The Smiley Smile Message Board

Am I the last person here to realize that "That Lucky Old Sun" is an old Ray Charles song from his Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music album? Slow, slow, slow. I'd just assumed it was a new BW original.

I'm replying to my own post. I just did a search, and the answer is clear: yes, I'm the last to figure this out. Frankie Lane did it, too. Sheesh.
Sorry to waste everyone's time.

I think I might have heard Johnny Cash do it too.

Isn't this a new song with that title, though? I mean, I seriously doubt the Ray Charles version had spoken interludes.
Or hell, maybe it did.

Maybe it's a song with spoken interludes, but with the "Ray Charles" melody in-between them. Much like the recurring "bicycle rider" melody troughout SMiLE, or the "Mt. Vernon & Fairway Theme" in "Mt. Vernon...".  ???

Brian has already mentioned in a recent interview that he has recorded a song entitled "Midnight's Another Day" that will be part of "That Lucky Old Sun (A Narrative)". Although given that the description of the piece has been "a series of rounds with spoken interludes", I'm thinking that "Midnight's Another Day" will be one of the rounds. Either way, at least part of this piece will be original...and the fact that he's recording it (or part of it) suggests that he's eyeing a potential release, possibly as part of a new album.

Whole mess of assuming going on there - what Brian actually said in the interview was that the new title might be part of "TLOS", and he further muddied the waters by saying  the piece, described as having four rounds from day one, now has five. Thus:

"In September, you'll premiere "That Lucky Old Sun (A Narrative)" in London. What can you tell us about it?

Well, it's a narrative thing. It has a series of five different narratives. The "Lucky Old Sun" song theme reoccurs five times. We do, also, a lot of original songs.

I hear you were in the studio yesterday. What were you working on?

We're working on a song called "Midnight's Another Day."

Where might we hear that?

That might be heard on the new "Lucky Old Sun" narrative thing."

With Brian, it's always a lot of assuming, even after something's been released and heard! I thought I was addressing whether or not "That Lucky Old Sun (A Narrative)" would contain original material or not, but after reading the quotes again I see that is unknowable at this point. Brian specifically mentions that the "'Lucky Old Sun' theme reoccurs five times" and immediately follows this with "We do, also, a lot of original songs". Now, knowing the way Brian usually talks, I took the second part of the statement to mean that Brian and the band will be performing the usual oldies but goodies in addition to the "Lucky Old Sun" piece in London. But notice how he adds the word "original" - this seems to suggest that "Lucky Old Sun" is not an original composition or, at least, the "song theme" isn't original. I also tend to think that the only reason Brian says that "Midnight's Another Day" "might" be heard on "Lucky Old Sun" is because the interviewer uses the word "might"! Could "Midnight..." be a track under consideration for an album entitled "That Lucky Old Sun" but not actually part of the "Lucky Sun" suite itself? The title alone seems to tie in with the idea of the sun marking time, but who knows?

My brain hurts.

See, there ya go again - suddenly, from nowhere, POOF ! - there's an album called That Lucky Ol' Sun. Facts, gimme facts - Brian's mentioned he's just recorded a song entitled "Midnight's Another Day" that might be part of the new commission. Them's facts. Anything else is, currently, supposition.

But you've made an excellent point with "I also tend to think that the only reason Brian says that "Midnight's Another Day" "might" be heard on "Lucky Old Sun" is because the interviewer uses the word "might"!" - look at the interview (the whole interview), and Brian's basically repeating the questions most of the time.

... and if this album by chance doesn't get released, we all can spend the next 20 years trying to figure out which part goes with which section, while dissecting various Brian interviews to try to get the real story on how the completed version would have sounded.

Hey, this is sounding familiar already!   ;D

The point of that statement was to make a crazy assumption based on the lack of concrete info Brian will give anyone at any given time, but I probably should have included a smiley face to confirm that it was posted in a joking manner!  To clarify the situation: we know nothing at this time.

I would guess that the band would need to record the songs anyway, for rehearsal purposes or possibly to send to whoever commissioned/has a financial stake in the piece.

The new piece was commissioned by the bods at the Royal Festival Hall/South Bank Centre.