Marcella (song)
| "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) | Brian Wilson, Tandyn Almer, Jack Rieley | |||
| Producer(s) | The Beach Boys | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Licensed audio | ||||
| "Marcella" on YouTube | ||||
"Marcella" is a song by the American rock band
Background
The verse melody of "Marcella" branched from an earlier track entitled "I Just Got My Pay" (recorded during sessions for
"Marcella" was written about a real woman that Wilson knew. Music journalist Nick Kent explains that she "worked at a parlour just off the strip called Circus Maximus" and had allowed Wilson to "stay and talk to her even though she was aware most of what he said was crazy bullshit."[4] According to Jack Rieley:
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.[5]
Wilson later said that one of the lead guitar parts was inspired by George Harrison's playing,[6] namely, Harrison's solo on "Let It Be" (1970).[7] On another occasion, Wilson said that the song "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."[8]
Recording
"Marcella" was recorded on February 17, 1972 during the same session for "Out in the Country" and "Body Talk" at the Beach Boys' Bel Air studio.[9]
Release
"Marcella" (backed with "Hold On Dear Brother") was released on June 26, 1972 as the album's second single. It peaked at No. 110 on the
Record World said it "is the Beach Boys at their very best."[11]
Personnel
Credits from Craig Slowinski, John Brode, Will Crerar and Joshilyn Hoisington.[12]
The Beach Boys
- Ricky Fataar – drums, castanets
- Al Jardine – backing vocals
- Bruce Johnston – backing vocals
- Mike Love – lead and backing vocals
- Brian Wilson – backing vocals, grand piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer (bass), vibraphone
- Carl Wilson – lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, producer
- Dennis Wilson – backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Tandyn Almer – autoharps
- Tony Martin Jr. – pedal steel guitars
- Jack Rieley – backing vocals
- unidentified players – 2 trumpets, trombone, bass trombone, sleigh bells, cabasa, bongos
References
- ^ Guy, Timothy (August 26, 2014). "FANTASY SPRINGS: Brian Wilson, Al Jardine bring 'Good Vibrations'". The Press Enterprise. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
- ^ "Watch Brian Wilson and His Band's 2001 Soundcheck of 'Marcella'". 24 January 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-8264-1876-0.
- ISBN 0306806460.
- ^ "Jack Rieley's comments & Surf's Up". smileysmile.net.
- ISBN 978-0-9898936-8-8.
- ^ Kubernik, Harvey (July 2, 2021). "Beach Boys "Feel Flows" Box Set". Music Connection. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Brian (2002). Classics Selected by Brian Wilson (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.
- ^ Doe, Andrew G. "GIGS72". Bellagio 10452. Endless Summer Quarterly.
- ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6.
- ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. July 1, 1972. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ "Sail On Sailor Sessionography". The Beach Boys. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
External links
- I Just Got My Pay on YouTube
- I Just Got My Pay (2019 mix) on YouTube
- Marcella (A Cappella) on YouTube
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