Mother May

[Andrew G. Doe]

I did mean the early version. but that slipped my mind as I referenced it from memory. My music's not on this computer. One of the songs on disk one of Garage Tapes is an early version of DBD. I'm sure it's Hide Go Seek. Verses only, same melody.

Problem being, "HGS" isn't on The Garage Tapes. Except as "MM". Just did an A/B, and the verse melody of "MM" and the alternate "DBD" are entirely different.

Brian used "MM" for the verse of "HGS" and the middle-eight of "OCC". There's a proto-"Do You Remember ?" on said boot, for sure.

[Autotune]

Mother Mae = Our Car Club

Verse of early Don't Back Down = verse of Hide Go Seek


The melodies of the verse of MM and HGS are notoriously different. Although one can sing the verse of any of those over the track of either.

[Lowbacca]

So is it "Mother May" or "Mother May I"? It's called "Mother May" on most of the bootlegs, but "Mother May I" on the 2013 compilation The Big Beat 1963, for example. In other words - was there ever an 'official' working title for the track or doesn't it matter at all?

[runnersdialzero]

Bootlegs contain all sorts of title errors. "Mother May", in the context of the song, doesn't really make sense. I'd go with "Mother May I" over anything else.

[LeeDempsey]

Bootlegs contain all sorts of title errors. "Mother May", in the context of the song, doesn't really make sense. I'd go with "Mother May I" over anything else.

I agree.  It could simply be a typesetting error, or if "In the Beginning" was pressed in a non-English country the compiler may not have been familiar with the kid's game "Mother May I" (or may have known it by another name -- according to Wikipedia the game is also known as "Captain May I" in some cultures), and may have unknowingly left off the "I."  To someone unfamiliar with the game it could sound like Brian is singing "Mother may, aaaahhh."

Lee

[joshferrell]

I like that Old Granny Voice...lol....

[RangeRoverA1]

I'd care less if the song has or has not roman numerals. What I do care is that I love "Mother May" very much. It's hearing things like this that make you realize early BBs were oh so good.

I like that Old Granny Voice...lol....

In Russian fairy tales/cartoons, the antagonist is called Baba Yaga (super-old lady with a big nose who eats kids). Brian's comic voice reminds me of her.

[JK]

I like that Old Granny Voice...lol....

In Russian fairy tales/cartoons, the antagonist is called Baba Yaga (super-old lady with a big nose who eats kids). Brian's comic voice reminds me of her.

You mean as in Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSio2Bg-kUQ

Great stuff. Can't beat Mussorgsky. :=)

[Micha]

Just heard about this for the first time and listened to it on YouTube. Very understandable it wasn't released at the time. Is that Dave trying to sing "Yes you are" at 2:05?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orhbuPJIN3Y

[thetojo]

"Mother May" was probably about May Rovell, eh?

1. it's Mae (or was).

2. it's "mother, may..." as in "can I ?".  

Stumbled across this wiki page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_May_I%3F

Finally I understand the baby steps reference!!
 

[Cliff1000uk]

That screaming voice definitely sounds like Brian to me.  Check out the vocal in the middle of "Child of Winter" for more of the same type of thing.

So, is this the first evidence of Brian trying to use his late 70's voice? Maybe I'll start a new thread...

[Jim V.]

Hey, I feel kinda lame bringing this thread back, but does anybody (maybe c-man, ferinstance) know when "Mother May I" was recorded?

[Jim V.]

Shoot. Well okay, that sank like a stone. Well does anybody know the era that this song was recorded in at the very least? Surfin' U.S.A.? Surfer Girl? Little Deuce Coupe?

For some reason I think I remember hearing that it's Surfer Girl era but I have nothing of substance to put that on.

[Andrew G. Doe]

My best guess - and that's exactly what it is, no more - would be before late July 1963: that's when "Hide Go Seek" was recorded... although, of course, Brian's never been averse to recycling a riff after it's been released.