California Feelin' (versions)

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

It is.

[jackstar74]

Would really love to hear Brian's demo. My fave is actually Brian's re=recording. The Pamplin version is amateurish, and Carl's just comes off depressing....awful

[lance]

Eat a grapefruit....from a grapefruit tree.

[Jay]

I live the Carl and Bruce vocal, but I like the Rocky Pamplin instrumental track better. It's to bad that the sound quality of the Rocky Pamplin version isn't that great, because of ot sounded clearer you could probably synch the two together.

[Catbirdman]

Would really love to hear Brian's demo. My fave is actually Brian's re=recording. The Pamplin version is amateurish, and Carl's just comes off depressing....awful

I was one of the lucky few who got to hear this demo, back in the early 'aughts, at an East Coast Beach Boys convention. Oh, I would so love to hear it again. From my notes at the time:

California Feelin’ demo. 1974. Just Brian and a piano. Wow. The first time I heard it I was a bit disappointed because the approach was so unexpected. Then when I had the chance to hear it a second time its beauty hit home. Brian plays a GOSPEL piano on this cut. Gone is the straight reading and measured ease of the remake. Gone is the soft, sauntering laze. Instead it’s a dangerous and desperate stab at reclaiming the landscape as a haven for the soul. Brian believes what he’s singing but it’s crumbling around him. The more the scary truth threatens to overtake him – the truth that it’s all a veneer – the more his voice breaks in an earnest, exuberant plea. There are some gulped phrasings bordering on embarrassment; some rushed lyrics and some frankly goofy interpretations on the theme. He wants this to be a postcard sung in Las Vegas. He wants it to be a classic. It’s not, just like California is not. At least not in a God Only Knows sense. Now THAT’S a classic. But that’s also an ideal, and wouldn’t it be nice if it were true. When you’re 24 and on top of the music business the love of the ideal can just about take you away. When you’ve lost your father and you’ve returned from exile, your mind shattered, your drugs medicating less and less, the ideal taunts you no matter how hard you try to still believe. This is a very moving cut, if nothing else. I really hope everyone gets to hear it someday. When you do, you will be surprised. Expect a gospel piano (not the usual chordal banging), an affected, bewildered crooning, and a wandering, lost-at-sea tempo, and you might just get the spirit of it all.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Two things real quick...

1) I would kill to hear that song and Lucy Jones. 1974 Brian is kind of an obsession for me
2) Love your writing style...Highly intelligent without being pretentious.

[Dove Nested Towers]

Would really love to hear Brian's demo. My fave is actually Brian's re=recording. The Pamplin version is amateurish, and Carl's just comes off depressing....awful

I was one of the lucky few who got to hear this demo, back in the early 'aughts, at an East Coast Beach Boys convention. Oh, I would so love to hear it again. From my notes at the time:

California Feelin’ demo. 1974. Just Brian and a piano. Wow. The first time I heard it I was a bit disappointed because the approach was so unexpected. Then when I had the chance to hear it a second time its beauty hit home. Brian plays a GOSPEL piano on this cut. Gone is the straight reading and measured ease of the remake. Gone is the soft, sauntering laze. Instead it’s a dangerous and desperate stab at reclaiming the landscape as a haven for the soul. Brian believes what he’s singing but it’s crumbling around him. The more the scary truth threatens to overtake him – the truth that it’s all a veneer – the more his voice breaks in an earnest, exuberant plea. There are some gulped phrasings bordering on embarrassment; some rushed lyrics and some frankly goofy interpretations on the theme. He wants this to be a postcard sung in Las Vegas. He wants it to be a classic. It’s not, just like California is not. At least not in a God Only Knows sense. Now THAT’S a classic. But that’s also an ideal, and wouldn’t it be nice if it were true. When you’re 24 and on top of the music business the love of the ideal can just about take you away. When you’ve lost your father and you’ve returned from exile, your mind shattered, your drugs medicating less and less, the ideal taunts you no matter how hard you try to still believe. This is a very moving cut, if nothing else. I really hope everyone gets to hear it someday. When you do, you will be surprised. Expect a gospel piano (not the usual chordal banging), an affected, bewildered crooning, and a wandering, lost-at-sea tempo, and you might just get the spirit of it all.

Yes, your posts so far have been outstanding. You made the Smile discoveries scenarios come to life, and now make me salivate even more than before to hear this rare track, right up there with WIBNTLA (I'm with you on Lucy Jones too, Billy).

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Have to throw Al Jardine's version from 'Postcard' into the mix.  Especially if we are throwing in AS and the Honey's.

Anybody know who's on Al's version?

[18thofMay]

Would really love to hear Brian's demo. My fave is actually Brian's re=recording. The Pamplin version is amateurish, and Carl's just comes off depressing....awful

I was one of the lucky few who got to hear this demo, back in the early 'aughts, at an East Coast Beach Boys convention. Oh, I would so love to hear it again. From my notes at the time:

California Feelin’ demo. 1974. Just Brian and a piano. Wow. The first time I heard it I was a bit disappointed because the approach was so unexpected. Then when I had the chance to hear it a second time its beauty hit home. Brian plays a GOSPEL piano on this cut. Gone is the straight reading and measured ease of the remake. Gone is the soft, sauntering laze. Instead it’s a dangerous and desperate stab at reclaiming the landscape as a haven for the soul. Brian believes what he’s singing but it’s crumbling around him. The more the scary truth threatens to overtake him – the truth that it’s all a veneer – the more his voice breaks in an earnest, exuberant plea. There are some gulped phrasings bordering on embarrassment; some rushed lyrics and some frankly goofy interpretations on the theme. He wants this to be a postcard sung in Las Vegas. He wants it to be a classic. It’s not, just like California is not. At least not in a God Only Knows sense. Now THAT’S a classic. But that’s also an ideal, and wouldn’t it be nice if it were true. When you’re 24 and on top of the music business the love of the ideal can just about take you away. When you’ve lost your father and you’ve returned from exile, your mind shattered, your drugs medicating less and less, the ideal taunts you no matter how hard you try to still believe. This is a very moving cut, if nothing else. I really hope everyone gets to hear it someday. When you do, you will be surprised. Expect a gospel piano (not the usual chordal banging), an affected, bewildered crooning, and a wandering, lost-at-sea tempo, and you might just get the spirit of it all.

You are very good at what you do..

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Anybody know who's on Al's version?

Al, perhaps

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Anybody know who's on Al's version?

Al, perhaps

Ha, perhaps!
++++++++++++
How does it rate against previous versions?

[Jay]

Al has had so many guest stars on his album that I'm sure even he probably gets mixed up. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Anybody know who's on Al's version?

Al, perhaps

Ha, perhaps!
++++++++++++
How does it rate against previous versions?

Have to say, parts of it remind me somewhat of Brian's 1974 version: I'd rate it as #2.

1 - BW 1974
2 - AJ 2010
3 - AS 1977
4 - BW 2002
5 - BB 1978

[Steve Mayo]

before the fire i had a rocky/american spring version from session tapes. brian was on the talkback telling rocky how to sing. multiple starts/takes until rocky sings the whole song. lost mine but i know for a fact that version is out there seeing i made copies in the early '80's for other collectors i traded with back then.

[Carrie Marks]

There's a new version of California Feelin' by the Honeys available on the upcoming Stephen Kalinich CD, California Feeling.  The CD is available for pre-order or you can download an MP3 of the title track now at this link:

http://www.foothillrecords.com/detail-pages/mmr-california-feeling.html

[pixletwin]

Would really love to hear Brian's demo. My fave is actually Brian's re=recording. The Pamplin version is amateurish, and Carl's just comes off depressing....awful

I was one of the lucky few who got to hear this demo, back in the early 'aughts, at an East Coast Beach Boys convention. Oh, I would so love to hear it again. From my notes at the time:

California Feelin’ demo. 1974. Just Brian and a piano. Wow. The first time I heard it I was a bit disappointed because the approach was so unexpected. Then when I had the chance to hear it a second time its beauty hit home. Brian plays a GOSPEL piano on this cut. Gone is the straight reading and measured ease of the remake. Gone is the soft, sauntering laze. Instead it’s a dangerous and desperate stab at reclaiming the landscape as a haven for the soul. Brian believes what he’s singing but it’s crumbling around him. The more the scary truth threatens to overtake him – the truth that it’s all a veneer – the more his voice breaks in an earnest, exuberant plea. There are some gulped phrasings bordering on embarrassment; some rushed lyrics and some frankly goofy interpretations on the theme. He wants this to be a postcard sung in Las Vegas. He wants it to be a classic. It’s not, just like California is not. At least not in a God Only Knows sense. Now THAT’S a classic. But that’s also an ideal, and wouldn’t it be nice if it were true. When you’re 24 and on top of the music business the love of the ideal can just about take you away. When you’ve lost your father and you’ve returned from exile, your mind shattered, your drugs medicating less and less, the ideal taunts you no matter how hard you try to still believe. This is a very moving cut, if nothing else. I really hope everyone gets to hear it someday. When you do, you will be surprised. Expect a gospel piano (not the usual chordal banging), an affected, bewildered crooning, and a wandering, lost-at-sea tempo, and you might just get the spirit of it all.

Nicely done but I resent you. 

 

[Emdeeh]

There's a new version of California Feelin' by the Honeys available on the upcoming Stephen Kalinich CD, California Feeling.

Just curious -- is it the same melody or a new one?

[Loaf]

For anyone else who has heard the 1974 demo, how does Catbirdman's description compare to your own opinions?


p.s. I am SO SO envious.

[Andrew G. Doe]

For anyone else who has heard the 1974 demo, how does Catbirdman's description compare to your own opinions?


p.s. I am SO SO envious.

Can't say I agree with the deeper extrapolations, but as regards the overall sound and ambience, spot on.

[Catbirdman]

Can't say I agree with the deeper extrapolations, but as regards the overall sound and ambience, spot on.

Fair enough - the deeper extrapolations are just that. One man's making sense of the music in the midst of the milieu. Grain of salt, and all that.

I'm glad to see some of you enjoyed what I wrote; thanks for the kind words. And please don't be too envious; I share the common yearning to hear this track today and dearly wish it was sitting comfortably in my iTunes library. Maybe soon, now that the 50-year anniversary is upon us...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I hope to God so. I just have a bad feeling no more unbooted stuff is going to surface (legally or otherwise) in any of the BB's lifetimes, and maybe not after depending on the quality.


This is going to be crazy, but this is the depth of my Brian Wilson fandom....If a song has Brian singing on it, I want to hear it, regardles of year. Or quality, for that matter.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

For anyone else who has heard the 1974 demo, how does Catbirdman's description compare to your own opinions?


p.s. I am SO SO envious.

It is really quite irreverent--I recall chuckling at it.  Kind of hammy singing, at times melodramatic and overwrought singing, I'm not quite sure if this is really how Brian envisioned the final delivery, or if he was just doing it as a throw-off...definitely great piano playing unlike what you think of when you think of Brian's playing.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

How was his voice though?

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

How was his voice though?

Good.  Oddly Carl-like at times, I seem to recall, when singing in the lower register, but with good facilty and clarity in the upper register as well.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Awesome...