Place to Ask the Bedroom Tapes Author Your Questions

[Jay]

I wonder if the alternate version of Till I Die is a version with the thought to be lost alternate lyrics?

[Yorick]

My understanding is the alternate studio version is almost the same but with some minor lyrical differences like the I'll find my way.
The piano demo might feature the original lyrics if it was recorded prior to the proper recording sessions.

[alf wiedersehen]

I sent him an email in response to his answers, and the response I got was a bit disheartening.


So, judging from the silence you've received from BRI, would you guess they're probably reluctant to release this stuff?

To your first question, Nothing thus far has led me to believe BRI or BriMel have any interest in releasing a Bedroom Tapes compilation.


He also had this to say:

I wanted to thread the tracklist into a larger narrative and give it some biographical scope. But maybe that's just because I still believe in print media. The editor at "L.A.Weekly" wanted a straight-up tracklist with descriptions, posted only to the blog, no print.

Ultimately, they won out, though I am at liberty to get the narrative article published elsewhere.

[alf wiedersehen]

So, we may be seeing a more in-depth Bedroom Tapes article somewhere else at some other time.

I'll be sending out the other questions tomorrow for him to answer.

[Nicko1234]

Thanks Bubbly Waves for this. Very interesting.

Not too surprising that BRI don`t want this stuff released.

[KittyKat]

BriMel doesn't either, so it's not all the Beach Boys fault.

[Shady]

Thanks Bubbly Waves, great stuff

Sad to hear we might no be hearing this stuff

[Sheriff John Stone]

Thanks Bubbly Waves for this. Very interesting.

Not too surprising that BRI don`t want this stuff released.

Yeah, but shocking that BriMel doesn't. Very shocking. But there's still time. In a couple of years...

[feelsflow]

Thanks for working at this Bubbly.  Worth the effort.  I'd like to hear more about these tapes.

[Jim V.]

Thanks Bubbly Waves for this. Very interesting.

Not too surprising that BRI don`t want this stuff released.

Yeah, but shocking that BriMel doesn't. Very shocking. But there's still time. In a couple of years...

You're shocked Sheriff? I don't know, I'm not really. At first I did think this whole article was being backed by either BRI or BriMel, but I guess I was wrong. But if you look at this material honestly, there really isn't a whole lot of "there" there. I mean, a lot of the more interesting "Beach Boys centered" material would probably be issued on either reissues of the core albums or maybe a rarities comp like Hawthorne, CA or something. And by "Beach Boys centered" material I mean stuff like "Pa, Let Her Go Out" and also the alternate versions of "Whistle In", "I'd Love Just Once To See You", "All I Wanna Do" and the like.

Then you have the Brian demos and/or solo performances. What do we have available to choose from? I suppose you still got the second, goofier take of "California Feelin'" from 1974, "Lucy Jones", "Awake", "My Little Red Book", the 1975 version of "In the Back of My Mind" and so on. Now this would be a sensible release. If you collect a bunch of these together, maybe throw something previously released on there like the "Don't Talk" demo or "Surf's Up 1967", and put it together and market it nicely, I think it could work.

However, I don't think it would be very intelligent to throw unfinished/instrumental stuff like "Rooftop Harry", "Spark in the Dark" and "Brian's Jam" in the middle of a "Brian demos" type thing. Possibly these would be smart to use on a bonus disc to that set. That I could see working. Truthfully, this is why The Beach Boys need something like Dagger Records (Jimi Hendrix' sister Janie's label that issues material that likely doesn't warrant a full scale commercial release). You could put out albums of jams, backing tracks, and instrumentals for people like us, without confusing the average fan. It really would make sense. And hopefully soon they can figure something out.

[alf wiedersehen]

At first I did think this whole article was being backed by either BRI or BriMel, but I guess I was wrong.

That was probably the most surprising part for me. I assumed (and hoped) that these articles were the product of a marketing push to get this music out there.
I s'pose there is a small chance that a large reaction to these articles may catch the attention of BRI and plant the seed for a future release...

[alf wiedersehen]

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/03/busy-doin-somethin-uncovering-brian-wilsons-lost-b.html

I suppose this is the longer article he planned on writing. There are some new, smaller details in it that I would post, but I'd rather sleep.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Thanks Bubbly Waves for this. Very interesting.

Not too surprising that BRI don`t want this stuff released.

Yeah, but shocking that BriMel doesn't. Very shocking. But there's still time. In a couple of years...

You're shocked Sheriff? I don't know, I'm not really. At first I did think this whole article was being backed by either BRI or BriMel, but I guess I was wrong. But if you look at this material honestly, there really isn't a whole lot of "there" there. I mean, a lot of the more interesting "Beach Boys centered" material would probably be issued on either reissues of the core albums or maybe a rarities comp like Hawthorne, CA or something. And by "Beach Boys centered" material I mean stuff like "Pa, Let Her Go Out" and also the alternate versions of "Whistle In", "I'd Love Just Once To See You", "All I Wanna Do" and the like.

Then you have the Brian demos and/or solo performances. What do we have available to choose from? I suppose you still got the second, goofier take of "California Feelin'" from 1974, "Lucy Jones", "Awake", "My Little Red Book", the 1975 version of "In the Back of My Mind" and so on. Now this would be a sensible release. If you collect a bunch of these together, maybe throw something previously released on there like the "Don't Talk" demo or "Surf's Up 1967", and put it together and market it nicely, I think it could work.

However, I don't think it would be very intelligent to throw unfinished/instrumental stuff like "Rooftop Harry", "Spark in the Dark" and "Brian's Jam" in the middle of a "Brian demos" type thing. Possibly these would be smart to use on a bonus disc to that set. That I could see working. Truthfully, this is why The Beach Boys need something like Dagger Records (Jimi Hendrix' sister Janie's label that issues material that likely doesn't warrant a full scale commercial release). You could put out albums of jams, backing tracks, and instrumentals for people like us, without confusing the average fan. It really would make sense. And hopefully soon they can figure something out.

Yeah, I thought this material was on somebody's calendar to be released in a year or two.

Because of historical reasons, Brian Wilson being an important artist of 20th Century, there are some things here that have historical/artistic value. And, speaking of value, we're talking about The Beach Boys and Brian's wifeandmanagers here. If it can make money, it will eventually come out. I really believe that, in time, ALL of The Beach Boys' and Brian's work will be made available in some form. Not that that's a bad thing. As diehards, we love this stuff, we wanna hear it!

I would prefer a 2CD package in a single jewel case, with the songs sequenced chronologically, with an informative booklet of detailed notes, and a cool album cover. I think that would be a really nice listening experience.

They could also, in a couple of years when/if they decide to reissue the 1967-1973 albums, take a handful of tracks and use them as bonus cuts on the respective albums. It would make for a longer release and also entice fans like us who have numerous copies of the 1967-73 songs.

[Cam Mott]

Maybe this will see release over the next 10 to 15 years because of that EU copyright thingy or whatever.

[alf wiedersehen]

Moooooooooooooooooooore answeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeers:


"Was there anything else of note at the Beach Boy archive that you visited?"

I only visited for two days in 2003. I took pictures of tapeboxes and Alan Boyd and I chose a few masters that we thought might be of interest for the Carl Wilson Foundation documentary. During that time, Gina Wilson, Carl's widow, sent back a few tapes that Carl had in his home at the time he passed. No one knows why Carl had them, but they were the 1974 demos of "California Feelin'" and "Lucy Jones." That was a total thrill.

"Did you notice a change in Brian's voice during the 1973/4 years?"

Not a significant change, no. I think his vocal on "California Feelin'" is poignant and youthful. That it was, according to Stephen Kalinich, just a poem that Brian improvised on the spot -- musically and vocally -- is pretty astonishing. Whatever he did right there, it became a useable melody for one of my favorite Beach Boys songs of the '70s.

"In your article, did you mean "Brian's Tune," and not "Brian's Jam"?

The description of "Brian's Jam" was correct, just not the location where it was recorded. "Brian's Jam" was recorded at Brother Studio in Santa Monica, while "Brian's Tune" was recorded at Caribou. The latter has dirty lyrics, which some know well from it having circulated amongst collectors. I actually had Alan Boyd, Andrew Doe and Craig Slowinski edit the article before it went out, but invariably things fall through the cracks. I suppose the nice thing about it being a blog, as opposed to print, is that I can go back and change things, which I did for "Brian's Jam." You can go to the website and see it corrected now.

"Have you heard either "Funky Fever" or the 1974 version of "Clangin'"?

No. My sources for each described what they heard and I took them to be reliable. As to "Clangin'," the person who described the Wilson/Nilsson tape was also able to clarify whether Wilson played on Dolenz's "Wing Walker" and/or "Purple People Eater," which BW did not.

"Do you have any more information about "Pattycake," "Song to God," "Just an Imitation," or "Is Jack Reiley Superman?"?

Just what I wrote. The BRI archivists will be the first to tell you that not every tape is at the Brother archive and that there are still master tapes to be gone through in Brother. Historically speaking, the Beach Boys still submitted AFM contracts for each session, even if they were held in Brian's home. The tape boxes have notes too, which, for the archivist, need to be compared to the AFM contract. Then the masters also need to be dubbed down and listened to for content and, once more, compared with what it on the AFM contract and the tape box. Very often, Brian Wilson demos come in between songs or at the end of tape boxes that don't say anything about what BW was noodling on, but there they are all the same. Comparing all that is a huge task. So I imagine we haven't heard everything.

"You said that you listened to 'most' of the tapes of those that were described. What's stopped you from listening to the other tapes that were available?"

Sometimes people who have tapes don't have devices to play them on, so the tapes collect dust. Sometimes they just choose not to share them with me. I, like any writer worth his salt, follow leads. You get a title, you see if there was an AFM contract. Then you see if there is a tape that has been found for that title. If there is, you want to listen to it. If you can't get access, you get the best description you can. Like any of you guys, when I hear a title, I'm excited. But it can take years of followup to actually confirm anything.

"Did the re-written Friends tracks have lead vocals? If so, by whom? How different were they from the originals?"

I don't know, because I've never heard them. Stanley Shapiro had several cassette dubs of the work he and Tandyn did with Brian, but he told me recently that they went missing a few years back. He thinks they were stolen, but having moved several times, they may just be misplaced. Being that they were earmarked for A&M, whom Shapiro was writing for at the time, I'd have a hard time believing that they weren't backed up elsewhere. I know that BRI, via Alan Boyd, offered to make digital copies for Shapiro a few years ago, but it never happened. It would be great if there could somehow be a "Bedroom Tapes" compilation project and all the interested parties could bring forth their tapes under the umbrella of amnesty and fair compensation. But, you know, this IS the Beach Boys we're talking about here.

"Did you heard "Pa, Let Her Go"? If so, how similar is it to "Better Get Back in Bed"? Same track with different lyrics? A demo? Also, who sang lead?"

They are the same multitrack master, just alternate lead vocal tracks on the 16 track master. Sounds like they may have been laid down at the same time. Carl sings both. Don't know the story behind that one. Were they both intended for the fairy tale? If so, maybe "Pa, Let Her Go Out" was another part of the narrative that got discarded? Who knows? Maybe these both pre-date the fairy tale and were considered as stand alone songs on "Holland"? Hard to say for certain. But they are the same backing track, different words.

"Do you remember what is different about the "I'd Love Just Once to See You" extended tag on the alternate mix? Perhaps louder vocals?"

I heard it over the phone, so the best I can say is that it has that circular, bouncy riff that was Brian's signature during the "Bedroom Tapes" period. Slightly manic, but hypnotic.

"Does the alternate take of "'Til I Die" have different lyrics?"

Yes.

[alf wiedersehen]

He sent me another email a little afterwards:


I should also say, with regards to "Be Still," that though it was a Dennis/Kalinich song, BW was the one who played the organ on the session, according to the AFM contract. I was surprised when I heard that. But Stephen Kalinich told me years ago that the "Friends" album was a total Brian affair and that "Little Bird," in particular, was a "gift" to he (Stephen) and Dennis. Meaning that Brian didn't take a songwriter's credit. But also that BW pretty much produced the track. It seems, minimal as it is, that Wilson produced "Be Still," as well. In that way, it is pretty exciting to hear that BW might have tried to re-cut the album in a prime era for A&M production values. God, it could have been like another "Pet Sounds."

On a side note -- the excitement that you guys and so many others have had for my "Bedroom Tapes" articles has made it so that "L.A. Weekly" is now offering me the chance to get more granular on "Bedroom" era subjects. Next up will be an article on Kalinich's "A World of Peace Must Come." I'd also like to do short articles on the Wilson/Almer/Shapiro "Friends" project, as well as something on American Spring and the lost Fred Vail album that BW produced. If there are other articles you'd like to see, let me know. I can't say for sure they will get approved, because Beach Boys fandom does not always preclude the kind of audience that a big city newspaper requires. But I'm into keeping the momentum on this going. Thanks again for reaching out. I hope my answers are what you were looking for.

[Pretty Funky]

Hey thanks for getting an answer to my question. The guy must be a big fan himself going by the detailed responses coming back. Nice job!

[monicker]

I would love to see an article of this kind on American Spring.

Also, thanks for coordinating this informal Q&A thing.

[Emdeeh]

Yes, Bubbly Waves, thank you! This is interesting stuff.

[bossaroo]

"Little Bird," in particular, was a "gift" to he (Stephen) and Dennis. Meaning that Brian didn't take a songwriter's credit. But also that BW pretty much produced the track.

very interesting, if not all that surprising 

[superunison]

Can the author give any titles regarding the 1968 songs mentioned here: "Note: A few additional tracks from this era have been recently discovered, but not heard by this author." ? 

Surprised no one has mentioned this at all!!!

[Jay]

Hey bubbly, I wonder if he would be receptive to an invitation from you to check out this message board, or possibly join? I'm sure we'd all be honored if he would join us here in a discussion about his article, and general fandom. 

[Dancing Bear]

Brian Chidester used to post here, more often when he was Domenic Priore's right hand.

[bgas]

Brian Chidester used to post here, more often when he was Domenic Priore's right hand.

Gee, must have made Dom feel good and still have a hand to do other stuff

[alf wiedersehen]

I asked two other questions:


I know the 1970 version of "Walkin'" has Brian giving up on the lead, but does he finish the lead on the 1968 version? I have an odd affinity for this song.

There's no lead on the '68 version. It is the same backing track as the '70 version, only with horn parts. For some reason, the BBs replaced the horns with Brian Wilson vocals. The melody of the horns is, to be clear, the same melody as the BW vocal.

Do you have any info about those newly discovered Brian tunes from circa 1969? Like, how and where they were found and what they're like?

No clue yet.