▁C rew . ▁A ▁strip ▁of ▁mask ing ▁t ape ▁was ▁placed ▁over ▁the ▁strings ▁of ▁a ▁piano ▁while ▁the ▁bottom s ▁of ▁two ▁pl astic ▁orange ▁ju ice ▁bott les ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁per cussion . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Brian , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁mus icians ▁who ▁were ▁present ▁at ▁the ▁" G od ▁Only ▁Kn ows " ▁sessions ▁claim ▁that ▁those ▁sessions ▁were ▁some ▁of ▁" the ▁most ▁mag ical , ▁beautiful ▁musical ▁experiences ▁they ' ve ▁ever ▁heard ". ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁ 2 3 ▁mus icians ▁present ▁during ▁the ▁" G od ▁Only ▁Kn ows " ▁sessions , ▁though ▁only ▁ 1 6 ▁are ▁cred ited ▁as ▁being ▁present ▁on ▁the ▁actual ▁take ▁that ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁final ▁song . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁ 2 3 ▁mus icians ▁was ▁an ▁ast ounding ▁number ▁of ▁mus icians ▁for ▁a ▁pop ▁record . ▁All ▁the ▁mus icians ▁played ▁simultaneously , ▁creating ▁" a ▁rich , ▁heaven ly ▁blank et ▁of ▁music ". ▁A ▁string ▁section ▁was ▁over d ub bed ▁there after . ▁ ▁Brian ▁originally ▁intended ▁to ▁sing ▁lead ▁vocal ▁on ▁" G od ▁Only ▁Kn ows " ▁but ▁after ▁the ▁instrument al ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁had ▁been ▁recorded , ▁Brian ▁thought ▁Carl ▁could ▁im part ▁the ▁message ▁better ▁than ▁he ▁could . ▁Brian ▁reflected ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁" I ▁gave ▁the ▁song ▁to ▁Carl ▁because ▁I ▁was ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁tend ern ess ▁and ▁a ▁sweet ness ▁which