The Smiley Smile Message Board

This was posted in the Brian's lowest ebb thread and it got me thinking.  City Blues from GIOMH is demoed on the Cocaine Session bootleg in pretty much the same form as the finished song.  

What I'm wondering is, did Brian simply remember the song for GIOMH, or did he listen to an old demo and if he did, I would've thought listening to the Cocaine Session tape would be pretty painful for him.  Does another demo of the song exist?  Then I wondered did someone else simply transcribe the song for Brian from the Cocaine tape and he went from there?  Does anyone know?

Also, I really like the song, it's one of the few I think works on GIOMH.

I would say that the song was brought to his attention through band members and that he didn't have to listen the demo. Or if he did, they probably played him the piano demo part and not the complete bootleg.
Or perhaps fans were asking him during a meet and greet "Brian, Brian, what about that song you wrote with Dennis in the early 80's? Will you ever release it?" And then he told the band to get the boot and rehearse it.

It's my favorite song on GIOMH, a bit out of place. I think it doesn't really sound like a BW written song at all.

I actually prefer the demo version, not something I usually do.  I wonder if anyone has played him oh lord recently

I wouldn't be surprised if Brian's management suggested an awful lot of the old songs that he went back to at that time. Which could be one of the reasons why he put so little effort into GIOMH.

I remember when I first heard that home demo tape including “City Blues”, I thought it could be formed into a good modern recording. I was really surprised they ended up actually doing it in 2004. Too bad that recording sounds overblown and overproduced. Clapton’s guitar parts aren’t needed, and as with most stuff Brian has done or BB stuff that has been remixed lately, everything has gobs of reverb that muddy the whole recording. 

And after he'd said in interviews in the early 80's that City Blues 'is a song I wrote with Dennis"...it was so nice of him to give Dennis that co-songwriting credit in 2004. ::)

Great song, not yet properly realised.

Usher got screwed over on a "Walkin' the Line" credit, too. Actually, lots of things on BW88 are like that. And don't get me started on Andy Paley and Joe Thomas's missing production credits on GIOMH.

Did GIOMH use Sweet Insanity or Paley tracks as a base, or were they total re-recordings?

Seems to me the Paley tracks were used as a base, but that's been denied.  (It's pretty freaking obvious, though.) The SI tracks are all new instrumentally, but I'm certain about backing vocals on Rainbow Eyes.

My ears tell me that the "Soul Searchin'" and "Saturday Morning in the City" backing tracks are nearly identical to the leaked Paley sessions versions. Maybe an overdub or two is added. Andy Paley's backing vocals are still audible in the latter. And the organ solo of the former is still there -- they just had Mertens paste a sax solo on top.

The musician credits (and my ears, again) suggest that the "Gettin' In Over My Head" track is a Joe Thomas co-production from the Imagination era.

I tend to think that Brian is singing a misheard lyric from the original tape (full disclosure: I've not heard the original tape):

Does anyone else think that the line "The strange loud people made a mess of the world" started life as "It's a shame how people made a mess of the world?

Scott Bennett is given credit for additional lyrics - I sure hope that line isn't one of them!

This.
I like the proper version, but the bootleg is almost definite for me. It's really beautiful.

Fret no more: from 10452 -

Gettin' In Over My Head
BriMel/Rhino R2 76471
Originally released June 2004 (by Brian Wilson) - #100
 
Produced by Brian Wilson except $, * with Andy Paley, # with Joe Thomas
 
Recorded March-August 2003 except $ 1992-1994,* November 1995 (track & Carl's vocals), # summer 1998 (track), + fall 2002
 
How Could We Still Be Dancin' (B. Wilson/Thomas) - Brian, Elton John
Soul Searchin'* (B. Wilson/Paley) - Carl, Brian
You've Touched Me (B. Wilson/Kalinich)
Gettin' In Over My Head# (B. Wilson/Paley)
City Blues (B. Wilson/Bennett)
Desert Drive+ (B. Wilson/Paley)
A Friend Like You (B. Wilson/Kalinich) - Brian, Paul McCartney
Make A Wish (B. Wilson)
Rainbow Eyes (B. Wilson)
Saturday Morning In The City$ (B. Wilson/Paley)
Fairy Tale (B. Wilson/Foster)
Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel (B. Wilson)
The Waltz (B. Wilson/Parks)

I personally think Brian remembers a lot more than we give him credit for, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a big vault at his house full of recordings he's half written over the years that he's fully aware of.  He's probably well aware of all the tracks he and Dennis recorded.   

His shattered, fragile existence... in my opinion is largely something he uses to manipulate people, not something he actually suffers from to the extent that he pushes it.  It's easier for him to act like he can't possibly listen to the Cocaine Sessions than to explain to his wife or his managers why he doesnt' want to re-record this song, or whatever. 

(I'm not being hard on him, we all have issues, this is his.) 

didn't someone recently ask him about stevie and he had no idea

This story comes via a friend of a friend, so take it with a grain of salt: a few music friends were with Brian, having a nice discussion with him about music and stuff, he was very lucid, and "normal", but there was a party going on at the house, so after awhile Brian says "I guess it's time for me to go be 'Brian Wilson'."

so you're saying brian is an imposter??  :o

Ordinary people say things like that all the time......


(obviously substituting their own name, natch  :lol)

Mike Love is shocked – SHOCKED – that Brian deprived someone of a cowriting credit.

You're saying your friend of a friend is implying that the behavior that we typically see from Brian now is a show?

I don't think its a show, but I think there are times where it is highly exaggerated.

I think it's obvious. Just listen to his leads on 15 BO and LY and then his vocals on MIU. Maybe a good put-on or perhaps you should say a good singer has to be a good actor.
Too bad Brian never got the chance to act in a movie... or wait, Mr. Hawthorne comes to mind.

It also doesn't help people close to him have abused their power also. They know who they are. After going through all that, being manipulative is a defense mechanism. I don't think he tries to put on airs for his fans. However, I think he has to act that way for the sake of others I hate to say.


Just my 2 cents.