GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT - PART 2 (DENNIS WILSON)
July 22, 2009 – 4:11 amHe dived off a yacht and drowned. Such was the tragic life of Dennis Wilson.
Click on the panels for a better view or to download artwork.
DENNIS WILSON
Rarities [Dumb Angel Vol 14]
This is just tracks 11-25, less tk 23. All in stereo and mono.
Dennis Wilson was a Beach Boy. He stood in the background but was Brian’s inspiration behind many of the Beach Boys’ early singles. When Brian retired, it was Dennis’ songs that proved interesting and showed a maturity that the band never had before. But the lack of a catchy tune meant that his songs were carefully filed away as the band went on to sing about an “endless summer”.
The first 10 songs are all from Bamboo which now has an official release and are not offered. Here are some notes detailing the bonus tracks from Dumb Angel Vol 14 (Bamboo & Bonus Tracks).
Good Timin’ & Angel Come Home - live at The Midnight Special, April 28, 1979.
Quad Symphony - as a favor to Beach Boys engineer Steven Desper, Dennis allowed segments of several song fragments he had recorded in quadrophonic sound to be pressed onto an acetate for Desper to use to demonstrate quad sound. These are unfinished tracks.
River Song - unreleased early version.
San Miguel - recorded June 1978, a Bamboo outtake. This is an alternate instrumental version.
All Of My Love - another part of Quad Symphony. This allegedly contains 350 overdubs of Dennis’ voice.
Pacific Ocean Blues - recorded at Brother Studios, Feb 12, 1975 but rejected for 15 Big Ones. A different version later appeared on Dennis’ solo album Pacific Ocean Blue.
You Are So Beautiful - live at Anaheim Stadium, July 3, 1976 with The Beach Boys including Brian.
He’s A Bum - recorded at Brother Studios in June 1978 for Bamboo. Not sure if the year is correct.
Carry Me Home - recorded in 1971. An unreleased track.
Wild Situation - recorded for Bamboo. This version has no lead vocal.
Lady - recorded on the UK David Frost TV Show in February 1971 with Carl Wilson and Al Jardine on acoustic guitars.
One reason stated for no official release of Bamboo (aka Bambu) was that there would be no interest. In 2008, Sony Music reissued Dennis’ Pacific Ocean Blue and included their version of Bambu as the bonus disc. Sales were unflattering, proving the label right.
Don’t expect anymore Dennis Wilson discs for a long time. The “Sound Of Free” single remains unreleased in official form since it first appeared as a 7-inch single in December, 1970 and only in the UK. Wilson died as he lived.
- The Little Chicken 
Note: Click on the highlighted tracks to download the MP3s (these are high quality MP3s - sample rate of 192 kbps). As far as we can ascertain, these tracks have never been officially released on CD.
These tracks are no longer available for download. Kindly email us at [email protected] if you want to download them at a later date.
Track 01. Good Timin’ (live)
Track 02. Angel Come Home (live)
Track 03. Quad Symphony
Track 04. River Song
Track 05. San Miguel
Track 06. All Of My Love
Track 07. Pacific Ocean Blues
Track 08. You Are So Beautiful (live)
Track 09. He’s A Bum
Track 10. Quad Symphony
Track 11. Carry Me Home
Track 12. (I Found Myself In A) Wild Situation [without lead vocal]
13. Sound Of Free [omitted, official release]
Track 14. Interview
Track 15. Lady (live)
The latest Dennis Wilson official release is Bambu. It was recorded in 1978 after Pacific Ocean Blue and remained unreleased for decades. You can buy it here
11 Responses to “GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT - PART 2 (DENNIS WILSON)”
I’m not sure how you define “unflattering” sales, especially for a relatively unknown album, 30 years after it’s initial release.
Even if sales didn’t meet someone’s expectations, this is an album that Mojo magazine voted it’s “Reissue of the Year.”
Also, Capitol didn’t re-issue the album, it was Sony and Legacy Recordings. They were probably happier with sales than Capitol would have been.
By Mark on Jul 22, 2009
Hello Mark
Thanks for your comments and feedback. Cheers.
By bigozine2 on Jul 22, 2009
In the UK the re-issue charted highly and there was cross the board praise in the UK music mags… even in the national newspapers. Radio documentaries, more documentary material in the pipeline… This was probably one of the best received, highest selling reissues of the year. And more Dennis Wilson material is in the pipeline for official release apparently.
By pctjohnbadger on Jul 22, 2009
Yeah… lots of praise. Because the music deserved it and the press doesn’t have to pay for their albums. Labels are in business to make money, not garner praise. “Unflattering” is probably a kind description that hits the nail on the head. Ask a label guy and he’d probably use the word “tanked.”
By Dan on Jul 23, 2009
Always great to get some new Dennis nuggets!..Besides the 1966 Smile Sessions, Pacific Ocean Blue was once a very sought-after item for Beach Boys collectors and fanatics..The Dennis solo album was far superior to what the Beach Boys were releasing in the late 70’s…It is sad that his demons destroyed his creativity shortly after POB…Thank you for this great release!
By mike t on Jul 23, 2009
According to Jon Stebbins’s Dennis Wilson biography “The Real Beach Boy,” Pacific Ocean Blue “ended up selling nearly a quarter of a million copies, which was considered excellent for a debut effort.” (p. 172)
I found that sales number surprising because original Capitol pressings would sell for $50-$75 in Los Angeles in the last few years. That price seems to be in line with more scarce albums.
By Peter on Jul 23, 2009
Thanks for sharing this. I’m always interested in hearing rarities from Dennis.
By Matt on Jul 25, 2009
Thanks for the rare Dennis, great stuff as always…but you really couldn’t have included “Sound of Free”? I mean, “official release” — really? If so, then why is it almost impossible to find? Pleeease…
By heli0tr0pe on Jul 29, 2009
thanks a lot,keep up the esential service
By Pike Bishop on Aug 2, 2009
Still people slag Dennis……too bad, his tunes in the 70’s were superior to most of the Beach Boys output at the same time.
“Forever” will always rank among the best ballads ever written in my mind…..and the Bamboo reissue was a treasure of a release!!!!
By todd on Oct 22, 2010
“Unflattering” is probably a kind description that hits the nail on the head. Ask a label guy and he’d probably use the word “tanked.”
What the fuck? It got to number 16 in the UK album charts upon reissue…higher than that in several European countries. When it first came out it sold in excess of 100000 copies.
This album in no way tanked. Still, you don’t need a license to spout bullshit on the internet, do you!
By Will on Dec 8, 2011