Questions about the 1978 Austrailian recordings/films

[MBE]

They did it on the CBS 1977 show too. It sounded pretty good then a little less polished.

[TonyW]

That's pretty cool. How did it sound at the show, and how did a (then-) unreleased song go over with the rest of the crowd?

Mike would give Lady Linda a big introduction - rap on about Bach and how AJ had updated it - by the time the song started the crowd were ready for it. The 78 Tour set list included a couple of obscurities, for example at most shows the Boys played a 4 song set kicking off with Lady Linda, followed by Everyones In Love With You, All This Is That and then Country Pie - everyone of those tracks would have been unknown to the Endless Summer fans who made up the majority of the crowd.

The newer material was well received, I can vividly remember how All This Is That went over big time with the Sydney crowds.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

That is so freaking cool...

[XY]

Also - and this really has been overlooked for years - this was the tour where, as far as I know, the Good Vibrations hum de dahs version was played live for the first time (at all shows).

They already did the hum de dah's in Seattle, December 1977.

"Lady Lynda" from Melbourne is on YouTube BTW.

What about that other concert that was discovered about a year ago? Someone who works for a Australian TV station posted about it on BeachBoysBritain. Was that for real?

[Jay]

Okay, we have found somebody who was at both Perth shows. Richard Marr (AKA Zac) has emailed me with some details - hopefull Richard will be registered on the board in a short while and will be able to join the discussion himself - finally SOMEBODY WHO WAS THERE!!

Here is the body of Zac's email to me:

"Yeah, I was there. Carl said on the TV news the next night apologetically that he must have had too many Mai Tais before the concert!!!!!!

I saw three concerts and they were all great to me. That’s the year my son was born and I remember it really well. About 10% of the audience (wowsers) left. There were 15 musicians on stage and covered the mistakes of Carl well. Brian was at that stage where he just wandered around on and off the stage, especially during an extended version of “All This Is That”.

I remember “Country Pie” and “Lady Linda” particularly.

Even before the lights came on Carl was  audible and I suspected that he was “not normal ie pissed! Or stoned."

Wait a minute. Carl's "apology press conference" was actually broadcast on tv? I hope somebody has a copy.

... cough, cough ...

... ummm ... this was 1979 ... Fred Flinstone's monkey couldn't chip away at the moving rock quick enough to record it ...

... in other words unless you owned a TV station is Australia in '79 you didn't own a video tape recorder. So check with Rupert Murdoch, he might have a copy gathering dust in the back of an old cupboard!!

Yes, I realised after I had posted my message that the chances of a copy surviving are very slim. Maybe somebody was lucky enough to get a low quality clip on 8mm taped in front of the tv set.

[Jay]

Also - and this really has been overlooked for years - this was the tour where, as far as I know, the Good Vibrations hum de dahs version was played live for the first time (at all shows).

They already did the hum de dah's in Seattle, December 1977.

Really? I used to have that show too. Guessed I missed out on it. 

[Jay]

Also - and this really has been overlooked for years - this was the tour where, as far as I know, the Good Vibrations hum de dahs version was played live for the first time (at all shows).

What about that other concert that was discovered about a year ago? Someone who works for a Australian TV station posted about it on BeachBoysBritain. Was that for real?

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say much, but there is at least one other Austrailian 1978 show on film. About 60 minutes of the show was taped.

[Jay]

That's pretty cool. How did it sound at the show, and how did a (then-) unreleased song go over with the rest of the crowd?

There are two main differences between the 1977/78 Lady Lynda performances, and the album and 1980+ performances. On the early performances, the Bach intro was much longer. The whole "pattern" was played on piano about three times, if I recall correctly. The other thing is that on the early performances, the ending was played with the full band. By 1980 they were doing an acapella ending.

[TonyW]

Also - and this really has been overlooked for years - this was the tour where, as far as I know, the Good Vibrations hum de dahs version was played live for the first time (at all shows).

What about that other concert that was discovered about a year ago? Someone who works for a Australian TV station posted about it on BeachBoysBritain. Was that for real?

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say much, but there is at least one other Austrailian 1978 show on film. About 60 minutes of the show was taped.

Okay, confusion now - the Melbourne March 9th show which was taped and aired on May 10th is the 60 minute show - see this link: http://www.giginjapan.com/scan128/beach-boys-78melbourne.htm

I am not aware of any full show video - if their is another out there I'd love to see it. 

[Magic Transistor Radio]

There is a video on youtube of the Beach Boys doing Surfer Girl in 1978 in Australia. What struck me is how Dennis and Brian seemed fairly sobre while Carl was pretty drunk/stoned.  Carl begins to talk about POB and how he got himself a copy. Dennis said that Carl got it for free. Carl says thats BS! Dennis then pulls a Mike (acts offended-I know he probably wasn't). Carl then appologizes for swearing on tv. Then looks to his left and tells somebody to shut up.

This is all by memory, but I found this to be kind of humorous and sad at the same time.

I have heard that by this time, all three Wilson brothers were not doing very well. But from what I can tell on this video, Dennis and Brian seem fairly sobre. Any thoughts?

[Ian]

It is that same Melbourne show and demonstrates that Carl was having problems on that tour and that these problems reached a climax in Perth- but that he was in bad shape the previous week as well. Gaines "Heroes and Villains" while full of sensationalism and gossip-seems to have told a pretty accurate account of this tour.  Who can forget the famous story in Gaines of Carl being punched out by Rocky Pamplin at a backstage meeting with Sir David Frost

[tpesky]

Ya after Surfer Girl at that show, Al had walked over to take his normal bow with Carl and Dennis. Carl takes a bow and and basically almost falls over. Dennis and Al have to pull him up .  I think I remember hearing  that punching incident upset Al quite a bit and he didn't have much use for the Love brothers and Rocky after that.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Ya after Surfer Girl at that show, Al had walked over to take his normal bow with Carl and Dennis. Carl takes a bow and and basically almost falls over. Dennis and Al have to pull him up .  I think I remember hearing  that punching incident upset Al quite a bit and he didn't have much use for the Love brothers and Rocky after that.

That is interesting. But I thought he didn't switch factions til a few years later. I'm sure it was somewhat gradual, though.

My question to Rocky and the Love brothers is, what good does it do to punch a drunk person? Wouldn't it be better to tell him to be sobre or he can't go on stage? Same thing with Dennis Wilson.

Did they ever punch Brian?

[Jay]

Also - and this really has been overlooked for years - this was the tour where, as far as I know, the Good Vibrations hum de dahs version was played live for the first time (at all shows).

What about that other concert that was discovered about a year ago? Someone who works for a Australian TV station posted about it on BeachBoysBritain. Was that for real?

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say much, but there is at least one other Austrailian 1978 show on film. About 60 minutes of the show was taped.

Okay, confusion now - the Melbourne March 9th show which was taped and aired on May 10th is the 60 minute show - see this link: http://www.giginjapan.com/scan128/beach-boys-78melbourne.htm

I am not aware of any full show video - if their is another out there I'd love to see it. 

The one I mentioned is not circulating. I was told that the one that is not circulating is from Brisbane. It's a completely different film than the one you just mentioned.

[Jay]

There is a video on youtube of the Beach Boys doing Surfer Girl in 1978 in Australia. What struck me is how Dennis and Brian seemed fairly sobre while Carl was pretty drunk/stoned.  Carl begins to talk about POB and how he got himself a copy. Dennis said that Carl got it for free. Carl says thats BS! Dennis then pulls a Mike (acts offended-I know he probably wasn't). Carl then appologizes for swearing on tv. Then looks to his left and tells somebody to shut up.

This is all by memory, but I found this to be kind of humorous and sad at the same time.

I have heard that by this time, all three Wilson brothers were not doing very well. But from what I can tell on this video, Dennis and Brian seem fairly sobre. Any thoughts?

I remember seeing that on YouTube. It sounds like Carl says "Aw, shut up Bill".

[MBE]

Dennis is looks wise past his prime but he is fairly with it at this show. Last time you see him that way really. Brian doesn't seem ok to me. His stare is vacant during his solo Surfer Girl he's putting on weight and he sits down on stage. Maybe better then he would be in 81-82 but not healthy.

[Jay]

I always thought that Dennis looked great at this concert. 

[Pretty Funky]

I believe the Christchurch NZ show was filmed and broadcast at a later date on TV but I am unable to locate any info.

[Jay]

I believe the Christchurch NZ show was filmed and broadcast at a later date on TV but I am unable to locate any info.

It sounds like we need to get AGD or Ian on this. 

[MBE]

I always thought that Dennis looked great at this concert. 

Perhaps for the era but if you go back to even the 15 Big Ones special he looks far better. That's just me though as I think he looked pretty rough from 1977 on except for a brief period in 77 when he was clean shaven. I think even by the Love You photo session he was looking like something was wrong.  I have never seen a good picture of him from 1979 on at all Again this is all my peception.

[Ian]

Yes- the New Zealand show was filmed and aired on TV. Since nobody in New Zealand had a VCR in 1978 the TV studio had the only copy of the show.  A fan happened to visit the TV station about 15 years ago and the tape was still there molding away- but no copy has ever surfaced to my knowledge

[mikeyj]

Yes- the New Zealand show was filmed and aired on TV. Since nobody in New Zealand had a VCR in 1978 the TV studio had the only copy of the show.  A fan happened to visit the TV station about 15 years ago and the tape was still there molding away- but no copy has ever surfaced to my knowledge

Hmmm.. do you know where the TV station is situated Ian? I may have to pay a visit to New Zealand

[Jay]

Is there anything known about the TV broadcast? Was it the full show? Was it supposed to be a "make up" show after the Austrailian disaster?

[TonyW]

Is there anything known about the TV broadcast? Was it the full show? Was it supposed to be a "make up" show after the Austrailian disaster?

Jay - if you are reffering to the NZ TV show being some sort of "make up" after the Oz shows then no way. New Zealand and Australia are two seperate countries - the Kiwis couldn't have given a toss if the Boys screwed up the Aussie leg of the tour. FYI the Australia/New Zealand relationship is a bit like the USA/Canada relationaship (they all speak funny!!)

Besides the NZ part of the tour was before Australia.

[Ian]

As has already been stated- BBs arrived in New Zealand by Feb 26 1978. They played on Feb 26 and 28. They were In Australia by Mar 3 and played shows in Brisbane, than Melbourne and Adelaide. Famous shows in Perth were March 14 and 15 1978. Tour ended with shows in Sydney on the 18th and 19th. The BBs then headed to Hawaii for 2 shows.  Full lineup with all 5 original members was there