The Big Beat 1963

[CJS]

bgas:

is that the usual sound quality for an acetate?  I don't think I've ever heard one!..  CJ

[Andrew G. Doe]

Acetate sound quality depends on how often it's been played. After 20-25, maybe 30 spins, you're pretty much hearing nothing but surface noise. For comparison, "Teeter-Totter Love" on the Smile box is also sourced from an acetate, the difference being I don't think Jasper played his copy too much.

[Jim Murphy]

Hi CJS

Let me speak, if I might for just a moment, for my "Smiley-Faced" challenged friend  . . . it is the roughest sounding track as it was taken from the acetate made May 9, 1963, and stored, rather lovingly, all these years by Vickie Kocher Hale, the Vickie in Bob & Vickie.  See the excellent interview with Vickie by Lee Dempsey in an earlier issue of ESQ.

[LeeDempsey]

And CJS, your answer can be found by clicking the link in page 1, post 1:
http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-s-the-big-beat-1963

[runnersdialzero]

Is this being released in lossless anywhere?

[bgas]

And CJS, your answer can be found by clicking the link in page 1, post 1:
http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-s-the-big-beat-1963

Yeah, that's something , isn't it?  You check back, see where the thread started, READ, and VOILA!  

[Jim Murphy]

Now Chris, if you're not careful and don't start using a few  , at least sparingly, now and then, people are going to confuse you with that legendary curmudgeon . . . .

On a serious note, I'm really enjoying THE BIG BEAT, neat little early Christmas present, so once again, thanks to Alan Boyd, Mark Linett, Lee Dempsey, David Beard, Vickie Kocher Hale, Bob Hanes, Derek Bill, and the Hawthorne Hotshots.

Vinyl seven or twelve-inch for Record Store Day April 2014?  Probably won't happen, but what's life without dreamin' . . . 

[bgas]

Vinyl seven or twelve-inch for Record Store Day April 2014?  Probably won't happen, but what's life without dreamin' . . . 

You didn't get the promo vinyl??

[CJS]

All the above... thanks for the info on acetates...   enjoying this release immensely.....
CJ

[PhilCohen]

I'm enjoying the new collection. With the exception of "The Summer Moon", the sound quality ranges from acceptable to excellent. In this collection, we discover the real reason why the instrumental tracks for The Beach Boys' versions of "Our Car Club" & "The Surfer Moon" were played entirely by sessionmen: The backing tracks were originally intended for other artists. Brian obviously needed songs to fill the "Surfer Girl" album, and these instrumental tracks were re-worked into Beach Boys recordings.(Yes, I know that Brian did all of the voices on "The Surfer Moon"). Before the attack dogs on this forum have another go at me, I'm not inferring that the two songs are filler, but merely that the two songs gave Brian the amount of songs needed to complete the "Surfer Girl" album.

[Mikie]

Has it already been established that the version of Surfer Moon on this download is inferior to the version on Youtube?  Sounds like a lot more acetate surface noise on the download. Or maybe it's my source? All of the rest of the tracks are OK.

[LeeDempsey]

I'm enjoying the new collection. With the exception of "The Summer Moon", the sound quality ranges from acceptable to excellent. In this collection, we discover the real reason why the instrumental tracks for The Beach Boys' versions of "Our Car Club" & "The Surfer Moon" were played entirely by sessionmen: The backing tracks were originally intended for other artists. Brian obviously needed songs to fill the "Surfer Girl" album, and these instrumental tracks were re-worked into Beach Boys recordings.(Yes, I know that Brian did all of the voices on "The Surfer Moon"). Before the attack dogs on this forum have another go at me, I'm not inferring that the two songs are filler, but merely that the two songs gave Brian the amount of songs needed to complete the "Surfer Girl" album.

Good observations Phil.  Some more info on those two songs:

1) Both sessions were subsidized by Aldon Music (aka Nevins-Kirshner).  The AFM sheet for "The Summer Moon" lists NEVINS-KIRSHNER at the top, and my "Rabbit's Foot" acetate says ALDON MUSIC on it.  The thing connecting Aldon to Brian?  Lou Adler.  Lou was in charge of west coast operations for Aldon.  According to this article http://www.history-of-rock.com/kirshner.htm, on April 12, 1963 Kirshner sold Aldon to Screen Gems-Columbia, with Kirshner, Nevins, and Adler becoming employees of Colpix at that time. Coincidentally, I also have a Bell Sound acetate of "Gonna Hustle You" (Jan and Dean version) that was given to the late Jeff Deutch by Don Kirshner!  On the label the title is written as "When Summer Comes."

2) Victoria Hale says that she was offered "Rabbit's Foot" as an option to record, but as Jim Murphy pointed out she chose "The Summer Moon."

Go back and take a look at the multi-page rambling letter from Murry to Brian that surfaced in the Hard Rock collection (pretty sure there's a thread on this board with scans of the whole thing).  One of Murry's rants is about "Lew Adler" [sic] and "Alden" [sic] trying to steal his songs.

Lee

[LeeDempsey]

Has it already been established that the version of Surfer Moon on this download is inferior to the version on Youtube?  Sounds like a lot more acetate surface noise on the download. Or maybe it's my source? All of the rest of the tracks are OK.

Mikie,

The cassette tape that Victoria used to post her YouTube clip actually was made over 20 years ago.  She played the acetate a bunch of times after that -- basically wearing it out.  I suppose Mark could have used the cassette as the source, but a 20 year-old cassette would have had its own issues.

The acetate has two sides, with different vocal takes on each side.  Mark literally arranged for a Victoria to carry the acetate to a transfer house on Thursday, and the master was due by end of day Friday.  I think with a little more time he may have been able to stitch a version together using both sides -- unless the other side is in worse shape.


Lee

[Jay]

I'd love to hear these Beach Boys and Beatles sets, but I refuse to use itunes. I guess I'm to "old school" for all of the "digital only"  releases.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm enjoying the new collection. With the exception of "The Summer Moon", the sound quality ranges from acceptable to excellent. In this collection, we discover the real reason why the instrumental tracks for The Beach Boys' versions of "Our Car Club" & "The Surfer Moon" were played entirely by sessionmen: The backing tracks were originally intended for other artists.

Think you'll find that's been common knowledge in the BB fan world for many years.

[PhilCohen]

I'd love to hear these Beach Boys and Beatles sets, but I refuse to use itunes. I guess I'm to "old school" for all of the "digital only"  releases.

While The Beatles set is exclusive to iTunes, The Beach Boys set is exclusive to Amazon.com

[Ebb and Flow]

I'd love to hear these Beach Boys and Beatles sets, but I refuse to use itunes. I guess I'm to "old school" for all of the "digital only"  releases.

While The Beatles set is exclusive to iTunes, The Beach Boys set is exclusive to Amazon.com

The Big Beat is on iTunes as well

[Freddie French-Pounce]

Anyluck for the British in us other than a Poxy Proxy?

[STE]

Well, they didn't want me to buy it so I didn't buy it..   but good collection!

[The Shift]

Well, they didn't want me to buy it so I didn't buy it..   but good collection!

Same here – what a terrific collection… If it's made available legit in the UK, I'll still shell out for it.

[Smilin Ed H]

I want to buy it, but can't. Of course, it's not made available in the UK and I get the chance of an illegal download, so be it. They've shot themselves in the foot. Again.

[c-man]

I'm enjoying the new collection. With the exception of "The Summer Moon", the sound quality ranges from acceptable to excellent. In this collection, we discover the real reason why the instrumental tracks for The Beach Boys' versions of "Our Car Club" & "The Surfer Moon" were played entirely by sessionmen: The backing tracks were originally intended for other artists.

Think you'll find that's been common knowledge in the BB fan world for many years.

According to Dave, Hal Blaine joined The Beach Boys in the studio to record "Our Car Club" ("Rabbit's Foot" at the time), meaning he and Carl played the guitars on the track.

[Alan Smith]

Is this being released in lossless anywhere?

Unknown,
at this stage,
of proceedings

[Alan Smith]

I'd love to hear these Beach Boys and Beatles sets, but I refuse to use itunes. I guess I'm to "old school" for all of the "digital only"  releases.

You go!, Girl!

I totally agree with your stance - iTunes (especially) blows.

[LeeDempsey]

I'm enjoying the new collection. With the exception of "The Summer Moon", the sound quality ranges from acceptable to excellent. In this collection, we discover the real reason why the instrumental tracks for The Beach Boys' versions of "Our Car Club" & "The Surfer Moon" were played entirely by sessionmen: The backing tracks were originally intended for other artists.

Think you'll find that's been common knowledge in the BB fan world for many years.

According to Dave, Hal Blaine joined The Beach Boys in the studio to record "Our Car Club" ("Rabbit's Foot" at the time), meaning he and Carl played the guitars on the track.

I forgot about that Craig -- you're right; Hal -- and Steve Douglas -- supplemented the guys on that session.

I just had a "Eureka" moment -- Mark Linett told me that the Gold Star tracking session tape for "Rabbit's Foot" is missing -- all they have is the mono mixdown of the track on the vocal tape.  If Aldon Music paid for the tracking session, then Aldon would have owned the tape from the tracking session.  Makes you wonder if it's in the Columbia / Screen Gems vault -- or in Lou's archives.  Or (most likely) thrown away.

Lee