Til I Die - why was it extended?

[Sheriff John Stone]

Did anybody else notice that the original "Til I Die" clocked in at 2:29, but on some of the re-issues, including the 2fers, the ending was extended, and it then timed out at 2:41? And the reason behind this is....?

1. Does it bother anyone that maybe Brian's best song of the 70's was tinkered with?
2. Do you think Brian was consulted?
3. Do you think he would care anyway?
4. Do I need to get a life?

Probably No, No, No, and Yes...

[punkinhead]

personally, i don't notice a difference...really, i mean extending it only makes that 'these things i'll be until i die' that much better...that just imo

[Bicyclerider]

If it bothers you, you can copy all your CD's with that song onto CDR and fade the song at the appropriate point.    Has the original fade appeared anywhere on CD?

[Sheriff John Stone]

If it bothers you, you can copy all your CD's with that song onto CDR and fade the song at the appropriate point.    Has the original fade appeared anywhere on CD?

Yeah, on Ten Years Of Harmony and I think the boxed set. Do you think it was extended intentionally, or was it another one of those "mistakes" that got released before anybody noticed it?

[the captain]

1. Does it bother anyone that maybe Brian's best song of the 70's was tinkered with?

They tinkered with Baseball? Bastards!

[Alan Boyd]

On the original 1/4" master tape for the SURF'S UP album, TIL I DIE has the long fade, exactly as on the later reissues.  Apparently, the decision to shorten the song was made when the album was mastered for LP release.  I don't know, however, if that edited version is on the surviving eq'd tape copies.

When the song was included on TEN YEARS OF HARMONY, and later, when the album was remastered for CD, they presumably went back to the first generation source material and simply used the complete version that was on the master reel.

[KokoMoses]

Alan, I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere, but is it Brian I hear hitting those gorgeous high notes on Disney Girls? It sounds like him to me!

[Sheriff John Stone]

On the original 1/4" master tape for the SURF'S UP album, TIL I DIE has the long fade, exactly as on the later reissues.  Apparently, the decision to shorten the song was made when the album was mastered for LP release.  I don't know, however, if that edited version is on the surviving eq'd tape copies.

When the song was included on TEN YEARS OF HARMONY, and later, when the album was remastered for CD, they presumably went back to the first generation source material and simply used the complete version that was on the master reel.

Now that's the kind of response I like to get, directly from an Honored Guest!

Hey, Luther, they did tinker with "Baseball", well kind of:

"Do You Like Worms" -------> "Roll Plymouth Rock
"I Love To Say Dada" -------> "In Blue Hawaii"
"They're Marching Along" ---> "Little Children"
......... and "Baseball" -------> "It's Trying To Say"                 

[Alan Boyd]

I think Bruce has gone on record saying that Brian is indeed singing some high parts in "Disney Girls," on the "church, bingo chances, and old time dances" section.

Does anyone else out there recall that?

[KokoMoses]

it sure sounds like him in the best way!!!!

[Wilsonista]

I think Bruce has gone on record saying that Brian is indeed singing some high parts in "Disney Girls," on the "church, bingo chances, and old time dances" section.

Does anyone else out there recall that?

It's been ages since I've watched it, but I remember it mentioned on the Lost Hotel Tape.

[c-man]

I think Bruce has gone on record saying that Brian is indeed singing some high parts in "Disney Girls," on the "church, bingo chances, and old time dances" section.

Does anyone else out there recall that?

It's been ages since I've watched it, but I remember it mentioned on the Lost Hotel Tape.

Yep.  And I believe that's what is meant by Brian's "ghost singing" on the SU album...he would occasionally sing parts for the others, like a ghost writer writes someone else's book.  But it would just be a line here and there.  I think he's on the tag of "Don't Go Near The Water" as well.

[MBE]

Nope the ghost singing quote was in the 1973 record world interview. He said his voice sounded like a ghostly wail.

[shelter]

And I believe that's what is meant by Brian's "ghost singing" on the SU album...he would occasionally sing parts for the others, like a ghost writer writes someone else's book.  But it would just be a line here and there.  I think he's on the tag of "Don't Go Near The Water" as well.

Speaking of Brian 'ghost singing': on "Good Vibrations", Brian sings "I hear the sound of a" and Carl picks it up again with "gentle word", right?

[mikeyj]

Speaking of Brian 'ghost singing': on "Good Vibrations", Brian sings "I hear the sound of a" and Carl picks it up again with "gentle world", right?

Yes that's right (at least I think it is)

[Andrew G. Doe]

Yup - he does that on both verses. There's a tape of Carl's vocal with Brian-shaped gaps right there. 

[shelter]

I wonder why they would switch lead singers for half a sentence... It's not like Carl couldn't reach those high notes...

[Fall Breaks]

I wonder why they would switch lead singers for half a sentence... It's not like Carl couldn't reach those high notes...

Carl said in an interview that he had trouble reaching those notes back then (which was why Brian had to sing it), but that his voice matured later on. Must have been quite a quick maturation process since he sang those parts live as early as... October 1966, wasn't it?

By the way, the na na na na naa, na na naaa part at the end; is that Brian as well?

[matt-zeus]

On the original 1/4" master tape for the SURF'S UP album, TIL I DIE has the long fade, exactly as on the later reissues.  Apparently, the decision to shorten the song was made when the album was mastered for LP release.  I don't know, however, if that edited version is on the surviving eq'd tape copies.

When the song was included on TEN YEARS OF HARMONY, and later, when the album was remastered for CD, they presumably went back to the first generation source material and simply used the complete version that was on the master reel.

Incidentally there are two versions of Baseball, one where Dennis starts and another where there is an instrumental intro - I personally prefer the latter and I love the synth bass on it!
Now that's the kind of response I like to get, directly from an Honored Guest!

Hey, Luther, they did tinker with "Baseball", well kind of:

"Do You Like Worms" -------> "Roll Plymouth Rock
"I Love To Say Dada" -------> "In Blue Hawaii"
"They're Marching Along" ---> "Little Children"
......... and "Baseball" -------> "It's Trying To Say"                 

[Chris Brown]

I wonder why they would switch lead singers for half a sentence... It's not like Carl couldn't reach those high notes...

Carl said in an interview that he had trouble reaching those notes back then (which was why Brian had to sing it), but that his voice matured later on. Must have been quite a quick maturation process since he sang those parts live as early as... October 1966, wasn't it?

By the way, the na na na na naa, na na naaa part at the end; is that Brian as well?

Yeah I never understood that either...if he could hit the notes for the live performances, why not a few months earlier in the studio? 

And yeah the really high part at the end is Brian.  I wouldn't be surprised if the other high part at the end is him too, but I'm not sure about that.

[KokoMoses]

I think it comes down to both Carl and Al (or maybe just Al) saying that they were both content to just play guitar and sing harmony up until Al had to do lead on Help Me Rhonda and Carl on Girl Don't Tell Me!

It's obvious that Carl stepped up to the plate in a big way, but by Good Vibrations, he'd only sang lead on one song, right? And Girl Don't Tell Me wasn't the most dynamic of a song, rage-wise.

Dennis had far more lead parts than Carl by that point, and at that time is was still the Brian and Mike show.

This just shows how quckly Carl matured and what a quick learner he was. Within just a small period of less than two years he was leading the band onstage and possesing the greatest voice of all-time (IMHO)

[Chris Brown]

It's obvious that Carl stepped up to the plate in a big way, but by Good Vibrations, he'd only sang lead on one song, right? And Girl Don't Tell Me wasn't the most dynamic of a song, rage-wise.

Don't forget a little tune called "God Only Knows" 

[KokoMoses]

Major oops on my part!!!!!!!

I deserve to my my right to post revoked 


range-wise though, God Only Knows aint quite Good Vibrations

[Sheriff John Stone]

Back to "Til I Die" for a second....Wikipedia (I know, not the most reliable source) states that Brian started "Til I Die" during the 20/20 sessions. What if Brian would've quickly finished it and included it on 20/20? That would've been a heck of an album. Still is pretty strong.....

[Chris Brown]

Major oops on my part!!!!!!!

I deserve to my my right to post revoked 


range-wise though, God Only Knows aint quite Good Vibrations

True, though it is quite challenging to sing.  But you're right in that with God Only Knows, Carl didn't have to hit a note nearly as high as the B flat in Good Vibrations. 

It still doesn't make sense that he suddenly figured out how to hit it by October.