| "Here Today" | |||||||
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| Single by The Beach Boys | |||||||
| from the album Pet Sounds | |||||||
| A-side | "Darlin'" | ||||||
| Released | May 16, 1966 | ||||||
| Format | Vinyl | ||||||
| Recorded | Sunset Sound March 10, 1966 Columbia Studios March 25, 1966 |
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| Genre | Baroque pop | ||||||
| Length | 2:54 | ||||||
| Label | Capitol 2068 | ||||||
| Writer(s) | Wilson/Asher | ||||||
| Producer | Brian Wilson | ||||||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | |||||||
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"Here Today" is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released on their 1966 album Pet Sounds. It is the tenth track on the album.
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The song was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with the melodramatic lyrics by Tony Asher about love being "here today and gone tomorrow",with the potential for heartbreak that never lies too far away "a brand new love affair is such a beautiful thing/but if you're not careful, think about the pain it can bring."[1] The lead vocal was sung by Mike Love on the final release but some sessions have been released with Brian singing lead.
It was later released as the B-side to the 1967 single "Darlin'". Here Today was the last song started for the Pet Sounds album. When the instrumental track was recorded on March 11, it was logged as "I Don't Have a Title Yet", likely a reflection of some of the confusion surrounding its writing.[2]
Bruce Johnston stated that the orchestral instrumental break of "Here Today" was influenced by late Baroque composers such as J. S. Bach.[3] Johnston also stated Brian was "redefining the word brilliant." He talked about the "unusual" break in the middle which he called "perfection". When discussing the Bach influence; Johnston stated "this is the break that Brian told me was influenced by Bach - and if you've heard any Bach at all, you'll know what he's talking about." Bruce also said he "wouldn't be surprised if every great musical talent of all-time is spinning around in Brian Wilson's great blender." Some studio chatter between Bruce Johnston and a photographer could be heard during the instrumental break (only in mono version release) and the subject matter was revealed to be about cameras. Then, Brian says, "Top, please," which was an instruction to the engineer to rewind the tape to the beginning of the song so the group could attempt another take of the vocals.[2]
In 1998, the song was later covered by Thurston Moore singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth on the Beach Boys tribute album Smiling Pets, which was only released in Japan.[4] Recently the song was re-recorded by Brian Wilson and his band in his 2002 live album Pet Sounds Live. Stephen Davis, who reviewed Pet Sounds, stated that Here Today "portrays a pessimism and disaffection that jars with the previous optimism. It is the end of the affair..."[5]