Wonderbill - I Hate It!

[bgas]

If "Wonder-Bill" was an indication of what they were planning to do with the Smile project remnants around that time, or just a novel experiment, I'm glad it never went beyond that song. The stripped-down version of Wonderful that appeared on the box set is beyond comparison, simply beautiful, and to graft another band's song onto it after the fact...again I'll say I'm glad they never messed with that idea again.

hey, That's a good Idea! Pairing Smile songs with another unrelated, seemingly, for a new BBs version.  have to give that some serious thought. 

[guitarfool2002]

If "Wonder-Bill" was an indication of what they were planning to do with the Smile project remnants around that time, or just a novel experiment, I'm glad it never went beyond that song. The stripped-down version of Wonderful that appeared on the box set is beyond comparison, simply beautiful, and to graft another band's song onto it after the fact...again I'll say I'm glad they never messed with that idea again.

hey, That's a good Idea! Pairing Smile songs with another unrelated, seemingly, for a new BBs version.  have to give that some serious thought. 

I have visions of Mike and Carl, circa 1971,  sitting in front of a cork board, a pile of thumbtacks in hand, and two stacks of 3x5 cards: one stack of "Smile" songs and the other stack of random Flame tunes. "These will sound GREAT together!" "Yeah man, let's get Al in here so Blondie can teach him the harmony..."

[smile-holland]

I'll take "Wonderbill" over ANY live rendition of "Barbara Ann" ANYDAY! I want to strangle that song.....

  In Holland, it was a long-running soundtrack for a TV ad promoting toilet paper. True.

Combining Barbara Ann with toiletpaper is one thing (and I assume some among us can see some humor in that)...

...but much worse (and sadly also true) is that in those same 90ies the I Get Around tune was used (abused) for a tampon commercial...

Seeing it is believing it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mca3sYJeUxE

[Awesoman]

I like the "Don't Worry, Bill" part.  I'm not sure it exactly fits with "Wonderful", but it is a nice Flame song.  I know some people don't like the songs Blondie and Ricky provided the band with; after all, they are as far removed from "the Beach Boys" as you can get.  Which is exactly why I like them.  They introduced a different sound to the group that greatly enhanced the band's live performances during the early 70's.  And when the Flame sound was properly fused together with the Beach Boys sound in songs like "You Need A Mess of Help To Stand Alone", "Marcella", and "Sail On, Sailor", the results were awesome.  I wish Blondie and Ricky had stuck around longer and they explored this sound a little more (with a particularly better sound production than the dry, wheezy mess that were Carl & The Passions - So Tough and Holland). 

[The Heartical Don]

I have visions of Carl and Mike circa 1971, sitting with two piles of cards. The one: unfinished SMiLE songs. The other: Wishbone Ash songs. The idea is that each half SMiLE song will be ending with a WA zinger, with long guitar solos and loud drumming.

Also: an even more eclectic option: a random generator providing the 'second part' of each half SMiLE song. Examples of possible outcomes:

Wind Chimes seguing into: 'Yes Sir I Can Boogie', by Baccara

Surf's Up ending with not the CITFOM coda, but with the 'Hey Jude' one

Ms. O'Leary's Cow finishing with 'Light My Fire' material

...and 'Blue Hawaii' going into the Lambada, for good clean summer fun.

Endless possibilities.

[guitarfool2002]

I have visions of Carl and Mike circa 1971, sitting with two piles of cards. The one: unfinished SMiLE songs. The other: Wishbone Ash songs. The idea is that each half SMiLE song will be ending with a WA zinger, with long guitar solos and loud drumming.

Also: an even more eclectic option: a random generator providing the 'second part' of each half SMiLE song. Examples of possible outcomes:

Wind Chimes seguing into: 'Yes Sir I Can Boogie', by Baccara

Surf's Up ending with not the CITFOM coda, but with the 'Hey Jude' one

Ms. O'Leary's Cow finishing with 'Light My Fire' material

...and 'Blue Hawaii' going into the Lambada, for good clean summer fun.

Endless possibilities.

And what great material for the live crowds to sing along with! Even if the tempos, grooves, and keys are totally different between songs, mash 'em up anyway!  Hey, we're the Beach Boys and The Flame, we'll make it happen...

[Mike's Beard]

I'll take "Wonderbill" over ANY live rendition of "Barbara Ann" ANYDAY! I want to strangle that song.....

  In Holland, it was a long-running soundtrack for a TV ad promoting toilet paper. True.

Combining Barbara Ann with toiletpaper is one thing (and I assume some among us can see some humor in that)...

...but much worse (and sadly also true) is that in those same 90ies the I Get Around tune was used (abused) for a tampon commercial...

Seeing it is believing it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mca3sYJeUxE

Well KISS did their own line of condoms. I imagine with the right market strategy, a line of Beach Boys jam rags with Mike Love's face on them could take the female hygiene world by storm.

[bgas]

I'll take "Wonderbill" over ANY live rendition of "Barbara Ann" ANYDAY! I want to strangle that song.....

  In Holland, it was a long-running soundtrack for a TV ad promoting toilet paper. True.

Combining Barbara Ann with toiletpaper is one thing (and I assume some among us can see some humor in that)...

...but much worse (and sadly also true) is that in those same 90ies the I Get Around tune was used (abused) for a tampon commercial...

Seeing it is believing it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mca3sYJeUxE

Ahhh... see, I was thinking you meant "wonderbill" was used for the toilet paper commercial.  

I tried to check the IGA ad, but the video cut out something fierce, and it sounded like they were singing in some weird language. If I didn't know the melody, I wouldn't have thought it was the same song.  

[bgas]

I'll take "Wonderbill" over ANY live rendition of "Barbara Ann" ANYDAY! I want to strangle that song.....

  In Holland, it was a long-running soundtrack for a TV ad promoting toilet paper. True.

Combining Barbara Ann with toiletpaper is one thing (and I assume some among us can see some humor in that)...

...but much worse (and sadly also true) is that in those same 90ies the I Get Around tune was used (abused) for a tampon commercial...

Seeing it is believing it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mca3sYJeUxE

Well KISS did their own line of condoms. I imagine with the right market strategy, a line of Beach Boys jam rags with Mike Love's face on them could take the female hygiene world by storm.

heck, why limit it to females? 
Toilet paper squares with Mike's face on each one would, no doubt, be a million seller for sure! 

[Mike's Beard]

 

oldsurferdude would buy them by the dumpertruck load!!!

[oldsurferdude]

Got my prepaid order already in-I took the perfumed version and the likeness minus the turban.

[adamghost]

Just....yuck.

[gsmile]

It really shouldn't work, but it does.  I love Wonderbill.  It's worth it for Carl's "MAMA!" alone.

[The Heartical Don]

It really shouldn't work, but it does.  I love Wonderbill.  It's worth it for Carl's "MAMA!" alone.

Are you sure you're not talking about 'Wild Honey' 

[gsmile]

Are you sure you're not talking about 'Wild Honey' 

During the "Yes I pray" vamp in the "Don't Worry Bill" section (at least on the Endless Harmony version).

[RollPlymouthRock]

After hearing that live version of wonderful, does anyone else think Carl should have sung lead on the SMiLE version instead of Brian?

[rogerlancelot]

After hearing that live version of wonderful, does anyone else think Carl should have sung lead on the SMiLE version instead of Brian?

I have often wondered if that's what Brian's intentions were in the first place. Brian sang the SMiLE version but it was incomplete and basically a demo with some background vocals attempted by the group as well. His final version on Smiley Smile has Carl singing lead and changed keys from C# to F# (if my memory serves me right). Carl obviously has the sweet voice that such a tender song requires. I still love the Brian version on the boxed set no matter what and it was actually the first version of the song I ever heard back in 1998.

[Zach95]

Alright, bringing up a buried thread here after a brief google search, but when Mike refers to SMiLE, an album "to be released later this year"...what is he talking about? Sory if this has been discussed...

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Mr. Positivity was just being optimistic maybe?

Also, I think at that moment, releasing Smile ASAP was a stipulation in their Warner's contract. I'm sure AGD can correct wherever I'm wrong here, but I think what I'm saying is basically true.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

There was an attempt by the boys, but I think mainly Carl, in the early 70s to go back to the tapes, put them together, and release Smile in 1972 (I think that's the right year).

[c-man]

Mr. Positivity was just being optimistic maybe?

Also, I think at that moment, releasing Smile ASAP was a stipulation in their Warner's contract. I'm sure AGD can correct wherever I'm wrong here, but I think what I'm saying is basically true.

Yes, Carl and Jack Rieley announced it's imminent release early that year, while in London.  Carl and Desper went through the tapes, but ultimately they gave up.  Interestingly, Dennis and the Brother Studio engineers (especially Tom Murphy) also went through the tapes in '78, made some reference mixes, but that's it.

[hypehat]

It was a condition of their signing to Reprise, and cost them $50,000 in advances when it was not delivered. Brian seems to have not cared about it at all - Carl and Stephen Desper did the work.

Interestingly, Linett and Boyd have stated that Carl's work on the tapes in 1972 (which from what I gather was making safety copies and not much editing or assembling, the task being too much for them) essentially ensured we have them today.

[SMiLE Brian]

Carl is the unsung hero in the SMiLE saga.

[Craig Boyd]

Don't Worry Bill is an outstanding track, anyone who doesn't own The Flame album really needs to search it out because it's sublime!

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I love 'Wonderbill' (which it's not actually listed as on the actual tracklisting). It's terrfic. It's one of my favourite commercially available live Beach Boys tracks. Amazing guitar solo in the middle, I think the two tracks work together brilliantly. This to me is the group at their best - in terms of performing live. After this it was a slow descent into cheerleaders and credibility-destroying oldies sets. They sound vital here.