Lucky Old Sun ?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

seems to me that Brian's idea of a master is often what other people consider a demo....
That was the situation with a lot of the Paley material and it really shows with GIOMH.

call it lazy or call it whatever.. Brian's work usually needs an outside push to get it to completion....

Brian  was also under that impression for the Usher sessions in 1986-1987.

[pixletwin]

I think it might mean a difference in definition. To Brian a demo is probably a home recording made on a piano or with sparse instrumentation intended to sort of sell/teach the basics of a song whereas if you are in a studio with musicians recording different takes of the song it no longer is a demo... ?

[Howie Edelson]

I just have a problem with the constant "this is, or isn't, a demo" definition. Mainly because they always seem to come from someplace other than Brian -- and after the fact.  And if Brian thought that the Usher sessions were masters, then THEY WERE MASTERS -- no? Regardless of their musical quality, it was Landy that deemed them "not masters" -- right?

The Paley "demos" ended up (with very slight tweaks/overdubs) being the basis of the masters for "Saturday Morning In The City," and "Soul Searchin'" -- so if they're the actual backing tracks, then they're not demos at all -- they're backing tracks. And despite the recent spin, those Paley sessions were aimed for an LP. There's no way that you can listen to the more advanced recordings from that batch and believe that with all those overdubs that they're blueprints for something else. My ears never bought that.

Brian said at the time, if I remember correctly, that he and Scott were working three days on, a few days off, three days on.

[c-man]

I just have a problem with the constant "this is, or isn't, a demo" definition. Mainly because they always seem to come from someplace other than Brian -- and after the fact.  And if Brian thought that the Usher sessions were masters, then THEY WERE MASTERS -- no? Regardless of their musical quality, it was Landy that deemed them "not masters" -- right?

The Paley "demos" ended up (with very slight tweaks/overdubs) being the basis of the masters for "Saturday Morning In The City," and "Soul Searchin'" -- so if they're the actual backing tracks, then they're not demos at all -- they're backing tracks. And despite the recent spin, those Paley sessions were aimed for an LP. There's no way that you can listen to the more advanced recordings from that batch and believe that with all those overdubs that they're blueprints for something else. My ears never bought that.

Brian said at the time, if I remember correctly, that he and Scott were working three days on, a few days off, three days on.

IIRC, Usher also considered the Wilson-Usher stuff demos.  Thing is, even if they were masters, I don't think they were completed (except "Let's Go To Heaven In My Car"), 'cause they only have lead vocals...not the trademark BW harmonies & background vocals.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

c-man, that is very true re: Usher.