My World Fell Down

[TMinthePM]

Listening to Sagittarius Present Tense today, and there's Bruce on this terrific cut. Haven't seen any comment here concerning his work with Curt Boettcher. There's some info on Wikipedia, which situates this work in the category of Sunshine Pop (as opposed to Baroque Pop - ceesh let's split hairs). But the writer unequivocally connects the sub-genre to the work of Brian Wilson, which is unavoidable I suppose. Which got me thinking of the road not travelled and the stylistic turn away from Rock n Roll made by the Beach Boys, and how Friends and especially Sunflower fit that Sunshine Pop form.

Anyway, I seem to recall hearing My World Fell down on the radio, I guess June 67, but it seems to have been buried by the arrival of Pepper. And the Bee Gees that month also appeared with 1941 Mining Disaster, which some thought might be the Beatles in disguise. 1941 MD sure sounds like Pepper. And so might My World Fell Down. Such was the slightly off-center Zeitgeist of that time. It literally felt like a door had opened revealing whole new, heretofore unimagined vistas. I can still taste it.  Probably the great Pluto-Uranus square. Which, by the way, is recurring even now. I'd say Mr Wilson is cooking up something quite tasty - if, that is, he is tuned in.

[joshferrell]

It's a good song and a good album. I have it on cd.. yeah according to the liner notes this song had a snippet of "Smile" in it (the bullfighting), or the rumor goes, but was disproven...

[EgoHanger1966]

Really, though, "My World Fell Down" is more of a Gary Usher joint than anything else. It was cut before Boettcher came into the fold. Great track and I love how identifiable Bruce is - one of those things where you know straight away who that is. I know everyone says that's Glen Campbell doing the lead, but I'm fairly skeptical. Sounds like him but the phrasing is way off.

"Present Tense" is a fantastic album, goes hand in hand with "Begin". Too bad about the mix, though.

[TMinthePM]

"Too bad about the mix, though"

How do you mean?

[EgoHanger1966]

I don't care for the mix on the album. The double tracked vocals are split into each channel most of the time, it takes away from the strength and unity of Boettcher's voice. The purpose (in my mind) of a double tracked vocal is to fortify and blend. When you separate them, there is no unity.

Mix on "My World Fell Down" is worse, though - with lead vocal shoved into one corner. Mono single mix is better, but than it has all that SMiLE-esque bullfight nonsense. Strange situation - they put the more commercial mix on the album and release the longer version out as a single. Makes no sense. Likewise "Hotel Indiscreet" - that interlude on the single mix damn near ruins the song.

[leggo of my ego]

Wow I dont recall where I first heard the single MWFD or how long ago it was, probably dl'ed from a torrent -- but one day about 3-4 years ago I was on a "record trek" in western Indiana and scored a like new copy of the vinyl LP Sagittarius for a buck. That was a great find for my collection! 

[TMinthePM]

"...that interlude on the single mix damn near ruins the song."

I tend to agree with you on that point. Less is generally more, and the sudden intrusion of a seemingly irrelevant diversion might be construed as simple indulgence. Still, I do recall warm summer nights spent on the other side of the portal, wandering off for an eon down some obscure and winding path of intriguing fancy, only to be suddenly flashed back to the moment. And have never been the same.

A word of advice - If you should ever chose to drop a tab at Palisades Amusement Park - STAY AWAY FROM THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS!

[leggo of my ego]

I don't care for the mix on the album. The double tracked vocals are split into each channel most of the time, it takes away from the strength and unity of Boettcher's voice. The purpose (in my mind) of a double tracked vocal is to fortify and blend. When you separate them, there is no unity.

Mix on "My World Fell Down" is worse, though - with lead vocal shoved into one corner. Mono single mix is better, but than it has all that SMiLE-esque bullfight nonsense. Strange situation - they put the more commercial mix on the album and release the longer version out as a single. Makes no sense. Likewise "Hotel Indiscreet" - that interlude on the single mix damn near ruins the song.

Do you know if MWFD single version was on one of the Nuggets compilations? That might have been the first time I heard it as I am sure it was well before the "computer age" - I remember that song immediately struck me like "Is this the Beach Boys"? Naw.

[TMinthePM]

Here's a short review nicked off Amazon:

"This extraordinary collection of recordings is perhaps the jewel in the crown of two legendary California singer-songwriter-arranger-producers: Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher. While it was released as an album (all of whose 11 original tracks are included here), its confluence of original sources makes this something of a collective, rather than a group album.

The roots of these recordings lay in Usher's overflowing fountain of creativity. Having written, produced and recorded dozens of albums in a short period of time (often alone or with studio musicians and pals), he found his role as a top producer at Columbia (Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, etc.) to be limiting. He began to spend off-hours in the studio creating new works, and after failing to pitch Chad & Jeremy on the song "My World Fell Down" (previously recorded by the UK's Ivy League), decided to record it himself. Usher gathered elements of the legendary Wrecking Crew, along with Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and touring Beach Boy Glen Campbell (who sang lead) to wax what would become a #70 hit.

Interestingly, modern day listeners probably know "My World Fell Down" more from its inclusion on Lenny Kaye's original "Nuggets" compilation than they do from the original single or album release. The relative success of the single did bring a demand from label head Clive Davis for more, and Usher quickly began assembling material from the fictional Sagittarius (named after his astrological sign), eventually in conjunction with up-and-coming star Curt Boettcher.

Boettcher's early work with the group Ballroom yielded several tracks for the album, including the original recordings of "Would You Like To Go" and "Musty Dusty, as well as several more songs ("Another Time" "Song to the Magic Frog" and "Keep of the Games") that were re-recorded. It's a mark of Usher and Boettcher's synchronicity that the previously-recorded works fit the Sagittarius album so perfectly. Though produced a bit less lushly than the multi-voiced orchestrations they'd purpose-build for the album, the tone matched the album's slightly-high autumnal pop. At turns this is mindful of Brian Wilson's more complex works, the intense vocal arrangements that Boettcher pioneered with The Association, and the bubblegum psychedelia of The Lemon Pipers and Strawberry Alarm Clock.

What began as a downtime hobby for Usher turned into a full-blown collaboration with Boettcher, and an album with an extraordinary ratio of latter-day-collectability versus at-the-time-purchase. Sundazed's masterful CD reissue augments the original album with nine bonus tracks, seven of which are previously unreleased. Most importantly, the original single versions of "My World Fell Down" and "Hotel Indiscreet" display the odd bridges that Usher was forced (by Columbia) to edit away for the album. The former's middle part is a melange of bullfight music, baby cries and alarm clocks, while the latter includes an unusual spoken-word passage from Usher's then-recent label signing, The Firesign Theater. Firesign's Peter Bergman turns up again (as he did on many Usher productions of the era) on "Mass #586." Also of great interest is Boettcher's demo of "The Keeper of the Games," highlighting his singing in a setting that is much less ornate than usual for his finished works.

Dawn Eden's liner notes are terrific, and additional song notes flesh out some of the compositional and recording history. The original engineering of Roy Halee and Tom May has left us with sparkling clean tapes of a California masterpiece."

California dreaming sunshine pop masterpiece  -    By hyperbolium
5.0 out of 5 stars   July 14, 2005                                                                                                             

[TMinthePM]

"Musty Dusty" - Is that Bruce's lead?

[Andrew G. Doe]

No, that's Curt. lead on "MWFD" is some dude called... Glen Campbell. I'm odd, I prefer the single version. BTW, song was written by John Carter of The Ivy League.

[TMinthePM]

That's Glen Campbell !?!

Wow, yeah, hmmm...

[TMinthePM]

Now I'm listening to Tommy Roe's Paisley Dreams. Sounds just like Present Tense.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I love MWFD, and like the middle section and FX insert just where it is, thank you. It is of the time. Is there truth in the tale of the middle section being spliced in after Usher "borrowed" the Good Vibrations master tape prior to it's release?

Not a patch on GV, but a wonderful, wonderful track nonetheless.

And what are your thoughts on Millennium's Begin, TM?

Into our 5th day of a heatwave here in the Blasted North, I thought that album should have a spin today. I absolutely adore it. When those drums kick in on the intro. WAY ahead of its time. My favourite cut though - The Island

And the Ballroom material? my 7 yr old often asks for Spinning, Spinning, Spinning, and Would You Like To Go?

"Daddy, what is this song about?"

 

[Mitchell]

Going by a roughly 10-year old memory here but I seem to recall one of the players in the Pet Sounds Sessions booklet talking about a "baby noise" in GV that was a tribute to his then recently born child... I bet he was actually thinking of My World Fell Down.

I think it's great, especially the single version. It wouldn't surprise me if the "wish it didn't feel like winter" organ bit was 'inspired' by Good Vibrations. The other rumour (aside from the bogus music concrete having been directly stolen) is the 'music box' winding down at the end being 'inspired' by SMiLE.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I love MWFD, and like the middle section and FX insert just where it is, thank you. It is of the time. Is there truth in the tale of the middle section being spliced in after Usher "borrowed" the Good Vibrations master tape prior to it's release?

None whatsoever. Aside from any other consideration (like Columbia tapebox labels showing how the section was constructed), "GV" had already been released some three months before "MWFD" was recorded.

[EgoHanger1966]

No, that's Curt. lead on "MWFD" is some dude called... Glen Campbell. I'm odd, I prefer the single version. BTW, song was written by John Carter of The Ivy League.

Honestly, I have a hard time believing this is true. There is something missing from the voice on that record to make me think it's someone else. Unless Gary told him to eliminate the way he sang on all of his other records.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Listen to The Ballroom version - same basic recording, and to the best of my knowledge, Bruce wasn't a part of that project.

[BergenWhitesMoustache]

The Ivy Leagues original version of this is just as good...not an easy one to find on uk 45, must have flopped pretty badly.

Oh- and whether it's Glen Campbell on vocals or not isn't really a matter for discussion...it just is! Well documented to be him, and it sounds exactly the same tonally as 'guess I'm dumb'...not quite as country inflected as his more famous work, granted, but that's not what he was going for in this situation.

[EgoHanger1966]

Listen to The Ballroom version - same basic recording, and to the best of my knowledge, Bruce wasn't a part of that project.

Sorry, my post was confusing. I meant Glen on MWFD. I totally agree Bruce is nowhere near Musty Dusty.

[TMinthePM]

So much vibrant overflowing creativity in that era. Where is it today?

[TMinthePM]

"And what are your thoughts on Millennium's Begin, TM?"

I'm just gonna give the four albums that I've got a good listen in the coming days Mr. Newcomb. Ballroom, Present Tense, Blue Marble, Millenium (is that right? I'm getting to be like Benny Goodman who eventually could only identify tunes by...the tune)

They've been in the closet for years. And for a long time I've had little patience for psychedelia. But now I seem to hear it anew. Stone Ponies-Evergreen. Sitars...

[MBE]

I got this record when I bought my condo in 2003. The previous owner and I were talking and she had a little record collection. Whenever anyone has vinyl I love to look so I saw this and got her to throw it in with my purchase! Anyhow I would like a blend of the 45 and LP mix. Just cut out the damn baby crying noise and I am set. Great record and Bruce and I have talked about it on BBB. He said he didn't think Brian knew of it, but it is a Smile drenched record that Brian would be flattered by if he never heard it.

[TMinthePM]

"it is a Smile drenched record that Brian would be flattered by if he never heard it."

I wonder what you mean by this?

[oldsurferdude]

Might want to listen to "The Blue Marble" lp, too. Good album but PT was stronger.