Beach Boys Sail On Sailor with Carl Wilson lead!!

"I found a reference to Brian's Bedroom tapes on the Internet. The reference says that five fans heard a demo of SOS with Carl in the '70s, but now the tape has disappeared. So can't be substantiated."

I checked the article as posted online (I was peripherally involved in the original) and it says this:

""Sail on, Sailor" (demo) - This 1971 demo of the Beach Boys' 1973 hit single was last heard five years ago by several Beach Boys historians. It was then in the possession of a venerated Beatles collector, who has since disappeared with the tape."

No mention of a CW lead, and the part about it being in the possession of a Beatles collector points firmly to it being the Van Dyke Parks/Brian Wilson songwriting cassette, as described in a couple of books (notably Peter Ames Carlin's Catch A Wave, which granted relies on other primary sources) and not the tape Stephen is describing from the home studio.

 

It's Blondie all the way.

 

COMMENT to Bellagio:

I found these quotes if you don't like the one cited. At least someone else has heard Carl sing SOS and liked it.

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Topic: Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys

Chuck S. Lettes
Member

From: Denver, Colorado

posted 08 October 2001 09:25 AM profile

I've read some posts by Steel Guitar Forum members about the Beach Boys, so here's my own two cents. Carl Wilson, the "heart" of the group, was a featured singer (God Only Knows, This Whole World) who loved performing and creating that tight Beach Boy sound. He was the quiet, dedicated one who always made the shows happen. There's a nice "never published" interview with Carl in this month's Guitar One Magazine. Also listed in the article is a website: www.carlwilsonfoundation.org Carl was one of my favorites, and I miss him. Any other people out there with some thoughts about Carl?
Chuck

Rich Weiss
Member

From: Woodland Hills, CA, USA

posted 08 October 2001 03:20 PM profile

Carl was a true gentleman. The first session I ever did on steel was for Carl. He was producing a friend of mine, back in 1973. I remember that he let me sit in his seat to listen to the playback. I'm sure I was way out of tune, I'd only been playing a couple of years, but he was kind and encouraging and never told me if I was. A great guy.

Jason Stillwell
Member

From: Soper, OK, USA

posted 08 October 2001 07:25 PM profile

I just bought that Guitar One magazine last week. Of all the Beach Boys literature I've read over the past 14 years, it was the first info I've ever been able to find concerning Carl's guitar work. Did any of you ever get the chance to hear him sing "Sail On, Sailor"? Exquisite! When I saw the guys in Tulsa, 1996, I was about 6 rows back on Carl's side of the stage. When they broke into Sailor, I didn't know who would sing. I'd never heard the Boys perform this in concert, though Billy Hinsche had been known to sing the song now and then. Carl Dean broke into the lead vocal, and I don't think the Beach Boys and/or Carl have ever recorded anything comparable to what I heard that October night at the State Fair. One of the saddest days of my life was when I heard of Carl's passing. I never got to meet him, and it will go down in my life's history as one of those "what-if's" that never happened.

--js




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Beach Boys’ Made in California Drops Tomorrow
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Beach Boys’ Made in California Drops Tomorrow
A long overdue boxset hits shelves and digital download spots tomorrow when The Beach Boys’ Made in California drops.

And about that essay, which is in The Grammy museum exhibit about The Beach Boys. Young Brian wrote “My Philosophy”, which included this classic line, “I don’t want to settle for a mediocre life, but make a name for myself in my life’s work, which I hope will be music.”

Beach Boys fans will want to hear these tracks first:

• 17 unreleased live tracks, including songs from the 1993 acoustic tour
• BBC live cuts from 1964 of Wendy and When I Grow Up to be a Man
• A remixed Rock and Roll Music with new lyrics
• Covers of Da Doo Ron Ron and You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
• Outtakes from Don’t Worry Baby
• The “lei’d in Hawaii” version of California Girls

Made in California includes several cuts featuring deceased brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, including a haunting version of Carl singing Sail On, Sailor in 1995.


AND RICK BARLETT -- Right On !!

~swd

 

Yes, it does. Everyone knows it's Rick Davies from Supertramp.

 

Mr. Desper, with respect it's not a matter of me liking it or not: it's a matter of you stating that the article mentioned a demo of "Sail On, Sailor" with a Carl Wilson lead vocal when it never did. As for the other citations you mention, they invariably refer to live performance. Thus as corroborative evidence for a a studio version of "SO,S" with a CW lead vocal, they are spurious, as is the demo mentioned in the article (because it refers to another tape entirely).

There is, of course, one way to potentially settle the matter: an image of the actual, original cassette itself.

 

I was under the impression that the lyrics for "SOS" weren't completed until some time later when the label demanded a more appropriate single for Holland in 1973. It's certainly possible that the song was based on an earlier idea that Brian had been toying with, but I thought Van Dyke Parks basically had to bully Brian into getting it together later on. It's just not clear to me how Carl could have sung the completed lyrics back in '71.

 

Whatever the case, I'm grateful to Mr. Desper for all the great music he helped commit to tape.

I haven't heard the SOS recording in question but, to all those who are disputing who is singing on it: you've had your say, Mr. Desper his given his version, and I sincerely hope we can just move on and hopefully we'll all eventually get to enjoy his video. No one needs to be right here.

 

You know, you’re right, Bellagio - those quotes concern live performances in 1995 and 1996.

Unfortunate – I would live to hear a studio version of SOS sung by Carl, and hold out hope. His voice was the heart of the Beach Boys harmony blend.

Not sure if I’ve followed this right, but Blondie’s lead vocal as released is regarded as definitive (it’s a mainstay of his own solo shows even today).

If Carl’s take on the lead was cut before the Holland sessions, however (is that what we’re saying?), it’ll surely feature the unpolished original lyrics?

What about that cassette demo that Van Dyke Parks resurrected when the record label heard the Holland tapes and demanded that they needed a single? Was that early demo a Brian lead? Carl? Blondie wouldn’t have been on the scene at that stage, yes?

Is that earliest demo cassette in the BRI vault?

So many questions from this conversation that spark a fascinating story and, hopefully, a revelatory paper trail!

 

The Wilson/Parks songwriting demo was lost for many years, and allegedly turned up several years ago. I say allegedly as it obviously didn't feature on Made in California. That tape consisted largely of Brian asking VDP to convince him he wasn't mad and VDP forcing the song out of Brian. I'm reliably told the lyrics were entirely different.

The problem with "Sailor" is that just about everyone involved with its genesis - Brian, VDP, Jack Rieley, Ray Kennedy & Tandyn Almer - told a different story.

 

Assuming from your description that either you’ve heard it or talked to people who have? No copies ever made?

Would that have disappeared back into VDP’s personal collection?

 

Gotta hope that this tape n’ paper trail gets fully revealed and released whenever the Holland material is the subject of a copyright extention release.

Imagine the full story - VDP’s cassette, subsequent demo with Carl’s vocal, then later version with Dennis vocal and another with Blondie.

Plus vocals only, backing track only, backing track with backing vocal… our cup might well overfloweth.

Suspect the weak link in my dream is the prospect of missing tapes in that chain?

 

Much ado about nothing and well beyond time to get off your bandwagon as the sun will come up tomorrow regardless of who sang lead.

 

Has anyone seen quotes from Tandyn Almer regarding his role in the song's creation?

 

This is true.

 

The latter. At the time of the alleged rediscovery, I was told a copy had been made for VDP. That said, as none of the cassette appeared on MiC, I'm wondering if it was actually found at all.

 

Or that Carl's and Dennis' leads at the 11/72 session were reportedly taped over when Blondie took a shot at it.

 

That would seem most likely.

 

That 11/72 session is the only SOS session you have listed at the ESQ/Bellagio site - assume that the case is that dates of earlier sessions are currently unknown?

 

Does someone still have this? A sync-up with the final version would prove in short order if the vocal is the same or different.

 

I've read that the vocal-only version was sourced from a tape with some speed fluctuation issues, which makes perfectly matching it with the final studio recording difficult, though not impossible. However, if someone does still have a copy of the video then I'd also be interested to hear a comparison...

 

Don't really need a sync up. Anyone who is familiar with the song can tell you within seconds that it's the very same lead vocal as on the Holland album. I know this music like my own smell.

I don't wish to comment any further on the subject to avoid annoying Mr. Desper, who I have the highest respect for, any further.

 

It would put the matter to rest.

 

Although I'd normally be prepared to trust my own instincts, this doesn't often come at the expense of someone I equally respect and consider a typically reliable source, so further technical analysis would be welcome...

 

The sync has been done, see this link:

FINALLY ! . . . . . . Part Two (suspended)

 

I was in the middle of doing it myself, and that sync isn't the best, but yes, it's definitely the same vocal. No question.