The Smiley Smile Message Board

So, I was wondering, in David Leafs book about The Beach Boys and Brian, he says during the "bedroom years" or whatever, he wrote two very personal songs or something like that. And one was "Just An Imitation", which apparently is real and really good, but unfortunately was never committed to tape. However, Mr. Leaf also mentions another song entitled "Spark in the Dark".

Anyways, as we know, Brian did record something entitled "Spark in the Dark" before the "bedroom years", in 1972, to be particular. But it was apparently just him noodling around the piano, and not really a coherent "song". So anyways, did he actually write and/or record a song in 1974 or 1975 with that title or was that just David Leaf being his usual over-hyperbolic self?

Another one from that book was the mentioning of a song from "around Christmas of '74" that apparently sounded a lot like "Surf's Up". Where did he get this info from? And why did we never anything that we could say would be in anyway comparable to that? I'm figuring he probably means "California Feelin'", but from the versions I've heard, it sounds NOTHING like "Surf's Up". And I doubt Brian's 1974 recording of it does either (not that I wouldn't loooooove hear it though).

All of it is hyperbole. Look at the dates of the songs Brian recorded in 1974...I haven't heard 74CF or Lucy Jones :( but from what I've been told about the latter, it's dire*. Brian is said to have a voice close to his 15BO self, and IIRC I was told that there's some spoken word parts.


* I still want to hear it, reallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreally badly.

No... no you don't. Trust me.

"Spark..." is indeed just Brian noodling through various riffs - starts of like "Loop", end up several minutes later as "Chain Reaction Of Love". As for "Imitation", spoken to someone reliable who heard it (that is, Brian at the piano  in Bellagio), and according to them it's Pet Sounds standard.

Yeah I heard that but I am not sure if it was Andrew that said it or a dream.....

goshdarn. When you say 'Brian at the piano in Bellagio' that sounds like it didn't make it onto tape, although me and my sole cup of coffee today are liable to misunderstand even more than usual  :)

Correct, sir - he sat down and played it for someone.

I guess there is a slight possibility that it  might still exist on paper or something in some kind of 'briefcase', right?   :-\

Or is it - as I suspect - lost to history forever?   :thud

I've accepted that I'm never gonna hear "Just an Imitation". Brian just didn't have it in him at the time to get things done. Which is really unfortunate. But there are quite a few things that I'd still like to hear. I can't imagine "Lucy Jones" is that bad. I think it'd be interesting to hear....at least once. And also "You're Riding High on the Music", that's apparently from the same time period.

There's a few more apparently from around then. There is "In the Back of My Mind" with Brian sounding half like his pre '74 self, and half like his gruff self. And then there is "California Feelin'" from around this time period, which apparently is quite worthy and hopefully we'll hear soon.

I'm a nut like that. Have to hear *everything* pre-Landy  that has a Brian vocal on it, esp. anything done in the post-Holland, pre-15BO time period! The way some people obsess over every detail concerning Smile, I obsess over Brian's voice right before the seemingly drastic change! :lol

I pretty much like Lucy Jones--not a gem or anything, but fun enough to hear.

me too

There are days when I really hate being just an "average fan".  >:(  ;D

One of you almost-insider-types should post a helpful guide for us rabble to get closer to some folks more 'in the know', haha!

I always hesitate when discussing stuff that most people haven't heard--and I count myself as unfairly lucky to have heard what I have, I have usually figured that people would rather hear about this kind of thing as much as possible than be totally in the dark--to provide a spark in the dark, so to speak.  So I hope that's what any discussion of mostly unheard stuff supplies, some kind of taste of it, however tantalizing it might be.  What do people think about this?

Sometimes I find it a little annoying when people speak in detail about recordings that I'll probably never hear in my lifetime. But then again, I feel fortunate when people occasionally tell me things "off the record", when not many people can openly talk about such recordings. Kind of a paradox, huh?

That's why I asked--I wondered which side of the paradox wins in the end.

Well, if I never get to hear something, then I guess the next best thing is to at least know some details about it. I've been lucky enough to get some uncirculated recordings of The Who and have turned people down when I've been asked for copies, so I guess I'm in the same boat as you, so to speak.

I'm of the belief that if there is enough outcry for a song/album, the artist in this day and age should at least put a streaming version on their site. Personally speaking, if my band ever breaks we plan to have our 'odds & ends' available for streaming. One side effect of the close-to-death state of the physical medium of music is that there's no money to be made in piracy any more, which is great news for both the artists and the consumer, IMHO.

Me too bro. I cannot possibly overstate my obsession with Brian's vocal change...you guys think you obsess over every last detail of Smile? I'm that bad with this! It's only gotten worse as I've gotten older, because I'm now at the same age as Brian was in 'year zero'(1975).

Same here.Not with The Who, but have been privvy to material by a certain band that released their debut CD in the  '90s  that would blow some people's minds. However, my word is my word. Tricky spot to be in at times.

You know i'm going to ask the name of the band, right?  :lol

I'd try to quote a specific part of this post, but I'm sure I'd just screw it up, so I'll quote the whole thing. You know, if somebody gave me a choice between a SMiLE box set, or a cd with the 1974 California Feeling demo, Lucy Jones, Spark In The Dark, Just An Imitation,  In The Back Of My Mind(Brian's version), and You're Riding High On The Music...I just might take a pass on the SMiLE set.  ;D

:D


I've spent years obsessing over Brian's vocals from Wild Honey thru 15 Big Ones. In the early days of my BB/BW fandom I was lucky enough to have heard some what I guess were alternate/rough mixes of "Mess of Help" and "Marcella" that I wish I could hear again;sadly, my friend passed away several years ago, and this was long before I became a diehard. Gah...I was a complete neophyte back then so it was wasted on me! A few years ago I isolated Brian's vocals as best as possible on songs from So Tough and Holland, and I was shocked at 1) How much more work he did on So Tough compared to the established story  and 2) How much earlier his voice changed than most people noticed.  Unfortunately, my hard drive and my old computer both got fried so I'm going to have to redo it -_-

Anyway, the point is, I would buy that CD in a heartbeat!

I remember that. Hearing the "1975 Brian voice" on He Come Down is one of the most perplexing thing I've ever heard.  :lol

By the way, I have those files saved on my computer.  ;)

I know, right? Even more mystifying is that the high part he did on the same song, he sounded like he did on Sunflower. Same phenomenon happened on 'Funky Pretty' ("Pretty Funky Gone" sounding like 'classic' Brian, and his part in the tag sounding like his backups on MIU!)

I can understand that - there's the element of one-upmanship, a slight eliteism. Not intentional, on my part - just want to share.

Another oddity is the booted isolated vocals on Till I Die. During the ending Brian and Carl sing some really high notes. Carl's part is higher than Brian's. Brian nails it but Carl's voice gives out at the end.

Oh, I wasn't trying to call out anybody in particular on it. Believe me, I'm very greatful for any information I can get. I can always hear something in my mind if I try hard enough and I have some details to work from.  ;)

P.S.: That's a great avatar. I keep meaning to tell you. It reminds me of an old Presidential painting from the 1700's. lol

Could you describe it in any more detail? AGD's description is usually "shouty", but I don't really know what that means. To me, a "shouty" Brian vocal from his cleaner vocal era is something like "You're So Good to Me". Whereas, I'd say a late '70s shouty vocal is like "Back Home" or something. So which category would it fall into? Or neither? I just wish I could get a better idea of it in my mind.

I gotta say though, I think for all of us that haven't heard this stuff, I wouldn't totally give up hope. The 50th anniversary is upon us, and it looks like SMiLE is kicking butt, so I think we are gonna see a cool vault release. Therefore, I don't think it seems crazy to hope that we will get "California Feelin'" from '74 and the re-recorded "In the Back of My Mind".

By the way, could somebody spill the details on this version of "In the Back of My Mind"? Like what year was it recorded? Was it just a piano demo or more fleshed out? What was the quality of Brian's voice?

I gotta say though, it seems like realllyyy rough stuff like "Spark in the Dark", we probably won't hear. I hope "You're Riding High on the Music" and "Lucy Jones" will be heard too, and maybe if its a really extensive compilation those might be included. But honestly, just hearing "CF" '74 and "ITBoMM" would totally hit the spot for me.

Well, Brian doesn't sing much on Lucy Jones.  I thought he sounded pretty weird on there, and then Alan told me that it's actually Steve Kalinich singing the leads and it all made sense.  Brian may double him at times and I think he does some backing "Womps."  The recording is just Piano and several vocal tracks, the piano style very much like a "This Car of Mine" thing.  Shouty is not the word I would use, Steve's voice is pretty light.

Hmmm... how about 'ragged', then ?

So the description then is of Kalinich singing, not Brian?

Right, unless AGD has picked some Brian out of the mix that sounds especially ragged to him.  I just think it's the sound of a guy who is not necessarily a consummate pop singer, with no offense intended.

Ahh hell...then I have no interest then. :lol Gotta hear Brian leads!


So, then...what's the deal with "You're Ridin' High on the Music"?

Brian sings a high part on "He Come Down"? Have I been mistaking him for Al all this time?

Yes he does, although him & Al didn't really sound that much alike on this one.

Yeah, anybody got any info on this one?

And once again, any info on "In the Back of My Mind"?

Listening to HCD right now...the part that Brian is most audible comes at about 3:38 or so, on the left channel, is a lower pitched "EEEEeeee" sound (the loud one in the center is obviously Mike) and sounds like his 76 self (right down to the rasp). The part right before (the "Yes I believe it" parts), Brian is singing on top but is buried in the mix...it's in the center channel this time, with Al being on the left side but mixed loudly. In fact, if you listen closely you can hear Brian's voice go lower in pitch until he hits the lower note mentioned previously. After the short little break, he's doing the back up "aahs" right behind 'He came down to make Heaven my home'. Maybe comparing it to Sunflower was a bit of a stretch...listening to it now and playing around in Audition, it sounds more like his Love You -era falsetto. He isn't audible in the closing section.

Listening to 'Marcella'....Brian's part is in the tag singing "Marcella Hey" or "Marcella Babe"...can't quite make out the second batch. Sounds like MIU era Brian without the rasp...in comparison, Al's part is the "doobie doobie DOOOoooo".

Posted this on another thread but meant it for here. It fits there too so I didn't take it off.
Sweet Mountain has Brian doing some great vintage falsetto and also has him doing his gruff voice. Actually tonally Sweet Mountain and He Come Down are almost like 1976 Brian but more on key and slightly less coarse. Hearing the interviews with Brian from the seventies his speaking voice really didn't change until 1974 but even then it was only slightly compared to 1976. I would bet Brian could sing very well until 1975. He has writen good songs since, some of his vocals since are nice, but Brian only knocks me out as a singer pre 1975. I'm obsessed with his and Dennis' sudden vocal changes too and also how Brian gained so much weight from 1972-75.

"OOOO FUNKAY" sounds like MIU? I don't ba-understand.

Wrong part.

I like the spark in the dark line on FP.     Corn Nuts hurt my teeth.

Which part then, d00d?

Right channel, singing "Funky Girl Why" (or something like that). Compare that to his vocals on, say, "Woncha Come Out Tonight". The "ooo funkay" part though sounds weird, like it was sped up a bit.

But we established a while ago that it was Billy Hinsche...

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?topic=9411.0 (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?topic=9411.0)

*smacks forehead*

Other parts are still Brian, though. But yeah, I had completely forgot about that.

Yeah, I was just referring to "Funky girl why / come back".