"Made in California" box set (part 2)

[El Molé]

If you listen to the full tape, with the songs presented in the correct order, it becomes evident that 1) Brian was very nervous, fluffing the lyrics and the chords badly in places and 2) the band reaction to the first few (personal) songs was, to be polite, muted: more honestly, they were likely thinking "WTF ?". Brian realised this, and played "Airplane" for laughs, evoking at least a laugh, and this loosened him up enough to hit "I'll Bet He's Nice" out of the park. Years of boots presenting the songs in the wrong order have obscured the fact that this demo presentation session was very nearly a disaster (for Brian).

That's very  interesting - thanks for that. I've never listened to these tracks as a complete  tape, and I didn't even know that they were a complete recording. I'm not sure I've got anything complete, or correctly ordered but I'll check and see what I've got. It sounds like the context that preceded "I'll Bet He's Nice" was pretty crucial to it's reception.

[Mikie]

Yeah, never realized that before, AGD. Thanks for that. 

Good post by El Mole too!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

What was the correct order

[Andrew G. Doe]

Can't recall which one, but following one demo, there's a screaming silence, then Brian saying "well... there's another one"... and following "Little Children" Mike comments "nice... spiritual song". I think he was kidding, to judge from his tone. Oh, and his croonerizing of the first verse of "Airplane" brings to mind the way he futzes up the end of the 1974 "California Feeling".

Anyhoo, I doubt that these demos will make it to the new box.

[runnersdialzero]

Oh, and his croonerizing of the first verse of "Airplane" brings to mind the way he futzes up the end of the 1974 "California Feeling".

I always pictured "California Feeling" '74 as having a similar style at the end based on the descriptions we've been given. Good to know. ^_^

Also, I kinda miss that "croonerizing" on the final version of "Airplane".

[JohnMill]

Can't recall which one, but following one demo, there's a screaming silence, then Brian saying "well... there's another one"... and following "Little Children" Mike comments "nice... spiritual song". I think he was kidding, to judge from his tone. Oh, and his croonerizing of the first verse of "Airplane" brings to mind the way he futzes up the end of the 1974 "California Feeling".

Anyhoo, I doubt that these demos will make it to the new box.

 

[Micha]

I agree that it shows a supportive and appreciative Mike Love with good taste, which is almost unrecognisable from the unpleasant, bullying presence with little appreciation of Brian's talents that some have portrayed him as throughout the years.

I don't really know how "some" got that picture. Mike always expresses his admiration of Brian's talents. It seems like Mike has less understanding of Brian's personal problems though.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I agree that it shows a supportive and appreciative Mike Love with good taste, which is almost unrecognisable from the unpleasant, bullying presence with little appreciation of Brian's talents that some have portrayed him as throughout the years.

I don't really know how "some" got that picture. Mike always expresses his admiration of Brian's talents. It seems like Mike has less understanding of Brian's personal problems though.

I think he also is frustrated by Brian's personal problems too, because he misses his friend, the guy Brian was before the onset of a lot of these problems.

[Mike's Beard]

Absolutely. Check out some of the photos from the early days with the two of them clowning around and mugging for the camera, that guy is loooong gone.

[Jay]

If you listen to the full tape, with the songs presented in the correct order, it becomes evident that 1) Brian was very nervous, fluffing the lyrics and the chords badly in places and 2) the band reaction to the first few (personal) songs was, to be polite, muted: more honestly, they were likely thinking "WTF ?". Brian realised this, and played "Airplane" for laughs, evoking at least a laugh, and this loosened him up enough to hit "I'll Bet He's Nice" out of the park. Years of boots presenting the songs in the wrong order have obscured the fact that this demo presentation session was very nearly a disaster (for Brian).

Thanks for that cool little bit of info. I often wonder if a day will come when you run out of interesting pieces of information to tell us.  Just out of curiosity, do you know how long the full tape is? From what I've heard it can't really be much longer than a half hour, unless there is a lot more to the tape. I've always thought it was odd that the version of Still I Dream of It on the bootlegged tape sounded much better than the version released officially.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I often wonder if a day will come when you run out of interesting pieces of information to tell us. 

Nope - I'll just keep on making it up, as I have the last few years. 

[CosmicDancer]

Can't recall which one, but following one demo, there's a screaming silence, then Brian saying "well... there's another one"... and following "Little Children" Mike comments "nice... spiritual song". I think he was kidding, to judge from his tone. Oh, and his croonerizing of the first verse of "Airplane" brings to mind the way he futzes up the end of the 1974 "California Feeling".

Anyhoo, I doubt that these demos will make it to the new box.

Has the entire tape leaked to the public.  How many songs are on it?  I've only heard a couple of tunes including I'll Bet He's Nice.  Despite the fact that from your description, it sounds like it was a trainwreck, I'd love to hear the tape in it's entirety.

[hypehat]

IIRC, he plays Little Children, Airplane, I'll Bet He's Nice, Let's Put Our Hearts Together, Mona (full of mistakes, bless) and Love Is A Woman, but that's not looking at my itunes and I don't think i've seen a proper order.

Not a trainwreck per se, but Brian seems very nervous throughout and keeps making mistakes.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Also "Still I Dream Of It" and "It's Over Now" - those two aren't performed at all well, and the reception was... frosty.

[runnersdialzero]

Can we be sure people were in the room at all times? I don't recall any kind of presence at all on a few of those songs sans Brian. Like... if they weren't into them, I'm sure they would've given some kind of reaction instead of just sitting there silently staring at Brian like "What the f*** was that?"

Also, isn't one take of "It's Over Now" fairly trainwrecky while the 2nd take is pretty decent?

[hypehat]

I thought the It's Over Now (with one awful take/the good one)/Still I Dream of It demos were from a different session, but I guess not? They sound different to the other songs.

[Andrew G. Doe]

As I best recall, this is the order of the demos:

It's Over Now
Little Children
Still I Dream Of It
Love Is A Woman
Mona
Airplane
Let's Put Our Hearts Together
I'll Bet He's Nice

[Steve Mayo]

unless my copy is edited together from a different session, mine starts out with brian asking if the recorder is on then he plays that special feeling followed by i'm begging you please then the lineup andrew just posted.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Beggin'..." dates from two years later (and is in stereo on every version I've heard) while "TSF" is from fall 1976, it's not from the 'demo presentation' session (AFAIK).

[Steve Mayo]

ok...sounds right.....that was just the song lineup on that tape from ages ago...

[hypehat]

As I best recall, this is the order of the demos:

It's Over Now
Little Children
Still I Dream Of It
Love Is A Woman
Mona
Airplane
Let's Put Our Hearts Together
I'll Bet He's Nice

Good to know, as always!

[SonoraDick]

I often wonder if a day will come when you run out of interesting pieces of information to tell us. 

Nope - I'll just keep on making it up, as I have the last few years. 

Reminds me of the motto at my former place of employment  - a newspaper:
"If we don't have the facts, we'll make 'em up!"

[puni puni]

I don't understand why the demo of I'll Bet He's Nice wouldn't be included. It's nearly better than the album version, and almost everyone I know (whom isn't familiar with much of this band's discog) agrees

[EgoHanger1966]

I don't understand why the demo of I'll Bet He's Nice wouldn't be included. It's nearly better than the album version, and almost everyone I know (whom isn't familiar with much of this band's discog) agrees

It's not really an essential song by any stretch of the imagination. It's not one of those tunes where the compilers are going to be saying, "We need a version of I'll Bet He's Nice on the box!".

[rab2591]

I don't understand why the demo of I'll Bet He's Nice wouldn't be included. It's nearly better than the album version, and almost everyone I know (whom isn't familiar with much of this band's discog) agrees

It's not really an essential song by any stretch of the imagination. It's not one of those tunes where the compilers are going to be saying, "We need a version of I'll Bet He's Nice on the box!".

That demo truly shows the genius behind that song. If this is a career spanning boxset, it wouldn't be a bad thing to use this to showcase Brian's brilliance during the mid 70s.