GOOD VIBRATIONS promo video ex-ci-ta-tions

[monicker]

Good Vibrations promo video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-YzG9NZrI0

This video does weird things to me. I can’t explain the way it makes me feel. It’s this life-affirming, inspirational sort of feeling, but also a feeling of great loss, a longing for a bygone time, a time i don't even have a direct connection to, and also just knowing that for the people in the video, that period would end very soon. It's especially poignant knowing that in just a year, it would all come crumbling down. But it all seems so jovial here.

That girl at the beginning, the way she’s so uncoordinated and awkward with the ball--it’s so inviting and charming. Does anyone know who that is? And what does it have to do with anything? It has everything to with everything. It’s life. I really want to slide down that fire station pole. Brian looks so damn weird going down (up) the pole in reverse and then doing his weird, idiosyncratic gesticulations. Similar movements to that crazy gyrating he does in the Pet Sounds promo when he steps out from behind the tree and he’s wearing THAT MASK. Who in the world moves their body like that?

The boys are dressed so well here. They always looked hip, man. I don’t know why, but i love how Al stays behind in bed. The little bugger eventually makes it down the pole. Was he scared to go down at first? Mike looks great with his beard. f*** everyone, he was the trend setter in the group. He was also the one with the biggest sense of humor.

-1:52 - 2:14: Can you imagine it's 1966, you're at home, you’re watching TV in the living room, and then you happen to look out the window, and THE BEACH BOYS are running down the street wearing fire helmets with a fire engine following them? What?!

-2:36 - 2:41: This part kills me, especially being set to my favorite part of the song, and one of my favorite pieces of music, period. It makes me wanna cry. Al riding the fire truck like it's a SKATEBOARD, his band mates nonchalantly standing next to him--it touches my heart, and, for some reason, makes me want to be in a band again even though i mostly disliked being in bands. I get the same feeling during the part when they're all blowing into the Coke bottles. I wish there was a recording of that. The Coke bottle symphony. Surprised Brian never tried something out like that during all of the SMiLE sessions.

-3:01: Diane Rovell (with pigtails!) drinking soda with the fire fighters. Floral print pants and red Keds, what an outfit! <3 Brian’s muse.

-3:14 - 3:27: Brian getting sprayed with water and running away (again, his bizarre body movements) also makes me want to cry for some reason. What’s wrong with me?

-3:28: Again, imagine the scenario. You're downtown, you're running a few errands, taking your shoes into the shoe shop to get the soles repaired, you needed to pick up a loaf of bread and some milk, maybe you're meeting a friend for a hamburger and a milkshake. You come out of a store and the Beach Boys are on a fire truck riding down the street. What?! And this record called Pet Sounds was released just a few months prior and you are a subscriber to Cheetah and Tiger Beat magazine and so you keep up with all the pop music news and you've just read that Brian Wilson is working on a "teenage symphony to God" to be released later that year, and there are the Beach Boys, on a fire engine, just driving by. My God.

[brother john]

What about them aeolian cadences and pandiatonic clusters, eh ?

[Mikie]

That girl at the beginning, the way she’s so uncoordinated and awkward with the ball--it’s so inviting and charming. Does anyone know who that is?

Looks like Marilyn Wilson to me.

[SMiLE Brian]

This video is a amazing time capsule of LA in 1966.

[Mikie]

The video doesn't match the song at all.  Should have the Fire tape playing in the background. Cellos, violins, and crinkling shrink wrap.......

[monicker]

That girl at the beginning, the way she’s so uncoordinated and awkward with the ball--it’s so inviting and charming. Does anyone know who that is?

Looks like Marilyn Wilson to me.

You're on crack, friend.

[Mikie]

I ain't yer friend, meat.

If it isn't Marilyn, it's Barbara.

[monicker]

I know. That was just my nice way of saying that you're on crack.

[ghost]

So who is it? It looks like Marilyn a bit and I always thought it was but today watching it... I dunno, the face looks different. WHO IS THIS MYSTERY GIRL WITH THE CLUMSILY CUTE BASKETBALL SKILLS. I MUST ELOPE WITH HER.

[Jon Stebbins]

Its Barbara Rovell

[ghost]

Don't disturb Monicker for a while guys, he's busy, in his room, alone, with the shades down, music up loud, the lotions missing from the bathroom...

[ghost]

yeahhh dribble that ball, dribble it good

[SurfRiderHawaii]

I have a hard time believiing that this is the 'offical GV' promo video but have no idea of the history or intentions of these films.

This seems to be, just from my observation, a better use of the video.  Wondering if a fan made this or if it was done my the BB.
The Beach Boys - Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire): SMiLE Promo Video - 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEl-1NFTVNs

[jimmy1949]

So who is it? It looks like Marilyn a bit and I always thought it was but today watching it... I dunno, the face looks different. WHO IS THIS MYSTERY GIRL WITH THE CLUMSILY CUTE BASKETBALL SKILLS. I MUST ELOPE WITH HER.

look close!! its Ricki Lake!!

[Andrew G. Doe]

I have a hard time believiing that this is the 'offical GV' promo video but have no idea of the history or intentions of these films.

This seems to be, just from my observation, a better use of the video.  Wondering if a fan made this or if it was done my the BB.
The Beach Boys - Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire): SMiLE Promo Video - 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEl-1NFTVNs

it was shown as the promo for "GV" in the UK on Top Of The Pops. Remember it clearly.

[hypehat]

Don't disturb Monicker for a while guys, he's busy, in his room, alone, with the shades down, music up loud, the lotions missing from the bathroom...

Need I remind you of the Marilyn/Diane thread? Pot, kettle.... 

[SurfRiderHawaii]

I have a hard time believiing that this is the 'offical GV' promo video but have no idea of the history or intentions of these films.

This seems to be, just from my observation, a better use of the video.  Wondering if a fan made this or if it was done my the BB.
The Beach Boys - Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire): SMiLE Promo Video - 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEl-1NFTVNs

it was shown as the promo for "GV" in the UK on Top Of The Pops. Remember it clearly.

Gotcha AGD.  But what about the Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire) video. It looks like they took video shot for that and edited in to the GV video.  The Fire stuff is totally out of place for GV.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I have a hard time believiing that this is the 'offical GV' promo video but have no idea of the history or intentions of these films.

This seems to be, just from my observation, a better use of the video.  Wondering if a fan made this or if it was done my the BB.
The Beach Boys - Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire): SMiLE Promo Video - 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEl-1NFTVNs

it was shown as the promo for "GV" in the UK on Top Of The Pops. Remember it clearly.

Gotcha AGD.  But what about the Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire) video. It looks like they took video shot for that and edited in to the GV video.  The Fire stuff is totally out of place for GV.

Nope - the video was shot over a month before the "Fire" session. 10/23/66, just before the European tour.

[guitarfool2002]

I'm curious to hear opinions on this issue with the film: I don't think that is Barbara Rovell bouncing the ball in the film.

Evidence: The GV promo film was shot October 23, 1966 or thereabouts...

And the Smile "airport photo" was taken October 22, 1966 or thereabouts...

Whatever the exact dates and times, or if there is any debate about that, they were shot at almost the same point in history, we can still narrow it down and say it was the same week.

Barbara is clearly shown in a few airport shots as having long straight hair which goes beyond her shoulders. She is also very thin and petite as shown in the airport.

The girl in the GV film has a shorter haircut, and doesn't appear to be as petite. Her haircut looks more like what Marilyn was wearing at the airport, a similar length and style but shorter than Barbara's at the airport.

Here is the photo evidence I'm looking at, showing the one we know is Barbara at the airport framed by the GV film shots - sorry for the quality of the GV film shots but that's all I had to work with.

[Andrew G. Doe]

May not be Barbara, but it sure as hell isn't Marilyn.

[guitarfool2002]

May not be Barbara, but it sure as hell isn't Marilyn.

I'm just saying the hairstyle on the girl in the film looks more like what Marilyn was wearing at the airport - not suggesting the girl is Marilyn. But I think given the filming dates and the hairstyle differences, I think we might be able to rule out Barbara as the girl bouncing the ball.

Which opens up the question: So who was it?

[monicker]

Craig, bless your soul for posting that high quality picture of Barbara in the airport.

I didn't say it yesterday because...i don't know why...but i honestly don't think it's Barbara in the GV promo. That doesn't look like a Rovell at all. AT ALL. The Rovells look like aliens (that's a compliment). The girl in that video looks about as much like Marilyn as any woman with dark hair does. I don't have hard proof (just my eyes) but i'm going to say it's not Barbara. That's not a Rovell nose, or Rovell cheekbones. Definitely not Rovell eyebrows. Mouth, eyes, skin tone, nothing. It's a girl with dark hair. Use your eyes, folks. If it ends up that i have to eat my words because conclusive evidence turns up that it is Barbara, well then she was wearing a Hollywood face cast that day.

[Mikie]

You know, Guitarfool, at first I thought it was Marilyn, then I thought of that picture at the L.A. airport of Barbara with the wide hips and big butt and I thought it was her. Send the picture to Marilyn - she'd probably know.

Damn, we're really hurting for good thread topics here.....

[Jon Stebbins]

I've spent a lot of time around Marilyn and Diane, but zip, zero, none around Barbara...so I can't say for sure. But it was Carole Wilson who orig. told me that was Barbara in the GV footage and I assumed she knew her sister-in-law. Guitarfool's A vs. B photo evidence actually looks to increase the possibility that its Barbara IMO. Look at the arm shape, hip shape, short legs, long torso, and yes, face shape. Yes, a different haircut for sure...but chicks change their hair, dates of filming could be slightly off etc... You really think those photos eliminate Barbara as the potential basketball girl? I don't. However, as I said I am no Barbara expert, it could be someone else, but no doubt the BBall girl certainly has a Rovell-esque body type. But it could be Derek Taylor's masseuse, Van Dyke's cousin, Jon Parks' sister, or Steve Korthoff's maid. Let's confirm while we have the energy...I'll do what I can.

[guitarfool2002]

You know, Guitarfool, at first I thought it was Marilyn, then I thought of that picture at the L.A. airport of Barbara with the wide hips and big butt and I thought it was her. Send the picture to Marilyn - she'd probably know.

Damn, we're really hurting for good thread topics here.....

I'm all but convinced it's not Barbara by the hairstyle.

Any discussion where we can get more information on this era is good, and for me any time the topic of the Good Vibrations video comes up, I enjoy talking about it very much. It's one of my favorite pieces of film in all of rock-pop history! I don't understand the hurting for good thread topics comment, because this to me is a *great* topic. Any time we can look at photos from the 66-67 time period, we're far from hurting for good topics.