The Smiley Smile Message Board

what songs do you think would have been on it and who would you have liked to be on it..(just for fantasy purposes)
1.sail on sailor (Rodney Crowell) (already recorded)
2. in my room (Tammy Wynette) (already recorded)
3.cottenfields (Garth Brooks) well he was pretty big back then
4. A day in the life of a tree (Johnny Cash) the lyrics for this songs fits Johnny perfectly.
5.bluebirds over the  mountain (Kris Kristopherson) (sp) gotta have this song because it sounds country to me, lyrically speaking.
6. Cabinessence (Clint Black) with the bass harmonica and some country instruments
7. Help me rhonda ( ray stevens) a upbeat kind of funny or goofy version (aka:Misty)
8. til I die (Waylon) a dark song that fits his dark sounding voice
9.honkin down the highway ( hank williams jr.) gotta have this song
10. Country pie (dolly parton) just because of the title
11. shut down (alan jackson) gotta have another hit on here
12. country air ( oak ridge boys) again because of the title
13. barabra ann (John Fogerty) why not, although he's not country neither was Timothy B Smidth
14.cool water ( Glen Campbell)

I wish they would have treated it like 15 Big Ones Part 2 and mixed in some goofy but great originals in there as well and then followed it up with Brian let-loose for Love You Part 2  ;D

Rollin up to heaven (Hank Williams III)

huh!  I didn't even realize there IS a Hank Williams III !

some great replies so far  :lol
and some nice choices josh

i believe Merle Haggard also recorded "California" which would be incredible to hear.

George Jones really should have been included. Glen Campbell too.

could've been a really solid effort actually if they'd had more classic artists and less flavor-of-the-month types.

I'm imagining the same era as his cover of 'hurt'. That voice singing a day in the life of a tree would be so good!

exactly that was my point of reference as well...

but that was never going to happen. If the first S&S had been successful, Mike would've insisted that the followup be similar - no left field choices in the songs, just safe remakes of the hits. I'm sure he'd work in a country Kokomo with some hot babe singer - Carrie Underwood or someone...can't think now of who the popular country girl singers were back in 96.

I thought it was more that Al wanted somebody like Merle Haggard to record it but ended up just doing it himself. I could easily be wrong though.

I agree that it should have been on the album and Glen Campbell should have been there too though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSZfUnCK5qk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSZfUnCK5qk)

This is my wish list and it would've been fantastic.

So, apart from Sail On Sailor and In My Room:

Merle Haggard - California saga/Part III (as I understand Al's accoustic demo was done for Hag)
Johnny Cash - Let the wind blow
George Jones - God only knows
Kris Kristofferson - Forever
Jerry Lee Lewis - Got to know the woman
Jerry Reed - Shut down
Hank Williams jr. - Back home
Waylon Jennings - Marcella

I think Bobby Bare could've done a nice "Cherry, cherry coupe"


A big problem on vol. 1 was that the arrangements and production mostly sucked. The songs were not taken for what they are (great songs) but for trying to re-record the original versions. The awesome "Warmth of the sun" by Willie Nelson shows you what could've been done if they had collaborated with more stylists instead of soulless and type-less musicians that Nashville was (and still is) flooded with after country hit it big time in the wake of Urban Cowvboy. All in all S&S shows that it was just done for a quick buck and they didn't even try to hide it.


@Smile Brian: Hank III looks and sounds much more like Hank than Hank jr. He's done some nice things but all in all he's riding the outlaw image too much (just as his dad did for my taste) so it comes across a little freakish imo.

I'm sure Mike would want to put this on there.

Taylor Swift = $$$$

http://youtu.be/T1C69HMJiog

This thread is killing all the digital trees.  Please stop.

actually,  a 'stars and stripes vol.2'  could work really well with the right song/artist.....

I know the vol 1 is not everyone's favourite, but I don't think it's still an abandoned idea....

we are working with 'classic' material for starters.

perhaps the beach boys don't have to necessarily to be vocally involved..

the better approach maybe is to let each artist submit their own version/interpretation and then comp the album...

or go left field and get someone like T-Bone or Rick Rubin to produce it....... now that would be COOOOOOL!

RickB

Over Mike Love's dead body!

Was the Rodney Crowell "Sail On, Sailor" actually formally recorded, though?

I have heard what sounds like a live run through, but I don't think it was a studio version.

Bullsh!t! Bobby Bare should've been used for a cool version of "Honkin' down the highway".

I just noticed that - if you add Willie Nelson to that list - you'd have The Highwaymen (Cash, Jennings, Nelson & Kristofferson). Soooooo, how about The Highwaymen singing "Honkin' Down The HIGHWAY"?  :police:

this could or could have really worked.....

I remember at the time, the Beach Boys using the likes of country artists that weren't really 'anybody's so to speak...

they had Willie.... great move.

Toby Keith was NOT Toby Keith of todays nature... he was just a beginner...

Lorrie Morgan's contribution was awesome.

And I dig Junior Brown. 

but the rest was all second rate......

a great project idea........ bland results.....

but there is an option for Vol.2 as the first album states.

RB

Yeah, there's still some icons out there alive and kickin', including:

- Willie Nelson (for an encore)
- Kris Kristofferson
- Kenny Rogers
- Glen Campbell
- Merle Haggard
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Neil Young
- John Fogerty
- John Mellencamp (maybe?)
- Bob Dylan (would his voice fit any BB songs?)

But, they'd better hurry! ;) :o

yes yes....... and yes......

it could work bigtime.............

Rb

I can picture him on Big Sur (Holland version).

In an above post, joshferell mentioned Johnny Cash as a good fit for "A day In The Life Of A Tree". I totally agree, but since Johnny has passed, I wonder if Dylan would be a fit for that song. For some reason, I'm hearing Dennis Wilson songs and Dylan's voice, like "Morning Christmas"or even "Forever". Maybe "Dreamer" or "Moonshine"?

Technically, we've already got Dylan and Glen (Spirit of Rock and Roll and Postcard From California).

Glen Campbell is alive, but no longer kickin'. He's officially retired.

… and Neil…

One of the many problems was that the arrangemnts weren't very "country". They more or less were just using the original arrangements and re-recorded them. I mean what had "I get around" to do with country in any form?
After all, the idea itself was wrongly thought out. As Mike said in the video, they'd try to combine the Beach Boys and Country. The best way to go though would've been to have country artists interpret the Beach Boys' songs, get into the essence of the songs and their potential. That'd also meant that Brian and his co-workers would have had to re-arrange the Beach Boys' vocals. Willie Nelson's performance was outstanding and it should have stayed on that level.
Unfortunately the Beach Boys didn't care as long as their got their money and they had the wrong collaborators. Lokk at it, 1995/1996 was an interesting time for Country thanks to Johnny Cash's comeback (which of course was ignored by the Nashville community). But if they for a change would've invested some work and thought into their projects it really could've been very interesting and maybe more succesfull than what eventually came out.

They might not have been very "country" but they are hot arrangements. And "country" is not the "old country style."  It is hot and rocks!  I always loved that Vol 1.  And, it presupposes Vol. 2.  I'd love it! It is only about 20 years waiting.  

The video provides the perspective of another style of music which had deep respect for the Beach Boys catalogue, before the whole "respect" thing came full circle with C50, and the release of SMiLE.  The interviews are compelling.

And, why not release Carl's vocals? I would imagine it was among some of his last work.   ;)

Just don't auto tune them.  :lol

the best thing about 'stars and stripes' is the video documentary....

one of the best BB DVD's out there..... it's a shame it's 'out of print'....

and I ain't sellin mine  :hat

RickB

It is great!  Wish it had the rest of the songs, instead of being a "teaser!"  :lol

Wow. I guess I  was wrong. I always thought that S&S Volume 2 should have been done by Rock n' Roll artists. Nothing against Country music but Volume 1 should have been Rock n' Roll.

I'll never forget sitting in the Civic Arena waiting for Tom Petty to start his show. (late 80's early 90's...?
Last Dance for Mary Jane era)  You know they play music while people take their seats. The music is playing and on comes Brian and the Beach Boys singing 'Hushabye". Wow. Petty is a fan. Chills as that song filled the arena.

Springsteen is a fan. He played 'Surfin' U.S.A.' once in Los Angeles. He knew who ruled California. I remember reading a article where he spoke highly of them. He related to the whole car thing as evidenced in his songs.

I think these guys would have stepped up and recorded with them.

Oh...and now we all know about that Jeff Beck guy.  ::)  :)

I don't know how Kenny's voice is these days, but assuming he sounds the same as he did in his glory days,  I think he'd do well with one of Dennis' tender ballads.

It would be interesting to see them do a different genre of music with volume 2.
What other genres could you all imagine them gravitating towards?

Jazz would be cool,,, "Busy doing nothing" etc..