"Won't You Tell Me"

[Wrightfan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdrdB9E0sWQ

I can't stop listening to this song. Just breathtaking.

[runnersdialzero]

Wish we had it in better quality/gooder mix. Unfortunately, its status as not really a Beach Boy song/not really a Rick Henn song probably means we'll never hear a good mix with the Carl and/or Brian vocal (although a version with Rick Henn doing the vocals was officially released a while back).

[Wrightfan]

(although a version with Rick Henn doing the vocals was officially released a while back).

Ooh, didn't now this. Where can I get that?

[Dave Modny]

(although a version with Rick Henn doing the vocals was officially released a while back).

Ooh, didn't now this. Where can I get that?

http://www.amazon.com/For-Collectors-Only-Vintage-Rays/dp/tracks/B000000970/ref=dp_tracks_all_3#disc_3

[bossaroo]

great tune. this is the only version i was familiar with:

http://youtu.be/dTAQ0qLKq34

love the quote from Rick Henn:
"Murry wrote "Won't You Tell Me" for the Beach Boys a few years after the Sunrays broke up and asked me if I would arrange it for him and cut a demo. After I finished working out the band and vocal arrangement we booked a session for Sunset Sound in Hollywood. Just as we began cutting the tracks who showed up but his son, Dennis Wilson. My immediate thought was "Oh god, here we go; he's going to move in and start changing charts and this and that and make my life miserable." Quite to my surprise and relief he was very gracious and simply said: "Gee Rick I love the chords, I like what you're doing with the bass line, but I want to try something." Here's what he did: He had us record some guitars and piano rolling chords down one octave than usual with the tape machine at half speed and than when we played it back at normal speed, it shot everything back up an octave and gave it kind of a shimmering mandolin/string, bowed tremolo effect in the background. When Murry heard it, he went through the roof; he just loved it. He was proud of what his son had done for this song. Then Dennis, Marty DiGiovanni, Don Ralke and Ray Pohlman and myself went on to do the vocals. The whole thing was a real celebration of love and friendship. Murry poured his heart out writing that song because at the time he was worried for his sons because they were having trouble getting a chart record. I remember Carl listening to it a couple of days later when we were mixing it down in Studio A at Goldstar and he said: "Wow...you really got it for my dad...good going Rick." It may not have been a hit song but there was this real nice feeling surrounding that tune."

[MBE]

great tune. this is the only version i was familiar with:

http://youtu.be/dTAQ0qLKq34

love the quote from Rick Henn:
"Murry wrote "Won't You Tell Me" for the Beach Boys a few years after the Sunrays broke up and asked me if I would arrange it for him and cut a demo. After I finished working out the band and vocal arrangement we booked a session for Sunset Sound in Hollywood. Just as we began cutting the tracks who showed up but his son, Dennis Wilson. My immediate thought was "Oh god, here we go; he's going to move in and start changing charts and this and that and make my life miserable." Quite to my surprise and relief he was very gracious and simply said: "Gee Rick I love the chords, I like what you're doing with the bass line, but I want to try something." Here's what he did: He had us record some guitars and piano rolling chords down one octave than usual with the tape machine at half speed and than when we played it back at normal speed, it shot everything back up an octave and gave it kind of a shimmering mandolin/string, bowed tremolo effect in the background. When Murry heard it, he went through the roof; he just loved it. He was proud of what his son had done for this song. Then Dennis, Marty DiGiovanni, Don Ralke and Ray Pohlman and myself went on to do the vocals. The whole thing was a real celebration of love and friendship. Murry poured his heart out writing that song because at the time he was worried for his sons because they were having trouble getting a chart record. I remember Carl listening to it a couple of days later when we were mixing it down in Studio A at Goldstar and he said: "Wow...you really got it for my dad...good going Rick." It may not have been a hit song but there was this real nice feeling surrounding that tune."

This is actually the Brian and Carl version up top this post.

[Cabinessenceking]

This is another take which would be perfect for MiC. Hopefully it will be out properly mixed one day.

[clack]

Sounds more like 10cc than the BB. Pretty cool.

[EgoHanger1966]

Sounds more like 10cc than the BB. Pretty cool.

I think they were going for more of an Association sound on this one.

[pixletwin]

Interesting, given who wrote it. But this track is pretty syrupy and dull... I can almost hear the Wilson boys mocking the song when Murry wasn't around. Awful musaky stuff imo. Totally wrong for the Beach Boys of any era.

[SMiLE Brian]

I am glad the BBs never went for the AM Radio "soft rock" sound of the early 1970s.

[Doo Dah]

I actually like it, although yeah...with their whole 'image thing' at the time, it would've further branded them as light weights in the 70's rawwwwk world.

Agree on the Association analogy. Definitely sounds like them.

[pixletwin]

I can actually hear Karen Carpenter singing this. That wouldn't have been bad.

[Peter Reum]

I like Won't You Tell Me....Brian and Carl's voice sound great on that track.

[MBE]

Agree Peter, it's cool stuff.

[pixletwin]

"cool"? Hound Dog is cool. Catch A Wave is cool. Do It Again is cool.

This is about as square a piece of music and one can get. I'll wager the Wilson bros. would agree.

  

[Amazing Larry]

Pixletwin needs to remember that sometimes, it's hip to be square.

[MBE]

Not cool as in rock and roll, but a nice piece of light pop. Well sung.

[pixletwin]

Not cool as in rock and roll, but a nice piece of light pop. Well sung.

I knew what you meant. I was ribbing your keyboard a bit.

@Discipline Daddy Very very true.

[MBE]

My keyboard! Cool either way. One thing I must say is how good Brian still sounded as late as 1971.

[Jay]

To me it doesn't even sound like The Beach Boys. I don't know if it's off speed or what, but it honestly doesn't sound like Brian or Carl to me. I can kind of see pixletwin's point about it not being right for the group. That being said, if Dennis had sung lead and got it released on Sunflower, we'd all be eating it up.

[Smilin Ed H]

The second version has Brian and Carl on it. Are they singing over the other version?

[MBE]

I don't think they are, but Dennis probably is. The one with Brian and Carl is the one that mentions their names up front. I can hear Brian mixed up like a lead very clear and Carl on the harmony.

[Wrightfan]

So...who the heck is singing on the one I posted

[MBE]

I think Rick Henn is on lead. It is on a Sunrays CD that I don't have except as a download so I never saw the notes.