| Can't Wait Too Long | |
| Artist: | the Beach Boys |
| Album: | Smiley Smile/Wild Honey |
| Released: | September 1990 |
| Recorded: | – |
| Genre: | Rhythm and blues, psychedelic pop |
| Label: | Capitol |
| Producer: | Brian Wilson |
| Can't Wait Too Long | |
| Artist: | Brian Wilson |
| Album: | That Lucky Old Sun |
| Recorded: | April 2008 |
| Label: | Capitol |
| Producer: | Brian Wilson |
"Can't Wait Too Long" (also known as "Been Way Too Long") is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band the Beach Boys. The song dates from 1967, and remains unfinished by the group. In 2008, a newly recorded "Can't Wait Too Long" was released for Wilson's solo album That Lucky Old Sun.[1]
The Beach Boys version consists of an elaborate collection of vocal and instrumental tracks comparable to the group's earlier compositions "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains".[2] It includes a melody line played instrumentally without sung lyrics, a bass line bearing resemblance to the Smile sessions version of "Wind Chimes", plus several sections of chorus and a vocal middle section. It was recorded throughout 1967 and 1968, well after the sessions for Smile ended. On February 11, 1980, overdubs were attempted on the original late 1960s recordings.[3]
Brian Wilson sings lead vocals.[4] There are very few lyrics. The title phrase is sung several dozen times, sometime alternating with "been away too long baby". Elsewhere is a simple couplet: "I miss you darlin' / I miss you so hard" which was evidently meant to be followed with "So come back baby / and don't break my heart", as Wilson can be heard instructing the other Beach Boys.[2] The final arrangement of the tune segues into an R&B inspired arrangement, and towards the end of the master outtake, there is a bass riff that had been labeled for years as an edit piece that is part of the "Heroes and Villains" suite — consult the bootleg album, Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 17.
Biographer David Leaf said: "[the song] needs no analysis or description other than to say that it’s an incredible piece of music ... sections of it are complete enough to be a terrific example of how Brian, in Van Dyke Parks' words, used to 'saturate the tape with music.'"[4]
The song was eventually released in a sound collage form in September 1990, as a bonus track on a CD reissue compiling two Beach Boys albums onto one disc—Smiley Smile/Wild Honey.[5] A shorter form of the song was also released in June 1993 on the group's 5-disc anthology, .[6] On the latter version, Brian Wilson is heard instructing brother Carl on some other lyrics which were never recorded. In May 2001, a 51-second a cappella version of the song was issued on disc two of the Beach Boys rarities compilation album, Hawthorne, CA.[7] This same version reappears on the 2013 Made in California box set. An early version of the track can be found on 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow, released June 30, 2017. A longer version, titled Been Way Too Long (sections), appears at , released in December 7, 2018. Another edit was released for the 2022 compilation, Sounds of Summer: Expanded Edition.