The Smiley Smile Message Board

I have a fair number of unreleased tracks but not the following, and I was wondering if anyone could possibly describe what they are like, eg: are they good? who sings it? etc.
For anyone who can indulge me on this, I would be extremely grateful, the tracks are:
Marilyn Rovell
Go and get that girl
We gotta groove
Lookin down the coast
Walkin
Hows about a little bit of your sweet lovin
Chasin the sky
Black widow (and anything else from the Usher sessions)
Lazy lizzie
Clangin
Lucy Jones
Youre riding high n the music
Ive got a friend
Gold rush
Mony mony
Ruby Baby (70s version)
Again, any comments would be great!!!!

The verse music of "Black Widow" became the "Night Bloomin' Jasmin" theme in "Rio Grande" - that would be the most notable thing about it. The lyrics (something like "See that black widow crawling on the wall near the window") don't have a whole lot of follow-through conceptually.

Marilyn Rovell - Late 1976.  BW homage to his wife.  "So glad I met me a girl named Marilyn Rovell..."  Happy sounding tune with sort of a doo-wop feel. 7/10

Go and get that girl - Late 1977. Brisk, soulful and uptempo.  Carl wails on it.  Big time horns on this one. 7/10

We gotta groove - Late 1976. Mostly instrumental, with kind of a new-wave feel.  Vocals on the chorus; "We. We. We gotta groove!  We. We. We gotta move!" 5/10

Lookin down the coast - 1978. Excellent Al Jardine outtake, coupled with "Monterey".  The two songs tell the story of the colonization of costal California.  (How's that for alliteration?)  Definately worthy of release. 8/10

Walkin - Another Jardine song.  Kind of a bluesy backing track with harmonica and fuzz bass.  Has a scratch BW vocal overdub; "My folks have a friend who knows a little old lady.  Her old electric car was just a little bit shaky." 7/10
 
Hows about a little bit of your sweet lovin - 1978.  Basically a throwaway, this is an happy uptempo singalong.  Like "Go and Get That Girl", it was ultimately recorded by Mike and Al's offshoot Celebration project.  4/10

Chasin the sky - 1983/84.  This was released on the soundtrack to the 80s movie "Up the Creek".  It's a mediocre song redeemed by nice harmonies and a stellar CW lead vocal.  Lyrics are abysmal though.  6/10

Black widow (and anything else from the Usher sessions) - 1985.  Awesome BW soul-searching demo, accurately reflects his fears on the level of "Til I Die".  Essential... He later fleshed out the recording, but changed the lyrics to the more benign "Let's Do It Again".  9/10

Lazy lizzie - Late 1976.  BW again.  This song is basically about the protaganist waiting in his car to pick up a young girl as she walks home from school.   The melody is the same as "Better Get Back in Bed" from "Mt. Vernon & Fairway" ep.  5/10

Clangin - Late 1976.  unbooted. (B. Wilson?)

Lucy Jones - 1975.  unbooted (B. Wilson/ S. Kalinich)

Youre riding high on the music - 1975.  unbooted (B. Wilson/ S. Kalinich)

Ive got a friend - 1971.  Great DW ballad, performed live a few times on the 1972 tour.  A backing track was recorded, but sadly no lead vocal was ever tracked.  10/10.

Gold rush - Can't remember the year on this one.   unbooted.  (A. Jardine)

Mony mony - early 1976.  Good Tommy James cover.  I think it's Billy Hinsche singing here, but could possibly be Al.  7/10

Ruby Baby (70s version) - late 1976.  Brian on vocals.  A little more laid back then the 1965 version on the box set.   6/10

Just to add a few notes to Jason's excellent overview:

The verse of MARILYN ROVELL was later reworked into a Spring/Honeys track from the late 70s called DO YA, which saw a limited release.  The bridge melody and progression ("She gets up at night, while I'm sleepin'....") later reappeared in a rough outtake from the "Made In the USA" sessions called WOULDN'T THAT BE COOL.

WE GOTTA GROOVE exists in the vaults as a rough mix with a Mike Love lead - it features quirky lyrics from the POV of a guy who's determined to learn to dance if it kills him.  From the LOVE YOU sessions.

CLANGIN is the "I'm The Pied Piper" riff over and over again with Brian singing, "Clangin' clangin' - dingin and dangin' and-a clangin' clangin'.... Probably late summer, fall of 1976.

There's another dubdown of WALKIN with no lead vocal but with horns playing the melody.

Woppin' and-a boppin' with-a LUCY JONES is Brian and Steve Kalinich at the piano singing a cute, uptempo tune, "this is a song about Lucy Jones, 6 foot tall she's skin and bones...."  Steve sings most of the lead.  Recorded 11/74 at Western, same session as the original demo for CALIFORNIA FEELIN.

Oops - meant to say the chorus of MARILYN ROVELL became part of DO YA, not the verse....

According to Andrew Doe, "Walkin" is actually from 1968. Oddly enough, it sounds almost like a Love You-style song.

Mony Mony...that IS Billy H.

WALKIN was started in 1968 on 1" 8 track, then transferred to 2" 16 track when the group was working on SUNFLOWER - the scratch lead is on the 16 track master.  For some reason, they transferred the basic track, but not the take with the horn overdub.

Does anybody know the name of a song I've heard on what I thought was the Paley sessions that sounds like Carl singing lines that end with something like "...driving down to Malibu" I have never known the name or the history of that song. I don't think I've ever heard anyone discuss it. If I have to, I will dig it out, and transcribe more of the lyrics....any help with this one?

Could that be BAYWATCH NIGHTS from 1995?

It's an unfinished track wiith Carl singing a brief bit on the bridge, joined by the group singing "Somewhere out in Malibu!" at the end of that section.

Yes, Yes....that's the one, Alan...could you tell me a little more about that particular track? Was it part of the mid-90's BB sessions? What was Brian's involvement?

Brian produced that with Andy Paley - they recorded it over at Mark Linett's place.  I wasn't around at that time, but I've been told there was some hope of having that song featured prominently on the Baywatch TV show.

...and it was THAT song that effectively ended the Beach Boys, as Carl was intensly dissatisfied with that song and walked out, ending Brian's reunion.

I'm not so sure about that, Billy - I was under the impression that the BAYWATCH NIGHTS session pre-dated the Beach Boys' vocal sessions for SOUL SEARCHIN.  But I'm not positive on that, either.

That was from Andrew Doe; I can't take credit for it!

There's something about that story - that Carl walked out BECAUSE of that song - that always bothered me. He might've walked out during the session for that song, but was it solely because of the song that he left the sessions, the album project, the group? If Carl felt that strongly in his dislike of the song, wouldn't you think that somebody - Brian, Don Was, Mike(?), maybe even Bruce, would step forward and say, "OK, Carl, no problem, we'll try another song". I guess not...

Was he already sick by that point? I know he didn't look all that good during the sessions for S&S. Maybe there IS more to this...

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I'm now salivating over one day maybe hearing them, maybe in my lifetime some more rarities might be released

'Marilyn Rovell' is great - the chorus is particularly affecting "Oh Mary, oh Mary baby, my Mary - my Mary!"  Sung with feeling.

Marilyn Rovell -cute better then most of Love You
Go and get that girl-Good Carl vocal if a little too slick. Supposed to be a xmas song but really not.
We gotta groove-dumb but I would like to hear the version with lyrics.
Lookin down the coast-a bit stuffy but has a few nice changes
Walkin -have not heard
Hows about a little bit of your sweet lovin-good one in my opinion loose and fun. Sung better then Celebrations version
Chasin the sky-on a soundtrack LP pretty bad and the lyrics are really silly. A few nice vocals from Carl and harmonies at the intro
Black widow (and anything else from the Usher sessions)- heard demos of some of this stuff but am not sure if they are the Usher versions. I assume you heard Let's go to heaven and Too Much Sugar. I don't think this stuff is all that good truthfully, but Usher helped get Landy removed so sessions were worthy in a personal way.
Lazy lizzie- heck I like this despite what everyone seems to think. Good deep vocals from Brian on the chrous though his falsetto is pretty thin. It is (I think intentionally) quite funny.
Clangin- never heard often confused with the poor Hey There Mamma
Lucy Jones-sounds like it would be fun but never heard it.
Youre riding high n the music-never heard
Ive got a friend- superb. I have only a mediocre sounding recording of this, but it is just so pretty. I don't know how anyone could dislike Dennis' work
Gold rush-never heard
Mony mony-Fairly poor with Brian getting very silly on the fade. A funky roller rink solo is pretty much the only thing I really like about this.
Ruby Baby (70s version)-well it's more polished in some ways but the weasing harmonica and keyboards laden track are slightly irritating. Brian's voice isn't as good as in 65 of course but it suits his new deep voice quite will.
Try to find the vinyl Adult Child on Brother, Merry Xmas from the California Legends, and Brother California Feeling. All great albums with all of the songs I reviewed.

actually, they are very easy to find on the net. especially the 2001 dumb angel rarities sets. most of what is posted here comes from that person having copies of those cds. now i may or may not know how to let you know where to look ( ::) ) and i may or may not have them ( ::) ) but if interested just ask.....  :angel:

Hey Alan,

There has been some talk that Lucy Jones is the same track as "Hey There Mama" backing track that 's been going around for years.

Also, the track with Carl singing the bridge is called "Dancing The Night Away (Baywatch Nights)". I've got a clip from Entertainment Tonight" with Brian and Mike singing the bridge. Also have an interview with Brian at the sessions with Mike and Carl recording the bridge vocals. Brian does not want the song to go to Baywatch Nights because he thinks it will make a great single. The interviewer remarks that there are is a video crew recording the session for promotional purposes. Another film for Alan to find.

Bob Flory

For anybody in the know.....so basically Brian's musical output in 1974 was as follows???:
-Ding Dang
-California Feeling
-Good Timin
-Lucy Jones
-You're Riding High on the Music

If anybody could help me out that would be cool

So at the session for the original demo for CALIFORNIA FEELING, what happened....was it recorded? Was tracking finished? Who sang lead? Brian? And how did he sound if it was??

Sorry for all the questions...

I thought Lucy Jones was a Dennis comp.

The 1974 recording of CALIFORNIA FEELIN' is a rough demo, piano and vocal only.  Brian sings it.  He hits a couple of wrong notes on the piano.  Even so, it's still pretty awesome.  He holds a couple of notes there that Harry Nilsson would have been  proud of.

LUCY JONES is definitely Stevie and Brian - same session as CALIFORNIA FEELIN.

In early 1974 there was another session at Brother, BRIAN'S JAM.  It's the SHORTENIN BREAD/PROUD MARY riff, with Dennis, Carl and a couple of others from the BB band, I think.  Dennis on drums.

In 1974 Brian also produced CHILD OF WINTER and BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC.

LUCY JONES and HEY THERE MOMMA are definitely different songs, although they're similar - and they both have wop-bops in the vocals.  But the chord progressions aren't the same.

Someone once sent me a CD with a track labeled LUCY JONES - and it turned out to be WE GOTTA GROOVE.

LUCY JONES and HEY THERE MOMMA are definitely different songs, although they're similar - and they both have wop-bops in the vocals.  But the chord progressions aren't the same.

Thanks for setting me straight, Alan. I had heard that "rumor" for about 10 years. That they are alike must be why Steve thought it was Lucy Jones when hearing it over the phone with a friend of mine.

Though I have always heard negative comments (from non BW fans) about Brian's reuse of certain "grooves", I love it! It gives a sort of wink to those of us that have followed him though the years. So the ADD SOME MUSIC coda - I'M THE PIED PIPER - CHILD OF WINTER - WON'T YOU COME OUT TONIGHT coda always brings a smile to my face.

And don't get me started about SHORTENIN' BREAD. Bob Hanes and I were talking about this riff back in 1998 when it was used in SOUTH AMERICAN. Hanes said that he thought that it was music to heal Brian's heart and keep it pumping strong.  Then when I was at the soundcheck for the PS tour stop in Houston, I saw a very nervous Brian sitting at the keyboard being asked by Darien what tune he wanted to rehearse. Brian pulled a pair of dark sunglasses from his pocket, took a long drawn-out breath, and started playing SHORTENIN' BREAD. He banged away for about two minutes,  toojk off his sunglasses and said "Let's Do This!"

Freakin' Priceless.

PS - I heard that you, Alan used this tune to help relax Brian during a back catalouge project.  True?

Bob Flory

Once, before an interview, Brian was a little nervous - so I had him sit down at the piano and teach me how to play that riff.  That worked!

I must say, the darned thing is kinda hypnotic if you sit and play it for awhile....

The Iggy Pop-Alcie Cooper story rules! "Too damn weird man!"