The Smiley Smile Message Board

Did Dennis ever record at a Beach Boys session after Keepin' The Summer Alive? Or was he pretty much banned from the group? I'm curios about any studio activity the group did between 1981-83. Did Dennis ever get a chance to hear, or play on, any of the songs that ended up on the 1985 album?

Endless Harmony and Johnny B. Goode during KTSA were Dennis' last sessions with the band. There's at least one documented solo Dennis session from 1982, a demo called Labor Day. It was recorded the same day as the birth of his son Gage. There's also a recording going around of Dennis in 1981 with some friends jamming.

Isn't there a 1981 boot of Brian and Dennis messing around on a piano? Isn't this known as the Hamburger Sessions?

If this is what i'm thinking of, it's a 20 minute tape of songs like Oh Lord, City Blues and a few seconds of Heroes and Villains.

Brian did "It's just a matter of time" in an earlier form live in '83, some footage is in "American band" I believe.
As for the other songs, I don't know, but "Oh Lord" was worked on for release but didn't get finished (I guess)

Maybe Andrew's site will prove me wrong but I don't think they recorded much from 81-83. Runaway was overdubbed in the studio. Knebworth too so that might have Dennis. I know he wasn;t on East Meets West or California Dreaming. The hamburger and cocaine tapes can hardly be called a real session though it is the most interesting thing Dennis was involved with post L.A. Light.

Are you referring to the Hamburger/Cocaine sessions with Brian, or to something else?

The thing about the "Cocaine Sessions" that's always intrigued me is that you get a sense -- though the quality and the performances -- that this wasn't intended as a conscious work tape, one almost gets the sense that they didn't know they were being recorded. I don't know if that's the case, probably not, but is there any type of accurate timeline as to when the tape FIRST made the collector's circles and/or was booted???

Was Garby the one pushing "press" for those tapes?

Also, what was the first collector circle/booted appearance of the multitrack for "Stevie"??? Also -- and forgive me for my laziness -- but is "Stevie" copywritten -- or for that matter anything from the "Cocaine Sessions" apart from "Heroes," and "City Blues." I'm guessing if "Oh Lord" was attempted in '84-ish, that must be copywritten, no?

How much of Dennis is on the Cocaine Tapes? I mean, Brian sings lead on all the songs. On Oh Lord, somebody plays an organ, but whoever is playing the piano just seems to be hitting random notes.

I don't know what Dennis did. I always just assumed he helped record it, or write some of the songs.

Sorry, I should have been a bit clearer.

Oh Lord on that tape is a Dennis/Brian song, but I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that the tape just features Brian and Garby Leon on the keyboards. Dennis is not present vocally.

The recording I'm referring to is about seven minutes long, the sound is distant, it's hard to make out much of anything. It's all instrumental. Nothing much of substance on it.

Oh yeah I think Ed Roach may have posted it or something. I downloaded that too. It's really just sounds like people messing around, you can't hear Dennis at all. Someone says at the end that Dennis and him are going to do cocaine now.

I'm confused. Is this a version of Oh Lord that's different from what is being called the "Cocaine Tapes"?

As far as Beach Boys sessions go, what about the aborted 1981 "Cousins, Friends, and Brothers" project? Did Dennis participate in that at all? Were they actually sessions for a new album, or just the recording of "Sweetie" and a lot of hype?

I think the sessions Dennis did with Brian around that time (Stevie, Night Blooming Jasmine) were intended for the next Beach Boys album, at least at first.  CBS were definitely paying for them with The Beach Boys' recording budget.  But that would have been Dennis' only involvement in the studio with any of the Boys after L.A. Light as far as I know. 

I could be wrong, but didn't Dennis also drum on Endless Harmony?

Yeah, you're right, he's on that song (percussion, not drums).  I had forgotten momentarily about that one, and also that he drummed (or co-drummed with Gary Mallaber) on the unreleased KTSA version of Johnny B. Goode. 

Thanks for the info c-man. I thought he was on Johnny B. Goode. Just wasn't sure if that was before L.A. (Light Album) or not.

Are you sure that "Stevie" was recorded on the BB's dime??? I had thought otherwise. I was under the impression that the Brian/Dennis sessions (Village Recorders???) were stopped due to the band's concern over BRIAN's (rather than Dennis') insane drug intake -- but more pressingly because it was diluting from the Beach Boys' efforts at getting Brian to producing anything releasable for them. The joke is, when they DID have the opportunity to release anything from that era on the '85 LP, the guys from Culture Club got a spot on the album rather than "Oh Lord."

Maybe Ed Roach can shine a light on the who's, the what, and the why's of these sessions.

Eddie???

The version of Oh Lord on the Cocaine Tapes is the only one I've ever heard. I'd be intrigued to know if there was another one.

Slight correction:  the AFM contract for the "Stevie" horn overdub session lists Brother Records (not CBS) as the "employer", but yes, that proves the session was payed for by The Beach Boys.  The "name of artist or group" on the contract is "Beach Boys".  David Leaf, Jon Stebbins, and others have verified that the group pulled the plug on the recording sessions because Brian & Dennis were doing too much dope, but it was also reported by Rolling Stone within a year after Dennis' death that the other Boys didn't like Brian & Dennis' new music.  You're right that the band was primarily concerned about Brian's drug intake, which at the time Dennis was majorily contributing to, but of course they also tried to help Dennis get straightened out at various points during that era, so it's not as though they didn't care that he was destroying himself.  For what it's worth, Bruce Johnston at least thought "Stevie" was "great". 

I tend to think there were possibly two other versions:

The Winter 1983 issue of "Add Some Music" had this to report:  "Despite Brian's poor health there has been word of his continued songwriting.  In the studio last year he made some demos with old friend/collaborator Bob Norberg.  One visitor to Brian's house last fall was treated to a tape of two new compositions, one a rocker entitled 'Oh Lord'."  Elsewhere in that issue, Brad Elliott writes "Brian was recording with Bob Norberg (of Bob & Sheri fame) during the fall of 1982.  Chuck Britz engineered.  The familiar crew of studio musicians was used.  No titles are known". 

This seems to imply that a recording of "Oh Lord" was made separate from the Norberg sessions, but possibly of similar studio demo quality.  However, since "Oh Lord" is described as a "rocker", we can assume either (a) a more uptempo arrangement than that on the "Cocaine" tape was attempted, or (b) the "visitor to Brian's house" had this song confused with the other new one he or she heard (possibly "City Blues"), which means the source could indeed have been the "Cocaine" tape.

The other version, which is verifiable, was cut in London with Steve Levine in 1984.  I've never heard if vocals were attempted, but I tend to doubt it. 

Im curious, who were the 'familiar crew'?

So, this recording is circulating? I have a version of Oh Lord that's about seven minutes, but Brian sings throughout the song.

Just to make myself clear, my last post was in reference to the above quoted post, as well as to MBE's post.

While we are talking about the Cocaine tapes here, I would just like to say how much I love City Blues.  A very dramatic song, great chord progression (fun to play on piano) and great lyrics.  I like the demo version and I also love the GIOMH version also;  which seems to get slammed alot.  I am usually not a fan of over the top guitar solos anymore but Clapton does rip it on this one and it suits the urgency of the song.   

I think alot of good stuff was coming from Brian around this time but once again (and from what I just read) it seems to be ignored or dismissed or "not good enough."  very perplexing.  City Blues, Stevie etc...are great.  If this was the fruit of Dennis inspiring/helping/collaborating, then it was very productive indeed to my ears. 

Hal Blaine, Steve Douglas, those guys.

So, what about the Cousins Friends and Brothers project from 1981? I know that at least "Sweetie" was recorded. Did the sessions get beyond that one track? Or were the Brian/Dennis sessions as far as it got?

Jay the Dennis tape I mentioned posted by Ed was just some noise at a party where they were messing around with instruments. Nothing musical about it. Oh Lord has nothing to do with it. You can't even hear Dennis speak.

I think anything recorded by any of the group from mid 1980 through 1982 (with the exception of Carl and Mike's solo stuff) would've been considered for that project, but there was very little recorded, mostly in spurts, and "Sweetie" was probably the only thing done with more than 2 Beach Boys (except "California Dreamin'"). 

I'm aware of about 5 tracks for CFB, but C-Man may well be right that "Sweetie" was the only one with more than two BBs on it.  My understanding was only Brian, Mike and Alan were involved in whatever sessions there were.

Even Carl?

Sweetie was definitely recorded by at least Brian, Mike and Al; also, a demo recording of Brian's exists. Brian also had a tune during the period, Walkin' On Water.

Walkin' On Water sounds like the Landy era maybe 84-85.

The demo of "Sweeite", "Walkin' On Water", and (IIRC) "Rings" is from 1986.
Just Brian's vocal and piano.  Brian (or someone) states the date on tape.
But the Boys DID attempt a studio recording of "Sweetie" in '81, as stated above,
with Brian-Mike-Alan rotating the lead vocals.  Never heard it so I can't comment on
it's completeness.

I was close, it had that whiney Landy era voice.

That's interesting that the Brian demo dates from 86. I spose Landy liked the song. I remember seeing a clip on YouTube of Brian playing the song from the Landy era and it goes "Landy even got Brian creating new songs" or something like that. ::) At least I'm pretty sure he was playing Sweetie... I just remember thinking "wow, I really like that song" and couldn't figure out what it was. I would love to hear the '81 version someday.

Well, Brian recorded it for Sweet Insanity as "Love Ya," and then he recorded it again as "Sweetie" with Carnie and Wendy in 96-97.

Sweetie is from '86??? Now, the song lost a little bit of it's charm for me.  :(

No...just the piano/vocal demo that's been going around.  The song itself is from '81...see above...

I was talking about the demo. That's so sad. Because 81 was a bad year for Brian but after hearing him singing Sweetie, I thought he did have good days as well but now ... .

Of course, there IS a version of Brian singing Sweetie in '81 that's circulating...from the hotel room "interview" taped by Les Chan in San Carlos that December...Brian sounds pretty upbeat and happy.

Yes, but it just 2 seconds long. How is the 96 version of Sweetie?