American Spring

[bgas]

Marilyn cut a demo of a (to my knowledge) still-unreleased Jackie DeShannon / Carole Bayer Sager tune, "It's Good to Know You Know," produced by DeShannon.  An acetate exists.

I have that Artisan Sound Recorders acetate in my collection. Do you have more info about the recording? The label states In House Production? Do you have a (approximate) recording date?

Interesting; then there must be multiple acetates of that one... 

Artisan Sound was a well-know L.A. mastering house (as opposed to a recording studio).  A mastering house would typically receive the mixed-down 2-track stereo or one-track mono master, and then add EQ, compression, limiting, etc. to make the master sound best within the confines of a record groove.  All of the acetates I have from Artisan Sound are the final albums and singles, ready for release.  So I would speculate that this was being prepared for release by someone -- but "who" is the question.

Artisan Sound appears to have been the preferred mastering house for Brother Records from 1970 to around 1974, but that's just based on what I have in my collection.  I think there may have been a tie-in between Warner Brothers Records and Artisan Sound, but that is again just speculation.

Lee

SWD told me back in the 80s that it was at Artisan Sound that the Landlocked boot originated, as the songs and sequence exactly match the tape he took there. he wasn't best pleased, I can tell you.

If only our friend at Artisan would release everything that came thru there!

[Custom Machine]

Marilyn cut a demo of a (to my knowledge) still-unreleased Jackie DeShannon / Carole Bayer Sager tune, "It's Good to Know You Know," produced by DeShannon.  An acetate exists.

I have that Artisan Sound Recorders acetate in my collection. Do you have more info about the recording? The label states In House Production? Do you have a (approximate) recording date?

Interesting; then there must be multiple acetates of that one... 

Artisan Sound was a well-know L.A. mastering house (as opposed to a recording studio).  A mastering house would typically receive the mixed-down 2-track stereo or one-track mono master, and then add EQ, compression, limiting, etc. to make the master sound best within the confines of a record groove.  All of the acetates I have from Artisan Sound are the final albums and singles, ready for release.  So I would speculate that this was being prepared for release by someone -- but "who" is the question.

Artisan Sound appears to have been the preferred mastering house for Brother Records from 1970 to around 1974, but that's just based on what I have in my collection.  I think there may have been a tie-in between Warner Brothers Records and Artisan Sound, but that is again just speculation.

Lee

SWD told me back in the 80s that it was at Artisan Sound that the Landlocked boot originated, as the songs and sequence exactly match the tape he took there. he wasn't best pleased, I can tell you.

Why did SWD take a tape of the Landlocked material to Artisan Sound?  To have acetates made?  If so, for whom?  While there are some really good tracks on Landlocked that didn't make it to Surf's Up (San Miguel, Big Sur, Lady), overall the collection contains a lot of weak material, imo.  Does the fact that Stephen Desper took a Landlocked tape to Artisan mean that the BBs actually considered Landlocked to be a completed album, ready for release, or at least for presentation to Warner Bros for their consideration for release?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Why did SWD take a tape of the Landlocked material to Artisan Sound?  To have acetates made?  If so, for whom?  While there are some really good tracks on Landlocked that didn't make it to Surf's Up (San Miguel, Big Sur, Lady), overall the collection contains a lot of weak material, imo.  Does the fact that Stephen Desper took a Landlocked tape to Artisan mean that the BBs actually considered Landlocked to be a completed album, ready for release, or at least for presentation to Warner Bros for their consideration for release?

You've not heard the WPLJ tape have you ?    SWD had an acetate cut so that the band could have something to play during radio interviews. On said station on 2/19/71, they played "Just Got My Pay", "Good Time", "San Miguel" and the version of "'Til I Die" without any lead.

Repeat after me - "Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album..." 

[bgas]

Why did SWD take a tape of the Landlocked material to Artisan Sound?  To have acetates made?  If so, for whom?  While there are some really good tracks on Landlocked that didn't make it to Surf's Up (San Miguel, Big Sur, Lady), overall the collection contains a lot of weak material, imo.  Does the fact that Stephen Desper took a Landlocked tape to Artisan mean that the BBs actually considered Landlocked to be a completed album, ready for release, or at least for presentation to Warner Bros for their consideration for release?

You've not heard the WPLJ tape have you ?    SWD had an acetate cut so that the band could have something to play during radio interviews. On said station on 2/19/71, they played "Just Got My Pay", "Good Time", "San Miguel" and the version of "'Til I Die" without any lead.

Repeat after me - "Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album..." 

While not tryingto be especially contrary, it's easy to see why people think there was a "Landlocked" , whne you have Desper saying it , in essence, originated from him, and he recorded the BBs.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Why did SWD take a tape of the Landlocked material to Artisan Sound?  To have acetates made?  If so, for whom?  While there are some really good tracks on Landlocked that didn't make it to Surf's Up (San Miguel, Big Sur, Lady), overall the collection contains a lot of weak material, imo.  Does the fact that Stephen Desper took a Landlocked tape to Artisan mean that the BBs actually considered Landlocked to be a completed album, ready for release, or at least for presentation to Warner Bros for their consideration for release?

You've not heard the WPLJ tape have you ?    SWD had an acetate cut so that the band could have something to play during radio interviews. On said station on 2/19/71, they played "Just Got My Pay", "Good Time", "San Miguel" and the version of "'Til I Die" without any lead.

Repeat after me - "Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album..." 

While not tryingto be especially contrary, it's easy to see why people think there was a "Landlocked" , whne you have Desper saying it , in essence, originated from him, and he recorded the BBs.

No... Desper never called it Landlocked, because he knew better - even on the radio show, when the DJ asks if the acetate is 'a new album', the answer is 'no, these are some tracks that might be on an album'.
True, the tape box is labelled "2nd Warner Brothers LP", but as we know, it wasn't.

[Custom Machine]

Why did SWD take a tape of the Landlocked material to Artisan Sound?  To have acetates made?  If so, for whom?  While there are some really good tracks on Landlocked that didn't make it to Surf's Up (San Miguel, Big Sur, Lady), overall the collection contains a lot of weak material, imo.  Does the fact that Stephen Desper took a Landlocked tape to Artisan mean that the BBs actually considered Landlocked to be a completed album, ready for release, or at least for presentation to Warner Bros for their consideration for release?

You've not heard the WPLJ tape have you ?    SWD had an acetate cut so that the band could have something to play during radio interviews. On said station on 2/19/71, they played "Just Got My Pay", "Good Time", "San Miguel" and the version of "'Til I Die" without any lead.

Repeat after me - "Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album..." 

Ok, that explains it!  Thanks.  Yeah, I knew there was never supposed to have been a Landlocked album, so I couldn't figure out why Desper had taken the material that appeared on the Landlocked boot to a mastering studio. 

[bgas]

Why did SWD take a tape of the Landlocked material to Artisan Sound?  To have acetates made?  If so, for whom?  While there are some really good tracks on Landlocked that didn't make it to Surf's Up (San Miguel, Big Sur, Lady), overall the collection contains a lot of weak material, imo.  Does the fact that Stephen Desper took a Landlocked tape to Artisan mean that the BBs actually considered Landlocked to be a completed album, ready for release, or at least for presentation to Warner Bros for their consideration for release?

You've not heard the WPLJ tape have you ?    SWD had an acetate cut so that the band could have something to play during radio interviews. On said station on 2/19/71, they played "Just Got My Pay", "Good Time", "San Miguel" and the version of "'Til I Die" without any lead.

Repeat after me - "Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album... Never was a Landlocked album..." 

While not tryingto be especially contrary, it's easy to see why people think there was a "Landlocked" , whne you have Desper saying it , in essence, originated from him, and he recorded the BBs.

No... Desper never called it Landlocked, because he knew better - even on the radio show, when the DJ asks if the acetate is 'a new album', the answer is 'no, these are some tracks that might be on an album'.
True, the tape box is labelled "2nd Warner Brothers LP", but as we know, it wasn't.

Any way you look at it, we should all STOP, and thank Stephen Desper for allowing us to hear the  "2nd Warner Brothers LP". 
Thanxx Stephen!!

[Ian]

Should be noted-that the date of the WPLJ taping is now established as February 23 1971.  The day before the Carnegie Hall show-which used to be listed as Feb 20 but we now know was Feb 24 1971.  AGD has it correctly listed at the tours/sessions section of Bellagio.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Should be noted-that the date of the WPLJ taping is now established as February 23 1971.  The day before the Carnegie Hall show-which used to be listed as Feb 20 but we now know was Feb 24 1971.  AGD has it correctly listed at the tours/sessions section of Bellagio.

Memo to self - next time, consult own website and not 30-year-old book.  

[The Shift]

Should be noted-that the date of the WPLJ taping is now established as February 23 1971.  The day before the Carnegie Hall show-which used to be listed as Feb 20 but we now know was Feb 24 1971.  AGD has it correctly listed at the tours/sessions section of Bellagio.

Memo to self - next time, consult own website and not 30-year-old book. 

That's two self-admonishments in the space of two weeks Andrew...  I think it's the new avatar. Let's have the topper back!

[brother john]

I know he had help, but Spring is really the last complete LP from Brian that shows him in peak form. Even if he no longer had the mindset to work continuously, the vocal and production skills was still really intact. I love LOS and the 2004 Smile, even part of the 88 LP and Adult Child appeal strongly to me, but you always have to allow for the changes in his voice. Here you don't. Don't think I discount the work he did on Holland or So Tough, or that brief creative spurt at the end of 1974, but it wasn't a whole album worth of Brian. Some would say that about Spring but even if his interest was variable what he did do made that album what it was. That isn't putting down Desper who made it sound so sharp, or the girls who sang so well, or Sandler who got Brian working period. What I am getting at is that it has that pre 1975 Brian Wilson magic. BTW the 1988 CD and LP has a mix of Fallin In Love that features Dennis' music track strongly. The original mix has Dennis' master basically inaudible.

Good point, and it is sad that BW couldn't bring focus to a whole project after this time. I would have to disagree a bit with you on a couple of points, in that while Brian did a great job on Thinking About My Baby, This Whole World, Now That Everything's been Said, Shyin' Away and Had to Phone Ya (though I'd be prepared to admit to heavy D Sandler involvement in some of those if anyone was to point one out) I don't think they showed Brian in anything like 'peak' form, and the performances he coaxes from the girls are for the most part pretty lacklustre and occasionally out of tune. The album shows flashes of BW being great, but is wildly inconsistent and he was clearly not in a position to push himself to greatness. HTPY is a great tune, and an incredibly funky track, but it just fades out unsatisfyingly, and a BW on peak form would never allowed this to happen.

I listen to this album with a real sense of loss for what could have been.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I used to be of that persuasion as well, but as I've discovered more about the album, I've had to admit that Brian's initial enthusiasm faded rapidly: Steve Desper told me back in '85 that the album was "maybe 5% Brian" (and that he - SWD - did the final mix), and when I asked her a few years later, even Marilyn put his involvement at 25% tops, so...

[MBE]

Well they gave me different percentages
She said about half, he said about 20-25 percent. Both said what he did do made a BIG difference.

[Ian]

But that is for me what makes some of the later BB albums interesting.  There will be 6 or 7 pleasant but forgettable tracks and then one that just stops you in your tracks.  Like that reviewer of MIU said-listen to My Dianne and know that the flame still burns.  I kind of agree-I think MIU is pleasant-but pretty saccharine and then all the sudden that song comes on and you realize that the record could have been so much more.  The Night Was So Young on Love You is also pretty intense.  I also think on Brian Wilson-the river section of Rio Grande is pretty amazing

[MBE]

But that is for me what makes some of the later BB albums interesting.  There will be 6 or 7 pleasant but forgettable tracks and then one that just stops you in your tracks.  Like that reviewer of MIU said-listen to My Dianne and know that the flame still burns.  I kind of agree-I think MIU is pleasant-but pretty saccharine and then all the sudden that song comes on and you realize that the record could have been so much more.  The Night Was So Young on Love You is also pretty intense.  I also think on Brian Wilson-the river section of Rio Grande is pretty amazing

I get what you mean and agree with you on those three example's.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Well they gave me different percentages
She said about half, he said about 20-25 percent. Both said what he did do made a BIG difference.

For sure - SWD followed his comment by immediately saying "of course 5% of Brian Wilson is better than 100% of most other people".

[MBE]

So we got the same basic feel from them even if percentages were different.
What I'm thinking is that Brian may have talked to Marilyn and Diane (perhaps David and Steve too) informally about certain ideas and things, even if he wasn't always there. Kind of like the Sail On Sailor session.