The Smiley Smile Message Board

I wonder if ever a symphonic orchestra played, and most importantly, recorded and released an instrumental version of Surf's Up. Has anybody here knowledge of such a thing? Of course I mean just the one song and not the whole album.

COMMENT:  There are many BB titles that would lend themselves to orchestral arrangement. If you're looking for that sort of thing, I highly recommend Symphonic Sounds, The Music of The Beach Boys by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios (Studio One -- the big one) in London. Excellent recording, wonderful arrangements, no Surf's Up, but plenty of other Beach Boy hits -- overall a must-have for any collector of Orchestral music and a Beach Boy fan. It's been out-of-print for several years now, but copies can still be obtained; see below. For any cost this is a beautiful album!

Best Prices ranging from $3.00 to $10.00 for a used copy. New copies are in the $25 to $45 range. Get one that is "like new" to assure that you get the entire insert. It has lots of information about the production written by Bruce Johnston.
>>>> http://www.amazon.com/Symphonic-Sounds-Music-Beach-Boys/dp/B000009NH7

You can hear a few sound samples here:
>>>> http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/symphonic-sounds-the-music-of-beach-boys-royal-philharmonic-orchestra/378686

Other information:
>>>> https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Symphonic+Sounds:+Music+of+The+Beach+Boys

Good Listening, ~Stephen W. Desper

The Vitamin String Quartet is also good. They did a real nice version of Pet Sounds years ago.

Ron Altbach's "Beach Boys Suite" from 1979

1. Introduction:
California Girls
Be True To Your School
Sloop John B
Good Vibrations
Mt Vernon
2. First Movement
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
Feel Flows
Till I Die
Sail On Sailor
Mt Vernon Interlude
3. Second Movement
Let's Go Away For Awhile
4. Third Movement
In My Room
Caroline, No
Surf's Up
Mt Vernon
5. Finale
God Only Knows
Little Deuce Coupe
Fun, Fun, Fun
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Heroes And Villains
Be True To Your School
California Girls

love listening to this from time to time. very well done. headphones are the way to listen to this.

Thank you for the tips, Mr. Desper. For this Thursday I have a ticket for a show with a symphonic orchestra which features amongst other artists Mike's and Bruce's Beach Boys. I'm looking forward to that.

Steve, is that Altbach suite available somehow?

i'm sure it can be......  ;)

You utter tease  ;)

Micha, I don't quite understand - will M & B's BBs be there participating in the performance, or will they be performing versions of M & B's versions of BB songs or...?

I'm really glad this question was asked. I've got some listening to do!

I think the orchestra backs the pop artists who will perform one after another, but ultimately I'll know when I'm there.

It sounds wonderful. Let us know!

Unfortunately I've got to disagree on the Symphonic Sounds subject, Stephen. It definitely has some very cool moments, mainly during the suites and then mostly the kind of songs that - well - fit the orchestral treatment. Other highlights are "God only knows" and "Darlin". But most of it is really just the same lame stuff that always happens when you do these things: no one seems to have done any thinking. The songs are mostly the same arrangements with the orchestra playing the same stuff as the original recordings, which means you have an orchestra trying to play Rock'n'Roll. Very bad idea. For example, "Wouldn't it be nice" has the lead melody played by an electric guitar which is the most adventorous thing of it,
Of course it doesn't have to be adventorous but at least the arrangements should sound like they were written for an orchestra and not just two pages out of an old "Beach Boys Songbook". If you listen to snippets like that beautiful lonesome fiddle playing the lead line of "Surfer girl" or the aching sound of the strings when the chorus of "Don't worry baby" comes in, you know what could have been, if only they would have worked on the arrangements and - by God - used songs that were lending themselves for such a project instead of just the same old hits. I mean "Fun Fun Fun" by an orchestra? "Surfin' USA"? I'm very glad that I only got it on ebay and didn't have to pay more than a couple of bucks. I did spend the money gladly though for the mentioned moments of beauty.

Jan&Dean did an album of orchestral arrangements by Jan and George Tipton called "Pop symphony, no. 1" that although not through and through showed an approach that was very interesting imo. If you listen to "Drag city" as a bolero... man that's some great stuff