian fad in the United States during the late '70s and early '80s. The craze was partly triggered by the 1977 world museum tour of King Tutankhamun's treasures. Earth, Wind & Fire embraced this trend by incorporating Egyptian symbolism into their imagery, including their logo.
The music video directed by Ron Hays, is notable for its heavy use of vintage electronic effects, created using the Scanimate analog computer system at Image West, Ltd. The video's distinctive style later influenced Bruno Mars' video for his song "Treasure."
BEACH BOYS - CAROLINE, NO
Released: March 7, 1966
Charts: US: #32
"Caroline, No" is a song by Brian Wilson, released as his first solo single on March 1966, and later included as the closing track on the Beach Boys' album “Pet Sounds”. The song draws from Wilson's personal life, particularly the changes in his relationship with his first wife, Marilyn. Brian Wilson brought his concept of lost innocence to lyricist Tony Asher, who used his own personal experience to complete the lyrics.
The song features lyrics about a man reflecting on a past love and her lost innocence. This melody is a poignant ballad about a girl who has changed and moved on, leaving the singer heartbroken and reflecting on what went wrong. Brian Wilson regards it as one of his most successful ballads, alongside "In My Room," "Surfer Girl," and "God Only Knows," describing them as "sweet, pretty, angelic songs."
Asher had recently ended a relationship with his girlfriend, Carol, who had moved to New York City. When he visited her, he was struck by how much she had changed, particularly her new haircut, which inspired the song’s opening line. Asher initially wrote the lyric as "Carol, I Know," but Wilson misheard it as "Caroline, No." Both agreed that "Caroline, No" made for a much more intriguing and evocative title.
Musically, it stands out for its use of jazz chords and a unique blend of instruments such as bass flutes, 12-string electric guitar, and muted harpsichord. The music is beautifully melancholic, and the final note of Brian Wilson’s vocal, filled with anguish, is utterly heartbreaking, making it one of the most powerful moments on the album.
"Caroline, No" was the final track on the original “Pet Sounds” album. At the end of the song, listeners hear a train passing and dogs barking, which tie into the album's "Pet Sounds" theme. The train sound was taken from a sound effects reel, while the barking dogs were Brian Wilson's own pets, Banana and Louie, whose barks he recorded in the studio.
"Caroline, No" offers a hushed, sorrowful shift in the album's tone. This track stands out as a masterstroke, contrasting the upbeat nature of many other songs with its melancholic beauty. Its delicate, half-notes create a heavenly, emotional atmosphere. The Beach Boys took their time on this record, carefully balancing technological innovation with artistry, which is evident in the refined production of "Caroline, No."
