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Cows in the Pasture

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Cows In The Pasture
Studio album (unfinished) by
Fred Vail
RecordedApril 4–17, 1970
StudioWally Heider Recording, Hollywood
GenreCountry and western[1]
ProducerBrian Wilson

Cows In The Pasture is an unfinished 1970 country and western album by former Beach Boys' talent manager and promoter Fred Vail, produced by Brian Wilson.[1][2][3]

Background

The album's recording unfolded across five sessions at Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood, California from April 4 to April 17 in 1970, coinciding with the production of the Beach Boys' Sunflower album.

All backing tracks and six vocals by Fred Vail were recorded. Brian Wilson's engagement with the project mysteriously disappeared more than halfway through the recording session causing the tapes to be shelved.

In assessing the work, Wilson biographer Christian Matijas-Mecca offered insights: "we can only guess at its contents as it was neither completed nor released. It serves to show the range of projects to which Brian would commit himself, even if he was likely to lose interest before completion."[4]

Fred Vail

Fred Vail (born on March 24th, 1944) has held various roles including concert promoter and co-manager for The Beach Boys.

Vail began his career in Sacramento, CA, commencing as a radio announcer and teenage news announcer at the age of 12. During his high school years, he spearheaded the committee responsible for orchestrating the arrival of various bands at school dances.

Among these musical talents was The Beach Boys, who, at the time, were gaining traction on the charts but limited their performances mainly to the Los Angeles area. Vail successfully secured the band for an event, marking the beginning of a prosperous collaboration. His involvement in promoting and booking The Beach Boys continued to play a crucial role over the ensuing years.

His roles at Capitol Records and RCA Records as a promotion and marketing manager gave him the opportunity to move to Nashville in 1974.[5] In 1980, Vail founded Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc., the first Nashville studio to become all-digital, remaining busy over the years due to the spacious tracking rooms, which many engineers and musicians claim to be among the best acoustics they've encountered. Artists like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys, and Waylon Jennings have recorded in the studio.[6]

Vail's friendship with The Beach Boys spans 59 years. He came up with the concept of the "Beach Boys Concert" album and arranged the group's 1983 White House concert.[7][8]Vail's journey with the band also included moments like witnessing the mastering of "Pet Sounds" in the studio.

Reflecting on his interactions with the band, he shared, "A lot of times when I'd pick the Beach Boys up I'd have country stations on, and I'd sing along sometimes and they'd be teasing me. And then they'd put on the pop music stations and I'd put it back on the country stations. We were just fooling around. So they knew I sang and liked country music."[1]

Track listing

  • "Bethany Ann"
  • "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me"
  • "Kittens Kids & Kites"
  • "Lucky Billy"
  • "One Woman Won't Hold Me"
  • "Why Don't You Give Her To Me"
  • "If You're Not Loving You're Not Living"
  • "All For The Love Of The Girl"
  • "Only The Lonely"
  • "Carolina In My Mind"
  • "My Way Of Life"
  • "(Now And Then, There's) A Fool Such as I"
  • "You Pass Me By"
  • "You Win Again / I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You"

Personnel

Per Badman.[1]

  • Fred Vail – Vocals
  • James Burton – Guitar
  • Buddy Emmons – Steel Guitar
  • Glen D. Hardin – Piano
  • Red Rhodes – Steel Guitar
  • Keith Allison – Fender Bass
  • Gordon Terry – Fiddle
  • Jay Dee Maness – Steel Guitar
  • Dennis St. John - Drums
  • Freddie Weller – Acoustic Guitar
  • Gib Guilbeau - Electric / Bottleneck Guitar
  • Red Wooten - Acoustic Bass

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. p. 266. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6.
  2. ^ Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: the Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Continuum. pp. 356, 370. ISBN 978-0-8264-1876-0.
  3. ^ Chidester, Brian (January 30, 2014). "Brian Wilson's Secret Bedroom Tapes". LA Weekly.
  4. ^ Matijas-Mecca, Christian (2017). The Words and Music of Brian Wilson. ABC-CLIO. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-4408-3899-6.
  5. ^ "Fred Vail | NAMM.org". www.namm.org. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  6. ^ Stories, Local (2022-05-18). "Check Out Joe Carrell's Story - NashvilleVoyager Magazine | Nashville's Most Inspiring Stories". nashvillevoyager.com. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  7. ^ "40 years ago: The Beach Boys' Fourth of July concert on the National Mall was canceled". WTOP News. 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  8. ^ Guitars, Artisan. "Nashville Icon - Fred Vail". Artisan Guitars. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
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