The Smiley Smile Message Board

Sorry if there is a thread for this already but its a hard one to search for. Anyway I never knew this show existed until a friend mentioned watching it during his childhood recently. Really very little information online about it but this clip was quite nice - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAiqMVTUEb8

Anyone seen this dvd - http://www.beachboys.com/raritiesV.html - scroll down half way or more - The Beach Boys Endless Summer: Best Of The Beach Boys - Arcade Video Labs Presentation 7172 [DVD-R]

Looks like some interesting stuff no doubt combined with some real low points (Richard Marx?)

Yes, the guests were terrible. All of the concert footage was shot during Memorial Day weekend 1989 at the pacific amphitheater in Costa Mesa, ca. This was the second show of that summer's beach boys/Chicago tour. Other footage was shot later that week at universal studios in Los Angeles. The series ran during the summer of 1989 in the us on syndicated stations. The campfire scenes are a must see

The whole thing used to be on youtube but here is a clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAiqMVTUEb8

Brian looked like death.

That's the video My Brother Woody posted  ;)

I believe the 80s live recordings on "Songs from here & back" come from the Endless Summer shows iirc.

Here are some more videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4juxP3yhzk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIYFmG7HbBc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llWZuybCi3k

I wrote an article on tv appearances for esq where I quote bruce as saying the show was terrible but the campfire segment was great and reminded him of the old days. Brian sang and participated alot

This sounds about right. Also enjoyed the clip of the boys listening to a new band and them asking what their secret was to staying together so long. Without missing a beat, Brian says, "just don't hang out together."

Did they call it "Club Kokomo"? Really?

I don't know why it bothers me, honestly, but it does. Sammy Hagar went overboard with his whole "Cabo Wabo" deal, he branded it, sold booze and everything else under that name, and that's fine I guess because it's Sammy Hagar, that's his deal. But at some point, the word "Kokomo" associated with the Beach Boys should be set adrift on a bamboo raft, left to drift aimlessly with only a volleyball named "Wilson" to keep it company. And Kokomo the hit single should be the legacy to be played on oldies radio.  :)


PS...awkward Brian outburst alert: During the Barbara Ann guitar solo, one of the kids starts movin and groovin dancing to the song, and veers a little close to that campfire, to which Brian yells "hey hey hey Careful! Care...ful!!!", and it makes things a bit awkward.

The "Care-FUL" pronunciation reminded me of drunken Murry in the studio yelling "Down-HILL!". Once a Wilson, always a Wilson, I suppose...

Yes that moment is a little awkward but it shows brian being alert, take charge and present in the moment

Funny but 1989 was such a nothing era that the show has been forgotten by most. Campfire thing is very cool though.

Yeah, you never knew what Brian was gonna say during those "campfire chats". In addition to scaring the hell out of the kid for venturing too close to the fire, there was the segment when Brian got on Mike's case - actually I'm not sure how to describe it; I'll just say he pointed it out - for covering "Be My Baby" on Looking Back With Love. I was stunned that Brian was even aware of it.

As up-and-down/hit-and-miss as that TV series was, there was a lot of optimism while watching it if you were a diehard. I mean, the guys were on a bit of a roll. From "Getcha Back" to "California Dreamin" to "Wipe Out" to "Kokomo" to Brian's solo album/career/publicity - they were more than just hanging around. There was the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction, the 25th Anniversary TV Special, the American Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, and Live Aid and Farm Aid appearances. And now a TV series (on FOX I believe). If you look at them, just physically, they weren't even 50 years old yet and were aging pretty well. You really thought something good was gonna happen. At least I did. That post-Kokomo period will go down as one of the truly missed opportunities.

Yeah but the tv show and wipe out and kokomo are all mediocre. The problem with that period is that the beach boys were solely trying to be commercial and not trying to be artistic at all.  They didn't trust brian to produce and didn't want to deal with landy but Id take a beach boys versions of melt away over a thousand kokomo s

Thanks for those. Brian looks demented in the Wouldn't it be nice performance, presume it was Landys idea to push him out front..and Bruce! shorts and white socks with shirt tucked in  ???

Funny thing is I *very vaguely* remember watching bits and pieces of this show when it was on the air that summer, but until seeing these clips in this thread I had all but forgotten about it! I was still in a Beatles-heavy phase that summer, along with blues and whatever WYSP spun in Philly, but I seem to remember watching this at least a few times, yet I can't remember anything about it!

On paper, "Club Kokomo" aside,  the concept of the show itself was great (a Beach Boys-hosted variety show, more or less), but maybe because it was syndicated and the scheduling on local stations may have been erratic, it never created much of a buzz outside the fan base?

And is it just me or does it seem in retrospect something of a miracle, especially at this time, to see Brian involved at all in this show? Or to see Brian there, say, without Landy hovering around trying to mooch some camera time? Or did Landy show up on any episodes?

Mike's trousers are something to behold as well.  :lol

If it had been done in 1969 with good groups of the period, and Brian involved, it would have been terrific. By 1989 too much had changed.

Oh, man, I counted the days until it was on. Of course I videotaped each show. I had pretty much memorized each note until next week's show came on. You never knew which segments that Brian was going to appear in, except for the campfire singalongs. Actually, I thought he looked pretty good at the time, he was always impeccably attired, but, unfortunately, that "Landy-induced" look had already penetrated his eyes. You couldn't escape it...

As usual for a Beach Boys project, I think the show was tailored more for the general music audience and the diehards were occasionally thrown a bone such as the Brian solo segments featuring "Love and Mercy" and "In My Car". In some ways the campfire segments were probably more pleasing to us than the casual fan who probably preferred the concert "hits" segments. No, I don't think the show created much of a buzz outside the fan base.

For me, there was no internet or message boards in 1989, but I still knew a lot about the Landy situation. But, yes, I was slightly surprised to see the amount of participation from Brian on the TV show, only because he was just coming off of his solo album and I knew he wasn't on "Kokomo". I do recall seeing Landy in a segment I believe talking about "In My Car". However, Brian - and Landy - always walked that fine line where Brian was never NOT A BEACH BOY. Brian just kept popping up... :police:

Speaking as another die-hard who watched the show back in the day, I had just started college but I wasn't about to give up my Saturday (or was it Friday?) nights when this was on our local Fox affiliate.
At the time I was already part of a local Beach Boys enthusiast community. We knew the unfulfilled promise of SMiLE, the majesty of Pet Sounds, the wilderness years, etc but I don't recall anyone having a negative reaction to hokey things like "Club Kokomo". Part of the thrill of being a Beach Boys fan in those years was that the group was (and is) capable of producing something sublime and something awful almost simultaneously. In a way, that's what made them so fascinating. Here they were attempting to host some kind of happy-go-lucky variety show and yet that specter of weirdness hung over the whole proceedings. Nothing will ever make me forget the sight of Brian in leather pants stalking the stage like an angry Herman Munster and barking something as lightweight as "In My Car" as if the very fabric of the universe would be ripped apart if he didn't finish the song. But for every one of those performances there was a ridiculously beautiful "God Only Knows"....

Sadly, by the time I realized I should be taping this show there were only three more episodes left, but I still have them on VHS.

I was in college then and was a huge bb fan. In fact I was at the actual concert that was filmed for the concert scenes for the show. You have to keep in mind that at that time Kokomo was just a few months old, still current, so they weren't really driving whole thing into the ground, yet. To echo sjs, there was lot of excitement during that time. You had the huge hit that was Kokomo, Brian' s album which the critics swooned over and the group had just signed an deal with Capitol records . All the press and fans at that time were chirping about " if they can combine the commercial success of kokomo with the critical success of Brian's album" on the Capitol album... It was similar to the buildup for twgmtr, but coming off of a huge hit. Alas , we got still cruisin, which sucked.  In short, we got in 2012 what we were hoping for in 1989

That WIBN performance is from 3 years earlier.

No, the date on the you tube site is incorrect. It is one of the "club Kokomo" segments f rom the endless summer series in 1989

Really? Brian has less wrinkles and his hair is a different color...kind of threw me off a bit!

Oh yeah, positive. Plus in 86 he was wearing his hair long in a pet sounds kind of way. You can see this on the r&r to the rescue video video being discussed , but even more on the boys' solid gold performances that year

I remember watching this every weekend on a local channel. The guests were disappointing because even if you liked them, all their performances were lip-synched, while the BB's at least did genuine live performances. I loved "In My Car" on the show, and was so disappointed in the released version when it came out a couple months later. I knew about the controversy with Landy, but watching a slimmed down, handsome Brian, I really thought the Doc had done more good than bad. Now I know differently. Interesting, too, how Brian was brought back into the fold after missing out on "Kokomo".

Yeah only 1989 stuff in this.

Hello ? He's on it (bvs and keyboards), and produced the basic track. This has been established for, oh, over 20 years.

Was it the buzz around their recent hit with Kokomo and Brian's solo album (more of a critical-media success than in sales, but still) which gave the Beach Boys the clout to be tapped to host a variety show?

This was a classic "summer replacement" syndicated series, designed to fill time slots in local stations' schedules, but it still took a helluva lot in terms of working out a deal, shooting a pilot episode to shop (if that happened here), and actually making it happen as a real show with a full summer's worth of episodes.

As pointed out above, this specific year wasn't exactly an earth-shattering one in terms of what the Beach Boys were actually doing in the now, rather it seems they were still riding the wave of the previous year...

...so who got them a deal to host a television series like this? Is there any backstory to how this show actually got bought in syndication and shown on TV?

When I wrote that "I was stunned that Brian was even aware of it", I was referring to the INCLUSION of the "Be Me Baby" track on Mike's solo album, Looking Back With Love, not Brian's participation on the track, which, in 1989, wasn't 20 years past, but about 9. Due to Brian's mental state during that period, I was surprised that he had a knowledge of the tracklisting of another bandmember's solo album, especially Mike's, which wasn't exactly an opus. Frankly, I'm surprised if/that he even listened to it a single time.

Is there any chance that you could go away again, this time for longer period of time, a much longer period of time?

Yep. There's no reason to be so unbelievably rude and snippy, especially over something as trivial as this. AGD makes this board a much grumpier, less enjoyable place to browse.

Seriously, don't you think Brian would remember recording a version of his most favorite song, no matter when it was or who it was with?

It was established in the fan word in about 1981, 1982 to at the latest (that was when I heard the 1980 LoveSongs recordings)... and when supposedly knowledgeable posters can say something so, well, unknowledgeable, best that I hang around a bit.  100 lines, by recess tomorrow. ;D

Speaking for myself here, but I wouldn't call a BW part-produced version of his all-time fave song, featuring him on keyboards and bvs and being released (albeit uncredited) on his cousin's solo album trivial. Plus, this isn't BB 101, just as this place isn't BB kindergarten. I assume a certain degree of knowledge (and that's a compliment, btw, not a sly kick).

Oh, and if you think that's me being "unbelievably rude", you've not hung round these parts long, have you ? In the immortal words of Basil Fawlty, "I haven't started yet" (and won't - unproductive).

Again, I was not referring to Brian's recording of the song, or his participation in the track in any way. I was aware of all of that - for over 20 years! What I was simply trying to say, and it really wasn't a big deal, certainly not worth being challenged over, was that when they started to sing "Be My Baby" at the campfire singalong segment on the TV show in 1989, Brian blurted out to Mike, and I'm paraphrasing, "You did it on your album. Yes you did. On your solo album". Yes, I was very surprised how quickly Brian jumped on that. I didn't think Brian gave a sh*t who in the band recorded what, and I don't care that the track was "Be My Baby ". I just can't picture Brian Wilson listening to Looking Back With Love even one time, so, it caught me off guard that he would associate the track with Mike's solo album. Sheesh, what's happening with this board?

In the scheme of things yes it is quite trivial and not something to be a dick about. But you seem proud to be cantankerous and rude on a forum so good on you. I don't care if you are "in the know" when it comes to the BBs. That's no excuse for being an elitist. And I'm far from the only person who feels this way. Good luck to ya.

If it was any other song I'd agree with you.knowing how obsessive Brian is about that song though...

Thank God you beat me too it, Andrew! I was just about to post the something similar! Glad I didn't now!

Exactly, and doesn't matter whether or not he ever listened to Mike's album again. When you do something like that, you rarely ever forget. Brian is what you call "Sly as a fox". I think he remembers a lot, he just tends to forget details, especially for interviews.

Yes, there may be a lot wrong with Brian, but the guy has proved time and time again what an exceptional memory he has.

Carl's concert performance of God Only Knows was unforgettable – even better than the one from the Knebworth concert in 1980 that was used in last year's reunion tour.  By the way, those clips from the Endless Summer TV show have been on YouTube for the last few years.  I believe someone mentioned in an earlier post that there is also a DVD available of the entire series.

footwear i believe

As Al begins to walk out Brian's house after a meeting regarding signing over the monetary rights to his participation on Postcard from California, Brian rushes to his feet and peers out conspiratorially from the curtains surrounding his living room table.

"Hey, Al, remember when you told me when I was a teenager that, like, Mexican people speak Spanish and stuff?"

"No, not really."

"Yeah, you said that like they say 'hola' instead of 'hi' and junk. They can sense words in another language. Well, I'm writing a song about it. It's called 'Mexican Girl'. It's gonna be really great."

Al looks worried.

"That's nice Brian. I can't wait to hear it. And remember to take care of yourself. OK? Bye, Brian!"

Content, Brian closes the curtain and begins pacing the floor and muttering to himself.

"So when you order a taco that's actually a Mexican word. And when they put enchilada on it that's Mexican. So many things are Mexican, it's like linked together in some kind of cosmic coincidence. Yeah, and burritos, too, they have burritos...."

That Brian sure has some memory!

Really, in the scheme of things, I like AGDs contributions a WHOLE HECK OF A LOT more than I like your paltry posts; And I'm FAR FAR FAR from the only person that feels this way.

Oh nooooooooo  :(

It wouldn't surprise me if Brian has Mike's released and unreleased solo work in his iTunes. He summons it on his iPhone when he's on long walks.

3 min mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAiqMVTUEb8

Does anyone know anything about the backstory of this TV series? Or is it written in a book somewhere which I'm just forgetting? I'm really curious, and maybe my question got lost in the mix since posting it.

It's like a lost chapter in the whole story, I don't remember all that much fan talk about it in the past few years at least.

Well clearly-in the wake of Kokomo the BBs temporarily had more commercial appeal and were able to get the show deal.  It was in a period when they were reaching out to producers-trying to get on soundtracks, etc.  I don't begrudge Kokomo-as it gave them some renewed mojo but I wish they'd actually used the new interest to follow it up with something GOOD.  I really think that at that moment they needed to make an artistic statement if they were to escape being just a singing jukebox in the 1990s and beyond but they missed the chance.

The TV series ran from June 16th to August 25th.  It was a summer replacement that aired at 7-8pm Pacific and featured live footage from two California May shows (27th at Pacific Amphitheater, Costa Mesa CA and 30th at Universal Studios, Los Angeles CA including Brian's mini set: episode #7 included "Love & Mercy"), 'Club Kokomo' (where the band gave advice to other artists), guest bands and the legendary 'campfire' section, which occupied the final five minutes of each show. In fact, only the first seven shows were entirely new: episodes #8-#11 re-edited previously aired footage to produce 'new' shows.

Who was behind producing the show itself, or bringing it to air? We know who and what led to the Baywatch association a few years later, and certain record releases around that, yet this involved pitching a weekly show and selling it in syndication - considerably different! I'm also curious if the selling of the show hinged on Brian's participation, which is why almost defying logic for that year's events he was involved with Landy's blessing. That aspect wouldn't be different from selling other Beach Boys products and contracts in previous years, if it were a factor.

To follow up AGD's comment, the May 27 show in Costa Mesa was part of their tour with Chicago during which Brian peformed three songs in the middle of the Beach Boys set.  The Boys left the stage entirely while Brian performed Love and Mercy, In My Car and Country Feelins. His performance was horrible, leather pants notwithstanding.  He did not perform at all with the Beach Boys that night. The May 30 performance at Universal was not part of their actual tour but was a performance taped specifically for the tv series.

True, dat.  :-D

and one more thing, all those comments last year about the Beach Boys having not played the Hollywood Bowl since '65?  Total BS, they played the Bowl with Chicago as part of that tour in 1989 the very next night after the Costa Mesa show. There was a huge story in the LA Times that weekend (big picture of the Boys with Brian) about the two hometown shows in Costa Mesa and the H. Bowl as well as the new album coming out on Capitol that summer. For a fan it was a really exciting time, similar to last summer.  The difference, of course, is that Still Cruisin is what we got back then...

Yep, that's the one I was referring to.  Little Brother was at the top of his game in those days…but then again, when wasn't he?

Ummm... the 1978 Australian tour ?  ::)

 Stevie Ray Vaughn did a pretty cool guest spot one week.

I must say I do not remember that.  Here is what I do remember--Roxette, Richard Marx (with the guy who played Jason from the "Waltons" on guitar) a really bad comedian named Richard Jenni who I think was also on Star Search, and some guy with a puppet.

I remember that puppet guy...he hit all the stand-up shows on TV....puppet's name was Rocco, I think...

SRV and the BBs? Talk about a strange juxtaposition...

You got me there!

  SRV & Band played the lead-in song from his new album-sadly his last. The title escapes me but it was quite good.