Released March 8, 1965 | ||
Length 2:09 (mono version)2:11 (stereo version) | ||
"In the Back of My Mind" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for American rock band the Beach Boys, first released on their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!. It is a heavily orchestrated ballad in 6/8 time. Dennis Wilson largely sings lead unaccompanied though briefly during the middle-eight, his brothers Brian and Carl sing two lines in unison.
Contents
Biographer Peter Ames Carlin said of the track: "It's like the orchestra is falling apart. It's about the guy's wife and that's the most intimate relationship you can have. It radiates the complexities in Brian's inner life and how that comes through in his music and how he expresses that in music." Matthew Greenwald of Allmusic also offered praise of the song and its lyrics, saying that the choice of lead singer was good and that Dennis' performance is "wonderfully fragile".
Recording
"In the Back of My Mind" was recorded over two dates at Western Studios, both produced, arranged and conducted by Brian Wilson. 40 takes of the instrumental track were recorded on January 13, 1965 with the 39th being deemed the master. The vocals were overdubbed at a session on January 19, 1965. The song was first released in 1965 in mono on the band's album The Beach Boys Today! with a stereo remix of the song being released in 2012 on the stereo remaster of that same album.
In 1995, Brian expressed disappointment with Dennis' vocal, and that it was not doubletracked well.
Personnel
Surviving sessions audio and AFM musician contracts sheets, documented by Craig Slowinski, have enabled this personnel list to be compiled.
Brian Wilson version
Brian recorded a demo version of the song in 1975 with himself on lead vocals. It was released as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Brian's solo album No Pier Pressure.