Glen Campbell Was A Brick In The Beach Boys’ “Wall of Sound”
On Wednesday, June 11, the co-founder of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, died at the age of 82.
The iconic band was at the forefront of music producer Phil Spector’s revolutionary “Wall of Sound,” with Brian being quoted by the Fresno Bee in 1964 as describing the band’s sound as emphasizing “a very clean but strong beat, melodically simple but an infectious melody, a social lyric, and I think the key to our versatility is harmonic variation.”
The influence of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys on the production of music that has followed their work in the 1960s is immense.
Still, there were some who were there to witness them in action.
The work Brian did with Phil Spector afforded for more than a chance meeting between the Beach Boys and future country star Glen Campbell, but instead brought about a brief working relationship.
In December of 1964, briefly Glen Campbell toured with the Beach Boys when Wilson got sick, but their working relationship originated with Phil Spector.
Related: Celebrities React To Brian Wilson’s Death: “Rest Peacefully”
Touring With The Beach Boys
It wouldn’t be until 1967, with the release of his album Gentle on My Mind, that Glen Campbell would become a household name, but he was already working in the background on many significant recordings.
As part of “the Wrecking Crew,” which was a group of session musicians affiliated with Phil Spector, Glen was a guitarist for musicians who were in need of reliable studio talent.
While recording some of his own material on the side, Glen participated in the recording of the soundtrack for Elvis Presley’s film Viva Las Vegas (1964), as well as playing in sessions for Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash.
In 1964, Glen also played six-string bass on the Beach Boys’ song “I Get Around,” the opening track from their album All Summer Long.
Later that year, Brian fell ill, but the Beach Boys still had shows to do… so Glen filled in for Brian from late December of 1964 through March of 1965.
In a televised 1964 interview for CFCF Montreal, Glen can be seen with the band, and is even introduced as “subbing for Brian.”
Glen said, “Well, yeah, Brian got sick and so I came out to take his place tonight, so they wouldn’t have to cancel the show.”
Asked if he fills in “quite often,” Glen replied, “Well, sometimes, yes.”
Unfortunately, it seems that none of Glen’s time touring with the Beach Boys was taped, but the brief interview clip can still be seen, here:
Recording ‘Pet Sounds’
Leading up to the recording of the Beach Boys’ 1966 album Pet Sounds, Glen recorded a single written by Brian Wilson.
“Guess I’m Dumb” was the name of the song, and it was only Glen’s seventh single for Capital Records.
Recorded, in part, by Brian in 1964, the Beach Boys were struggling to manage their personalities at the time, with several members vying for authority over the band’s direction. As a result, no one helped Brian finish the song, so he eventually offered it to Glen in 1965.
While the song never charted, it is now appreciated for the strength of its production, and a performance of it can be seen here (with Brian Wilson performing on the keyboard):
Eventually, Pet Sounds was recorded, and Glen played banjo and guitar as part of “the Wrecking Crew.”
The concept album includes notable tracks such as “God Only Knows” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and is revered in the music industry for its innovative sound.
Other Glen Campbell Recordings Of Beach Boys Music
“A lot of people didn’t know that I was with the Beach Boys for a while,” Glen Campbell said on stage at An Evening with Glen Campbell and the Royal Philharmonic in 1977. “In fact, in 1965, I was with them for about a year, live and in person, playing bass and singing Brian’s part.”
He then proceeded to play a medley of the Beach Boys’ music that he was involved in the recording of, or played live “as a Beach Boy.”
Here is that medley:
This is a variation of a medley he’s brought out a few times, affectionately telling a church crowd in 1988, “I was a Beach Boy once in my life.”
See a more pared down, twangy rendition of some Beach Boys tunes, as performed by Glen Campbell, here:
