The Beach Boys' vocal harmonies are among the most unmistakable and enduring of the rock and roll era. Among rock and roll groups of the Sixties, the California quintet place second only to the Beatles in terms of their overall impact on the Top 40. They were the Fab Four's most serious competitors on a creative level, too. Paul McCartney has allowed that the Beatles' masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, was their attempt to address the challenge posed by the Beach Boys' magnum opus, Pet Sounds - which itself was inspired by the British foursome's Rubber Soul. This creative dialogue between two of rock's greatest bands pushed popular music to an artistic peak. Paul McCartney noted that "both [Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper] have more than held up. To me it's like, 'What have people been doing in the meantime? Where's the progress?' I can't see anything as modern as that around at the moment." The Beach Boys were a family affair that came together in the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne, California, in 1961. Three brothers -- Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson -- were joined by their cousin, Mike Love, and a schoolmate, Alan Jardine (who was replaced by David Marks, before rejoining). Brian Wilson, who demonstrated an aptitude for music at an early age, was the group's leader, orchestrating their harmonies, writing the music, producing the recording sessions. One of the undisputed geniuses in popular music, Brian demonstrated an uncanny gift for harmonic invention and complex vocal and instrumental arrangements. Initially, the magnitude of that genius was overlooked owing to the subject matter of the band's early hits: i.e., surfing, hot rods and teen romance. But today, even the lyrics to those songs -- generally written by Mike Love or such outside collaborators as deejay Roger Christian and producer Gary Usher -- are celebrated for their deft use of technical lingo and youthful joie de vivre. "A lot of love went into our singing, our harmonies, the making of those records," Brian Wilson said in 2003. "Help Me, Rhonda" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for their American rock band the Beach Boys. Originally released as "Help Me, Ronda" in March 1965 on The Beach Boys Today!, it was later revised for single release. The single version titled "Help Me, Rhonda" peaked at number one in the United States making it the second Beach Boys single to reach that position after "I Get Around" in 1964. The single version was later released on the Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) album in June, 1965. "Help Me, Rhonda" was the first single to feature a lead vocal by Al Jardine and typically compilations use the "Rhonda" single version. The lyrics of "Help Me, Rhonda" tell a narrative of how a male was attracted to a girl who then found another man, and so to aid the healing process, he begs Rhonda to help him. Before a concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Brian Wilson revealed, "There is no Rhonda." The original version was recorded over two dates at Western Recording Studios in Hollywood on January 8 and 19, 1965, with Chuck Britz as the engineer and production by Brian Wilson. There is a similarity between "Help Me Ronda" from the Beach Boys and the tune "Fannie Mae" by Buster Brown which charted number one in the R&B; chart of 1960. The instrumental track has Carl Wilson, Bill Pitman, and Glen Campbell on guitar, Billy Strange on ukulele, Ray Pohlman on bass guitar, Leon Russell on piano, Hal Blaine on drums and timbales, Julius Wechter on claves, Billy Lee Riley on harmonica, Steve Douglas and Plas Johnson on tenor saxophone, and Jay Migliori on baritone saxophone. Al Jardine sang the lead vocal with backing vocals by Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson, and Mike Love. The song was originally considered an album cut but radio stations began to play it and Brian decided to rework and re-record it. The single was recorded at Universal and Radio Recorders studios in Hollywood on February 24, 1965, again with Britz as the engineer and Brian Wilson as producer. Featured on the instrumental track were regular Wrecking Crew members such as Hal Blaine on drums and Carol Kaye on bass guitar. Beach Boys who contributed to the instrumental track were Carl Wilson (guitar) and Brian Wilson (acoustic piano and Hammond B-3). The single version once again features Al Jardine on lead vocals with backing vocals by Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson, and Mike Love.

• published: 23 Aug 2013
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