Why did the 'Add Some Music To Your Day' single fail and what if it had not?

[Mendota Heights]

The reason why it did not chart is it is not good enough.

[BergenWhitesMoustache]

The reason why it did not chart is it is not good enough.

That's basically true of all records. The good ones get into the charts, and the bad ones do not. The cream rises to the top.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Blobby_%28song%29

[filledeplage]

I don't think it mattered what they would have put out in 1970, the radio stations had decided they were not cool and wouldn't play their new stuff no matter how good it was.

Correct! No AirPlay; no charting. 

[oldsurferdude]

I don't think it mattered what they would have put out in 1970, the radio stations had decided they were not cool and wouldn't play their new stuff no matter how good it was.

Well, not entirely untrue, but in my market, Sunflower got significant airplay. ASM, CCW, IAT, and believe it or don't, TITM! I was pleasantly surprised that it continued until Surf's Up and then they played the daylights outta that, too with FF, LPR, and SDT getting the bulk of attention. In fact, more incredible, they played the entire SU album  just before release at the stroke of midnight. I have that promo copy that they played in my collection. But regardless of all the attention from the station, it was still "not cool" to say you liked the music. A difficult time indeed to satnd up for the band.

But were these the more underground stations?  I'm a bit out of my depth here being English and not born until the late 70's so I have little concept of the radio market from this era. I was under the impression that the more mainstream radio stations of the day wouldn't include the new Beach Boys singles on their playlists.

The English comparison would be 'John Peel used to play X_________ on his late night show but daytime Radio 1 would not play their latest singles'.

FM progressive rock radio and Sunflower and Surf's Up were  featured throughout the day and evening.

[filledeplage]

The distinguishing feature, for me is that fm was being played in more public places (probably to the chagrin of ASCAP) such as the boutiques in the Harvard Square retail store area, with shoppers almost as a "captive audience." The college bookstores or cafés and bars, were using it as well where they had speakers piped in.  

WBCN, was a pioneer.  And, they were holding a big antiwar demographic in their palm.  Carl, as a CO (Conscientious Objector draft status) would be someone with stature, as he had membership in a growing group of musicians, using their powerful position in rock music, as a platform, to protest US involvement, in Vietnam.

 So, even though the stereotype BB thing was not on their playlist, their growing "reacceptance" began to bloom, and Pet Sounds alongside Smiley, Wild Honey with its R&B feel got AirPlay (love the iPad intuition   ) not from the glitzy corporate position but from the gritty "in-your-face" quasi-political arena.

And, it wasn't just the dynamic if being in your car, or at home; it was being filtered into a new or, older market of college kids, grad students, etc.  And college radio stations DJ's did pretty much what they wanted as well, so it became a natural gravitation for the Boys to play the college circuit as a natural venue.

It was kind of a subversive listening venue, as it did not appear to be direct marketing, but the DJ's doing what they wanted, and playing what they liked.  DJ's with good taste!  

[Steve Mayo]

the college fm station near my hometown (station was in huntington wv...marshall university) played sunflower for awhile and  played the heck out of everything on surf's up. great time to be a fan when the group was getting attention again. i can still hear, if i close my eyes, feel flows blasting over the radio and people liking it and finding out it was the beach boys. reaction was like "what!!". that always put a smile on my face.

[DonnyL]

the college fm station near my hometown (station was in huntington wv...marshall university) played sunflower for awhile and  played the heck out of everything on surf's up. great time to be a fan when the group was getting attention again. i can still hear, if i close my eyes, feel flows blasting over the radio and people liking it and finding out it was the beach boys. reaction was like "what!!". that always put a smile on my face.

i love hearing stories like this from the original era ... thank you!

[filledeplage]

the college fm station near my hometown (station was in huntington wv...marshall university) played sunflower for awhile and  played the heck out of everything on surf's up. great time to be a fan when the group was getting attention again. i can still hear, if i close my eyes, feel flows blasting over the radio and people liking it and finding out it was the beach boys. reaction was like "what!!". that always put a smile on my face.

Steve - I forgot Surfs Up! Duh! I hope that was a "sly smile!"

So delish for that to happen! 

[TMinthePM]

I bought every new Beach Boys album hot off the racks starting with Shutdown Vol II, and have to say that each one following Party took some getting used to. When we started to turn on, and that wasn't till '69, whole new worlds of sonic insight and appreciation opened up. We used to drop acid and smoke weed to soften the landing, and I can still see in my mind's eye my buddy's sh*t-eatin' ear-to-ear grin listening to Smiley Smile at 3am of a warm Georgia summer night. "That's the Beach Boys?!!!" was a common refrain.

[Cam Mott]

I bought every new Beach Boys album hot off the racks starting with Shutdown Vol II, and have to say that each one following Party took some getting used to. When we started to turn on, and that wasn't till '69, whole new worlds of sonic insight and appreciation opened up. We used to drop acid and smoke weed to soften the landing, and I can still see in my mind's eye my buddy's sh*t-eatin' ear-to-ear grin listening to Smiley Smile at 3am of a warm Georgia summer night. "That's the Beach Boys?!!!" was a common refrain.

You see it in the fanzines of the time. It goes from mostly "you're the best" to mostly WTF.

[Bicyclerider]

The distinguishing feature, for me is that fm was being played in more public places (probably to the chagrin of ASCAP) such as the boutiques in the Harvard Square retail store area, with shoppers almost as a "captive audience." The college bookstores or cafés and bars, were using it as well where they had speakers piped in.  

WBCN, was a pioneer.  And, they were holding a big antiwar demographic in their palm.  Carl, as a CO (Conscientious Objector draft status) would be someone with stature, as he had membership in a growing group of musicians, using their powerful position in rock music, as a platform, to protest US involvement, in Vietnam.

 So, even though the stereotype BB thing was not on their playlist, their growing "reacceptance" began to bloom, and Pet Sounds alongside Smiley, Wild Honey with its R&B feel got AirPlay (love the iPad intuition   ) not from the glitzy corporate position but from the gritty "in-your-face" quasi-political arena.

And, it wasn't just the dynamic if being in your car, or at home; it was being filtered into a new or, older market of college kids, grad students, etc.  And college radio stations DJ's did pretty much what they wanted as well, so it became a natural gravitation for the Boys to play the college circuit as a natural venue.

It was kind of a subversive listening venue, as it did not appear to be direct marketing, but the DJ's doing what they wanted, and playing what they liked.  DJ's with good taste!  

I don't remember Sunflower getting significant FM AirPlay on BCN - Surf's Up yes, they had played Big Sur and were becoming "hip"again.  Through Holland, then fm AirPlay dropped off  - I remember calling BCN to request something from Keping the Summer Alive and being told no way.

[Cabinessenceking]

I remember calling BCN to request something from Keping the Summer Alive and being told no way.

And rightfully so!

[zachrwolfe]

‍

[adamghost]

I always thought that "Deirdre" was the sleeper hit on SUNFLOWER.  Production-wise, it had that very late '60s blowsy slightly Euro thing going on.  Though stylistically it may have been a year or two after its time by that point.

And, of course, "Forever."  I wonder why no one released that one?  It's a fairly obvious choice, and has weathered the test of time as a song (as opposed to a production) the best of all the SUNFLOWER tracks.

I have to concur that none of the other SUNFLOWER tracks jump out as singles.  "This Whole World" was too complicated and too short.  Everything else had a similarly oblique thing going on...great production, cool songs, but just slightly off kilter from a pop hook standpoint.  If I was picking the next one after the above two, I'd probably go with "Tears In The Morning."

[phirnis]

Well, at least Add Some Music must've left a lasting impression on John Cale and Dave Edmunds, both of who referenced the song in their respective tribute songs to the BB/BW.

[filledeplage]

The distinguishing feature, for me is that fm was being played in more public places (probably to the chagrin of ASCAP) such as the boutiques in the Harvard Square retail store area, with shoppers almost as a "captive audience." The college bookstores or cafés and bars, were using it as well where they had speakers piped in.  

WBCN, was a pioneer.  And, they were holding a big antiwar demographic in their palm.  Carl, as a CO (Conscientious Objector draft status) would be someone with stature, as he had membership in a growing group of musicians, using their powerful position in rock music, as a platform, to protest US involvement, in Vietnam.

 So, even though the stereotype BB thing was not on their playlist, their growing "reacceptance" began to bloom, and Pet Sounds alongside Smiley, Wild Honey with its R&B feel got AirPlay (love the iPad intuition   ) not from the glitzy corporate position but from the gritty "in-your-face" quasi-political arena.

And, it wasn't just the dynamic if being in your car, or at home; it was being filtered into a new or, older market of college kids, grad students, etc.  And college radio stations DJ's did pretty much what they wanted as well, so it became a natural gravitation for the Boys to play the college circuit as a natural venue.

It was kind of a subversive listening venue, as it did not appear to be direct marketing, but the DJ's doing what they wanted, and playing what they liked.  DJ's with good taste!  

I don't remember Sunflower getting significant FM AirPlay on BCN - Surf's Up yes, they had played Big Sur and were becoming "hip"again.  Through Holland, then fm AirPlay dropped off  - I remember calling BCN to request something from Keping the Summer Alive and being told no way.

Surf's Up did get good airplay for a couple of reasons; first, the elusive "Surfs Up" which Brian did on Leonard Bernstein's program on Pop Music, IIRC April of 1967, was the title of the album and second,  because, I think thematically, it fit with their enlightened high school demographic as well as college. (Yes, Student Demonstration Time)  Surf's Up might be analogous to SMiLE in a very small way, because there was a five year wait (not 37 for Brian's version and 45 for the Sessions.) People waited a long time, and it became sort of mythical.

As I look at that, it would seem obnoxious, to even say, but the radio formats of the high schoolers of the late 1960's, I think baptized us, by fire, as it were with the tail end of early classic rock, moving into more progressive rock, (early BB's and Beatles v. both bands using more sophisticated sounds) Motown, and spinning into Sunshine Pop.  And the underpinnings of a country in a mental chaos state. Even high school kids could not stay in "la-la" land, as the music forced us to become aware of the social issues of the day.

But, I seem to remember "Our Sweet Love" being played. (from Sunflower) By the time I was in grad school, my listening choices were expanded, as fm exploded and became mainstream, largely taking over the music, from am, which was more, news, politcs, and sports talk formats oriented.  And, most importantly, the car 8 track, where I was the DJ!  

[Mike's Beard]

I always thought that "Deirdre" was the sleeper hit on SUNFLOWER.  Production-wise, it had that very late '60s blowsy slightly Euro thing going on.  Though stylistically it may have been a year or two after its time by that point.

And, of course, "Forever."  I wonder why no one released that one?  It's a fairly obvious choice, and has weathered the test of time as a song (as opposed to a production) the best of all the SUNFLOWER tracks.

I have to concur that none of the other SUNFLOWER tracks jump out as singles.  "This Whole World" was too complicated and too short.  Everything else had a similarly oblique thing going on...great production, cool songs, but just slightly off kilter from a pop hook standpoint.  If I was picking the next one after the above two, I'd probably go with "Tears In The Morning."

I thought Slip On Through was a bad choice for a single. It underwhelms on the first couple of listens and is rather short. It took several listens for those weird, etheral backing vocals on the second verse to get their hooks into my brain. A single has to grip the listener first time out of the gate or it's failed. To be honest apart from Add Some Music, nothing on Sunflower is really suited to single material.

[filledeplage]

I always thought that "Deirdre" was the sleeper hit on SUNFLOWER.  Production-wise, it had that very late '60s blowsy slightly Euro thing going on.  Though stylistically it may have been a year or two after its time by that point.

And, of course, "Forever."  I wonder why no one released that one?  It's a fairly obvious choice, and has weathered the test of time as a song (as opposed to a production) the best of all the SUNFLOWER tracks.

I have to concur that none of the other SUNFLOWER tracks jump out as singles.  "This Whole World" was too complicated and too short.  Everything else had a similarly oblique thing going on...great production, cool songs, but just slightly off kilter from a pop hook standpoint.  If I was picking the next one after the above two, I'd probably go with "Tears In The Morning."

I thought Slip On Through was a bad choice for a single. It underwhelms on the first couple of listens and is rather short. It took several listens for those weird, etheral backing vocals on the second verse to get their hooks into my brain. A single has to grip the listener first time out of the gate or it's failed. To be honest apart from Add Some Music, nothing on Sunflower is really suited to single material.

Funny - I felt that Slip On Through was maladroit.  But, that Our Sweet Love, with Carl's gorgeous vocals and simple and direct lyrics, might have been a great Side A sure fire hit with Add Some Music on Side B. People forget that God Only Knows was Side B.  A summer day...A winter night... Lord Knows I love her so...great and simple to remember verse concepts and great orchestration.  Even now it it has a beautifully timeless feel...And a very pulled-together tight feel...

[Myk Luhv]

I think "All I Wanna Do" is memorable and could've been a good single. Or maybe they could've released a non-LP single to promote Sunflower: "San Miguel"/"Games Two Can Play"

[filledeplage]

I think "All I Wanna Do" is memorable and could've been a good single. Or maybe they could've released a non-LP single to promote Sunflower: "San Miguel"/"Games Two Can Play"

Yes, All I Wanna Do is brilliant as well, I agree. What is a non-LP single?  A freebie promo alongside?

[EgoHanger1966]

What is a non-LP single?  A freebie promo alongside?

A song that was released on a 45 RPM single, but not on an album. I also apply this to singles that are only on "best of" albums.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Slip On Through takes a lot of getting into? Does it? I remember the melody knocking me out on the very first listen! It's a amazing track! I don't think any Beach Boys song was ever going to be a hit during this period unfortunately, no matter how good it was.

[filledeplage]

What is a non-LP single?  A freebie promo alongside?

A song that was released on a 45 RPM single, but not on an album. I also apply this to singles that are only on "best of" albums.

The Little Girl I Once Knew - 1965

Later, much later added to a remaster of Summer Days and Summer Nights. 

But, there can't be that many of those, can there?

[EgoHanger1966]

What is a non-LP single?  A freebie promo alongside?

A song that was released on a 45 RPM single, but not on an album. I also apply this to singles that are only on "best of" albums.

The Little Girl I Once Knew - 1965

Later, much later added to a remaster of Summer Days and Summer Nights. 

But, there can't be that many of those, can there?

Breakaway/Celebrate The News.
Child of Winter
Plenty from the 80s.

[Shady]

I think "All I Wanna Do" is memorable and could've been a good single. Or maybe they could've released a non-LP single to promote Sunflower: "San Miguel"/"Games Two Can Play"

That to me is the 70's version of I Get Around/Don't Worry Baby