In the Back of My Mind
"In the Back of My Mind" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for American rock band the Beach Boys, first released on their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!.[1] It is a heavily orchestrated ballad in 6/8 time. Dennis Wilson largely sings lead unaccompanied though briefly during the middle-eight, his brothers Brian and Carl sing two lines in unison.[2]
| "In the Back of My Mind" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Beach Boys | |
| from the album Today! | |
| Released | March 8, 1965 |
| Recorded | January 13 / 19, 1965 United Western Recorders, Hollywood |
| Genre | Baroque pop |
| Length | 2:09 (mono version) 2:11 (stereo version) |
| Label | Capitol |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Wilson |
| Audio sample | |
"In the Back of My Mind"
| |
Biographer Peter Ames Carlin said of the track: "It's like the orchestra is falling apart. It's about the guy's wife, and that's the most intimate relationship you can have. It radiates the complexities in Brian's inner life and how that comes through in his music and how he expresses that in music."[3] Matthew Greenwald of Allmusic also offered praise of the song and its lyrics, saying that the choice of lead singer was good and that Dennis' performance is "wonderfully fragile."[4]
Recording
"In the Back of My Mind" was recorded over two dates at Western Studios, both produced, arranged and conducted by Brian Wilson. 40 takes of the instrumental track were recorded on January 13, 1965, with the 39th being deemed the master. The vocals were overdubbed at a session on January 19, 1965.[5] The song was first released in 1965 in mono on the band's album The Beach Boys Today!, with a stereo remix of the song being released in 2012 on the stereo remaster of that same album.[6]
In 1995, Brian expressed disappointment with Dennis' vocal, and that it was not doubletracked well.[7] The 2012 stereo mix uses only one track of Dennis' vocals instead of two, possibly at Brian's request.
Personnel
Surviving sessions audio and AFM musician contracts sheets, documented by Craig Slowinski, have enabled this personnel list to be compiled.[5]
- The Beach Boys
- Carl Wilson – backing vocals; twelve-string lead guitar
- Dennis Wilson – lead vocals, double-tracked vocals
- Brian Wilson – backing vocals; arranger, producer, conductor
- Additional musicians and production staff
- Hal Blaine – drums, temple block, timbale
- Chuck Britz – engineer
- Peter Christ – english horn (uncertain)
- Steve Douglas – tenor saxophone
- Plas Johnson – tenor saxophone
- Jay Migliori – baritone saxophone
- Carol Kaye – bass guitar
- Bill Pitman – acoustic guitar
- Don Randi – Hammond B-3 organ
- Billy Riley – double–reed harmonica (uncertain)
- Leon Russell – vibraphone
- Billy Strange – electric rhythm guitar
- Tommy Tedesco – autoharp
Brian Wilson version
| "In the Back of My Mind" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Brian Wilson | |
| from the album No Pier Pressure (Deluxe Edition) | |
| Released | April 7, 2015 |
| Recorded | 1975 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Brian Wilson |
Brian recorded a demo version of the song in 1975 with himself on lead vocals and additional lyrics. It was released as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Brian's solo album No Pier Pressure.[8]
References
- Leaf, David (1990). Today/Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (Media notes). The Beach Boys. California: Capitol Records. 72435-27945-2-2.
- Hickey, Andrew (2011). The Beach Boys On CD vol 1: 1961 - 1969.
- Chrome Dreams (2010). Brian Wilson: Songwriter 1962-1969 (Documentary). United States: Sexy Intellectual.
- Greenwald, Matthew. "In the Back of My Mind - The Beach Boys". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
- Slowinski, Craig (2007). "The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys Today!" (PDF). Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- Doe, Andrew G. (2012). "MONOSTEREO". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- Benci, Jacopo (January 1995). "Brian Wilson interview". Record Collector. UK (185).
- Goldenberg, Joel (March 20, 2015). "Demos are sometimes best versions of songs". The Suburban News. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
