San Fran Sessions

San Fran Sessions
Box set by The Beau Brummels
Released June 11, 1996
Recorded 1964-1966; Golden State Recorders, San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genre Folk rock, pop, rock
Length 141:52
Language English
Label Sundazed
Producer Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart, The Beau Brummels

San Fran Sessions is a box set compilation which collects 60 demos, outtakes, rarities and unissued performances recorded by The Beau Brummels from 1964 to 1966. The three-disc set, released by Sundazed Records on June 11, 1996, includes alternate takes of the band's singles "Laugh, Laugh" and "Just a Little", as well as early versions of songs that were likely targeted for their never-completed third album on Autumn Records.

Background

In addition to demos and alternate takes of some of the Beau Brummels' early material, San Fran Sessions contains songs—such as "I Grow Old", "Gentle Wandering Ways", "Dream On", "Love is Just a Game", "This is Love", and "Hey Love"—that were recorded in 1965 and early 1966 and were likely planned for the band's third album on Autumn Records.[1] Ultimately, the album was never finished because the entire Autumn roster, including the Beau Brummels, was transferred in early 1966 to Warner Bros. Records, who wanted the band to record an album of cover versions of recent hits.[2] The result was Beau Brummels '66, released in July.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [3]

Author and music journalist Richie Unterberger said San Fran Sessions "should only be acquired by serious fans of the band" and added, "from a historical viewpoint, it's interesting in that it presents a lot of previously unheard Sal Valentino-penned tunes (Ron Elliott wrote most of the songs that ended up on official releases)".[4] Unterberger favorably compared the previously unreleased tracks to the rest of the band's Autumn material,[1] praising the band's "beautifully sad harmonies and glittering guitar arrangements".[4] He noted the album also features "substantially different versions of officially released songs like "Laugh, Laugh" and "Just a Little".[4]

Track listing

Disc one

No. TitleWriter(s)Notes Length
1. "Still in Love with You Baby"  Elliottearly version 2:30
2. "It's So Nice"  Valentinodemo 1:45
3. "Love Is Just a Game"  Elliottdemo 2:33
4. "Just a Little"  Durand, Elliottalternate version 1 2:30
5. "Just Wait and See"  Elliottearly version 2:04
6. "How Many Times"  Elliottdemo 2:04
7. "Stay With Me Awhile"  Valentinodemo 3:23
8. "I Will Go"  Elliottdemo 2:37
9. "Laugh, Laugh"  Elliottalternate version 3:21
10. "Sad Little Girl"  Elliottdemo 4:10
11. "She's My Girl"  Mulligandemo 2:24
12. "Talk to Me"  Mulligandemo 1:13
13. "Before Darkness Ends"  Valentinodemo 2:28
14. "Hey Love"  Valentinodemo 2:28
15. "That's All That Matters"  Elliott  2:37
16. "I Want More Loving"  Elliottalternate vocal 2:22
17. "I Will Love You Still"  Valentinodemo 1:24
18. "Just a Little"  Durand, Elliottalternate version 2 2:20
19. "News"  Valentinodemo 1:52
20. "Woman"  Durand, Elliottdemo 1:11

Disc two

No. TitleWriter(s)Notes Length
1. "Sometime at Night"  Durand, Elliottalternate vocal 1:48
2. "Sad Little Girl"  Elliottalternate version 1 4:18
3. "I'll Tell You"  Elliott  2:42
4. "When It Comes to Your Love"  ElliottVillage of the Giants version 2:10
5. "Can't Be So"  Elliottdemo 2:15
6. "That's Alright"  Valentinodemo 2:19
7. "No Lonelier Man"  Elliottdemo 1:58
8. "She Loves Me"  Mulligandemo 3:08
9. "Can It Be"  Durand, Elliottdemo 2:17
10. "Forget It Babe"  Valentinodemo 3:22
11. "Woman"  Durand, Elliottinstrumental 2:45
12. "No Lonelier Man"  Elliottdemo 1:41
13. "Tomorrow Is Another Day"  Elliottdemo 2:43
14. "I'm Alone Again"  Elliottdemo 1:26
15. "Kill"  Elliottdemo 1:39
16. "When It Comes to Your Love"  Elliottdemo 1:50
17. "Sad Little Girl"  Elliottalternate version 2 3:04
18. "Sometime at Night"  Durand, Elliottalternate version 1:50
19. "On the Road Again"  Valentinodemo 3:13
20. "Pity the Fool"  Elliottdemo 1:41

Disc three

No. TitleWriter(s)Notes Length
1. "She Sends Me"  Elliott  2:02
2. "Fine With Me"  Durand, Elliott  2:24
3. "Friend of Mine"  Elliottdemo 2:29
4. "Gentle Wandering Ways"  Elliott  2:41
5. "This Is Love"  Valentinodemo 2:12
6. "This Is Love"  Valentino  2:12
7. "I Grow Old"  Durand, Elliottversion 1 2:06
8. "Dream On"  Elliott  2:26
9. "Till the Day"  Elliottdemo 1:58
10. "I'll Go Now"  Valentinodemo 3:23
11. "Down on Me"  Elliott  2:27
12. "I Cannot Hide"  Elliottdemo 2:22
13. "Let Me In"  Elliott  2:15
14. "Cry Some"  Elliott  2:34
15. "What Do You Want"  Elliottdemo 2:33
16. "Hey Love"  Valentino  3:01
17. "I Grow Old"  Durand, Elliottversion 2 2:01
18. "Find a Place"  Valentinodemo 2:06
19. "I Will Go"  Elliottinstrumental 2:43
20. "Coming Home"  Elliottdemo 2:30

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Unterberger, Richie (2000). Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman, Inc. pp. 178, 183. ISBN 978-0-87930-616-8.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cohen, Elliot Stephen (2008-04-24). "Beau Brummels Look to Rewrite History with Greatest-Hits Package". Goldmine. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
  3. ↑ Allmusic review
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Unterberger, Richie. "San Fran Sessions - Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2010-03-27.

External links