30 years to the day since the release of 10-minute "Here Comes the Night"

[JB Wilojarston]

I love Carl and the Boy's vocals, and the song itself is pretty friggin' great!

It was Curt Boettcher's baby. He was given a cassette of the separated tracks so he could  duplicate the BG's in the chorus. He tracked it in West LA with his guys and arranged the vocals (except for the parts he got from the tape). From what I heard, he really gave the boys a workout; they may never have sang so precisely. 

Curt was making disco records; possibly it was felt that the record would have club cred with his production.

Personally, I don't care that much for that rendition of the song; too many corny musical parts  and too much of Curt's vocal gymnastics in the vocal arrangement. 

I *think* he sketched out the vocal parts in the middle section and had the boys come in and sing over his parts; at least this is what I recall him telling me...

[petsite]

Brian Wilson was not part of HCTN because by the time the group started work on it, Brian was in Brotman Memorial Hospital for about 3 months, being treated as self-destructive and depressed. Dennis chose not get invovled with the track. Which is ok. He has every right to do that. So the track was Al, Carl, Bruce, Mike and Curt. And THAT was ok too. I really wished that Bruce had saved the 10:52 version for the 12 inch and just put the 4:28 edit on the LP. That way,  we could have at least gotten a few more tracks (like Calendar Girl, etc.).

Here is the thing. No one is right or wrong about which tunes they like. While I don't "groove out" to HCTN (I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Wild Honey version), I will always have very fond memories of the track. Btw, my cousin from England ws over for a visit and took the LP back with him. He used HCTN in his job as a traveling DJ for parites, etc. He later told me he bought 4 more copies of the LP cause he wore his original out. Everybody loved it when he played it.

My favorite track from that LP is still Good Timin'. Carl, and especially Dennis wrote some really high quality tunes that made it onto the LP. But Brian could always top everyone. I love POB. But Love You moves me more.

Bob

[Jon Stebbins]

Jon, you and I are roughly the same age so we both remember HCTN pretty well....I agree with your assessment of the disco scene around the release date of HCTN, and you're right, The Beach Boys were late, no doubt about it.

To just repeat something from my earlier post, I was surprised that the Beach Boys were criticized so much for recording HCTN. First, as I mentioned, it was just ONE SONG. And, really, I was surprised that anybody really cared. After Love You and MIU, they were fading fast.

But, Jon, I have to take exception with something you posted. I don't think The Beach Boys lost much credibility because of HCTN, and I'll tell you why. HCTN didn't do that badly commercially. It charted almost as high as "Good Timin", and, I believe, the 12" single did well on those special singles charts also. And, talking about "Good Timin" which followed, well, that was a semi-hit, so, apparently they were forgiven.

And, oddly enough, the Beach Boys gained a little bit of a resurgence with the release of L.A. didn't they? HCTN charted, "Good Timin" charted, and even "Lady Lynda" was a big hit overseas. Then the band was invited to appear on The Midnight Special. HCTN quickly became ancient history, and now, it's just a footnote.

Remember this was their debut moment for CBS. Unlike most of those years with Reprise, CBS put a lot of promotional muscle behind the BB's (at first)...the debut single was a crucial moment. I think any resurgence would have been greater if the lead single had been Good Timin', instead of that being the single that came after HCTN missed the top 40 after being pushed so hard. It was considered a real disappointment considering all the attention it was given. Yes Good Timin' did slightly better, barely making top 40, but in my opinion it would have gone much higher if it'd had the initial push that was (again IMO) wasted on HCTN. There was a lot of media buzz around the Beach Boys CBS deal, and the new record. All kinds of promotion including the TV appearances, the Radio City Music Hall stint(where HCTN was booed)...picture discs, promo singles, posters, in store appearances, and yes airplay. I just think it was a really bad marketing decision to peg their hopes on HCTN. To me Good Timin' was an excellent BB's record, and Baby Blue a wonderful B-side. That would have been a great single. I do think they lost credibility with HCTN, they sure did with the people that I knew at the time that gave such things any thought. They were laughed at for HCTN for all the reasons I listed in above posts, it was an embarrassment to a lot of fans. But again, this is a song that splits people pretty evenly, some think it was innovative and fresh, some like me think it was a sell out with no return.

[Sound of Free]

Jon Stebbins makes a good point about it being the CBS debut. They really needed to deliver a good album to start their relationship with the new label, and the 11 misguided minutes of HCTN made sure they didn't. As long as they were reaching into the past, how about some replacing HCTN with some good unreleased stuff. Take out the disco song and replace it with Soulful Old Man Sunshine (just get rid of Carl's "Shunshine'), San Miguel and maybe a good version of California Feeling or a finally-finished Loop de Loop and you'd really have something.

And I may be crazy, considering how Dennis' rough voice might have played on the charts, but I think Angel Come Home might have been a hit off LA.

[Howie Edelson]

In lieu of "HCTN" -- throw "Almost Summer" "California Feeling" and "Wild Situation" on it and all sins would be absolved. Even "It's A Beautiful Day" (even though I think that one comes a bit after the fact).

[MBE]

I think Jon pretty well sums up how I feel about it. I don't think it would have been such a disaster if it wasn't the first single, and if the short one was the LP cut. It still would have stunk, but it wouldn't have hurt them really.

[Jay]

I had the L.A. version of HCTN in my head last night, and I had a small epiphoney. Yes, disco was the very last thing The Beach Boys should have ever even attempted to do. Yes, it sticks out on the album like a sore thumb. Yes, it just all around sucks. BUT, the absolute most evil crime the disco HCTN ever commited was, it defaced and forever tarnished the reputation of an otherwise GREAT song from Wild Honey. Never again would the Wild Honey track just be an underrated song. As soon as the disco version came out, that was and is what most people here probably think about when the song title is mentioned. Never again can we just sit back and listen to the Wild Honey track and appreciate it being what it is....a great R&B song. We are always reminded of the debacle that is: "the disco version".

[Exapno Mapcase]

sh*t then and sh*t now.  It brings nothing new to the game and desecrates a good song off a great album.

[donald]

Don't forget, EVERYONE was doing disco.   Van, Eagles, Jackson Brown, Stones, even the Kinks (remember Superman?)it was a full blown plague.  Actually, Hold On by Jackson was my favorite disco era disco flavored album.

Here Comes the Night sounded like a parody of a stereotypical disco 12 inch single.  THAT is what was wrong with it.  Yes the Beachboys WERE chasing a fad..a fading fad at that.  And a weak showing to boot.

The old rallying cry DISCO SUCKS! applied doubly to the BeachBoys effort at the genre.  It is quite possibly their worst recording and that includes MIU and SIP.


But I don't really have an opinion on the topic

[phirnis]

I hardly ever listen to the Light Album in its entirety as it doesn't hang together too well, to my ears anyway. There's glimpses of ALL the Wilson brothers' brilliance of course and I do even like Lady Lynda and Sumahama, yet in a way the much-maligned M.I.U. Album is just so much closer to what I like about the Beach Boys than L.A. Light, with Here Comes The Night probably being the ultimate low point of their 70s recording career to me. Not because it's disco, mind you, but because it's pretentious in a way the Beach Boys had never attempted before (safe for Student Demonstration Time perhaps, which didn't sound half as desperate however).

That said, the group really should have cut a promotional music video for this track featuring beardy BW-lookalikes in Adidas jump suits doing some serious shaking underneath the mirror ball.  

[Jon Stebbins]

I think the ultimate verdict is how fast the BB's dropped HCTN disco from their set list. After going through a major effort to prepare their live presentation of that song, obviously with the hope it would be a hit, it was gone after a few gigs.

[KokoMoses]

Wow, maybe we all need to take this a bit less seriously!

It's just another silly disco song coming from an era where it was in good company.

But this one has Carl Wilson singing lead on it, so, hey, who can complain about that?

No one involved thought this was going to be Pet Sounds Part 2! BBs fans should have stopped crying for that long before. It wasn't going to happen. Brian wasn't that 24 year old guy anymore. How many of us have stayed 24 and at our peak???

Hell, maybe they just did it for fun or because the coke was good (or bad)....

To be honest, when I put on LA (which is often) the only song I somerimes skip is Lady Lynda.

[Howie Edelson]

I think I speak for many when I say cocaine had literally NOTHING to do with "Here Comes The Night - 1979."

In fact, listening to it actually STOPS YOU from chewing on your cheek, cornering people to tell them something "REALLY IMPORTANT," and wanting more immediately.

Bruce Johnston = The guy who made you not wanna get high to The Beach Boys.
(Congratulations.)

[KokoMoses]

Speaking of getting high/not getting high to The Beach Boys!!!!

Never do acid while listening to 90% of their!

All the various background chatter, noises, ect, will wreck havoc if you get the leat bit paranoid while on acid/pot/ect!

Smiley Smile: Avoid altogether

Sunflower: Avoid, especially if you have a fear of drowning. Cool Cool Water will push you over the edge.

Smile: AVOID

20/20: Manson!!!!

However, back in the day, "Surf's Up" (the album) did do the trick. Feel Flows was like a giant melting prozac pill from God!!!!

[Jon Stebbins]

Its automatic that when a thread turns fairly passionate and differing points of view are pointedly posted that someone will insist that "maybe we all need to take this a bit less seriously". But if you really read this thread you can see its filled with humor, some of it very cynical humor, but humor nonetheless. I think the subject of HCTN is one of the deepest mines in BB's lore for humor. I don't think we need to take this less seriously, but then maybe i need to take Erik's suggestion that we all take this "less seriously"... less seriously.

BTW...I've really enjoyed both Smiley Smile and Smile on acid, back when i did that kind of thing, but I don't frighten easily...and yeah Feel Flows is perfection while tripping, you are right about that. I am in no way endorsing this kind of action that I often undertook in my much younger days Stay clean, go to school, get educated, find love, be there for your children, and teach them to live in peace. But don't take it too seriously or someone will follow you around telling you to lighten up.

[KokoMoses]

Yes, yes, I could have been doing many other more important things at the time than trying to figure out what Beach Boys album matched best with whichever substance!

And, no, please don't take my plea for less seriousness... serious!

I just had to say something when our varying views on the wee travesty of HCTN 79 begin to verge into anger.

[petsite]

I really like when everyone can get "up on their hind legs" as they say in Texas and get passtionate without getting abusive. IE: - Passionate: Here Comes The Night sucks! Abusive: And any one that likes it sucks too!.

Again, from my exeperinces as a 20 yr old when HCTH came out...(thats right, do the math...that makes me.....OLD!). I remember before LA Light Album came out (about two weeks before), KILT-FM here in town played it as their "midnight album" on a Firday night (the primo LP audition time, other LPs got the middle of the week treatment). The DJ (whose name I can't remember cuz I interned on the AM side) intro'd the LP by saying it was the strongest BB LP since HOLLAND. And I think it kind of ranks there. On Monday, I went to the station and got THAT copy of LA (which I still have, it was in a white sleeve, no LP sleeve was availible yet). Circled on the first side was "Good Timin'" with the note to "play this track.....ALOT".

I am listening to LA right now (my 1985 CD release). I still like this LP. Hell, I love all of them to some extent. Even SIP. That's right, you heard me.....(well, I like the melody and the track to Still Surfin').

[petsite]

It still seems funny tho that James Guerio wanted SMiLE tracks on LA. That would have been......interesting.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I think the ultimate verdict is how fast the BB's dropped HCTN disco from their set list. After going through a major effort to prepare their live presentation of that song, obviously with the hope it would be a hit, it was gone after a few gigs.

I think the ultimate verdict is that the group chose to play it on national TV (The Midnight Special), it reached #44 on the charts which was higher than most of their singles in the 1970's, and, although I don't have the chart info in front of me, I'm pretty sure the 12" single also did well on those special disco singles charts. I think the negative affect of the "disco" experiment was overrated; don't give HCTN THAT much credit. It was quickly forgotten, like most of The Beach Boys' records of that era....

[KokoMoses]

I vividly remember holding that lovely digi-pack of SIP at the Wherehouse in Manhattan Beach and was about to buy it but my friend was making fun of me so, I put it back on the rack.... If I remember correctly, he was buying a Nelson CD!!!!!

[the captain]

I think the ultimate verdict is that Luther is great.

[KokoMoses]

I think the ultimate verdict is that Luther is great.

a great racantour is always appreciated 

[melissalynn]

I've listened to disco 'HCTN' one time, ever.

And never, ever again. It gives me nightmares.

Next time I have a bad dream, I'm blaming Bruce.

[the captain]

Next time I have a bad dream, I'm blaming Bruce.

Oh, I've been doing that since 2001 anyway. Before that, I had been blaming Whitesnake's David Coverdale since 1994. And before that it was Jeff Lynne since 1987. Yeah, I just don't like accepting responsibility for my bad dreams, so I project it onto people in pop who piss me off. Zombies in my dream? Sounds like Danny Hutton's fucking problem to me.

[melissalynn]

I honestly don't remember a single bad dream before I heard 'HCTN' disco.

So it's the only logical reason for my sleep disturbances