Over the weekend, I read a book that wound up costing me nearly three times its cover price, Kingsley Abbott's "500 Lost Gems of the Sixties," a chronicle of not-quite-hit singles (in the U.K.; many of them had great chart success here in the States). Every couple of pages, I stopped to look at iTunes or Amazon to see what tracks are commercially available, and also sought out some alternate means of acquiring some of the more intriguing gems.
There are two versions of the Brian Wilson-Russ Titelman song "Guess I'm Dumb" on Abbott's list, which isn't surprising, but neither one is the Glen Campbell 45, which is.
"Guess I'm Dumb" sounds like a blueprint for 'Pet Sounds,' and I've searched and searched for a bootleg with a Brian Wilson vocal. He must have demo'd it, right? He had to have done a guide vocal for Campbell to emulate. But I can't find it. I have located the instrumental track, and without Campbell's lead, you can hear precisely how Wilson's production was evolving; there are some tracks on 'The Beach Boys Today' that have that pre-PS sound, but this recording is even more obviously a missing link.
Titelman told me he doesn't like the mix on the Campbell single, and I can sort of see what he's saying, but I love the record anyway.
I also like the Brit Girl version by Dani Sheridan that Abbott references in the book, produced by Shel Talmy. As Abbott points out, Talmy takes it a bit more in a Bacharach direction.
My Trusted MOGs
wow, thanks for taking that extra step and sharing this with us emscee! i love a rare Brian Wilson tune more than a commercially pushed one, but i wouldn't know the first place to look (until this post came along.) great score! i love when a good book can open one's ears...
My Trusted MOGs
wow, get a load of Glenn Campbell
What a trip
I can envision Brian singing this and it would sure be a treat if a boot existed
Nice Job!
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Gorgeousity! What a fertile period for Wilson who shows Bacharach and Webb that he's every bit their equal - and more - with this one.
My Trusted MOGs
Jules Shear also covered it a few years ago (the first place I heard it) on his CD "Sayin' Hello To The Folks". Then I acquired the Brian Wilson Productions CD compilation and got the Glen Campbell version there. It is another great Wilson song.
My Trusted MOGs
What a gem. Campbell's video is a real treat. I didn't know he moved his mouth that way. Greazt post, emscee.
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Glen is moving his mouth like that because he doesn't know how to lip-sync. The original recorded version is playing on the video.
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Great, great cuts. Two questions:
1. Tony Asher's lyrics?
2. Glen Campbell clip from "Shindig"?
My Trusted MOGs
1. Russ Titelman lyrics.
2. Looks like 'Shindig' to me.