The Smiley Smile Message Board

Here's a thought.  Why didn't EMI/Capitol/BRI have the remasters, the greatest hits comp and whatever else waiting and ready to go BEFOwe'eRE the 50th Anniversary Tour rolled through the US??  It would seem to me that they missed the chance to strike while the iron was hot.  If you getting the public excited about the reunion and you're playing shows across the country...why wouldn't you have a boatload of new releases, etc. for people to pick up while the excitement is still palpable?  Yeah, we'll buy them...but we're members of a Beach Boys forum!  Instead, they'll finish whatever is left of their tour overseas...everyone will go their separate ways and THEN the stuff will come out...but the Beach Boys will be off of the public's radar. 

c'mon, their music is still big business with much money involved. Capitol have been at the game for over 50 years (with ups and downs) but they have surely thought of everything. It's not like these companies act randomly or according to the CEO's daily mood.

Yeah, they sure seem like they've got this planned to maximize press and remove portraits of dead presidents from our wallets.

I think the most glaring mistake was not having the new album - That's Why God Made The Radio - released by the first show.

And, I will always believe this, and I don't care what anybody says  ;D.....The first single should've been "Spring Vacation" - and released in the Spring!

The best single for me was 'Isn't It Time' despite a few lame lines. Seventy year old's going steady anyone? But Brian, Mike, Al and Bruce sharing the lead nudged it ahead of 'Radio' in my book.

Maybe that track should have been tested before the tour and the lyric altered plus Jeff toned down mid tune. Both these are being done for the 'Big Ones' release it seems. Would it have got some airplay? We will never know I guess but still my favorite potential single. 

Well it hasn't been released as a single yet, but the recent press release said it would be coming shortly.

Mmmm...yeah!

But with the end of the C50 tour looming, that bus has been missed IMO.

I was in my local chain music retailer today - JB HiFi - and checked the Beach Boys section just two and a half weeks out from the Boy's Sydney show - they had: 1 x some Greatest Hits package, 6 x Pet Sounds, 8 x SMiLE but (sadly) no TWGMTR. Yes!! Great art wins out ahead of crass commercial exploitation!!

I can just see Greatest Hits Joe Bloggs, all psyched for surf, hot rods and seeing the Boys going in to JB, buying Pet Sounds and SMiLE ... and ... WTF?

 :o >:D :lol

This! They must have done 20 shows before the album was released. Wierd tactic, because I think everything was recorded by the time of the first show (late-ish April).

Of course we can look back and say this now but if the album had of tanked the beginning of April it would have taken the gloss off the whole C50 tour.

At least several weeks into the tour they had very positive concert reviews to keep the momentum going. The good reviews for the album was the icing as it now turns out.

I just think there should have been more musical merchandise waiting and ready to go.  The new greatest hits package, at least, for the casual fans who rushed home from one of the shows filled with nostalgic excitement!  Or better yet...rushed to one of the merch stands and bought the set before they even left the venue.  Instead...the reunion shows will end...Mike and Bruce will head to South America with their old touring band...Brian, Al and Dave will scatter...maybe Dave will stick around with Mike and Bruce...maybe not.  The Beach Boys will fall off of the American public's radar...and then everything will come out.

I would wager -- just looking at how everything has worked out -- that the entire year's release schedule was planned and finalized a year or so ago. Everything that has happened has been for a reason. Why, for example, would a band release a new hits album to compete with their actual new studio release? That's a ludicrous notion, and that's why they didn't do it.

I agree there should have been better marketing with the new album before the tour and the other goodies. Or at least have released some of the earlier albums (remastered) in the beginning of 2012 and then keep releasing them through the summer and fall while the tour goes on.

My local JB has all of that + TWGMTR and the twofers

Why would the band want to cannibalize sales of the new album with remastered albums or hits collections? And why doesn't it make sense to build buzz for the new album with some concert appearances, good reviews and a single before the album comes out?

The shows sold out. The album made it to number three. And they failed how?

No one said they failed - they exceeded expectations. The thing is, by the time the remasters come out, the excitement of the tour will be over, their name won't be plastered in as many places in September, as it was, say, in July. They could have moved more copies of everything had they released the new album at the start of the tour, and then moved the remasters out during mid-tour. This means the box probably would have been released earlier too, making money during the holiday season.

Exactly right.  The marketing was off.  People were still going to buy the new LP...simply because it was the first honest-to-goodness Beach Boys LP in years.  You market the heck out of that release...which along with the American tour...becomes the hook that draws the general public in.  They were everywhere for a month or two...a big write-up in Rolling Stone...network television appearances.  The Beach Boys were big news for the first time in a very, very, long time.  Like I said...you market the heck out of the new record and tour and then you have the remasters and greatest hits package waiting in the background.  You liked the new album?  Did the reunion tour get you back into the band?  Well, here you go...relive those memories with this cool, new greatest hits package and if you want to dig deeper...check out these great sounding remastered versions of their classic albums.  Then you roll out the boxed set for the holidays and it's a good year for the Beach Boys.

But....that is what has happened.

Not that likely -- one of the reasons "Radio" made #3, and thus was such a shock, was because they got tens of thousands of sales from the QVC show.  Release it before they play QVC, you don't get that stunning debut.

They released the single before the tour, on-sale from day one, to build the awareness and anticipation the way you're describing.  And, well, it didn't exactly fail, did it?

The Greatest Hits and reissues are a mopping-up exercise after that.  They certainly don't want to release the Greatest Hits too early in the new album's chart run -- or have you forgotten what happened to "Pet Sounds"?

Cheers,
Jon Blum




 and then moved the remasters out during mid-tour. This means the box probably would have been released earlier too, making money during the holiday season.
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Why? Bet you anything they'll do the late night rounds to promote the single. They still have dates next month, remember.

As I said, this has all been worked out. Album in the summer. Hits / remasters in early fall. Boxed set out for Christmas. That's the plan.

And the plan worked. No way it was going to get higher than 3; I'm personally blown away and pleased with how everything turned out.

Yep, so have mine (I have 2 JB's at hand) - Tony, sounds like you need to have a "word" with your shop

I didn't say they failed. 

This is just the inner-Beach Boys-fan in me....I want want want, right?  Yes sir, I do. But then again, being a BB/BW fan has taught me the virtue of patience.
I was just throwing an idea out there.

Thank you for that!
I totally agree with this post & it's what I was trying to say in my original post.

And make those greatest hits & albums available on tour!

I'm tempted to take that bet. If the late night shows were to happen, why would they play a rehashed IIT over 49 mostly hits?

I know the acts do new releases but IIT reworked seems an admission they got it wrong on the 'Radio' album to me.

At this point, the hits sell themselves. Isn't It Time hasn't been promoted at all, which is kind of good, because it's something new to hype for the next season. If they went on a show or two and did an impressive version of Isn't It Time, that would move copies of the single and album.

I did an edit while you were replying.


As an aside, I'm wondering if Mike and Bruce will be doing any songs from 'Radio' on their tours?

Nah, singles are released in different versions than their album counterparts all the time. There's nothing 'wrong' with the album version (IMO) - high selling singles are a different bag than album tracks, sometimes they need an extra something to push it. Look at the whole Help Me, Ronda/Rhonda situation - almost the same type deal there.

Maybe I shoud have phrased it differently.  You have the product available while the band is touring the US.  I don't know about your neck of the woods...but I sure don't have access to any remasters or 50 Big Ones.

I think it would have been a mistake to release the archival stuff and Greatest Hits so close to the new album. The new album is the important thing, that's what they had to promote, and it was a successful venture. They'll still be in the public mind through the end of the year.

I hope you're right!!! 

I think the marketing has been as close to perfect as I've seen for them.

Are they afraid 50 Big ones (GH) may have hurt TWGMTR's chart position? I totally agree with the Pet Sounds/Best of BB incident, but no one say they both can't chart.