The Smiley Smile Message Board

Today I was reading about The Beach Boys and there was a movie mentioned called The Beach Boys Today from 1993. It was apparently shown on TV and filmed from 1992-93. I've never heard of this before. I'd be really interested to see it, if anyone knows how.

I just looked it up on IMDB.  Apparently, it's a 50 min documentary of The Beach Boys 1992-93 Tour:

"A road film with the Carl Wilson-led touring Beach Boys, filmed in 1992-93 and including in depth interviews with all band members.
Director: Michael Feeney Callan
Writer: Michael Feeney Callan
Star: The Beach Boys"

You can see some clips from the movie here:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/MichaelFeeneyCallan/videos/

Wow! I never saw that stuff.

That's a documentary, often floating around titled as "30th Anniversary Special" or something along those lines.

It's an interesting time capsule from that period of time. I recall that they get a bit into the Landy stuff, but Carl doesn't want to go too much into it.

It just looks like a bunch of old stuff!

In a documentary? No....surely not?

There have been multiple threads on here over the years asking to find it....AFAIK never been a link to it online, was only traded on vhs back in the day....anyone know if anythings changed? i even messaged the guy on FB and asked if i could buy it somehow and he never replied

You can see Carl almost seeming to get emotional talking about Brian and drugs.

Did this ever air on any network?

Looks like a gem for the Carl footage, what a loss that it's more or less unavailable!

Did Bruce refuse to appear on camera? I heard him but didn't see him.

I saw Bruce in multiple clips.  Many of the clips are duplicated, but I think there were about 5 unique clips.

Interesting Al clip talking about the confusing transition from Smile to Smiley Smile, and I think Carl pretty much nails it on why Brian couldn't complete Smile.

It would be cool if this was made available via release, but that goes for about a million different films/videos.

I mean, what is really still in print as far as the BBs on video? A couple of C50 items, Knebworth 1980, the '76 NBC special, the American Band/IJWMFTT two-fer, the recent Pet Sounds documentary, and maybe a few other curios. Even "The Lost Concert" and "Endless Harmony" appear to be out of print.

I'm not sure how well the Feeney Callan documentary serves as a career-spanning doc, but it's most interesting as a time capsule of that particular period in the band's history.

And it definitely aired somewhere on TV (I always assumed in the UK?), because I've got a copy of the whole thing buried away somewhere on VHS and/or DVD. I remember the first time I saw it, it was labeled as a "30th Anniversary Special", and I assumed it would be some sort of concert thing (I recall that the BBs did some sort of gig around the Capitol building to celebrate their 30th anniversary), but it's in fact a kind of capsulated documentary from around 1991/1992.

I recall one segment where Carl talks about each backing band member, because this was all done during that relatively brief period in 1990-1992 when Adrian Baker had returned.

Wow, I'm glad I bought Endless Harmony and the Lost Concert when I did. 

On Amazon, Endless Harmony is selling on Marketplace as high as $40.25, and Lost Concert is going for as high as $53.45

The Amazon third party marketplace, when it comes out-of-print stuff, is usually on the higher end/inflated. It appears sold items on eBay indicate you can still get both for a relatively cheap price, though sometimes it requires some patience.

Unfortunately, I'm guessing the rights to the film just lapsed and that's why EH is out of print. I'd love to think they're planning a new, longer, career-spanning documentary to replace it. But I doubt it at this stage.

This is true, but if you had an item to your wishlist, you can get lucky with marketplace items.   I think sometimes a seller will see the other high prices, and undercut them just to move the item.  That's how I got a copy of the Al Jardine Friends and Family CD on the cheap a couple years ago. 

To the very best of my knowledge this was never aired anywhere (lack of sponsorship finance possibly)
Anyhow, and I hope I dont get a nasty email from BRI but I do own a copy of this on VHS tape (not that I currently have anything to play it on) - got it well over 20 years ago from a 3rd party AND yes from memory it is rather good

As someone who recorded, dubbed, and scrounged around for anything broadcast or out on video on the band at this exact time, I don't recall this one at all. I've never seen it and definitely don't have it, and I'd watch it for the historical value.

What sticks in my mind in terms of the present day 2017 and what we know was going on with Brian and Landy, I wonder if anything related to that got mentioned in these interviews. This would have been when things were really bad...and for me it's kind of tough to see the band members on camera while Landy and his "team" were all but sending Brian Wilson to an early grave with their therapy methods and quack medicine.

There is a rather nice live take of 'Please Let Me Wonder' with Bruce on lead vox (recorded I believe in Glasgow in 1991) and great narration by Carl of the support musicians (with sound check footage)  including Carl stating that Billy is the funniest man in the world

I'd love to see this. The clips on that dude's Facebook page are tantalizing.

It aired twice on tv in europe

I want to see the full film so bad! Carl talking about the musicians + Bruce singing Please Let Me Wonder sounds amazing!!!!

Yeah, it always struck me as something that was taped off of TV. Not that "unaired" stuff never escapes (e.g. "Our Team"), but when I got this back however many years ago, I hadn't previously heard of it.

According to IMDB, this doc was a co-production with RTE out of Ireland.

I can't remember for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if this full doc was previously up on YouTube on that epic Beach Boys channel that was taken down. You know, because what fans *really* need to be protected from is random TV news blurbs and Merv Griffin interviews....

I've posted about this before.

It is a really good documentary, shot during the 1991 Tour.  As well as Please Let Me Wonder from Glasgow there is a fabulous God Only Knows.  I was at the Glasgow gig and couldn't believe it when I saw this at the Stomp Convention in 1992.  Copies were later traded and I have it on VHS.  I think I copied it to DVD last year.  I'd need to locate it.  I have never seen it on YouTube.  The interviews are really interesting.  I think some of the interviews appear to have been shot in the then Moat House hotel in Glasgow where they stayed on that 1991 Tour.

I also would love to see the full release.

I think the only way that happens is if they one day release a massive Anthology DVD set.  Something like the three volume set that KISS released about ten years ago, which included several concerts from different eras, TV appearances, and even their cringeworthy Kiss Meets the Phantom movie.

I dug this out yesterday and watched some of it (didn't have much time). I took a few crude "camera pointed at the TV" screencaps. They look pretty bad; the video quality actually isn't quite as bad as the pics look.

The thing is indeed called "The Beach Boys Today" and is subtitled "A 30th Anniversary Special."

It features interviews with of course the four main principals, and also briefly Billy Hinsche, Ed Carter, Mike Kowalski, and Matt Jardine. (I kind of scanned through, so there may have been others too; it's been years since I watched this front to back).

I did go to the "Landy" section of the film. While it may well have been *aired* after the Landy debacle was over, it was definitely shot during the apparent peak of tensions, presumably right before or right as the conservatorship petitions were starting, etc.

Bruce surprisingly is the one who mentions that Brian is shut off from all of his family. Al laments that Brian isn't around, and seems to be truly sad and disappointed and worried, pointing out he felt it would have been great to have Brian with them for a 30th anniversary tour. Mike not surprisingly takes time to point out that he made "Kokomo" without Brian (Parphrasing: "Brian was nowhere near the studio." "Not that we didn't want him there.") Carl says "I've agreed to not say anything until a certain time." He then goes on to add, rather sadly (but hopefully at the time) that he could envision the band recording a new album with Brian very soon. Bruce adds that he can't wait to go through the "hundreds" of songs Brian has been writing to find some good stuff for a new album. (Note that Bruce several years later, when asked about the Paley sessions, was not as complimentary in saying "it was a courtesy for us to be there.")

My recollection is that it's certainly one of the better independent documentaries made on the band. It's about 55 minutes long. But it's such a time capsule/moment in time sort of documentary, that, especially with the contentious segment on the Landy situation, I couldn't really say you'd want to show this to a new fan as an introductory documentary.

But it most certainly has that British/European sensibility missing for most "TV" US productions. It reminds me of something like the "South Bank Show" documentary on McCartney's Broad Street, or somewhat like the US "Going Platinum" special on the KTSA album from 1980, only more serious and somber in tone and not focused on a "new" album project.

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Me too Rob, think I bought mine in Greenford...?

Watched some of the interview snippets, thanks for sharing... and I think I just saw a ponytail.

It's interesting how Al Jardine still seemed confused about Smiley Smile almost 25 years after they made it.