Someone actually wrote an article about "Summer in Paradise"!

[KDS]

Even though it's still, by a long shot, my least favorite BB album, I listened to it earlier in the summer, and it's not as horrible as I remember.

The cover of Hot Fun is pretty decent.  I like the title track.   And I even like the Stamos sung version of Forever (before I get accused of blasphemy, I still much prefer the Dennis Sunflower version, but I like this version, and it's easily the best produced track on the album IMO).  

The SIP version of Surfin, the cover of Remember Walkin in the Sand, and of course the worst BB song of them all Summer of Love, are still god awful.  

Worst BB album?  Yeah (although KTSA gives it a run).  Worst album by a great artist?   Eh, mayyyyybe.  Although, I'd rather spin this than Queen's Hot Space, Metallica's St. Anger, or Van Halen III.  Worst album of all time?  Not while Five Finger Death Punch, Nickleback, and Iggy Azalea walk the earth.  

[jeffh]

I know I'm going to be tarred and feathered , but I'd rather listen to "Summer In Paridise " than the "Love You " album. ( at least give me credit for being brave enough to say so. )

[SMiLE Brian]

SIP is an unintentional collectors item!

[CenturyDeprived]

What's the source of the info about Summer of Love originally being a Bart Simpson/ Mike Love duet? It's perhaps the most hilarious tidbit of info about any song in the entire catalog, but we seemingly know zero about the origin of this story, which *almost* makes me think it's a made-up urban legend. I just want proof!

I want it to be true, and I want to know details! Did creators of The Simpsons approach Mike? Or (more likely) did Mike send a letter to someone working on a soundtrack of Simpsons songs, begging to collaborate with the then-hot Bart?

Maybe former Simpsons writer Conan O'Brien knows the answer?

With Carl wearing dark sunglasses in the Problem Child video (which some people theorize may have been because he was embarrassed), I feel like maybe he'd have taken to wearing a bag over his head for  Mike Love / Bart Simpson collaboration music video  

[KDS]

I know I'm going to be tarred and feathered , but I'd rather listen to "Summer In Paridise " than the "Love You " album. ( at least give me credit for being brave enough to say so. )

I'll give you credit for saying it. 

Love You is definitely is the BB bottom five for me. 

[urbanite]

SIP is a tragedy because they had the fan upsurge from Kokomo and blew it.

[HeyJude]

"Love You" versus "SIP" is where putting one's objective critic's hat on for a moment can provide more context.

Certainly, I'd rather listen to "Strange Things Happen" than, say, "Mona." But I think the problem with SIP, beyond some functional things (e.g. AWFUL early 90s production values; easily worse than even BB '85), is that it's rather vapid and soulless.

"Love You" can be a challenging listen; Brian's voice is rough, the production values are sparse and weird. But it's by any definition a much more personal, truer artistic statement. It's Brian's soul on a record. Plus, most of the core compositions (pretty much everything but "Mona") still better the core compositions on SIP. Brian's 1976 piano demos show this as well.

"SIP" is largely Terry Melcher and Mike Love with some drum machines and a Beta version of ProTools trying to crank out "Kokomo" clones and derivations. They stumbled into a couple of moderately catchy songs, saved by Carl's and Al's vocals. And even those have rather dire, factory conveyer belt lyrics.

[KDS]

What's the source of the info about Summer of Love originally being a Bart Simpson/ Mike Love duet? It's perhaps the most hilarious tidbit of info about any song in the entire catalog, but we seemingly know zero about the origin of this story, which *almost* makes me think it's a made-up urban legend. I just want proof!

I want it to be true, and I want to know details! Did creators of The Simpsons approach Mike? Or (more likely) did Mike send a letter to someone working on a soundtrack of Simpsons songs, begging to collaborate with the then-hot Bart?

Maybe former Simpsons writer Conan O'Brien knows the answer?

With Carl wearing dark sunglasses in the Problem Child video (which some people theorize may have been because he was embarrassed), I feel like maybe he'd have taken to wearing a bag over his head for  Mike Love / Bart Simpson collaboration music video  

I read that in the Complete Guide to the Music of The Beach Boys by Andrew G. Doe. 

[CenturyDeprived]

What's the source of the info about Summer of Love originally being a Bart Simpson/ Mike Love duet? It's perhaps the most hilarious tidbit of info about any song in the entire catalog, but we seemingly know zero about the origin of this story, which *almost* makes me think it's a made-up urban legend. I just want proof!

I want it to be true, and I want to know details! Did creators of The Simpsons approach Mike? Or (more likely) did Mike send a letter to someone working on a soundtrack of Simpsons songs, begging to collaborate with the then-hot Bart?

Maybe former Simpsons writer Conan O'Brien knows the answer?

With Carl wearing dark sunglasses in the Problem Child video (which some people theorize may have been because he was embarrassed), I feel like maybe he'd have taken to wearing a bag over his head for  Mike Love / Bart Simpson collaboration music video  

I read that in the Complete Guide to the Music of The Beach Boys by Andrew G. Doe. 

Interesting. Maybe AGD knows the source of this info. It had to originate somewhere, right?

[CenturyDeprived]

How lucky are we that Al was reinstated to be on this album? Just imagine - if Al hadn't added his (excellent, but too few) vocal contributions to this album, SIP could have been *even worse*. I think most people would say that the album's few high points are largely due to Al (and Carl's) presence. Take some of those away? Yikes.

Past, say, Holland, is there really a BB album that would have *really* suffered if Mike had been kicked out for having an attitude problem of his own? I can appreciate a good Mike vocal as much as the next guy, but it's perhaps something the band should have tried a time or two. By and large, and certainly post 1970-ish, the band has always been best when Mike has as little political power as possible.

[KDS]

How lucky are we that Al was reinstated to be on this album? Just imagine - if Al hadn't added his (excellent, but too few) vocal contributions to this album, SIP could have been *even worse*. I think most people would say that the album's few high points are largely due to Al (and Carl's) presence. Take some of those away? Yikes.

Past, say, Holland, is there really a BB album that would have *really* suffered if Mike had been kicked out for having an attitude problem of his own? I can appreciate a good Mike vocal as much as the next guy, but it's perhaps something the band should have tried a time or two. By and large, and certainly post 1970-ish, the band has always been best when Mike has as little political power as possible.

Well, personally, I wouldn't want to not have It's OK, Kona Coast, Sumahama, Getcha Back, Still Cruisin, Kokomo, Somewhere Near Japan, Daybreak Over the Ocean, and Beaches in Mind in the catalog. 

[Lee Marshall]

I'm thinking a sealed copy is the best way to experience SIP, in any case. ;-)

Now THAT is funny.  I, though, have an unsealed copy.  Who have the other 999?  There are just a couple of 1/2 way decent moments on the l.p. but not many.  It really is a "turd".   Surfin' is gawd awful...not that it ever was a great song but on SiP...it hits the basement of the outhouse...ker-S P L A T   Hot Fun in the Summertime?  They [Mike] should be entirely ashamed.  Not even Carl's contribution could save it.  And Forever?    Never.

It's pretty much a turkey farm.  To play it twice through would be to suggest deafness or that lack of 'taste' is a serious issue for the owner.

I don't give Mike credit for much these days but here goes... ... ...Mike-Eddy... ... ...THANK YOU for never doing THAT again.  Even you, I guess, figured out that THAT kind of a horror show specifically could NOT be allowed to happen twice.  Man... ... ...you proved beyond any shadow of doubt that since the very early 70s, at the latest, you pretty much SUCK as a lead singer
-------------------------------------------------------------------

By the way...how special is it that Mike-Eddy added his name to the list of folks who wrote the classic mega-hit Under the Boardwalk...the Drifters' contribution helping to rightfully add the song to the American Songbook lists so that folks could enjoy it forever?  That he felt it necessary to 'improve' it was most 'impressive'.    THAT took some balls.

[CenturyDeprived]

How lucky are we that Al was reinstated to be on this album? Just imagine - if Al hadn't added his (excellent, but too few) vocal contributions to this album, SIP could have been *even worse*. I think most people would say that the album's few high points are largely due to Al (and Carl's) presence. Take some of those away? Yikes.

Past, say, Holland, is there really a BB album that would have *really* suffered if Mike had been kicked out for having an attitude problem of his own? I can appreciate a good Mike vocal as much as the next guy, but it's perhaps something the band should have tried a time or two. By and large, and certainly post 1970-ish, the band has always been best when Mike has as little political power as possible.

Well, personally, I wouldn't want to not have It's OK, Kona Coast, Sumahama, Getcha Back, Still Cruisin, Kokomo, Somewhere Near Japan, Daybreak Over the Ocean, and Beaches in Mind in the catalog. 

I can dig those songs too, or at least some of them. I could totally take or leave Kona Coast, Sumahama, Daybreak Over the Ocean, and Beaches in Mind. I'm just saying that if the better ones were missing, it wouldn't exactly be to those albums' detriment, as say Al + Carl's absence would have been to SIP.

[KDS]

How lucky are we that Al was reinstated to be on this album? Just imagine - if Al hadn't added his (excellent, but too few) vocal contributions to this album, SIP could have been *even worse*. I think most people would say that the album's few high points are largely due to Al (and Carl's) presence. Take some of those away? Yikes.

Past, say, Holland, is there really a BB album that would have *really* suffered if Mike had been kicked out for having an attitude problem of his own? I can appreciate a good Mike vocal as much as the next guy, but it's perhaps something the band should have tried a time or two. By and large, and certainly post 1970-ish, the band has always been best when Mike has as little political power as possible.

Well, personally, I wouldn't want to not have It's OK, Kona Coast, Sumahama, Getcha Back, Still Cruisin, Kokomo, Somewhere Near Japan, Daybreak Over the Ocean, and Beaches in Mind in the catalog. 

I can dig those songs too, or at least some of them. I could totally take or leave Kona Coast, Sumahama, Daybreak Over the Ocean, and Beaches in Mind. I'm just saying that if the better ones were missing, it wouldn't exactly be to those albums' detriment, as say Al + Carl's absence would have been to SIP.

To a certain point, I agree.  But IMO, BB85 would suffer without Getcha Back.  It's OK is one of the highlights of 15 Big Ones (one of the few really).  And, personally, Sumahama is one of my favorite songs from LA. 

[CenturyDeprived]

How lucky are we that Al was reinstated to be on this album? Just imagine - if Al hadn't added his (excellent, but too few) vocal contributions to this album, SIP could have been *even worse*. I think most people would say that the album's few high points are largely due to Al (and Carl's) presence. Take some of those away? Yikes.

Past, say, Holland, is there really a BB album that would have *really* suffered if Mike had been kicked out for having an attitude problem of his own? I can appreciate a good Mike vocal as much as the next guy, but it's perhaps something the band should have tried a time or two. By and large, and certainly post 1970-ish, the band has always been best when Mike has as little political power as possible.

Well, personally, I wouldn't want to not have It's OK, Kona Coast, Sumahama, Getcha Back, Still Cruisin, Kokomo, Somewhere Near Japan, Daybreak Over the Ocean, and Beaches in Mind in the catalog. 

I can dig those songs too, or at least some of them. I could totally take or leave Kona Coast, Sumahama, Daybreak Over the Ocean, and Beaches in Mind. I'm just saying that if the better ones were missing, it wouldn't exactly be to those albums' detriment, as say Al + Carl's absence would have been to SIP.

To a certain point, I agree.  But IMO, BB85 would suffer without Getcha Back.  It's OK is one of the highlights of 15 Big Ones (one of the few really).  And, personally, Sumahama is one of my favorite songs from LA. 

I dig Getcha Back too. I want to know the full story behind that it was originally intended to be a Dennis lead vocal. Obviously must mean it was written in '83 or earlier.

I still stand behind my statement that if Al was gonna get sidelined for an attitude problem, Mike should have too at some point. Although I guess one might say that the amount of input on TWGMTR by Mike (still certainly not an insignificant amount) might actually be an example of that.

[HeyJude]

A funny sketchy memory I have about "It's OK" is that there was a podcast as I recall for the 2007 "Warmth of the Sun" compilation, and someone familiar with the interviews explained, in response to questions about why Al didn't have anything to say about the song during a specific episode, that he seemed to flatly decline to comment on the song.

I came away with the impression that Al was not a big fan of the song. But perhaps it was for other reasons (band politics, issues with Mike, etc.).

It was then interesting to see Al join in on the song on the C50 tour. Although, as I've mentioned before, "It's OK" went over like a lead balloon both in person when I saw it performed on tour, and most every recording I've heard. They even inexplicably kept it in the shortened Bonnaroo setlist during that tour, in front of a young audience that cheered more for "Heroes and Villains" than any other song!

[KDS]

A funny sketchy memory I have about "It's OK" is that there was a podcast as I recall for the 2007 "Warmth of the Sun" compilation, and someone familiar with the interviews explained, in response to questions about why Al didn't have anything to say about the song during a specific episode, that he seemed to flatly decline to comment on the song.

I came away with the impression that Al was not a big fan of the song. But perhaps it was for other reasons (band politics, issues with Mike, etc.).

It was then interesting to see Al join in on the song on the C50 tour. Although, as I've mentioned before, "It's OK" went over like a lead balloon both in person when I saw it performed on tour, and most every recording I've heard. They even inexplicably kept it in the shortened Bonnaroo setlist during that tour, in front of a young audience that cheered more for "Heroes and Villains" than any other song!

I don't think Al was too keen on basically doing a 70s version of Do It Again. 

[HeyJude]

Not to stray off the SIP topic, but another problem with the C50 arrangement of "It's OK" is that they sucked even more life out of it by dropping the key and changing the drum pattern to a more "Be My Baby" sort of pattern with the snare on the "4" instead of the "2" and "4."

You can even hear some C50 performances where Cowsill starts playing it the "old" way before going back to the "new" way.

[Summertime Blooz]

As a big Beach Boys fan, I'm never quite sure if I should be proud or embarrassed that I've never heard this album.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

It's ironic because had I brought an investor's mindset to my sometimes hazy but lazer-focused existence as a fan in the early 90's, I would have bought up a dozen copies sealed, packed them away, and sold them on Ebay when original CD copies were selling for obscene amounts!

I'm thinking a sealed copy is the best way to experience SIP, in any case. ;-)

 

[The_Beach]

Not to stray off the SIP topic, but another problem with the C50 arrangement of "It's OK" is that they sucked even more life out of it by dropping the key and changing the drum pattern to a more "Be My Baby" sort of pattern with the snare on the "4" instead of the "2" and "4."

You can even hear some C50 performances where Cowsill starts playing it the "old" way before going back to the "new" way.

Do you know any specific concert so i can take a listen? Thanks

[KDS]

Not a C50 show, but when I saw Mike, Bruce, and David at Wolf Trap last summer, I thought It's OK sounded more like the 15BO version. 

[Lonely Summer]

SIP is a tragedy because they had the fan upsurge from Kokomo and blew it.

Well, I would think that the new fans had deserted them by 1992. Where they blew it was not coming out with an all-new album in 1989. I like the new songs on SC a lot - much more than anything on SIP. The fact that they waited 4 years after a worldwide #1 hit to do an all new album killed the momentum.

[Lee Marshall]

They didn't have enough VALID material to do an album after Kokomo.  [ unless albums were only 7 inch jobs/1 song per side that year. ]  Mike the Music Machine only has so much creativity to spare in any given time frame.  Without Brian?  They were sunk.  IF they had the tunes from Brian's initial solo effort and if they could have worked on them together...  ...  ... If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candies and nuts.

But then THAT wasn't going to happen was it?  If anything...Kokomo was a fluke...the happy coincidence of it being the right song, at the right time, in the right movie which appealed to just the right people.  It's A Beautiful Day didn't enjoy that kind of luck.  Kokomo was an out of left field stroke of good fortune never to be replicated by any contingent lead by Mike Love.  There's just not enough artistic talent there to make it happen.  There is to perform material...just not to CREATE it.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

See, the thing is,  to me a song like 'Somewhere Near Japan' was far better than Kokomo. Same thing with 'Strange Things Happen'.