Sherry, She Needs Me

[WesB8302]

Since I've gotten MiC, I keep coming back to this song. I really like it, but it also is tragic to me to hear the damage BW had done to his voice in 11 years. The moment on the tag where you hear '76 Brian followed very shortly by the sweet falsetto of '65 Brian on the lyric "said goodbye" may be the most heartbreaking vocal moment recorded by the BB.

Anyone else get the same feeling from listening?  Regardless, I love the song!

[Freddie French-Pounce]

I never cared much for it before [I hadn't really played it to be honest], but I love it now! It's just a shame we ended up with more B-Pain on such a track. Some of it just sounds so 'shiny'...

Still play it to death regardless!

[Watch a Cave]

This is probably my favorite "new" track on MIC..  I absolutely LOVE it!  I just don't understand how the original Sandy version wasn't finished.  The backing track is stunning and the few vocals that were recorded are fabulous as well.  Seriously I can't get enough of this song..  I must have played this and Guess I'm Dumb like a thousand times in the last month.

Could you imagine the Today album with a finished Sandy and BB version of Guess I'm Dumb??  Wow..


And you are right.. the purity of young Brian's voice vs the gruffness of 1976 is insane.  It makes me want to cry.

[Dove Nested Towers]

Certainly one of the most prominent "what ifs" in their oeuvre that "Sandy" was not finished at the time of its original track & vocal fragments' recording in '65(?) I can't recall the story behind the composition of the lyrics (don't remember if they've been discussed) & whether they are the '65 "Sandy" lyrics in their entirety or not, but the original track sounds richer & fuller to me even though it is supposedly (from what I understand, haven't bought the box yet) the same track with the '76 vocals flown in (sounds to me like the '76 instr. track as well) but a period BW lead and mid-60s harmony stack on the choruses would have been one of the highlights of the whole catalogue IMO. Such an emotive, plaintive song.

[CenturyDeprived]

I really like this song too, but does anyone else find it hard to not think about the Four Seasons' song Sherry? Particularly at the part in the song where Brian sings a long extended, "Sherrrrrr-errrrey baby"?

It seems like it had to have been a deliberate FS nod/ reference, no? It wouldn't be the first FS reference in a BB song either, since Surfers Rule had one too. But in this case, I feel that it detracts just a bit from the listening experience. Maybe it's just me.

[Wirestone]

Certainly one of the most prominent "what ifs" in their oeuvre that "Sandy" was not finished at the time of its original track & vocal fragments' recording in '65(?) I can't recall the story behind the composition of the lyrics (don't remember if they've been discussed) & whether they are the '65 "Sandy" lyrics in their entirety or not, but the original track sounds richer & fuller to me even though it is supposedly (from what I understand, haven't bought the box yet) the same track with the '76 vocals flown in (sounds to me like the '76 instr. track as well) but a period BW lead and mid-60s harmony stack on the choruses would have been one of the highlights of the whole catalogue IMO. Such an emotive, plaintive song.

There is no '76 instrumental track. That's the whole point.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Certainly one of the most prominent "what ifs" in their oeuvre that "Sandy" was not finished at the time of its original track & vocal fragments' recording in '65(?) I can't recall the story behind the composition of the lyrics (don't remember if they've been discussed) & whether they are the '65 "Sandy" lyrics in their entirety or not, but the original track sounds richer & fuller to me even though it is supposedly (from what I understand, haven't bought the box yet) the same track with the '76 vocals flown in (sounds to me like the '76 instr. track as well) but a period BW lead and mid-60s harmony stack on the choruses would have been one of the highlights of the whole catalogue IMO. Such an emotive, plaintive song.

You're getting in a bit of a twist. The 1965 track for "Sherry..." was just that - a track, no more (recorded 3/29/65, during the Summer Days... sessions). Then on 5/4/65, Brian re-recorded the track as "Sandy..." and partial vocals were cut the next day. Vocals (lead & bvs, all Brian) were added to the "Sherry... " track on 8/21/76. The version on the new box is an amalgam of them both, mostly the "Sherry..." version but with the "Sandy..." tag flown in. All the instrumentation hails from 1965.

[Watch a Cave]

So the question remains.. why didn't Brian finish the Sandy track in 65?  It boggles my mind.

[Mitchell]

Not to question your expertise, AGD, but are you sure the "Sherry" track was recorded before the "Sandy" one? It seems to be more Summer Days-like whereas Sandy is more Today-like (even if both were done in the Summer Days period, as you say. The Sherry track has to be one of BW's best. Love the delicate intro and the blasting chorus. I have always loved this song upon first hearing it.

[Dove Nested Towers]

Certainly one of the most prominent "what ifs" in their oeuvre that "Sandy" was not finished at the time of its original track & vocal fragments' recording in '65(?) I can't recall the story behind the composition of the lyrics (don't remember if they've been discussed) & whether they are the '65 "Sandy" lyrics in their entirety or not, but the original track sounds richer & fuller to me even though it is supposedly (from what I understand, haven't bought the box yet) the same track with the '76 vocals flown in (sounds to me like the '76 instr. track as well) but a period BW lead and mid-60s harmony stack on the choruses would have been one of the highlights of the whole catalogue IMO. Such an emotive, plaintive song.

You're getting in a bit of a twist. The 1965 track for "Sherry..." was just that - a track, no more (recorded 3/29/65, during the Summer Days... sessions). Then on 5/4/65, Brian re-recorded the track as "Sandy..." and partial vocals were cut the next day. Vocals (lead & bvs, all Brian) were added to the "Sherry... " track on 8/21/76. The version on the new box is an amalgam of them both, mostly the "Sherry..." version but with the "Sandy..." tag flown in. All the instrumentation hails from 1965.

I misspoke about a "'76 instrumental track". Of course I realize that the two vocal renditions are combined on  the MIC version (with the exception of Mike's two "Sandy, baby, it's time we said goodbye" lines, which were not used both because this version is addressing one "Sherry", and their inclusion, even if it was the right girl, would have been another slightly jarring juxtaposition of old & new, although if he had been referencing "Sherry" they might have considered including them as well). In any case, my point was that had period vocals been completed for either '65 iteration, the result would undoubtedly have been stellar and it was a sadly missed opportunity for greatness.

[zachrwolfe]

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[Andrew G. Doe]

Not to question your expertise, AGD, but are you sure the "Sherry" track was recorded before the "Sandy" one?

You're questioning two 1965 AFM sheets and c-mans research, not my (alleged) expertise.  

[Jay]

Even thought it's kind of "digital fuckery", I kind of like the ending vocals from "Sandy". Especially the "whooa, bah bah bah" bit. It kind of makes me wish that the group had released it this way back in 1976 after Brian "completed it" with his vocal. Althought it would have stood out like a sore thumb on any album from that era. It's just simply to good to be alongside any of the other tracks from the period. I would liken it to finding a pearl in a clam found buried deep in the dark and murky ocean.

[Mitchell]

Not to question your expertise, AGD, but are you sure the "Sherry" track was recorded before the "Sandy" one?

You're questioning two 1965 AFM sheets and c-mans research, not my (alleged) expertise.  

Your expertise here would lie in knowing where the facts have been laid out. That's very interesting, thanks!

[runnersdialzero]

So the question remains.. why didn't Brian finish the Sandy track in 65?  It boggles my mind.

Because he's a big dummy.

[Shane]

I'm still laughing at the B-Pain comment from earlier.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

I'm still laughing at the B-Pain comment from earlier.

Why me so funny? It's not a term I coined