The Alan Boyd Thread

[c-man]

That works.  Thanks.  I love learning about this stuff!

Me too!  I'm a total studio nut.

C-Man

[dennyfan]

What about Breakaway?  I remember Stephen saying about extra flourishes Dennis added after the main recording.  Would those have been allocated to extra tracks?

[Jonas]

You'd think 'Tears in the Morning' would have an extra tom track or two for the panning of the intro...I dont think an XY configuration could make it sound that wide...

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

It's panned manually, by turning the panpot.  In mono.  Buy Steve's book. 

[Jonas]

You know, by this time you'd think I would...Im such a slacker! I need to get on the ball. 

[punkinhead]

Mr. Boyd,
I know this isn't a proud subject, but I was wondering about some stuff from An American Family, I tried looking up if this was already discussed, but I couldn't find anything. The Smile-esq song on there, that was written by you, right? is there a full length version available? Who sang it? Also, I was looking on Jeff Foskett's Tributes and Rarities album, I don't own it, but I was wondering what the track: Theme to American Family was?

Honestly, great job on this tv-movie, it's what turned me on to BB/BW, and for that, it was worth the production, even if there were a few flaws.
-Justin

[Alan Boyd]

Oyyyyy...

(Not me favorite topic, that's for sure....)

The "

[Alan Boyd]

(Not me favorite topic, that's for sure....)

I know I posted a long thing about this somewhere else on here, but here's the short version:  The "Smile" music for that show was written by Gary Griffin (and I think he did a wonderful job with it, too).  The lyric was something I blurted out as a joke when I was having dinner with the show's writer.

I will say that the false beards featured in "American Family" were somewhat better than the ones seen in the first BB TV movie.

Alan

[Jason Penick]

Hi Alan.  Thanks for taking the time to address our many questions.  I have a few random ones, if you don't mind answering!

I wanted to follow up on a previous inquiry regarding the song "It's a New Day".  Do you know exactly when the version with Blondie Chaplin singing was tracked?  Also, Stan Shapiro has made reference to a "full Beach Boys recording".  Has such a thing turned up?

Has the Surf's Up outtake "Behold the Night" turned up?

When exactly was "Lazy Lizzie" tracked?


Thanks a bunch!

[Alan Boyd]

Hey Jason,

IT'S A NEW DAY was recorded at Sunset Sound 7/7 and 7/8 1971.

BEHOLD THE NIGHT was recorded at the same session, 7/7/71.  It's short, sweet, and very, very pretty. "Moon's out tonight, tonight I know you will behold the night, mmmmm, it's still...."

We've looked for a BB version of IT'S A NEW DAY, but so far we haven't been able to track it down.  From everything I've heard from Stan, though, it doesn't sound like they got any further than a rough basic track.

There's no documentation for the LAZY LIZZIE 2" multi-track, but its inclusion one of the comp tapes of LOVE YOU-era rough mixes (which included MARILYN ROVELL and SHERRY SHE NEEDS ME) leads me to think it dates from late summer - early fall of 1976.  But that's just a guess!

Alan

[c-man]

Alan -

Any reording info (dates and locations) for the "Carl and the Passsions" songs?
Reportedly these sessions were held at Sunset, Village, and Brian's home, but I'm
curious if we know which ones were done where.

Thanks,
C-Man

[Mitchell]

Alan, I was listening to Busy Doin' Nothing and I noticed that on the far right of the stereo spectrum, there appears to be a low harmony voice. During a later verse of the song (I get a lot of thoughts in the morning...), I can hear other noises from the same 'spot' (sounds higher-pitched). Is this track isolated anywhere? What's it sound like and who is it? Mike? I think it's the source of the raspberry, too.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I think it's Brian's voice.  Just my opinion.

[Alex M]

Alan, I was listening to Busy Doin' Nothing and I noticed that on the far right of the stereo spectrum, there appears to be a low harmony voice.

Is that the same voice that comes through when OOPSing the song? A very wobbly-sounding bass line? I'm not sure who's singing it, but it appears to be way out of their range.

Cheers,
Alex

[Mitchell]

I've never OOPsed the song, actually. I imagine you'd get some of it that way. I'll have to wait until later tonight to try.

[king of anglia]

Hi Alan,
I was wondering if you tell us which of these Dennis Wilson titles you've located and any descriptions if possible:

I Don’t Know - (Smile era tune)
Away
Settle Down
It’s a New Day
Ecology
All my Love
Baby Baby
Slow Song
Our Love Remains
Grateful Are We For Little Children
Marble Sittin' at the Kitchen Table
Don't Want Much, Just a Country or Two, Maybe a Planet Before It's Through ?
Helen Keller
Holy Man (and Slow Booze)
Barnyard Blues
Life Symphony
Flowers Come in the Spring - Reworking of Lady
Only With You - Dennis lead vocal
+ any songs with a lead vocal by him instead of released versions with Carl or Mike singing? (Steamboat? Sail on Sailor?)

[Cabana Boy]

Question for Alan Boyd, or anyone who remembers the post to which I'm about to refer.
On a 'Poops / Hubba Hubba' thread a while back, Alan wound up making a post that roughly detailed when the following tunes were tracked, plus some accompanying info.

Just found it on spec, while idling at Google. Cached there.

Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 3:59 pm 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sound of Free and Lady date from the SUNFLOWER era. The 16 track master for "Lady" is on one of the two SUNFLOWER master reels.

"Baby Baby" (one of the D&D - Dennis & Daryl - tapes) is an eccentric old-fashioned little rocker on which Dennis seems to be doing his best to sound like Leon Redbone...

The tune known as "All Of My Love" derives from the "Intro/Ecology" track on one of the D&D 16 track master tapes. After that intro, there are two unfinished segments, one of which incorporates the piano riff that later was the foundation for "River Song." As a matter of fact, on the second segment of "Ecology," the only vocals consist if Dennis repeating "Run Run, river run..."

"I've Got A Friend" exists on tape as an unfinished backing track - no vocals. There's another track - no title - with a partial scratch lead that might be called "We've Been Here Before."

"It's A New Day" was recorded at Sunset Sound in late 1971 and was intended as a commercial for Dry Command anti-perspirant! This was credited to Dennis and the Dragons (with Blondie singing lead).

"Wouldn't It be Nice To Live Again" was indeed considered for inclusion on SURF'S UP, but seemed to have fallen victim to some internal group/management miscommunications....

"I'm Going Your Way" was recorded in 1969 at the same session that saw the first attempt at "Slip On Through."

"Carry Me Home" was recorded in Holland in 1972.

"Carry Me Home" is a "Holland" outtake

Yeah, that's what Boyd says in the post I just linked. Guessing his word carries more weight than - the "ever-reliable and imperiously all-knowing" - Professor Jason's (my *adamant* source, re. the mooted early '72 origins of 'CMH') and the supposed Fall '71 tracking period I was cited elsewhere.
I'd heard it oft referred to as a 'Holland' reject - but that one appeared to have been debunked a few times, to my memory. Guess not.


Thx, anyway. Got there in the end.

[Alan Boyd]

Just to add a coupla thoughts:

GRATEFUL ARE WE FOR LITTLE CHILDREN, according to Steve, was something that he had worked on with Brian back in the late 60s or early 70s.  When he sang it to me, I instantly recognized the melody as what eventually became "Saturday Morning In The City."

LIFE SYMPHONY may be connected to a couple of unfiinished sections from 1974 (really, really beautiful, by the way) labeled DENNIS SYMPHONY and STRING BASS SONG, both on the same 2" reel and recorded at Brother Studio.  The latter is recognizable as an early version of RAINBOWS.  No vocals.

I DON'T KNOW is in the vaults, but I haven't heard it yet.

HOLY MAN AND SLOW BOOZE seems to be a mis-translation of sorts.  There's a tape labeled HOLY MAN and SLOW BLUES.  Two separate tunes on the same tape.

The 16 track master of STEAMBOAT has a teeny bit of a Dennis vocal just before the song goes into the guitar solo.  Dennis sings, "Honey, don't get me wrong."  Could this track have been finished by Carl and Jack Reiley after Dennis left Holland?  Hmmm....

I believe that the reworkings of LADY and ONLY WITH YOU are stored in the vaults, but until the ownership issues of Dennis' solo stuff are fully resolved, we're not handling any of those tapes.

[king of anglia]

Thanks Alan. I only wish these will be released before we all die.

[c-man]

but until the ownership issues of Dennis' solo stuff are fully resolved, we're not handling any of those tapes.

Let's all PRAY that will be within the next year....I'm sure you know, Alan, that in the Adam Webb book, John Hanlon is quoted regarding "Holy Man":  "...I was totally mesmerised by it.  It was a spiritual song.  I've never heard a melody and a rhythm embodied in a song like that and I have'nt heard it since.  If ever I could accomplish one thing it would be to go into the vaults and find that song.  Just to hear it one more time, I wouldn't even care if it never even came out".

C-Man 

 

[Alan Boyd]

King of Anglia:

We're trying.  We really, really are trying.

C-Man:

I look forward to hearing that one, myself.  I've only heard a rough mix of a basic track.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Alan, I hope you get an opportunity to read my little "anatomy of a recording session" article.  Either way, I wrote the following in that article about how I think the tracks were split up (on WIBN), I was wondering if you had any info to agree with or refute with my observations.

According to my ears, this is how Larry and Brian decided to group the inputs:

1.  Horns.  The Saxes and Trumpet got their own track, and typically Brian would isolate the horns.  Since they aren't amplified electrically, it was crucial to have control over the volume.  The horns wouldn't really leak onto the other tracks, unlike the electric instruments, guitars, basses, organs, which are all over all the tracks.

2.  Main Rhythm.  Here we have the meat of the rhythm section.  Fender, Dano, and String basses, the Grand Piano, the Drums and Percussion.  As I mentioned, you could have this track all the way down and still hear most everything on it except the piano and string bass.

3.  Rhythm and Color.  The accordions dominate this track.  The Box Guitar and Tack Piano are also captured on this buss, and the 12-strings feature as well.

I'd really like the article to be as accurate as humanly possible.

[Bill Barnyard]

"I DON'T KNOW is in the vaults, but I haven't heard it yet."

Whoa, Alan,

Did you just say that a never heard before semi-mythical Smile era track is in the vaults but you haven't heard it yet?!

As far as you know (from the tape box) is this just a tracking session or something more? Whenever, if ever, you get the chance to listen it, let us know. Good luck with your continuing BB audio archaeology work.

 

[Alan Boyd]

As far as I know, the I DON'T KNOW tape is a tracking session, and may not be complete.

[SMiLEY]

Alan -- is there a general embargo on all Dennis' stuff, including tracks logged as Beach Boy sessions?