music.wikisort.org - Composition

"You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1972 album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough". It was written by Brian Wilson and Jack Rieley, and was issued as the album's lead single with the B-side "Cuddle Up". The single failed to chart.[2]

"You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone"
Single by the Beach Boys
from the album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"
B-side	"Cuddle Up"
Released	May 15, 1972
Recorded	1972
Genre	Rock[1]
Length	3:27
Label	Brother/Reprise
Songwriter(s)	Brian Wilson, Jack Rieley
Producer(s)	The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"Surf's Up" (1971) "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" (1972) "Marcella" (1972)
Licensed audio
"You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" on YouTube

Background

An earlier, unreleased version of the song was titled "Beatrice from Baltimore".[3]

Asked about the song in 1972, Mike Love commented, "I like the track, it's one that requires a few plays to get into it. A point about a lot of Brian's things is that they are so oblique and often complex. His music is something that you have to listen to, because he'll put in subtleties that you can listen to for a year and not hear."[4]

Alternate releases

A track and backing vocals mix of "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" was included on the 2021 box set Feel Flows as a teaser for the band's next archival release, Sail On Sailor – 1972 (2022).[5]

Legacy

• In 1993, Saint Etienne adopted the song title for their album You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone.

• In 1999, Hefner released a cover of "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" as a bonus track to their single "The Hymn for the Cigarettes".

References

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.

External links

• You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone (Track and Backing Vocals) on YouTube

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