Thread for various insignificant questions that don't deserve their own thread!

[HeyJude]

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?topic=9187.0

That thread (^^^), made well before I joined the forum, is about Brian's shows with the band after Dennis' death and before C50. What isn't mentioned is how many shows where Brian actually plays the full shows (other than the times he serves a sub for Al). Do we have any of these confirmed?

For the 1984-1996 shows that Brian appeared at, he almost always was on stage for most or all of the show.

The one exception I can think of are some (or most or all) of the shows in 1989 (mainly the 1989 "Beachago" tour), where Brian would come on stage well into the show, do a song or two with the BBs (usually "Surfer Girl"), and then the BBs would leave the stage and Brian would do a mini-set of solo songs (mainly BW '88 songs, though he did a few others as well including an early stab at "In My Car"). I believe the BBs would then come back without Brian, and Brian would perhaps come out again during the encore.

[Gabo]

Not sure where else to post this. But if you want to hear something real ghastly:

Look up Live In Concert by  Gidea Park (Adrian Baker's old band). Listen to California Gold. Particularly at 2:36 on. It sounds like California Girls is being sung by a pack of tree monkeys. Lol.

[RangeRoverA1]

Look up Live In Concert by  Gidea Park (Adrian Baker's old band).

Ta. Few yrs back smb. posted Adrian's BBs medley here in some thread which I liked. Will check that vid when youtube's fast.

[NateRuvin]

Where can I hear the re-records Brian did to promote SMiLE?

[Silken]

A few months ago I asked this at PSF to no avail. Maybe someone here can help me. There used to be a video of the Boys performing KTSA, GV and Goin' On on a TV show called "Friday's" or something like that, but it has sadly disappeared from Youtube. Does anybody know if this video can be found elsewhere? I liked it an awful lot.

Found it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h62YsU1GZc

[Lady Lynda]

I've never seen that performance before.  Carl sounds AMAZING!!  Thanks for sharing!

[Rocky Raccoon]

Where can I hear the re-records Brian did to promote SMiLE?

Aside from the re-records on the actual Smile album, what are you referring to?

[All Summer Long]

Where can I hear the re-records Brian did to promote SMiLE?

Aside from the re-records on the actual Smile album, what are you referring to?

Didn't Brian re-record a lot of the old 60's hits?

[HeyJude]

The re-records may be a reference to the "Mail on Sunday" freebie CD that was one of the sources of Mike's failed lawsuit. But as I recall, that CD was just cobbled from previous Brian releases, in particular the Live at the Roxy album.

[All Summer Long]

What did Ed Carter do on the road when he didn't play bass? Did he always play lead or did he occasionally play rhythm (especially when James Guercio or Joe Chemay was there)?

How can Bruce be only on "Marcella" if most of Carl and the Passions: So Tough was recorded before he left? Were most of the vocals recorded after he left? Did Carl and Blondie play all the bass parts?

[HeyJude]

What did Ed Carter do on the road when he didn't play bass? Did he always play lead or did he occasionally play rhythm (especially when James Guercio or Joe Chemay was there)?

How can Bruce be only on "Marcella" if most of Carl and the Passions: So Tough was recorded before he left? Were most of the vocals recorded after he left? Did Carl and Blondie play all the bass parts?

Well, the BBs material has never super lead-heavy (especially in terms of actual "guitar solos"), so even when Carter was the "lead guitarist" of the band (meaning mainly in 1981 when Carl was absent), he was probably playing more rhythm guitar than lead guitar, and a lot of his "lead" guitar was not solos, but "lead" in the literal sense of being the main, featured guitarist on stage (especially when the other guitarists were Al and Adrian Baker).

When they brought in auxiliary bass players while Carter was still in the band (e.g. Spring/Summer 1980 with Joe Chemay), Carter seemed to play a mixture of lead and rhythm guitar. At Knebworth, for instance, Carl does the leads on stuff like "Fun Fun Fun" and "Keepin' the Summer Alive" and some other songs, while Carter takes the extended solo on "Help Me Rhonda" and "Barbara Ann" (the latter probably in part so that Carl could take part in the extremely goofy, lame line-dancing bit).

[Kid Presentable]

I have no handy evidence to back this up, but I am of the opinion that Ed did a whole lot more than most of us realise, both in the studio and on the road.  And that's not just because of his pro shredding on Bluebirds.  I think that he put in long hours helping develop some of the non-Brian songs (Dennis, Al, etc) of the late 60s and into the 70s, and I think that his versatility was a really important band-aid (pun intended) that both helped them play deeper cuts live, and also made losing longstanding members a lot less painful.

[Rebel]

Why did they not ask for David Marks to return instead of hiring Bruce to replace Brian/Glen?

I know David created his own demise, but I think that him leaving was truly a huge misfortune for the Boys to lose David.

He seemed to be the earliest member to have a desire to create songs, and other than Dennis and Carl, Al and Bruce had about 3 songs in them the rest of their career. David could have helped them a lot I feel.

[KDS]

Why did they not ask for David Marks to return instead of hiring Bruce to replace Brian/Glen?

I know David created his own demise, but I think that him leaving was truly a huge misfortune for the Boys to lose David.

He seemed to be the earliest member to have a desire to create songs, and other than Dennis and Carl, Al and Bruce had about 3 songs in them the rest of their career. David could have helped them a lot I feel.

I think they wanted Bruce so he could better fill in the harmonies on stage in Brian's place. 

[Rebel]

Why did they not ask for David Marks to return instead of hiring Bruce to replace Brian/Glen?

I know David created his own demise, but I think that him leaving was truly a huge misfortune for the Boys to lose David.

He seemed to be the earliest member to have a desire to create songs, and other than Dennis and Carl, Al and Bruce had about 3 songs in them the rest of their career. David could have helped them a lot I feel.

[HeyJude]

Why did they not ask for David Marks to return instead of hiring Bruce to replace Brian/Glen?

I know David created his own demise, but I think that him leaving was truly a huge misfortune for the Boys to lose David.

He seemed to be the earliest member to have a desire to create songs, and other than Dennis and Carl, Al and Bruce had about 3 songs in them the rest of their career. David could have helped them a lot I feel.

They needed someone who could take Brian's place (and/or mix and match with Al and Carl) in the vocal stack. Between that and the lingering old politics of his original exit, I don't find it surprising they weren't calling Dave back up in 1965.

[CenturyDeprived]

Why did they not ask for David Marks to return instead of hiring Bruce to replace Brian/Glen?

I know David created his own demise, but I think that him leaving was truly a huge misfortune for the Boys to lose David.

He seemed to be the earliest member to have a desire to create songs, and other than Dennis and Carl, Al and Bruce had about 3 songs in them the rest of their career. David could have helped them a lot I feel.

They needed someone who could take Brian's place (and/or mix and match with Al and Carl) in the vocal stack. Between that and the lingering old politics of his original exit, I don't find it surprising they weren't calling Dave back up in 1965.

Right. I'm guessing that since he was already a corporate member (although wasn't that sorta not properly handled, where he didn't realize he should still have been earning more money until years later?), they wanted someone they could pay less and not worry about re-introducing anyone who could thus have potential expectations of more of a slice of the pie.

But yeah, it's a bummer he wasn't around during those eras.

[HeyJude]

And bringing Dave in may not have worked for Dave either. Note that they batted around having him join the touring band around 1971, but Carl seemed to just want to stick Dave on bass. Dave apparently had no interest in playing bass on "Help Me Rhonda" rather than playing some leads or adding to the writing, or something with more involvement.

Obviously, we'll never know whether Dave just slipping into the background of the band would have led to more substantive involvement in group projects later on.

And 1965 was different for both Dave and BBs than 1971.

But yeah, lots of political and logistical roadblocks to just bringing Dave back, especially to replace Brian in the Today/Summer Days/Pet Sounds era.

Keep in mind as well as that Bruce before long was also augmenting the band on organ/piano. I'm not sure Dave could have filled that role.

[Rebel]

You’re correct that David could not have played keys - by al was quite proficient at bass and could have been relegated to that, david was probably a better guitarist than Carl by 65. His solo work shows that.

[HeyJude]

You’re correct that David could not have played keys - by al was quite proficient at bass and could have been relegated to that, david was probably a better guitarist than Carl by 65. His solo work shows that.

And judging by Carl wanting to stick Dave on bass in 1971 when Dave has certainly reached a more seasoned and educated musical point than he (Dave) was at in 1965, I'm guessing (no offense to Carl) that Carl maybe wouldn't have been super enthusiastic in 1965 about inviting back a possibly better guitarist into the band.

Let us remember that in 1965 Al was still somewhat marginalized and had, to a certain degree, inherited the "Dave" role in the band in not being made a partner in any element of the proceedings. Indeed, I believe Al was not initially an equal BRI (or whatever its initial incarnation was) partner. In other words, the "non-family" vibe introduced to the band in the Murry era was probably still something of a "thing" in 1965 even if Murry was not in charge of anything any more.

Also, it has been a while since I read the Marks/Stebbins book, but my recollection is that aside from any specifically musical ego issues, Carl (and maybe Dennis and some of the other guys) had been disappointed in Dave for quitting the band initially. Again, it was for multiple reasons a political minefield for Dave to rejoin in 1965. Couple that with Dave maybe not fitting in musically (especially vocally), and it's not surprising he wasn't called in 1965. And really, he wasn't even called in 1971 by the entire band, but rather was being re-introduced to the fold via Mike, only to be met with a rather weird, passive-aggressive response and eventually bolting rather than trying to reintegrate.

[rickymyfataar]

Does anyone have a copy of Mike Love's 'Your looking better'? An unreleased song from the 70s that popped in my head today. I haven't heard it in ages Hoping someone can help me out

[JackBz]

Apparently Brian "famously" used a shure 545 for his vocals on Pet Sounds. I tried to find the source on this, and found the interview with Chuck Britz on the Pet Sounds Sessions liner notes, but he simply says Brian used a "5-35".

This can be seen here: http://albumlinernotes.com/Chuck_Britz.html

So my question is, is this interview the only evidence that Brian used a 545? Are there other sources or pictures? Because the 535 was another mic by shure that was discontinued in 1967, though it was omni-directional which means it wouldn't be "very directional" as Chuck states.

Or do the liner notes on this website have a misprint, and the actual printed word that came with the pet sounds sessions says he 5-45 rather than 5-35?

[JK]

Apparently Brian "famously" used a shure 545 for his vocals on Pet Sounds. I tried to find the source on this, and found the interview with Chuck Britz on the Pet Sounds Sessions liner notes, but he simply says Brian used a "5-35".

This can be seen here: http://albumlinernotes.com/Chuck_Britz.html

So my question is, is this interview the only evidence that Brian used a 545? Are there other sources or pictures? Because the 535 was another mic by shure that was discontinued in 1967, though it was omni-directional which means it wouldn't be "very directional" as Chuck states.

Or do the liner notes on this website have a misprint, and the actual printed word that came with the pet sounds sessions says he 5-45 rather than 5-35?

On page 55 pf The Making Of Pet Sounds Chuck mentions a "little cheap 5-35" that Brian would be on when he was doing his solos. So it's no misprint...

[JackBz]

Ok thanks. It's strange, there's a lot of references all across the web to Brian using a 545. Even the wikipedia article for Pet Sounds says he uses a 545, but cites The Pet Sounds Sessions liner notes where Chuck says he uses a 535!

[positivemusic]

How can Bruce be only on "Marcella" if most of Carl and the Passions: So Tough was recorded before he left? Were most of the vocals recorded after he left? Did Carl and Blondie play all the bass parts?

Just bumping this, because I think its a pretty interesting topic I'd never thought of.