The Smiley Smile Message Board

Somewhere around 17.5k units is what I heard. I'm not sure what Capitol was expecting, but I think that's a good start!

The Beach Boys comeback begins....

that's pretty good

No, it's not what Capitol were expecting. It's WAY BEYOND what they projected.  ;D

what did they project

Substantially less than 17,500.

Its endless summer all over again!!!!!!!!!!! :pirate

can't wait for the stereo mix then  :listening

Is this just sales for the big nine disk set? How's the regular 2 disk set doing saleswise?

I think it's probably everything lumped together -- digital, two-disc, nine-disc.

Now you can say this..."Smile charted higher than Surfin' Safari, Smiley Smile, Friends, 20/20, Sunflower, Surf's Up, Carl & the Passions, Holland, Love You, MIU, L.A. Light, Keepin' The Summer Alive, and BB's '85."

Jon:  I'll be at the local watering hole tonight.  I'll try that line on the first babe I encounter.  Wish me luck!

Follow it up with a little "Hey baby...did ya know that Al Jardine was born in Ohio?" That one always works for me.

Reminds me of the time, years ago, in a bar.  I told a woman I owned a copy of the Beach Boys Deluxe Set--near mint.  She said, "But is it mono?"  End of attempt.

And in 2011!!!!

I usually look them deep in their eyes and say "That's Brian playing the harmonica on 'Susie Cincinnati'".

There's definitely a critical turnaround in the US regarding the Beach Boys that has built up here since the 1990s. If Smile had been released in the 70s or 80s, there's no way it would have charted (almost) as well in the US as the UK.

I should clarify. I think all of the SMiLE configurations were dumped into one number.  Still, here it is:

SMILE SESSIONS
CAP
2011-11-01

TW
17,183

YTD
17,567

This is BLOODY brilliant!

We did it, boys!

Excellent outcome. I would hope it inspires everyone concerned -- Brian, boys, record company. Let's get the music out while we can enjoy it!

Bet Brian will be happy with the sales of SMiLE and billboard ranking. :)

Not to take a shot at Bruce, whose work I respect, but he was quoted decades ago in David Leaf's book as saying, "I think the Smile album would have done worse than Smiley Smile."   

Guess not.  ;D

In fairness, though, it's not 1967 and we'll never know what might have happened back in the day. Nonetheless, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  And Smile IS selling.  Huge congratulations to Brian, the Beach Boys, Van Dyke, Messrs Linett & Boyd and all the folks at Capitol.

Too bad Capitol didn't push a little harder, though.  If the 2CD had been in the Sunday circulars for Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart, it might have cracked the top 20.

I think Bruce was talking sales, not positions... and my guess is that Smiley Smile sold more than 17,500 to make #41 in 1967.

These always seem to work-

         If this is a meat market, you must be prime rib.

         Why don't we go behind a rock and get a little bolder?

        Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?

Also, Bruce is saying some VERY nice things about SMiLE on the YouTube series.  Very nice, indeedy.

http://www.billboard.com/column/chartbeat/weekly-chart-notes-mariah-carey-beach-boys-1005511572.story#/column/chartbeat/weekly-chart-notes-mariah-carey-beach-boys-1005511572.story?page=2

Summery sounds? 

Oh, well.  Interesting about this making three recent Top 40 albums... first such streak since 1975-76. 

Corrct me if I'm wrong but that makes the Beach Boys having at least one top 30 chartplacing in every decade since they were formed about 50 years ago, right ? That's pretty impressive. Don't know how many other bands can claim that


EDIT:
ok, I'm not sure about the 90s. What did Fun Fun Fun with Status Quo chart at ?

I'm actually really happy with the sales, worldwide, it's a load off..

That said, I can't quite shake the feeling it could have been ever bigger if The Beach Boys were signed to a label that knows how to promote an album..

I can't get over the fact SMiLE was nowhere to be seen on the front page of itunes during the week of it's release, a friging U2 re-release is plastered all over but SMiLE couldn't even get a slight mention, not even in the new releases section, It's just a shame. Capitol did a great job with the box and getting the album out but they don't have clue when it comes to getting the word out. Even on facebook they spent all their time flogging the ridiculously overpriced special editions as opposed to just giving an amazon or itunes link to pre-order.

You have to understand 750,000 of the 800 or so thousand people on the BB facebook page have no clue what SMiLE is, you should have seen the comments, "I can't afford the album it's 800 bucks". It was shameless

Nirvana, Pink Floyd, U2 all got huge promotional campaigns, shame TBB didn't

Still sold great regardless, and I'm sitting here listening to the album, that's all that matters

The album could have gone even higher if stores actually carried the thing. I couldn't find it in any FYE or Best Buy in my town. Barnes & Noble had 1 copy of the 2 discs version (but at $35 I doubt it will sell!).

No in store display, or even a prominence in the "new releases" rack. Nothing.

My local Walmart had 4 copies of "Key of Disney", though, which was nice.

Unreal

Considering the only entity that seems to be promoting SMiLE is Brian himself, I think #27 is a very nice result.

I think the writer didn't know about Summer Love Songs...that didn't reach the top 40...

In this day and age, I really doubt that a lack of presence in stores is as big a problem as you'd think - relative to online merchants, physical stores are overpriced with a pretty limited selection (I still shudder to think of the days when I had to go to some crappy store like FYE to buy music).  Aside from fulfilling an immediate urge to buy a release you just read about, why would anyone choose to buy from a brick and mortar store rather than buying online?  I just don't think a bigger presence in stores would have made much of a difference.

A million units in January.

That would have been the point where I would have asked her to marry me. :-D

... or even the top 200.  :)

I show them my bootleg. Never fails.

My opening line: "Did you know there's a nearly inaudible bum bass note at 1'24" into the Purplechick SMiLE version of IIGS?"

Always got me into their beds.

nice placing on these 2 charts....


  http://www.thetop22.com/2011/11/indie-record-store-cd-and-vinyl-sales-charts-11-6-11/

At the record store here in Central New York there was a HUGE in store display with multiple Box Sets and 2-CD editions. 

Though I must say, I'm a bit disappointed with the #27 position.  BWPS debuted at #13 for a chart stay of 17 weeks, and in the UK it debuted at #7 and went gold.  What's up with that? Why didn't all the people that bought BWPS buy the actual release?! I suppose it had to do with the pricing perhaps? The two disk edition isn't cheap, and I haven't seen any single disk editions...

it's at #93 this week in billboard

just look at it this way. everyone's waiting for Smile to come out.

2004: It's finally here! YAY!
2011: Just kidding, now it's finally here. yay.

Also, people bought a lot more CDs in 2004 than they do now. You couldn't find full albums on the internet for free anywhere near as easily as you can in 2011.

I suppose that makes sense, but if you're someone who was interested in Brian's project in 2004, I would think you would want to actually purchase at least the 2-disk edition.  Anyone who bought that album in 2004 I would assume would be a pretty die-hard Beach Boys fan.