River Song (Dennis Wilson song)

"River Song" is a song written by Dennis Wilson and his younger brother Carl Wilson. It served as the opening track for Dennis Wilson's 1977 debut solo album "Pacific Ocean Blue". The song was released as a single in Europe with the B-side being "Farewell My Friend". The single however, failed to chart. The track, as with the rest of the album, was credited as being produced by Dennis Wilson and his close friend Gregg Jakobson. Dennis Wilson sings the lead vocals on this and every other track on the album.

All the keyboards on the album were provided by Dennis Wilson. The opening organ duet of the song had origins seven years earlier during recording sessions held in 1970. The opening organ riff represents the flowing of a river. In an interview, Dennis explained that he was "in the High Sierras walking by this river that was very small and it kept getting bigger and bigger"http://www.danaddington.com/denny/interview.html "It's About Time" - Dennis Wilson interview with David Leaf] , and he explains that this is the purpose - to represent the river - of "the guitar sound on the track"http://www.danaddington.com/denny/interview.html "It's About Time" - Dennis Wilson interview with David Leaf] The music, according to Dennis, "came from the river".http://www.danaddington.com/denny/interview.html "It's About Time" - Dennis Wilson interview with David Leaf]

Dennis provides a raspy yet soulful lead vocal on the opening track, as with the rest of the album. The vocal introduction of the song also features a superb choir backing, which was Alexander Hamilton's Double Rock Baptist Choir. Dennis Wilson's brother Carl is also featured in the mix singing backing vocals with the choir.

The lyrics were partially written by Dennis and partially by his brother Carl. The idea behind the lyrics is the comparison in the conditions of Los Angeles compared to the High Sierras - the place where Dennis had been inspired by the river. The lyric focuses on how Dennis was born and has always lived in the city, though he is now sick of the city as it becoming over crowded and over polluted that he is looking to break away from the city and he is now just "looking for some country life". Referring to Los Angeles, Dennis has been quoted as saying, "It just makes me sick to think of what's happening here".

Years earlier prior to the release of "Pacific Ocean Blue", The Beach Boys had attempted to record the song for inclusion on one of their albums, though The Beach Boys version was never completed. Although never completely recorded by The Beach Boys, the Pacific Ocean Blue song appeared on the 1981 Beach Boys greatest hits compilation "Ten Years of Harmony". The Beach Boys also performed the song live in the early 1970's.

Sadly the original recording of the song is now unavailable to the general public to obtain as both "Pacific Ocean Blue" and the Beach Boys greatest hits compilation "Ten Years of Harmony" have both been out of print for several years, although a cover version surfaced in early 2007 as part of a live tribute album to Dennis' and Carl's work by the Los Angeles pop collective Adam Marsland's Chaos Band (featuring Beach Boys archivist Alan Boyd on part of the lead vocal), which rendition garnered the endorsement of fellow Beach Boy Al Jardine. Since it has gone out of print, Pacific Ocean Blue has now became a much sought-after collectors item as has the River Song single, which is even rarer though less sought-after.

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