The Smiley Smile Message Board

This is very obviously from the Landy era but it was professionally produced and looks like it was released commercially yet I can't find any information about it or where I can see the whole thing.  It's called The Spirit of Rock and Roll hosted by Cousin Brucie celebrating 60s music in the cheesiest way possible and in a way that's grossly nostalgic.  Brian's song of the same name which was ultimately never released as a record officially (though of course he re-recorded it years later for some charity album) is used as the program's theme song and featured are four rare live performances from Brian (there were clearly more performances from other artists but they are edited out by the YouTube user).  It is truly bizarre and dated (there's even a keytar player in the band).  On a couple of songs, Brian is backed by some overenthusiatic dancing girls in skimpy clothing who look like they've never taken a dance class in their lives.  Was that meant to be sexy?  Truly cringe-worthy.  Brian sings nicely but overall, he looks extremely uncomfortable and his performance is sometimes painfully awkward, particularly on California Girls where he channels his inner Mike Love.  No wonder he sits for most of his concerts nowadays.  Also bizarre is God Only Knows where the original Beach Boys harmonies are eerily tacked on at the end.  But the most interesting part is the solo performance of Surfer Girl which I think is amazing considering it's a song that's almost always sung with a group yet the audience clapping along almost ruins it.  I'm sure some of you have seen it and a few of you might even yell at me for bringing up something that's already been brought up but I did my research and I got nothing.  It's definitely worth checking out for the rare performances, painfully cheesy as they may be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdYb3MaJ4K8

I like this..thanks for the heads-up on this.  8)

Songs From Here & Back wasn't a charity album.... was it?

Funniest line so far, "The other Beach Boys aren't here, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS!"

Neil Sedaka acts just like his songs sound. He's Bruce times a million.

No, it was a regular ol' commercial release, but was only available in Hallmark stores around Father's Day 2006.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Man, I was really into that album when it came out. Listened to it on repeat in my PT Cruiser.

The video was the pilot for a late eighties/early nineties project that never got picked up. I think David Leaf was involved

Half way down the page.

http://www.gpaent.com/produced_credits

SPIRIT OF ROCK 'N' ROLL - Six one-hour music specials celebrating rock 'n' roll of the 1950's and 1960's.  Hosted by legendary radio personality Cousin Brucie, live performances include Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion, Neil Sedaka, Martha Reeves, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and many more. Produced in association with Jimmy Osmond.

Is the new version of TSORAR floating around online anywhere? Youtube or anything (I don't want to break any rules around here)? I've never heard it, but it intrigues me so much.

http://grooveshark.com/s/The+Spirit+Of+Rock+and+Roll/25vqCN?src=5

Great find!  I have never seen this, or even heard of it!

Brian seems relatively comfortable dancing around on stage without an instrument during "California Girls", but WOW those pants! They're almost up to his armpits!

Does anyone know anything about the band?  I don't recognize anybody...

'House band' listed at 18.25. Don't know anyone listed.

This is very very very sad. This is all the worst things about the era all wrapped up in one.

That explains why it was filmed in Utah.

I remember reading a comment when "smart girls" went public, it said "this is the guy who created Pet Sounds"

I tend to think that when I see videos like this  :-\

I have to be honest, Brian looked and sounded good in that video. Musically and in the interviews! If you were channel surfing in 1991, you'd see a lot worse than what went down in Utah on that video. *cough* Arsenio Hall *cough*

I think I remember reading somewhere this was overdubbed or lip-synced.

1991 - maybe they wanted to be as hip and current as Milli Vanilli. Or Technotronic featuring Felly. :)

Most of these concerts, most televised concerts period, are fixed and edited in post-production, it's not exclusive to Brian.

david sent me a vhs tape of this around 1991 or so. somewhere in that time period.

i've never liked TSORAR, awful lyrics, poor melody.

The audience co-ordinator was Cindy Wankier. I think that says it all...

If Utah didn't already... ;D


(just joking!)

For some reason, the bolded sentence really cracked me up.

She should never move to the UK.

I recognized Michard Bernard playing his strapped on Keyboard in Brian's band.  Interesting to note that 3 out of 4 songs on this show was performed by Brian at the 1990 ESQ BB Convention in San Diego and Brian had similar hand  gesture and dance moves at the convention for The Spirit of Rock and Roll.

It's a treat when you find a video of a televised BB performance on Youtube that they didn't lip sync in.

Not always the case though...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOZ5dEiZYCo

yep, Michael Bernard. Also seen in the same role in Brian's concert clips from the Endless Summer TV series from 1989.  Played various instruments on the 1988 solo album. 

I know! Isn't he great?  If you've never seen it, watch his Scopotone video for "Calendar Girl".  What has been seen cannot be unseen. 

Did Brian leave the stage for the "Barbara Ann" encore with the Full House people? I would not blame him for even a split second because goshdarn... I'm just not sure.

Pardon my ignorance (I'm British), but who's the weirdo with the shades and black cap?  Kinda looks like Peter Sellers!

"Ringo was just ADORABLE on drums"  ::)

We need a seperate thread just for the Full House clip.  Holy crap....

Observations:  
- Mike's pants!!  
- Joey's sweater
- Bruce caught adjusting his mic, what is it with him, it's like a compulsion
- Stamos and his guitar solo with his unplugged guitar
- an audible Brian on Kokomo
- I can't believe Carl let himself be roped into these appearances
- I would be sad if I weren't laughing so hard :lol

Brian on "Kokomo" is LOL big time. He's so loud and screeching and clearly doesn't even know the words. Hilarious.

If you haven't read it, here's a hilarious blog that is reviewing every single episode of "Full House." He writes a new one every friday. Very, very funny stuff. A bit salty on the language, if that kind of thing offends you. Here's the one on the Beach Boy's episode:
http://www.fullhousereviewed.com/2010/09/24/season-2-episode-5-beach-boy-bingo/

Brian on "Kokomo" is LOL big time. He's so loud and screeching and clearly doesn't even know the words. Hilarious.

If you haven't read it, here's a hilarious blog that is reviewing every single episode of "Full House." He writes a new one every friday. Very, very funny stuff. A bit salty on the language, if that kind of thing offends you. Here's the one on the Beach Boy's episode:
http://www.fullhousereviewed.com/2010/09/24/season-2-episode-5-beach-boy-bingo/
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This blog is more brilliant than Pet Sounds and Smile combined.  Thank you so much, i'm laughing my a$$ off!!  What an idiotic show, although I will confess I was a fan when it aired, though I was like 10, is that even an excuse?  So did these appearances really help their career? 

laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame

What's lame?

It takes a sophisticated sense of humor to appreciate http://www.fullhousereviewed.com/

Love it!

Back to the original video.  Here's a few interesting observations:

1.  Brian messes up the words at the beginning of "God Only Knows" and ends up singing "God may not always love you"

2.  Check out the background singers at the end of God Only Knows.  They appear to be singing the "Bop bop bop" parts that were left out of the original recording.

3.  Surfer Girl: the piano is detuned like the piano in Brian's house. 

What does that guy put in Mike's pocket?

And of course this was released back in 1995 on the Vigotone CD - Brian Wilson, 21 Little Ones.

If I recall correctly from seeing this episode all those years ago, it's a demo tape for an advertisement jingle.  It's been quite some time so I may be off, but it's a demo of some kind.

So, people were criticizing Mike for including dancing girls in Beach Boys show around the same time this "Spirit of RR" pilot was produced. Yet Brian had his own dancing girls.  Hmm. 

Skip to 7:30 and listen to God Only Knows.  Then watch Surfer Girl, which is just Brian with his piano.  Overdubbed or not, they're both sweet and wonderful.

That's the singer Dion ("Runaround Sue," "The Wanderer," "Abraham, Martin and John").