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Most likely simply from the video shoot....

Al can write good songs but this one is a mildly pleasant yawner for me.  Let it be a bonus cut.  Al, write another one with Brian, please.

Nice to see Matt Jardine join them on the Public Service Announcement.   But, must they really shoot all Beach Boys performances with the lighting to look like a sunset at the beach?

Um... the only part he wrote was a new third verse lyric: all the rest is Terry Jacks.

I've always wondered how they recorded DFTS. Is everything newly recorded, except for Carl's voice? Or did they rework the vintage recording?

IIRC, it has elements from a few different decades. Brian's vocals seem to be from the late 80s.

I think the Al version was something like
Carl - 80s
Brian - 80s
Bruce - 80s
Mike - 00s
Al - 00s

How much of it was from 78/9?

We never got any definitive information on which elements of the 2010 released recordings are from the 70’s, 80’s, etc. I’d say very little from the original circa 1978 recording is there. Bobby Figueroa’s drums may be from that era, as the other confirmed era that they worked on the song (circa 1989) probably wouldn’t have had Figueroa on drums. Figueroa could have played drums much more recently, but it appears most of the “new” drums on the album are played by Steve Heger.

Mike Meros joined the touring BB’s in 1979, so I’d guess his keyboard work could be from 1979 or more likely 1989. I think Scott Matthews is listed on that track as well; I’m not sure when his contribution was made. He played some drums for the BB’s in the studio in the KTSA 1979 era, so that could be from then as well.

Carl’s vocals are definitely not from 1978/79; it sounds much more like circa late 80’s/early 90’s. I think it was around the time Al started airing samples of the song that it became apparent that another BB session had been done for the song well after 78/79. Apparently, in the “Still Cruisin’” era, they worked on the song again. It sounds like some vocals were added, including Carl’s lead parts, at that point. It also appears Al wrestled Brian away from Landy for that era of sessions, and Brian’s part is apparently from circa ’89 as well. Al’s voice has sounded so consistent, it’s hard to say when his vocals date from. But I’d guess his vocals date from the circa ’89 session as well, except for the “polar bear” verse, which was newly added in the late 00’s. I would imagine some of the Jardine sons vocals date from the recent sessions as well.

So the whole thing sounds to me like largely a late 80’s recording with a few things remaining from the late 70’s recording and a few newly-recorded elements.

Who said that they are re-recording it ? All I heard was that they are gonna shoot a video for the song and I guess the picture comes from the video sessions so the mics are just mockups. Maybe someone can tell me.

HeyJude is probably pretty close with regards to the recording timeline...although Scott Mathew's contributions are MUCH more recent (circa 2007-2010).  He actually wrote a piece for EQ Magazine detailing his work on the track (around March or April of 2010, online edition - not sure about the hard copy mag). 

The history of Al/the BBs involvement is kinda murky in terms of when & where...the title is listed on a couple of AFM contracts from the 1976 "15 Big Ones" sessions at Brother Studio (same dates as "That Same Song").  Then it was reported in the Brad Elliott book that Al was working on it in his home studio in the latter half of 1980.   

Great to see Matt Jardine in there! Hope he stays on permanently!

My ears tell me that Brian recorded his first vocal entrance recently with his new gentler voice, but that his other vocal parts (including possibly the immediate second "Don't Fight the Sea", and definitely the strong falsetto in the chorus) were recorded in '89.

Nobody did.  I tried to change to the title of the thread but couldn't figure out how.  My post at the top agrees with your presumption as well...

 I second that!  I know it seems that Brian needs Jeff onstage, but Matt's vocals are far and beyond anything Jeff could ever attempt to sing.