The Little Girl I Once Knew

Last updated

That is my very favorite introduction in a song in my whole life. It kills me every time. It might have been the first time the music stopped and started again on a record. I wrote the intro at the studio before we cut the thing. And, [session musician] Larry Knechtel, it was his idea to keep the music rolling. We tried one, and then I put a second guitar overdub on top of the other guitar. And the rest of it was history. We were doing stereo but I could only hear the mono and I always put the vocals up front in the mix. Mixing in mono is good for my left ear. My right ear is broke, done and over with. [16]

Wilson was dissatisfied with his vocal performance, calling it "too effeminate". [16] In 1995, Wilson expressed, "It was a fine song, except the intro is the only good part of it, and the rest didn't sound so good. I thought the song in itself sucked. I didn't like the harmonies, I thought they were sour and off-key." [17] In 2014, he said that the song "should've" gotten more attention than it did. [18] However, Wilson has also stated that the song is "as good" or "almost as good" as "California Girls". He stated his vocals in particular were "really spectacularly great" and said, "There's no way the Beach Boys could sound any better than on "The Little Girl I Once Knew". [19]

Release

Advertisement for "The Little Girl I Once Knew", published in Billboard magazine in November 1965 The Little Girl I Once Knew Billboard Ad.jpg
Advertisement for "The Little Girl I Once Knew", published in Billboard magazine in November 1965

On November 22, 1965, Capitol Records released "The Little Girl I Once Knew" as a single, backed by the group's cover of "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" from Beach Boys' Party! After the previous two Beach Boys singles, which peaked within the top 5, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" had a more lukewarm commercial reception, reaching #15 on the Cash Box chart and #20 on Billboard. [20] [21] Since radio stations preferred to avoid dead air time, the song was poorly received by disc jockeys, which contributed to its lower chart placement. [14] [11]

As a result of this poor commercial performance, Capitol vice president Al Coury decided to rush-release "Barbara Ann" as a single without informing the band. [22] Wilson elected not to place it on Pet Sounds possibly for the same reason, and as a result, the track wasn't released on an album until 1968, on The Best of the Beach Boys Vol. 3 . [23]

Cash Box described the song as a "rhythmic ode about a fellow who reminisces about how his gal has grown up and become a woman." [24] John Lennon also praised the track upon its release in the United Kingdom in an interview with Melody Maker magazine, published in December 1965.

This is the greatest! Turn it up, turn it right up. It's GOT to be a hit. It's the greatest record I've heard for weeks. It's fantastic. I hope it will be a hit. It's all Brian Wilson. He just uses the voices as instruments. He never tours or anything. He just sits at home thinking up fantastic arrangements out of his head. Doesn't even read music. You keep waiting for the fabulous breaks. Great arrangement. It goes on and on with all different things. I hope it's a hit so I can hear it all the time. [25] [26]

George Harrison also kept the record on his jukebox at the time. [27]

Retrospective assessments

AllMusic reviewer Matthew Greenwald called the song "a virtual link between the slightly progressive work on songs such as 'California Girls' and the then-quantum leap taken by Wilson on Pet Sounds and 'Good Vibrations'". Greenwald noted that the song was one of the first compositions by Brian Wilson to be composed of multiple sections or "feels", foreshadowing the modular recording style adopted by Wilson for Smile. [28] Scott Itterante, writing for PopMatters magazine, named "The Little Girl I Once Knew" the 8th best song written by Wilson. Despite criticizing the song's lyrics as poorly-aged, and not as "universally appealing" as "California Girls", Itterante praises the song's "powerful layers of vocals", and describes it as a "transition track" for the band. [29]

Personnel

According to Keith Badman and Mark Dillon, [30] except where noted:

The Beach Boys

Session musicians

Charts

"The Little Girl I Once Knew"
Beach Boys - The Little Girl I Once Knew.jpg
U.S. picture sleeve
Single by the Beach Boys
B-side "There's No Other (Like My Baby)"
ReleasedNovember 22, 1965 (1965-11-22)
RecordedOctober 13–24, 1965
Studio Western, Hollywood
Genre Avant-pop [1]
Length2:35
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Brian Wilson
Producer(s) Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"California Girls"
(1965)		"The Little Girl I Once Knew"
(1965)		"Barbara Ann"
(1965)
Licensed audio
"The Little Girl I Once Knew" on YouTube
Weekly chart performance
Chart (1965–66)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [32] 10
US Billboard Hot 100 [33] 20
US Cash Box Top 100 [34] 15
US Record World Top 100 [35] 15

Notes

  1. ↑ Other early tracks recorded at this stage included "Pet Sounds" (then titled "Run James Run" [6] ) and "You Still Believe in Me" (then titled "In My Childhood" [7] ). [8] Another song attempted during these sessions was "Three Blind Mice" an experimental instrumental track later released as part of The Smile Sessions . [9]
  2. ↑ Dillon writes the song includes a trumpet and saxophone section but does not identify the musicians. [4] Badman writes trumpeter Roy Canton was present at the 13 October 1965 session, along with saxophonists Jim Horn, Plas Johnson and Jay Migliori. [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beach Boys</span> American rock band

The Beach Boys is an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by its vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented lyrics, and musical ingenuity, the band is one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The group drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create its unique sound. Under Brian's direction, it often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.

<i>Pet Sounds</i> 1966 studio album by the Beach Boys

Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. In the United Kingdom, however, the album was lauded by critics and reached number 2 on the Record Retailer chart, remaining in the top ten for six months. Promoted there as "the most progressive pop album ever", Pet Sounds was recognized for its ambitious production, sophisticated music, and emotional lyrics. It is now considered to be among the greatest and most influential albums in music history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Girls</span> 1965 song by the Beach Boys

"California Girls" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album Summer Days . Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the lyrics were partly inspired by the band's experiences touring Europe for the first time, detailing an appreciation for women across the world. It was released as a single, backed with "Let Him Run Wild", and reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a top 10 hit in several other countries, becoming one of the band's most successful songs globally.

<i>The Beach Boys Today!</i> 1965 album by the Beach Boys

The Beach Boys Today! is the eighth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 8, 1965, by Capitol Records. It signaled a departure from their previous records with its orchestral sound, intimate subject matter, and abandonment of car or surf songs. Side one features an uptempo sound, while side two consists mostly of introspective ballads. Supported by this thematic approach, the record established the group as album artists rather than just a singles band. It has since become regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God Only Knows</span> 1966 song by the Beach Boys

"God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a baroque-style love song distinguished for its harmonic innovation and complexity, unusual instrumentation, and subversion of typical popular music conventions, both lyrically and musically. It is often praised as one of the greatest songs of all time and as the Beach Boys' finest record.

<i>All Summer Long</i> (album) 1964 album by the Beach Boys

All Summer Long is the sixth album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released July 13, 1964 on Capitol Records. Regarded as their first artistically unified collection of songs, as well as one of the first true concept albums, it marked the Beach Boys' first LP that was not focused on themes of cars or surfing. Instead, the songs are semi-autobiographical and relate to the experiences of a typical Southern Californian teenager, a theme encapsulated by the title track, "All Summer Long", and the often-imitated front cover, a modernist style photo collage depicting the band members fraternizing with young women on a beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wouldn't It Be Nice</span> 1966 single by the Beach Boys

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys and the opening track from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson, Tony Asher, and Mike Love, it is distinguished for its sophisticated Wall of Sound-style arrangement and refined vocal performances, and is regarded among the band's finest songs. With its juxtaposition of joyous-sounding music and melancholic lyrics, it is considered a formative work of power pop, and with respect to musical innovation, progressive pop.

"I Know There's an Answer" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson, Terry Sachen, and Mike Love, the song was inspired by Wilson's experience with the drug LSD and his struggle with ego death. Musically, it is distinguished for its colorful arrangement, unorthodox structure, and bass harmonica solo. The instrumentation also includes guitars, tambourine, tack piano, banjo, clarinets, flutes, electric keyboards, and timpani. Wilson, Love, and Al Jardine trade the lead vocal, for which the melody spans two octaves.

"You Still Believe in Me" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Initially conceived as "In My Childhood", it was the first songwriting collaboration between Brian Wilson, the group's de facto leader, and songwriter Tony Asher. Wilson sang the lead vocal.

"Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a ballad about nonverbal communication between lovers. Musically, the song is distinguished for its chromaticism, the use of a string sextet, and its key ambiguity. It is among the most harmonically complex songs that Wilson ever composed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline, No</span> 1966 song by Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys

"Caroline, No" is a song by American musician Brian Wilson that was released as his first solo record on March 7, 1966 and, two months later, reissued as the closing track on the Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds. Written with Tony Asher, the lyrics describe a disillusioned man who reflects on his former love interest and the loss of her innocence. Musically, it is distinguished for its jazz chords and unusual combination of instruments, including bass flutes, 12-string electric guitar, and muted harpsichord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss Me, Baby</span> 1965 single by The Beach Boys

"Kiss Me, Baby" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was issued as the B-side of the group's "Help Me, Rhonda" single on April 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Worry Baby</span> 1964 single by the Beach Boys

"Don't Worry Baby" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their March 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2. Written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, Wilson's lead vocal on the track is considered one of his defining performances, and he later referred to "Don't Worry Baby" as perhaps the Beach Boys' finest record. It was issued in May 1964 as the B-side of "I Get Around", and charted separately at number 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Please Let Me Wonder</span> 1965 single by the Beach Boys

"Please Let Me Wonder" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was the first song Wilson wrote under the influence of marijuana. The lyrics are about a man who does not know if a girl loves him and is afraid of learning the answer, and so he prefers to fantasize that she does. On February 15, the song was issued as the B-side to their "Do You Wanna Dance?" single before the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here Today (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1966 song by the Beach Boys

"Here Today" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, the lyric warns the listener of inevitable heartbreak before the narrator reveals himself to be the ex-boyfriend of the listener's newfound love. Musically, the song features an uncommon formal structure, the use of electric bass guitar as a lead instrument, and a 20-bar length instrumental break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Knows Me Too Well</span> 1964 single by The Beach Boys

"She Knows Me Too Well" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys, about a man who is engrossed and obsessed in his own jealousy and insecurity. It was released on the 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!, initially serving as the B-side of their "When I Grow Up " single in 1964. It was one of the first songs that Brian wrote while under the influence of marijuana.

"Wonderful" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, it was their only collaboration that resulted in a love song, telling the story of a young girl's sexual awakening and its disruption of her devotion to God and her parents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Honey (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1967 single by the Beach Boys

"Wild Honey" is a song recorded by the American rock band the Beach Boys. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was released as the lead single from their 1967 album Wild Honey, with the B-side of the single being "Wind Chimes". The single peaked at number 31 in the U.S. and number 29 in the U.K.

"Let Him Run Wild" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album Summer Days . Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was issued as the B-side to "California Girls".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Just Wasn't Made for These Times</span> 1966 song by the Beach Boys

"I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, the lyrics describe the disillusionment of someone who struggles to fit into society. Musically, it is distinguished for its melodic bass guitar, layered vocals, and Electro-Theremin solo, marking the first time the instrument was used in popular music and the first time theremin-like sounds were used on a rock record.

References

  1. ↑ Carlin, Peter Ames (2006). Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. Rodale. p. 296. ISBN   978-1-59486-320-2.
  2. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 104.
  3. ↑ Umphred 1997, p. 36.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Dillon 2012, p. 72.
  5. ↑ Badman 2004, p. [ page needed ].
  6. ↑ "15 Fascinating Facts About Pet Sounds". Mental Floss. 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  7. ↑ Carlin, Peter Ames (2006). Catch a wave : the rise, fall & redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. [Emmaus, Pa.]: Rodale. ISBN   1-59486-320-2. OCLC   63808119.
  8. ↑ Doe, Andrew G. "GIGS65" . Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Three Blind Mice by The Beach Boys - Track Info | AllMusic , retrieved 2023-01-10
  10. ↑ Dillon 2012, p. 71.
  11. 1 2 Leaf, David (1990). Today/Summer Days (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.
  12. ↑ Charlesworth, Chris (2009-12-09). 25 Albums that Rocked the World. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-044-1.
  13. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 103, 389.
  14. 1 2 Greenwalkd, Matthew. "Song review". Allmusic. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  15. ↑ Dillon 2012, p. 74.
  16. 1 2 Kubernick, Harvey (July 3, 2021). "Brian Wilson Remembers: An In-Depth Interview with the Beach Boys' Resident Genius". Best Classic Bands.
  17. ↑ Benci, Jacopo (January 1995). "Brian Wilson interview". Record Collector (185). UK.
  18. ↑ "Brian Answer's Fans' Questions In Live Q&A". January 29, 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  19. ↑ Wilson, Brian. "Brian Wilson on "The Little Girl I Once Knew"". YouTube. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  20. ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 25, 1965
  21. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  22. ↑ Love, Mike (2016). Good vibrations : my life as a Beach Boy. James S. Hirsch. New York. ISBN   978-0-698-40886-9. OCLC   958413670.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  23. ↑ The Beach Boys - The Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 3 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic , retrieved 2022-11-21
  24. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 20, 1965. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  25. ↑ Lennon, John (December 11, 1965). "Blind Date". Melody Maker . p. 10.
  26. ↑ Dillon 2012, p. 73.
  27. ↑ Richards, William (February 27, 2023). "Check out this playlist of George Harrison's jukebox from 1965". NME.
  28. ↑ The Little Girl I Once Knew by The Beach Boys - Track Info | AllMusic , retrieved 2022-11-21
  29. ↑ "The 12 Best Brian Wilson Songs". PopMatters. 2022-06-20. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  30. ↑ Badman 2004 , p. 101: the Beach Boys; Dillon 2012 , pp. 71–72: session musicians.
  31. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 101.
  32. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5688." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  33. ↑ "The Beach Boys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  34. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box . December 25, 1965. p. 4.
  35. ↑ "Record World 100 Top Pops" (PDF). Record World . January 8, 1966. p. 13.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.