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AMERICAN SPRING

Spring -- not to be confused with the progressive rock outfit of the same name who came along about a year later -- was an offshoot of Brian Wilson's extra-curricular activities during the post-Smile era, when he was writing and producing, but mostly not working with the band. The result was Spring, a harmony duo of the Wilson/Rovell siblings, produced by Brian and every bit as contemporary as any act working in 1970, doing lost treasures from the Carole King songbook and rewrites and rearrangements of Brian Wilson (and Mike Love) tunes (most magnificently, "This Whole World"), plus renditions of Rita Coolidge and Leon Russell repertoire and standards like "Tennessee Waltz." They didn't last past the one album and the sessions that went into it -- the group wasn't a full-time or even an ongoing commitment, just something to have fun with and to see where it took them, which may be why it took them so far. The record, like the group, became one of the great lost chapters of the Beach Boys' post-psychedelic history, and a stunning musical document in its own right. Released by United Artists at just about the same time as the first ELO album, it died on the vine and became a choice collectable within just a few years.

"AMERICAN SPRING"

tracklisting

Side A: TENNESSEE WALTZ - THINKHIN' 'BOUT YOU BABY - MAMA SAID

SUPERSTAR - AWAKE - SWEET MOUNTAIN

Side B: EVERYBODY - THIS WHOLE WORLD - FOREVER

GOOD TIME - NOW THAT EVERYTHING'S BEEN SAID - DOWN HOME

1972      LP       UNITED ARTISTS  RECORDS       STEREOMONO   UAS 29363

MADE IN ITALY    ORIGINAL PRESSING

FRONT LAMINATED SINGLE SLEEVE + FLIPS

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Barcode: none

LABEL: UNITED ARTISTS -  BROWNISH LABEL - BLACK/BROWN TEXT

Catalog on cover: (spine & rear) UAS 29363 

Catalog on labels: UAS 29363  18 UAS 29363-1L  / UAS 26363  18 UAS 29363-2L            

Matrix / Runout (Side A, Stamped): S 18 UAS 29363 ◊ 1L   cgd   2/10/72

Matrix / Runout (Side B, Stamped): S 18 UAS 29363 ◊ 2L  cgd    2/10/72

On labels: rim text reads "Stampato in Italia su licenza United Artists - Tutti i diritti riservati"

STEREOMONO   ℗1972

S.I.A.E.-DR(boxed)

Executive Producer Brian Wilson

Rights Society: S.I.A.E.-DR, (S.I.A.E. also stamped in blue on side one)

On Back Sleeve: Tracklist + Credits + Notes

Trademarks owned by United Artists Inc. and used by CBS-SUGAR Compagnia

Generale del Disco S.p.A., Milano, under authorisation. Made in Italy.

Distribuzione Messaggerie Musicali - Milano

Reparto Tipolitografico CBS-Sugar

grading

RECORD VG+ but (please, read above description)

SLEEVE VG+ but (please, see pictures and read above description)

The album begins with "Tennessee Waltz," a two-minute version that puts the vocals front and center in a fusion that might be called "girl group folk music." Not as orchestrated as the Beach Boys' thick harmonies and the all-pervasive carbon-copy wall of Spector-ized sound, this is more like Brian Wilson emulating Spector's work with the Teddy Bears, light and airy with the ladies' voices very present and in control. The major find here is track two, "Thinkin' 'Bout You Baby," written by Wilson and Mike Love. It is the song "Darlin'" in different form, and it is lovely hearing that melody with other lyrics and in this unique setting. Renditions of the Shirelles' "Mama Said" and Bonnie Bramlett's "Superstar" don't fare as well as the originals and more obscure tunes here though. On the popular covers they come off as a forced girl group, abandoning the folksy charm of the first two songs. They overdo a song that Rita Coolidge made a name with, and if Bramlett didn't like what Karen Carpenter did to her song, she might take solace in the fact that at least this album stayed underground and was a tip of the hat to Bramlett's songwriting genius. Tommy Roe's "Everybody" gets a similar treatment to the group's version of "Mama Said," and at least the cover tunes give insight to what the group was attempting to do...(AllMusic)