“Surfin’
The first disc opens with “Surfin’”
which was the band’s first single. Here we get a great, raw demo, the only
percussion being some finger-snapping. The demo is followed by several takes of
the song, presented in order, including false starts and bits of studio banter.
The master is also included. This song was written by Brian Wilson and Mike
Love, and was included on the LP Surfin’
Safari.
“Luau”
“Luau” was the flip side to The
Beach Boys’ first single. This disc includes three takes of the demo. And yes,
the first is a bit messy, but that is definitely a large part of its charm. At
the end they shout “Keep rolling,”
and we get the second demo. There are several takes of this song as well,
including a few false starts (“No good”).
The master is included.
“Lavender”
“Lavender,” written by Dorinda
Morgan, is one I didn’t really know before listening to this disc. And it’s
quite good. Three rehearsals of the song are included, with the group singing a
cappella. They sound great, even as they goof a bit. We hear some banter
between rehearsals, and also in the middle of a take: “Hey, go slower, guys.” These are some of my favorite tracks from
this set. There are then three takes of the song, these with guitar and bass.
“Surfin’ Safari”
The first disc concludes with “Surfin’
Safari,” one of the band’s many popular tunes, and one of its many hits. With this set, we get to enjoy the earliest recordings
of the song, with some different lyrics, such as “Some honeys will be making the scene” rather than “Some honeys will be coming along” and “With the boards on top” instead of “With the boards inside.” And toward the
end they sing, “The surf is big at Sunset
Beach/They do it in South Africa too/They’re all getting stoked on this surfin’
craze.” There is some studio banter between takes. Overdubs and the master
are included.
“Surfer Girl”
The second disc opens with
another of the band’s hits, “Surfer Girl,” written by Brian Wilson. There are
six takes of this popular tune, plus the master and an overdub. Listen to how
different these early recordings sound from the version we all know and love. This
version is slower, more sparse, and kind of wonderful. That first take ends
suddenly, “Stop the whole thing.” And
at another point, at the end of the sixth take, Brian asks, “Can I do this without the bass this time,
and dub the bass with our voices next time?” I really like this early
version, and these tracks are more highlights of this two-disc set.
“Judy”
“Judy,” also written by Brian
Wilson, is a song I don’t think I’d heard before listening to this set. It’s a
fun, kind of goofy tune. This disc includes two takes, plus overdubs, a master
and a demo. There is just a bit of studio banter.
“Beach Boy Stomp”
“Beach Boy Stomp” is another I
hadn’t heard before. It’s also known as “Karate,” and was written by Carl
Wilson. It’s a fairly straightforward instrumental, though features some good
work on guitar. And on the last couple of tracks, they shout out “Karate” at the end, sort of like “Tequila.”
“Barbie” and “What Is A
Young Girl Made Of”
“Barbie” and “What Is A Young
Girl Made Of” were written by Dorinda Morgan (though credited to Bruce Morgan),
and according to the liner notes The Beach Boys don’t play any instruments on
either track. Both tracks existed, and The Beach Boys were asked to add vocals
to them. These two songs were released as a single under the band name Kenny
And The Cadets. Several overdubs of each song are included, as well as the
masters. One overdub of “Barbie” ends with “I
forgot the words.” Interestingly, the first version of “What Is A Young
Girl Made Of” included here features an unknown lead vocalist (so no Beach Boys
actually are on that track).
Becoming The Beach Boys: The Complete Hite & Dorinda Morgan
Sessions is scheduled to be released on August 26, 2016 through Omnivore
Recordings.
No comments:
Post a Comment