Lost 1972-1974 BW Songs: Just An Imitation, Rooftop Harry, etc

[Peter Reum]

Just a track

[Jim V.]

Hey everybody, I updated the first page of the thread with what I took to be the important info on a each track.

Just a track

Interesting. Well, even though he never put a vocal on, I'd still really like to hear this.

[SMiLE Brian]

Brian should put on Joe Thomas by trying to get him to re-record this.

[Jim V.]

Brian should put on Joe Thomas by trying to get him to re-record this.

Re-record "Rooftop Harry"? I highly doubt Brian even remembers what that is.

[SMiLE Brian]

He remembered "my solution" for "happy days".....

[Jim V.]

He remembered "my solution" for "happy days".....

Touché good sir.

[Jim V.]

So does anybody know if "Just an Imitation" was ever found in a recorded demo or anything?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Last time I was in the BRI vault, I looked, and if it exists, it's not in the "J" rack.

[Jim V.]

Last time I was in the BRI vault, I looked, and if it exists, it's not in the "J" rack.

What about stuff like "Funky Fever" and "Gimme Some Lovin'"?

And most importantly, the 1975 "In the Back of My Mind"? I really hope we get to hear that one day. So hopefully it's still residing safely in the BRI vault.

[Bedroom Tapes]

For those lucky enough to have heard it, what instruments are used on Lucy Jones?  Or is it just piano because it was during the California Feelin' demo session?

[bgas]

So does anybody know if "Just an Imitation" was ever found in a recorded demo or anything?

Last time I was in the BRI vault, I looked, and if it exists, it's not in the "J" rack.

 That's because it's filed under "I" for ....   Imitation.....   "J" is where they keep Lucy Jones

[Andrew G. Doe]

So does anybody know if "Just an Imitation" was ever found in a recorded demo or anything?

Last time I was in the BRI vault, I looked, and if it exists, it's not in the "J" rack.

 That's because it's filed under "I" for ....   Imitation.....   "J" is where they keep Lucy Jones

Nope - that's in the "C" rack, same reel as "California Feelin'" (1974 demo).

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I'd nut rainbows if I had the job of transferring those songs to the digital realm. I'd certainly do a better job than was done on several of the songs from MIC, if I'm being honest.

[bgas]

I'd nut rainbows if I had the job of transferring those songs to the digital realm. I'd certainly do a better job than was done on several of the songs from MIC, if I'm being honest.

Are you?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Yes. I think the live Wild Honey in all its artifically-induced reverb hell/glory is proof, just to name one example. The music on the set was great, and I'm very happy to have it. I just wish some of the tracks wouldn't have come out sounding the way they did. I for one have no issues with digital editing or processing of any kind; hell, I do it too. The thing that bothers me is that in cases it sounds very amateurish and overdone, where a subtle touch would have been more appropriate.

Just my two cents.

[bgas]

Yes. I think the live Wild Honey in all its artifically-induced reverb hell/glory is proof, just to name one example. The music on the set was great, and I'm very happy to have it. I just wish some of the tracks wouldn't have come out sounding the way they did. I for one have no issues with digital editing or processing of any kind; hell, I do it too. The thing that bothers me is that in cases it sounds very amateurish and overdone, where a subtle touch would have been more appropriate.

Just my two cents.

Don't listen to MIC Wild Honey, then. Listen to t'other one

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Yeah, I normally skip over that, Sail Plane Song, You've lost that Lovin Feeling, and Sherry She Needs Me for those reasons.

[bgas]

Yeah, I normally skip over that, Sail Plane Song, You've lost that Lovin Feeling, and Sherry She Needs Me for those reasons.

One of these days I've really got to give MIC a spin, if only to hear what this is all about

[Mikie]

But..........but Bgas. Why go anywhere else? Wild Honey on MIC kicks major ass! When I fire up MIC and wanna rock out, the '72 tracks are the first go-to songs for me!  Wild Honey is great and so is Rhonda! And I'm with Billy on the reverb to Wild Honey. It's like.......WHY???  It didn't need any! It ruined it a little bit. Those are two songs I'd like on an early 70's live comp, with just a touch or without reverb.

That's the first question I'd ask Linett. What's up with the excessive echo/reverb on some of these songs on MIC?

P.S. Sherry She needs Me is great, but Sail Plane Song was butchered. I much prefer the version on Endless Harmony left alone.

[CenturyDeprived]

But..........but Bgas. Why go anywhere else? Wild Honey on MIC kicks major ass! When I fire up MIC and wanna rock out, the '72 tracks are the first go-to songs for me!  Wild Honey is great and so is Rhonda! And I'm with Billy on the reverb to Wild Honey. It's like.......WHY???  It didn't need any! It ruined it a little bit. Those are two songs I'd like on an early 70's live comp, with just a touch or without reverb.

That's the first question I'd ask Linett. What's up with the excessive echo/reverb on some of these songs on MIC?

P.S. Sherry She needs Me is great, but Sail Plane Song was butchered. I much prefer the version on Endless Harmony left alone.

I'm also in agreement that the reverb on '72 Wild Honey is outta control. Just really, blatantly too much (with all due respect to the box set compilers, who I'm sure labored hard over the set).

I'm totally cool with Sail Plane Song, strangely enough - but that's probably because the unaltered version was already released previously. That makes it acceptable to try something new this time. And the something new they've tried here, while not sounding "period" accurate to the time, still sounds cool to my ears, in its own way. At the very least, it kinda sorta gives you another take on how a fully-realized-by-BW-at-the-time version of the song might have panned out.

This version is like a piece of BW-authorized BB fan fiction. I have a hunch that they tried to approximate a spooky, druggy, acid-tinged sound that BW may have had in his head for the song originally, or at least for other material at the time that never quite got captured on tape, so this was maybe an attempt to showcase an alternate reality of a path not taken, due to the many factors that kept BW from completing songs at the time.

I can totally dig You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' too, despite the digital reverb added. It totally doesn't bug me on that track, and IMO helps flesh it out a little.

[Mikie]

Was just listening to "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and.....like Sherry.....the added reverb is OK. It's just enough. Anything that adds to the bootlegged version, which was already a good recording sonically, is OK in my book. But leave the live tracks alone. Musta been Steve Moffitt that recorded these live '72 performances. Still, the clarity of these live MIC tracks surpass the "In Concert" album. We need a good 70's live comp with this stuff on it.

[Yorick]

And also anybody have any info on the rest of these songs, like if "Just An Imitation" was ever recorded, even as a demo? And I know somebody said "Lucy Jones" was an example of the "new" Brian voice, but I'm pretty sure this was still pre-voice change.

As far as I know, "Imitation" was never recorded, even as a home demo. However, I have heard "Lucy Jones", and it's primo 'shouty' Brian. 

Dear Andrew,

on your excellent website you state that there probably was a session for Just an Imitation during the summer of 1974. Is this based on new evidence?

[Andrew G. Doe]

That post of mine is over five years old.   

[Yorick]

 

Have the session tapes been found?

[Jim V.]

That post of mine is over five years old.   

You are being a bit cryptic though. They didn't find anything did they? I just have to assume that it was never put on tape.

However, I am hopeful that Brian's 1975 recording of "In the Back of My Mind" is still around. That is now the one that I really wanna hear. I would probably part with many possessions to hear that one and have a copy reside in my collection.