Rockin' Rarities

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Hello everyone! I'm new here. And am, needless to say, a Beach Boys fanatic! Anyway, got a great selection of questions for my first post:
Just bought a bootleg CD in an independent record store earlier in the week. It's got loads of tracks on it that I'd never listened to before, and some which I'd never even heard of at all. I'm curious as to their origin - any ideas, folk?
1. Special Feeling
2. Marching Along
3. Please
(All three of the above seem to be just Brian alone at the piano - there's also demo versions of It's Over Now, so I'm assuming these are from the same period. Is that right?)
4. We Gotta Groove
(This is a seriously weird track, and doesn't really seem to sound at all like the Beach Boys at all. Is it them? If so, from when?)
5. California Feeling
(Obviously a well known unreleased track, but when does it date from. Bruce sings on the chorus so it's either pre-'71, or post '79)
6. Brian's Back
(Not the awful gloopy Mike-sang song from Endless Harmony, but an almost entirely instrumental, piano-led song. It's really nice actually...)
7. Calendar Girl
(This is quite a nice song, but with shocking lyrics. Again, when does this date from?)
8. Bermuda Shorts
(Not really a song at all, just Mike talking and chanting 'Bermuda Shorts'. He mentions that Carl is 'keeping the summer alive' so I'm assuming it's from the same period as when the Keepin' the Summer Alive album was recorded. Am I right?)

Also on the Cd were great demos of Honkin' Down The Highway and My Diane, and some terrific Do You Wanna Dance sessions. It's been quite a find!   

[smile-holland]

Welcome Disney Boy.

My advise would be to check out a few pages of AGD's Bellagio website.

Starting here for a list of unreleased tracks: http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/vaults.html

and then here for an extended list of gigs and sessions, where you might find more info: http://esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs.html

[Andrew G. Doe]

Hello everyone! I'm new here. And am, needless to say, a Beach Boys fanatic! Anyway, got a great selection of questions for my first post:
Just bought a bootleg CD in an independent record store earlier in the week. It's got loads of tracks on it that I'd never listened to before, and some which I'd never even heard of at all. I'm curious as to their origin - any ideas, folk?
1. Special Feeling
2. Marching Along
3. Please
(All three of the above seem to be just Brian alone at the piano - there's also demo versions of It's Over Now, so I'm assuming these are from the same period. Is that right?)
4. We Gotta Groove
(This is a seriously weird track, and doesn't really seem to sound at all like the Beach Boys at all. Is it them? If so, from when?)
5. California Feeling
(Obviously a well known unreleased track, but when does it date from. Bruce sings on the chorus so it's either pre-'71, or post '79)
6. Brian's Back
(Not the awful gloopy Mike-sang song from Endless Harmony, but an almost entirely instrumental, piano-led song. It's really nice actually...)
7. Calendar Girl
(This is quite a nice song, but with shocking lyrics. Again, when does this date from?)
8. Bermuda Shorts
(Not really a song at all, just Mike talking and chanting 'Bermuda Shorts'. He mentions that Carl is 'keeping the summer alive' so I'm assuming it's from the same period as when the Keepin' the Summer Alive album was recorded. Am I right?)

Also on the Cd were great demos of Honkin' Down The Highway and My Diane, and some terrific Do You Wanna Dance sessions. It's been quite a find!   

1 - That Special Feeling: 1976 demo
2 - They're Marching Along: ditto, re-recorded for 1988 solo album
3 - I'm Begging You Please: 1978 demo
4 - We Gotta Groove: 1976 backing track
5 - California Feelin': October 1978
6 - Brian's Back: LA outtake, August 1978
7 - Calendar Girl: ditto
8 - Bermuda Shorts: could be Knebworth 1980 soundcheck

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Wow, well that sure answered that. Thanks! Yeah, they were roughly from when I'd assumed they'd be. Can't imagine Calender Girl fitting on LA very well, although I suppose anything would've been preferable to HCTN!!

[bossaroo]

never heard a "Honkin" demo... i love that tune!


welcome DB85

[c-man]

Hello everyone! I'm new here. And am, needless to say, a Beach Boys fanatic! Anyway, got a great selection of questions for my first post:
Just bought a bootleg CD in an independent record store earlier in the week. It's got loads of tracks on it that I'd never listened to before, and some which I'd never even heard of at all. I'm curious as to their origin - any ideas, folk?
1. Special Feeling
2. Marching Along
3. Please
(All three of the above seem to be just Brian alone at the piano - there's also demo versions of It's Over Now, so I'm assuming these are from the same period. Is that right?)
4. We Gotta Groove
(This is a seriously weird track, and doesn't really seem to sound at all like the Beach Boys at all. Is it them? If so, from when?)
5. California Feeling
(Obviously a well known unreleased track, but when does it date from. Bruce sings on the chorus so it's either pre-'71, or post '79)
6. Brian's Back
(Not the awful gloopy Mike-sang song from Endless Harmony, but an almost entirely instrumental, piano-led song. It's really nice actually...)
7. Calendar Girl
(This is quite a nice song, but with shocking lyrics. Again, when does this date from?)
8. Bermuda Shorts
(Not really a song at all, just Mike talking and chanting 'Bermuda Shorts'. He mentions that Carl is 'keeping the summer alive' so I'm assuming it's from the same period as when the Keepin' the Summer Alive album was recorded. Am I right?)

Also on the Cd were great demos of Honkin' Down The Highway and My Diane, and some terrific Do You Wanna Dance sessions. It's been quite a find!   

1 - That Special Feeling: 1976 demo
2 - They're Marching Along: ditto, re-recorded for 1988 solo album
3 - I'm Begging You Please: 1978 demo
4 - We Gotta Groove: 1976 backing track
5 - California Feelin': October 1978
6 - Brian's Back: LA outtake, August 1978
7 - Calendar Girl: ditto
8 - Bermuda Shorts: could be Knebworth 1980 soundcheck

California Feeling is from October '78?  Does that mean there is an earlier, uncirculated or unheard version from August '78 (recorded at Criteria)?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Hello everyone! I'm new here. And am, needless to say, a Beach Boys fanatic! Anyway, got a great selection of questions for my first post:
Just bought a bootleg CD in an independent record store earlier in the week. It's got loads of tracks on it that I'd never listened to before, and some which I'd never even heard of at all. I'm curious as to their origin - any ideas, folk?
1. Special Feeling
2. Marching Along
3. Please
(All three of the above seem to be just Brian alone at the piano - there's also demo versions of It's Over Now, so I'm assuming these are from the same period. Is that right?)
4. We Gotta Groove
(This is a seriously weird track, and doesn't really seem to sound at all like the Beach Boys at all. Is it them? If so, from when?)
5. California Feeling
(Obviously a well known unreleased track, but when does it date from. Bruce sings on the chorus so it's either pre-'71, or post '79)
6. Brian's Back
(Not the awful gloopy Mike-sang song from Endless Harmony, but an almost entirely instrumental, piano-led song. It's really nice actually...)
7. Calendar Girl
(This is quite a nice song, but with shocking lyrics. Again, when does this date from?)
8. Bermuda Shorts
(Not really a song at all, just Mike talking and chanting 'Bermuda Shorts'. He mentions that Carl is 'keeping the summer alive' so I'm assuming it's from the same period as when the Keepin' the Summer Alive album was recorded. Am I right?)

Also on the Cd were great demos of Honkin' Down The Highway and My Diane, and some terrific Do You Wanna Dance sessions. It's been quite a find!   

1 - That Special Feeling: 1976 demo
2 - They're Marching Along: ditto, re-recorded for 1988 solo album
3 - I'm Begging You Please: 1978 demo
4 - We Gotta Groove: 1976 backing track
5 - California Feelin': October 1978
6 - Brian's Back: LA outtake, August 1978
7 - Calendar Girl: ditto
8 - Bermuda Shorts: could be Knebworth 1980 soundcheck

California Feeling is from October '78?  Does that mean there is an earlier, uncirculated or unheard version from August '78 (recorded at Criteria)?

Mea culpa - got my 10/74 mixed up with my 8 and 9/78.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Re the Honkin' demo: It's great! There's a pounding piano throughout, and a great little keyboard/synth solo in the middle. The lyrics are a tiny bit different too.
There's also a cover of 'You've Lost That lovin' Feeling' which is really nice. Much better than the vast majority of the covers that cropped up on 15 Big Ones.
It's sometimes utterly baffling listening to some of the amazing material they were happy to leave in the vaults (throughout their career, although during the late '60s/early '70s period in particular) in comparison to some of the occasionally lame material that got officially released.

[hypehat]

That Righteous Brothers cover is all Brian, in one session, btw

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Wow well it sure is nice... Compared to say their awful cover of Chapel of Love it's a great cover. Why on earth was it left unreleased?