The Smiley Smile Message Board

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JQMstHVQbc

Love it! Great to see Dolenz there and ripping it up! Doesn't quite rock it as nicely as Cowsill in my opinion but loved it all the same. So happy to hear this band play such a great tune. Hope it stays in their setlists along time. Wonderful lyrics by Dr. Love!!!

They shoulda let Cowsill do it.  Condolenz can't hold a candle to Cowsill (or Blondie).

yeah mickey blew it.

Think Mickey improved as that went on. Hell of a tough song to sing. Needs more organ!

Gotta give the Mickster credit for trying it. Shoulda' sung it in a different key......but then maybe that wouldn't have been Wild Honey!

Very nice.

Micky Dolenz may not have the voice he once had but he has always been a very underrated singer.

I loved it, its great to see he can still belt it out.

But, it would have cooler to invite Blondie to sing this one, and have Dolenz take a lead on a different song.

I don't know what you guys are on about, that performance was awesome. He's nearly 70!

I thought he did a good job, too. I can actually hear the lyrics. I also like Scott Totten's guitar solo.

Yup.  Any singer who has taken a shot at Wild Honey has ALWAYS received mixed reviews.  I have read many people on this board write about not being too fond of Carl's performances of this song (live or studio).  It is a belter and a screamer, and that style of tune is just not some people's cup of tea.  But I like it and I think it makes more sense to have it be a screamer (in the vein of Twist and Shout or Long Tall Sally) an opportunity for a singer to let loose at the top of their range and just go for it.  I love Matt Jardine's vocals (he's my vote for taking Brian's high parts) but when he did it with Al's band they lowered the key significantly and took the ATTACK out of it which was disappointing.  And I have LOVED that Blondie is back working with Brian (and Al, and Dave) but when they did it recently they lowered the key too much as well.  It is tough for me too choose my fave performance of this song.  I really like the studio recording of Carl, the 70's performances with Blondie singing and John Cowsill's recent performances - a three way tie for me.  Carl's live tries at it were a bit too inconsistent for me. Below that would be Blondie's recent attempts and Micky's take here.  I do enjoy them all though.  Honestly, I not only respect any vocalist who takes a stab at it as it is a MOFO to pull off, and I am just happy that this wonderful gem in the catalog is getting more live airings and attention from the general public who may not be aware of it.  Such a cool song.  Kudos to to those in Mike and Brian's band whose idea it was to dust it off! 

I could usually listen to Dolenz sing the phonebook (he's my second favourite singer of all time after Carl Wilson) but he really failed to do this justice, waaaay too forced. In fairness, this song has to be a bitch to sing.

Sheesh, tough crowd!

Not at all. Mick's yelling vocal just ain't good on this. Shoulda let the drummer do it!

Pretty painful - and the arrangement lacks a bit of power.

I love it.

(http://www.geocities.ws/chataholic2a2/Micky_Drums.jpg)

Um, the drummer did sing it.

The other drummer, Botwin.  Guy playing drums in the video behind Dolenz. 

Let's compare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-c72v4BZxM

Is that Foskett on cowbell?

Yes it is.  And Phil McCracken is on Skin Flute.

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I apologize if this has already been discussed, but did any of you watch Bill Medley and Foskett sing "You've lost that loving feeling?"  They did a really good job too.  Medley's got to be at least, what, 75?  That performance actually sent chills up my spine.

Totally agree.

Strange. I thought Mickey sounded great!

Not bad, not bad.  And look who's playing drums on that. The same guy who rocks the joint with Wild Honey!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIngV1-qYfw

Micky is going to be 69 next month.  This was a fun version - can't be taken seriously.  But I am amazed he was able to pull it off.  He did better on this than he does these days on the final chorus of Pleasant Valley Sunday. ;D

A very underrated singer with impressive range (especially in the good ol days) and even though he's definitely not known for his drumming, I have heard drummers mention him as being unique in his technique and not as easy to duplicate (kind of like McCartney's unusual acoustic strumming).

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it probably stems from the fact his lefty

I thought he did ok, and he has a great voice for his age. But the mix was off - his lead vocal was mixed very dry - needed at least a little reverb in there - it would have sounded a lot less forced and uncomfortable.

Detractors be damned!  Grrreat Performance by old Mickey, great choice of song (not a run'o'the'mill Mike job).

Classy solo (to match his tux) by Scott T.  Would loved to have been in the room, soaking up that stuff.

Nice hat, too.

I didn't.


He didn't.

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Some lefties play a right handed guitar upside down.

I think Mickey did a damn fine job. Not only did he hit the notes but he also had the enthusiasm and energy of a twenty year old! It's a f***** hard tune to pull off convincingly and I would say he pretty much nailed it.

I do believe those who are the most critical on here are those who have never tried to *sing* this tune.  It's probably the only song in the BB catalog that I can't do a remotely decent job of singing.  Its just so hard to scream and belt that high. 

And yes, I've rattled off a halfway decent version of "Surf's Up" in my time. 

I liked it. We're always qualifying current Beach Boys' vocals with "for their age" they're terrific, which they are. Well, Micky will be 69 in about a week. I thought his energy was great, and heard little vocally  to warrant any complaint. The band... not so great.

Well, people can't like everyone & everything. Fair attack is never bad. With that said, I enjoyed "Wild Honey" much more than "Lost Feelin'"; Medley sings like a bear with a damaged den nowadays.
Commenting on the guitar, I'll add that it's very cool when the band semi- or totally changes the original, like different notes here & there, different line-up of instruments, lowering/going upwards etc.

It *is* a damn hard song to sing -- which is why I'm not surprised that Micky ended up screaming more than singing, to a fair extent.

I was kinda disappointed, because I think young Micky -- the guy who made an obstacle course like "Goin' Down" seem effortless, and blew me away with tracks like "Rosemarie" at the top of his range -- would have nailed this one to the wall!  But it's a decent effort at least...

Cheers,
Jon BLum

Yeah, tough tune to sing fer sher -- the reason even Carl Freakin' Wilson didn't try it live much (as far as I know).  But Carl's original vocal is still the best to my ears, though Blondie rocked and swung it a few months back with Brian's band.

Anyway, great to see this under appreciated Beach Boys gem getting some live "Love" these days!

Have f yet seen all the vids from the show but those I have seen the band just seems to be tight but going through the motions with perhaps the two main exceptions being Scott and JC. The performances seem restrained and I wonder if its because they were backing guest vocalists so they just kept things neat and tidy and tight so as to simply provide a bedrock for guys they don't usually play with.

Wouldn't it be nice to have band - BBs or BW - that really really really was permitted to let its hair down… JC, Scott, Scotty, Nelson B and a good few others all strike me as terrific musicians with an urge to rock out!