American Spring

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I had a dream last night that I was at some old people's house and for some reason they had a cd of American Spring 72. I was listening to it and was blown away, but the cd play volume wouldn't go up very much so I could barely hear it. In my dream it had a booklet similar to the recent POB/Bambu release!

Anyways, I don't know much about this album except for a few songs that have been posted on youtube. The little I have heard of it is amazing! Maybe my dream will come true some day! 

[The Heartical Don]

CD-R? See For Miles? Bonus cuts? PM.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I don't remember the details to it except for hearing some amazing music in my dream that I've never heard in real life. But now I don't remember the songs I heard at all!

[The Heartical Don]

I don't remember the details to it except for hearing some amazing music in my dream that I've never heard in real life. But now I don't remember the songs I heard at all!

Um, I have the CD re-issue of the album with bonus cuts on the See For Miles label. Care about a CD-R of it?

That's what I wanted to imply in my all too brief message.....

[phirnis]

Now that we even got the Kalinich record they really should be considering putting out American Spring once again.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Marilyn has the rights, and the masters - when I spoke with her, oh, two, three years ago, she said she was waiting for the right deal. Between her & SWD, I gather there aren't many - if any - outtakes.

[Smilin Ed H]

"Now that we even got the Kalinich record they really should be considering putting out American Spring once again."
Jeesus, yes.  If we can have that (What? You're not groovin' to it?), surely we American Spring should be released.

[punkinhead]

Outtakes: Honeycomb? California Feeling (cleaned up version)? Shortenin' Bread? (mmm, couldn't you just drewl over that version?)

[mtaber]

At one point Jackie DeShannon was talking about producing American Spring, after the SPRING album and after "Shyin' Away"... did anything ever actually get recorded?  I remember Jackie talking about her track "Boat to Sail" and saying she sang "California songs are never left behind" while Brian was in the studio and then changing it to "Brian Wilson songs are never left behind" after he'd left, because she didn't want to embarass him.

In any case, the Spring album is an all-time favorite of mine - "Sweet Mountain", "Tennessee Waltz", "Down Home", "Everybody" - just a great lost gem.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I have heard SM and TW on youtube. Those songs blew me away!

[mtaber]

Yeah, there are times when I think "Sweet Mountain" may be the coolest thing goin' - love the production, I usually play it about 10 times in a row when I get in the mood.  Whether it's Brian or Sandler, who cares?  If David Sandler could do such a good impersonation of Brian, he should still be making records today.
 

[punkinhead]

Sweet mountain is possibly one of the most interesting songs Brian had a part in, in the 70s

[MBE]

I know he had help, but Spring is really the last complete LP from Brian that shows him in peak form. Even if he no longer had the mindset to work continuously, the vocal and production skills was still really intact. I love LOS and the 2004 Smile, even part of the 88 LP and Adult Child appeal strongly to me, but you always have to allow for the changes in his voice. Here you don't. Don't think I discount the work he did on Holland or So Tough, or that brief creative spurt at the end of 1974, but it wasn't a whole album worth of Brian. Some would say that about Spring but even if his interest was variable what he did do made that album what it was. That isn't putting down Desper who made it sound so sharp, or the girls who sang so well, or Sandler who got Brian working period. What I am getting at is that it has that pre 1975 Brian Wilson magic. BTW the 1988 CD and LP has a mix of Fallin In Love that features Dennis' music track strongly. The original mix has Dennis' master basically inaudible.

[Sheriff John Stone]

BTW the 1988 CD and LP has a mix of Fallin In Love that features Dennis' music track strongly. The original mix has Dennis' master basically inaudible.

There are two mixes/versions of "Fallin' In Love". One is on the Spring CD, and another is on the Brian Wilson Productions CD. I prefer the Spring CD version; it's actually my favorite Spring song, but, wouldn't you know it, my CD has a flaw/defect in the first two seconds of the song; it bugs me every time I play it. Does anybody else's copy have a defect on that track?

[Ganz Allein]

There are two mixes/versions of "Fallin' In Love". One is on the Spring CD, and another is on the Brian Wilson Productions CD. I prefer the Spring CD version; it's actually my favorite Spring song, but, wouldn't you know it, my CD has a flaw/defect in the first two seconds of the song; it bugs me every time I play it. Does anybody else's copy have a defect on that track?

I don't think that's a defect in your CD.  I think it was bad mastering by the compiler(s) of the bonus tracks.  The dropout is right at the beginning of the song on mine, too.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Outtakes: Honeycomb? California Feeling (cleaned up version)? Shortenin' Bread? (mmm, couldn't you just drewl over that version?)

I meant from the actual sessions in late 1971/early 1972 - those tracks were recorded in, respectively, 1974, 1974 and 1973.

[mrski]

Outtakes: Honeycomb? California Feeling (cleaned up version)? Shortenin' Bread? (mmm, couldn't you just drewl over that version?)

I meant from the actual sessions in late 1971/early 1972 - those tracks were recorded in, respectively, 1974, 1974 and 1973.

Any reissue could also include the promo interview Brian did with the girls, - Just for added interest...

[matt-zeus]

I like some of the things on the Spring album but wasn't blown away like I thought I might be (having read a lot about it), I actually prefer some of the late 70s Honeys/Spring stuff - Do Ya, It's like heaven, Romeo and Juliet, She's out to get ya etc, I can't remember it all but its fun!

[phirnis]

I like some of the things on the Spring album but wasn't blown away like I thought I might be (having read a lot about it), I actually prefer some of the late 70s Honeys/Spring stuff - Do Ya, It's like heaven, Romeo and Juliet, She's out to get ya etc, I can't remember it all but its fun!

Do Ya is fucking awesome to these ears, what a song! It has those silly Love You-style lyrics, a great Brian (?) falsetto part and it's catchy as hell.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Do Ya" = "How's About A Little Bit" + "Marilyn Rovell". 

[dogear]

I prefer "Do Ya" by the MOVE

[harveyw]

If David Sandler could do such a good impersonation of Brian, he should still be making records today.
 

Oddly enough, he is, and they're pretty charming records too:

http://www.glacierdisc.com/bio/index.html

[mtaber]

OK. does anyone have info on Jackie DeShannon's involvement in the '70's?

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

whats the story with the vocal at the end of sweet mountain? presume its sandler.
The one that goes "well it rained on the mountain, the mountain of love"

sounds like a voice that should have been in brian's mount vernon and fairway.

[matt-zeus]

whats the story with the vocal at the end of sweet mountain? presume its sandler.
The one that goes "well it rained on the mountain, the mountain of love"

sounds like a voice that should have been in brian's mount vernon and fairway.

I'm pretty sure thats Brian just doing a low voice - oddly not dissimilar to how he would sound a few years later.