The Alan Boyd Thread

[Alan Boyd]

I wouldn't say that there was an embargo on Dennis' stuff, as you suggest - it's just that the tapes recorded and produced under Dennis' solo contract with Caribou don't belong to Brother Records or The Beach Boys.  They're currently being stored with The Beach Boys' material, along with hundreds of other tapes left at Brother Studios by various clients in the 1970s, stacks of which we've managed to "repatriate" to their rightful owners (some of whom were pleasantly stunned when we tracked them down and gave them their tapes back, 25-plus years after the sessions!)

[Ken.W]

Hi, Alan.

What would you say is the most suprising find of Dennis' work that you've found so far?

Full props to your archival work, btw!

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

Can you tell us who those "various clients" are?  I believe the Paley Brothers would be two of them, right?

[Alan Boyd]

There are some tapes in there, mis-labeled "Haley Bros."

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Alan....can you give us a date for "Rollin' Up To Heaven"? Any further info about this odd track?

[Alan Boyd]

If you're referring to the very odd version of "Ding Dang" that's floating around, that dates from the trip to Caribou Ranch in late 1974.  It's on the same reel as the original basic track for "Goiod Timin'."

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Interesting. Brian still has his "old" voice on that one....

[Cabana Boy]

If you're referring to the very odd version of "Ding Dang" that's floating around, that dates from the trip to Caribou Ranch in late 1974.  It's on the same reel as the original basic track for "Good Timin'."

Checkmate, Jasper. Knew it.

[Cabana Boy]

Checkmate, Jasper. Knew it.

Ooh, I say, that closely resembled un-gentlemanly conduct.

Apologies, lads. As you were. 

[Cabana Boy]

...

[Cabana Boy]

*bolts for exit door*

[XY]

Checkmate, Jasper. Knew it.

Me? Impossible, I never fail.
Can you please explain what exactly you mean with that?

[Cabana Boy]

Can you please explain what exactly you mean with that?

Just being juvenile, petty, un-gentlemanly and gloaty.

But since you asked... Remember when you said (on the 12th of whenever, some time back, Lord knows when) that "Rollin Up To Heaven" was a 'Sunflower' era toss-off and I swore blind it was one of those Caribou Ranch thingys??? Well, *I* was right, and *YOU* were wrong!!! MWAAAAAAAAAAAAAH HAAAAAAAAAAA HAHAHAHA!!! **I** WAS RIGHT, AND **YOU** WERE WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAH, HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! MWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

[XY]

OMG, no! Fortunately there are people on this board who really know the facts.

[Cabana Boy]

OMG, no!

Oh, don't worry, it wasn't just you... IT WAS JASON, TOO!!!!
MWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, HAHAHA!!!!!!!!
<maniacal>AAAAAAAAAAAH, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!</maniacal>

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Ooookay.

Anyway, Brian really sounds great on that cut. What happened between 74 and 15 Big Ones? He couldn’t have damaged his voice that much in a year, could he? I think it was intentional.

Perhaps the 1974 sessions are of a high quality. Why was Brian suddenly active again? Did the explosion in sales bring him back to life? It seems his behavior is often connected to how his records are selling. Mayhap it was not Smile and drugs which drove him away but a lack of sales, which resulted in a lack of confidence and interest. Was it because the post-Good Vibrations material was not being accepted by the public that he became less active, or the fact that he was less active making the material less acceptable?

He did next to nothing on Surf’s Up, So Tough, and Holland. Why suddenly a return to the studio? Just on an upswing? Like his 4 days of work on KTSA?

What other songs were cut in ’74? River Song? Battle Hymn of the Republic? Do we have a comprehensive list? And what ended the sessions?

[Cabana Boy]

Serious question for Mr. Boyd.
Sorry if it's been asked, I've been missing for spells, but - is it known when the BB's version of Terry Jacks' 'Seasons In The Sun' was tracked? There seem to be a few conflicting calls on that one.

Such a miserable, un-edifying lyric. Such a lovely lead vocal from Carl (still more unnervingly paired with those boucy chorus backgrounds). Some contrast.

Perhaps the 1974 sessions are of a high quality.

Or... were? Didn't most of 'em go up in smoke?

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

That’s the rumor.

[Jason Penick]

If I can field this one for Alan, "Seasons" was tracked on the cusp of the Sunflower and Surf's Up Sessions in 1970.  (If Badman is to be believed anyway.)  Mike is quoted in that book as not liking it because he is not pleased with Carl's vocal and that the song is (paraphrased) "too wimpy for the Beach Boys" (!!!)

Here's a partial list of stuff the band cut in 1974.  Maybe Alan could elaborate on some of the mystery titles:

Share Your Love (Ricky Faatar track)
Shortenin' Bread
Clangin' (is this the same things as "Ding Dang"?)
Marcella (remake by Brian)
"Guitar demo" (Carl)
"Carl's Moog Riff" (Carl and Ricky)
Good Timin'
"Jam" (with Ricky Faatar)
Ding Dang
Is It Really Love? (not sure if this is the Beach Boys)
Birthday Greeting for Roger McGuinn
Foolin' (Ricky Faatar)
"Drum Song" (Ricky again)
"Carl demo"
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Hard Times aka Ding Dang (obviously not the earlier Blondie Chaplin song titled "Hard Times")
Our Life Our Love Our Land??
Don't Let Me Go??
Battle Hymn of the Republic (alternate take)
Child of Winter
Here Comes Santa Claus
It's OK
California Feeling (probably just a demo)
The River aka River Song (Dennis)
Honeycomb (Brian)
Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Dennis)
Baseball (Dennis - not the same song as "It's Trying to Say")
String Bass Song (early version of "Rainbows" according to AB)
Dennis Symphony
Rollin' Up to Heaven

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Thanks alot, Jason. That's just the information I was looking for.


So is Clangin’/Ding Dang/Rollin’ Up To Heaven/Hard Times all the same song?

The track we heard on “Get The Boot” did have the phrase “Hard Time” repeated frequently.

In Rolling Stone, they describe a song called “Clang” as featuring the lyric “Hey Holy Something Rather hallelujah” as a background.

Are the just variations on the same theme?

To this day, Brian still days “Ding Dang” is his favorite song, which is a head-scratcher for me!

[Susan]

To this day, Brian still days “Ding Dang” is his favorite song, which is a head-scratcher for me!

Ah, Bubba...he says that about a lot of songs!

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

But I think he meant it that time.

I was on QVC, after all......

[c-man]

Serious question for Mr. Boyd.
Sorry if it's been asked, I've been missing for spells, but - is it known when the BB's version of Terry Jacks' 'Seasons In The Sun' was tracked? There seem to be a few conflicting calls on that one.

According to the AFM sheet, the track for "Seasons" was laid down by Terry Jacks at Brian's studio on
July 31 and August 4, 1970.  Players on the first session were Earl Palmer (drums), Sonny Curtis & Mike Deasy (guitars), and Lyle Ritz (bass).  Virgil Evans (trumpet) overdubbed his part at the second session.
Badman seems to indicate that The Beach Boys' vocals were worked on at both sessions.  Also he says Dennis was absent from both sessions.
  
C-Man

[Bicyclerider]

Hard Times is a Blondie/Ricky song that can be found on Get The Boot - recorded after Holland, it's a great song - probably my favorite of the Blondie/Ricky songs recorded with the  Beach Boys.

[Jason Penick]

Hard Times is a Blondie/Ricky song that can be found on Get The Boot - recorded after Holland, it's a great song - probably my favorite of the Blondie/Ricky songs recorded with the  Beach Boys.

Hard Times aka Ding Dang (obviously not the earlier Blondie Chaplin song titled "Hard Times")