"Our Happy Home" and other Friends outtakes

[Chris Moise]

 
I remember Alan Boyd mentioning that Our Happy Home was a backing track (no vocals). Do we know anything about the other unreleased titles associated with the Friends sessions (see below)? Are they working titles? Backing tracks? Completed unreleased songs? Any info is appreciated!


You're As Cool As You Can Be 
I'm Confessin'
Walkin'
Be Here in the Morning (first version)

[Bob Hanes]

the one I know is "Walkin'".  It is (suprise, surprise) a walking bass line. few instruments.  Which Al says as the track begins to playback, "I can't sing this bitch!".  It's about "an old lady", "a car", It's a very sort of fun convoluted "day in the life of Brian" sort of tune and song. 
I love it, it's raw and warm but uninspiring (if that's what you're looking for), like most of Friends.  But like Brian says, "I was writing nice pretty little songs".

[Chris Moise]

the one I know is "Walkin'".  It is (suprise, surprise) a walking bass line. few instruments.  Which Al says as the track begins to playback, "I can't sing this bitch!".  It's about "an old lady", "a car", It's a very sort of fun convoluted "day in the life of Brian" sort of tune and song. 
I love it, it's raw and warm but uninspiring (if that's what you're looking for), like most of Friends.  But like Brian says, "I was writing nice pretty little songs".

That sounds neat. Thanks for that Bob!

[Bob Hanes]

Chris, I wish I knew more about the others you asked after.  I have seen the titles but there is so much "unfinished" un-named stuff from that era (in my experience the stuff has no titles) that it's possible we have heard some of those under other titles or in tiny bits ??
I guess that's the fun of it, huh?

[Chris Moise]

Chris, I wish I knew more about the others you asked after.  I have seen the titles but there is so much "unfinished" un-named stuff from that era (in my experience the stuff has no titles) that it's possible we have heard some of those under other titles or in tiny bits ??
I guess that's the fun of it, huh?

I know what you mean. It is fun. Even though we may never hear some of the unreleased stuff it's kind of neat to know that it exists.

[Bob Hanes]

I said:
"I guess that's the fun of it, huh?"

Chris responded:
"I know what you mean. It is fun. Even though we may never hear some of the unreleased stuff it's kind of neat to know that it exists."

So is "Carl's Insrumental" (from Mike's intended album) really an early version or template for "Angel Come Home"?

It makes me laugh, at myself.

ponder, ponder, ponder, ponder, ponder,po

[Andrew G. Doe]

I remember Alan Boyd mentioning that Our Happy Home was a backing track (no vocals). Do we know anything about the other unreleased titles associated with the Friends sessions (see below)? Are they working titles? Backing tracks? Completed unreleased songs? Any info is appreciated!


You're As Cool As You Can Be 
I'm Confessin'
Walkin'
Be Here in the Morning (first version)

The unreleased track to "BHITM" that I'm familiar with lasts about a minute. I don't think it's in wide circulation.

[Chris Moise]

I remember Alan Boyd mentioning that Our Happy Home was a backing track (no vocals). Do we know anything about the other unreleased titles associated with the Friends sessions (see below)? Are they working titles? Backing tracks? Completed unreleased songs? Any info is appreciated!


You're As Cool As You Can Be 
I'm Confessin'
Walkin'
Be Here in the Morning (first version)

The unreleased track to "BHITM" that I'm familiar with lasts about a minute. I don't think it's in wide circulation.

Thanks for that Andrew. Does that BHITM have vocals? Do we know anything about those other titles I mentioned?

Thanks!

[Jason Penick]

So is "Carl's Insrumental" (from Mike's intended album) really an early version or template for "Angel Come Home"?

I asked Brad Elliott about this a long time ago... At the time there was a lot of speculation that "Carl's Song" was actually a Dennis composition, because it was found on the same tape as Dennis's unreleased "Barnyard Blues".  However, Brad disputed this notion, due to the facts that a) "Carl's Song" does vaguely resemble "Angel Come Home" and b) also on that same master tape is a cut labeled as "Mike's Song" which would eventually become "Everyone's in Love with You".

The vocal for "Walkin'" was cut during the Sunflower sessions-- hence it is not a true Friends outtake. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

I remember Alan Boyd mentioning that Our Happy Home was a backing track (no vocals). Do we know anything about the other unreleased titles associated with the Friends sessions (see below)? Are they working titles? Backing tracks? Completed unreleased songs? Any info is appreciated!


You're As Cool As You Can Be 
I'm Confessin'
Walkin'
Be Here in the Morning (first version)

The unreleased track to "BHITM" that I'm familiar with lasts about a minute. I don't think it's in wide circulation.

Thanks for that Andrew. Does that BHITM have vocals? Do we know anything about those other titles I mentioned?

Thanks!

No vocal at all. Just a track.

[Chris Moise]

Oh well. Thanks again Andrew

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

So is "Carl's Insrumental" (from Mike's intended album) really an early version or template for "Angel Come Home"?

I asked Brad Elliott about this a long time ago... At the time there was a lot of speculation that "Carl's Song" was actually a Dennis composition, because it was found on the same tape as Dennis's unreleased "Barnyard Blues".  However, Brad disputed this notion, due to the facts that a) "Carl's Song" does vaguely resemble "Angel Come Home" and b) also on that same master tape is a cut labeled as "Mike's Song" which would eventually become "Everyone's in Love with You".

The vocal for "Walkin'" was cut during the Sunflower sessions-- hence it is not a true Friends outtake. 

Is that really Al on "Walkin"? It sounds like Brian to me.

[Jason Penick]

Is that really Al on "Walkin"? It sounds like Brian to me.

Singing?  I would say that's almost certainly Brian.  You can hear him talking about how he doesn't want to sing it at the beginning, and at the end he says something like "f*** it, I can't sing on pitch."

I think the track itself is a Jardine composition, or an A. Jardine/ B. Wilson co-write, hence the confusion.

[Bob Hanes]

you're right it's brian.  i assumed, even knowing better, that i remembered it being Al.  I listened again to recall the chatter, so I could post it properly.  You got it perfect.  Definitely Brian.
In my own defense, during that Sunflower period Al was singing so much of "Brian sounding vocals, Alan acctually had to call Al to verify when it was him and when it was actually Brian on released and unreleased material.
No matter what anyone says, Al has chops vocally! 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Oh, I've never denied that. Al is the f*cking man, and always has been.

One thing: Am I the only one who thinks that the track for "Walkin" almost sounds like a Love You song? I mean, it's obviously not, but it sounds like one.

[Bob Hanes]

NO, you're not alone.  Brian loved those "shuffle" bass lines.  Good Vibrations is one, as is Rick Henn/Brian Wilson penned song.  On Here Today Brian takes the idea into the "surf genre" and uses a Dano Electric to "rumble" the (nearly) bass line in certain points.
Signature stuff fer sure, and probably why Love You is nearly an early album, except for the vocals.

[Bicyclerider]

Yeah, Al is amazing when it comes to mimicking Brian's voice - on the rehearsal of Back Home (Sunflower era), there's a point at the end where Al and Brian are singing and it sounds like Brian overdubbing himself.

[37!ws]

I'm guessing that "I'm Confessin'" is a remake of the Frank Ifield song, the one that Dave Dexter at Capitol decided would be more suitable for release than "She Loves You."

I wouldn't be surprised. Around that time, Brian was recording a lot of covers -- "Little Red Book," "With A Little Help From My Friends," "I Was Made To Love Her," "The Letter," "Walk On By," and God knows what else...