SPECTRUM 1980 :: A new study-video

[HeyJude]

I was there!

So was I. I had my sister tape the show on cassette over WIOQ FM. It was a great concert and the Spectrum was rocking that night.

Yes it was!

Stephen Desper wrote that Dennis spent most of the time backstage due to injuries, but did contribute some tambourine. Not doubting Mr. Desper's account, but I don't remember seeing Dennis on stage at all. Do you recall?

I obviously wasn't there, but I had always assumed Dennis wasn't there. I thought it was kind of a big deal when he rejoined the band in June during the European tour. I know the "In Concert" book documents some random instances of Dennis showing up at gigs in the 80s even during times he was supposedly temporarily out. I can't recall if the "In Concert" book mentions Dennis being there.

Years back when the recording started circulating, it was easy to tell it wasn't Dennis actually drumming. But there's certainly no evidence he couldn't have been around somewhere on stage on and off.

[HeyJude]

Worth noting is that this full show has been sold for some time now on the "Concert Vault" website:

http://www.concertvault.com/the-beach-boys/spectrum-april-18-1980.html

There was a discussion of the group of BB shows they sell in an old thread. I reviewed three 1980 shows they sell (Philly 4/18, Hampton, VA 7/3, and Washington DC 7/4) on my Blog (and also discussed them on the Blog's Facebook page) linked below.

It certainly appears the shows are all lifted from FM station sources, so I would assume Mr. Desper's tape made straight from the board would sound better with none of the FM radio compression, etc.

But the shows sold on Concert Vault certainly sound solid overall, especially Philly and Washington DC 1980. Both Philly and DC have some unique songs to each show that they didn't often perform even on the 1980 tour. In Philly they did "Livin' With a Heartache" and "Goin' On", which were both quickly dropped. In DC, they did more KTSA stuff including "Santa Ana Winds" and "Some of Your Love", and also did their weird version of "Merry Minuet."

[Stephen W. Desper]

Worth noting is that this full show has been sold for some time now on the "Concert Vault" website:

http://www.concertvault.com/the-beach-boys/spectrum-april-18-1980.html

There was a discussion of the group of BB shows they sell in an old thread. I reviewed three 1980 shows they sell (Philly 4/18, Hampton, VA 7/3, and Washington DC 7/4) on my Blog (and also discussed them on the Blog's Facebook page) linked below.

It certainly appears the shows are all lifted from FM station sources, so I would assume Mr. Desper's tape made straight from the board would sound better with none of the FM radio compression, etc.

But the shows sold on Concert Vault certainly sound solid overall, especially Philly and Washington DC 1980. Both Philly and DC have some unique songs to each show that they didn't often perform even on the 1980 tour. In Philly they did "Livin' With a Heartache" and "Goin' On", which were both quickly dropped. In DC, they did more KTSA stuff including "Santa Ana Winds" and "Some of Your Love", and also did their weird version of "Merry Minuet."

 

COMMENT:  I know of the other sources where you can find some of these items, CD's, websites, etc. Perhaps I should have included them as part of the study-video, but frankly didn't see the point. It is not my intension to circumvent these sources. I have concluded that any inquiring fan, such as yourself, would have availed themselves of these 35-year old offerings by now, so I don't feel any remorse in putting out this study-video, especially when the same content was broadcast to so many people over public airways.

Keep in mind the study-videos are records of my participations, my personal experiences, my professional view points, and other information I believe will serve history long after I'm gone. Most of the information I check for accuracy, but I am only one person, retired and doing these studies with limited resources and without access to records other than my own -- and my own memories of past events. This is stated on page one of my website. As you point out, what I did feel I could offer from a sound point-of-view was a purer source plus a mastering for today's audience using advanced proprietary equipment that may provide more detail and a more "on-stage" listening experience than other sources can provide (especially over headphones in this case). The primary reason for this study-video is to give those students of the Beach Boy brand some addition insight heretofore unattainable from just an off-air copy. In other words, it's all about the re-mastering.  ~swd

[GoodVibrations33]

Hi Steve, the sound is about the same, your version might be a bit "cleaner", but not really noticeable.....the excitement of the show comes through on both versions. And I always wondered what happened on Surfer Girl, when there was no Brian solo. Now I know....really enjoyed reading your commentary......I've had the CD for at least 20 years, don't even remember where I got it, but I think at a record show in Cranford NJ. The cover art is pretty cool, with a picture of the band from 1980 or so....Carl in his Green shiny jacket, Dennis and Brian looking washed out, Mike w/o a hat! It's entitled Surf Killers from the Philly Spectrum....pretty good.

COMMENT:  That is really an insight. I never knew there was any art connected with this event.  Why don't you post it for us all to see? I'd love to see it !   ~swd

Hi Steven, for some reason I'm having a hard time posting the cover art for the CD; syas the file is too big, but I'm unable to shrink it. If you're still interested shoot me an e mail address where I can e mail it to you. Pretty cool photo.

Is this it?

http://cdn.discogs.com/IzzIDM5ryopVWZ2Bmly6Jzy9Q7c=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(96)/discogs-images/R-5049066-1383735286-1233.jpeg.jpg

[rock72]

Hi Steve,
I am trying to download so i can listen iPod is it possible? There is a download button but it doesn't seem to work.
Thanks,
Dave

[Stephen W. Desper]

Hi Steve,
I am trying to download so i can listen iPod is it possible? There is a download button but it doesn't seem to work.
Thanks,
Dave

COMMENT:

Please refer to Reply #16 ~swd

[Tony S]

Good Vibrations33...yes! That is the cover picture of the Surf Killers CD that I have. The setlist on the back was pretty cool too....I remember reading it quickly and thinking, 'WOW.....Livin' With a Heartache, and Goin On".....considering I don't think there's many live recordings of those 2 songs, it's a pretty cool CD to have.

[phirnis]

Hearing stuff like Heartache or Goin' On always makes me wonder why I don't really like the KTSA album. In a strange way it's a 'less than the sum of its parts' kind of record. I really like both those songs and Heartache in particular sounds really nice in concert. It's pretty cool how they hadn't become a full-on oldies act even by 1980 and were still playing new material.

Thanks for sharing, Mr. Desper!

[drbeachboy]

Hearing stuff like Heartache or Goin' On always makes me wonder why I don't really like the KTSA album. In a strange way it's a 'less than the sum of its parts' kind of record. I really like both those songs and Heartache in particular sounds really nice in concert. It's pretty cool how they hadn't become a full-on oldies act even by 1980 and were still playing new material.

Thanks for sharing, Mr. Desper!

They always played new material at shows. Even the 1992 tour they played stuff from the new SIP album. At the show I attended they performed Hot Fun In The Summertime, Surfin', Under The Boardwalk, Summer Of Love and Summer In Paradise.

[HeyJude]

Hearing stuff like Heartache or Goin' On always makes me wonder why I don't really like the KTSA album. In a strange way it's a 'less than the sum of its parts' kind of record. I really like both those songs and Heartache in particular sounds really nice in concert. It's pretty cool how they hadn't become a full-on oldies act even by 1980 and were still playing new material.

Thanks for sharing, Mr. Desper!

They always played new material at shows. Even the 1992 tour they played stuff from the new SIP album. At the show I attended they performed Hot Fun In The Summertime, Surfin', Under The Boardwalk, Summer Of Love and Summer In Paradise.

They usually worked in new material for a short time, but almost always dropped most new stuff pretty quickly, by the following year's tour, if not earlier.

Even "Goin' On", the lead single from KTSA, didn't survive the 1980 tour. It was performed in April, but by June and July it was gone from the setlist. I think the Philly show is the only extant actual soundboard performance of the song live, other than the "Fridays" TV show performance if we count that. It appears "Livin' with a Heartache" was even more rarely performed.

By 1981, "School Days" was the only song that remained. "Santa Ana Winds", "Keepin' the Summer Alive", and "Some of Your Love" didn't survive in addition to the aforementioned two tracks.

For the '85 album, they briefly did a good deal of the album's songs live. Beyond "Getcha Back", they also briefly tried "Crack at Your Love", "It's Gettin' Late", "She Believes in Love Again", and "California Calling." By 1986, "Getcha Back" was the only track you might hear.

Same in 1989/1990, where "Still Cruisin", "Island Girl", and "Somewhere Near Japan" all made relatively brief/sporadic appearances in the setlist. Again, the title track is the only track that survived past 1990 or so.

They also quickly added and then dropped other new stuff like "Rock and Roll to the Rescue" and "Problem Child."

The basic idea is that "new" album songs were, relative to the band's incessant touring, a relatively "blink and you'll miss it" sort of prospect.

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

If you like to hear The Beach Boys in a concert setting, here’s almost two hours of a special show.

The Philly Spectrum broadcast concert of 1980 before 20,000 fans, captured direct on four reels of 15ips tape, is not a bad show. There are some stellar moments making it well worth a listen to the end. This is the Beach Boy show band I knew and loved.

My recommendation is to listen over headphones for the most detail, best representation and a great overall listen. Speakers are also good, but personally I prefer this one over a pair of good headphones.

Check it out under PERSONAL ARCHIVES   [ SPECTRUM 1980 Concert ]   at http://swdstudyvideos.com

Good Listening,  ~Stephen W. Desper

I'm enjoying this. Thank you Stephen for making it available!

[phirnis]

Hearing stuff like Heartache or Goin' On always makes me wonder why I don't really like the KTSA album. In a strange way it's a 'less than the sum of its parts' kind of record. I really like both those songs and Heartache in particular sounds really nice in concert. It's pretty cool how they hadn't become a full-on oldies act even by 1980 and were still playing new material.

Thanks for sharing, Mr. Desper!

They always played new material at shows. Even the 1992 tour they played stuff from the new SIP album. At the show I attended they performed Hot Fun In The Summertime, Surfin', Under The Boardwalk, Summer Of Love and Summer In Paradise.

They usually worked in new material for a short time, but almost always dropped most new stuff pretty quickly, by the following year's tour, if not earlier.

Even "Goin' On", the lead single from KTSA, didn't survive the 1980 tour. It was performed in April, but by June and July it was gone from the setlist. I think the Philly show is the only extant actual soundboard performance of the song live, other than the "Fridays" TV show performance if we count that. It appears "Livin' with a Heartache" was even more rarely performed.

By 1981, "School Days" was the only song that remained. "Santa Ana Winds", "Keepin' the Summer Alive", and "Some of Your Love" didn't survive in addition to the aforementioned two tracks.

For the '85 album, they briefly did a good deal of the album's songs live. Beyond "Getcha Back", they also briefly tried "Crack at Your Love", "It's Gettin' Late", "She Believes in Love Again", and "California Calling." By 1986, "Getcha Back" was the only track you might hear.

Same in 1989/1990, where "Still Cruisin", "Island Girl", and "Somewhere Near Japan" all made relatively brief/sporadic appearances in the setlist. Again, the title track is the only track that survived past 1990 or so.

They also quickly added and then dropped other new stuff like "Rock and Roll to the Rescue" and "Problem Child."

The basic idea is that "new" album songs were, relative to the band's incessant touring, a relatively "blink and you'll miss it" sort of prospect.

All the more amazing they added stuff like This Whole World in - when was it, 1988? That must've been a big surprise for longtime hardcore fans!

[drbeachboy]

Hearing stuff like Heartache or Goin' On always makes me wonder why I don't really like the KTSA album. In a strange way it's a 'less than the sum of its parts' kind of record. I really like both those songs and Heartache in particular sounds really nice in concert. It's pretty cool how they hadn't become a full-on oldies act even by 1980 and were still playing new material.

Thanks for sharing, Mr. Desper!

They always played new material at shows. Even the 1992 tour they played stuff from the new SIP album. At the show I attended they performed Hot Fun In The Summertime, Surfin', Under The Boardwalk, Summer Of Love and Summer In Paradise.

They usually worked in new material for a short time, but almost always dropped most new stuff pretty quickly, by the following year's tour, if not earlier.

Even "Goin' On", the lead single from KTSA, didn't survive the 1980 tour. It was performed in April, but by June and July it was gone from the setlist. I think the Philly show is the only extant actual soundboard performance of the song live, other than the "Fridays" TV show performance if we count that. It appears "Livin' with a Heartache" was even more rarely performed.

By 1981, "School Days" was the only song that remained. "Santa Ana Winds", "Keepin' the Summer Alive", and "Some of Your Love" didn't survive in addition to the aforementioned two tracks.

For the '85 album, they briefly did a good deal of the album's songs live. Beyond "Getcha Back", they also briefly tried "Crack at Your Love", "It's Gettin' Late", "She Believes in Love Again", and "California Calling." By 1986, "Getcha Back" was the only track you might hear.

Same in 1989/1990, where "Still Cruisin", "Island Girl", and "Somewhere Near Japan" all made relatively brief/sporadic appearances in the setlist. Again, the title track is the only track that survived past 1990 or so.

They also quickly added and then dropped other new stuff like "Rock and Roll to the Rescue" and "Problem Child."

The basic idea is that "new" album songs were, relative to the band's incessant touring, a relatively "blink and you'll miss it" sort of prospect.

Oh, I agree they dropped songs very quickly, but I was answering to the "full on oldies act" quote. When you have 40 Top 40 hits it is hard not to be an oldies act. By 1986 even the Pet Sounds material were oldies. And we all know how many of us attending those shows knew about the 70's material. When people pay to see you play, you give them want they want to hear.

[HeyJude]

All the more amazing they added stuff like This Whole World in - when was it, 1988? That must've been a big surprise for longtime hardcore fans!

That was a cool short-term inclusion in the set. It didn’t last very long, but was a cool one. That was about as adventurous as they got in that time period in terms of adding obscure stuff to the setlist outside of new album songs. During that same time, they also added a rendition of “Forever” with Carl singing the lead. Again, didn’t last very long unfortunately.

There were a few other oddballs around this time. Al sang “California Saga: California” for some shows in 1990. Bruce did “Please Let Me Wonder” in the 1990/1991 timeframe sporadically.

[HeyJude]

Oh, I agree they dropped songs very quickly, but I was answering to the "full on oldies act" quote. When you have 40 Top 40 hits it is hard not to be an oldies act. By 1986 even the Pet Sounds material were oldies. And we all know how many of us attending those shows knew about the 70's material. When people pay to see you play, you give them want they want to hear.

How they could have or should have handled the setlist is obviously a huge topic with a lot of possibilities. I think the sort of indie/hipster attitude towards non-surf/car stuff that became more prevalent in the 90s and 2000s has made it easier for all the camps, including Mike’s touring band, to add more obscure stuff.

But I’ve also always contended that the BBs over the years, even in the 80s and 90s, could have easily slipped in several rarities without audiences complaining or walking out. It’s sad that adding “This Whole World” for a few months in 1988 is something that got fans hugely excited. They could have easily kept plenty of hits, dropped some of the covers, and just worked 3-5 rare but high quality songs into the setlist, rotating them out. It’s not that they never did this. But it was more of an anomaly when it happened, as opposed to regularly doing it.

It’s more or less an unanswerable question as to how much fans actually would have rejected a few rarities versus band members being trigger-shy about doing it for fear of audience antipathy (not to mention that maybe some band members just didn’t or don’t like doing a lot of obscure stuff, for whatever reason).

[drbeachboy]

Oh, I agree they dropped songs very quickly, but I was answering to the "full on oldies act" quote. When you have 40 Top 40 hits it is hard not to be an oldies act. By 1986 even the Pet Sounds material were oldies. And we all know how many of us attending those shows knew about the 70's material. When people pay to see you play, you give them want they want to hear.

How they could have or should have handled the setlist is obviously a huge topic with a lot of possibilities. I think the sort of indie/hipster attitude towards non-surf/car stuff that became more prevalent in the 90s and 2000s has made it easier for all the camps, including Mike’s touring band, to add more obscure stuff.

But I’ve also always contended that the BBs over the years, even in the 80s and 90s, could have easily slipped in several rarities without audiences complaining or walking out. It’s sad that adding “This Whole World” for a few months in 1988 is something that got fans hugely excited. They could have easily kept plenty of hits, dropped some of the covers, and just worked 3-5 rare but high quality songs into the setlist, rotating them out. It’s not that they never did this. But it was more of an anomaly when it happened, as opposed to regularly doing it.

It’s more or less an unanswerable question as to how much fans actually would have rejected a few rarities versus band members being trigger-shy about doing it for fear of audience antipathy (not to mention that maybe some band members just didn’t or don’t like doing a lot of obscure stuff, for whatever reason).

It's all moot, really. To this day, both Mike & Brian basically do greatest hits shows. Brian has an album 3/4 of a year old and barely plays more than 2 tracks from it. You'd think Brian would would push his new music more than he does. If anyone could get away with performing new music it is Brian. I believe Brian & Mike are convinced that fans attend shows to hear the songs that they are most familiar with.

[c-man]

Good Vibrations33...yes! That is the cover picture of the Surf Killers CD that I have.

That cover picture is not from April 1980, but rather from the June 1980 European tour. When it was published (in B&W) in a 1983 edition of Musician magazine, the caption indicated it was Holland, which would make it on or around June 9th. Bootlegs are notorious for utilizing cover art that doesn't correspond exactly to the show or tour sourced.

[c-man]

Mr. Desper - I love this show; a friend sent me a stereo cassette of the radio broadcast back in the summer of 1980.  Through the years, I've thought the mix was amazing for a live show; your video explains some of the rough spots.

One thing I've been curious about since I first heard it. To me, it has always  sounded like Bruce blows out his high voice - badly, to the point of damage - singing bg vocals on this song.  Any recollections about that?

COMMENT: Not that I know of. Any indication of this on the interview after the show? I've never heard the interview or if it even happened.  ~swd

The interview definitely happened, and has been included on one bootleg of the show, which I have somewhere. Don't recall Bruce's voice sounding damaged.

[Andrew G. Doe]

It's all moot, really. To this day, both Mike & Brian basically do greatest hits shows. Brian has an album 3/4 of a year old and barely plays more than 2 tracks from it. You'd think Brian would would push his new music more than he does. If anyone could get away with performing new music it is Brian. I believe Brian & Mike are convinced that fans attend shows to hear the songs that they are most familiar with.

Brian & Mike both tailor the setlists to the venue: outdoor/casino show ? Meat & potato hits. The more intimate, the better the chance of new material/deep cuts. With the C50 tour, of course, we got the best of both worlds, and it was glorious.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Mr. Desper - I love this show; a friend sent me a stereo cassette of the radio broadcast back in the summer of 1980.  Through the years, I've thought the mix was amazing for a live show; your video explains some of the rough spots.

One thing I've been curious about since I first heard it. To me, it has always  sounded like Bruce blows out his high voice - badly, to the point of damage - singing bg vocals on this song.  Any recollections about that?

COMMENT: Not that I know of. Any indication of this on the interview after the show? I've never heard the interview or if it even happened.  ~swd

The interview definitely happened, and has been included on one bootleg of the show, which I have somewhere. Don't recall Bruce's voice sounding damaged.

Yes, there was a fairly long interview with Bruce, who sounded fine. Brian Wilson also stopped by for the post-concert interview.

[HeyJude]

It's all moot, really. To this day, both Mike & Brian basically do greatest hits shows. Brian has an album 3/4 of a year old and barely plays more than 2 tracks from it. You'd think Brian would would push his new music more than he does. If anyone could get away with performing new music it is Brian. I believe Brian & Mike are convinced that fans attend shows to hear the songs that they are most familiar with.

Ruminating on decades-old setlist philosophies is obviously a moot issue. But I would argue both Brian and Mike more times than not do more interesting, varying setlists than the touring BBs did in, say, the 1990s.

In the 90s, if they dusted off one single older song that they had rarely or never performed, it was like a mind-blowing event. Now, even if they still rely on plenty of hits, they both dust off things more often that we'd call "deep cuts", and keep those deep cuts in the setlist longer.

I've always found it a huge bummer that we got more interesting setlists in the 2000s and 2010s after Carl was gone. How cool would it have been to hear Carl reprise "Good Timin'" or "This Whole World" or "Marcella", etc.?

[Douchepool]

I think a lot of that had to do with the advent of the internet and heavier discussions on lesser-known tunes. Also the original Brian tours shook things up a lot as well.

[mikeddonn]

I think a lot of that had to do with the advent of the internet and heavier discussions on lesser-known tunes. Also the original Brian tours shook things up a lot as well.

Good point.  I also remember the guys who ran Stomp Magazine trying to organise a dream concert featuring things like Feel Flows and Surf's Up etc with the idea of pitching it to the guys to play a private concert. 

Andrew do you have any info on how far this went?

[AndrewHickey]

It's all moot, really. To this day, both Mike & Brian basically do greatest hits shows. Brian has an album 3/4 of a year old and barely plays more than 2 tracks from it. You'd think Brian would would push his new music more than he does. If anyone could get away with performing new music it is Brian. I believe Brian & Mike are convinced that fans attend shows to hear the songs that they are most familiar with.

Ruminating on decades-old setlist philosophies is obviously a moot issue. But I would argue both Brian and Mike more times than not do more interesting, varying setlists than the touring BBs did in, say, the 1990s.

In the 90s, if they dusted off one single older song that they had rarely or never performed, it was like a mind-blowing event. Now, even if they still rely on plenty of hits, they both dust off things more often that we'd call "deep cuts", and keep those deep cuts in the setlist longer.

I've always found it a huge bummer that we got more interesting setlists in the 2000s and 2010s after Carl was gone. How cool would it have been to hear Carl reprise "Good Timin'" or "This Whole World" or "Marcella", etc.?

I do wonder if to some extent it might not be *because* Carl was gone. Obviously Brian's touring in the late 90s and early 2000s was *hugely*  different from the Beach Boys' hits sets, and that (plus possibly Al's early shows) will have given the touring band a kick to improve. But...
After Carl died -- Brian toured and did a set full of deep cuts. Al formed his own band, went back to the 70s live arrangements, and at least tried to do more deep cuts (the lawsuits put paid to that). Mike's band got worse for about three years, but by 2001 (when they toured the UK supporting Status Quo, just after Scott and John joined) were already starting to broaden setlists out, and by 2004 they were doing stuff like All This Is That, Til I Die, Kiss Me Baby, and You Still Believe In Me.
Is it possible that Carl -- who we know was getting more musically conservative anyway as he got older -- was by the 90s one of the forces holding the setlists back a bit? It could have been for many reasons, whether a desire for an easy life, a genuine desire to please the crowds, or something else, and I'm not suggesting any negative motives.
I'm not even suggesting it was *likely*. But we know for example that he was the one who vetoed a Pet Sounds tour, for what probably seemed very good reasons (pointless without Brian, and he didn't think Brian was reliable for a full tour). We know he was the one who was least happy with the Paley material. Could he have been *one of* the people who was responsible for the touring jukebox being what it was?

[Andrew G. Doe]

I think a lot of that had to do with the advent of the internet and heavier discussions on lesser-known tunes. Also the original Brian tours shook things up a lot as well.

Good point.  I also remember the guys who ran Stomp Magazine trying to organise a dream concert featuring things like Feel Flows and Surf's Up etc with the idea of pitching it to the guys to play a private concert. 

Andrew do you have any info on how far this went?

The idea was pitched to BRI. Never heard a word back.