"River Song" is a song written by

Dennis Wilson Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...

and his younger brother Carl Wilson. It served as the opening track for Dennis Wilson's 1977 debut solo album ''

Pacific Ocean Blue ''Pacific Ocean Blue'' is the only studio album by American musician Dennis Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys. When released in August 1977, it was warmly received critically, and noted for outselling the Beach Boys' contemporary efforts. Two ...

''. 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 and his close friend

Gregg Jakobson Gregg Jakobson (born August 2, 1939) is an American songwriter who was a friend and songwriting partner of Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, and a prosecution witness in the murder trials of members of the Manson Family. Beach Boys Jakobson and W ...

. Dennis Wilson sings the lead vocals on this and every other track on the album.

Recording

All the keyboards featured in the song were provided by Dennis Wilson. The opening piano part of the song had origins seven years earlier during recording sessions held in 1970. The piano 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", and he explains that this is the purpose — to represent the river — of "the guitar sound on the track" The music, according to Dennis, "came from the river".

The Beach Boys version

The Beach Boys performed the song live in the early 1970s and had attempted to record the song, but their version was left unfinished. The band then used Dennis Wilson's solo version for their 1981 two-disc greatest hits collection, '' Ten Years of Harmony''.

Personnel

Credits from Craig Slowinski.http://beachboysarchives.com/mobilepage.php?pagenumber=11 *

– lead vocals, harmony and backing vocals, bass vocals, piano, Minimoog synthesizer, producer, arrangements, choral vocal arrangements * Carl Wilson – harmony and backing vocals, lead/rhythm guitar * Billy Hinsche – harmony and backing vocals, bass vocals, lead/rhythm guitar * Ed Carter – bass *

Ricky Fataar Ricky Fataar (born 5 September 1952) is a South African-English multi-instrumentalist of Cape Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in ''The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash'', a spoof on ...

– drums * Ed Tuleja – bass vocals * Gregg Jakobson – bass vocals, producer * The Double Rock Baptist Church Voices of Inspiration Choir – choral vocals * Alexander Hamilton – bass vocals, choral vocal arrangements, choir conductor

References

{{Authority control Songs about rivers 1977 singles Dennis Wilson songs Songs written by Carl Wilson Songs written by Dennis Wilson Song recordings produced by Dennis Wilson 1970 songs