The Smiley Smile Message Board

Personally, I love it... great production, vocals... clever tag...

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-mike-loves-spirited-bittersweet-new-christmas-song-20151106

Ah, you beat me to it!  I really like it, actually.  Better than I was expecting.

whoa i cant wait to hear the phoenix one

What a bore. ::)

How many weeks ago did you prepare that one?

Again, a dumpster fire of autotune is hilarious after Mike's "interview" to David Beard talking about "autotune" the right time. :lol

The tune is ok; it has some cool chord/melody changes in places. Hard to not chuckle when I hear traces of autotune (which I absolutely hear) since Mike has belittled Brian for the same.

Are parts of this recording vintage from the 70s? Or is entirely a re-record?

Brilliant!  Way better than anything on that hack brYhan's awful No Pier Pressure.  This shows Mike was the true songwriting genius of the group.

 :woot :woot :thumbsup :thumbsup :woot :woot

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It's better than his last one - I'll give him that. I don't mind it, but why enunciate every word of every line like he's a tourist speaking to a bunch of bemused locals who've never heard English in their lives? Perhaps we need a video of live Brian hand gestures to accompany it...

Sounds like a new recording to me.

It's definitely a new recording and I think it's way better than the original, which I thought had a very un-Beach Boys generic AM '70s feel to it, not in a good way.

Yeah, the -- are we allowed to say Autotune?  I forget -- the vocal processing is pretty apparent.  But I think overall it's a nice production, appropriately lush but with a touch of roughness around the edges and spatial depth to it.  The "Overnight Sensation" transistor radio effect at the tag is a nice touch.

"Why the sadness/When there should be gladness" - sez Mr. Positivity. What poetry!

Seriously, though, it's a bit too heavy on the vocal processing. Other than that, very pleasant! :)

Response:

(http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2014824/rs_634x746-140924073021-634.Phil-Spector-Prison-Photos.jl.092414.jpg)

Just bought it and can't wait to play it in the car!

oy.

Mike sounds good! Good production too. Do we know exactly when it was recorded?

You already used that analysis in the other thread if you're gonna be like that at least change it up a little. ;D

Where did you buy it?

iTunes

Edit:  It's available on Amazon as well.

Thank goodness he fell asleep now we won't have to hear his "boring and mundane" comments  :lol

Thanks!

It's also on Spotify now!

What's up with those vocals? Is Joe Thomas producing Mike now?

Mike's auto tuned vocals are just awful.  I do really like the "why the sadness/gotta move on" hook/chorus! Really grabbed me. BVS sound akin to Papa Do Run Run, nothing like real Beach Boy harmonies.

Good for Mike that he made something new! (Even though the song is old).

Not a fan of this recording (love the original), but it sounds like it might be a chorus effect or ADT on the vocals as opposed to autotune.

Whatever it is, it sounds awful. Musically, the song is terrific, it's just the lead vocal that kills it for me.

I'm sure it's Melodyne (more sophisticated autotune software) and Vocalign (which syncs vocals to each other). Notice how air tight Mike's bass vocals are towards the end. His timing ain't that good. :)

Kind of weird to hear the wall of Fosketts on a Mike solo recording. Like some of Brian's retro-sounding productions, way too "Be My Baby"-ish to my ears, and way too much reverb. I understand, they have to change it from the late 70's production sound of the original.

And yeah, I don't know why we're afraid to say autotune, or pitch correction, or heavy vocal processing. One if not all of those are slathered all over this thing. Sounds like a robot. As bad if not worse than any autotune on TWGMTR, whether it's literally the Antares Autotune software being used or not.

And yes, considering Mike's passive aggressive swipe and Al and Brian regarding autotune in the Beard "interview", that takes some balls.

I can personally vouchsafe there's no pitch correction on David Marks' new track, anyway:

https://soundcloud.com/davidleemarks/kustom-kar-show

I don't use it, but as others have pointed out, it's really an issue of when a processing effect -- any effect -- takes you out of the moment that the record is trying to create.  Everyone's mileage may vary on this question, of course.

I like it. Was very surprised how good it sounded. Okay, lots of processing but it does smooth away some of the "old man voice" vocal. I might even buy it !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARkj12Y6Uh4
Raspberries "Overnight sensation"

listen to the drum fills and the 60's radio link near the end... sounds like they used this song as a inspiration when they spiced up the original recording of "Alone on Christmas Day"

Pretty cool! Nice one, Mike  :rock

He only creason he comments like that is to hid his true love for Mike Love. No one eles goes out searching on youtube to listen to Mike Love vidoes just to bash them! Its his cover up pretty clear and easy to see.

But on topic! I love this single  better then his last version! Keep it up Mike!!! Thank you for such a wonderful Christmas song to listen to for many years to come!

Was Bruce not involved? ?

It's kind of sad that Mike Love would rather have some guy try to make it sound like a Brian Wilson production with the sleigh bells, the Hal Blaine Be My Baby drumbeat, instead of... working with Brian Wilson.

OK, but Mike's recording with the old Brian sound isn't really what Brian's current recordings sound like, though, so I'm not sure this really follows.  If he wants to get that sound, he's not necessarily going to get it working with Brian.

Dunno, Adam. We all have different opinions on that. Then again, lots of detractors here would call BW's recent recordings dated retro style productions with overly processed vocals and a wall of Fosketts, so... shrug.

But I see your point. Mike Love wants an idealized version of the 60s BW and not the actual living BW, his "Cousin Brian." So send in the Dirty Dancin' guy, I guess.

I am pleasantly surprised by this song.

I say this objectively, one of the only things cut by any of the BB's (save David Marks, from whom I haven't listened to that many of his more recent recordings) individually or collectively in the last 20-30 years that retains any significant amount of analog warm and fuzzies with instruments and vocals that actually breathe are some of the tracks on Al's "Postcards" album. I'm talking sonically. I always use the example of his take on "California Feeling." It sounds pure and warm sonically.

Even the most "non-electronic" of Brian's solo productions are so heavy on the echo and reverb, and other processing, even they lack that warmth and purity.

I think a few moments on "No Pier Pressure" get close. His vocal on "This Beautiful Day" for instance has some of this. Like some of the Al solo stuff, that Brian vocal sounds like a guy around 70 singing, for better and worse.

This single is an example of Mike doing half-assed versions of more talented guys like Brian Wilson and Phil Spector.

As with David's cut which also debuted today, this is a very good track. Anytime any of the Beach Boys are in the studio is a good day for me.  :)

Don't be so absurd and enjoy any new Beach Boys releated song that comes out! This dont happen often anymore and one day we wont get any new music from the guys!

I like it.  I'm really looking forward to hearing Phoenix's version.

"...He only creason he comments like that is to hid..." Better not to post when you're boozin'. No wonder myKe's stupid Xmas single sounds good to you.  ::) ::)

I enjoy the song. Not huge on the “Be My Baby” reference though. Did Phoenix ever say they were recording this?

Well said. How many of the cranky comment folks who post here will still be cutting it into their mid-70s? We're fortunate that Mike and David and Brian and Al are still with us and making decent tunes… why be negative about something like that purely for the sake of being negative? If you know you're not going to like something, don't waste time looking it up online and listening before wasting our time by coming here and posting about it? Odd behaviour, to my mind…

Never, ever EVER post that picture anywhere again

You do realize that you posted it again yourself, right? ;)

Mike's Beard: You have to admit that it's beyond preposterous for Mike to have made that Autotune snarky comment months back, in the wake of this new/old tune just hitting the streets.

I honestly wonder how many takes Mike did, and if it was just some producer trying to "fix" the best they had to work with. There are moments where he sounds good and then an Autotune blip comes in and shows its ugly face. It's insulting to the listener's intelligence to think that it's not obvious. Egregious, obvious Autotune, like bad CG in films, must die. There are Autotune moments on this song that are not entirely dissimilar to the bad James Bond CG in Die Another Day. There *must* be a better way. Spend days on the vocals. Record it word by word and craftfully splice it together if needed. It can be better than this, but I think that nobody cares enough to make that effort. Brian cared enough when he recorded the Gershwin album.

Other than that, the tune is surprisingly not too bad. If you remove the Autotune and have the song sung in pitch, naturally, it's better than a good deal of other modern era BB-related tunes.

I hate Autotune unless it's used tastefully and transparently, regardless if on Mike product, Brian product, BB product, or any artist's product.

So let me get this straight. Posting an OPINION, that's right, an opinion is forbidden if someone happens to not care very much for something someone released because if they're alive, we should immediately embrace it whether it stinks or not. Show me where it says that in the rules. Don't look now, but this entire board is totally entrenched in opinion. Without it, there would be no board. You worry about your own time, not other's time. Maybe this will help you to not waste your precious time-I graciously invite you not to read posts that you feel will be, in your OPINION, a waste of time.

Unremarkable. I got it after about 30 seconds much more than that and it felt over-long and repetitive.

There you go again. "Michael Lloyd to produce and helm the new arrangement".

Enjoyable if remove BMB drum. I give original more care only because it has slight jazz sound. But it's interesting circumstance how it was decided to be recorded. Oh, & I like 'doomsday' Mike voice in "Alone" bits. quite hilarious, smb. would make a good sample outta it.

The irony was certainly not lost on me.

A little too early for Christmas music, but that was pretty pleasant.  OK, the autotune is a bit much, but I think the song itself is good. 

In the UK, the build up to Christmas starts the second Guy Fawkes night is over.

Nice, pleasant tune, vocals ok. Sounds like Mike is out of breath or hoarse at points. The last verse with meditation etc doesn't really fit the Christmas vibe.  Certainly better than many other XMAS songs heard on the radio. 

Something about the Love You/MIU-esque production on the original version of this tune gave it a certain charm. This version is nothing great, but it's not a bad song. The Be My Baby drum intro just doesn't fit, though. Michael's voice isn't so shot that he needs all of the autotune; his performance here would sound better without it. Foskett's voice has become quite annoying. The background vocals are pretty good. Assuming it's John Cowsill on drums...not bad. The production is well done. I assume Scott Totten produced it?

I'd give it a 2.75 out of 5. It's neither unlistenable nor particularly memorable, but then again, so was the original. It's another Beach Boys-related Christmas song that'll pass by nearly unnoticed on a mix CD while trimming the tree. At least it's neither as banal as Santa's Goin' to Kokomo nor as jaw-droppingly awful as Al's Big Sur Christmas (yikes!).

Throw in Brian's All I Really Want for Christmas on the 'bad solo BBs Christmas songs' list.

Please don't. It's lovely.

Not bad at all! It'll fit nicely in the live show and serve a purpose there. But it certainly won't be remembered and/or celebrated by generations to come or anything spectacular.

With any luck, this means that "Pisces Brothers" will finally get outta there...

It's alright, but it's a bit too straight forward for me.  Should have had somebody cook it up a little more, make it a little more interesting.


What's always surprised me about Mike is that nobody like one of these cool-ass hipster music legends has worked with him and made him actually as good as he's always had the potential to be.  Neil Young.  Jeff Lynne.  Don Was.  One of those type of mo'fos who are super talented and like working with everybody.... get one of those guys to lock themselves in a room with Mike (lol) and record an artsy fartsy album with him.  It would probably be the greatest sh*t ever recorded.  Push him towards stuff like Big Sur or All I wanna do, etc.

I'm sure some have offered over the years but he must just be completely against it.  You'd think eventually he would have realized that since Brian was so good at all that stuff, after Brian was unavailable... oh, I don't know, how about get somebody outside to write with you and produce with you?  We've really missed out on a huge opportunity with Mike, because in my opinion the guy has a lot of talent but he needs an editor or a co writer to save him from himself.  

Just my opinion.  

For the record, What I Really Want for Christmas is probably the best Christmas album I've ever heard. 

I like that one a lot, actually. Brian's version of White Christmas with Styx is far worse.

Just heard the original version for the first time. Utterly underproduced in comparison and very charming at that!

You mean you still haven't bought my present?

Yeah, and a question about that. I thought "Alone On Christmas Day" originally came from the M.I.U. sessions in 1977, but the Rolling Stone article says it's a track from 1979? ???

EDIT: Maybe somebody could combine the two threads. I have a feeling there's at least a couple of more days and several pages to go...

Very nice song. Prefer this over the -notoriously unfinished- old track. Nice vocals, and cool bass singing in the end-- there had to be one more great Mike Love killer bass vocal, and he delivered.

Two questions:

1) backing vocals? My guess is Foskett+Totten+Love. But I wonder if Bruce and Brian Ike are in there also-- if the former were there he'd be easy to pick out I think. The harmony blend is warm and nice.

2) songwriting credits?

If only he could have sung "...never be..." another 25 times.  ::)

Exactly, a ML nasal bleatfest if their ever was one. ::)

why would BJ not be on this?  Would that have made it look too much like a BB attempt? Better for ML to go it alone in terms of actual BB members?  Weird.

I don't think Bruce was on any of Mike's other solo releases that have trickled out lately, but I could be wrong.

Not a bad track, not at all! Actually enjoyed listening to it. But then again, I also enjoy PT Cruiser. Guess I'm just a sentimental sap...

To echo Ron's remark, coupling Mike with a co-producer/writer who's legitimately 'his own man' would be an interesting experiment. Throw some friction into that studio. Of course, I'm 'fraid that ship has sailed... Mike prefers the road.

Mike's tunes sound fine and all, but they always seem to lack that little surprise, that little unexpected. They always seem so pleasantly by-the-numbers. Daybreak Over the Ocean - pleasant, but a little hum dee dum to me.

I think they all buy into the idea that Mike is an arrogant jerk with little talent and would not sink to the level of working with him. I don't believe that myself-no person who writes a song as great as Big Sur is untalented-but that's the narrative and constant repetition has made it true for a lot of people.

I just hope no one gets suspended ,like that time with Brian, for all of these claims that Mike might have used Autotune. We don't need that so close to the Holidays. (thousand yard stare)

Hopefully David Beard can clear that up for us and just ask Mike Love about it to continue this gripping whodunnit.

"It was Dirty Dancin' guy that did it! I don't really sound like Cher, honest!"

Cam - Who got suspended? Give me a name.

Are those crickets I hear chirping?

No one I hope.

I didn't get the message of this "message" song.    why is it that we'll never be alone on Christmas Day?      Seriously....I missed that bit.    Please explain it to me.    Seriously.

It's tradition for Beach Boys Christmas Songs to have certain lyrics that make absolutely no sense, so Mike threw that in there to make it authentic.


For instance...


"Christmas comes this Time each Year!.   Christmas Comes this Time each year!"

Why, thank you for that Mike.  What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Don't be so absurd to tell SMiLEBrian not to be absurd. It's like telling him to not be SMiLEBrian.

You're right to enjoy this though. It's very pleasant, other that I don't like the BMB intro and the overlong outro I prefer this sonically to the latest Wilson/Thomas coproductions. Mike's voice is detriorating now as well but at least not as badly as Brian's. There is one background voice on this that somehow sounds similar to the modern day Brian Wilson, especially on the "be" in the acappella section. is that Brian Eichenberger?


To me, second only to the BB's 1964 effort. I listen to both of them a lot during Christmas season.

Yeah there's definitely a modern day Brian voice doppelganger in there. Probably not Foskett but I wonder who it is?

I like this track a lot. But, i.e. the vocal processing. To me, parts of the lead vocal mix reminds me a bit of some of the vocal sound on Jan Berry's Second Wave solo album.

So what was your point, Cam?  I'm trying to follow this...

That I hope people don't get as upset about opinions regarding Autotune on Mike's song as they got about opinions regarding Autotune on Brian's songs. So far they aren't so I guess we are good.

Upset?  Your original post said nothing at all about people getting upset - it is quoted in this very post, in case you've forgotten.  You originally posted about people being suspended over the autotune issue, then you were called out on it.  Now you are changing your (auto)tune, in fairly typical Cam Mott fashion, I might add.

Sophistry of the lowest order.

EoL

Cam: If in fact BOTH Brian on NPP, and Mike on this new song, used Autotune on their respective solo recordings (or some similar pitch correction software), do you think it's a tad bit hypocritical for Mike to have thrown that Autotune dig out at Brian a few months back in the infamous interview he gave? Not trying to start a debate about what pitch correction was or wasn't used. I'm saying, assuming that they both used it (as I believe is absolutely the case) or both of them signed off on Autotuned recordings that their producers made.

Clearly, both guys have used it to varying degrees of success on recent recordings, but my question has nothing to do with a debate about it, or pointing fingers as to who made the decision to process the vocals in the way they got released... I'm simply pointing out some unavoidable hypocrisy that cannot be denied. If Autotune or similar pitch correction software was in fact used on both guys' recordings, are you going to say that there is zero hypocrisy with that interview? For once, let's finally admit that this interview was a foot-in-mouth moment that looks pretty ridiculous, especially in light of Mike's new, clearly pitch-corrected (and not very well) tune, which by the way, I'll still say is an ok, not too bad song overall.

I guess Cam's referring to this old thread on mustard and ketchup:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,20337.0.html

Who got suspended? Give me a name.

Dont care Mike used a old BB xmas tune. I really love the song and the vocals are nice. So what if they use autotune. Every artist today uses autotune but not many artist can sing live. Thanks to Mike for giving us a new "beach boys" song !!

Didn't someone end up suspended in that thread?  Maybe I'm mistaken.

I believe it was The Cincinnati Kid.

Yeah, people were upset.  You didn't think so?  Anyway I hope we don't have a repeat over allegations of the use or non-use of Autotune in Mike's song.

I wonder if the Beatles were spoofing this on their fan club Christmas record with the "ain't been 'round since you know when" bit.

Enough of this garbage. No one got suspended over making claims that Autotune was or wasn't used, no one would get banned or suspended for that kind of reason anyway, and to suggest people were banned for that reason as you did in the original question (which you then dodged when asked about it) is as irresponsible as it is totally false.

When you hope that no one gets suspended, like happened sometime in the past, for making claims that someone did or didn't do something...and no one was ever suspended or banned for that reason in the first place...there is no basis for such a question and the question becomes an allegation posing as fact.

Consider if you don't know what you're talking about, it's best not to talk about it.

What's interesting (though not surprising) about this song is that Mike incorporates so many tags/feels/melodies/vocal licks of several Beach Boys tracks.  Drum intro, vocal cliff/pause from Good Vibrations, even the falsetto melody from Crocodile Rock.  With a modern-era Brian sound-alike voice to boot! 

All that said, I dig the song.  I snipped the intro drums and replaced them with the vocal intro from Brian's "What I Really Want For Christmas."  Now it's even better!

Next task, tack Brian's "Christmasey" intro from "Let It Shine" onto some other Christmas track.  Can't decide which, though.

I went back and read the thread and you are right in that I was wrong in the particular.

There was a lot of discussion of Autotune in that thread but no one was suspended for their comments on Autotune.

I stand corrected and I apologize.

Apologies if someone posted this already, but I didn't see it after a pretty thorough search. Pitchfork has this bit of news on the Phoenix version of "Alone on Christmas Day":
http://pitchfork.com/news/62151-bill-murray-and-phoenix-putting-out-christmas-single/

They give almost every detail you could think of except one: who the composer is.

The other question is: Why in the world do people keep putting Miley Cyrus on TV (or in this case, streaming TV). 

Um, that Christmas comes this time each year? This is not 1st time when smb's baffled at this line & I don't know why.

Now available on disc as part of some very expensive holiday gift packages on mikelove.com ($150+).

(http://i.imgur.com/JVRQkdw.jpg)

Did this guy ever get his ring back?

That shirt looks horrendous.

If you're thinking of buying this crap, a donation to charity would perhaps be a more dignified way to spend money.

I wonder if there is anymore Mike love songs on that CD other the Alone on Christmas day? It is called a single otherwise it would be a little missleading and should be called a Alone on Christmas Day CD single!