Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring '77 (With Brian - Audio)

[Jay]

Man, we think we have Brian figured out(more or less...), then somebody tells us to pay extra attention to a recordingg like this, and "the plot thickens". I mean, watch the Maryland footage from January of '77. It's full speed ahead, train off the tracks mania. 

They call Brian the "crazy" one. But some of us aren't to far behind.   

[STE]

Makes me wanna go and listen to the full show on my "Live at CBS '77 convention" vinyl bootleg!

[Jay]

I would too. If I had a copy.     

[seltaeb1012002]

I just remembered something I read about this 1977 CBS Convention show. Wasn't this the show where Brian was so unfocused and spaced out that Mike supposedly shoved Brian's piano across the stage? If that story can be believed, it's interesting to note that Brian's condition could seemingly change in the middle of a concert, never mind a few weeks or months. It's kind of hard to believe though, that Brian could be out of it for most of the show, suddenly perk up for one song, then zone out again. 

Never heard of that incident!

The rest of the show is 'OK', not as bad as Largo, but "Hearts" is by far the highlight, vocally, for BW.

You know, the more I listen to this the more I think that this just might be Brian's final truly GREAT performance. i mean, listen to when he sings "And they say violins grow there the whole year round". That last note could make your hair stand up. He never again sang a note quite like that. He came close in "Sherry She Needs Me". But even with al those really high notes, it's still fairly obvious in his voice that it's not the same Brian.

Agree with everything you said here.

[Jay]

I just remembered something I read about this 1977 CBS Convention show. Wasn't this the show where Brian was so unfocused and spaced out that Mike supposedly shoved Brian's piano across the stage? If that story can be believed, it's interesting to note that Brian's condition could seemingly change in the middle of a concert, never mind a few weeks or months. It's kind of hard to believe though, that Brian could be out of it for most of the show, suddenly perk up for one song, then zone out again. 

Never heard of that incident!

I think it's in the Steven Gaines book.

[Please delete my account]

You know, the more I listen to this the more I think that this just might be Brian's final truly GREAT performance. i mean, listen to when he sings "And they say violins grow there the whole year round". That last note could make your hair stand up. He never again sang a note quite like that. He came close in "Sherry She Needs Me". But even with al those really high notes, it's still fairly obvious in his voice that it's not the same Brian.

Violins?

[The Shift]

You know, the more I listen to this the more I think that this just might be Brian's final truly GREAT performance. i mean, listen to when he sings "And they say violins grow there the whole year round". That last note could make your hair stand up. He never again sang a note quite like that. He came close in "Sherry She Needs Me". But even with al those really high notes, it's still fairly obvious in his voice that it's not the same Brian.

Violins?

He means "violence".

[Jay]

What is the line, then? Did I hear it wrong?

[The Shift]

"Violets", Jay.

[seltaeb1012002]

I get a little emotional when he hits "On a hill when robins sing"

It's like.. he hits the note dead on. It sounds great for what it is. But, the way the 2nd syllable falls apart rhythmically, u can't help but be reminded that this is a note where he REALLY would've shined prior to the vocal damage.

In some ways, I feel like this is what BW should've sounded like at around 50 or so.

[Micha]

"Violets", Jay.

No, no, it is "violins". You know, the best violins ever grew in Stradivari's garden. Then the violin bug ate the weeds, and since then they have to be engrafted and have never been the same since.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Wtf ha ha ha

[SMiLE Brian]

Also check this out from late 1977.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmDUAvCl87g

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

That is pretty bad ass.

[pixletwin]

I love how Brian sings it there.  It's just full of soul.

[Matt Bielewicz]

You can tell we're the hardcore fans, here... because we're so amazed at how good Brian sounded live in 77 on one song compared to Love You, we make it sound like this convention recording is the second coming or something. But the thing is... this isn't anything *like* as good a performance (or as good a recording, for that matter) as the 1967 Hawaii Concert Rehearsal recording of this song. We're cutting him major slack, here.

In other words, he might sound OK for '77... but he had already fallen a long way. And he had a lot further down to go, unfortunately, before he bottomed out. I rate the bottom of the U-bend in two places on record: 'My Janine' on OCA and the intro harmonies on 'You've Touched Me'. No wait, scratch the latter, because I quite like the rest of the song after the intro. No... 'Fairy Tale'. That's the nadir. "All the flowers DIIIIIIIEEEEEEEDDDD". Yes Brian. And so did all the hair cells in my inner ear, right on that note...

[Tony S]

Thanks to whoever started this thread; I had forgotten I had a cassette tape of the London convention show. Haven't listened to it in, literally, years. Not even sure it will still play and not just splice; I may try it and see on an old cassette player.

[Jay]

Also check this out from late 1977.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmDUAvCl87g

You know what? I kind of like this arrangement better than the studio version. I wish Brian had done this more often.  The rest of the guys seem rather amused. Or should I say bemused?  At one point you can hear Al say "Hey, I like that".

[GuyOnTheBeach]

Also check this out from late 1977.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmDUAvCl87g

I actually like that approach!, sort of soul/doo-wop feel to it.

It would probably be considered heresy to some people, but I wouldn't be adverse to Brian singing it like this more often.





There, I said it. 

[tpesky]

That's a little rough.......

[puni puni]

That's not Brian doing the high part, he's doing the second-to-highest part. You can hear him at the 2:00 mark with the expected raspy voice.

You guys are insane if you're so willing to believe he made himself sound like a chalkboard screech on purpose

[hypehat]

No, he made himself get a manly voice on purpose. This destroyed his falsetto in the process, so conventional wisdom goes.

[seltaeb1012002]

That's not Brian doing the high part

Yes, it is.

[pixletwin]

That's not Brian doing the high part

Yes, it is.

Most certainly is Brian. Obviously so, if you ask me.

[puni puni]

If Brian's doing the high part, who is the guy doing a Love You-era Brian impression at 2:00?