Dennis Wilson - Are You Real

[Jonas]

Tell me more...

[Jason]

I, too, am curious about this track.

To Stebbins if he's around - was this one tracked under a title we DO know of? I've checked some notes and can't find any mention of it anywhere.

[Alan Boyd]

It was originally logged as UNTITLED STRING SONG.   

It's a reworking of the first part of a trilogy that was previously recorded under the title 10,000 YEARS.

[c-man]

It was originally logged as UNTITLED STRING SONG.   

It's a reworking of the first part of a trilogy that was previously recorded under the title 10,000 YEARS.

Alan, do you have a session date or dates?

[Alan Boyd]

Unfortunately, that one didn't have a date on the tape box or the track sheets.

Jon?  Did you uncover any session info on this one?

[elnombre]

Makes me think, as someone with limited knowledge on the chronology of Dennis' work it would have been nice to have had a little bit of track-by-track commentary on the Bambu disc in the liner notes. Still, what a great set.

[c-man]

Makes me think, as someone with limited knowledge on the chronology of Dennis' work it would have been nice to have had a little bit of track-by-track commentary on the Bambu disc in the liner notes. Still, what a great set.

How about it, Alan...are you able to provide dates (in those cases when dates are available) for the tracks on POB/Bambu?  Jon has said he believes, from the sound of it, that the track for "Are You Real" is from '74 or '75 but the vocal is from '77 or '78.

[Alan Boyd]

Actually, my guess is that "Are You Real" dates from 76 or 77, mainly because of the heavy use of what sounds like an Arp String Ensemble synth for the "string" parts.  Dennis did a lot of experimental recording with synth strings, starting in early 76, and Brian started using them as well on 15 BIG ONES.  Also, the multi master is on a reel with "Thoughts Of A Girl" (AKA "Thoughts of You").  With these tapes I don't think I recall any instances where pre-Caribou 2" masters were compiled onto reels with masters recorded after Dennis was under contract to Guercio.  And I could be wrong on this, but I tend to think that "10,000 Years" pre-dates "Are You Real."  It almost seems as if Dennis scrapped "10,000 Years" after it became clear it wasn't going to make it onto the new 1976 BB album, and he kind of cannibalized the music he wrote for "10,000 Years" and used it for other songs ("Are You Real," "Friday Night"). 

It's hard to tell for sure, though.  I could be adding 2+2 and getting 7!

[c-man]

Actually, my guess is that "Are You Real" dates from 76 or 77, mainly because of the heavy use of what sounds like an Arp String Ensemble synth for the "string" parts.  Dennis did a lot of experimental recording with synth strings, starting in early 76, and Brian started using them as well on 15 BIG ONES.  Also, the multi master is on a reel with "Thoughts Of A Girl" (AKA "Thoughts of You").  With these tapes I don't think I recall any instances where pre-Caribou 2" masters were compiled onto reels with masters recorded after Dennis was under contract to Guercio.  And I could be wrong on this, but I tend to think that "10,000 Years" pre-dates "Are You Real."  It almost seems as if Dennis scrapped "10,000 Years" after it became clear it wasn't going to make it onto the new 1976 BB album, and he kind of cannibalized the music he wrote for "10,000 Years" and used it for other songs ("Are You Real," "Friday Night"). 

It's hard to tell for sure, though.  I could be adding 2+2 and getting 7!

Is that 2" with "Thoughts" and "Real" 16- or 24-track?