The Smiley Smile Message Board

What real info do we have on "Just An Imitation" and "Pattycake"? Both come from the era when not much was heard from Brian, and supposedly at least "Just An Imitation" was a really great song. Lets see what info is really out there.

Firstly, "Pattycake" was supposedly written after Brian and Diane went to New York in 1973 to avoid Murry's funeral. And it was supposedly about an ape at the zoo. Is this really for real? According to whom?

And then, more importantly, there is "Just An Imitation". This was apparently written as a tribute to Murry by Brian, and was apparently one of his top compositions, but was never even demoed. Is that all we know?

It just seems weird that even though Brian seemed to dip into his stockpile from the early to mid '70s later in his career, using such songs as "Had To Phone Ya", "It's OK", "Good Timin'" and "Spark in the Dark" for "Chain Reaction of Love".

"Pattycake" was, allegedly, a song Brian wrote about a visit to the NYC zoo in June 1973, and a baby gorilla he saw there.

"Just An Imitation" was a summer 1974 song about Murry, again, reportedly.

Where has the evidence of the existence of these songs came from? Just from BB lore over the years? I know "Just An Imitation" was talked about in Leaf's book, but i wonder who actually heard the song, and talked it up so highly? Maybe it was one of the "new Brian songs" that Bruce said were so great in that article by Nick Kent. It is such a shame if a song of that quality really was never laid onto tape ever.

"Pattycake", I have a feeling, might have just been a little ditty he wrote, but probably grew in notoriety because of the lack of any new BW material at all. But maybe that is a masterpiece too...who knows?

Does any of these songs might have turn into something we already know?