The Smiley Smile Message Board

what was the very last song he ever recorded in the studio before he died and when? both  the last solo recording and the last beach boys song,even if it's just him singing background or playing drums..was he even on KTSA anywhere? thanks..

I just realized Dennis is technically on "Smart Girls".

 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

I stand to be corrected, but I'm pretty sure his last session ever was for a song called "Labor Day", which was recorded on September 3, 1982. As far as I know, both piano and vocals were recorded.

As far as his last Beach Boys session, well that's tricky. As of now, his last released Beach Boys session is for "Endless Harmony." But I suppose maybe you could his last "Beach Boys" session could be considered "Stevie" or the cocaine tapes?? (Not sure about this one)

Dennis is on SMART GIRLS..?? Didnt know that..Are U sure..?

On the old BB samples!

From my understanding, Dennis himself doesn't perform on the "cocaine tapes" (i.e. "Oh Lord," "City Blues," etc.) but it's Brian and someone else recording while Dennis was out trying to score some blow for everybody....

I was thinking about making a similar topic. My question is, what is the last known recording of Dennis in the studio that is currently circulating? Is it the 1979 "All Alone" remake? I don't know of any 1980-83 studio recordings that have been booted, unless you count Stevie, but wasn't he just the producer of that?

Dennis plays drums and co-produces "Stevie"...on the Legacy Edition track "Album Tag Song", the center section which features Dennis solo voice and piano is from a 1979 or 1980 tape, fairly late.

A tangential question, but something I've never been exactly clear on - did any serious work take place on Bamboo after 1979/1980 or so?

I suppose nothing later being included in the POB set should answer that, but I'm just wondering whether there was any level of intent to finish it between 1980-1983.

I was shocked to hear -- from two or three different sources, no less -- that Dennis recorded extensively post-Bamboo.  There was a lot of discussion, apparently, when the POB reissue came out, of rounding these tapes up.  The problem, from what I could understand, is once Brother was gone Dennis would basically record wherever he could, so if a friend had a studio, he'd do something there for a bit, etc.  So there was some question of who owned the masters, rounding up the tapes, etc.  But I'd been given to understand there was quite a lot of stuff out there post '79 to work with if they wanted to do a follow up.  As I said, this shocked me because I was completely unaware of this and it seemed improbable to me...but more than one person told me the same thing.

That's fantastic news!

The only barrier to release, bar record company/master tape politics, is the quality of the tracks. He wasn't very together at this time, after all..... It'd be fine to be surprised, though  ;D

Except for a unreleased "Johnny b. good" from the KTSA-sessions (btw I'd love to hear that !) Dennis only played percussion on "Endless harmony". Don't know if he's on "When girls get together"

Actually, I've been told from a very reliable source (one who was actually there) that Dennis was NOT on the "Endless Harmony" session in Big Sur, despite his name being on the AFM contract.  It's possible he added a percussion overdub later back in L.A., but there's nothing to support that notion.  At the "Johnny B. Goode" session, they also made a pass at "Oh Darlin'" with Dennis on drums, but they didn't get very far and cut it for real the next day (without Dennis).  As for "When Girls Get Together", the big, deep bass drum sound on the KTSA mix IS vintage, I'm told (meaning pre-1979/80).  That could very well be Dennis. 

I really wish that a team of people(Jon Stebbins, AGD, Ed Roach, etc) would get motivated enough to do a serious hunt for tapes, and make a serious effort to sort out all the legal issues involved with getting these recordings released. Being able to listen to "Labor Day" is on my "bucket list".

Alan Boyd is your contact for that request. And maybe Jon Hanlon. Tom Murphy? Stan Shapiro? Jakobsen?  I'm sure they've already searched high and low in the vault. Unless there's tapes in someone's possession...

Adamghost's post on this thread is the first I've ever read that Dennis recorded a lot post 1979. I don't think I've ever seen Jon Stebbins or Ed Roach mention that, unless I have a short memory. I've seen titles........and even a couple of things recorded at Village with Christine, and at a house in Venice, but did he record anything at Brother after the studio was sold in 1978?

That's surprising.

What about going to the media? A special request/plea to any private collectors in an article in Rolling Stone, or maybe even something like a TV spot on Entertainment Tonight.

Motivate me with a check with enough 0000s on it, and I'll do it single-handedly.  ;D

You might want another number in front of the 0s.....  ;)

"Labor Day" was actually recorded at the old Brother building, however, it had already be resold by Tom Scott, and was a skeleton of what it once had been.

Thanks, Ed.

Dennis and Christine also recorded at Audissey Studios in Hawaii in late 1980, according to Brad Elliott.  Demos of two unnamed Christine songs, one of which may have been (and probably was) "Only Over You", later appearing on FM's "Mirage" album with a credit to DW for "inspiration".