The Smiley Smile Message Board

Just got this in the mail the other day, along with Save for a Rainy Day, which has multiple versions of the Yellow Balloon song as well.

To those of you who are more familiar with this era, how do you like this stuff? I'm enjoying it.

Any disc with "How Can I Be Down" is ok in my book.
The vocals at the end of that are astonishing.

on a rainy afternoon?

yes, especially.

I really like Like a Summer Rain. It's definitely inspired by Don't Worry Baby, melody-wise. Yellow Ballon has a bit of God Only Knows in there, especially at the start.

I adore both albums. I have to nod to "Save..." which is one of the most atmospheric little mood-albums ever made, but the Yellow Balloon LP is a blast.

Yeah, Sunshine Pop and Baroque Pop are always good to listen to, especially in this -30C weather we're having today. I know I've started threads about these before, but they usually got out of hand and way to in-depth for me to pursue the music easily.

So now I have music by these artists:
The Association
The Millenium
Sagittarius
The Yellow Balloon
Jan and Dean
The Beach Boys

Who else should I look into? Mama's and the Papa's, 5th Dimension, Left Banke? Which CDs should I look for?

I'd say discs by the Left Banke-Gonna Be A Storm, the Free Design-Kites are Fun (comp-Varese), the Cyrkle-best of, Harpers Bizarre-4 would do you well.
Oh, and Song Cycle by Van Dyke Parks...and
Something Else by the Kinks

Mark Eric - A Midsummer's Daydream
5th Dimension - The Magic Garden
Eternity's Children - self titled
The Fun and Games - Elephant Candy
Sandy Salisbury - Do Unto Others

all good ones to start with...

Ah, got those ones. I'll keep the others in mind, thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

The Yellow Balloon is an amazing album . . . produced by Gary Zekley (Yodar Critch). Gary got his start in the business by watching Jan Berry and others at work in the studio. Jan and Gary also co-wrote (with Vic Diaz) a cool song called "Ace of Hearts," recorded by the Matadors (Tony Minichiello, Vic Diaz, and Manuel Sanchez). The A-side was "Perfidia," which featured bass vocals sung by Jan Berry. Both sides were also arranged and produced by Jan Berry for Colpix Records (as part of Jan's producing contract with Screen Gems).

Tony, Vic, and Manuel (also known as the Sinners, a smoking combo in their own right, great guitar) sang harmony vocals on Jan & Dean's SURF CITY and DRAG CITY LPs . . . before Phil Sloan and Steve Barri entered the picture.

Zekley also later worked with Dean Torrence.

Dean's second "Turtles-esque" version of the song "Yellow Balloon" is superior.

On Zekley's YB album, "How Can I Be Down" and "I've Got A feeling For Love" were co-written by Jan Berry's close personal and songwriting associates, Jill Gibson and Don Altfeld.

"Stained Glass Window" and "Springtime Girl" are also standouts on the YB album.

M.

Cool post, thanks!

I love noollaB wolleY (b-side of Yellow Balloon).. the backwards harmonies are awesome.

There's this website? Called the Smile Shop? Which is all about that. You should visit it sometime.

http://www.thesmileshop.net

I ordered the first Free Design album (Kites are Fun) and the first two Harpers Bizarre albums yesterday. I should get them in, well, a few weeks. But at least I'll get them in time for spring.

The first two Harpers Bizarre albums are great

Glad to hear it! allmusic is less than enthused about them (star wise), so I was a bit worried.

Don't listen to anything Richie Unterberger says(writes) about sunshine pop.  He pretty much hates it all.  Do you like the Association's albums?  He doesn't (but for some reason, he was hired to write the liner notes to their cd reissues).

I just have the Association's greatest hits. I really like Cherish, Windy, Never My Love...

DON'T get me started on the Association, that is a whole other thread there to which I will gladly contribute!

Here is a review of the Yellow Balloon I wrote up at RateYourMusic.com (http://RateYourMusic.com)

(http://rateyourmusic.com/album_images/157153.jpg)

Fantastic "sunshine pop" lp, recorded 1966 in L.A. with producer Gary Zekely at the helm.  The band also included ex-Palace Guard member Don Grady, who would later go on to achieve fame in the roll of Chip Douglas in My Three Sons.  The album plays like a mini-Pet Sounds, also possessing an Association bent at times, as on the song "Threshold of Love".  This ranks close to the level of such heralded genre landmarks as Mark Eric's A Midsummer's Daydream or the Association's Birthday. 

The knock on Yellow Balloon has always been the lyrics, which are terribly corny at times ("Baby It's You", which nevertheless sports a killer Wilson-esque hook.)  The title song "Yellow Balloon" was a a certified Top 30 hit early in '67, while a competing version by Jan and Dean failed to chart.  The latter was actually a Dean Torrance recording, tracked as Jan Barry was recovering from injuries sustained from his car crash.  Zekely had originally given the song to Jan and Dean to record.

The Yellow Balloon falls short of Pet Sounds lyrically, and it is somewhat hampered by singer Alex Valdez's limited range.  The melodies by Zekely, Jan & Dean collaborator Jill Gibson and disc jockey Don Altfeld are of the typical period pop music variety, but enlivened with surprising chord changes, tempo shifts and walls of Beach Boy styled harmonies.  The Yellow Balloon rocks out convincingly on the song "Junkmaker Shoppe" which is ripe for a cover by one of today's bands. "Panama Red" is a great hidden meaning drug song in the vein of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy's "Why Did I Get So High?".

You gotta love an album that closes with their hit single played in reverse.  "Noolab Wolley" is just such a closer.  Fortunately, the Sundazed reissue graciously includes two 1967 singles from Don Grady and the Windupwatchband.  Very imaginative productions and great tunes that rank with the best pop rock of the era.  Grady, aka Don Agrati, would later go on to record a lost classic in 1970's pop titled Homegrown, based off of demos he recorded with producers Curt Boettcher and Keith Olsen.

Rated: 4.50 stars

http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the_yellow_balloon/the_yellow_balloon____bonus_tracks_/

Mitchell, the most fun way to explore "sunshine pop" is to track down the 45's. I've been collecting this kind of stuff for years and there was TONS of this kind of music released on obscure one-shot artist 45's. For those who do not have the vinyl collecting bug, it may be too much work. I know of some compilations that you can check out further flower power goodies on CD.
  Rhino Handmade has two limited edition "Nuggets" that are primo 60's soft pop. "Hallucianations" and "Come to The Sunshine." Also look for the CD series called "Soft Sounds For Gentle People." There are at least three volumes and are probably lifted straight from the original vinyl sources.

wasn't me

Yeah, I live in an area where good vinyl is hard to come by, so getting collectors 45s isn't really an option for me. I would be interested in a compilation, for sure. I have heard of those, I just haven't really looked into them.

I got these in the mail yesterday. I'm listening now. Some really good songs in there for sure. I'll have to listen to more before I make any conclusions.

Has anyone ever noticed that towards the end of How Can I Be Down, someone says "keep recording"? This is the first time I've found something like this on my own, I feel special

I think it was mentioned in the liner notes by one of the members of the band... something about how he was bummed out because that bit was left in there , otherwise it would be a "perfect' album (or something like that)

Personally, I am glad they kept recording!

Darn, I don't feel special anymore. Oh well.

I have a newfound love for Don Grady's songwriting skills. Junk Maker Shoppe is an amazing song (I especially love the line "there are colorful trinkets that have no pride"). The solo bonus tracks on the CD are pretty good, too. Great lyrics.

Smashing good number!

I only wish the sound was better on that Yellow Balloon CD. I wonder what they mastered it from?

Otherwise, it's a total gas!

Why not listen to some Nilsson?

ive only just discovered this album and 'HCIBD' is one helluva sunshine pop ditty

absolutely love it!

you know how sometimes you hear certain songs and wished that it came from The Beach Boys's - well this is one of them for me

I found (and still find) this album to be a weaker than others in it's category (I think it might have something to do with the lack of strong vocals and strong songwriting), but it does warrant repeated listens - it gets better when you know the songs. This type of sound should have been what the BBs were doing in 1967, albeit with stronger voices (a given) and more substance. They might have never fallen off the radar if they'd made some studio sunshine pop instead of Smiley Smile and the lo-fi Wild Honey.

Hi, tony! Have you heard the demo v-n? I think it's very lovely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjGDHX8r1bg
Weaker or not, but I consistently enjoy this album.

My favorite song on this CD has always been Stain Glass Window (or Stained, I don't recall).  My only complaint is that it is just a touch too short.

For other songs in this basic genre, I highly recommend the following (some of these more psych than pure sunshine, and all the better for it):

Billy Nichols: Would You Believe
Twice As Much: You're So Good For Me (or To Me, again I can't recall)
The Parade: Sunshine Girl
Thomas & Richard Frost: With Me My Love
Harmony Grass: Move In A Little Closer Baby (sunshine/psych mixed with The Four Seasons, minus Frankie Valli's falsetto)

Similar, still on the psych side, but mixed with girl group (P.P. Arnold) and soul (Chris Farlowe), I also recommend the following:

P.P. Arnold: The First Cut Is The Deepest (will make you forget all other versions, this one blows them way away)
P.P. Arnold: Everything Is Gonna' Be Alright
Chris Farlowe: Out Of Time (Rolling Stones cover, I like this better, but then I don't like the Rolling Stones)
Chris Farlowe: Ride On (also a Rolling Stones cover, don't like this original either)

And of course Del Shannon had some great psych/almost sunshine songs (ok, they aren't really sunshine at all):

Thinkin' It Over
It's My Feeling
Mind Over Matter
Cut and Come Again
My Love Has Gone
Easy To Say*

*This is probably my favorite of those listed by Del Shannon.

And if you really want to hear a great song completely unrelated to the above (except for the fact that I said the Harmony Grass song sounds like The Four Seasons, minuse Frankie Valli's falsetto), you have to track down The Puppet Song by The Four Seasons.  What a great song, but its neither psych nor sunshine.

EoL

Who could forget Yellow Balloon...and it's magical flip-side Noollab Wolley?  [What a disappointment that was!]

The Association were great.  Way better than they often receive credit for.  At least their first 6 or 7 albums.

Don't forget the Turtles.  They had outstanding moments along the path.  Battle of the Bands and Turtle Soup being 2 goodies.  Someone mentioned Nilsson...for sure.  And if you like Harpers Bizarre you might also like The Neon Philharmonic.  Simon and Garfunkle also belong in this coversation

Zekley produced another version of that song (as Yodar Critch)
THE VISIONS: How Can I Be Down/Threshold Of Love UNI 55031 (1967). I feel that he's singing lead on that version - worth picking up.
Before YELLOW BALLOON cut their album Zekley released two other songs that went onto it as a 45
THE GROUP: Baby Baby It's You/Can't Get Enough Of Your Love WB 5840 I suspect him singing lead on both.
THE FUN AND GAMES album (also a Zekley production) has some great moments, too. Their non-LP 45 We (UNI 55128) is great, too.

GREAT RECORD!!  :3d

My favorite of the obscure BW wannbes from the 60s is that album by Mark Eric 'A Midsummer's Daydream'. That one really hits the mark. I don't know anything about him but he sounds a lot like Brian, and wrote some good melodies for that album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfojCdi8s7k

Twice agreed. When I saw the final cut, I didn't think it's "Yellow Balloon" in reverse, I thought it's some eastern-flavored ending of some sorts. Maybe performed on sitar. After all, it was 1967. So I play it & quickly realize that they just played the song backwards, plain & simple. Boooring!

I like Association, along with their folkey stuff, they did some of the best psychedelia too, for my money. "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies" is great!

I have this album aswell. It certainly has a melancholy vibe about it - like a lonely Californian sunset over the ocean.

Very good in parts though with 'Dont Cry Over Me' being my fav. 'Sad Is The Way That I Feel' is also a good track

That album is a stonecold Classic. Not a bad track on there. Just beautiful. Though, of course, completely out of time when it came it out in, when was it?, 69 or so?

For those interested I can wholeheartedly recommend the Now Sounds reissue from about 2010 or 2011. It was the second CD reissue and it had a bunch of unissued tracks for a proposed follow-up album. The vibe is even more mellow with a cool jazz & bossa vibe.

Love A Midsummer's Day Dream by Mark Eric...If I had to choose a favorite track it would be  "I'd Like To Talk To You"...what a great tune. And I love the bonus track "Place For The Summer"...so awesome.  Love the Yellow Balloon: Panama Red is so so great. Great quirky little track. Short and sweet. We should all start an exclusive definitive Sunshine Pop thread for those interested in that genre. I am always scratching around YouTube looking for hidden nuggets.

Do you have a d/l link for this album? I don't care about bossanova, but cool jazz got me interested. Would be nice if you shared this album. Thanks in advance.

Not always, but I surf Youtube too for rarities in any genre. Last time I was looking up the horror movie scores & found this hilarious song about a doll-human eater. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrGtxf-8ISc
Enjoy!

This topic has got me revisiting 'The Yellow Balloon' album

Love it!

'Ive Got a Feeling For Love' has an amazing ending. the last 30 seconds are awesome "i cant wait to make you my (little girl), just cant wait to make you my...."

Also, 'Follow The Sunshine' is a great tune. love how the tempo changes after the first 20 or so seconds

i would love that as im just now getting into the genre

would love to know of some more gems