The Smiley Smile Message Board

I've posted this on other BB forums before, but I don't think I ever posted about it here...but so far, nobody's been able to confirm what I have actually held in my hands...

Before I ever got a CD player, my source of Beach Boys music would be records and tapes, mainly borrowed from the public library. So...at the local library, they had the Surfin' USA album on cassette -- missing "Stoked" and "Surf Jam." But I found out that another library in a nearby town had a vinyl pressing that HAD the missing songs, so I requested it through interlibrary loan...so I copied the tape and inserted "Stoked" and "Surf Jam" from the vinyl, which was mono. And I swear, the vinyl album had the yellow/orange swirl label. I was 15 years old at the time and I thought for sure they used the black label with the rainbow edge in the '60s, but I was starting to doubt that.

Later, I checked out the Christmas Album from the library....and you know what? It too had the yellow/orange swirl label. Unlike the Surfin' USA album I got from the other library, this one was a stereo copy.

This was around 1989, 1990 in both cases. I have yet to see a vinyl album with the orange/yellow swirl label ever since, but I'm 10000000% sure that that's exactly what I held in my hands back then.

Has anybody else seen this variation?? I don't know if it was some kind of a "record club" pressing or what...and in both cases, the cover artwork was exactly the same as usual, and no tracks were missing.

Don't take the brown acid

Thanks, Woody, that was SUPREME help.

I know what you are talking about, I've seen them too. I believe it's same label as 'Endless Summer' though, just with different colors (yellow w/ maybe orange 'Capitol'? ... sorry, I'm color-blind). Capitol kept 'Surfin' Safari', 'Surfin' USA', 'Surfer Girl', "Little Deuce Coupe', 'Concert' and 'Christmas Album' in print in their original versions in the '70s.

I believe that I have all of the Capitol label variations for Beach Boys albums and singles that were manufactured in the U.S.

The only yellow/orange swirl label for Beach Boys vinyl records that I'm aware of are for the singles (45's) that Capitol manufactured between 1962 and June, 1968 in Los Angeles and Scranton. I've never seen or heard of a Capitol LP (stock, promo, record club issue) with a yellow/orange or yellow/red swirl variation. There are Beach Boys CD's with that color combo, but not vinyl albums that I know of. Especially not for any Beach Boys Christmas album releases.

There were Capitol LP's with a yellow label and "Capitol" printed in red that were issued in 1975. I have a Beach Boys Christmas Album with that label color (Capitol SM-2164). "SM" stands for "Special Markets". It was Capitol's budget label. It is not uncommon. I also remember reading somewhere that there were BB Christmas albums issued in the 70's (also Capitol SM) with a yellow label with a red border around it.

I've looked at 1000s of US BB albums over the years and do not recall seeing one like you describe.

Mikie -- you mean "Capitol" written in red in the usual script, right? Naaah...I mean the same labels as were used on the '60s singles.

You're right, of course; I violated rule 101 Of Acid Etiquette, " Never mess with the guy on the bad trip".



But that was my point( that I didn't make in those terms). Unless you were buyinig some non-US versions of LPs, there have never been Legitimate Capitol LP labels that matched the color scheme of the 60's 45s.  ( and I'd be surprised if there are any non-US LPs with those colors either) 

Mikie, if you do have every variation you have a MOST impressive collection ( tho I'm guessing that you can't access any of it to check for sure?)
as to your collection, are you saying that you have some copies of every version, or EVERY variation of every release? 
 check here for all known 45 variations:  http://www.beachboys45.nl/
For the LPs, I know that Frank Daniels had a site showing all known Capitol LP label variations, but it seems to have disappeared/be down. Perhaps all the variations will be shown in the Beach Boys Price guide, if it ever makes it to the publisher. 

I never said that, BigAss. Where in my last post did I say that I have copies of every version or every variation of every release? I never said that. Twisting something I said trying to make me look like a liar, Bigass? I said that I have all of the CAPITOL LABEL variations of 45's and albums, not every damn version and release! And just to clarify, I meant color variations, not necessarily every single variation of script/font/text/content printed on the labels.

This from a guy who thinks he knows EVERYTHING about Beach Boys records and if someone has or sees a record that he's never seen or heard of before, he makes smart-ass remarks like "Don't take the brown acid". What's the matter Bigass, you have an inferiority complex or something? Do you feel threatened? Do you think your collection has to be the best in the whole world bar none and be damned if somebody else has something in their collections that you don't?

By the way, real whippy answer to the question posed by 37!ws at the top of the thread, Bgas.  Really good at making friends on the board, eh?  

Try using Google for your web searches, Bigass. It really works well!  ;D

http://www.friktech.com/btls/capitol/capitollabels.pdf

P.S. You won't see the aforementioned Capitol yellow album label here, though Mr. Daniels mentions it in his article.

I collect info as opposed to artefacts, but in over 35 years of fandom and hanging with some very high-powered collectors I have never seen, or heard anyone mention a Capitol LP with a swirl (45) label. Ever. Not being unkind or sarcastic, but I'd have to say the available evidence indicates your memory is playing tricks with you.

Must be my computer; I have that site bookmarked, but everytime I go there I get the first page and it then freezes up and doesn't go anywhere. Not sure what's going on... 

So sad for the rest of your posts mikie

Yeah, this is the one I was talking about.  Same yellow/orange colors but obviously not a swirl.  Thought maybe this was the one you saw at the library.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-BEACH-BOYS-Christmas-Album-1970s-CAPITOL-SM-2164-LP-VG-Little-Saint-Nick-/180992087692?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item2a23f8168c

There is also a Capitol Special Markets label from the '80s with a yellow background and an orange Capitol tower building in the center, but the Christmas Album and Surfin' USA were never issued on that label.

Also interesting that you remember Surfin' USA being in mono.  To my knowledge, all of the reissues after the original rainbow label version have been in stereo.  I have the yellow label reissue, and it's in stereo.

Lee