'Where is she?' just played on BBC radio 2!

[MBE]

Yeah she did make that clearer to me too.

[Jay]

It sounds to me like the piano part in the beginning is from a different take, or rehearsal. It sounds somehow "separate" from a "proper take".

[Amazing Larry]

Yup, definitely there. Either a guitar overdriven or brass
After "where is sheeeeee eeeeeee" the whine. On the left side only.

Sounds like a sax.

[Mike's Beard]

It's a good song and any Brian leads from this time are always of interest to me. I do find it hard to imagine it fitting anywhere on Sunflower or Surf's Up.

[phirnis]

On Sunflower, maybe it could have taken the place of "Tears in the Morning".

Seems like Brian was writing and producing lots of material at the time that didn't fit the group's overall direction, e.g. Games Two Can Play, Good Time, I Just Got My Pay, as well as this new one. No wonder he obviously didn't feel like contributing an awful lot of new songs to subsequent projects when the group was heading in such a different direction.

[Yorick]

The similarities between Where Is She and She's Leaving Home are obvious when comparing "where has she gone, she has been gone for so long" to "she's leaving home after living alone for so many years", but what a pretty song this is! Arrangement wise I suspect All I Wanna Do was left in a similar state as Where Is She when the boys worked on it. It also has the guitar patterns. The piano playing at the beginning is Brian practicing the chords. It's an obvious edit that was found somewhere on the session tapes. I also suspect the last chorus was copied from the first or something. A lot of times Brian didn't record full song structures anymore around this period.

[Quzi]

I wonder if the band was even aware this existed. It plays nicely with 1974 material like "Good Timin'" and "California Feeling".

[Nicko1234]

On Sunflower, maybe it could have taken the place of "Tears in the Morning".

Seems like Brian was writing and producing lots of material at the time that didn't fit the group's overall direction, e.g. Games Two Can Play, Good Time, I Just Got My Pay, as well as this new one. No wonder he obviously didn't feel like contributing an awful lot of new songs to subsequent projects when the group was heading in such a different direction.

To be fair you could easily say that those songs didn't fit in with Warner's direction. It was they who requested a stronger set of songs after all.

[Sam_BFC]

I don't think the lyrics are that bad.  A little repetitive, possibly a little sketchy and in need of development, is all.

I love the overall sentiment though.  For me, 'Where can she be if she's not here with me', is a quirky, sweet, eloquent and touching expression of many things; naive longing, frustration, innocence, unrequited love, self-absorption.  Great line.

Amid all this talk of She's Leaving Home, there seems to be a lyrical reference to With A Little Help From My Friends (or did someone already mention this?...)

[Sam_BFC]

.

[Smilin Ed H]

Love it.  Thanks for posting it.

That's five songs 'leaked' (or five I've heard): four great; one good and one so-so (though not to bad when compared to most of the rest of the album it would've been on).

4 + 1 + 1 = 5? 

Okay, my maths is sh*t.

[Cabinessenceking]

Already said; but where the hell has this been for all this time??!?!?!

This is actually a very strong track. Lovely Brian voice in the style he would later sing 'Awake'. This def on my playlist asap.
Is this the first instance of Brian using a moog synthesizer as a central instrument. Do we know who played the instruments?

I think that's the Baldwin bass pedals that you're hearing.
Also, I'd imagine Brian did everything.

Ok thanks! I was wondering whether that was his Baldwin, but by 1969 he wasn't using his organ that much IIRC. Why would he suddenly be using it again?

[RangeRoverA1]

Lyrics are grossly overrated.

Tbh, at 1st notice I got this statement incorrectly, like Mr. Manning. But as you clarified it, I can only agree with you. I too don't think the words are of big importance, any kind of analyzing of the text bores me to no end. So, you're not alone. The same-minded people are also Mr. Newcombe & Zach (aka efloW hcaZ).

[humanoidboogie]

Already said; but where the hell has this been for all this time??!?!?!

This is actually a very strong track. Lovely Brian voice in the style he would later sing 'Awake'. This def on my playlist asap.
Is this the first instance of Brian using a moog synthesizer as a central instrument. Do we know who played the instruments?

I think that's the Baldwin bass pedals that you're hearing.
Also, I'd imagine Brian did everything.

I'm willing to bet that's Brian on drums.

Amazing discovery, by the way. This song is ace. Love the sound of the recording.

[clack]

How odd that the BBC didn't announce this as a "world exclusive" or give it any context. Just, "that was Where is She by Brian Wilson -- now let's talk to a drug mule."

Anyway, a part of me wishes that all the previously unreleased unbooted tracks could be premiered one by one like a single from a forthcoming album would be, so we could have time to focus on each and listen to them over and over before the next one came along. 'Where is She' might have gotten a bit lost otherwise by the crush of the rest of the new MIC stuff.

[The Shift]

How odd that the BBC didn't announce this as a "world exclusive" or give it any context. Just, "that was Where is She by Brian Wilson -- now let's talk to a drug mule."

Small World tale Pt 1: that "drug mule" used to have a stall on the same market as my sister, at Sowerby Bridge near Halifax in West Yorkshire. Little Sis just happened to be world travelling when Sandra was arrested, and was able to visit her in Bangkok's Klong Prem prison.  Don't suppose she had that many visitors from her homeland…

[Cliff1000uk]

Just to let you guys know that the mp3 for Wendy is in the Wendy thread for those that want it

Cheers

[Iron Horse-Apples]

Lyrics are grossly overrated.

Tbh, at 1st notice I got this statement incorrectly, like Mr. Manning. But as you clarified it, I can only agree with you. I too don't think the words are of big importance, any kind of analyzing of the text bores me to no end. So, you're not alone. The same-minded people are also Mr. Newcombe & Zach (aka efloW hcaZ).

Yes, I never really take notice of the lyrics unless it's something amusing (as Brian's songs sometimes are)

If the music is good, they could be singing their shopping lists and I'd be happy.

I'm surprised Range Rover that you remember this. I posted about this subject awhile back now. You must really take the time to read and retain other people's posts.

[bgas]

How odd that the BBC didn't announce this as a "world exclusive" or give it any context. Just, "that was Where is She by Brian Wilson -- now let's talk to a drug mule."

Small World tale Pt 1: that "drug mule" used to have a stall on the same market as my sister, at Sowerby Bridge near Halifax in West Yorkshire. Little Sis just happened to be world travelling when Sandra was arrested, and was able to visit her in Bangkok's Klong Prem prison.  Don't suppose she had that many visitors from her homeland…

Must ask, is/was little sis a drug mule also? being in the same market and all

[RangeRoverA1]

I'm surprised Range Rover that you remember this. I posted about this subject awhile back now. You must really take the time to read and retain other people's posts.

You can't imagine how I enjoy reading people's posts that I memorize almost every written reply, at least in the topics I opened. Generally, I like comparing various opinions, it's so interesting!

[The Shift]

How odd that the BBC didn't announce this as a "world exclusive" or give it any context. Just, "that was Where is She by Brian Wilson -- now let's talk to a drug mule."

Small World tale Pt 1: that "drug mule" used to have a stall on the same market as my sister, at Sowerby Bridge near Halifax in West Yorkshire. Little Sis just happened to be world travelling when Sandra was arrested, and was able to visit her in Bangkok's Klong Prem prison.  Don't suppose she had that many visitors from her homeland…

Must ask, is/was little sis a drug mule also? being in the same market and all

'Fraid not… though I ought to have taken the initiative to get her to mail back illicit live & outtake CDs from the Far East!

[Shady]

Brian's vocals are heavenly..

Uhh, I love this era, I wish we had more unreleased tracks from it.

[Wirestone]

Amazing to think of all the stuff hanging around in the vaults like this -- it's been 44 years since this was recorded, and no one outside of deepest BB land has heard it.

What an sensational band.

(As to the song itself -- it's pretty slight. Or rather, it's slight in its present state. I suspect that Brian was basically getting an idea down, which would have been expanded and refined considerably before any sort of official release. You can also see why the rest of the band was so slow to suspect anything was really wrong with Brian -- as long as he could just toss off stuff like this, how bad could he be?)

[BB Universe]

Just gave a listen to it.
Wonderful!!
Elegant in its simplicity.
Reminder of just how good Brian's voice was back then.

[jvcthome]

Where can she be if she's not here with me?
Where, where can she be?
Where can she be if she's not here with me?
Where, where can she be?

Where has she gone?
She's been gone for so long
Making me worry and wonder
Where is she?
Where is she...

Wonder if she's coming home
(I wonder if she's coming home)
Wonder if she's all alone
Wasting her time on losing my mind
Wondering if she's coming home

How do I feel knowing love is away
How, how do I feel?
No good for myself or to anyone else
No, my love is away

It's just too weird when I think of it now
Why do I have to wonder
Where is she?
Where is she...

Maybe she's on her way home
(I wonder if she's coming home)
And that could mean she's all alone
Thinking of me
I wanted to be
On her way home

Where can she be if she's not here with me?
Where, where can she be?
Where can she be if she's not here with me?
Where, where can she be?