| "With Me Tonight" | |
|---|---|
| Song by the Beach Boys | |
| from the album Smiley Smile | |
| Released | September 18, 1967 |
| Recorded | June 30, 1967 |
| Studio | Brian Wilson's home studio, Los Angeles |
| Genre | Psychedelic, doo wop |
| Length | 2:17 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Songwriter(s) | Brian Wilson |
| Producer(s) | The Beach Boys |
| Audio sample | |
"With Me Tonight" | |
| "You're With Me Tonight" | |
|---|---|
| Song by the Beach Boys | |
| from the album Hawthorne, CA | |
| Released | May 22, 2001 |
| Recorded | June 5–7, 1967 |
| Studio | Brian Wilson's home studio, Los Angeles |
| Length | 0:49 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Songwriter(s) | Brian Wilson |
"With Me Tonight" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released on their 1967 album Smiley Smile. The piece has been characterized as " psychedelic doo wop" [1] and the similar descriptor " do it yourself acid casualty doo-wop". [2]
AllMusic called the track "one of the better (or, more accurately, refined) songs on the Smiley Smile album" and said that "the melody envelopes the listener in a graceful way, and, in this sense, makes it quite different from many of the other songs on the album." [3] In the liner notes of the Smiley Smile/ Wild Honey set, the song is described as "probably the best of the non-official Smile tunes on the LP." [2]
Recording
"With Me Tonight" originated during the Smile sessions as "You're With Me Tonight". The intro was recorded as a vocal chant; later, it was expanded into a song for Smiley Smile and the "you're" in its title was omitted. [2]
One of Brian's vocal instructions to the group was to sing the song while smiling. [1]
At approximately 0:26, one can hear a voice say "good." This was thought to be an accident when Arnie Geller, a friend of Brian Wilson's, said it during the vocal take. The group liked it so much that they left it in the final take. [4]
Variations
Early versions of the song entitled "You're With Me Tonight" appear on the compilations Hawthorne, CA (2001) and The Smile Sessions (2011).
Personnel
 |
Smiley Smile version
The Beach Boys
- Carl Wilson – lead vocals [2]
The Smile Sessions version
Per Craig Slowinski. [5]
The Beach Boys
- Al Jardine - lead and backing vocals
- Mike Love - backing vocals
- Brian Wilson - lead and backing vocals, electric harpsichord, fingersnaps, handclaps
- Carl Wilson - lead and backing vocals, bass guitar
- Dennis Wilson - backing vocals
Session musician
- Chuck Berghofer - double bass
Cover version
- Sandy Salisbury (under the title "On and On She Goes") [2]
References
- ^ a b Carlin, Peter Ames (2006). Catch a wave : the rise, fall & redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale. p. 128. ISBN 9781594867491.
- ^ a b c d e "Smiley Smile/Wild Honey liner notes". albumlinernotes.com.
- ^ Greenwald, Matthew. "With Me Tonight". allmusic.com.
- ^ Brian Wilson Interview on YouTube
- ^ Slowinski, Craig (2011). The Smile Sessions (booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.