Differences in mixes/versions of songs on Bambu/Bamboo

[TdHabib]

He takes requests, ladies and gentlemen!

[punkinhead]

Random question on the topic of Dennis/Carl collaborating on Dennis' stuff. How come Dennis was never included in any of Carl's stuff? Was there tension around the time Carl was recording his (self-titled) album?

Carl Wilson was recorded September-December 1980, and at the time, the band weren't touring anything like as much as they usually did: from August 11th to October 16th they didn't play a single show, and from 10/17 to 12/31, they only played a further 17 or so. I'd say you're right, there was something going on.

Wow, "a fly on the wall" moment for sure. I wonder if Denny and Brian sat together...just to hear their conversations would be great...
"hey Brian, you wanna go do snort that stuff before the show begins?"
"Denny, give me your flask!"
"Woah! Dennis, what song is this? I've never heard it."
"Come on Bri, it's Long Promised Road, you weren't out of it that much back then."
"Let's go work out some songs after this, I gotta song called City Blues that really rocks, and we can get back to work on a couple other tunes, Stevie and Night Bloomin' Onion, I mean, Jasmine....as long as you bring the hamburgers and cola!"

[Jonas]

Thinking about it, it seems like both Wilson's were completely out of the loop during "Carl Wilson", which is weird since Carl was Brian and Dennis' biggest supporter. Kind of a bummer.

[Loaf]

If Carl had big problems with substance abuse in the late 70s, substances which in the early 80s Brian and Dennis were currently abusing, then surely it would make sense for Carl not to get himself into toxic situations.

Brian and Dennis were hardly in peak mental or musical form when Carl was recording and I doubt he wanted to act as a babysitter to coax something out of his brothers for his potential solo career.

[JaredLekites]

Another question that I can't remember the answer to is why Baby Blue Eyes isn't on Bambu? And if you made a fan mix of Bambu cuts, where would you put Baby Blue Eyes?

The only version with a CW vocal is the BB version: can you say "licensing" ?

I feel like there's a huge difference in sound on Wild Situation...I'm not gonna go into is at the moment. And why was the tasteless line deleted?   ("She's got it hard now it's a big erection")

'Cause it's missing on the original multi-track. Dennis erased it.

Well what about Love Surrounds me? Aren't some of the BB on that track? (Does it matter if it was on L.A. or not?)

Bambu "LSM" came first - I've heard it disputed, but what's on LA sounds awfully like a sweetened version of the original to me.

I believe even the liner notes to the recent POB deluxe edition state that The Beach Boys version is a 'sweetening' of Dennis' version.

[Bill M]

If I'm not mistaken, the band's contract with CBS forbade them from performing on each others' solo albums.
At least, officially.

[Jay]

Dennis sure supported Carl and went to Carl's Roxy show with Brian (Ed Roach has some great pictures of this).

Was that Brian's favorite shirt or something? I think that in every picture or film of Brian from 1981 that I have seen, he's wearing that same shirt. 

[Jay]

Regarding the differences between the bootleg "Bamboo" versions versus the official "Bambu", I have to say that I think the bootleg version of "Constant COmpanion" is better than the version that was released. I'm not to thrilled about the percussion intro(it goes on for way to long), but I love that sound effect on the vocal. But I've never known for sure if it was present on the rough mix, or if it was something that a fan did. There is an interesting echo applied to the vocal that I think is really cool. It kind of reminds me of Carl's vocal on "Feel Flows".

I just had an interesting thought. It wuld have been great if Dennis would have worked with the group Chicago. I mean, wouldn't it have been great if Terry Kath would have added a great guitar solo to "Constant Companion"? Danny Serephine could have been on drums and percussion. Peter Cetera could have put in a funky bass line. Man, sometimes I wish I could put a tape recorder in my head. 

[rogerlancelot]

Regarding the differences between the bootleg "Bamboo" versions versus the official "Bambu", I have to say that I think the bootleg version of "Constant COmpanion" is better than the version that was released. I'm not to thrilled about the percussion intro(it goes on for way to long), but I love that sound effect on the vocal. But I've never known for sure if it was present on the rough mix, or if it was something that a fan did. There is an interesting echo applied to the vocal that I think is really cool. It kind of reminds me of Carl's vocal on "Feel Flows".

I just had an interesting thought. It wuld have been great if Dennis would have worked with the group Chicago. I mean, wouldn't it have been great if Terry Kath would have added a great guitar solo to "Constant Companion"? Danny Serephine could have been on drums and percussion. Peter Cetera could have put in a funky bass line. Man, sometimes I wish I could put a tape recorder in my head. 

It's backward reverb. Basically you isolate the track you want (in this case the lead vocal) and bounce it on to another track backward (in this case spooling the tape in reverse) so that when you play it back the effect leads into the sound. I can't think of too many instances where the BB recorded backward except for the intro for "Never Learn Not To Love". It was a technique used a lot by Beatles and Hendrix amongst others.

[Jonathan Blum]

If Carl had big problems with substance abuse in the late 70s, substances which in the early 80s Brian and Dennis were currently abusing, then surely it would make sense for Carl not to get himself into toxic situations.

Brian and Dennis were hardly in peak mental or musical form when Carl was recording and I doubt he wanted to act as a babysitter to coax something out of his brothers for his potential solo career.

...but in a parallel universe, he phoned Denny up and said "Hey bro, remember that song we did together a couple years back, "It's Not Too Late", hey if you're not doing anything with it you mind if I record a little bit more of a lead and we put it out as a duet on my album, is that cool?"

I wanna live over there for a while...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[punkinhead]

Regarding the differences between the bootleg "Bamboo" versions versus the official "Bambu", I have to say that I think the bootleg version of "Constant COmpanion" is better than the version that was released. I'm not to thrilled about the percussion intro(it goes on for way to long), but I love that sound effect on the vocal. But I've never known for sure if it was present on the rough mix, or if it was something that a fan did. There is an interesting echo applied to the vocal that I think is really cool. It kind of reminds me of Carl's vocal on "Feel Flows".

I just had an interesting thought. It wuld have been great if Dennis would have worked with the group Chicago. I mean, wouldn't it have been great if Terry Kath would have added a great guitar solo to "Constant Companion"? Danny Serephine could have been on drums and percussion. Peter Cetera could have put in a funky bass line. Man, sometimes I wish I could put a tape recorder in my head. 

Your idea about Chicago working with them is interesting, think of what they could have done with the POB track: Time in a live setting? AMAZING is what comes to my mind.

[punkinhead]

If Carl had big problems with substance abuse in the late 70s, substances which in the early 80s Brian and Dennis were currently abusing, then surely it would make sense for Carl not to get himself into toxic situations.

Brian and Dennis were hardly in peak mental or musical form when Carl was recording and I doubt he wanted to act as a babysitter to coax something out of his brothers for his potential solo career.

...but in a parallel universe, he phoned Denny up and said "Hey bro, remember that song we did together a couple years back, "It's Not Too Late", hey if you're not doing anything with it you mind if I record a little bit more of a lead and we put it out as a duet on my album, is that cool?"

I wanna live over there for a while...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I think a parallel universe thread is needed...what specific time frame is up to you.