"Wonderful" is a song by the American rock band

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

from their 1967 album ''

Smiley Smile ''Smiley Smile'' is the 12th studio album by American Rock music, rock band the Beach Boys, released on September 18, 1967. It reached number 9 on UK record charts, but sold poorly in the US, peaking at number 41—the band's lowest chart place ...

'' and their unfinished ''

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

'' project. Written by

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

and

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle (album), Song Cycle'' and for his ...

, the song tells the story of a young girl's sexual awakening and its disruption of her devotion to God and her parents. It was the only "boy-girl" song they wrote for ''Smile''. Numerous early versions of the song were recorded by the group from August 1966 to April 1967 at three different Hollywood studios. It was originally sung by Wilson with

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

, and the group's backing vocals as accompaniment. The arrangement for ''Smiley Smile'' differed significantly and was recorded in a single three-hour session at Wilson's makeshift home studio. This version featured

Carl Wilson Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian and Dennis, and the group's ''de ...

on lead vocal, supported by piano and organ, and a 35-second

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

interlude. The original ''Smile'' version was released on the compilations '' Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys'' (1993) and ''

The Smile Sessions ''The Smile Sessions'' is a compilation album and box set recorded by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on October 31, 2011 by Capitol Records. The set is the follow-up to ''The Pet Sounds Sessions'' (1997), this time focusing on the a ...

'' (2011). As a solo artist, Brian rerecorded the song twice, for the albums ''

I Just Wasn't Made for These Times "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 societ ...

'' (1995) and ''

Brian Wilson Presents Smile ''Brian Wilson Presents Smile'' (also referred to as ''Smile'' or the abbreviation ''BWPS'') is the fifth studio album by American musician Brian Wilson, released on September 28, 2004 on Nonesuch. It features all-new recordings of music that ...

'' (2004). Cover versions of "Wonderful" have been recorded by artists including

Nikki Sudden Adrian Nicholas Godfrey (19 July 195626 March 2006), known professionally as Nikki Sudden, was a prolific English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He co-founded the post-punk band Swell Maps with his brother, Epic Soundtracks, while attending So ...

, David Garland,

Adventures in Stereo Adventures in Stereo were a band from Glasgow, Scotland, formed by Primal Scream founding member Jim Beattie in 1994, after his previous band, Spirea X, split up. History After Spirea X split up in 1993, former members Jim Beattie and Judith B ...

, and

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set ...

Background and lyricism

"Wonderful" is one of the numerous songs

and

wrote for

' never-finished album ''

''. The song title derived from a pet name Wilson had for his then-wife Marilyn. It was the only "boy/girl song" written for the project.

recalled, The lyrics tell the story of a girl whose meeting with a boy disrupts her devotion to God and her parents. Of the songs on ''Smile'', some of which deal with spiritual themes, "Wonderful" is the only one that refers to God explicitly. Music journalist David Zahl wrote that although "The Lord gets a mention in 'Wonderful'", it is "mainly as a somewhat creepy device to deal with adolescent sexuality." Biographer Mark Dillon interpreted the interlude on the ''

'' rendition as a musical representation of the female protagonist's sexual awakening. Parks was not initially credited as one of the writers of "Wonderful". He was awarded an official writing credit after broaching the issue with Wilson in 2003.

Recording

''Smile'' sessions

"Wonderful" was one of the first songs attempted for ''Smile'', and according to historian Keith Badman, none of the ''Smile'' recordings of "Wonderful" were finished versions of the song. The original is a

-led arrangement supported by

and the group's backing vocals. The basic track for the first version was recorded on August 25, 1966 at Western Studio. It took 18 takes to record; Wilson had trouble playing the

. At one point in the session, he remarked to engineer

Chuck Britz Charles Dean Britz (November 7, 1927 – August 21, 2000) was a recording engineer who worked with Jan and Dean, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, P.F. Sloan and The Grass Roots on numerous albums between 1962 and 1967. Biography Britz was bor ...

, "Some of these notes are fucking up. I swear to God. You push them and they don't go." On October 6, Wilson overdubbed a lead vocal onto the track. Drums and other instruments are also added to the track during the session. Wilson then created a rough mix of the track. Further vocals were recorded for the song on December 15 at Columbia Studio. On January 9, 1967, the second version (known as the "Rock with Me Henry" version) was recorded at Western. Badman speculated that Wilson "consider dthis another potential candidate for the B-side of '

Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" 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, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-themed ...

'." A third version of the song, with piano as the sole accompaniment, was recorded by the band around April 10 at Armin Steiner's Sound Recorders Studio. On April 29, publicist

Derek Taylor Derek Taylor (7 May 1932 – 8 September 1997) was an English journalist, writer, publicist and record producer. He is best known for his role as press officer to the Beatles, with whom he worked in 1964 and then from 1968 to 1970, and was one ...

reported that a single, "

Vegetables Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

" backed with "Wonderful", would soon be released. Regarding "Wonderful", he wrote, "I only heard timprovised at the piano with the boys humming the theme for Paul cCartney"

''Smiley Smile'' sessions

From June to July 1967, the Beach Boys recorded simplified versions of ''Smile''-period songs, including "Wonderful", for the forthcoming album ''Smiley Smile''. According to Dillon, "Wonderful" had "the most radical reinterpretation". It was recorded in one three-hour session at Wilson's makeshift home studio.

sang the lead vocal with piano and organ as accompaniment. This version omitted one verse from the original lyrics. Instead, the section consists of a 35-second interlude described by Dillon as "a left turn into a hash den". Dillon believed that, amid the group's giggling and nonsense

chanting, the phrase "don't think you're God" can be heard in the mass of voices.

"Wonderbill"

In 1972, the Beach Boys performed "Wonderful" at numerous concert dates in medley with

the Flames The Flames was a musical rock group from Durban in South Africa. They performed across London in the late 1960s, where they met Brian Jones, Keith Moon, Keith Richards, Jerry Garcia, Miles Davis and Carl Wilson. They later traveled to Los Ange ...

' song "Don't Worry Bill". They nicknamed the medley "Wonderbill".

Recognition and legacy

For his curation of the 2002 compilation ''

Classics Selected by Brian Wilson ''Classics selected by Brian Wilson'' is a compilation of songs by The Beach Boys and released through Capitol Records in mid-2002. It was compiled by Brian Wilson himself that February. It includes a new recording of an unreleased 1970s track, " ...

'', Wilson chose the ''Smiley Smile'' version of "Wonderful" as one of his favorite songs by the Beach Boys. It is also

Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-bari ...

's favorite song from ''Smile''. In a 2011 interview, he commended Parks' "marvelous job" with the lyrics and described the piece as beautiful, sensitive, and possessing the ability to move listeners to tears. In 2012, he added, "'Wonderful' is an amazing, amazing piece of work. Holy shit! Van Dyke and Brian did a great collaboration on that one. It’s a really beautiful song. That’s probably my favorite thing from the ''Smile'' project." Musician

Matthew Sweet Sidney Matthew Sweet (born October 6, 1964) is an American alternative rock/power pop singer-songwriter and musician who was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s before gaining commercial success in the 1990 ...

praised the ''Smile'' version for its

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

feel, although he decreed, the song "gets a little more trivialized on ''Smiley Smile''". In a 2011 interview,

Darian Sahanaja Darian Sahanaja (born May 20, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and arranger who is best known for co-founding Wondermints in 1992 and playing with Brian Wilson's supporting band since 1999. He has also performed alongsi ...

said, "I remember around 1984 or ’85 getting one of the first cassettes with ''Smile'' bootlegs floating around and hearing this version of 'Wonderful' with Brian playing harpsichord. That pretty much changed my life. It sounded to me like the natural link between ''

Pet Sounds ''Pet Sounds'' is the 11th studio album by 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 th ...

'' and ' Heroes & Villains.' So amazing. Even now, when I think of ''Smile'' I think of that piece." Dillon characterized the ''Smile'' version as "proto-psychedelic

chamber pop Chamber pop (or Chamber rock; also called baroque pop and sometimes conflated with orchestral pop or symphonic pop) is a music genre that combines rock music with the intricate use of string section, strings, horn section, horns, piano, and voca ...

" and the ''Smiley Smile'' rendition as "''

Beach Boys' Party! ''Beach Boys' Party!'' is the tenth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, and their third in 1965, consisting mostly of cover songs played with acoustic instruments. It reached No. 6 in the US and No. 3 in the UK. The album spawned on ...

'' on acid." He wrote, "If ''Smile'' was indeed shelved in part because any band members found the music too weird, it is inconceivable that they would have seen this as any more accessible."

Release history

* In 1993, the original ''Smile'' version was released on the compilation '' Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys''. * In 1995, Wilson performed the ''Smile'' version of "Wonderful" for the documentary ''

''. The rendition was included on the accompanying soundtrack album. * In 1998, a live rendition from 1972 was included on the compilation ''

Endless Harmony Soundtrack ''Endless Harmony Soundtrack'' is an anthology album of previously unheard material by The Beach Boys, originally released by Capitol Records in August 1998. Named for Bruce Johnston's song on the 1980 album ''Keepin' the Summer Alive'', it was ...

''. * In 2004, Wilson rerecorded the song for ''

'' and released this version as the album's second single. * In 2011, several alternate versions of the song were included on the compilation ''

''. * In 2013, a live rendition from 1993 was included on the compilation ''

Made in California ''Made in California (1962–2012)'' is a compilation box set by the Beach Boys, released on August 27, 2013. The set, released through Capitol Records, was designed by Mark London in a form emulating a high school yearbook. The set contains six ...

''.

Personnel

Per band archivist Craig Slowinski, the following credits pertain to the ''Smile'' versions. Version 1 (August 25, 1966) *

Al Jardine Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as "Help Me, Rho ...

– backing vocals *

Bruce Johnston Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...

– backing vocals *

Larry Knechtel Lawrence William Knechtel (August 4, 1940 – August 20, 2009) was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles-based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Simon ...

– grand piano *

– backing vocals *

Lyle Ritz Lyle Joseph Ritz (January 10, 1930 – March 3, 2017) was an American musician, known for his work on ukulele and bass (both double bass and bass guitar). His early career in jazz as a ukulele player made him a key part of the Hawaii music scene ...

– upright bass, overdubbed tenor ukulele *Alan Weight – trumpet *

– lead and backing vocals, harpsichord *

– backing vocals *

Dennis Wilson Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...

– backing vocals Version 2 (January 9, 1967) *

Hal Blaine Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. ...

– overdubbed drums *

Carol Kaye Carol Kaye (née Smith, born March 24, 1935) is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 50 years. Kaye began play ...

– Danelectro fuzz bass (uncertain edit) *Ray Pohlman – overdubbed mandolin (uncertain credit) *Lyle Ritz – overdubbed upright bass *Brian Wilson – backing vocals, harpsichord *Carl Wilson – lead and backing vocals Version 3 (April 10, 1967 ncertain date *Al Jardine – vocals *Mike Love – doubletracked vocals *Brian Wilson – vocals, grand piano *Carl Wilson – vocals

Cover versions

*1990 –

& the Mermaids, '' Smiles, Vibes & Harmony: A Tribute to Brian Wilson'' *1993 – David Garland, '' I Guess I Just Wasn't Made for These Times'' *1996 –

Outrageous Cherry Outrageous Cherry were an American psychedelic pop / power pop band from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Outrageous Cherry formed in 1991, and soon expanded to a four-piece after performing live in 1993. The group has released 13 albums, includ ...

, '' Stereo Action Rant Party'' *1998 –

, '' Smiling Pets'' *1998 – Sportsguitar, '' Smiling Pets'' *2009 –

, ''

War Child Presents Heroes ''War Child Presents Heroes'' is a 2009 charity album devoted to the War Child charity's aid efforts in war-stricken areas, such as Iraq, Uganda, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a theme of "placing faith in the next genera ...

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

* * * * * * * * {{Authority control 1967 songs The Beach Boys songs Brian Wilson songs Chamber pop songs Psychedelic pop songs Songs written by Brian Wilson Songs written by Van Dyke Parks Song recordings produced by Brian Wilson Song recordings produced by the Beach Boys 2011 singles 2004 singles