Dennis Wilson solo recordings

[peerke]

So...Peerke...what about the video clip of "Lady"??

I am sorry, Mr. Stebbins. It definitely wasn't my intention to put you on. I had prepared the text at home and was looking, during my lunchbreak at work for some pictures to illustrate the text. I came across this YouTube link and thought it would be interesting. But at work, I can not open this kind of links. I didn't check it later. That, in a nutshell, is the whole story.
I apologize. The only pupose was to give a summary of the solo work of Dennis Wilson. I am not saying I know everything about him. That's why I added "feel free to correct or comment".

[Aegir]

Mike Love recorded a version of 10,000 Years Ago recently. The lyrics are pretty lame.

[Jon Stebbins]

So...Peerke...what about the video clip of "Lady"??

I am sorry, Mr. Stebbins. It definitely wasn't my intention to put you on. I had prepared the text at home and was looking, during my lunchbreak at work for some pictures to illustrate the text. I came across this YouTube link and thought it would be interesting. But at work, I can not open this kind of links. I didn't check it later. That, in a nutshell, is the whole story.
I apologize. The only pupose was to give a summary of the solo work of Dennis Wilson. I am not saying I know everything about him. That's why I added "feel free to correct or comment".

Okay Bro...you just got me all churned up because that clip is like the grail for me. A live TV appearance of an acoustic version of Lady which is rendered beautifully(I have the audio)...I've seen the stills...DW looks great...so to have the moving color pictures would really make me happy. I thought you were torturing me for fun. Just FYI...The DW solo material is lurching towards a release with lots of stops and starts and strangeness...but its moving forward. 2008 will more than likely be the year. Thanks for the explanation.

[the captain]

The DW solo material is lurching towards a release with lots of stops and starts and strangeness...

That doesn't sound like a Beach Boys-related product at all! They NEVER have stops, starts or strangeness...

[peerke]

The DW solo material is lurching towards a release with lots of stops and starts and strangeness...but its moving forward. 2008 will more than likely be the year.

That's fantastic news. Let's hope it will come through soon.

[Chris Brown]

So...Peerke...what about the video clip of "Lady"??

I am sorry, Mr. Stebbins. It definitely wasn't my intention to put you on. I had prepared the text at home and was looking, during my lunchbreak at work for some pictures to illustrate the text. I came across this YouTube link and thought it would be interesting. But at work, I can not open this kind of links. I didn't check it later. That, in a nutshell, is the whole story.
I apologize. The only pupose was to give a summary of the solo work of Dennis Wilson. I am not saying I know everything about him. That's why I added "feel free to correct or comment".

Okay Bro...you just got me all churned up because that clip is like the grail for me. A live TV appearance of an acoustic version of Lady which is rendered beautifully(I have the audio)...I've seen the stills...DW looks great...so to have the moving color pictures would really make me happy. I thought you were torturing me for fun. Just FYI...The DW solo material is lurching towards a release with lots of stops and starts and strangeness...but its moving forward. 2008 will more than likely be the year. Thanks for the explanation.

Jon, to your knowledge thus far is there any chance that "Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again" will finally see the light of day on a re-release of POB (maybe as a bonus track)?  As I'm sure you know that song is the holy grail for a lot of us as far as mostly-unheard Dennis material goes.

[Alan Boyd]

Sad to say, some years ago I spoke to a representative of the company that owns the rights to the old David Frost show, and I was told that the master 2" video masters were no longer "extant."  Not sure if that meant they had been lost or if someone had determined that they were unplayable or if they were junked to save money on storage fees or if the folks in the office simply didn't want to deal with the hassle of going into a warehouse to look for them....

The only reason we had access to the 1971 David Frost show ("Cool Cool Water") was because a studio technician at the time liked the group's performance so much he went ahead and snuck a copy for himself.

It'd be a real shame if they junked the tapes.  Those old 2" video masters have turned out to be surprisingly durable, if one knows what to do with them.

[Jon Stebbins]

So...Peerke...what about the video clip of "Lady"??

I am sorry, Mr. Stebbins. It definitely wasn't my intention to put you on. I had prepared the text at home and was looking, during my lunchbreak at work for some pictures to illustrate the text. I came across this YouTube link and thought it would be interesting. But at work, I can not open this kind of links. I didn't check it later. That, in a nutshell, is the whole story.
I apologize. The only pupose was to give a summary of the solo work of Dennis Wilson. I am not saying I know everything about him. That's why I added "feel free to correct or comment".

Okay Bro...you just got me all churned up because that clip is like the grail for me. A live TV appearance of an acoustic version of Lady which is rendered beautifully(I have the audio)...I've seen the stills...DW looks great...so to have the moving color pictures would really make me happy. I thought you were torturing me for fun. Just FYI...The DW solo material is lurching towards a release with lots of stops and starts and strangeness...but its moving forward. 2008 will more than likely be the year. Thanks for the explanation.

Jon, to your knowledge thus far is there any chance that "Wouldn't It Be Nice to Live Again" will finally see the light of day on a re-release of POB (maybe as a bonus track)?  As I'm sure you know that song is the holy grail for a lot of us as far as mostly-unheard Dennis material goes.

WIBNTLA is a "Beach Boys" track and doesn't fall into the Caribou owned DW solo catalog. Sorry to say if it didn't show up on Warmth of the Sun(where there was every opportunity to include it) then it probably will remain under wraps until something I don't know about yet happens.

[matt-zeus]

So this new DW package is separate from the BB? With regards to bonuses (whatever they may be) how easy is it to differentiate between Dennis stuff done for the BB and stuff for himself, and more importantly what company would own the rights to it. Obviously J Guercio owns POB, but River song was also a BB song at some point etc etc..
Likewise with the Bamboo material, its hard to divide that and the BB stuff - seeing as some of it was on LA..

[Jon Stebbins]

So this new DW package is separate from the BB? With regards to bonuses (whatever they may be) how easy is it to differentiate between Dennis stuff done for the BB and stuff for himself, and more importantly what company would own the rights to it. Obviously J Guercio owns POB, but River song was also a BB song at some point etc etc..
Likewise with the Bamboo material, its hard to divide that and the BB stuff - seeing as some of it was on LA..

This is why it took so long to get to the point the project is at now, sorting the legalities. They are sorted as best as I can determine, although in this world anything can happen. JG owns all the stuff from POB including outtakes and unreleased tracks of which there are a couple really good ones, and for the most part all of the stuff from the Bamboo period as well, much of it unfinished, some of it finished and amazing. If the BB's used DW solo material on L.A. it doesn't preclude JG from asserting his ownership under the terms of his orig. contract with Dennis. I doubt there will be much overlap there anyway.

[melissalynn]

"2008 will more than likely be the year."

Wow, that just made my day. More like week. No, I take that back...possibly year.
Just to know that things are finally happening makes me smile.

[matt-zeus]

So this new DW package is separate from the BB? With regards to bonuses (whatever they may be) how easy is it to differentiate between Dennis stuff done for the BB and stuff for himself, and more importantly what company would own the rights to it. Obviously J Guercio owns POB, but River song was also a BB song at some point etc etc..
Likewise with the Bamboo material, its hard to divide that and the BB stuff - seeing as some of it was on LA..

This is why it took so long to get to the point the project is at now, sorting the legalities. They are sorted as best as I can determine, although in this world anything can happen. JG owns all the stuff from POB including outtakes and unreleased tracks of which there are a couple really good ones, and for the most part all of the stuff from the Bamboo period as well, much of it unfinished, some of it finished and amazing. If the BB's used DW solo material on L.A. it doesn't preclude JG from asserting his ownership under the terms of his orig. contract with Dennis. I doubt there will be much overlap there anyway.

Well its good news anyway, seeing as it been 6 years since the Hawthorne CD, it'll be great to have a rare BB fix, whatever it is!
On a side note to Alan Boyd, anything happen with the BB central?

[mikeyj]

"2008 will more than likely be the year."

Wow, that just made my day. More like week. No, I take that back...possibly year.
Just to know that things are finally happening makes me smile.

Yeh that really is great news, becuse I (like many others) am a big fan of Denny's and would love to hear some of the Bamboo tracks/POB outtakes re-mastered but Im not getting too excited because as Jon says, anything can happen

[peerke]

Part 3: Bamboo

(Note: this is my interpretation of what could have happened. Living in Belgium, it's only based on various interviews published in magazines and on the net.)


Even before Pacific Ocean Blue was released Dennis Wilson already started working on the follow-up album.

Those first sessions were to record some left-overs, like '(I Found Myself in a) Wild Situation' and a re-recording of 'School Girl'. Both songs were a bit politically incorrect and perhaps not deemed fitting to the atmosphere of the album.
Also dating from these sessions is the backing track for 'Baby Blue Eyes'.

In May 1977 he is interviewed by David Leaf to promote Pacific Ocean Blue, but he is more interested in talking about the next album.
"[The record company] call it one, two, three. I just don't stop recording. You're talking to, if there ever was, a freak or somebody completely into it, I am home here at the studio or playing music on the road. When I go to the shack that I stay at, I hate it. Music is everything. The stage, recording music, signing autographs, worrying about the airplay, worrying about talking to you, everything.
If there was ever a real lover in my life, it'd be Karen Lamm and music. Sounds silly, doesn't it? I just love it. I have so much fun doing it. I want you to come by the studio tonight to watch me record.....it's a new approach...a song called "He's a Bum." Even has a nasty line in there - "he likes to do it on his hands and knees." I know that's terrible but....."

Thanks to this interview, 'He's a bum' became one of the most legendary unreleased Dennis Wilson songs. It appears however that never more then a demo version is recorded and what appears of it on bootlegs is taken from a very poor sounding copy.

These sessions are still being produced together with Gregg Jakobson. Dennis and Gregg were also planning to built a recording studio in Hawaii, called Sunset Studios. A twenty-acre parcel of land on the north shore of Oahu was bought. They planned to live and record there with other musicians in a scenic and peaceful atmosphere. Everything was to be arranged by their new company Bamboo Productions.

"It was their plan for a recording studio and resort in Hawaii that spawned the name "Bamboo"," explained Jon Stebins. "There are those who believe it was never actually a working title for the second LP but only a label for the grand plan percolating around it."

Of course, the project never progressed past the initial planning stages - Dennis simply didn't have the necessary money, or focus, and he ultimately abandoned the project. Jakobson continued with an adjusted version of the Hawaii plan after Dennis had dropped out.

* * *

But there are more plans Dennis had to give up. A proposed solo tour to promote the album was cancelled at the last minute, because Caribou didn't want to spent the amount of money needed for the string and horns sections Dennis wanted to take with him.

* * *

At the same time, the relationships between the different members of the Beach Boys had deteriorated fast that Summer, leading to a (short) split in September 1977 - right after the release of Pacific Ocean Blue.

It's no surprise then that Carl and Dennis prefer to stay at home when Mike, Alan and Brian head to Fairfield, IA to record a contract-fulfilling Christmas album for Warners.

Dennis however is prepared to contribute a song. 'Holy Evening' (or 'Morning Christmas' or 'Holy Holy') is recorded in the Brother Studio, in Santa Monica. If released this emotive, stark ballad would have been the best track on the proposed album. Especially noteworthy are the layered angelic vocals courtesy of Marisa Conover.

These M.I.U. sessions were followed by a three-week tour of Australia & New Zealand, in February and March 1978, during which Carl and Dennis tried to cure their unhappiness with drugs and alcohol.

* * *

As Dennis saw his second album as a more ambitious affair then his impressionistic solo debut, he needed someone to replace Gregg Jakobson. He found his perfect collaborator in Carli Muñoz.

Puerto Rico-born Carlos C. Muñoz had joined the Beach Boys touring band in 1970 as percussionist, but when Daryl Dragon left the following year, he replaced him as pianist. Originally a jazz pianist, Carli was also a gifted composer and arranger and a great friend.

In April 1978, they assembled a band in Brothers Studio, consisting of Beach Boys touring band members Bobby Figueroa, Joel Peskin and Sterling Smith, along with players from Smith’s new wave band The Load: bassist Dave Hessler and Sterling’s guitar playing brother Tommy Smith.

With Muňoz as producer, the goal was to record some of the songs Carli had written and stockpiled over the years.

He had composed 'Under the Moonlight' mid-flight during a Beach Boys tour, sometime around 1973. This was a giant step from the sound of POB: it's a brash rocker with a fantastic Ed Carter guitar solo.

The dynamic 'Companion' received lyrics by Rags Baker and clearly shows Muňoz South American background. Carl Wilson was very fond of this song and wanted the use it as the title song of the next Beach Boys album.

The oldest composition from Muňoz recorded during these sessions went as far back as 1967 or 1968. 'It's Not Too Late' aka 'It Won't Be Long' is considered by some to be the most chilling song in the entire Beach Boys cannon. After a sensitive vocal intro by Dennis, it's Carl who takes the lead with one of his most heartfelt vocals of all time. The contrast between the brother's voices is staggering, but the overall effect is extremely effective.

The most famous of these Carli Muňoz songs is the gorgeous and heartbreaking 'All Alone' which was released in 1997 on Capitol's Endless Harmony. Carli had written the song around 1970-71, when he had just joined the band. Dennis plays an ARP synthesizer and adds percussion. While adding the lead vocals , he wanted to change some of the lyrics, as can be heard on an alternate vocal take, which also lacks the unnecessary sax solo.

Other Muňoz compositions that were recorded are 'Shu-Ru Bop' and 'La Plena de Amor'. These two songs were probably unfinished and have not yet surfaced amongst collectors.

These tracks are unique in Dennis's oeuvre. Carli Muňoz contributed not only the songs but also provided Dennis with a tight and uncharacteristically commercial sound. Dennis for his part, as ever not one to do something half-hearted, made all of these songs his own with some of the most honest, heartfelt singing of his career.

* * *

Despite allegations that in April Karen found Dennis not once but twice in the arms of another woman, they re-married on June 28 in Las Vegas. He promised her a new start and to stay clear of cocaine and heroin.

After two weeks she filed for divorce again.

* * *

That Summer and Autumn Dennis continued sporadically to work on his second solo album. This time on it's own.
That move strained the tension between Dennis and Caribou further because Jim Guercio wanted Dennis to work with a staff producer. Because of the label’s demands for a proven producer, the sessions for that second album were actually unauthorized under the terms of Dennis’s Caribou contract.

In August 'Love Surrounds Me' and ‘Time For Bed’ are committed to tape.

Co-written with Geoffrey Cushing-Murray, ‘Love Surrounds Me, explores Dennis’s loss of Karen. Given the recent circumstances, it's not surprisingly it's one of his saddest songs. While Christine McVie is often credited for the background vocals on the tag it might just as well be Marisa Conover once more.

The equally heart-wrenching 'Baby Blue Eyes' receives it's first lead vocals - sung by Carl, while Dennis adds a simple but pretty whistled middle eight.

Furthermore there's a backing track labeled 'New Orleans'. It's not known if lyrics excited or if it is meant to remain an instrumental.

The work is interrupted when, at Karen's request, he is admitted to the Century City hospital at the end of September, 1978, to kick off his drug habits.

The last 'starting date' for a new song is October 15, 1978: 'I Love You.' But because Dennis is used to re-record and replace parts continually, it is impossible to say when the last work is done.

* * *

But then the Brothers Studio has to be sold. The studio, co-owned by Dennis and Carl, has been operating at a loss for many years. "The problem with Brother Studio is that it started becoming a drug hangout," declared Beach Boys manager Jerry Schilling. "Carl was not going to support that, and Dennis did not have the finances to foot it alone."

The closing of the studio signals the end of Bamboo. As part-owner he was able to go in and work on tracks whenever he felt like it - if it wasn't booked by an outside artist, of course. Once the studio is sold, it' become much harder for the unorganized Dennis to work on a moment's notice, as he is used to.

So, in December, mixing and occasionally recording sessions are moved to the Venice Beach home of Beach Boys soundman Tom Murphy. The casual atmosphere of Murphy's sixteen-track home studio suited Dennis's erratic work habits, as did Murphy's tolerant personality.

When a different sound was called for, sessions would be held at United-Western studio, among others. The recording and mixing sessions continue throughout December and January.

But the work is seriously undermined by Dennis's inability to stop drinking. "When we were trying to finish the Bamboo record, Dennis kept getting so drunk I had to stop the sessions and drive him home rather than finish the mixes," says Tom Murphy. "My creative side said, I'm not going to finish the mixes without Dennis because its Dennis's project."

* * *

Shortly there after Dennis offers two of his solo tracks to The Beach Boys, when they need some songs to strengthen their Caribou debut. That move effectively seals that albums' fate.

Both 'Love Surrounds Me' and 'Baby Blue Eyes' (shortened to 'Baby Blue') receive some overdubs to make them more Beach Boys songs, before they are included on L.A. (Light Album) in March 1979.

* * *

Apart from the ongoing personal turmoil and the selling of Brother Studios, Jon Stebbins feels that the main factor in the non release of Dennis's second solo album is that "Bamboo desperately needed an outside producer to pull it together, which is what caused the unfortunate split between James Guercio and Dennis, JG felt that way too. As talented as Dennis was, he was not a good finisher."

"If the Bamboo LP had seen completion the Producer would probably have been Dennis Wilson," he continues, "That's precisely why it didn't see completion, he didn't want to share the vision, and his vision was fuzzy. Tom Murphy could have been a co-producer, or Carli Muñoz, or even Jakobson or Jim Guercio who desperately wanted SOMEBODY brought in to co-produce and to save the sessions. It seems as though he was right. “

* * *

After 1978, Dennis didn't do much work anymore in a recording studio. According to David Leaf, some tracks were cut in Hawaii at one point, but those tapes are not in the Beach Boys' tape vault, so the information on them is very sketchy.

In July 1979, according to engineer Stephen Desper, "Dennis visited the studio once, otherwise stayed on his boat." And around 1980-81 he did produce several sessions for Brian ('Night Bloomin' Jasmine', 'Stevie' and the infamous Hamburger Sessions).

His voice had completely broken down by then. After years of abuse, it had given out completely. "Dennis was convinced that the real damage had been caused by a stray blow to his throat delivered by Stan Love during a recent fistfight. He underwent several operations to remove the damaged tissue, but he never gave his tortured vocal cords a chance to heal properly."

* * *

But let's finish with some quotes from Dennis Wilson himself.

"They say I live a fast life. Maybe I just like a fast life. I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. It won’t last forever, either. But the memories will.”

"Everything that I am or will ever be is in the music. If you want to know me, just listen."

[mikeyj]

By the way, what is Gregg Jakobson doing these days?

[mikeyj]

By the way peerke... really good posts.. you obviously spent a lot of time researching and compiling it... Really well done

[smile-holland]

good writing Peerke.

As Dennis saw his second album as a more ambitious affair then his impressionistic solo debut, he needed someone to replace Gregg Jakobson. He found his perfect collaborator in Carli Muñoz.

I remember reading a couple of years ago (probably in ESQ magazine) that it wasn't Dennis replacing Gregg for Carli, but Gregg ending his work with Dennis, because of his increasing use of alcohol and drugs, which made composing and writing together harder and harder. I’ll have to look up the exact quote.

[MBE]

I did hear My Love Comes Tumbling Down. It's pretty raw, their are some choral voices intoning the title, which comes between Dennis interjecting c'mon over and over. It's got potential but what's there is pretty basic.

[mikeyj]

I did hear My Love Comes Tumbling Down. It's pretty raw, their are some chroal voices intoning the title, which comes between Dennis interjecting c'mon over and over. It's got potential but what's there is pretty basic.

I've never heard of that MBE, when was that recorded (roughly)?

[MBE]

I wouldn't go earlier then 1976 but no later then 78. Probably recorded at the P.O.B. sessions.

[melissalynn]

good writing Peerke.

As Dennis saw his second album as a more ambitious affair then his impressionistic solo debut, he needed someone to replace Gregg Jakobson. He found his perfect collaborator in Carli Muñoz.

I remember reading a couple of years ago (probably in ESQ magazine) that it wasn't Dennis replacing Gregg for Carli, but Gregg ending his work with Dennis, because of his increasing use of alcohol and drugs, which made composing and writing together harder and harder. I’ll have to look up the exact quote.

I read something similar in the Winter/Spring '03 issue...that may be the one you're thinking of. Gregg stated (on page 41) that he told Dennis he wasn't going to do "Bamboo" unless he 'cleaned up', which he didn't.

[Jon Stebbins]

The voice on Love Surrounds Me is definitely not Marissa Conover...it is Christine McVie.

The main reason DW's solo tour was canceled is that a majority of BB's gave him an ultimatum...do the tour and you're out of the band.

Gregg Jakobson lives in Oregon, i talk to him frequently...he's still very active in promoting and developing the music he wrote with Dennis.

Carli Munoz was the direction Dennis wanted to move in in '78, there's was a true artistic collaboration.

[Dancing Bear]

The main reason DW's solo tour was canceled is that a majority of BB's gave him an ultimatum...do the tour and you're out of the band.

Do you think if Dennis had done the tour he would have been able to rejoin the band by 1978?

[peerke]

Gregg Jakobson lives in Oregon, i talk to him frequently...he's still very active in promoting and developing the music he wrote with Dennis.

Did he ever get any futher with those plans in Hawaii?

[Jon Stebbins]

Gregg owns property in Hawaii, I believe rental real estate. I don't think he ever developed the resort/studio but he's had holdings there and business interests since his days with Dennis.