Fantastic post - really brightened my morning here and encouraged me to dig this one out again. Thanks!
Oh wow! I don't have this. This is not on my extra CD of the Archive Collection. Going to listen to it right now! Many, many, many thanks as this is a very special track - occupies its own place in Paul's catalogue as far as I am concerned. I daren't judge it against any other song. But I am confused...why don't I have this on my edition? I must have missed something?
This is the 'original mix' thingy I was referring to from YouTube. I don't know what it is but it sounds different to the CD I have.
Thanks for sharing this. I've listened to side one and so far, to my ears, it does sound like the original mix. I am skeptical about the "unpublished"... Of course, if I'm wrong, someone will point it out. Edit: Also, I'm not sure what "Japan 1995 reissue" they are referring to...
Thanks for checking it out for me. Not being an audiophile or collector I'm completely ignorant about that sort of thing. I don't know if this version on YouTube is available in any other format, I can't find it anyway. The Orchestra Up version of Dear Friend is a glorious thing. I've been listening to it non-stop all afternoon (in between bouts of Chaos and Creation). THIS folks, is why I ask questions. (sorry for that annoying tendency). I never even knew this version existed and now it's like my life is complete. And last night @Durango88 helped to unlock some of Chaos and Creation for me and if I hadn't put the question out there, that may never have happened. And we all know what a tragedy that would have been! lol
Does anyone else hear the Strawberry Fields type guitar in At The Mercy? This always drew me in to this tune. It plays the same 7th notes and even has the same tone as John's Casino ( I assume)
No, you are not missing anything on your Archive set or any other version. MPL seems to like putting out exclusive downloads to promote the Archives these days. Flaming Pie had 4, as I recall. Three on PM.com and one exclusive to Rolling Stone. Why? I guess "marketing"? Or maybe they don't want to put too many versions of Dear Friend or Rock Show or Letting Go on the archive sets, for some reason, so they release them as download promos..? It's MPL, so who can tell?
Don't apologize for asking questions! That's how we all learn. It's more when someone presents opinions as fact, things become annoying...
I too was surprised at how he didn’t sound so old on III and ES tracks. I mean that in the posted video he could then sing in the high register better and more easily reach those notes. Yes, somehow to me too his old man voice is likewise comforting.
It's beautiful. My preference for Dear Friend versions: Home Recording II Home Recording I Studio version Orchestra Up I absolutely love the rawness of the home recording. I feel like I'm eavesdropping. Would have loved to be a fly on the wall when John first heard this. Bet he got a shock!
Lol....I find the thread crapping bombs from Macca haters all over the forum. I made the mistake of getting on that Tull guy’s comments dead in the middle of a Macca Ram possible outtakes thread. I’ll never understand why folks don’t just instead just create threads on their favorite artists....However, I thought this sort of behavior of thread crapping and trolling the artist is supposed to be illegal on the forum, but see it running amuck repeatedly..... The two tactics of the Macca haters are usually that such and so artist is way better or downing and ridiculing some of Macca’s past songs written in other styles and genres with lyrics and tunes tailored to those specific purposes...I don’t think that the forum moderates these kinds of things well at all, sadly, so they get out of control and if you defend and support in responses, you can get called down for bickering instead of the thread crappers or artist trolling folks....
I’m indeed old if you were 17 then...It’s very good that Macca has gained so many younger fans along the way in his long solo career. Yes, the album and the B sides included are indeed beautiful..
I don’t have your archive edition, unfortunately, but accidentally stumbled on the posted edition of “Dear Friend” on YouTube .....Always love relistening to Wild Life any time....thanks for posting it.....”Take it, Tony”......IMO side one of Wild Life is probably Macca’s best side of an album with several different styles of music bar none ....all matters of opinion of course ...But it was some serious as we used to say in the late sixties ...some serious get way down....including some of Macca’s finest old improvisations...A great early early seventies hippie type album in Macca’s funky music era with chilled ballads on side two...Had the man recorded nothing but Mumbo record version or live with fill in lyrics version, he’d still be my favorite singer...funky grunge stuff.
If it would be kept free of the Beatles favorite member battle degeneration versus folks, it would be a great thing. Byrds Nyrds is a great thread title, lol.
This was also the first time I’ve heard the Dear Friend Orchestra Up mix WOW — just incredible! AMAZING. Cant believe it didn’t get put onto a CD somewhere.
No way do I find the oh woman, oh why subject matter and theme...troublesome.....as it was then regarded as ...blues type real life drama and I was about your age when I heard the song and saw terribly wounded soldiers being shown on the nightly news and in my own supposedly middle class neighborhood there was a woman shot and killed in the house right behind me in the mid sixties ....though the man in the song appears to get shot at the end. These are the themes of many blues type songs...and later ganster rap and the subject matter of the 24 hour news cycles now....”What have you done, what have you done, what have I done” is like....all if the shoot out, later regret shows I’ve ever seen on tv, read in crime novels and in all of the news I’ve ever read. It’s probably the most true to life descriptive song Macca ever wrote and interestingly for him, he wrote it in first person.
Interesting thought.....as many have faulted him throughout the solo years for being in many ways too slip shod....musically and ..their favorite dead horse to beat, his quirky ...they say shoddy,... I say spontaneous...lyrics in his zany style songs..
