"It's A Beautiful Day" 45 rpm

[Fall Breaks]

I have the opportunity to buy It's A Beautiful Day b/w Sumahama for the seemingly reasonable price of about $3.50. But how rare is it? And how many copies were made?

[JeffRetro]

I have the opportunity to buy It's A Beautiful Day b/w Sumahama for the seemingly reasonable price of about $3.50. But how rare is it? And how many copies were made?

It's not really all that rare, but that's a good price for it (there are half a dozen copies on musicstack going for anywhere from $4 to $15).

"It's A Beautiful Day" is of course out of print on CD (the version on this single, an edit running 3:15, was issued on both the US and Euro versions of the "Ten Years Of Harmony" CD), so if you don't have the song this is a good way to get it.  This version of "Sumahama" is the same mix but has a longer fade than that on "L.A. (Light Alburm) - 4:28 versus 4:07 - but this longer version is available on the US "Platinum Collection" comp and the UK "Best of the Brother Years" comp (it was a minor hit as an A-side in the UK; hence its inclusion on the UK comp).

[urbanite]

Did BW have any involvement in the making of that song?

[phirnis]

Did BW have any involvement in the making of that song?

According to the Doe/Tobler book, 'no involvement from Brian'. Should've been a hit nonetheless.

[JeffRetro]

Did BW have any involvement in the making of that song?

According to the Doe/Tobler book, 'no involvement from Brian'. Should've been a hit nonetheless.

Written by Mike and Al, and produced by Bruce.  The lead is passed around between Al, Mike, and Carl, who all sound great here, and the harmonies are spot on.  I just listened to it, and, yeah, no evidence of Brian in there at all.

This really should have been a hit, but the movie it was from - "Americathon" - got panned at the time, which probably hurt its chances.  In the movie and soundtrack album it ran a full 4:31 with long stretches of hamonies sung over the chord sequence, but cutting it down to 3:15 really tightened it up for airplay.

[tpesky]

Perhaps they could have helped it's chances by playing it live or putting it on an album??

[JeffRetro]

Perhaps they could have helped it's chances by playing it live or putting it on an album??

Yeah, they seem not to have played it live at all during the time it was first released - or maybe ever.  The soundtrack LP was released in mid-August 1979 (just a few days after the movie's release), but none of the setlists available for shows in the August/September timeframe show the song being played.  And then they went into extensive sessions for KTSA, only playing a couple more shows in November before the year was out.  By then "It's A Beautiful Day" had been out as a single for over a month, but if they played it on those pair of shows we won't know since we apparently don't have those setlists.

As far as including it on an album, it WAS on the "Americathon" OST.  We don't know the nature of the contract regarding the song's usage outside of the movie; it's possible that the contract prohibited the group from including it on their own album.  It obviously wasn't a completely exclusive contract since Caribou was able to put it out as a single.  Unfortunately the single wasn't issued until two months after the movie's release, so that certainly didn't help matters.  This may have just been bad timing, because "Lady Lynda" was issued as a single a little over a week before the movie came out.  It's also possible that the contract stipulated that any single release of "It's A Beautiful Day" had to follow the issue of the OST by a certain time period to allow for sales of the LP (which was on Lorimar's own self-titled CBS-affiliated label).

End result: one of the group's better attempts at duplicating their classic sound - and a record that just plain sounded like a hit - ended up being a mere footnote to their career.  Shame, really.

[Mark H.]

I would almost  swear I heard this song live in August 1979 at a show.  Maybe not but they were playing alot off the LA album for sure.

Americathon as a movie just plain sucks...no two ways about it.  Too bad becasue It's a Beautiful Day is a great upbeat song IMO.

[Smilin Ed H]

Not a bad summer is fun kinda song.  Not great either.  Having said that, if it had been recorded a earlier, I can think of a track or two on LA that could be replaced by it!

[JeffRetro]

I would almost  swear I heard this song live in August 1979 at a show.  Maybe not but they were playing alot off the LA album for sure.

Americathon as a movie just plain sucks...no two ways about it.  Too bad becausee It's a Beautiful Day is a great upbeat song IMO.

I was at one of the earlier shows on that tour when they played a week-long stand in early June at the Universal Amphitheater here in L.A.  The L.A. (LIGHT ALBUM) songs they did were "Good Timin,'" "Lady Lynda," "Sumahama," and "Shortenin' Bread."  It was five days after that series of gigs that the group started recording "It's A Beauitiful Day."  You can check Eric Anniversario's Setlist Archive to see if the show you were at is there; there are a couple from August '79 listed.

And, yeah, i remember "Americathon" sucking mightily too at the time (though it didn't stop my friends and I from going to see it).  But if you look at its entry on IMDB there are people there hailing it as a classic.  Maybe it's time to give it another look (a cult video/DVD rental place by where I live has the VHS; perhaps I'll go rent it).

[JeffRetro]

Having said that, if it had been recorded a earlier, I can think of a track or two on LA that could be replaced by it!

Agreed.  How about this for a reworked L.A. (LIGHT ALBUM)?:

Side 1
1. Good Timin'
2. Lady Lynda
3. Full Sail
4. Love Surrounds Me
5. Angel Come Home
6. Sumahama (w/ the longer fade a la the 45)

Side 2
1. It's A Beautiful Day (Full Length Version)
2. Lookin' Down The Coast
3. Santa Ana Winds
4. Baby Blue
5. Shortenin' Bread

I'd buy it.   

[Fall Breaks]

I have the opportunity to buy It's A Beautiful Day b/w Sumahama for the seemingly reasonable price of about $3.50. But how rare is it? And how many copies were made?

It's not really all that rare, but that's a good price for it (there are half a dozen copies on musicstack going for anywhere from $4 to $15).

"It's A Beautiful Day" is of course out of print on CD (the version on this single, an edit running 3:15, was issued on both the US and Euro versions of the "Ten Years Of Harmony" CD), so if you don't have the song this is a good way to get it.  This version of "Sumahama" is the same mix but has a longer fade than that on "L.A. (Light Alburm) - 4:28 versus 4:07 - but this longer version is available on the US "Platinum Collection" comp and the UK "Best of the Brother Years" comp (it was a minor hit as an A-side in the UK; hence its inclusion on the UK comp).

Thanks for the info. Just finished the deal. Hopefully it will arrive after Easter. The main reason I bought it was that I neither have the short IABD och the long Sumahama, so this seemed like a good combination. Otherwise I'm not much for hunting down obscure BB 45s since it hurts my wallet. But while we're at it; how rare are Don't Go Near The Water b/w Student Demonstration Time and Ten Little Indians b/w Country Fair?

JeffRetro, I like your alternate Light Album. Here's another:

1. Good Timin'
2. Lady Lynda
3. Love Surrounds Me
4. Angel Come Home
5. Shortenin' Bread

1. Here Comes The Night (a four minute version, tops!)
2. Lookin' Down The Coast
3. Santa Ana Winds
4. It's Not Too Late
5. Baby Blue
6. It's A Beautiful Day

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

Around that period, they recorded a beautiful version of 'California Feeling' with Carl on lead vocals. I really really wish that this version gets a proper release.

[JeffRetro]

Thanks for the info. Just finished the deal. Hopefully it will arrive after Easter. The main reason I bought it was that I neither have the short IABD och the long Sumahama, so this seemed like a good combination. Otherwise I'm not much for hunting down obscure BB 45s since it hurts my wallet. But while we're at it; how rare are Don't Go Near The Water b/w Student Demonstration Time and Ten Little Indians b/w Country Fair?

JeffRetro, I like your alternate Light Album. Here's another:

1. Good Timin'
2. Lady Lynda
3. Love Surrounds Me
4. Angel Come Home
5. Shortenin' Bread

1. Here Comes The Night (a four minute version, tops!)
2. Lookin' Down The Coast
3. Santa Ana Winds
4. It's Not Too Late
5. Baby Blue
6. It's A Beautiful Day

This is a good alternate, though I miss not having "Full Sail" and "Sumahama."  I know there are people that dsepise those songs, but i do actually like them.

And if HCTN is on the album, the 4:28 single mix is the one to use.  The shorter 3:18 DJ Resrvice 7" edit is too chopped up and doesn't flow nearly as well.  And I like "Baby Blue" as the penultimate track followed by an upbeat song (either "Shortenin' Bread" or "It's A Beautiful Day"); it seems to have a good flow to it - a solemn, serious song followed by a kicker to end the album.

I'm not sure how rare "Don't Go Near The Water"/"Student Demonstation Time" is.  It's a UK issue that didn't chart, but there is a vendor on musicstack selling an EX copy for $8.00.

And "Ten Little Indian" is reasonably common though not as much as the BB's other singles from that time - there's a couple on ebay right now, with a VG+ copy ending in 4 hours (and still at $1 right now).  Now if you want the picture sleeve, that IS rarer and more expensive, but it turns up quite often on ebay too.

[Smilin Ed H]

I'll bite.

1.  California Feelin'
2.  Lookin' Down the Coast/Song of the Whale
3.  Don't Fight the Sea
4.  Santa Ana Winds
5.  Full Sail
6.  It's a Beautiful Day

1.  Good Timin
2.  Love Surrounds Me
3.  Baby Blue
4.  Sumahama
5.  Angel Come Home
6.  Country Pie

[The infamous Baldwin Organ]

I'll bite.

1.  California Feelin'
2.  Lookin' Down the Coast/Song of the Whale
3.  Don't Fight the Sea
4.  Santa Ana Winds
5.  Full Sail
6.  It's a Beautiful Day

1.  Good Timin
2.  Love Surrounds Me
3.  Baby Blue
4.  Sumahama
5.  Angel Come Home
6.  Country Pie

Yes, yes, and yes!

They had so many good tracks in that period that were just left unused. Country Pie needs to be reissued too.

[MBE]

Come on guys we got gotta have Drip Drop on there.

[punkinhead]

ahh, putting It's Not Too Late on LA has been a dream of mine...great vocals by Dennis and Carl, just like Baby Blue

[Jason]

Dream LA lineups? I'll bite too...

Side A

1. Good Timin'
2. Lady Lynda
3. Full Sail
4. Santa Ana Winds
5. Looking Down The Coast/Monterey (Song Of The Whale)
6. Love Surrounds Me

Side B

1. It's A Beautiful Day
2. It's Not Too Late
3. Sumahama
4. Angel Come Home
5. Baby Blue
6. California Feelin'

[Andrew G. Doe]

Small problem with including "IABD" on L.A.: permit me to illustrate...

3/16/79 - L.A. released

6/15/79 - "IABD" session
6/17/79 - "IABD" session.

 

[Smilin Ed H]

"Not a bad summer is fun kinda song.  Not great either.  Having said that, if it had been recorded  earlier, I can think of a track or two on LA that could be replaced by it!"

We're just having some fun, fun, fun in Beach Boys fantasy land. 

[Smilin Ed H]

Reading all that Lady Lynda stuff, I may have to rejig this and make it seven tracks a side!

1.  California Feelin'
2.  Lookin' Down the Coast/Song of the Whale
3.  Don't Fight the Sea
4.  Santa Ana Winds
5.  Full Sail
6.  Sumahama
7.  It's a Beautiful Day

1.  Good Timin
2.  Lady Lynda
3.  Love Surrounds Me
4.  Baby Blue
5.  It's Not Too Late
6.  Angel Come Home
7.  Country Pie

Heavy on the  Dennis and Al contributions - now there's a strange axis, especially considering the time.