The Smiley Smile Message Board

Maybe its just my ears (getting weaker with age ?) but has anyone who has heard these releases noticed the similarity between "Won't You Tell Me" (track 3) and the Sunrays version of that same song (recorded 24 August 1971 and featuring a certain DW on backing vocals) ? Hmmmm ...
To me they are one and the same recording ?! Have the ol' SOT folk slipped up on this one ... or is it me ??
Anyone care to compare further ?  ???

Also of note - the SOT liner notes omit to state that this was reportedly a Murry Wilson composition aswell (as the correct liners to the Sunrays "Vintage Rays" collection notes) ...

Also says the Wilson/Usher session was 10/62. I think not...

The song All This Is That was recorded for Carl & The Passions – So Tough!, but not this version. This version is from the rehearsals for the Paramount Theater, New York in November 1993. Carl’s cough reveals it all. Still a great version though.

I haven't heard the Sunrays' version - but the same version on All This is That was on Get the Boot, with studio chatter about "Carl and Brian vocal up in the mix," which would certainly indicate this as a beach Boys track.  Did they use the same backing track and overdub Sunrays vocals on it to duplicate the BB version?  Or use the BB backing vocals as well, so the tracks sound similar?  Or even erase the original Carl/Brian vocals on the master and replace it with the Sunrays, so that the Sunrays version is the only one that exists now?

I don't believe the BB's version got any further than the rough Carl and Brian demo heard on other boots, and to quote from the Sunrays liner notes:
Rick Henn: "Murry wrote 'Won't You Tell Me' for the BB's a few years after The Sunrays broke up, and he asked me if I would arrange it for him and cut a demo. After I finished working out the band and vocal arrangement we booked a session at Sunset in Hollywood. Just as we were cutting the tracks who should show up but his son, Dennis. My immediate thought was "Oh God, here we go. He's going to move in and start changing the charts and make my life miserable". Quite to my surprise and relief he was very gracious and simply said "Gee Rick, I love the chords, I like what you're doing with the bass line, but I want to try something ...". I said "sure Dennis, let's give it a shot".
He had us record some guitars and piano rolling chords down one octave than usual with the tape machine at half speed and then when we played it back at normal speed it shot everything back up an octave and gave it a simmering mandolin/string bowed tremelo effect in the background. When Murry heard it he went through the roof; he just LOVED it and remarked "ooooh ... the strings!" He was so proud of what his son had done for his song. Then Dennis, Marty DiGiovanni, Don Ralke, Ray Pohlman and myself went on to do the vocals. Murry poured his heart out writing that song because at that time he was worried for his sons because they were having trouble getting a chart record ..."

I think it's a little old fashioned but anything Brian and Carl sang in 1971 is gold.