Hey there HeyJude, I admit when I first read your response, I was once again somewhat like "argh, he just does not get it! How can he not hear what I'm hearing." But after truly reading through it again, I must say that I see what you're saying in here. I understand what you mean vis-à-vis Carl's vocal and how it was couched in harmonies when it was recorded, but then extracted and then possibly pitch shifted, which leaves us with the slightly wonky sounding version on what I'll call the "organ" version (to differentiate from the "sax" version). However, where I think we part is how we hear the tracks in question. The organ version to me sounds like an open air stage with the organ getting a natural room reverb and Al just kinda going for it in a key that doesn't quite work for him. However, one point that you bring up that may hadn't crossed my mind was that both of these versions have probably had significant overdubbed and vocal work. But I still stand by the fact that I think the opposite of you. But that's what makes this board interesting.
I suppose the easiest thing to do would be for one of us to contact Larry Dvoskin on Facebook or Twitter, and perhaps maybe I'll do that some time. He always has kinda seemed up to discuss The Beach Boys and his work with Al. In fact didn't he once say that "Waves of Love" was their Pet Sounds? Though who even knows. If we asked Al, I have a feeling that things would get even more complicated! He'd probably say it's an unreleased cut!
I think all of the versions of this track have been sufficiently reworked to where its impossible to know anything for sure. The fact that theyve clearly issued multiple versions (and multiple mixes of each of those versions) only muddies the waters even more. That they issued some of the variations seemingly *accidentally* makes it even *more* confusing! That they then, seven years later, reissued the album for streaming *without* the song at all makes it even further perplexing. Then, a random alternate mix is just floating around on Soundcloud for months with nobody noticing. Then, Dvoskin is posting on Facebook about finally finishing a song that has already had three or four variations put out there, and discusses it under an alternate title and speaks as if the song has never been issued before. Its all pretty screwy.
That being said, beyond all of the things I mentioned before pointing to that First CD/Saxophone version as sounding much closer to a soundcheck iteration, I will also say this:
That second organ version, the download version in the higher key, sounds ZERO like anything the mid-1990s touring band could have recorded on stage. Im well versed in what the various touring bands sounded like, the style and capabilities of the musicians, and what any board recording of that lineup would sound like. Theres nothing on that organ version that sounds like it was recorded by the circa 1995 touring band. They may have brought some of those guys back in to the studio at a later date to do some of that guitar and other work. I cant rule out that *something* on that organ version (besides Carls lead) was flown in from the original soundcheck recording. Maybe Meros did some on-stage B3 work or something that was copied and pasted. But because the two versions are in different keys, this seems unlikely. But Id say that 95+ percent of what is heard on that organ version couldnt have possibly been recorded on-stage during a soundcheck by the touring band in the 90s. The track is way too adorned. The guitar work sounds tight and punchy. Pretty much *everything* on this version sounds dry and quite direct. Theres no way the guitars on that version were done live on stage by Al, Carl, and Ed Carter. I dont think Carl even gets a guitar credit on the song. Of course, the credits for the song are potentially non-sensical as well, because they seem incomplete and its unclear which version they pertain to. But the credits I recall not only mention several of the touring band members, but also Dvoskin on keyboards and Dan Knutson on guitar, and I dont think either of those guys were on stage. If the song *otherwise* had any ambience like what I know the touring band sounded like at that time, then maybe Id buy that the organ version is a soundcheck recording with a few overdubs. But to me, it very much sounds like a studio re-record with a few elements, mainly Carls voice, flown in from the old original soundcheck recording.
Here's what I would guess happened.
At a gig in the 1993-1996 time frame (apparently at the Merv Griffin resort in Altantic City), Al spent some time with the touring band at soundcheck noodling on a new song he had written with Dvoskin, Waves of Love. As far as I can tell, given the sort of assembly line, autopilot nature of the touring band in that era, it probably *wasnt* super common to spend any significant amount of time during soundchecks working out *new* material, especially in the era when they werent actively pursuing recording a new album. But maybe they were doing a bit more in the way of rehearsals and soundcheck, and so they tried out this Al tune. Apparently, Mike and Bruce arent even on it, meaning either they werent even on stage when the track was cut, or any of their contributions were wiped. Im guessing a lineup of Al, Carl, Matt along with Meros, Kowalski, Carter, and Cannata (not sure where Billy Hinsche plays into this) attempted the song. Al had these attempts recorded, whether for demo/reference purposes or because, maybe, he thought they could really use this as a spring board for a finished version?
At some point, and I dont know if this was very soon after, or some point later in the 90s, or way later, some overdubs were added to this version. Most notably, stacked Al vocals were added at some point (the dit dit dit sort of stuff). We can also hear an accordion-type instrument, most prominently on this recent mix that surfaced on Dvoskins Soundcloud.
At some stage, *this* version, what I guess were calling the Saxophone version, must have been the one Al was considering for release on some iteration of his Postcards album. They clearly prepped (and possibly did further overdubs on) this version in the 2010-2012 timeframe for potential release as a bonus track on the 2012 Postcards reissue/wide release.
At some point, either before, concurrent, or after that first version was noodled with, they seem to have tried a completely different version of the song. The key was changed (higher), and it sounds like they basically attempted to give a higher energy, punchier sound by upping the key, the tempo, and adding slightly crunchy guitars and recording everything pretty dry and up-front. They even added slide guitar. They also of course re-arranged the song itself in terms of the order of the verses and choruses. It seems, though, that they when they did this new version, they still wanted to integrate Carls vocal. Id have to listen to both versions and try to sort of mentally isolate Carls voice in the harmony stack of that first version to hear if Carls voice is in the same key on both versions. They either altered the pitch on Carls voice for this new version, or they essentially pulled Carls voice out of the vocal stack heard on that first version and then determined what key a new recording would or could be in so that Carls isolated voice could serve now as a lead for that chorus portion of the song. Carls voice sounds kind of strange on this version, and I think thats due both to plucking his voice out of a harmony stack, and then also having someone (Matt?) double Carls voice, making it sound simultaneously *more* isolated yet also somewhat indistinct or unclear.
When it came time to do the 2012 reissue/wide release of Postcards, I think their intention was to release this second organ punchy version. Somehow, while this version was included on digital copies of the album, the first saxophone version was put on the CD. How they got this incorrect version on a master, presumably had proofs/test pressings made, and then the thing had presumably thousands of copies replicated, I have no idea. Typical Beach Boys stuff though.
When the song was finally issued in 2012, Al often highlighted Carls voice being on the track. I think this is noteworthy as well, as Carls voice is *much* more to the fore and discernable on that second organ version of the song. Carl is essentially only a backing vocalist on the first sax version. I dont think the vocal Carl turned in was likely anything other than a quick rattled off thing done to help Al demo a song at a soundcheck. Thus, especially when isolated away from the harmony stack, Carls vocal sounds just kind of weird and tentative and wonky. Ive always wondered if this was one of the many possible reasons nobody wanted to work on this thing in 2012 for the BBs reunion album.
![]()
