Spring (American Spring album)
Spring is the only album by American pop duo Spring, released in July 1972 on United Artists. It contains cover versions of popular songs as well as original material written or co-written by producer Brian Wilson. The album sold poorly, and in later years, became a valuable collector's item.[1]
| Spring | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | July, 1972 |
| Recorded |
|
| Studio | Beach Boys, Los Angeles, CA |
| Length | 34:50 |
| Label | United Artists |
| Producer | Brian Wilson |
| Singles from Spring | |
| |
| American Spring reissue cover | |
 | |
The record was later renamed American Spring, along with the band, to avoid confusion with the English band Spring. In 1998, the album was reissued on CD with four bonus tracks.
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.[2][3] The track for "Good Time" was sourced from an outtake from the Beach Boys' album Sunflower and was recorded on January 7, 1970.[4] The album was produced by Wilson, Desper, and David Sandler,[5] but the record itself only credits the production to Wilson.
Release and reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[6] |
Spring was released in the US by United Artists in July 1972. Elsewhere, and on later reissues of the album, the record was renamed "American Spring" to avoid confusion with the English band of the same name.[5] The album was critically acclaimed but sold poorly.[5]
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."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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" | B. Wilson, David Sandler | 4:13 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Everybody" | Tommy Roe | 2:20 |
| 2. | "This Whole World" | B. Wilson | 3:11 |
| 3. | "Forever" | Dennis Wilson, Gregg Jakobson | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Good Time" | Al Jardine, B. Wilson | 2:50 |
| 5. | "Now That Everything's Been Said" | Carole King | 2:16 |
| 6. | "Down Home" | Gerry Goffin, King | 2:44 |
| Total length: | 34:50 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Shyin' Away" | Diane Rovell, 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
- Marilyn Wilson
References
- Viglione, Joe. "Spring – Spring : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- Doe, Andrew G. (2012). "GIGS71". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- Doe, Andrew G. (2012). "GIGS72". Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- Badman 2004, pp. 223, 309.
- Badman 2004, p. 321.
- 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.
Bibliography
- Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6.