Ray Kennedy RIP

[rn57]

Ronee Blakley of Nashville fame has just posted on Facebook that Ray Kennedy, SOS's co-author, has died.  She doesn't mention a cause of death but does say he had an operation last year. 

[rn57]

https://www.facebook.com/ray.kennedy.31?fref=ts

His page now filling up with tributes. A "China virus" seems to be what took him away.

[SMiLE Brian]

Sail on Sailor....

[Gertie J.]

r.i.p. ray

[rn57]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dSTy_5EQEs

He starts talking about SOS at the 11:30 mark and goes on for five minutes about it.  Some interesting details - he says he and Brian (and he emphasizes just he and Brian) wrote it for Three Dog Night to do.  Could have been quite the monster hit for them if that had happened.

[Gertie J.]

that was curious thanx alot.

[alf wiedersehen]

He starts talking about SOS at the 11:30 mark and goes on for five minutes about it.  Some interesting details - he says he and Brian (and he emphasizes just he and Brian) wrote it for Three Dog Night to do.

Interesting.

I'm a bit confused on the timeline of this song, then. Is it:
1. Brian and Ray collaborate on new song for Three Dog Night; Ray leaves.
2. Van Dyke hears the tape (they apparently borrowed his to record the song) and goes back to help Brian finish it.
3. The song is handed over to the Beach Boys, where multiple hands work on developing it.

This leaves a bit of confusion of the tape, then. Is the legendary "cassette copy" the Ray and Brian version? Or is it a rerecorded version after Van and Brian worked on the song?

Or should I question the validity of what Ray said about the song?

[Jim V.]

He starts talking about SOS at the 11:30 mark and goes on for five minutes about it.  Some interesting details - he says he and Brian (and he emphasizes just he and Brian) wrote it for Three Dog Night to do.

Interesting.

I'm a bit confused on the timeline of this song, then. Is it:
1. Brian and Ray collaborate on new song for Three Dog Night; Ray leaves.
2. Van Dyke hears the tape (they apparently borrowed his to record the song) and goes back to help Brian finish it.
3. The song is handed over to the Beach Boys, where multiple hands work on developing it.

This leaves a bit of confusion of the tape, then. Is the legendary "cassette copy" the Ray and Brian version? Or is it a rerecorded version after Van and Brian worked on the song?

Or should I question the validity of what Ray said about the song?

This is interesting. And it does jibe with the fact that somebody (I can't remember who) said Brian was playing "Sail On, Sailor" at some party or something and said he needed lyrics. And so a few people ran up there to help him. And at some point he says something like "this song is for Danny Hutton!" or something of that nature. So that ties it into the possibility of it originally being for Three Dog Night.

[rn57]

And just like that we're back to the old who-wrote-what-in-SOS discussion. It's late right now so I'll wait for later to jump back into that, but a couple useful clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYBoYdc17Tw

is Kennedy's recording of the tune with supergroup KGB (him, Michael Bloomfield, Barry Goldberg, Ric Grech, Carmine Appice). Song is credited only to "Brian Wilson-Ray Kennedy" on the 45's label.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrrrisIaP3M

is Kennedy performing it a couple years ago at the birthday party of Malik Pointer - yes, the son of a Pointer Sister. Malik offers a profanity-laden intro. Looks like it was a fun party.  In this clip Kennedy says he and Brian wrote it for Three Dog Night.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Is the legendary "cassette copy" the Ray and Brian version? Or is it a rerecorded version after Van and Brian worked on the song?

Or should I question the validity of what Ray said about the song?

The cassette is Brian & VDP working out the song at the Bellagio house... and it has to be said that Ray's recollection has varied over the years. Steve Desper told me in 1985 that he worked on a studio version with Brian in 1971, and that the released version sounded a lot like that.

BTW, Ray did another version on his solo album. Slightly different lyrics to the KGB recording.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm a bit confused on the timeline of this song, then. Is it:
1. Brian and Ray collaborate on new song for Three Dog Night; Ray leaves.
2. Van Dyke hears the tape (they apparently borrowed his to record the song) and goes back to help Brian finish it.
3. The song is handed over to the Beach Boys, where multiple hands work on developing it.

Not that simple: here's one version...

1 - Brian cuts a basic track with Steve Desper in the home studio, fall 1971 (during the Spring sessions-ish).
2 - Brian plays the song at a party at which Danny & Ray are present. He and Ray possibly work  on it.
3 - Brian plays the song to VDP in very rough form.
4 - Reprise don't hear a single on the initial version of Holland, fall 1972. VDP remembers the song.
5 - VDP & Brian record the legendary "SOS" cassette at 10452.
6 - The rest of the band record the released version (which may utilise the 1971 track). Rieley & Almer get credited alongside Wilson & Kennedy.

[Autotune]

A VDP quasi-original, according to Parks himself. From the wikipedia article on the song:

"I came up with that lyric when I was working with Brian, as well as the musical pitches those words reside on. I did nothing with that tape until I saw The Beach Boys’ crisis at the company where I was working, earning $350 a week. Well, they recorded [“Sail on Sailor”], and it was a hit. And I’m glad that every one came out of their little rooms to claim co-writing credit on that song. But I never questioned it, just as I never questioned the various claims on the residuals. [...] On the tape, it’s clear from the contents that I authored the words and the musical intervals to “Sail on Sailor.” It’s also velar that I composed the bridge, played them, and taught them to Brian." (quote from the Badman tome)

[harveyw]

Van Dyke on who wrote what on Sail On Sailor: "A guy by the name of Ray Kennedy deserves -i think- the merit for all that (lyrical) work... I think he came up with some good words, and that's what did it. It is a great song."
From this recent interview: http://www.sodajerker.com/episode-51-van-dyke-parks/
(from around 42 minutes in)

Sodajerker is a great podcast, by the way. All yr favourite songwriters are interviewed: PF Sloan, Paul Williams, Jimmy Webb, Todd R, Paddy Mcaloon, Rumer....

[Smilin Ed H]

It's an unfortunate mess, isn't it?

[clack]

Way I remember hearing it (from a Danny Hutton interview, I think) :

1) Ray and Brian write an initial version of the song
2) Brian produces the Three Dog Night version, hates it, destroys the tape, and says he's going to give the song to Parks to work on

[SMiLE Brian]

I could see dog's soulful vocals working on this song.


Surprised they didn't cover it once it became a hit.

[mtaber]

I think its a stretch to say that Sail On, Sailor was a "hit".  Didn't make Top 40 here in the states.

Rest in Peace, Ray. 

[clack]

I think its a stretch to say that Sail On, Sailor was a "hit".  Didn't make Top 40 here in the states.

Rest in Peace, Ray. 

Saying it didn't make the top 40 is like saying it didn't make the Country chart. SOS was a hit on the only radio that mattered in 1973, FM AOR. Many of the biggest selling groups of the day didn't even bother releasing singles.

[bgas]

I think its a stretch to say that Sail On, Sailor was a "hit".  Didn't make Top 40 here in the states.

Rest in Peace, Ray.  

Saying it didn't make the top 40 is like saying it didn't make the Country chart. SOS was a hit on the only radio that mattered in 1973, FM AOR. Many of the biggest selling groups of the day didn't even bother releasing singles.

If it wasn't a hit, why would they put out this

[mtaber]

SOS wasn't getting much action on FM either, as I recall.  More than for "Marcella" though, fer sure...

[filledeplage]

I'm a bit confused on the timeline of this song, then. Is it:
1. Brian and Ray collaborate on new song for Three Dog Night; Ray leaves.
2. Van Dyke hears the tape (they apparently borrowed his to record the song) and goes back to help Brian finish it.
3. The song is handed over to the Beach Boys, where multiple hands work on developing it.

Not that simple: here's one version...
1 - Brian cuts a basic track with Steve Desper in the home studio, fall 1971 (during the Spring sessions-ish).
2 - Brian plays the song at a party at which Danny & Ray are present. He and Ray possibly work  on it.
3 - Brian plays the song to VDP in very rough form.
4 - Reprise don't hear a single on the initial version of Holland, fall 1972. VDP remembers the song.
5 - VDP & Brian record the legendary "SOS" cassette at 10452.
6 - The rest of the band record the released version (which may utilise the 1971 track). Rieley & Almer get credited alongside Wilson & Kennedy.

Andrew - I just read on wiki (not the most reliable source) that Dennis did a lead on Sail On Sailor.  Has it ever been released?  Thanks! It sure might make a good soundtrack on some future film...

[Andrew G. Doe]

True - he got halfway through the second verse then announced he was going surfin'. The tape was rewound and Blondie too a shot.

[filledeplage]

True - he got halfway through the second verse then announced he was going surfin'. The tape was rewound and Blondie too a shot.

So, they "tape over" that "take?" (Hope that doesn't sound like a dumb question. I have no idea what those procedures are in that industry.)

(Thanks for your speedy reply!)

[LeeDempsey]

SOS wasn't getting much action on FM either, as I recall.  More than for "Marcella" though, fer sure...

Warner Brothers must have had a lot of faith in it though -- they serviced radio stations with it 3 times:
Brother/Reprise PRO 557 - Sail on Sailor / The Trader
Brother/Reprise 1138 - Sail on Sailor / Only With You
Brother/Reprise 1325 - Sail on Sailor / Only With You

Chris, that's an interesting one.  Pulled off the pressing line before the 45 hole was punched?  Did that come from your Warner Brothers buddy?

Lee

[bgas]

SOS wasn't getting much action on FM either, as I recall.  More than for "Marcella" though, fer sure...

Warner Brothers must have had a lot of faith in it though -- they serviced radio stations with it 3 times:
Brother/Reprise 557 - Sail on Sailor / The Trader
Brother/Reprise 1138 - Sail on Sailor / Only With You
Brother/Reprise 1325 - Sail on Sailor / Only With You

Chris, that's an interesting one.  Pulled off the pressing line before the 45 hole was punched?  Did that come from your Warner Brothers buddy?

Lee

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