The Smiley Smile Message Board

"River Song" is one of my favorite pieces by Dennis.  I recently found a BB bootleg that contained a live version of the song from 1973.  It sounds like Blondie singing lead.  Can anyone confirm this or know anything about it?

Thanks.

Yup - it was played live at several shows in 1973, and there was a TV clip of the band recording it in the studio. I believe this is said version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJeHcHzGyZQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJeHcHzGyZQ)

Is it Blondie? Sounds like Dennis to me.

I think we can all agree that a cleaned up version of this needs to offically see the light of day.

What an utterly awesome version.

Well, the song was played in Uniondale in August of 1973. The gig was also recorded for the In Concert album. Maybe one day...

Is it Blondie? Sounds like Dennis to me.
[/quote]

Live in '73 it was sung by Blondie, but this early studio version was sung by Dennis, yes.

The live version sounds a lot like Blondie to me.

I would love for good quality recordings of some of those concerts to be officially released and include songs like "River Song".  I also like "Here She Comes" but the only live version I could find is from Boston and the quality is bad.

I saw it live at the soundcheck, late 1973-early 1974, Emporia Kansas State Teachers College.

Was Blondie singing it? That means it would've had to have been before the end of December 1973.

From Ian/AGD's concert listings:  November  9 (1973)  - William L White Auditorium, Emporia, KS

Wow, a rare faux pas from the lips of AGD...  while there is at least one live version of Blondie singing lead floating around, what Andrew posted is most definitely Dennis.  This is the somewhat 'legendary' mix that I did with Earle Mankey, pretty much the very first time I ever took the helm of Brother's 24 track.
I'm hesitant to retell the story right away, because I remember reading myself telling it here not that long ago.  The post was from several years ago, but someone revived the thread a while back.  If it doesn't appear here soon, I'll go ahead & tell it again.  It's one of those stories so ingrained in me, I imagaine I'd tell it almost verbatim.  However, I'll hope it just pops up soon

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,9303.0.html

This was the thread if I remember correctly.

Son of a gun that was quick!  And funny enough, I just held that tv news video segment in my hands the other day....  Transfer, indeed, and what has it been now?  Another 5 years???  Ah, but there are many gems still waiting to be either seen or heard in the Roach-clip archive...



https://www.facebook.com/roachclips68

Bring 'em on, I say!!  :)

Nope - I didn't mention it was DW on the studio clip because I figured it wasn't necessary to state the obvious.  ;D

 The guitar is more prominent in this mix. It would have been interesting to hear a Beach Boys version with that guitar and the guys singing instead of the choir sound for backing vocals.

I'd just like to add that even after all these years, this board is still a revelation to me :)

Ed, Jon, Adam, c-man and Andrew are all incredibly valuable posters here.

Well, it wasn't obvious which version we were discussing. One person talking about Blondie singing lead and then discussing a clip, and next you posting a clip that had Dennis singing lead. A bit confusing to say the least.

Sorry for the delay. It was Dennis and he was vibrant.

I've almost certainly mentioned it here before, but man, what a great mix Roach/Mankey pulled off there.

It's glorious!  Those warm, crunchy guitars give the number just the right kind of raunchy swagger.   :afro

So, this mix has never received the kind of official release treatment that it deserves?  If not, why not?  And when (if ever) can we expect it?

That was excellent! Thank you.

A real Dennis video would be fantastic.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...if the BBs could have seen fit to give "River Song" a life in context of the band, even with Endless Summer in play to bring back their classic period, they might well have bridged the gap and been able to have it both ways. In 1974, this song had a chance to make it big as a BB song. The band could ROCK, folks!!

This mix of River Song really kicks ass.. Love the prominent guitar!  I might even like it better than the released version.

I wonder from what album boot that YouTube demo is from? Nothing that I have heard over the years sounds nearly as good.

Here's what my copy sounds like: https://soundcloud.com/bud_shaver/river-song-early-version

Presumably this was part of the main plan Dennis wanted to get back to...

I totally agree- It appears Dennis would have preferred the piano heavy version, but this guitar mix- man, with a real lead vocal and the BB's backing...really cool.  It almost doesn't need vocals at the end, the way the piano trails off.  Maybe it wouldn't have 'saved' the bands progressive fortunes back then, but who knows.

Thanks, Bud! Sounds great, I like the clean-ups in your track.

It was a fateful moment in the band's history, fo' sho'. But I could see the kids who bought ENDLESS SUMMER connecting the dots to a "grown-up" band kicking ass with a song that was still within striking distance of the classic themes that also catered to the 70s desire to "kick out the jams." But the ongoing problem of taking Dennis seriously (something that Dennis certainly didn't help ameliorate, either...) clearly took its toll.

It's a great song but for me the rock version posted in this thread is almost "too 70s".

I kinda like the live arrangement (from '73) - with glockenspiel, wild guitar solo to close it, and Blondie's lead vocal. Of course, that version left out the bridge (or at least left out the vocals in the bridge). I guess you can't have everything!