UPDATED: I met with Alan Boyd last week

[adamghost]

The first time I ever heard WIBNTLA my reaction was "now the SURF'S UP album makes sense."  It really is kind of the missing link for that whole project, to my ears. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Another one that I always wished could be released was "I've Got A Friend", which was on the first live bootleg album I ever picked up in the 70's, BB Madison Sq. Garden '72 (which was actually Princeton University). Anyway, the studio instrumental track supposedly exists to the song, but unfortunately Dennis never put down a vocal for it.

Indeed it does, and it's a killer track.

[doinnothin]

The first time I ever heard WIBNTLA my reaction was "now the SURF'S UP album makes sense."  It really is kind of the missing link for that whole project, to my ears. 

Plus 4th of July and Lady, minus a couple like Student Demonstration Time, Take Good Care of Your Feet, and Don't Go Near the Water. Could've easily been a classic.  Real shame.

[hypehat]

The group were in the habit of recording their shows at this point - does anyone know if a live recording of I've Got A Friend is in the vaults? I know it was done on Radio Luxembourg (the boot is awful quality, though), so there's a potential SBD source that I know of...

[runnersdialzero]

I'd love to hear a vocal only version of Time To Get Alone.

Hasn't this been booted? I have it somewhere. It's the alternate take vocals, though.

[Dunderhead]

The first time I ever heard WIBNTLA my reaction was "now the SURF'S UP album makes sense."  It really is kind of the missing link for that whole project, to my ears. 

Plus 4th of July and Lady, minus a couple like Student Demonstration Time, Take Good Care of Your Feet, and Don't Go Near the Water. Could've easily been a classic.  Real shame.

I'm fond of replacing SDT with the live version of Riot from Big Sur Folk Festival 1970.

[PongHit]

I'd love to hear a vocal only version of Time To Get Alone.

Hasn't this been booted? I have it somewhere. It's the alternate take vocals, though.

Not sure, but I've heard a track-only recording.

[Jay]

Quite a few years before "Barbara" was released on the Endless Harmony CD, the song was circulating amongst collectors, albeit in inferior sound quality compared to the released version. Another one that I always wished could be released was "I've Got A Friend", which was on the first live bootleg album I ever picked up in the 70's, BB Madison Sq. Garden '72 (which was actually Princeton University). Anyway, the studio instrumental track supposedly exists to the song, but unfortunately Dennis never put down a vocal for it. Not sure if more than one live version exists, but it would be nice to have it cleaned up and included on a live comp.

Dunno if it was ever considered to pull a "Taylor Hawkins" and have him (or someone else) do a vocal for that, but I'd hate to see that track go to waste. Song reminds me a lot of "Barbara" and I think Dennis even wrote it for Barbara, didn't he?

I'm not sure if Dennis wrote I've Got A Friend for Barbara, but I would assume he did. I have one version(I'm not sure where it's from) where near the end, Dennis starts saying "I love Barbara" over and over again, almost like a chant. He also refers to the song as being about his best friend.

[Mike's Beard]

I can't believe that 40 years after it was recorded we're still waiting for a release of WIBNTLA!! If it really is as good as those lucky enough to have heard it say it is, I just can't get my head around how it could have sat on the shelf for all this time. I dare not think just how great a song that apparently blows much of the "Surf's Up" material outta the water could possibly be.

[ohthosegirls]

… some Effwad absconded with some of the tapes? I recognize a few things that have been booted......

Alan told me about a cassette being stolen from a party, then turned into a bootleg.

Get The Boot I bet!

[Jay]

Regarding Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again, didn't somebody on this board once say that the "final" version is missing lead guitar?

[Aegir]

I remember reading that there was a very simple two or three note "place holder" guitar solo which was probably intended to be replaced.

[adamghost]

I remember reading that there was a very simple two or three note "place holder" guitar solo which was probably intended to be replaced.

Correct.  We dropped that in our version.  Bend on a minor 3rd to the root, 3 notes, 3-2-1, over and over again, for about 16 bars.  Classic Carl.

[buddhahat]

My impression of "Barnyard" was that it was a bit bland compared to Dennis' other material from that period. Knowing it was a DW/CW collaboration from '74 might have had my expectations too high, and I haven't heard it in a few years so maybe I'd have a different opinion now. But hearing it for the first time along with things like "Holy Man" and "C*cktails", it seemed to pale in comparison.

Compared to "Holy Man", most things seem pale.   Just to be 100% sure: Denny never actually recorded any vocals for "Holy Man", right? Taylor Hawkins did the vocals according Gregg Jakobson's memories of Dennis singing some of it?

Right-ish. There was a snippet of Carl humming the melody line on the session tape...nothing usable, but between that and Dennis' piano and synth lines i think the melody was inherent. Gregg isn't really a melody guy, so that was sorted without his help...he did write the new lyrics. BTW...thinking back to "Barnyard"...I was hoping for something like the other 1974/75 period DW/CW collaborations "River Song", "Rainbows"...and yes "Holy Man" (there are those of us who feel Carl had a hand in that one too). When I heard "Barnyard" it didn't seem to come close to the dynamic quality of the others...and unreleased seemed like a logical place for it to be. I'm sure others might feel differently as music is so dang subjective...right board?

Jon - I'd be interested to hear your opinion of Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again. Does it stand up against Dennis' best work? Worth all the hype?

Well the hype started many years ago after a few of us got to hear it, and then started hyping it. So I'm one of the initial hypers. My take has always been that its a beautiful song, great lyric, great production, cool arrangement etc... Too good to be unreleased considering  the material that made BB's LPs in 71/72...this blows many of them (not all) out of the water. But that said, the one thing that REALLY sets WIBNTLA apart from the herd...the lead vocal is simply the best one Dennis ever sang. Yes he's great on Slip On Through, Forever, Barbara...there are some great Dennis leads that are out there...but WIBNTLA is the best of them all in my opinion. He just sings the crap out of it, and upon hearing it you really understand that he had a voice that (for a brief period and in its own way) was as good as his brothers.

Well thanks for hyping the hype, Jon. Now I really want to hear it!

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Don't get overly excited about Live Again...I mean, yes, it's Dennis's best vocal and features a superb arrangement and production, but it's not a universal panacea for all human diseases or a source of free energy.

Nevertheless, there is much to like.  I think the vocal is the big draw--completely agree with Jon there.  It shows a range and sensitivity that is hinted at but always slightly cloaked elsewhere.

The production and arrangement is sort of a synthesis of everything that is great about the Desper Home Studio era.  It's just a deep production, with shimmering pianos, gurgling synths, subtle guitar work, and yes--jazz flute.  If you were sitting around boasting about your engineer or your arranging chops, this is the track you'd bring out to prove you're the best in town.

[onkster]

Geez, can one of you collectors out there please put together a nice Dennis collection of whatever hasn't turned up on POB/Bambu? All this foreplay is killing me...

[Jay]

I heard a later version of "California Feeling" once with a Brian vocal that I believe was from '78.  i don't think I had heard the one from '74...very cool!  The '78 one had a hysterical moment where he's singing "it was such a beautiful day" and he interjects quickly in spoken voice..."like most days!"  Clearly, not that interested in delivering a releasable vocal...

Brian singing "California Feelin'" in 1978....hmmm. Was that line as far as he got with it? Or did he sing the complete song? How did he sound? Assuming he was disinterested, he probably didn't sound too great.

He sang the whole thing.  Disinterested would be a good way to be put it.

How would it compare to, say, Brian's vocal on the early version of Oh Darlin'? I'm not saying that Brian's vocal is necessarily a bad one. He just phrases the words in an odd way. Long *a-GO* a *DREAM* kept *re-aCURR-ING*, *feel-INGS* deep *with-IN* my *HEART* were *stirr-ING*, etc.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Don't get overly excited about Live Again...I mean, yes, it's Dennis's best vocal and features a superb arrangement and production, but it's not a universal panacea for all human diseases or a source of free energy.

Nevertheless, there is much to like.  I think the vocal is the big draw--completely agree with Jon there.  It shows a range and sensitivity that is hinted at but always slightly cloaked elsewhere.

The production and arrangement is sort of a synthesis of everything that is great about the Desper Home Studio era.  It's just a deep production, with shimmering pianos, gurgling synths, subtle guitar work, and yes--jazz flute.  If you were sitting around boasting about your engineer or your arranging chops, this is the track you'd bring out to prove you're the best in town.

He's right - I've reconsidered. It's nothing much really. Can't think what possessed me to think it was so incredible. Duh.

[PongHit]

A random P.S. to this — I visited Alan's house again several months later, and while chatting I asked if he'd seen this — he hadn't:

http://youtu.be/GYBjOywJwLI?t=5m19s

[The Shift]

A random P.S. to this — I visited Alan's house again several months later, and while chatting I asked if he'd seen this — he hadn't:

http://youtu.be/GYBjOywJwLI?t=5m19s

Whew, Grade A course in pot calling kettle black!

Many thanks, hadn't seen that either.

[puni puni]

That video has been posted maybe a dozen times in the last year

[Iron Horse-Apples]

That video has been posted maybe a dozen times in the last year

Yeah John. How dare you miss something!

[hypehat]

I for one feel that my faith in Mr Manning has been utterly destroyed.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

I'm not even sure how John could show his face here again.

[The Shift]

Oh boy… see me blush… I must have been changing a nappy, or WORKING or somethin'… 

But here, by way of sorry, and making up – I bet this is new on everyone, yeah, I just came across it tomorrow but thought I'd share it early:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-0CS-T1HUQ

Did anyone mention the tracklist for the 6CD box btw, or that it's being released on August 27? I found it here exclusively:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,15498.msg363268.html#msg363268

Did anyone mention striped shirts?