Beach Boys: a box set is out for the 60th anniversary of "Pet Sounds". Listen to the new versions of "Sloop John B" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice"

Sixty years after the release of the album "Pet Sounds", released on May 16, 1966, the Beach Boys are back in the spotlight with a new celebratory reissue. Capitol Records and Universal Music Enterprises are releasing "The Pet Sounds Sessions Highlights", a selection that reorganizes and makes available once again some of the material that emerged from the historic 1965-66 sessions. The project draws on content from the Grammy-nominated 1997 box set "The Pet Sounds Sessions", offering a distillation of 25 tracks including alternate versions, studio recordings and isolated vocal arrangements. For the first time, many of these recordings are being pressed on vinyl. The release is set for May 15 and will be available as a double CD and in various vinyl editions, including limited-edition colored variants. All versions include new liner notes written by historian Howie Edelson and a detailed sessionography. A parallel 90-track expanded digital version is also planned, under the original title "The Pet Sounds Sessions".

Ahead of the release, new versions of "Sloop John B" and "Wouldn’t It Be Nice" have been shared: the former presented in a cappella form, with the band's isolated vocal harmonies, and in a variant featuring Carl Wilson on lead vocals in place of Brian Wilson: you can listen to them below.

Over the years, "Pet Sounds" has been revisited numerous times by its own protagonists. In 2016, for the fiftieth anniversary, Al Jardine highlighted the band's change of direction compared to its past, which developed while the group was engaged in a long stretch of live activity without Brian Wilson, who had already retired from touring back in 1964 and was replaced on stage by Bruce Johnston. In the same context, Mike Love claimed credit for his own creative contribution, starting with the album's title, recalling the collective work on the vocal harmonies. For Brian Wilson, on the other hand, the album represented a decisive turning point in his own artistic evolution, tied to his desire to explore new compositional and sonic solutions.

Below is the full tracklist of the 2-CD box set.2-CD Tracklist:

Disc One

• Wouldn't It Be Nice (Vocals Only)
• You Still Believe In Me (Vocals Only)
• I’m Waiting For The Day (Vocals Only)
• Sloop John B. (Vocals Only)
• God Only Knows (Vocals Only)
• Here Today (Vocals Only)
• I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times (Vocals Only)
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Stereo Track and Backing Vocals)
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (Brian Wilson’s Instrumental Demo)
• I’m Waiting For The Day (Mike Sings Lead)
• Sloop John B. (Carl Sings First Verse)
• God Only Knows (Sax Solo, Alternate Version)
• Hang On To Your Ego (Alternate Mix)
• Here Today (Alternate Version)

Disc Two

• Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Highlights from Tracking Date)
• Trombone Dixie (Highlights from Tracking Date)
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (Vocal Snippet)
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (Vocals Only)
• That’s Not Me (Highlights from Tracking Date)
• Here Today (Stereo Backing Track)
• I’m Waiting For The Day (Vocals Only)*
• Caroline, No (Stereo Mix, Original Speed)
• God Only Knows (Highlights from Tracking Date)
• Good Vibrations (Highlights from Tracking Date)
• Good Vibrations (Stereo Backing Track)

*Track included on Disc 1 and Disc 2

Digital tracklist:

Disc 1 – Stereo Mix + Sessions

• Wouldn’t It Be Nice
• You Still Believe In Me
• That’s Not Me
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder
• I’m Waiting For The Day
• Let’s Go Away For Awhile
• Sloop John B
• God Only Knows
• I Know There’s An Answer
• Here Today
• I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
• Pet Sounds
• Caroline, No
• Sloop John B (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Sloop John B (Stereo Backing Track)
• Trombone Dixie (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Trombone Dixie (Stereo Backing Track)
• Pet Sounds (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Pet Sounds (Stereo Track Without Guitar Overdub)
• Let’s Go Away For Awhile (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Let’s Go Away For Awhile (Stereo Track Without String Overdub)
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Stereo Backing Track)
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Stereo Track With Background Vocals)
• You Still Believe In Me (Intro-Session)
• You Still Believe In Me (Intro-Master Take)
• You Still Believe In Me (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• You Still Believe In Me (Stereo Backing Track)

Disc 2 – Sessions Pt. 2

• Caroline, No (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Caroline, No (Stereo Backing Track)
• Hang On To Your Ego (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Hang On To Your Ego (Stereo Backing Track)
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (Brian’s Instrumental Demo)
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (Stereo Backing Track)
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (String Overdub)
• I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times (Stereo Backing Track)
• That’s Not Me (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• That’s Not Me (Stereo Backing Track)
• Good Vibrations (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Good Vibrations (Stereo Backing Track)
• I’m Waiting For The Day (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• I’m Waiting For The Day (Stereo Backing Track)
• God Only Knows (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• God Only Knows (Stereo Backing Track)
• Here Today (Highlights From Tracking Date)
• Here Today (Stereo Backing Track)
• Disc 3 – Stack-O-Vocals
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice
• You Still Believe In Me
• That’s Not Me
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
• I’m Waiting For The Day
• Sloop John B
• God Only Knows
• I Know There’s An Answer
• Here Today
• I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
• Caroline, No

Disc 3 Continued – Alternate Versions

• Caroline, No (Promotional Spot #1)
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Mix 3/3/66)
• You Still Believe In Me (Mix 2/16/66)
• Don’t Talk … (Vocal Snippet)
• I’m Waiting For The Day (Mike Sings Lead) (Mix 3/12/66)
• Sloop John B (Carl Sings First Verse)
• God Only Knows (Sax Solo) (Mix 3/12/66)
• Hang On To Your Ego (Alternate Version)
• Here Today (Alternate Version)
• I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times (Alternate Version)
• Banana & Louie
• Caroline, No (Original Speed, Stereo Mix)
• Dog Barking Session (Outtakes) (Mix 3/22/66)
• Caroline, No (Promotional Spot #2)
• God Only Knows (With A Capella Tag) (Mix 3/12/66)
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Alternate Version)
• Sloop John B (Brian Sings Lead Throughout)
• God Only Knows (Brian Sings Lead) (Mix 3/22/66)
• Caroline, No (Original Speed, Mono Mix)
• Disc 4 – The Original Mono Mix, Re-mastered In 1996
• Wouldn’t It Be Nice
• You Still Believe In Me
• That’s Not Me
• Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
• I’m Waiting For The Day
• Let’s Go Away For Awhile
• Sloop John B
• God Only Knows
• I Know There’s An Answer
• Here Today
• I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
• Pet Sounds
• Caroline, No

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