Good Vibrations:
The Greatest Single of All
Time
Brian Wilson, not satisfied with Pet Sounds only receiving critical acclaim, returned to the studio in the summer of 1966 to make the greatest rock song ever recorded- "Good Vibrations". And although "Good Vibrations" was not on Pet Sounds, it's ingenious harmony and use of instrumentation make it well qualified to be on the greatest album of all time.
The concept of "Good Vibrations" came from Brian's mother. As a boy, she had told him that dogs bark at some people and not others because of the vibrations a person gives off. Brian's intent with "Good Vibrations" was to include his newly found musically spirituallity ("God Only Knows"), with his ground-breakng production techniques. "Good Vibrations" took 3 months to make, including 6 weeks of studio time, 20 sessions in 4 studios and using over 90 hours of tape. In 1967, less time was devoted to an album, much less a 3:50 second song!
Perhaps the most impressive part of "Good Vibrations" was it's incredible instrumentation. The most impressive element was Brian's use of the theremin, which was previously used to give the effects in horror films. "Good Vibrations" was the first time a theremin was used on a rock song.
When "Good Vibrations" was released on October 6, 1966, it sold 100,000 copies each day in its first 4 days of release. The song went to #1 in Briatain and the United States, and eventually sold 16,000,000 copies world-wide. As a result, in a 1967 poll, the Beach Boys beat the Beatles for the postiton as the top group in the world.
The sucess of "Good Vibrations" meant Brian had to come up with a great album; an album better even than Pet Sounds. This album (Smile), however, would never be released.
