[Friends]

Great job Setlab!

Speaking of the Passing By demo. Did Brian record a whole new track for the demo or did he just overdub his vocals on the original and pitch shift it?

Also, is thisdemo related to the sessions in which Brian together with Stanley Shapiro and Tandyn Almer re-recorded several of the Friends songs (incl. Wake the World, Friends and Be Still)?

Yes.

Do we know what was really the mission of this Wilson/Shapiro/Almer venture? Did they want to get signed as a trio? Did they just wanna shop these songs to get cover versions? Also, of all the songs to "re-write" I wouldn't think it would be Friends tunes, but rather something like "Don't Worry Baby" (though I'm pretty sure Bruce Johnston did such a thing for his California Music band with shall we say....questionable results).

[Wake The World]

Quick thoughts (and questions) about the "I'm In Great Shape" piece at the end of the Wake The World set...

It sounds like it was mixed by King Tubby. Crazy reverb. Is this actually how it was recorded, like how this was supposed to sound or is this cuz of the condition of the acetate?

Also, where would this fit? It almost sounds as though it could be a link from what we know as "I'm In Great Shape" to "Workshop" in my opinion?

So where's Reynaldo? Did the Mike stuff chase him off?

Game changer!

Nah. Just kidding. This kinda thing doesn't particularly interest me, but once again what a gift for those who want it. Alan Boyd and Mark Linett and others involved are wonderful, wonderful people for making this happen.

Is Reynaldo banned or does he just not wanna talk about how "Rocky's" mind changed so drastically on Doctor Love? And how apparently that "tape" or whatever he had that would blow that whole songwriting case out of the water just ceased to exist. Sure is odd.

And now it is even more than a 180 degree flip (if that's scientifically possible...) to where Rocky is spouting hype and ballyhoo and praise for Mike Love as all but the savior and messiah of the Beach Boys, the "glue" that held it all together amidst the shortcomings of the Wilson brothers and whatnot...and this is the same Rocky talking about the same Mike Love who he had little or no praise or very little in the way of positive things to say about him a few years ago in public posts.

So, what gives? What flipped Rocky? What changed? The publishers wanting to go another direction explains some of the current contents and focus of the book, but what could possibly have happened in the past 2-3 years to flip Rocky's opinions of Mike Love so drastically and obviously?

The proof of the flip is this is the same Rocky writing about the same people and topics on the record in 2015-16 versus this current book, for those interested in proof.

This is it right here.

Thank you Craig.

So, Reynoldo (or Ron), which you prefer....that is the reason I likely will never check this book out. The guy who was posting those things back in 2016 would not be saying the stuff he's saying in the book as relating to Mike Love. I personally don't despise Mike Love like some on here, but I'm also for some consistency. Or at least, if there's a change of opinion on a topic or person, a mention of why! And in this case, it seems as though this book indicates there has been a 180 on Mike in Rocky's opinion. However - and this is another reason why I'm sketchy on this book - dollars to donuts I'd bet you that if somebody sat down with Rocky and talked about Mike Love it wouldn't sound a word like what's in this book. And I also bet it'd likely sound a heck of a lot more like the craziness he posted on this board a few years a go.

So, I welcome Ron to "correct" me on this, but this whole thing smells. And those in this community who know me know I'm not one to latch onto random theories in Beach Boys fandom, even when they end up being correct (Craig and SMiLE Brian know what I mean). It just seems like something changed with Rocky and his book vis-à-vis Mike, and frankly, I think we are being sold a bill of goods.

Curious to hear it, being Charles Manson fan (I really like his singing voice & as musician-songwriter).

Eeek.

I haven’t read through the whole thread so I don’t know if anyone else has said it but man, Dennis’s vocal on “All I Want to Do” is far superior to Mike.  Should have put this version on the original album! https://youtu.be/5OK0rEvqHDQ

I'm curious to know the reasoning why Mike was chosen as the lead vocalist over the original Dennis vocal.  Mike's is sorta interesting, unlike anything else he's ever done, but objectively I just don't think it's as strong as Denny's, and I wonder if Denny just didn't have the self confidence to release that type of vocal for himself at that point, or what the reason was.

Well, actually Dennis is struggling to get this song right. Mike's voice (or technique) in that range is much fuller and strong, so I can see why he got the lead on that. While I like Dennis', it is certainly not as direct and in-your-face as Mike's.

I'd been meaning to say something like this as well Rocker. While I think having a Dennis lead on "All I Want To Do" is freaking awesome, it has made me re-investigate the song, and I have to say that Mike Love is the right singer for it. I think if one is able to try to forget its that litigious, money grubbing goofball you realize that his voice really cuts through on this cut in a way Dennis' voice didn't. It'd be like having a breathy Carl lead on "Heroes and Villains" rather than Brian's lead in my opinion. It just wouldn't work. Or at the least it'd be really different.

["Even Steven"]

A few random thoughts...

"Even Steven" is great. For whatever reason, "Busy Doin' Nothin'" has never been a favorite of mine, but this one just works for me. Really doesn't make sense as they are so similar, but whatever.

"Be Here In The Morning Darling" is wonderful. What is it? Is it an entirely different thing from "Be Here In The Morning"? Or is it a totally different backing track that the same lyrics were supposed to be applied to?

"Been Way Too Long (Sections)" is as awesome as I'd hoped for. Brian was truly in the zone with this tune and it's a shame that it was never truly finished. But what we have from it is amazing and maybe the mystery of never knowing what it quite coulda been works for it in the same way that it does for things like The Beach Boys versions of "Do You Like Worms" and "Child Is Father Of The Man" and this basically leaves them just fine in the form they are now in.

Listening to Brian's chord progressions on things like "I'm Confessin'", "You're As Cool As Can Be" and "Our New Home" never gets old. I wouldn't be mad if there were 500 more things like this in the vault. I still enjoy things like things like "Da Da" and "Heroes And Villains: All Day" from The SMiLE Sessions and "Hide Go Seek" and "Honey Get Home" from Sunshine Tomorrow. Brian at the keyboard pounding out chords just hits the spot for me.

"Passing By" from the legendary re-write sessions is definitely fascinating. Is it good? Yeah. Is it better than what was on the Friends album? In my opinion right at this moment? No. Still glad though to hear a 1971 Brian Wilson lead vocal though. And glad to hear those lyrics. I have to assume though, that the 1971 re-written versions of "Wake The World", "Friends" and "Be Still" have been lost though cuz otherwise they'd have probably been on here too. Also must say how odd it is that Brian wanted to do new versions of songs from one of the group's least successful albums sales wise. Perhaps he just thought that at least those four songs deserved another chance to be heard? Who knows? Also weird that one of the re-writes is of a Dennis song.

Too bad they never finished working on "Rock And Roll Woman" as I think that song was one that works really well for The Beach Boys.

All the Denny stuff is super cool too. Do I ever need to hear whatever "The Gong" is ever again? I'm not sure about that. 

["Passing By - Demo"]

So the most exciting things (for me) just by looking at the titles are as following...

"Passing By - Demo": is this the 1972 recording with lyrics? If so, then I am super pumped for this one.

"Child Is Father Of The Man - Original 1966 Track Mix": been waiting on this one for a while. Don't know why it didn't get put on The SMiLE Sessions or a 1966 copyright set but whatever. I'm cool. Odd that they didn't position it with "Little Bird" on the track listing though to highlight the similarities.

"I'm Confessin'/You're As Cool As Can Be 1": I'm intrigued to see what this is. It's a Brian thing right?

Also, "Our New Home", "Rock And Roll Woman" (just judging by the live video clips that I watched years ago), "Walk On By - 2018 Mix" (probably something like the alternate, extended "Lonely Days", right?) and "Been Way Too Long - Sections" have really got me intrigued.

Super excited for tomorrow!

This sounds absolutely amazing. Jason Fine has an incredible rapport with Brian and has brought about some of the best BW interviews around. I cannot wait for this documentary!

Haven't listen yet but what a lovely thing regardless of how it sounds.

Go Brian and go girls!!

Yeah, I think we just established that there is a guy who exists called Floyd Tucker in LA around the right age to have probably written it. Also, Sweet and Bitter is just copyrighted to Don Goldberg, and likewise Out in the Country is copyrighted to Brian Wilson and Don Goldberg. Mike and Al weren't writers on those songs.

"Out in the Country" is credited to Brian and Goldberg? I thought Brian had nothing to do with that one. When was it recorded anyways?

Has any other info about "Labor Day" ever made itself known? With the state of his voice, it's just kinda tough to imagine how it would sound.

All of this is why that song "Labor Day" is so interesting to me. Apparently this was the last time Dennis ever recorded new material. And also the song's studio sheet supposedly lists the song as having vocal and piano, so it's hard to imagine that if indeed the song is recorded in full, what it could be.

The second group of BW/AP/BBs sessions was in November of that year (for "Soul Searchin'" and "Still A Mystery"), and while Andy states here that his brother Jonathan was involved with those and Bruce wasn't, an eyewitness account by Cindy Lee Berryhill, published in an issue of "ESQ" within a couple months of the session, confirms Bruce's participation (as well as Matt Jardine's), but there's no mention of Jonathan being involved with those November '95 sessions. The track sheets also include notations for Matt's and Bruce's vocals.

I will admit the stuff about Bruce not being there for the "You're Still A Mystery" and "Soul Searchin'" sessions did seem a little odd to me, as it I pretty much surely seemed to hear his voice on the former.

https://mikelove.com/?attachment_id=2456
Is it just me, or is this Shortenin Bread.....

Yeah, definitely not what I was expecting! It's so bizarre, I grudgingly kind of like it. 

I kinda like it too. If it was Brian, I definitely would like it as a quirky Brian thing. So count me in on this one. That doesn't mean it's much more than a trifle, but I don't mind it.

Is it that important in the greater scheme of things. Mr. Desper worked his ass off with Dr. Conner for a FREE book!

Absolutely SMiLE Brian.

["Now let me tell you, Brian's genius music and Mike's just super cool lyrics, it's totally rad!]

^ that didn’t work with me. Just an FYI.

Well OKAY, MISTER MAN!



"Now let me tell you, Brian's genius music and Mike's just super cool lyrics, it's totally rad!"

I'm getting the feeling that we ain't getting a physical release of any unreleased 1968 material this year. The summer was taken over by the useless orchestral disc and it's getting a little late for the classic fall release that would usually come in like October or November. So unless we hear some news soon, I'd assume we will only be getting a December copyright dump in digital only format. Which I admit I wouldn't be heartbroken over, as it's the music that matters to me, but I wouldn't mind that if the stuff gets released, it gets an actual physical release.

Get ready for the fake beards and horrible wigs.

Uh no.

That's not how Quentin T. rolls.

[Pacific Ocean Blue]

Eckhart still has the best "DW" chin in show-biz, but is obviously too old for late '60s Dennis. Too bad "The Drummer" never got made.

I agree. I thought that movie woulda been great. And though I don't think Vera Farmiga really *looks* like Christine McVie, I think she woulda worked really well as her. She has her kinda vibe, in my opinion.

Plus I'm sure a "Drummer" soundtrack woulda gotten us some more Dennis material. And with that I have to say that it's ridiculous that it's been ten years since the re-release of Pacific Ocean Blue, yet there hasn't been a Denny compilation issued since. He has too much great material for it to languish in the vault.

[Smiley]

It seems like Bruce has made grumbly, passive-aggressive comments about a good number of their albums, doesn't it? As HeyJude points out, he has had every opportunity to steer their music wherever it is he thinks it should have gone.

Doesn't he love Smiley Smile? Or is it Wild Honey I'm thinking of?

Pretty sure he's a big fan of both. And I think he's kinda said in a way that he prefers Smiley to Smile, though maybe he just means Smile as it is now and not what it could have been. He has also been a big booster of Sunflower throughout the years.

I don’t have any problem with the lyrics of the early Beach Boys songs. They are pretty tame.
I actually have more of a problem with some of the early Beatles songs.

Care to elaborate? I'm truly interested. I know "Run for Your Life" is a bit rude (though it's ripped from "Baby Let's Play House") but which others give you a problem?

[Friends]

You know, even though I love Friends I can understand what Bruce was saying here. In 1968, this was apparently not what the public was looking for from The Beach Boys, though one could make the argument that the public really didn't want anything from them by this point, besides a retro surf song ("Do It Again"). But then, maybe it truly was the promotion of the band? Who knows? Why for instance was the great work of bands like The Beach Boys and The Kinks being ignored around this era (maybe because of changing from what the public knew them as), even though both were putting out awesome material at the time, while peers like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and whoever also changed quite a bit, yet did incredibly better commercially? It's weird. I guess sometimes maybe it's just your time and sometimes it isn't.

But yeah, as others have stated, if I had to ever had to pick a guy who represented "wimpy" music, it would be one Bruce Johnston. Seriously, put on "Won't Somebody Dance with Me" and tell me if it's the Friends music or Bruce's that is wimpy?