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Do any of you guys like that song? I've never seen it posted on here or really mentioned. (maybe once at the most)
Did the wrecking crew work on this song or add anything? or was it just the boys?

One of the greatest instrumental backings ever in a BBs track, spearheaded by the legendary Plas Johnson on sax. (Johnson's best known playing is the elegant soloing on the original Pink Panther theme, but on SLC he blows more in the fashion of King Curtis or Illinois Jacquet.)  Remarkably, since it concerns a city with a historically low African-American population, it's one of their songs closest to a classic R&B style.

 It would have been great if they'd played all of it in Provo, but then that town has a rivalry with SLC going - sort of like Eugene vs Portland in Oregon - so maybe it's best for them to wait till they're in SLC itself. (Which Brian, in 1960s interviews, used to claim was his favorite town in America.)

Why is it his favorite town? and I've heard mike love boasting about salt lake city before in one interview..
I love the backing instrumental as well..It has one of my favorite outros too "we'll be coming soon"..so the weakest songs from summer days and summer nights...have to be "Amusement Park U.S.A." or "The Girl from New York City"

Well...it has to be remembered Brian used to say SLC was his favorite town around the time he wrote that song.  Later on, in the days when he was pouring a whole container of instant coffee into a cup and drinking it (among other stuff), he may have felt differently...because SLC's not a town to nurture a caffeine jones. (An Ecstacy jones was a different story, at least in the '90s.)

Salt Lake City and Utah in general was one of the Beach Boys hottest popularity areas in the U.S. and one of their most loyal fan-bases. They played dozens of sold out concerts there in the '60's and even when their popularity was fading in L.A. and N.Y... SLC crowds still screamed for them like it was 1964.

Which just goes to show how strong all the tracks on the album are.  I'd love to hear a stereo remix of The Girl from New York City.

so you like both of those songs?  :o

There was even a promo single made of 'Salt Lake City' to promote the song on the Summer Days album.  It was courtesy of the local Salt Lake City stores in 1965.  

http://www.beachboys45.nl/USA-Regular-Capitol%20promotional%20releases.htm

One of my favorite "Stack-o-Tracks tracks. The sessions tracking where Brian tells the musicians "When Hal goes Bom Bom Bom everybody hits, OK? For the fade." That whole tracking session is interesting to listen to. Check out Sea Of Tunes Vol. 9. Good stuff!  Love the finished song in stereo - nice and wide.

I love it!

Couldn't agree more on the amazing backing track. Just goes to show how expert musicianship, stunning background vocals and masterful production can overcome silly lyrics any time. This one could be about sand paper and I'd still love it!

I personally love both of those songs too. The reason I think APUSA is considered weak is because it sounds a bit dated. Carnival music. Very prominent organ sound that hasn't really been very big in rock music since that time. But the arrangement and sound of it are really out there. Creative and actually a bit psychadelic. Sounds like pure madness. Plus I mean what would expect a song about Amusement Parks and Carnivals to sound like? A carnival of course

Salt Lake City, Amusement Parks, and Girl from NYC are all great examples of the unique variety that the SDSN album ended up having.  Probably why Summer Days usually is my favorite Beach Boys album.  I can't think of any other album with such stylistic range.  The singing is the usual high standard, but I feel like there's more abandon in the vocals than before, foreshadowing singing we would hear later, in the late 60s and into the 70s.

Girl from New York City is sooooooooo good. such an underrated song. the arrangement is really rockin' and so is Bruce's falsetto in the chorus.

Musically it's very good. On the other hand I hate the pointless lyrics and message of the song. Why would I want to go to SLC? There is a reason america forced the whacky mormons into the desert.

I found it hilarious when BW was talking about Rolling Stones album Between The Buttons, and compared their kickass rock to his kickass song Salt Lake City, whcih is one of the lamest, tamest pop songs one can find. Maybe BW never realised what rock was apart from Shortenin' Bread.

Amazing song, one of my favorites, actually. Love the lyrics.
Salt Lake City is more rock and roll than much of Between The Buttons. Yesterday's Papers? Who's Been Sleeping Here? She Smiled Sweetly? Something Happened To Me Yesterday? Cool Calm And Collected?

i'm not sure where i heard this or seen this at but it was once said that marcella was his version of a rolling stones song :)
and SLC sounds like it could go perfectly with between the buttons lol jk between the buttons is the most english sounding rolling stones album ..gotta love it..

For years I thought I read they were paid to do this song by a radio station in Salt Lake  :lol

now that sounds believable  ;) lol

Can't we start a new thread discussing track by track all the albums, beginning with Surfin' Safari? These one off threads are getting really annoying.

In my opinion it's one of their best tracks.  If you turn this one up to the point that you can feel it, it rocks harder than about anything ever recorded.  THATS A FACT

Lots of Mormons in Utah who probably didn't like their children listening to Rock & Roll, but were alright with them listening to those good fine young men "The Beach Boys".  So it was probably one of the few Rock & Roll acts that their parents allowed them to listen to, hence the massive love for them in Salt Lake City.

On the other side of it, it could have actually been that being raised straight-edge like that they gravitated (the kids) more towards bands they perceived as being straight-edge. 

So the boys squeaky clean image either appealed to the kids, or their parents, or both. 

It must have been palpatible or whatever that word is, to get them to actually write a song about it.

Can't we just not read threads that are really annoying?

If you like the board to resemble spam, by all means feast away.

Yes, and "Amusement Parks U.S.A."  might also be the most INTENSE two minutes of any Beach Boys song. 

Love Salt Lake, Girl From New York AND Amusement Parks. Not as big on I'm Bugged at My Old Man.

I guess my favorite song from that album is a toss up between California Girls & Let Him Run Wild..

Count me in as one who appreciates the lyrics of Salt Lake City.

I think in the Western World, and the US in particular, probably, we have developed a bit of an allergy to earnestness.

And there's no denying that the lyrics are somewhat corny, I think.  Nevertheless, the message of the song is very similar to something like California Girls, only more specific.  California Girls lists the qualities of girls from around this great big world, but then prefers US girls, and indeed, California Girls.  But it never really gives a justification of why California Girls are best.

Salt Lake City is a tightly reasoned argument.  Salt Lake City is a great place and we want to go there often.  Why?

1.  Groovy Kids
2.  The kids talk cool
3.  The Radio station is good
4.  Great outdoor recreational facilities, including the Lagoon
5.  Ample opportunity to meet girls and to go on rides
6.  Cutest Girls in the western states, when you pit them girl-for-girl.
7.  One gets to experience the best elements of all seasons.


What more do you want?

As a sidetrack topic, it should be noted that when the Monkees needed an enthusiastic live audience to film the concert sequence for the movie "Head", they went to Salt Lake City in May 1968:

(http://www.monkeesconcerts.com/uploads/7/8/9/5/7895731/5337466_orig.jpg)

Parallel to the Beach Boys saying the same thing about the enthusiasm of that city's fans, Salt Lake seems to have been a good place to play in the 60's. At least for these two bands.  :)

Along those lines, ever seen the movie SLC Punk?  ;D

"Salt Lake City" is a great rocker including all the BBs-ingredients. One of my favourite mid-60s tracks. And it's awesome live (especially when played by BW's backing bad): clip of a show I attended (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPOq-r2vthY).

I hope to hear it in Berlin in August...

Incredible how ahead-of-their-time the Prefab Four could be - well over a decade before those stark white packages with product name in black lettering started showing up in grocery stores (and vanished once the big chains realized they might as well put their own brands on them), here's Micky's twin DRUM heads. Pioneering conceptual art - and in Utah, no less.

I've always wanted to buy a generic product like that. "CHEESE", for example. or "TOOTHPASTE".

Yes, great film.

If you put generic can into the search at eBay you'll find examples of generic soda and beer being offered - some in white cans, some in yellow. Products other than beverages turn up less often. Cheese probably would not show up as I figure eBay is forbidden to allow trafficking in perishables that perished when Dennis still walked or staggered across the earth.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-St-Petersburg-Florida-Webbs-City-Grocery-Generic-Items-Press-Photo-/250998520128?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item3a70ad7940
is a photo of some very early generic-label products - being sold just ten years after Micky's DRUM(s).

oh oh yeah! that's the kinda stuff I want.

but I mean, I don't want 30 year old cheese, I want to buy new cheese in a package like that. I want to USE the generic products. if they still sold things like that today I'd buy them just for the novelty. (and indirectly save money in the process!)

Salt Lake City we'll be coming soon (wooooooooooo) the backing vocals on that part is so fuckin sweet!

Isn't there already a part of the board like that? I mean the album reviews thread would be a good place for it. The only problem is that no one ever goes on those.

:) i enjoyed both versions ..but my question for you is which do you prefer today or summer days and summer nights? and why?

Then I Kissed Her has it all, although there's not enough backing vocals for my taste.  Which I guess is kind of refreshing.  Al's vocal is awesome.There's something about the tone he strikes on the "And then I Kissed Herrrrrrrrrrrrr" that's just SWAG like Mike swag. 

The melodic part with the 'when we danced... I HELD HER TIIIIIGHTTTT.... when I walked her HOMMMEE THAT NIGHHHTTTTTT"  is just boss. 

Somebody earlier said that the boys sang with more abandon on this album.  I'm not sure if that means what I think it means, but I think a song like this... and lines like that, illustrate it.  They just kind of went for it vocally. 


You hear a small, tiny piece of the same thing on "From there to back again"...   "the clouds are clearin, it's a  Beauuuutiful Day!  For a Wonnnnnderful.... Pacific Coast! Get Away!"

The same abandon.

GOD BLESS YOU AL!!!!!

wow i'm shocked  :o you suprised me lol..i'll have to go with today because well the whole album is amazing i think the only song i ever skipped from it is dont hurt my little sister lol

that's my mom's favorite song from today ..it's actually one of the only songs she likes from the beach boys..she loves the guitar on it..i had to put it on her ipod..
when she told me she wasn't crazy about pet sounds or smile i was shocked and bugged :/ but my dad is the real music nerd in the family besides me and my oldest brother...
my sister and mom pretty much likes anything radio friendly lol

Hmmm well I guess I am ..mostly because when i listen to music it drifts me away from reality..wow that sucks :/ the middle brother..my sister and mom are that way but at times my mom could be ...sh*t if i played the hollies - the air that i breathe at the right time a tear would fall down her cheek cuz she loves it so much :)

The backing tract for SLC is awesome and the lyrics are alright but I'm actually really not a fan of the vocal melody.  Btw has anyone else noticed that SLC might be the first appearance of the Shortenin' Bread riff in a Beach Boys Song.  Listen during the instrumental break at around 1:20.  You can sing the bass vocal over that part!

Not to get all somber, but my wife's father was a huge BB fan and from SLC, so we played this for him at his funeral.  Listening to it since, I'm not really sure if I've simply projected a slight hint of melancholy in an upbeat song or if it's really there.

Anything written by Brian Wilson has a slight hint of melancholy.

It is a marvelous song. I wonder if its very peculiar melody was composed after the track had been finished. The reason is that the melody is unusual in that during Mike's lines so much stress given to the IV degree that it almost makes the chords sound like a V - I progression instead of a I - IV one. The path is cleared completely when Brian comes in, but this is one characteristic trait of this compelling and favorite song.

It's so early in Brian's work with the session musicians, maybe he was still trying to figure out the best way to write when working like that?  OR, maybe he wrote the song, then when the studio musicians got in, they changed it a little bit, Brian couldn't or didn't want to make it fit his melody the way it was originally written, so it's off a little bit. 

With that said though, since it's off... it kind of makes the song even more interesting.  It's not exactly what you expect.

I can't say I'm a fan of the vocal melody for this one, and since it's married to a rather trite set of lyrics (imo) I prefer listening to the instrumental backing track. Perhaps if the melody got the Don't Back Down upgrade I'd be a little bit more forgiving to the lyrics, but as it didn't, I'm stuck to thinking it's among the nadir of SD(ASN).

What's a Don't back down upgrade?

Well between the alternate version of Don't Back Down and the one that made it to ASL I feel like the melody was substantially improved. It's just my "creative" way of saying "I wish it was tweaked further" ;)

Yep. This, along with the Ronda --> Rhonda change really show another angle of Brian's genius. The "I've got something brilliant here but we're not there yet."

However, I don't think SLC needs any upgrades, although lyrically it sounds like a tourism promotion.

What ever you do, passing thru Utah, DON'T BREAK DOWN in SALT LAKE CITY, as it's known to be comprised of a lot of whacky (sic) Mormons.

 :lol :lol :lol

They're sell you fake Rolex's, steal your hubcaps and try and convert you to a cult.

Yep this is true. Why just this morning I passed some dumbass named JanBerryFarm on the freeway. 4 hubcaps and $80 later I am a richer man (though still a bit damp from the baptismal font).

You did the right thing pixletwin. :lol

That was uncalled for.
So, I'm looking at your image...are you biffing yourself in the ear because you want to be 'just like' Brian Wilson, or are you simply a masochist?  :p

Ummm neither actually.

ok, then you're just bored of being an ordinary spud with a dopey hat. I can relate.

I've always found Mormons to be about the friendliest and least harmful folks I've ever met. I'd suggest anyone who thinks their religious beliefs are wacky, try to step back and take an unbiased view of their own.  I suppose placing events a few millennia in the past makes the absurdity easier to swallow.

You blokes are in WAY to big a hurry to jump down a guys throat. I guess you didn't SEE the three laughing smilies?(why do I bother?)  ::)

My remark was  in reference to another poster (who shall remain nameless) who opined elsewhere that Salt Lake City was a nasty place where "the government pushed those whacky (sic) Mormons out into the desert."

I was mocking that person and threw in a silly reference to the Capitol Records typo 'Don't Break Down' which is found on the front cover of some early Lp jackets of ALL SUMMER LONG.

Reckon I expected too much, since most of you probably don't have that jacket.

I'm not a Mormon, but I love them and their religion.

BTW.....just for the record, SLC is one of my absolute favorite BB songs. Any song where Brian and Mike share the leads IS my favorite.  8)

Got it. Assumed it was you who had made that earlier deleted comment and you were piling on. Really, "Don't Break Down"? That's amusing.

Sure.... you've not seen that? Capitol fixed it eventually. I think the entire first pressing has that boo boo. It's funny to me, because it sorta makes a 'surf' song into a 'hot-rod' song. Maybe Brian and Mike should have done something with that.  ;)

Here's one on ebay.... I don't have a picture of mine.

]http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-BEACH-BOYS-ALL-SUMMER-LONG-ERROR-COVER-MONO-1964-HEAR-IT-/230804082255?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item35bcfece4f[url] (http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-BEACH-BOYS-ALL-SUMMER-LONG-ERROR-COVER-MONO-1964-HEAR-IT-/230804082255?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item35bcfece4f[url)[/url]

I have one of those "All Summer Long" albums with the misprint on the cover. Ironic that a few months later, Brian had one.

Or at least some say it was a breakdown.....

I've always loved this track.  The backing track is simply incredible.  The lyrics might be a slight...but Brian and Mike deliver them with passion.  I like Mike's little "yeah" at the end of his lines.  I've also always found it funny that Brian sings that they have the prettiest girls of the Western states...but a few songs later he's wishing they could all be California Girls! 

That album cover used to be worth some serious cash. Not butcher cover serious, but nothing to sneeze at, either.

Really Dick?  Actually, I'm pretty sure I have two of them.  Picked one up like new at a Ventura music store back in the 70's. The other I picked up at the Capitol Records parking lot swap meet way back when. Didn't pay more than 20 bucks for it.

I'll have to dig out one of my Osborne price guides and see what it went for back in the 80's.

Anybody have an extra Salt Lake City/Amusement Parks promo single for sale?  That's one gap I need to fill.

Well, I'm afraid it apparently isn't worth what I thought... The Goldmine guide lists about $50. Back in the 80s, a part-time co-worker who ran a record store full-time had one that he didn't realize was the original. He was pretty pleased when I pointed it out to him and said he would change it to his collectible bin, but, end of story... I don't know what he actually got for it. But I see a reply from Jon Stebbins from a question in the "various insignificant" thread:



Jon Stebbins
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Re: Thread for various insignificant questions that don't deserve their own thre
« Reply #23 on: December 09, 2009, 07:56:13 AM »

Quote from: BJL on December 09, 2009, 06:43:12 AM
 

I've seen lots of references to the misprinting of "don't break down" instead of "don't back down" on the cover of the first pressing of All Summer Long, but I'm curious how many copies were printed?  Are we talking like, a "Butcher Cover" sort of misprint, where like ten albums went out, or did they make a whole bunch of them?  I just found a copy! :-) and so I was wondering... 

Don't Break Down was printed on the front cover of the entire first pressing of the ASL LP. This means there were hundreds of thousands printed. Not a very rare rarity. The second printing corrected it.


So, it's back to looking for a mis-priced butcher cover.  ;)

I notice that the 'askin' price for original (or even reprint) SURFIN' U.S.A. Lp's on eBay has spiked a bit over the last month or so.

One ambitious person was asking $99 for a 60's pressing and I clicked on it just to see, thinking for that price it might be a sealed copy or something, but he described it thus:  "Used. Well Played. Jacket has scuffing and name written on it." Well at least he's honest, even if greedy.

About a month ago I wanted to buy a nice ((Stereo)) copy on eBay and was getting ready to bid on one  around $20, but the next day I found one in VG condition at Goodwill for a dollar. No scribbling on the jacket, no stickers or fingernail polish. Just clean and sweet. Jacket didn't even have a wear ring.

Divine intervention, obviously.  ;)

One of my favorites from that era.  Great song, great words, great track.