He developed and played the Electro-Theremin, a theremin soundalike instrument that is best known for its use on the Beach Boys 1966 songs "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," "Good Vibrations," and "Wild Honey".

Paul Ora Warren Tanner was born on October 15, 1917, in Skunk Hollow, Campbell County, Kentucky.

[1] Tanner gained fame as a trombonist, playing with Glenn Miller and His Orchestra from 1938 to 1942, the group's entire duration.

[3] Tanner earned three degrees at University of California, Los Angeles – a bachelor's in 1958 (graduating magna cum laude), a master's in 1961, and a doctorate in 1975.

The Electro-Theremin is featured on several 1966–1967 recordings by The Beach Boys, with Tanner as the guest player;[5] most notably on the Capitol Records singles "Good Vibrations", "Wild Honey", in the album track "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", and in Dennis Wilson's song "Tune L" found in the 1967 archival release "1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow".