"Live Rarities" DVD?

[shelter]

Does anyone have this thing? I think it's an official release, but I can't find a tracklisting or any information about the contents anywhere...

[STE]

Yep, here it is :

01. Good Vibrations: Ed Sullivan 1968
02. Surfin'USA: Lost Concert
03. Help Me Rhonda: Melburne, Australia 03/1978
04. Fun Fun Fun: Lost Concert
05. Do It Again: Ed Sullivan 1968
06. Wendy: Lost Concert
07. Little Deuce Coupe: Lost Concert
08. Heroes & Villains: Melburne, Australia 03/1978
09. Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow: Lost Concert
10: I Get Around: Ed Sullivan 27.11.1964
11: Hawaii: Lost Concert
12. Everyone's In Love With You: Melburne, Australia 03/1978
13. Long Tall Texan: Lost Concert
14: God Only Knows: Melburne, Australia 03/1978
15. In My Room: Lost Concert
16. Wouldn't It Be Nice: Melburne, Australia 03/1978
17. Shut Down: Lost Concert


It's really an odd mix which doesn't look too official. Maybe worth for the Australian stuff.
See also: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,3456.0.html

[shelter]

OK, thanks! Looks interesting, I haven't seen the '78 footage yet.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Does anyone have this thing? I think it's an official release, but I can't find a tracklisting or any information about the contents anywhere...

No way on God's green earth is that even close to official. 

[melissalynn]

Nothing too interesting there. Come on, where's the good stuff? 

[shelter]

No way on God's green earth is that even close to official. 

It's available on all the big webstores... How's that possible if it's not official (assuming that unofficial means bootleg)...?

[STE]

The back cover says "Not for sale in the USA. blahblah more blahblah. This film is totally unauthorized and has not been approved by the Beach Boys nor it has been authorized or approved by past or present management of the band. Note: This DVD may highlight the limitations of the original film recording or the source material"


Umh... déjà vu

[XY]

I heard the Australia clips were taken from YouTube... 

[Andrew G. Doe]

No way on God's green earth is that even close to official. 

It's available on all the big webstores... How's that possible if it's not official (assuming that unofficial means bootleg)...?

The reason we've not had a legit compilation of such material is because the licensing is financially prohibitive. It's a boot, pure and simple, and some of the image quality is dire.

[shelter]

The reason we've not had a legit compilation of such material is because the licensing is financially prohibitive. It's a boot, pure and simple, and some of the image quality is dire.

OK then... It's weird than that apparently nobody's stopping Amazon, Bol.com etc. from selling it...

[MBE]

The Aussie Concert is going around in very good quality now, but I just don't think the Beach Boys would want it to come out. I'm sure you all know why.

[Andrew G. Doe]

It's a hugely entertaining gig.

Unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. 

[No. Fourteen]

Yeah, too many darn flute solos!

And.....oh yeah, Carl....

[HeyJude]

The large hunk of one of the Australia 1978 shows that "circulates" on video is not even the worst of the Australia shows. I've heard some audio recordings where Carl is even much worse shape. And it appears that many if not most or all of the shows on that tour were captured on video, because it seems like based on Jon Stebbins' description of one of the shows on his "Real Beach Boy" book on Dennis that he actually watched the show on video, and he describes the show where Carl finally hits the wall and just pitches over on stage.

As for whether "Live Rarities" release is legit or not (I don't have it, but have seen indeed that it is being offered by legit retailers), it's probably best described as a "gray market" item, similar to things like that "Back to the Beach" DVD issued a couple years ago of the BB's that featured a few songs from a 1994 show, or releases years ago of the Beatles' Decca audition on seemingly legit labels. So something like "Live Rarities" is certainly not "authorized" by the BB's, and if the ownership of the footage and rights or lack thereof to release the footage were to be explored, it would probably be found that it shouldn't have been released. It may even be that some of these companies put the stuff out knowing they don't have the rights, but figure they can make a quick buck before they get caught or figure nobody will bother going after them.

But as it is being offered by a seemingly legit company through legit retailers, while we can call it a "bootleg", etc., it is different in that it's not like this is just some item being passed around by fans or under tables at record conventions or something. I just think for discographical (is that a word?) purposes, it's important to note that this "Live Rarities" thing was/is being made available through legit channels, even if it is and/or will be found to be something that they didn't actually have the rights to issue. It's a strange but important distinction to make.

[MBE]

From what I understand (Jon correct me if I am wrong), Stebbins didn't actually see the Carl falling down footage but described it vividally using the details he gathered from eye witnesses.

[HeyJude]

From what I understand (Jon correct me if I am wrong), Stebbins didn't actually see the Carl falling down footage but described it vividally using the details he gathered from eye witnesses.

Yeah, I'm not quite sure. I vaguely recall asking Jon about it a few years ago on one message board or another. But I can't remember what the answer was.

The wording definitely seems to suggest he actually saw the footage. On Page 176, a paragraph starts with him commenting: "When I viewed the footage of that concert tour, I was shocked at the obvious effects that the drugs had had on Carl. The film reveals that in Melbourne, the Boys enacted a fascinating drama in front of thousands of confused fans."

Several lines later in the same paragraph, where he still seems to be discussing the same specific single show, he comments: "Then, suddenly overcome by the blinding glare of the stage lights, he pitches over like a rotten tree. The audience watches, horror-stricken, as he is whisked off the stage."

I'd love for Jon to comment on this. It just strikes me as suggesting he actually saw the footage. It seems such a vivid description. The way the paragraph begins and then describes the events in the literary present tense, it seems like a description of viewing actual footage.

As or more intriguing than a descripton of such footage is the idea that the footage actually exists. Not that we'll ever see it if it does exist. It just seems such a dramatic event and such things with musical bands are often left to legend and fans recounting the events rather than the event actually being caught on film (or videotape in the case of the Australia shows it would seem). A very honest, all-encompassing BB documentary could even make good use of such footage. But I'm not fooling myself. I can understand why the footage didn't quite make the cut on "Endless Harmony"! Plus, as that film came out soon after Carl's passing, it surely would have been a difficult bit of footage for anybody to see. It could really only properly be digested by fans who can place it all in the proper context, as Jon Stebbins does in his book.

[XY]

A person who works for a TV station in Australia once posted on the BeachBoysBritain Board that there is indeed another complete concert in the vaults. I can't remember the details, but he pointed out that Carl was really out of it, worse than on the video in circulation.

[shelter]

and if the ownership of the footage and rights or lack thereof to release the footage were to be explored, it would probably be found that it shouldn't have been released.

Right. I don't know a whole lot about copyright laws, but I assume that having the rights to certain footage isn't enough to release a DVD. I suppose you'd also need the copyrights to the songs that were performed, and I'm pretty sure that 'unauthorized' means that you don't have them. I guess that you can release a DVD like "The Beach Boys In London 1966" (which has no audio at all) without permission from the band without much troubles, but if you use copyrighted music it's an entirely different story of course.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The wording definitely seems to suggest he actually saw the footage. On Page 176, a paragraph starts with him commenting: "When I viewed the footage of that concert tour,

Huh ? When Jon says he 'viewed the footage'... exactly which part of the phrase 'viewed the footage' are you having trouble understanding ? Where I come from - England - 'viewed the footage' has just the one meaning.

He viewed the footage.

Didn't read about it.

Didn't have it described to him.

Saw the film. Like, with his eyes, y'know ?

Well, really... 

[MBE]

He told me he didn't.

[HeyJude]

The wording definitely seems to suggest he actually saw the footage. On Page 176, a paragraph starts with him commenting: "When I viewed the footage of that concert tour,

Huh ? When Jon says he 'viewed the footage'... exactly which part of the phrase 'viewed the footage' are you having trouble understanding ? Where I come from - England - 'viewed the footage' has just the one meaning.

He viewed the footage.

Didn't read about it.

Didn't have it described to him.

Saw the film. Like, with his eyes, y'know ?

Well, really... 

Really, AGD? Are you sure about that? I think I need more clarification!

Seriously, he says he "viewed the footage of that concert tour." He doesn't indicate which specific shows he saw. I wasn't questioning whether he had seen footage of the tour. I was questioning whether he had definitely seen footage of the specific show where Carl collapsed. After he describes seeing "footage of that concert tour", he then goes on to describe several shows on the tour in the following paragraphs. So it's not 100% clear if he watched footage of all the shows he's discussing, or if he saw some footage of the tour (i.e. the commonly circulating video of one of the shows on the tour) and is mixing that first-hand viewing account with reports from others about other shows on the tour, and/or audio recordings of the tour that circulate, and/or accounts of others who have viewed other footage, and so on.

The reason I said "the wording seems to suggest...." is that he mentions viewing footage of the TOUR, and then first goes into a description of Carl's collapse at a specific show. I was leaving open the possibility that he mentioned seeing footage of the tour such as the commonly circulating show, a show which while tame compared to some of the others on the tour, is most definitely a show that has the potential to shock a viewer, and then shifted focus to other shows on the tour without making it totally clear that the footage of the *TOUR* he saw may or may not have included all of the shows he then proceeds to describe.

As MBE's comments indicate, it's possible Jon may have not actually seen the specific footage of Carl's collapse. As I mentioned before, I asked Jon about this a few years ago on one of the likely now defunct message boards. I can't remember what his answer was, but MBE's account may well be the same answer I got.

[MBE]

I know Alan Boyd said it doesn't exist, and I am 70 percent sure Jon confirmed it to me.

[Andrew G. Doe]

OK, I can get as seriously silly as the best ! 

The actual wording is "When I viewed the footage of that concert tour". Not "some footage", not "footage". "THE footage". I think in a court of law with a seriously devious lawyer, the case for that referring to the entire footage.

[sits back, folds arms across chest, smiles into beard...] 

[PS: 'course, if Jon comes and says no, actually I didn't see any footage at all, well, then I guess I'll just have to kill him.]

[Susan]

Given, of course, that we are all given at times to a touch of hyperbole, to me, "The footage of the tour" means "SOME OF the footage..." 

Obviously there was a lot of footage shot of that tour.  Doesn't mean it's all been seen...

[HeyJude]

Given, of course, that we are all given at times to a touch of hyperbole, to me, "The footage of the tour" means "SOME OF the footage..." 

Obviously there was a lot of footage shot of that tour.  Doesn't mean it's all been seen...

This was my guess/presumption as well.

Even if one took the statement to mean all of the footage, this would still leave things somewhat ambiguous since we don't know how much of the tour was shot and how much still exists. My instinct is that more than the one commonly circulating part of a show does exist or at least did exist. But I would doubt that every single show on the tour was captured or exists today. Then again, I'm insure of how many shows they performed on that tour. Getting back to my presumption in reading Jon Stebbins' book, I never understood the text to actually mean that Jon Stebbins actually sat down and watched every second of every show on that tour. My presumption would be that "the footage" simply means the footage the author had at his disposal at the time of writing. So the original discussion came down to what footage was at his disposal, which for me was a means to find out if the footage of Carl collapsing even exists.