[insert] she needs me

[SMiLE Brian]

What do you think of the reunited Beach Boys or BW's band doing "sherry she needs me" as a suprise change up song to freshen up the setlist. I think the "she says she needs me" is one of the highlights of Imagination because young Brian did most of the work back in the day.

[Mikie]

SMiLE Brian, I really love that song! I love the '65 version, the '76 version, and the 1998 version. I would love to hear a version done live by Brian and his band. The '65 version is great, albeit unfinished, and hard to beat. It shoulda been finished. Brian's falsetto on that was superb. A lot went into the 1976 version and I'm not sure why it wasn't released. The re-write with Carl-Bayer Sager is also very well done with a better vocal obviously than the '76 version. I think that song would go over real well if Brian did it live! 

[ghost]

I've got something I could insert into Sherry, Sandy too... 

[rab2591]

I'd really enjoy that.

One of my favs from Imagination....and Brian sounds just like Brian of the mid-60s on that one.

[SMiLE Brian]

Just take off "i'm bugged at my old man" off "Summer Days" and put "Sherry she needs me" on it and you have an album that would rival "Today!". Jeff loves that period of BW's music anyway, so i think there is a chance it could happen.

[ghost]

That song would've fit nicely on an album with The Little Girl I Once Knew, California Girls, Summer Means New Love, And Your Dreams Come True, Girl Don't Tell Me... etc

Today is good as it is with In The Back of My Mind being the last song... very good ending , f*** A Day In The Life

[Mikie]

SMiLE Brian, a little input to your fine thread here (in case you care about this kinda stuff).

Notes from Mr. Boyd and partial interview with co-writer Russ Titleman:


From the logs on the original 1/2" tape boxes:

SHERRY SHE NEEDS ME.... backing track recorded March 29, 1965.

SANDY SHE NEEDS ME...... backing track, recorded May 4, 1965.

Sandy (rehearsals) 2:48
Sandy (track only) 3:07
Sandy (rehearsals) 2:40
Sandy (instrumental insert) 2:51
Sandy (chorus rehearsal) 0:48
Sandy (instrumental insert) 2:46
Sandy (1st vocal overdub) 2:46
Sandy (2nd vocal overdub) 2:48


After this session, the three track instrumental was bounced down to mono on another 1/2" reel, and the backing vocals were added the following day.

Chuck Britz engineered both sessions at Western Studio 3

The SHERRY backing track from March 1965 is the one that was later transferred to a 2" 16 track reel. The '76 Sherry track was dubbed over the '65 Sherry/Sandy track and more instruments were added. Although there's not a date on that one, I'm guessing Brian laid down the vocal in the fall of 1976 during sessions for what eventually became THE BEACH BOYS LOVE YOU. A rough mix was prepared at that time, and it's on a 1/4" reel with rough mixes of LAZY LIZZIE and MARILYN ROVELL.

In 1978, someone at Brother Studio tried their hand at another rough mix, and I think this is the one that's been circulating on bootlegs for the last 25 years or so (it's on the same reel as the first latter day rough mixes of SMILE era material, including FIRE, CAN'T WAIT TOO LONG, YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, DO YOU LIKE WORMS and what we all used to call BARNYARD....in other words, that first batch of SMILE boots that began making the rounds many years ago)


Both "Sherry She Needs Me" and "Guess I'm Dumb" were written by Brian Wilson & Russ Titleman.

Brian was the producer for the March '65 Sherry sesssion (recorded during the Summer Days sessions) with 14 musicians present, including Billy Strange, Jerry Cole, Carol Kaye and Howard Roberts on guitars, Al DeLory and Leon Russell on pianos, Jimmy Bond on string bass, Steve Douglas, Jay Migliori, Billy Green, and Jack Nimitz on saxes, Ray Caton on trumpet, Steven Dweck on vibes, and Earl Palmer on drums & timbales.

Russ Titelman:

"I co-wrote a couple of songs with Brian Wilson, 'Sheri, She Needs Me' and 'Guess I'm Dumb'. Meeting Brian was part of being at Screen Gems, because Brian used to visit Lou Adler all the time in the L.A. office. I'd be around, too, and so I saw Brian a lot. I also used to go over to Brian's office, a big office in a bank building on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine where he'd go to write songs. I'd also go over to Brian's Hollywood apartment, which was spartan to say the least, but he had a piano in there. He loved Jonathan Winters and he used to sit around and recite all the Winters bits and laugh his head off; he could do a real good imitation of Maudie Fricker. It was fun. 'Sheri, She Needs Me' was written on the piano at the house of his girlfriend, who became his wife, Marilyn. And 'Guess I'm Dumb' was written at Marilyn's and at his apartment.

One day when I visited Brian at the office, he was writing 'Fun, Fun, Fun', but the lyric he had at the time was 'Run, Run, Run'. He had a whole other lyric to it, and it was a good song that way, too! He was like a kid, going around barefoot in a T-shirt and jeans. I was never a fan of his early surfing records, but when he started idolizing Phil Spector and it was orchestral surf music, then I got interested in it. I loved the spontaneity of what was coming out of his head. Later, I thought 'Pet Sounds' was way ahead of anything of Phil's. As great as Phil was, his orchestrations were all the same kind of thing. But Brian's didn't have a formula!

Plus, I went to a few Beach Boys sessions with Brian, and he asked me to take a screwdriver and bang on a mike boom during 'She Knows Me Too Well'. That "tink-tink" you hear during the song, which sounds like a triangle, is me on screwdriver and mike boom. Ha Ha Ha!"

[Jeff]

Just take off "i'm bugged at my old man" off "Summer Days" and put "Sherry she needs me" on it and you have an album that would rival "Today!". Jeff loves that period of BW's music anyway, so i think there is a chance it could happen.

Uh, what about Amusement Parks USA?  You'd have to replace that with something too.  And you'd have to completely rewrite the Salt Lake City lyrics.

[SMiLE Brian]

SMiLE Brian, a little input to your fine thread here (in case you care about this kinda stuff).

Notes from Mr. Boyd and partial interview with co-writer Russ Titleman:


From the logs on the original 1/2" tape boxes:

SHERRY SHE NEEDS ME.... backing track recorded March 29, 1965.

SANDY SHE NEEDS ME...... backing track, recorded May 4, 1965.

Sandy (rehearsals) 2:48
Sandy (track only) 3:07
Sandy (rehearsals) 2:40
Sandy (instrumental insert) 2:51
Sandy (chorus rehearsal) 0:48
Sandy (instrumental insert) 2:46
Sandy (1st vocal overdub) 2:46
Sandy (2nd vocal overdub) 2:48


After this session, the three track instrumental was bounced down to mono on another 1/2" reel, and the backing vocals were added the following day.

Chuck Britz engineered both sessions at Western Studio 3

The SHERRY backing track from March 1965 is the one that was later transferred to a 2" 16 track reel. The '76 Sherry track was dubbed over the '65 Sherry/Sandy track and more instruments were added. Although there's not a date on that one, I'm guessing Brian laid down the vocal in the fall of 1976 during sessions for what eventually became THE BEACH BOYS LOVE YOU. A rough mix was prepared at that time, and it's on a 1/4" reel with rough mixes of LAZY LIZZIE and MARILYN ROVELL.

In 1978, someone at Brother Studio tried their hand at another rough mix, and I think this is the one that's been circulating on bootlegs for the last 25 years or so (it's on the same reel as the first latter day rough mixes of SMILE era material, including FIRE, CAN'T WAIT TOO LONG, YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, DO YOU LIKE WORMS and what we all used to call BARNYARD....in other words, that first batch of SMILE boots that began making the rounds many years ago)


Both "Sherry She Needs Me" and "Guess I'm Dumb" were written by Brian Wilson & Russ Titleman.

Brian was the producer for the March '65 Sherry sesssion (recorded during the Summer Days sessions) with 14 musicians present, including Billy Strange, Jerry Cole, Carol Kaye and Howard Roberts on guitars, Al DeLory and Leon Russell on pianos, Jimmy Bond on string bass, Steve Douglas, Jay Migliori, Billy Green, and Jack Nimitz on saxes, Ray Caton on trumpet, Steven Dweck on vibes, and Earl Palmer on drums & timbales.

Russ Titelman:

"I co-wrote a couple of songs with Brian Wilson, 'Sheri, She Needs Me' and 'Guess I'm Dumb'. Meeting Brian was part of being at Screen Gems, because Brian used to visit Lou Adler all the time in the L.A. office. I'd be around, too, and so I saw Brian a lot. I also used to go over to Brian's office, a big office in a bank building on the southeast corner of Sunset and Vine where he'd go to write songs. I'd also go over to Brian's Hollywood apartment, which was spartan to say the least, but he had a piano in there. He loved Jonathan Winters and he used to sit around and recite all the Winters bits and laugh his head off; he could do a real good imitation of Maudie Fricker. It was fun. 'Sheri, She Needs Me' was written on the piano at the house of his girlfriend, who became his wife, Marilyn. And 'Guess I'm Dumb' was written at Marilyn's and at his apartment.

One day when I visited Brian at the office, he was writing 'Fun, Fun, Fun', but the lyric he had at the time was 'Run, Run, Run'. He had a whole other lyric to it, and it was a good song that way, too! He was like a kid, going around barefoot in a T-shirt and jeans. I was never a fan of his early surfing records, but when he started idolizing Phil Spector and it was orchestral surf music, then I got interested in it. I loved the spontaneity of what was coming out of his head. Later, I thought 'Pet Sounds' was way ahead of anything of Phil's. As great as Phil was, his orchestrations were all the same kind of thing. But Brian's didn't have a formula!

Plus, I went to a few Beach Boys sessions with Brian, and he asked me to take a screwdriver and bang on a mike boom during 'She Knows Me Too Well'. That "tink-tink" you hear during the song, which sounds like a triangle, is me on screwdriver and mike boom. Ha Ha Ha!"

Amazing that one song could have some much awesome history behind it, thanks for the info Mikie.

[SMiLE Brian]

Just take off "i'm bugged at my old man" off "Summer Days" and put "Sherry she needs me" on it and you have an album that would rival "Today!". Jeff loves that period of BW's music anyway, so i think there is a chance it could happen.

Uh, what about Amusement Parks USA?  You'd have to replace that with something too.  And you'd have to completely rewrite the Salt Lake City lyrics.

I like "salt lake city" as it is, but I agree that "Amusement Parks USA" would have to go. I would totally re-sequence this album as well.

[Mikie]

In the early 80's, Capitol shared your opinion. As part of their reissue series of Beach Boys albums, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) was retitled California Girls and had two tracks removed: "Amusement Parks, USA" and "I'm Bugged at My OL' Man".  Nothing replaced them - they just left them off!

I'm glad they were eventually reinstated for the 1990 Two-fers - true to the original album release. I could never see why "Amusement" was dropped; it's got a good backing track, good vocals and it's a fun "Summery" kind of song, appropriate for the album title but maybe just a tad sophomoric.

But yeah, bottom line, "Sherry/Sandy" should have been on the 'Summer Days' album.  I read somewhere that "Sherry" may have been intended for Glenn Campbell or someone else. Dunno if it's true.

[SMiLE Brian]

In the early 80's, Capitol shared your opinion. As part of their reissue series of Beach Boys albums, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) was retitled California Girls and had two tracks removed: "Amusement Parks, USA" and "I'm Bugged at My OL' Man".  Nothing replaced them - they just left them off!

I'm glad they were eventually reinstated for the 1990 Two-fers - true to the original album release. I could never see why "Amusement" was dropped; it's got a good backing track, good vocals and it's a fun "Summery" kind of song, appropriate for the album title but maybe just a tad sophomoric.

But yeah, bottom line, "Sherry/Sandy" should have been on the 'Summer Days' album.  I read somewhere that "Sherry" may have been intended for Glenn Campbell or someone else. Dunno if it's true.

My problem with "USA" were the shaky lyrics from Mike Love. Could see Glen or Brian doing the lead for "sherry" as well. I'm true to the original albums as well, but it would have been cool if the reissue albums had bonus tracks to replace the songs taken off.

[Mikie]

You've heard the alternate lyrics to "Amusement Parks", haven't you?  Whatia think of those - any better or worse?

[SMiLE Brian]

I think the alternate ones are worse in my opinion, the released version is as great as those lyrics are going to get. I just think the backing track is odd and hard to write lyrics to.

[Mikie]

I think the alternate ones are worse in my opinion, the released version is as great as those lyrics are going to get. I just think the backing track is odd and hard to write lyrics to.

And you've heard the SOT APUSA session where Hal Blaine says his schtick about Stella the Snake Dancer? The whole thing without the fade?

[SMiLE Brian]

I think the alternate ones are worse in my opinion, the released version is as great as those lyrics are going to get. I just think the backing track is odd and hard to write lyrics to.

And you've heard the SOT APUSA session where Hal Blaine says his schtick about Stella the Snake Dancer? The whole thing without the fade?

Nah, I only heard the alternate version from a random unbooted tracks bootleg. Knowing Hal Blaine, it is probably hilariously dirty.

[joshferrell]

Sammy He needs me....

[runnersdialzero]

I'd heard it was offered to Glen Campbell as well, but he chose "Guess I'm Dumb".

Fucking criminal that this one was never really properly completed. The 76 vocal just doesn't work and is frustrating to hear against the older backing track. Great song, but all you can do is listen to it and wish the vocal had been done sooner.

The Imagination version legit neuters the chorus to compensate for Brian's reduced range and has some somewhat derp lyrical changes. "Please keep your cool, dear, and I'll still be friends with you" is hilarious in that sort-of-sexist 70s Brian Wilson way, I'm not sure if it was from the original.

The arrangement on the Imagination version is also too... something for me, too. Too schmaltzy? Not sure if that's what I'm going for. The approach for that album and several albums after it is "This is Brian Wilson, this has to sound big and important," where as in '66, he was just a guy writing some damn fine songs.

I still feel like Brian could've put out another album to hold off Capitol while working on Smile of some unused material and maybe some stuff he was working on but didn't intend to put on Smile. "Sandy" could have been on that record. Alternately, it could have just been finished (along with a Beach Boys "Guess I'm Dumb") and put on Summer Days where it belonged in the first place.

I love this song. Hurts a lot that there's really no satisfactory version out there.

[ghost]

Amusement Parks USA is amaznig. What are you all on crack? It's a wild track. The mono mix is mind blowing. The buoyant voices merge into the instruments. Let's take you car and go to amusement parks USA... dundundundundudndudndudndndudn

YOU'LL CRASH AND BURN
- classic Mike Love vocal

[ghost]

I still feel like Brian could've put out another album to hold off Capitol while working on Smile of some unused material and maybe some stuff he was working on but didn't intend to put on Smile. "Sandy" could have been on that record. Alternately, it could have just been finished (along with a Beach Boys "Guess I'm Dumb") and put on Summer Days where it belonged in the first place.

In your language: wat

Those songs are not of the same BW mental era as Smile. If it was to put off Pet Sounds sure throw Sandy on a record. But Smile is a whole different beast thematically. It's not even in the same ballpark, Brian went abstract and he didn't come back until Wild Honey and even then it was in trail blazing psychedelic soul acid rock & roll.

[Mikie]

What are you all on crack?

Yeah, but not the kind you think!

[runnersdialzero]

In your language: wat

Those songs are not of the same BW mental era as Smile. If it was to put off Pet Sounds sure throw Sandy on a record. But Smile is a whole different beast thematically. It's not even in the same ballpark, Brian went abstract and he didn't come back until Wild Honey and even then it was in trail blazing psychedelic soul acid rock & roll.

wat

I was saying another record to get Capitol off his back, ala Party! to work on Pet Sounds longer, but this time with some stuff that didn't make it onto other albums such as "Sandy"/"Guess I'm Dumb". Of course it's nowhere near Smile in terms of quality of themes, of course he was in a different place at the time, but I doubt it would've been that difficult to put something together. It's not like he was no longer capable of "Sandy"-esque songs. Was the Party album on par with Pet Sounds?

[homeontherange]

Just take off "i'm bugged at my old man" off "Summer Days" and put "Sherry she needs me" on it and you have an album that would rival "Today!". Jeff loves that period of BW's music anyway, so i think there is a chance it could happen.

Uh, what about Amusement Parks USA?  You'd have to replace that with something too.  And you'd have to completely rewrite the Salt Lake City lyrics.

No way. I think Amusement Parks USA is much better than Girl Don't Tell Me, which just sounds like a boring Beatles song. That one should've been replaced.
Amusement Parks is great! That Pet Sounds-y bassline that suddenly shows up after the last chorus.. Wow

[SMiLE Brian]

In your language: wat

Those songs are not of the same BW mental era as Smile. If it was to put off Pet Sounds sure throw Sandy on a record. But Smile is a whole different beast thematically. It's not even in the same ballpark, Brian went abstract and he didn't come back until Wild Honey and even then it was in trail blazing psychedelic soul acid rock & roll.

wat

I was saying another record to get Capitol off his back, ala Party! to work on Pet Sounds longer, but this time with some stuff that didn't make it onto other albums such as "Sandy"/"Guess I'm Dumb". Of course it's nowhere near Smile in terms of quality of themes, of course he was in a different place at the time, but I doubt it would've been that difficult to put something together. It's not like he was no longer capable of "Sandy"-esque songs. Was the Party album on par with Pet Sounds?

The more classic era Beach Boys albums, the better. A stopgap album would amazing considering how much great stuff BW never released or finished in his prime.  Samples from a stop-gap album could include songs such as "all dressed up for school", "guess i'm dumb", "thank him", "sherry she needs me", "I do", " their hearts were full of spring," and a few covers.

[runnersdialzero]

The more classic era Beach Boys albums, the better. A stopgap album would amazing considering how much great stuff BW never released or finished in his prime.  Samples from a stop-gap album could include songs such as "all dressed up for school", "guess i'm dumb", "thank him", "sherry she needs me", "I do", " their hearts were full of spring," and a few covers.

Easier'n fallin' offa bike, amirite? Wouldn't have been difficult to pull off or even find a decent single from. Even if it was just a proper "rarities" record, it would've been great. "The Little Girl I Once Knew" would've been an obvious inclusion, as well.