Cool, cool water

[Olivio]

I remember reading that Brian wrote this in march 1967, but that it wasn't recorded until the Wild Honey sessions. There seems to be some controversy to this song among Smile fanatics. On one hand it sounds a lot like Love to say Da Da and in his book Dominic Priore always regards the song as a piece of the Smile puzzle. The song celebrates the joy of a clean, fresh glass of cool water in a manner which I think is in line with the Smile concept. On the other hand, a lot of fans seem to hate when people use the song in their Smile mix. Any thoughts on this?

[punkinhead]

to me, cool cool water was written after smile in a smile like way such as Can't Wait too Long & Time to Get Alone. It takes the water chant from In Blue Hawaii, so in that way, it's similar, but to me, it's not up to par with other smile tunes.

[c-man]

I think Brian just "borrowed" the water theme, as well as one of the riffs, from "Da-Da" and turned it into a similar but different song, "Cool Cool Water", a few months later. 

[Rocker]

Wasn't it written with a "Coca-Cola-commercial" in mind?

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Wasn't it written with a "Coca-Cola-commercial" in mind?

It sounds like the music to one of those dancing commercials. People with big grins hopping about to the rythm of the song and vocals, snapping of the tops to water bottles, camera following the sparkle of it to the lips, looks of fulfillment.

Sometimes I forget that when listening to the song.

[Olivio]

It takes the water chant from In Blue Hawaii,

Isn't this only on the Sunflower version? If anyone knows exactly when the Wild Honey version was recorded (and maybe under what circumstances), i'd like to know... Also, why didn't it end up on a grab-bag like 20/20, seeing as it was completed?

Do you think it is completely inappropriate on a Smile mix?

[Cabana Boy]

If anyone knows exactly when the Wild Honey version was recorded

Late October, 1967.

Also, why didn't it end up on a grab-bag like 20/20, seeing as it was completed?

How do you mean by completed? The one you hear on the boxset? Or "completed" as in the version that first saw release? The additional work for the latter probably wasn't done 'til late in the 'Sunflower' sessions, seeing how it didn't appear on the album's earlier projected/rejected lineup.

[Bill Barnyard]

Cool Cool Water was, as Cabana Boy correctly notes, initially cut in October 67 but was left unfinished as there were apparantly some internal band disputes over it's inclusion on Wild Honey; others might say that Mike Love hated it at the time but I don't know the 'true' reason. Brian did indeed write the song in March 67 just after he moved to the house at Bellagio. The version of CCW heard on the GV box set is the one from 67.

Brian did not initially approve of the inclusion of the 'water chant' on the Sunflower version as I understand it. It's link to 'Da Da' (Blue Hawaii) may simply be a case of Brian re-using riffs from other songs rather than the water theme represented in both.

 

[Cabana Boy]

The version of CCW heard on the GV box set is the one from 67.

Which is probably as completed as it was gonna get for 'Wild Honey'.

If, by "completed", Olivio means the 'Sunflower' state of completion, the reason it never came out earlier than 'Sunflower' is because it wasn't completed 'til the 'Sunflower' sessions. There.

[Olivio]

Thanks for your answers... I'm glad to be aboard now after being a lurker on this forum for some time. You guys sure know your BB trivia! 

When I said completed, I did mean the Wild Honey version, which in my ears sounds perfectly complete. I much prefer it to the Sunflower version as the production on that album is a little too slick for my taste. I also like the simplistic lyrics on the first version and I don't think the lyrics on Sunflower were necessary.

As of march '67, Brian hadn't really given up on Smile. I'm pretty sure he had the whole production to Cool, Cool Water envisioned in his head after he had written it. That's why I wanted to know your opinion on how the song relates to Smile. I mean, by march Smile was already a giant mess and a lot of stuff wouldn't have fitted into what more conservative Smile purists consider to be "the real album" (or the original vision of Smile) ...well, by that I mean that a lot of the music Brian was making at the time was merely musical exercice and not as focused as the 1966 sessions.
I am currently putting together a very snippet-based mix of Smile, and originally Cool, Cool Water was on the playlist. It doesn't sound out of place at all, as a lot of the parts are similar in a way. However, I'm beginning to have doubts about it and wanted your expertise.