The Smiley Smile Message Board

Do any of the other BB play/sing on these tracks or is it just Brian and Dennis respectively?

Not entirely sure about other involvements, but I would assume Denny plays piano, percussion, and bass harmonica on MC.

Wasnt Winter Symphony written with Diane Rovell?

She did the lyric - basic track was recorded at Brother, mid-seventies.

Dennis played Harmonica? Wow! I would've never expected that!

Yeah, but do any of the other Boys contribute vocals or do they play on the tracks?

Was Winter Symphony recorded before Love You?

Oh yeah, he was quite good.  He plays bass harmonica (nicknamed "the silver watermelon") all over POB & Bambu, and also standard harmonica on "Wild Situation" (two parts, in fact).  At one of the Party! sessions in '65, Dennis actually wails away on every song...really, really cool performances that I wish would've been released on the album, but weren't. 

None of the other Boys are on "Morning Christmas".  According to the "Ultimate Christmas" track credits, Sterling Smith played the piano, his brother Tommy played drums, Dave Hessler played bass, Gayle Levant played harp, and Dennis played ARP String Ensemble, bass harmonica, and orchestra bells.  Marisa Conover and Susan Murphy sang backup. 

As for "Winter Symphony", there is an AFM contract from a basic track session at MIU on November 15, 1977, and that is one of the song titles listed ("How's About A Little Bit" and "Our Team" are the others), but this could simply mean that overdubs were added to the existing mid-'70s Brother track at that time.  Brian's the only actual Beach Boy listed on the contract, along with the sidemen guys.  Then there's the horn overdub session (for "Winter Symphony" and "Goin' To Get That Girl") from November 21st, and a further one the next day (for "Winter Symphony" and "Alone On Christmas Day").  Beings as the vocal on this track is a solo Brian performance, we can rule out any of the other Boys singing on it.  But Alan Jardine contributed production-wise, by co-producing the MIU overdubs that brought the song to its completed form.   
EDIT:  I just listened to "Winter Symphony", and there is a high harmony vocal line in places that MAY be Alan, or it COULD be Brian...I didn't listen that close 'cause I don't have the time right now, but perhaps someone else could.

Thanks. I wondered about Al too.  Thought I heard him singing with Brian towards the end.

Damn, How come Denny never played it live? That would've been awesome seeing him play the harmonica parts on When I Grow Up and on Pet Sounds and SMiLE stuff, that is if we would've been able to pull it off

I have Winter Symphony in a chronological playlist I made of my favourite BB/BW tunes, but I don't know whether it should go before or after the Love You tracks. It's sad I know but this sort of thing matters to me! Anyone have any idea whether the main part of this song is really pre or post Love You? I guess the vocals might be a clincher. Presumably they were recorded pre Love You?

The basic track was recorded some time between mid 1975/late 1976 at Brother (I'd lean towards fall 1976), vocals and horns were overdubbed at MIU late 1977 (oddly, on one day when the BB were working on "WS" in Iowa, Dennis was working on "MC" at Brother). I'd place it pre-Love You - just, as the track predates that album.

Do you hear Al on this, Andrew, or is it just Brian?

Definitely hear a shadow vocal that's not Brian doubling himself. That said, wouldn't like to even hazard who it might be... but if not Brian, then Alan would seem the best bet.

That's interesting because I have always loved that part but I could never figure out who did it... I just assumed Brian but I was always unsure... I wish somebody knew for sure.

Thanks.

I also think the vocals should be the clincher. That's one of Brian's best "later" vocals, recorded AFTER the raspiness of 15 Big Ones/Love You, and reflects the MIU time period.

Chronologically, I'd put it in the "MIU" era, just because that's when the lyrics were evidently written, and that's when the vocals & horns (and apparently other instrumental parts such as Mike Kowalski's congas) were recorded.  But that's just me personally.  For instance, I'd put "When Girls Get Together" in the "Sunflower" era, but I'd put "Sherri She Needs Me" in the "New Album" era, since that's when Brian added the vocals.

I'm with C-man. If I was doing something chronological, I'd put it in with MIU because that's when it was completed. If an instrumental version popped up, I'd put that in with 15BO.

 I really wonder  what kind of lyrics this song had before it was  turned into a christmas song. This song sort of reminds me of  Surf s  up  oddley enough.

Did it even have lyrics then?

Not that I'm aware.

With these two songs, you would think the makings of a great Christmas LP was at hand. But then you hear the other Xmas songs of that time and it would be fitting for nothing more then MIU.

Alone On A Christmas day is pretty good but wasn't even released in 1998. Go and Get That Girl isn't bad either but it certainly was not a Christmas song.

Bells of Christmas is passable and Goin' South might have its niche on a Christmas album.  The rest are awful.

I always liked Christmas Time is Here Again, more than I liked their cover of Peggy Sue. I even heard it recently while eating lunch in South St. Seaport in NYC

While Merry Christmas From The Beach Boys (1977) sounded nothing like The Beach Boys' Christmas Album(1964), it does have some things in common. I always considered songs like "Christmastime Is Here Again", "Santa's Got An Airplane", "Winter Symphony", and "Bells Of Christmas" similar to Side A of the 1964 album; some OK to good original compositions. But what both albums desperately lacked were more traditional Christmas songs. There are so many Christmas songs I hear, and say to myself, "I wish the Beach Boys would've covered THAT"!!!

Maybe: Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Do You Hear What I Hear (where they could trade off verses), Sleigh Ride, It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, I Saw Three Ships.... 

Thats a great point Sheriff, I ask myself the same thing. Throw on a couple of original pieces (doesnt even have to be a full side) plus some traditionals and it would have been great. Seems like other than the medley, they were quicker to put on non XMAS songs in 77 instead of covering traditionals which is strange to me. 

I'm 100% convinced in my own mind that if any such album project was considered, the release date could not possibly have been 1977, considering the sessions at MIU were in November & December 1977. That being said, the supposed track listing is now equally suspect. Anyone seen any other primary source than Elliott's book ?

While I love Brian's covers of traditional Christmas songs from his recent album, I dislike most of the covers on side B of the '64 album. I also don't like the cover medley on the '77 album.

But it doesn't make any sense why they'd put Seasons in the Sun and Michael Row the Boat Ashore on a Christmas album, either. Doesn't Go and Get That Girl have a one passing reference to Christmas somewhere in it?

"True love can make you feel like Christmas Day"

In any case,t hat song should have been released anyway. I love it . Glad also that I'm not the only one who noticed that the old story about the 2nd Christmas album doesn't make sense due to the timeline. I've been wondering that for years, and I personally believe that is another one of those BB myths that refuse to die. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they really were recording Christmas music at such a late date (considering they were almost dumb enough to release Child of Winter right at Christmas!) but I doubt it.


Mike Love did cover Do You Hear what I hear with some chick, if that counts.

Do have anymore on that Mike Love cover? I'm curious...

Even though those MIU Christmas songs were recorded in late 1977 (November & December?), is it not possible that the album could've/would've held to later in 1978, much like MIU actually was?

More in the small minority department, but I like the Beach Boys' take on "Michael, Row The Boat", especially the production. Who produced it? Sounds like Brian to me....
 

do you hear what i hear- mike love & mary macgregor

from the 1983 radio shack release called christmas party.....

Is it any good? (as I duck from flying objects)

Actually, IMHO hell yeah.

Yeah, it is. Mike does a good job on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" too.

The myth held that the BB cut an Xmas album then, when it was rejected, reworked some of it in MIU. That premise kinda falls apart when you look at the sessions and realise that they were recording the seasonal stuff in tandem with the secular.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's only two songs - "Christmastime Is Here Again"/"Peggy Sue" and "Bells Of Christmas"/Bells Of Paris" that are the same "songs". So, one of the versions could've been bumped in favor of the other to avoid duplication. Or, they could've released both. The Beach Boys did it before, though in not exactly the same manner, with "Help Me R(h)onda", "Be True To Your School", and "Cottonfields". Same song, different versions.

Looking at http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/gigs77.html , it seemed that there was no distinction even between  Celebration and Beach Boys tracks. What a mess.

We'll have to wait for the 'Complete Iowa Sessions' boxset to get the whole picture.  ;D

The production of those 1983 Mike tracks wasn't great but I will have to pull the LP out and give it another listen. I don't remember disliking the vocals themselves.
I think Michael Row is one of the best 1976 tracks period and it is a Brian produced 15 Big Ones outake.

A video of the Mike Love and Mary MacGregor, Do You Hear What I Hear, is on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7XR87ccRv0

Yeah, you missed a few.

"Melekalikimaka" is "Kona Coast" and "Santa's Got An Airplane" is "Loop de Loop" (which I believe was worked on during MIU).

Also, there is a video of "Have Yourself A Merry Christmas"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps6CgklAKXw&NR=1

and, Mike and Dean doing Jingle Bell Rock both from 1983

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgB368njA4A&feature=related

I guess these belong in the YouTube thread.

Thanks for the link.  Wasn't able to get thru more than 45 seconds of it :-( but did Wire Tap it into my archives.  On a more positive note, that led me to "Mike Love & Dean Torrence-Jingle Bell Rock 1983", a much more fun listening experience.

Yeah, I forgot about those, conveniently.... :-D

Thanks, jmc. YouTube WILL carry everything, won't it. It's Mike with his "Big Sur"/"All I Wanna Do" voice! And that video, with the lamb. It's Pet Sounds meets Jim Morrison in Miami.... :police:

Who wrote 'Go and get that girl'? I like it in an MOR 70s kind of way though it doesn't sound like an original song from anyone in the group.

Did you notice how quickly Mike put down that tree to hit on that girl shopkeeper? :3d

And I like that Saturday Night Live-like version of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas at the end....

Wasn't it Ron Altbach?

The excellent version on the 2nd Celebration LP is credited to Eddie Tuleja/Ron Altbach.

You know what's strange about Go and Get That Girl the Carl version? He sounds stone sober something rare for the era.

Yes, especially since he looks completely out of it in the Our Team vid...

No kidding.

And you know what? I personally feel the track could've been a hit. Why was it left in the can?!

The Celebration version, which sounds almost exactly the same except for the fact that the lead vocal isn't Carl, didn't hit it big.

Yeah, but it didn't feature Carl.

One thing though I've always wanted to ask, and the answer may kill my love for the song somewhat. Every version I've heard had Carl's voice drenched in reverb, like heavy reverb. Was that how it really sounded, or was it a fault in the original boot?

"Go and Get That Girl" has good verses, horns, bridge... And then the chorus lets the song down IMO.

Still... It could have found a place in MIU.