The Smiley Smile Message Board

Hey everybody, how about a list of all Brian compositions through these years. I know its been said hes been through a dry spell as of recently, but how about a list of songs he wrote/and or worked on during this set of years that he seemed to be withdrawing in. Released or unreleased, I'd just like to see exactly how prolific he was during this period.  Also, a description/opinions on songs if they are unreleased. Thanks guys/girls.

I don't know/Haven't a clue.

I'm more interested in/curious about what the rest of the band were coming up with/working on around this time/period in history...

I hope someone can help you mate/Good luck.

I can contribute a few offhand to get the ball rolling: "Marcella", "Beatrice from Baltimore", "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone", "Patty Cake", "Funky Pretty", "Sail On Sailor", "California Feeling", "Mount Vernon and Fairway", "Lazy Lizzie", "That Special Feeling", "Awake", "Walls"... That's about all that's coming to me right now.

I'm sure the other Jason will come along shortly to fill in the gaps.  He remembers all this stuff!

Patty Cake? What the hell is that one? I've never heard it before.

Also, I thought You Need a Mess of help WAS Beatrice from Baltimore...?

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't "Awake" a cover song?  I remember reading somewhere that Brian did not write that.

eh, shows what i know.  i always thought it was a BW/ Dave Sandler co-composition.  Same with "Walls".

"Patty Cake" is an outtake that can supposedly be heard in one of the documentaries as Brian plays it in the background on his piano while Bruce is talking about something.  I've heard it described as meloncholy.

"Beatrice from Baltimore" did become "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone", but I believe there's a seperate version recorded under the original title.  Alan Boyd or AGD would know for sure.

"It's OK", "Good Timin'", "Child Of Winter", "Winter Symphony"

Yes "Patty Cake" can be heard in the A&E Biography documentary, during the part where Bruce is talking about Brian in the early 70's and how he would write brilliant songs that nobody ever heard outside his living room. 

So THAT'S the name of the song. Wow...

"Patty Cake" is, allegedly, a song he wrote about a gorilla he saw on a visit to NYC Zoo while on a trip there with Diane shortly after his father's passing. (I know, too much information)

And for the credits for "Awake", all you need to do is check the Spring album.

According to someone who should know, there was a basic track and scratch vocal for "Beatrice" recorded. Alan would know the specifics far better than I.

These are the unreleased BW compositions from the period in question that I'm aware of:

My Solution (B. Wilson) - 10/31/70 - Brian

Silly Walls (B. Wilson - Sandler) - fall 1971 - David Sandler, Brian
Beatrice From Baltimore (B. Wilson) - 12/71 - Carl ?

Spark In The Dark (B. Wilson) - 1/21/72 (NOT the Holland track)
Burlesque (B. Wilson - Rieley) - 1972 - Brian ?
Is Jack Rieley Really Superman ? (B. Wilson) - 1972 - Brian

Pattycake (B. Wilson) - summer 1973 - Brian

Just An Imitation (B. Wilson) - mid 1974 - Brian ?
Brian's Tune (aka Ding Dang) (B. Wilson - McGuinn) - 11/74
California Feeling (B. Wilson - Kalinich) - demo 11/74 - Brian
Lucy Jones (B. Wilson - Kalinich) - 12/74 - Brian, Steve Kalinich (ummm... Brian in best shouty voice)
You're Riding High On The Music (B. Wilson - Kalinich) - 12/74

What in the hell...?!

I'd like to add "Good Timin'" to the list of songs mentioned in this thread. It was tracked in 74 during the farm sessions that also produced the horrible Battle Hymn Of The Republic. I don't know how involved both Brian and Carl were, but it was written way back then for sure. The lead was also tracked then, so the lyrics were written too.

Yeah, everyone nailed it before me. Sorry, Jason.

I'll second that...

Andrew, could you give us a description of all of these tracks.......this is very interesting.....but my best guess is many of the compositions weren't up to snuff to actually be worked on for release.....or were they?

There is a 2" 16 track tape labeled BEATRICE in the vault.  But it's actually YOU NEED A MESS OF HELP TO STAND ALONE.  If there were alternate vocals on the track, they would appear to have been erased.  So far, we haven't found anything with the original "Beatrice" lyrics.

Alan

I believe it's in D. Leaf's book where I read that Brian was perhaps poking fun at those who still really were behind Rieley when he wrote that song. Funny. I have no knowledge, though, and certainly haven't heard it.

Of all the tracks that Andrew listed, the only one I can comment on is "My Solution"...its a creepy dischordant number about a scientist who discovers a formula that he believes will bring peace to the world.  Brian does the narration in a crazy scientist voice.  Oddly enough the melody and chords ended up becoming the "Happy Days" on Imagination. 

His laugh at the end is evil.

odd that none of those 1972 were considered for Holland......an album which (along with Surf's Up or L.A.) shows Brian almost non-existant on either vocals or production. anybody got any word on those.......and also, "spark in the dark" has no correlation to "funky pretty"??? odd, seeing as how its not the most commonplace phrase ever, and to be used in 2 songs in the same year....hmm.

also, does anybody know if these songs even got to the demoing phase?? any fully recorded? or even copyrighted?

Brian should re-do "Is Jack Rieley really Superman" for his next album, and call it "Is Melinda really Wonder Woman"  ;D

That should have Darian as a new character, FANBOY!

Eh, I've got like a third generation cassette dub of that one.  Care to elaborate?

That is freakin' genius!

Thanks Jason!  ;D

So that's what that song is, I've always wondered about that.  Man, I wish I could get my hands on that track!   ;)

Sadly it's not Patty Cake, but a cover of a song called "Daddy Dear", discussed at length over here:
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,550.0.html

What about "Rollin' Up to Heaven," wasn't that 1974?  And is that in any way related to the chant that appears on TLOS periodically?

That's apparently another version of "Ding Dang": the "mow-mama" chant is variously referred to as "Clang" or "Clangin'", circa summer 1976.

Oh no, not "Daddy Dear" again :p

 :ahh :ahh :ahh

It's BRIAN on vocals!!!!!!!!!! BRIAN, I say. My cousin's uncle's friend's brother's sister's mother's cousin's aunt's uncle's son's brother who knew Brian told me.

 :) :-D ;D :o 8) ::) :P >:D :afro :3d :angel: :lol :hat ;) :p

dont forget he did back up on Terry Melcher's Why Do Fools fall in Love?

Ok....how do I get this recording?  :brow

Does anyone know if Patty Cake from the A&E show is on You Tube? I've tried 'Smiling Dutchman' and he doesn't have it listed.

I'm pretty sure "SmilingDutchman" doesn't have every BB-clip around   ::)  , there are more BB-fanatics  that could have it.

Which is why I asked...

ah, and my response had more to do with the fact that SMiLE-Holland = SmilingDutchman....  ;D

:lol

Andrew, does Brian sound like his 15 Big Ones self, only not raspy? I'm asking because I'm trying to pick Brian's voice out of the mix in some other tracks from 1973-1974, and any info will help.

Nope, he sounds just... shouty. Best comparison I can make is "Chapel Of Love". Compared with the roughly contemporary "California Feeling" demo, I'm thinking he's putting it on.

so andrew, are any of those '74 tracks worth waiting for, like the demo of california feeeling?

the "classics" version is good, and the beach boys version is kinda lackadaisical. but for some reason the 74 demo supposedly sounds great.


and lucy jones and youre riding high, are they just throwaways? incorporated into something else later? i would be surprised that they arent.

Brain's "CF" demo is rather good, especially as he's in great voice (except at the end when he (intentionally) dicks it up like a Vegas lounge singer).

The others ? File under 'historical interest only'. IMO.

Be interested to hear Alan's version of California Feeling with him on lead...if/when it ever gets released

speaking of CF; had Brian not released his recording on the BB Classics cd...you think he woulda grabbed it for TLOS?

No, because I think he'd have used it on GIOMH.

good call, maybe GIOMH would get a little more respect if it had been on there....

 The 2002 BW version is the best one I've heard, as I never heard the "original". Since you've heard more of this period's music than just about any other living person save Brian, and he probably don't remember about 75% of it...is this the last ever song Brian did where he sounded like his "old" self"? If not, then what is?

Personally I think the Rocky Pamplin (Spring) version of California Feeling is better than the Beach Boys or Brians version, the track is better and Pamplin sings with more, er 'feeling' - it is a little bit Hasselhoff-ish though.

Totally agree. never understood why Pamplin's vocal is supposedly 'bad'. Way more exciting than CW's try at it. But i think we've already gone over this tune in a recent thread, not that it matters.

i'm also interested if this was the last instance of brian retaining the "old" voice.....it would just be interesting to know.


oddly enough though, i've grown to (for some odd reason) actually prefer the "new" voice lately, as in the voice on TLOS and whatnot. i've really enjoyed it.


Andrew, is there any chance CF '74 would see release on some type of rarities comp? It seems like something that would entice BB fans to buy. Especially if there was a Brother years comp

I prefer his voice now to twenty years ago. For some reason the Sweet Insanity album is his absolute low point vocally for me.

for me, Brian's last vocal with 'the voice' is rolling up to heaven

I like that song, but the only version I have heard has really shitty sound...Except the instrumental one, but that is...um...instrumental.

Is Joe Thomas Really Superman?

Did Superman ever have a mullet?

1990s ;D

(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0f84o2jsv1r8g9wdo1_400.jpg)

The 90s were a horrible time

ha, that wonder woman looks like top George Perez art, but that superman suuuuucks.

Worst thing is, that's by Brian Bolland, one of the best artists in comics. He was just drawing Superman 'on-model' for the time :-/

I want to hear Brian's song about a cigarette.

That's from Adult Child, is called Everybody Wants To Live, and has been very widely bootlegged. I wouldn't dream of linking to unreleased material in a public forum, but I strongly suspect you could hear the song by going to any popular video sharing site and typing the title in.

!!!!!!!! yeah bolland is a stud. 

Hmmm, the "90s" Superman (in my opinion) is Dean Cain, I don't think he had one, but I could be wrong, I only own the first season. Haven't seen the other seasons in forever.

What would you say the theme of that song goes with? go with his health obsession themed songs?

I wouldn't say it was lyrically coherent enough to have a theme, as such. Musically gorgeous though:

The cigarette butt when you throw it in the water goes "pfft"
But the trick, but the trick is you shouldn't laugh
'Cause if you start laughing you're just a coward
If you start laughing you're just a coward

Everybody wants to live just once
Everybody's got to see it that way
And see what your life can be

There's been songs about celebration
But if you ask me I can't see why
There's too much pain, too much pain in my heart now
You're gonna have to prove it to me

Everybody wants to live just once
Everybody's got to see it that way
And see what your life can be

Now some people talking about ecology
Why don't somebody just do something 'bout it right now?
We're all chokin' on the air that we breathe now
How could we all just let it slide by

Everybody wants to live just once
Everybody's got to see it that way
And see what your life
What your life
What your life can be

i think he was referring to the comic book, not dean cain.  Dean Cain's touch of asian always throws me off when i seem him as superman

Perhaps a heavy "slice of life" theme

Well, after all, Superman (Kal-el) was from a foreign planet, Krypton!

 :afro

I think both California Feeling and the Bacharach tume, What Love Can Do (gorgeous tune) would have worked well on GIOMH, replacing a couple of the "more duff" tunes there!

Pretty sure "What Love Can Do" didn't exist yet by that time. And honestly, Brian's solo version of "California Feelin'" is so "meh" in my opinion. I think the 1974 demo version actually should've been on Classics selected by Brian Wilson, and that honesty would have pushed that collection one step higher, and trust me, Classics... is one of the releases that made me obsessed with the band. I think it wouod have been a perfect cap to the project, and wouldn't have had that "ick" effect the new version does, where you go from something beautiful and inspired like "'Til I Die" to something that showed how far Brian had fallen like the '02 "California Feelin'".

It actually is a cool song because the production is interesting and they put a lot into the (admittedly inebriated) vocals.

The lyrics to Everybody Wants to Live with their negative reference to celebration and reference to ecology sound like not very veiled digs at Love and Jardine.

Celebration wasn't around yet.

good call

Again Celebration didn't exist yet.

Wasn't Cruise To Harlem and It's O K from this period ?

The latter was from 1974, yes. Actually haven't heard of the former...

Thanks for posting this!!!!

I happen to think these lyrics are quite profound.  There really is quite a profound unconscious/subconscious meaning here. 

"What your life can be"

Brilliant!

Amazing!