Winter Symphony/Morning Christmas

[Smilin Ed H]

Do any of the other BB play/sing on these tracks or is it just Brian and Dennis respectively?

[punkinhead]

Not entirely sure about other involvements, but I would assume Denny plays piano, percussion, and bass harmonica on MC.

Wasnt Winter Symphony written with Diane Rovell?

[Andrew G. Doe]

She did the lyric - basic track was recorded at Brother, mid-seventies.

[Alex]

Not entirely sure about other involvements, but I would assume Denny plays piano, percussion, and bass harmonica on MC.

Wasnt Winter Symphony written with Diane Rovell?

Dennis played Harmonica? Wow! I would've never expected that!

[Smilin Ed H]

Yeah, but do any of the other Boys contribute vocals or do they play on the tracks?

[buddhahat]

Was Winter Symphony recorded before Love You?

[c-man]

Not entirely sure about other involvements, but I would assume Denny plays piano, percussion, and bass harmonica on MC.

Wasnt Winter Symphony written with Diane Rovell?

Dennis played Harmonica? Wow! I would've never expected that!

Oh yeah, he was quite good.  He plays bass harmonica (nicknamed "the silver watermelon") all over POB & Bambu, and also standard harmonica on "Wild Situation" (two parts, in fact).  At one of the Party! sessions in '65, Dennis actually wails away on every song...really, really cool performances that I wish would've been released on the album, but weren't. 

[c-man]

Yeah, but do any of the other Boys contribute vocals or do they play on the tracks?

None of the other Boys are on "Morning Christmas".  According to the "Ultimate Christmas" track credits, Sterling Smith played the piano, his brother Tommy played drums, Dave Hessler played bass, Gayle Levant played harp, and Dennis played ARP String Ensemble, bass harmonica, and orchestra bells.  Marisa Conover and Susan Murphy sang backup. 

As for "Winter Symphony", there is an AFM contract from a basic track session at MIU on November 15, 1977, and that is one of the song titles listed ("How's About A Little Bit" and "Our Team" are the others), but this could simply mean that overdubs were added to the existing mid-'70s Brother track at that time.  Brian's the only actual Beach Boy listed on the contract, along with the sidemen guys.  Then there's the horn overdub session (for "Winter Symphony" and "Goin' To Get That Girl") from November 21st, and a further one the next day (for "Winter Symphony" and "Alone On Christmas Day").  Beings as the vocal on this track is a solo Brian performance, we can rule out any of the other Boys singing on it.  But Alan Jardine contributed production-wise, by co-producing the MIU overdubs that brought the song to its completed form.   
EDIT:  I just listened to "Winter Symphony", and there is a high harmony vocal line in places that MAY be Alan, or it COULD be Brian...I didn't listen that close 'cause I don't have the time right now, but perhaps someone else could.

[Smilin Ed H]

Thanks. I wondered about Al too.  Thought I heard him singing with Brian towards the end.

[Alex]

Not entirely sure about other involvements, but I would assume Denny plays piano, percussion, and bass harmonica on MC.

Wasnt Winter Symphony written with Diane Rovell?

Dennis played Harmonica? Wow! I would've never expected that!

Oh yeah, he was quite good.  He plays bass harmonica (nicknamed "the silver watermelon") all over POB & Bambu, and also standard harmonica on "Wild Situation" (two parts, in fact).  At one of the Party! sessions in '65, Dennis actually wails away on every song...really, really cool performances that I wish would've been released on the album, but weren't. 

Damn, How come Denny never played it live? That would've been awesome seeing him play the harmonica parts on When I Grow Up and on Pet Sounds and SMiLE stuff, that is if we would've been able to pull it off

[buddhahat]

Yeah, but do any of the other Boys contribute vocals or do they play on the tracks?

As for "Winter Symphony", there is an AFM contract from a basic track session at MIU on November 15, 1977, and that is one of the song titles listed ("How's About A Little Bit" and "Our Team" are the others), but this could simply mean that overdubs were added to the existing mid-'70s Brother track at that time.  Brian's the only actual Beach Boy listed on the contract, along with the sidemen guys. 

I have Winter Symphony in a chronological playlist I made of my favourite BB/BW tunes, but I don't know whether it should go before or after the Love You tracks. It's sad I know but this sort of thing matters to me! Anyone have any idea whether the main part of this song is really pre or post Love You? I guess the vocals might be a clincher. Presumably they were recorded pre Love You?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Yeah, but do any of the other Boys contribute vocals or do they play on the tracks?

As for "Winter Symphony", there is an AFM contract from a basic track session at MIU on November 15, 1977, and that is one of the song titles listed ("How's About A Little Bit" and "Our Team" are the others), but this could simply mean that overdubs were added to the existing mid-'70s Brother track at that time.  Brian's the only actual Beach Boy listed on the contract, along with the sidemen guys. 

I have Winter Symphony in a chronological playlist I made of my favourite BB/BW tunes, but I don't know whether it should go before or after the Love You tracks. It's sad I know but this sort of thing matters to me! Anyone have any idea whether the main part of this song is really pre or post Love You? I guess the vocals might be a clincher. Presumably they were recorded pre Love You?

The basic track was recorded some time between mid 1975/late 1976 at Brother (I'd lean towards fall 1976), vocals and horns were overdubbed at MIU late 1977 (oddly, on one day when the BB were working on "WS" in Iowa, Dennis was working on "MC" at Brother). I'd place it pre-Love You - just, as the track predates that album.

[Smilin Ed H]

Do you hear Al on this, Andrew, or is it just Brian?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Definitely hear a shadow vocal that's not Brian doubling himself. That said, wouldn't like to even hazard who it might be... but if not Brian, then Alan would seem the best bet.

[mikeyj]

Definitely hear a shadow vocal that's not Brian doubling himself. That said, wouldn't like to even hazard who it might be... but if not Brian, then Alan would seem the best bet.

That's interesting because I have always loved that part but I could never figure out who did it... I just assumed Brian but I was always unsure... I wish somebody knew for sure.

[Smilin Ed H]

Thanks.

[Sheriff John Stone]

[
I have Winter Symphony in a chronological playlist I made of my favourite BB/BW tunes, but I don't know whether it should go before or after the Love You tracks. It's sad I know but this sort of thing matters to me! Anyone have any idea whether the main part of this song is really pre or post Love You? I guess the vocals might be a clincher.

I also think the vocals should be the clincher. That's one of Brian's best "later" vocals, recorded AFTER the raspiness of 15 Big Ones/Love You, and reflects the MIU time period.

[c-man]

Chronologically, I'd put it in the "MIU" era, just because that's when the lyrics were evidently written, and that's when the vocals & horns (and apparently other instrumental parts such as Mike Kowalski's congas) were recorded.  But that's just me personally.  For instance, I'd put "When Girls Get Together" in the "Sunflower" era, but I'd put "Sherri She Needs Me" in the "New Album" era, since that's when Brian added the vocals.

[lance]

I'm with C-man. If I was doing something chronological, I'd put it in with MIU because that's when it was completed. If an instrumental version popped up, I'd put that in with 15BO.

[petzounds]

 I really wonder  what kind of lyrics this song had before it was  turned into a christmas song. This song sort of reminds me of  Surf s  up  oddley enough.

[Exapno Mapcase]

Did it even have lyrics then?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Not that I'm aware.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

With these two songs, you would think the makings of a great Christmas LP was at hand. But then you hear the other Xmas songs of that time and it would be fitting for nothing more then MIU.

[MBE]

Alone On A Christmas day is pretty good but wasn't even released in 1998. Go and Get That Girl isn't bad either but it certainly was not a Christmas song.

[Smilin Ed H]

Bells of Christmas is passable and Goin' South might have its niche on a Christmas album.  The rest are awful.