Spring (American Spring album)
Spring (known outside the United States and in subsequent reissues as American Spring) is the first and only album by American pop duo American Spring (then known as "Spring") released in July 1972. Largely ignored at the time of its release, it has now come to be seen as a valuable collector's item due to Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys' participation.[2]
Spring | |
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Studio album by | |
Released | July, 1972 |
Recorded | January 7, 1970; October 8, 1971 – May 1972, |
Studio | Brian Wilson's home studio, Los Angeles, CA |
Length | 34:50 |
Label | United Artists Records |
Producer | Brian Wilson, David Sandler, Stephen Desper[1] |
Singles from Spring | |
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American Spring reissue cover | |
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Background and recording
Spring was largely tracked in Brian Wilson's home studio in Bel Air, California from October 8, 1971 to May 1972, engineered by Stephen Desper.[3][4][5] The track for "Good Time" was sourced from an outtake from the Beach Boys' album Sunflower and was recorded on January 7, 1970.[6]
Stephen Desper and David Sandler oversaw the recording of the majority of proceedings. Statements by Desper have estimated Brian's contributions at around 5%, but Desper added "5% of Brian Wilson is equal to 100% of anyone else" noting that whenever Brian did work, it would be a substantial contribution due to his proficiency in the studio. Marilyn Wilson of American Spring and former wife of Brian Wilson disagreed with Desper somewhat, recounting Brian produced "about a quarter" of the album, a statement that Diane Rovell agreed with.
It has been hypothesized that Wilson's contributions to the 1972 Beach Boys album, Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" were minimal as the sessions coincided with the recording and promotion of this album.
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | B+[7] |
Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote of the album: "In which Brian Wilson produces his old female backup group—the Honeys, featuring his wife Marilyn—in what sounds like the best and is certainly the most charming Beach Boys album since Sunflower. The old combination of ingenuousness and sophistication works as well as ever, only this time the vocals rather than the lyrics are naive—direct, pretty, effortless, thoughtless. And Wilson's studio work is as precise and humorous as ever."[7]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Tennessee Waltz" | Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart | 2:03 |
2. | "Thinkin' Bout You Baby" | Brian Wilson, Mike Love | 3:05 |
3. | "Mama Said" | Willie Denson, Luther Dixon | 2:34 |
4. | "Superstar" | Bonnie Bramlett, Leon Russell | 3:31 |
5. | "Awake" | Floyd Tucker | 3:24 |
6. | "Sweet Mountain" | Brian Wilson, David Sandler | 4:13 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Everybody" | Tommy Roe | 2:20 |
2. | "This Whole World" | Brian Wilson | 3:11 |
3. | "Forever" | Dennis Wilson, Gregg Jakobson | 3:14 |
4. | "Good Time" | Al Jardine, Brian Wilson | 2:50 |
5. | "Now That Everything's Been Said" | Carole King | 2:16 |
6. | "Down Home" | Gerry Goffin, Carole King | 2:44 |
- Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–12 on CD reissues.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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13. | "Shyin' Away" | Diane Rovell/David Sandler/Marilyn Wilson | 2:10 |
14. | "Fallin' in Love" | D. Wilson | 2:37 |
15. | "It's Like Heaven" | Rovell/B. Wilson | 2:36 |
16. | "Had to Phone Ya" | B. Wilson/Love/Rovell | 2:03 |
Personnel
American Spring
- Diane Rovell – lead, harmony and backing vocals
- Marilyn Wilson – lead, harmony and backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Keith Allison – bass[8]
- Alan Beutler – horns[8]
- Larry Carlton – guitar[8]
- David Cohen – guitar[8]
- Stephen Desper – sound engineer
- John Guerin – drums[8]
- Igor Horoshefsky – cello[8]
- Al Jardine – bass guitar
- Mike Love – harmony and backing vocals
- Ray Pohlman – bass[8]
- Jack Rieley – backing vocals
- David Sandler – harmony and backing vocals; keyboards
- Brian Wilson – harmony and backing vocals; piano, baldwin organ, ARP Odyssey synthesizer, "everything"[8]
- Carl Wilson – harmony and backing vocals; twelve-string guitar
References
- Dillon, Mark. Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs that Tell Their Story ECW Press, Toronto, Canada, 2012. p. 184 ISBN 978-1770410718
- Viglione, Joe. "Spring – Spring : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- Marcus, Ben. Surfing USA!: An Illustrated History of the Coolest Sport of All Time Voyageur Press, San Francisco, California, 2005. ISBN 978-0896586901
- Doe, Andrew G. (2012). "GIGS71". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- Doe, Andrew G. (2012). "GIGS72". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- Badman, Keith. The Beach Boys. The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band: On Stage and in the Studio Backbeat Books, San Francisco, California, 2004. ISBN 0-87930-818-4 p. 223
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Credited as such on US cover