Marcella (song)
"Marcella" is a song written by Brian Wilson, Tandyn Almer and Jack Rieley for the American rock band The Beach Boys about a massage therapist.[1] It was released on their 1972 album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough". It is the last song to feature Bruce Johnston during his original tenure in the band.
| "Marcella" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Beach Boys | ||||
| from the album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" | ||||
| B-side | "Hold On Dear Brother" | |||
| Released | June 26, 1972 | |||
| Recorded | February 17, 1972 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:54 | |||
| Label | Brother/Reprise | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | The Beach Boys | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Composition
The song branched from an earlier track entitled "I Just Got My Pay" (recorded during sessions for Sunflower) and an even earlier outtake recording called "All Dressed Up for School" from 1965. These early versions appear on the box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys and the 2001 remastered edition of Little Deuce Coupe/All Summer Long, respectively.
According to Brian Wilson, "It represents one of the first times we tried to emulate The Rolling Stones. In my mind, it was dedicated to the Stones, but I never told them that. It's one of the rockingest songs I ever wrote."[2] According to Jack Rieley, the tune was named for a woman who was working as Wilson's masseuse at the time. He explains:
About that time Brian began talking in detail about a massage parlour in West Hollywood and one of the girls who worked there. At first he spoke only of going there for massages. Some days later he began going on and on about the masseuse who he said was turning him on.… The only thing I could think of to quell Brian's fixation was to channel it. Thus it was I who suggested Marcella as the title for a tune Brian had been working on. With my promise to write the Marcella lyric, he jumped into the project with immense enthusiasm. Brian, Carl, Desper and I worked hard on that record. Dennis helped too. The zither was a cool idea but it was mixed poorly. My lyric was minor... efficient at best.[3]
The vocal arrangement is characteristic for a Brian Wilson song, featuring various syncopated lines following each other, reminiscent of a post-processed tape delay effect. Wilson later said that one of the lead guitar parts was inspired by George Harrison's playing.[4]
Recording
"Marcella" was recorded on February 17, 1972 during the same session for "Out in the Country" and "Body Talk" at Brian Wilson's home studio.[5]
Personnel
Partial credits from Craig Slowinski.[6][7][8]
- The Beach Boys
- Ricky Fataar – possible harmony and backing vocals; drums
- Al Jardine – harmony and backing vocals
- Bruce Johnston – harmony and backing vocals
- Mike Love – lead, harmony and backing vocals
- Brian Wilson – harmony and backing vocals
- Carl Wilson – lead, harmony and backing vocals, guitar
- Dennis Wilson – harmony and backing vocals
- Additional musicians
- Jack Rieley - backing vocals
- Tony Martin Jr. – steel guitar
References
- Guy, Timothy (August 26, 2014). "FANTASY SPRINGS: Brian Wilson, Al Jardine bring 'Good Vibrations'". The Press Enterprise. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
- Wilson, Brian (2002). Classics Selected by Brian Wilson (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.
- Jack Rieley's comments & Surf's Up
- Kubernik, Harvey (2014). It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: The Beatles Invade America and Hollywood. Los Angeles, CA: Otherworld Cottage Industries. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-9898936-8-8.
- Doe, Andrew G. "GIGS72". Bellagio 10452. Endless Summer Quarterly.
- http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,27045.0.html
- http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,22555.msg585394.html#msg585394
- http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,5157
