The Smiley Smile Message Board

I just thought it'd be interested to pose the question - what would be your ideal track listing for Bambu assuming that it came out while Denny was still around? Pacific Ocean Blue is a few minutes under 40 minutes so if you're able to, try and keep it under or around that 40 minute mark. Obviously besides the tracks on disc 2 (excluding the Taylor Hawkins track) and the bonus tracks on disc 1, you can also use the Beach Boys versions of "Baby Blue" and "Love Surrounds Me". And since "Morning Christmas" is so closely related to "Common", I guess you could use that too.

This is how I've been listening to it - straight up 12 songs - all killer no filler.  Love the back and forth between the wink wink I'm a belligerent burned out middle aged cradle robbing dirt bag rock and roller (and I mean that in the best possible way, really) and the wounded and repetant angel of a man wearing his heart on the sleeve.  "He's A Bum" says it all in a nutshell.  Painful, beautiful, potent stuff.

Side One:

1. Under The Moonlight
2. He's A Bum
3. Love Surrounds Me (Beach Boys Version)
4. School Girl
5. Love Remember Me
6. Baby Blue (Beach Boys Version)

Side Two:

7. Wild Situation
8. I Love You
9. It's Not Too Late
10. Time For Bed
11. All Alone
12. Morning Christmas

I love making compilation CD's and sequencing them and everything, especially Beach Boys-related stuff. I like the way this one flows, musically and lyrically. So, here's my take on Bamboo....er Bambu:

Side A

1. Time For Bed
2. Wild Situation
3. Are You For Real
4. Constant Companion
5. Cocktails
6. Under The Moonlight
7. I Love You
8. School Girl

Side B

9. Morning Christmas (or Common, they both work)
10. He's A Bum
11. Love Surrounds Me
12. Baby Blue
13. It's Not Too Late
14. Album Tag Song
15. Love Remember Me
16. All Alone

Love Remember Me
Under The Moonlight
I Love You
Companion
Constant Companion
10,000 Years
He's A Bum
Mexico
Wild Situation
New Orleans
Time For Bed
School Girl
Holy Evening
It's Not Too Late
All Alone
Are You Real
Cocktails
Common
Love Surround Me
Love Surrounds Me
Baby Blue Eyes
Baby Blue

Well, from what was released on the Legacy Edition, and with one help from the MIU/LA two-fer, I managed to cobble together TWO 35-38 minute LPs. I did not try to make a double album as I'm QUITE sure Dennis thought nothing of double LPs in 1977-79.

Cocktails

Side A

Time For Bed
Tug Of Love (Feel The Pull)
School Girl
Love Remember Me
Cocktails

Side B

Holy Man (instrumental)
Are You Real
Only With You
Album Tag
Piano Variations On Thoughts Of You

A little backstory on why it appears I mixed tracks from both discs. All 10 tracks on this compilation are POB-era tracks. Sure, yeah, I expected the whole "DUDE, why cobble together an LP of leftovers?" thing. However, I do believe the quality of the tracks speak for themselves. This is an interesting listen, very laid back.

Bambu

Side A

Wild Situation
Under The Moonlight
It's Not Too Late
He's A Bum
Common
Love Surrounds Me

Side B

Constant Companion
Mexico
I Love You
Baby Blue
All Alone

For my Bambu compilation, I specifically included tracks done outside of and AFTER the POB period. With careful research I have deduced that the 11 tracks on this LP are from post-POB sessions, and therefore, fits in with Dennis' idea of the "follow-up". For some reason however, Mexico was not included on disc 2 of the POB reissue when it was in fact not a POB outtake to the best of my knowledge (the date given is as early as October 1977), like Tug of Love, Only With You, and perhaps Holy Man (except Holy Man is a 1975 track so....hmmmm).

Good call Mikey. I've thrown in a few 'sopsems' on my Bambu. (A) Sposem, if I can have Carl's vocal on Baby Blue then I can have Taylor's vocal on Holy Man. No arguments, it's my sposem. (B) Sposem Dennis did a Brian and dug back into his catalog then I can include Only With You . Again, no arguments, it's my sposem.

Under 44 minutes for a two sided vinyl album:

Side 1:

1. Time For Bed
2. Wild Situation
3. Only With You
4. All Alone
5. Love Remember Me
6. Morning Christmas

Side 2:

1. Holy Man
2. Constant Companion
3. Schoolgirl
4. Baby Blue
5. Love Surrounds Me
6. He's A Bum


Comments:
* Kick arse way to start an album with Time For Bed and Wild Situation (almost sleezes in with a Tim Buckley, Greetings From LA feel).
* Avoided putting All Alone as the last track because when DW was alive and Bambu came out no one would have had the prescient vision to put the track last - He's a Bum seems so much more autobiographical for the time.
* It was hard leaving It's Not Too Late off but it does seem to be much more of a Beach Boys track than a DW solo track.
* With the release of all the Bambu material Morning Christmas now has a home in which it belongs - its always been a sore thumb on any Beach Boys Christmas album.
* Finally, I'm so happy that Under The Moonlight never has to be on MY version of "Bamboo" again, I've never dug the song.

Very well done Sherriff, a great mix. I chose many of the same positions, though some are changed due to preference. I'll note those with asteriks.

1. Constant Companion*
2. Time For Bed
3. Wild Situation
4. Are You For Real
5. Under The Moonlight
6. Cocktails
7. I Love You
8. School Girl

Side B

9. Common
10. He's A Bum**
11. Love Surrounds Me
12. Baby Blue
13. It's Not Too Late
14. Album Tag Song
15. All Alone
16. Love Remember Me***

*Just love this one as an opener, the intro just grabs you in.
**After this one, it starts a kinda ballad-y end to the album.
***"All Alone" works as a great ender, (much the way "WIBNTLA" would've on Surf's Up after 'Til I die) thematic and reflective, but I just love "Love Remember Me" so much, it's working better as an ender to me. The fade "Love keeps comin' down" with that awesome guitar figure, is so emotional that I think Bambu should end with it. Plus "Love Remember Me" is kind-of a 'kiss off' message, really.

I'm using "Tug of Love" on all my POB tapes now, liking it after "Rainbows," also putting "Only With You" after "Time," or possibly after "You and I" (maybe a double Love/Wilson collaboration?? ?). Oh no, I shouldn't get started, it's time for bed (no pun intended)

(Oh, and I'm also an avid sequencer, did a great mid-late 70s Genesis comp not too long ago for a friend)

I know it was written by Carl, but does anyone think "Angel Come Home" would fit on Bambu?

Yes, if you didn't KNOW it was written by Carl, you would assume it was composed by Dennis.

Does anybody know if these released Bambu tracks were intentionally sequenced in any special order or special way?

Side 1:
1. Time For Bed
2. Wild Situation
3. Tug Of Love
4. It's Not Too Late
5. School Girl
6. All Alone

Side 2:
1. Constant Companion
2. Only With You
3. Are You Real
4. Morning Christmas
5. Love Remember Me
6. Album Tag Song

Total running time: 42:42

Just made mine.
Side One:
1. Time For Bed
2. Under The Moonlight
3. Are You Real?
4. Constant Companion
5. School Girl
6. Cocktails
7. I Love You

Side Two:

8. Wild Situation
9. He's A Bum
10. Love Surrounds Me
11. It's Not Too Late
12. All Alone
13. Love Remember Me

Glad someone made this thread! After searching for it, it's nice to see others have tried their own mixes! I never fully appreciated Bambu songs because I HATED how long Disc Two was on the re-issue. I got bored with some songs then would lose interest in the whole thing. I finally sat down today and really listened to the songs and made my own track listing:

Side One:

1. Constant Companion (I wanted something that would blast in just like River Song).
2. Fallin' In Love (by no means a Bambu track, but it's so beautiful, and it deserved it's place alongside these songs)
3. C*cktails
4. Tug Of Love (Feel The Pull)
5. Mexico (wanted this beautiful instrumental to close out side one)

Side Two:

6. Love Remember Me (A sort of God Only Knows opener to side two)
7. He's A Bum (anyone else think this is one of the best songs ever?)
8. I Love You
9. Wild Situation (This is a CLASSIC)
10. Holy Man (Taylor Hawkins version)  (Jaw-dropper, and I couldn't think of anyone better to sing for this song)
11. Album Tag Song

These songs are incredible and this is becoming one of my favorite collections of music.

Edit: It's also nice to have so many Beach Boys related songs - you find something new all the time!

did "Common" have lyrics written for it? If it did, why no Taylor Hawkins vocal?

Holy Man was written early in the 70's, any idea why it didnt get the vocal finished for POB or Bambu? I mean, its just like Smile. Get everything done, then spoil it all by not doing the easiest part, the vocals.

"Common" was supposed to get vocals, but that doesn't mean the lyrics were ever written (my guess is no).
The MUSIC for "Holy Man" was written in the '70s, and a few writers took a crack at the lyrics (Jacobsen, Kalinich, Jim Dutch, even Carl reportedly), but Dennis was not satisfied with any of those attempts.  Hence no finished vocal was recorded until 2008 (just a scat vocal by Carl to indicate the melody).

Speaking of Holy Man, will the Queen version ever see the light of day?