The Smiley Smile Message Board

Can anyone fill me in on this show,

Where the beach boys the only Band there, or was it a festival,

Also what was the attendance

It was, and still is, a big festival. With the BBs were Santana and The Blues Band, don't remember if anyone else was. I think there were around 40,000 people, though they expected about 100,000 but the weather probably made many not got or leave earlier...

According to an ad for the festival, this was the lineup:

The Beach Boys (headliners), Mike Oldfield, Elkie Brooks, Lindisfarne, The Blues Band, and "special guest" Santana.

ouch, a lot of people didint go

Thanks for clearing up.

BTW in the CD-version of the concert, there's a concert-poster remake....

I still don't get why they cut any songs. Even if you're not a diehard I think the whole concert would be enjoyed by all. It's not like there wasn't room ( the Monster Mash getting cut from the Lost concert is even sader.

They cut some songs from Knebworth because they were on a lower quality (sound-wise), as I understand.

My theories are
A The songs were too obscure
B Because Bruce didn't want his song on there
C Copyright problems?

Who knows but Rocker's info seems to work too.

Well, at least that's what's been said. I doubt the material is too obscure, because they even named the show "Good timin'". And stuff like "catch a wave" "Wouldn't it be nice" are welcome evryday. Bruce didn't want his song on there, he said, but the rest *is* because of sound-problems....

From a commercial point of view I can see why some trcaks were dropped - Santa Ana Winds was performed for the first time that night and the band had to read some of the lyrics if memory serves. Plus, once or twice Brian was playing something completely different to the rest of the band which can't have helped. Great gig and I'm glad I was one of the few (!) who attended... some of the cut stuff though would have been fine to my ears...

There is a concert poster remake in the CD package???  I hadn't noticed.  Is it large, similar to the SIP poster?

more of a flyer remake to my eyes!

Yep, that's a good description

I guess I haven't noticed.  I'll go home an check it out.

And the teeny-weeny problem of Brian playing a totally different song during In My Room on the piano before the piano's microphone was muted.

The cuts are regrettable, but I think the unedited concert would have drawn mocking laughter from the general public looking for a live Beach Boys album.

Listened to the Knebworth CD last night. First time in a long time. What's this about Bruce didn't want his song on there? What song? Even though all the Beach Boys are introduced or announced, Bruce isn't? Did he not want to be associated with the production?

For me the highlight of the released set is "Lady Lynda".

I didn't like the original studio version all that much, but the harmonies on  the Knebworth CD are phenomenal! Better than the original.

Good enough to suggest they were re-recorded in-studio for the concert release.
Did they do much re-recording for this release?

Yes they did re-recording for it back in 1980 when it was originally planned for release. The whole show should have been on there warts and all. Afterall this is a release for fans more then anyone else.

I agree. A lot of the newer songs sounded much better live than the studio-versions in 1980 IMO. "Keepin' The Summer Alive" absolutely rocked live, same for "School Days". But also older songs like "Darlin'".


Not sure. I've seen the Knebworth show 2 times on German TV this year. That's not surprising, because it's the only released TV-friendly BB concert...

Well it being on TV is cool, but the thousands of fans there didn't complain and they did fix all the tapes.

Saw this thread in passing and thought I would comment.

In actual fact very little re-recording was done on Knebworth. About 75% of the songs have one single overdub track of group bg vocals, and there are a few songs that have an xtra guitar or keyboard but that's it. No lead vocals were redone . The few songs that were left off the release were deemed to not be up to the standard of the rest of the concert. And a great concert it is imo.


Mark Linett

Hey Mark thanks for the info. I guess the group would have to ok all of the contents but things like Good Timin, or Santa Ana Winds are songs I would have loved to seen and heard. Again thanks for letting me know about how this was put together.

Why didn't Bruce want I Write the Songs on the released version?  I've heard the boot and he does a terrific job.

Some auto-tune was used on Mike's voice. I also have the boot, and his voice sounds much different.

if i am correct Carl re-did his vocals on Darlin.

I think Carl's vocal was the only "real" thing on the version on "Endless harmony".

i believe Bruce mentioned this on the BB mess.board a while ago. Maybe Mark Linnet can share some thoughts ::)

Yeah, maybe. I don't know if the EH-version and the Knebworth-one are the same. If so, then what I said should be right, according to the liner notes.

I thought I remember Bruce saying that very little re recording was done, I don't remember exactly the specifics of what he mentioned, but if I remember he was pretty adamant that almost all was original.

He already did!!!  :o

I think Carl's vocals on "Darlin'" are live. There seems to be a short shout-out by Carl during the bridge which they cut out.

ooops  ;D sorry, better read page 1 and 2 first. sorry guys  :-D ::)

one more time..... no lead vocals were redone on Knebworth

Thank You. Never thought they were. Why do people automatically think that? Guess they didn't see many shows.

I think it was pretty sad that they cut out where the audience sang "happy birthday" to Brian.  That would have been some priceless footage on the DVD. 

I gather the licensing was prohibitive. As for the the lead vocal question, I recall seeing - in pre-net days - that the bvs on "Darlin'", and several other cuts, were redone, along with some other post-dubbing back in 1980/81 for a proposed 20th anniversary video album release. Certainly if you compare the tapes as broadcast by Capital radio a few weeks after the event, there's noticeable difference.

Everyone should read my previous messages. To reiterate, no lead vocals were redone on Knebworth, and on maybe 75% of the songs one additional mono track of group bgs was overdubbed as well as the occasional guitar and/ or keyboard although none of those parts (gits & kybds ) made much diff. in the mix.

At the time making a good mix of the show was difficult or seemingly impossible. Digital technology made it a whole lot easier on both the audio as well as the viisual side to get things looking and sounding good.

You are correct about Happy Bday. It is very expensive to license that song for a DVD but the rate is fixed for a CD.

And there's quite a bit of Autotune on Mike's lead vocal I think.