The moment has arrived. The questions are ready. The rules are simple.
1) Email your answers to
contest@smileysmile.net.
2) Be sure to use an email address that I can reach you at, as that's how I'm going to tell you if you are a winner.
3) Be sure to include your name and an address I can ship the prizes to, in case you are a winner.
4) Understand that if you are a winner, I'm going to announce that fact on the Smiley Smile web site, as well as the September issue of ESQ.
5) You have until the end of Saturday, September 15, 2007 to enter. The "end" is 11:59 PM EST of that date.
6) The four people with the highest success rate in answering the questions correctly will be the winners. If more than four people answer all of them correctly, then four people will be randomly drawn from that pool.
7) The winners will be announced Tuesday, September 18, 2007.
8) Each winner will receive a sign copy of Adam Marsland's "Long Promised Road -- Songs of Dennis & Carl Wilson" CD, and a signed copy of "The Lost Beach Boy." "The Lost Beach Boy" will be signed by both David Marks and Jon Stebbin. They will also each receive a copy of the September ESQ (Endless Summer Quarterly) magazine when it is published.
The questions are as follows:
1. Smiley Smile wasn’t a huge chart success. What was its highest U.S. chart position, and also name the dates it (a) hit the charts, (b) reached its highest position, and (c) it disappeared from the charts.
2. Of the 11 Smiley Smile tracks, how many are reworks from SMiLE or had their source from SMiLE-tracks?
3. When did recording start on Smiley Smile (not counting Good Vibrations and H&V), and what was the song recorded on that date?
4. In September 1967 Brian was interviewed by Jack Wagner for Silver Platter Service. After some chitchat on not using echo, a sample of the record is played, after which Brian answers a question from Jack on that same song. Which song is played, what was Jack’s question, and what was Brian's answer?
5. What are the original lyrics to She’s Goin’ Bald all about?
6. Wonderful was played in the early 70s in combination with another song. Which one and from which group?
7. The Heroes & Villains 45: who engineered it?
8. In how many countries was the Smiley Smile album released on the Brother label?
9. Only a few non-Beach Boys releases were also released on the Brother-label. Name both album and 45’s.
10. Which song - recorded by the Beach Boys, but a non Smiley Smile track – also appeared on the Brother label?
11. Although the artist(s) that created the artwork for the Smiley Smile LP (front/back) is unknown, the one who made the front drawing clearly was inspired by a certain painter. Who is he?
12. One Smiley Smile track was reworked in the 70s with additional lyrics (and made it as a single release). Which track, by whom and what are the additional lyrics?
13. Name 2 songs from the Smiley Smile sessions that didn’t make the record.
14. In 1972 the Boys recorded (a large part of) the Holland album. For the occasion even the studio equipment was flown over to Schiphol Amsterdam after which it was brought to and installed in a farm nearby that would become their temporary recording-studio. What’s the name of the village or city where this farm was located?
15. Although one would expect so, the Beach Boys as a group never got a Grammy for their music. Two members though did succeed in getting a grammy for a composition of their own. Name the Beach Boy, the song, the category an year in which they won this Grammy.
16. Dennis’ River Song wasn’t a new track when it appeared as the opening track of Pacific Ocean Blue. In 1973 the group performed the song at several concerts, and also an attempt was made by the group to record it in the studio. Although it remains unreleased, the basic track was used for Dennis’ solo version. The studio recording also had Dennis singing the lead, but live another Beach Boy sung it. Who?
17. Al’s composition Lady Lynda (with a little help from one J.S. Bach) was played live years before it’s release on the Light Album and would remain a regular part of their live-set until the late 80s. During the 80s though, for understandable reasons, the song went through some slight lyrical changes and later the lyrics would even get totally rewritten. This new version would also be recorded as a b-side to one of their 45-releases. Name the two alternative titles of this song as they were performed after the original title “Lady Lynda” was dropped.
18. Mike’s composition Big Sur as we know it from the Holland album was the second version recorded by the group. The first version dates from the Sunflower/Landlocked-era. What (apart from some slight lyrical changes) is the main difference between the 2 versions?
19. During the recording of Pacific Ocean Blue Dennis recorded at least 3 songs with the Double Rock Baptist Choir, 2 of which were released on the album. Name those 3 songs.
20. Brian’s unique humour can be seen in his strange habit of giving an instrumental track a name that first pops into mind. Here’s two of them: We Don’t Know, Rabbit’s Foot. Under which more familiar names do we know these?
21. In the early days the Beach Boys recorded a German version of one of their hit singles. Name both the original English and German title
22. What was Carl’s first solo composition for the group that appeared on an album of the Beach Boys?
23. After his departure late 1974 Ricky Fataar played in several other bands (like Joe Walsh’s Barnstorm and Bonnie Raitt’s band). But he’s probably most known for his role in the Beatle parody, The Rutles. Which character did he play in that group, based on which Beatle?
24. Who sings falsetto along with Brian Wilson on Barbara Ann?
25. In the U.S. the Boys had 4 #1 hits and 2 #1 albums. Which ones?
26. Which Beach Boys original from the 60s was re-recorded disco-style in the 70s?
27. Which Beach Boys are portrayed on the Historical Landmark in Hawthorne, L.A.?
28. Speaking of Hawthorne: what was the address of the old Wilson Home where Brian, Dennis & Carl grew up?
29. Some early releases of the All Summer Long album have a mistake on the front cover: one of the song titles is misspelled. Which song and what’s the misspelling?
30. Nicknames: who’s the “Genius”, the “Real Beach Boy”, the “Lost Beach Boy”, and the “Quiet Beach Boy”?
31. In 1987 the Beach Boys teamed up with the Fat Boys and had a huge chart success with a rework of Wipe Out. Story goes though that the original plan was that the Beach Boys would record it with another group. Which group was this?
32. The Holland album is known for its wide variety of releases with different line-ups, misprints, etc. Most famous one are the approximately 200 early German pressings of the album where accidentally the song We Got Love was added to the grooves, which was deleted on the regular version in favour of Sail On Sailor. But there’s another interesting anomaly. In 2 countries We Got Love was mentioned on the cover, although the vinyl itself contained Sail On Sailor. Name those countries.
33. Which Beach Boys studio album also was released on picture disc in the U.K?
34. Did the Beach Boys ever add John Lennon’s Imagine to their setlists?
35. Although Bruce had left the band already he was present on at least one song on the Carl & The Passions – So Tough album. Which one (for US-contesters: songs from Pet Sounds are excluded).
36. In 1995 in one of many of those so-called best-of-lists Mojo magazine declared Pet Sounds being the best album of all times. Fewer people though know that 2 other Beach Boys (-related) albums were also mentioned in that article in two additional lists. Which ones?
37. Why did the Beach Boys choose the album title Shut Down Volume 2?
38. In 1987 the Beach Boys together with Little Richard released an unsuccessful single called “Happy Endings”. This one was from a motion picture. Which one?
39. How much money did the Beach Boys pay Warner Brothers when they were unable to finish SMiLE in 1973?
40. According to Van Dyke Parks, how many copies of the Surf's Up album would be pre-sold if the album included and was called "Surf's Up?"
Thanks to everyone who enters!