With Me Tonight

"With Me Tonight"

Song by the Beach Boys
from the album  Smiley Smile
Released| September 18, 1967 (1967-09-18)
Recorded| June 30, 1967 (1967-06-30)
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"

* file
* help

"You're With Me Tonight"

Song by the Beach Boys
from the album  Hawthorne, CA
Released| May 22, 2001 (2001-05-22)
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

[edit]

"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

[edit]

Early versions of the song entitled "You're With Me Tonight" appear on the compilations Hawthorne, CA (2001) and The Smile Sessions (2011).

## Personnel

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2014)

|

### Smiley Smile version

[edit]

The Beach Boys

* Carl Wilson – lead vocals[2]

### The Smile Sessions version

[edit]

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

[edit]

* Sandy Salisbury (under the title "On and On She Goes")[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 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.
2. ^ a b c d e "Smiley Smile/Wild Honey liner notes". albumlinernotes.com.
3. ^ Greenwald, Matthew. "With Me Tonight". allmusic.com.
4. ^ Brian Wilson Interview on YouTube
5. ^ Slowinski, Craig (2011). The Smile Sessions (booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.

* v
* t
* e

Smiley Smile

Songs|

| Side one|

* "Heroes and Villains"
* "Vegetables"
* "Fall Breaks and Back to Winter (W. Woodpecker Symphony)"
* "She's Goin' Bald"
* "Little Pad"

|

Side two|

* "Good Vibrations"
* "With Me Tonight"
* "Wind Chimes"
* "Gettin' Hungry"
* "Wonderful"
* "Whistle In"

Outtakes|

* "Cool, Cool Water"
* "Good News"
* "Good Time Mama"

Related articles|

* 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow
* The Beach Boys
* discography
* Bedroom Tapes
* "Can't Wait Too Long"
* Lei'd in Hawaii
* Smile
* Sessions
* Smiling Pets

* Surfin' Safari
* Surfin' U.S.A.
* Surfer Girl
* Little Deuce Coupe
* Shut Down Volume 2
* All Summer Long
* The Beach Boys' Christmas Album
* The Beach Boys Today!
* Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
* Beach Boys' Party!
* Pet Sounds
* Smiley Smile
* Wild Honey
* Friends
* 20/20
* Sunflower
* Surf's Up
* Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"
* Holland
* 15 Big Ones
* The Beach Boys Love You
* M.I.U. Album
* L.A. (Light Album)
* Keepin' the Summer Alive
* The Beach Boys
* Still Cruisin'
* Summer in Paradise
* Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
* That's Why God Made the Radio

* v
* t
* e

Smile

* Smiley Smile
* Brian Wilson Presents Smile
* The Smile Sessions

The Smile Sessions
track listing|

| Movement one|

* "Our Prayer"
* "Gee"
* "Heroes and Villains"
* "Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)"
* "I'm in Great Shape"
* "Barnyard"
* "My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine)"
* "Cabinessence"

|

Movement two|

* "Wonderful"
* "Look (Song for Children)"
* "Child Is Father of the Man"
* "Surf's Up"

Movement three|

* "I Wanna Be Around / Workshop"
* "Vega-Tables"
* "Holidays"
* "Wind Chimes"
* "The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)"
* "Love to Say Dada"
* "Good Vibrations"

Other tracks|

* "I Don't Know"
* "He Gives Speeches"
* "Teeter Totter Love"
* "Three Blind Mice"
* "Tune X"
* "You're Welcome"
* "You're with Me Tonight"

Derivative songs|

* "Fall Breaks and Back to Winter (W. Woodpecker Symphony)"
* "She's Goin' Bald"
* "Can't Wait Too Long"
* "Mama Says"
* "Little Bird"
* "Cool, Cool Water"

Associated people|

* David Anderle
* The Beach Boys
* Lorren Daro
* Frank J. Holmes
* Danny Hutton
* Tom Nolan
* Van Dyke Parks
* Jules Siegel
* Derek Taylor
* Michael Vosse
* Paul Williams
* The Wrecking Crew

Related media|

* 20/20
* The Beach Boys' unreleased and bootleg recordings
* Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile
* "George Fell into His French Horn"
* Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys
* Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution
* Pet Sounds (Sessions)
* "Rio Grande"
* Surf's Up
* Smiling Pets

Other topics|

* "Brian Wilson is a genius"
* Brother Records

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template