Rare song -- Brian playing "Susie Cincinnati" and "Little Child" in Holland!

[Jason]

Breakfast isn't the only thing we think about when we think of hash, but I'm sure some people would rush to eat breakfast after thinking about hash.

[Andrew G. Doe]

(rolls up sleeves, takes off boxing gloves)

OK, AGD, from Wikipedia:

In most regions of the United States, the symbol (#) is traditionally called the pound sign, but in others, the number sign.

Now, this is also true:

"Hash" is a common name for the mark used in the English-speaking world outside North America.

Unfortunately for you, though, the Beach Boys are an AMERICAN band, and as such, American vernacular should be used when discussing all matters related to the BBs. If you want to call the # sign the hash sign, go to a Beatles forum (a UK band), where you can debate forum regulars about when Ringo grew his mustache and the particulars of recording "Wild Honey Pie". A hash sign? I'm incredulous. In America, when say the word 'hash' we just start thinking about breakfast: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_%28food%29.

Fact remains, on the AFM sheet, it's typed "Tune #L" - not "Tune #1". 

[Andrew G. Doe]

At least this debate didn't get ugly like the GOK 2004 (or whatever year it was) debacle...

Oh sh*t, not again... 

[Jay]

Breakfast isn't the only thing we think about when we think of hash, but I'm sure some people would rush to eat breakfast after thinking about hash.

When I hear the word hash, I think about the story my mom told me about taking hash when she was younger, and not knowing or remembering how she got home. 

[runnersdialzero]

This is damn confusing. :\

I came here to cast my vote for it being Brian, but after listening several times I really have no clue. Some parts it sounds like its unmistakably Brian. Others, sounds just like Al.

Like someone said, comparing this to the really rough quality clip of Brian performing Mt.Vernon makes it seem more lie it's Brian. Keep in mind the year - there aren't a lot of recordings of Brian from around this time, and his voice could have been starting to change by this point.

Still, it's really, really hard to tell.

[rogerlancelot]

After finally hearing it, can anybody identify who did the "master" version? Sounds incredible with what they did to the original rehearsal or whatever you want to call it. I still can't make up my mind who is singing there but I'm pretty sure it's not Ringo.

[Jay]

After finally hearing it, can anybody identify who did the "master" version? Sounds incredible with what they did to the original rehearsal or whatever you want to call it. I still can't make up my mind who is singing there but I'm pretty sure it's not Ringo.

My vote goes to Tom Waits. 

[variable2]

you can hear it is brian at 1:41 in.

he's just in an in between voice period.. he's doing the shaky 15 big ones/love you vibrato, but because his voice still has that sweetness to it before he wrecked it, it sounds close to al's sort of folksy vibrato. sounds like he's had a bit of weed smoke in his throat too..

also, during the susie cincinnati part, he plays the wrong chords.. he goes back to Eb7 after Eb7 Ab7 instead of going to Db7.. just sayin..

[rogerlancelot]

I am cool with idea of it being Brian. But I am still trying to identify who was responsible for the "finished" version. I really love it!

[runnersdialzero]

"Finished" version?

[rogerlancelot]

"Finished" version?

Somebody fleshed it out with a whole band and it sounds very cool. I wish I knew who it was.

[Curtis Leon]

Anyone have any idea on how to listen to this now? Youtube, perhaps?

[buddhahat]

Ok so a trawl through my BB related mp3 material is not unearthing this Little Child/Daddy dear demo, although I do remember hearing it and it was quite pretty. I've made a nice little compilation of Brian's 70s piano demos (actually it's just the Love You ones with I'm Beggin You and the cocaine sessions tacked on) and I'm wondering if the demo being discussed would fit really well? Perhaps iMmensely well??!! Or is it on youtube cos I've tried 1000 different phrasing combinations to no avail?

[Curtis Leon]

I... honestly can't tell. And this is after I've fiddled with it for the umpteenth time in Audacity. Parts of it sound like Brian and parts of it sound like Al. Could it be, that they're BOTH singing on the tape?

I will say, that if it's Brian, then he seems very youthful in the vocal department, still. 1975 WAS the big year in vocal decline, I suppose... He sounds perfectly fine in "California", and the tag to "Funky Pretty". I can barely hear him in "Steamboat", too. The Pied Piper section has him in rather horrible voice, though. He almost sounds like Carl, to be honest. Very soulful voice. I could listen to that section for ages, though.

[buddhahat]

For my money little bits of it sound undoubtably Brian. The piano playing for one - the way he hits the bass notes make it sound very similar to his other piano demos. The falsetto - surely that's Brian's falsetto? Compare it to the high notes at the end of the I'm Beggin You Please demo - identical to my ears. Then the way he talks the lines "Yes the world's really round ..." in a slightly hammy, croony voice reminds me very much of how he croons "The houses they look so tiny, the cars look like dots" almost like he's sending the whole thing up.

[buddhahat]

I really am falling in love with the song Daddy Dear. I'm a sucker for sickly sweet schmaltz like this! Does anyone know of a definitive version, if such a thing exists? What version would Brian most likely have heard? All I can find is a Danny Kaye version and this - this sounds the most like Brian's rendition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R2QKmuqkZU

[buddhahat]

I raised this old thread in the AGD topic but am loathed to contribute further to the never-ending Doe Show so will post here instead (thanks for your follow up post, Rab).

I'm a sucker for 70s Brian piano demos and this one is one of my favourites. What a lovely BB's production this would have made. A little corny, granted, but if anyone manages to elevate schmaltz to the sublime, it's these guys.

Brian's delivery here is very similar to the 1975 In The Back Of My Mind demo, imo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAGARvThO58

[SMiLE Brian]

Its BW!

[Jay]

Al. 

[rab2591]

The "Ohh sh*t" at the beginning of this track is nearly identical to that one in the 'Don't Talk' sessions where Brian says "Ohh sh*t, no man, I mean shoot."

And that part around :43 where the person singing sounds like BW88 era Brian. The piano sounds just like Brian's playing, and the vocals (for a demo) are too in sync with the playing to be someone else's voice singing over Brian's playing. I still vote Brian

[MarcellaHasDirtyFeet]

There are spots where it sounds just like Brian, and others where it sounds just like Al. Are there two voices on this? And this is the incorrect speed, yes?

[18thofMay]

Brian

[bossaroo]

it's Brian without a doubt.

anyone who questions this fact is just not the Beach Boy fan the rest of us are. sorry  

[RONDEMON]

Wow. That is SO Brian Wilson. Did we find out if it's an original?

[HeyJude]

I probably have a long post buried somewhere back in this thread from years ago, but my takeaway from the recording was/is that it's interesting because it *is* so debatable.

Al and Brian could sound uncannily like each other at times, especially in the mid 60s to 1970-ish timeframe. At his most uncanny, I'd say Al could sound more like Brian than Brian's brothers. I've met numerous people who thought for decades that it was Brian, not Al, singing all the non-Mike parts on "I Know There's an Answer."

I think the recording is Brian most likely (or some sort of weird situation where they're both on it); it requires less instances of needing Brian to sound a little bit like Al than it does instances of requiring Al to sound like Brian.