Forever Changes: The Daily Planet

[silentseason]

"The Daily Planet"
From: Forever Changes, side one, song four
-Running time: 3:25
-Recorded: June 9 and 10, September 25 1967 Sunset Sound
-Written by: Arthur Lee
-Lead vocal: Arthur Lee
-Backup vocals: Johnny Echols, Bryan MacLean, Kenny Forssi, Michael Stuart
-Lead guitar: Johnny Echols, Billy Strange
-Rhythm guitar: Carol Kaye
-Bass: Kenny Forssi
-Drums: Jim Gordon
-The song title refers to the fictional newspaper in Superman.
-Second of the two "Wrecking Crew" songs on Forever Changes.
-Originally Carol Kaye was slotted to play bass on this song. She struggled with the complexity of it and was replaced by Kenny whose fluid playing worked out perfectly.
-Controversy exists in regards to who actually played drums on this cut. Official records and Johnny say that Hal Blaine was the drummer. Michael swears that Hal Blaine wasn't even in the studio that day and that Jim Gordon was the true drummer. I choose to go with Michael's memory mainly because out of human nature one would probably pay closer attention to someone playing your specific instrument.
-Gordon himself would later achieve greater fame in his involvement with Delaney and Bonnie and Derrick and the Dominoes. Unfortunately he ran into tragic circumstances in the 80's and has been incarcerated since 1983.
-Out of the background vocals, I can hear: face, heart, hands. Not sure what else might have been spoken. Anyone?
-Reportedly arranged by Neil Young, who was originally slated to produce the album with Bruce Botnick. He dropped out of the project quickly.
-Quotable: Michael provides more info regarding the Wrecking Crew controversy:

"... stuff like giving Hal Blaine the credit for playing drums on "Daily Planet". It was Jim Gordon. (Hal was a member of the Wrecking Crew alright, but he was tied up at another session, so Jim took his place, as he sometimes did). Another mistake contained in some of the interviews was giving Carol Kaye credit for playing bass on the same cut. Kenny played the bass part. Carol was bumped over to rhythm guitar. And that we were all crying really big tears when Elektra brought in the studio cats and chicks. Although we were, in fact, all sitting on the couch sulking and pissed off and wanting to kill somebody, we weren't crying. I think maybe whoever said we were crying, got us mixed up with "The Babies" who also did some recording at Sunset Sound."

-IMHO: Kenny's inclusion on bass is vital to this song. With all the weird twists and turns it takes (maybe more than any other on the album) his bass really drives the song and makes it one the albums best. Listen to this song and just concentrate on the bass part sometime.
-Fun fact: Reality and image are usually exclusive. Want proof? Look at the back cover photo of Forever Changes. Johnny appears to be praying to God; Kenny and Michael are sternly contemplating something; Arthur is holding a broken vase in an artistic statement to say that Flower Power is dying. In reality, Johnny is hiding a joint, Kenny just took a long drag from a cigarette and exhaled just as the picture was snapped, Michael was bummed out over a bad haircut, and Arthur serindipitously just picked up a vase that Michael accidentally broke. Bryan? Perhaps he was just having a laugh at the whole thing, or maybe glad that he wasn't going to look like he was a kid in a sandbox again.

-Lyrics:

In the morning we arise and
Start the day the same old way
As yesterday the day before and
All in all it's just a day like
All the rest so do your best with
Chewing gum and it is oh so
Repetitious
Waiting on the sun

Down on Go-stop Boulevard it
Never fails to bring me down
The sirens and the accidents and
For a laugh there's Plastic Nancy
She's real fancy with her children
They'll go far, she
Buys them toys to
Keep in practice
Waiting on the war

I feel shivers in my spine
When the iceman, yes his ice is melting
Won't be there on time
Hope he finds a rhyme
For his little mind

I can see you
With no (hands/face)
Eyes I need you
You're my (heart/face)

Look we're going round and round

[jamestkirk]

Good stuff...especially about Kenny and his groundbreaking bass lines. Such a talent and a very important part of the development of Love's songs.

Those lyrics! God, Arthur was a genius!

[silentseason]

Right you are. That might be Arthur's best song ever lyrically, or maybe his most interesting collage of surrealism mixed with everday existance. It makes you wonder how he ever dreamed this stuff up.