The Smiley Smile Message Board

There were a few live US TV performances where the Beach Boys pre-recorded new backing tracks for them to sing live to during these shows. But on some shows like SHINDIG 4/21/064 they performed the following totally live (Do You Wanna Dance", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Long Tall Texan"), but only sung live vocals to newly recorded backing tracks on the other songs ("Please Let Me Wonder" and "Help Me Rhonda"). Why would they do a few tracks completely live and a few with just live vocals only, within a show? This also occured for instance, on THE JACK BENNY SHOW on 10/23/65, where this time they sung to the existing backing track for "California Girls", but did a full on kick-butt trunicated live band version of "Barbara Ann" (THE ANDY WILLIAMS SHOW also had newly pre-recorded backing tracks but all songs were sung live over them). SHINDIG's '64 Christmas show had them sing to newly recorded backing tracks, but to me "Johnny B Goode" Dennis' drumming matches the beat and could be a live performance IMO.  I"m curious as to why would the Beach Boys sing live vocals only on some songs  to a newly recorded backing track, but (like SHINDIG '64) the rest of the songs were done totally live?

And why would then need to pre-record new backing tracks? Was it a union issue or that Brian didn't trust the band to play well-enough especially for millions of TV viewers? Or couldn't they use some of the stuido backing tracks like the did for "California Girls" on THE JACK BENNY SHOW?

Regards,
Cal aka "Beatle Bob"
:)

I know that in certain places there were union issues that required pre-recording of tracks: I think this was a UK thing, but perhaps it was true in some U.S. markets as well. (I believe it's in the Queen: Under Review DVDs where this is discussed some.)

Maybe these tv shows require a backing. Check out similar show performances and see if they're comparable.

I think it was to get the sound as good as possible. I would rather see live music and vocals but I would think relying on TV engineers would be a risky thing in the sixties.

I don't believe these were NEW prerecorded backing tracks - they were the studio backing tracks, remixed to sing over with live vocals.  Desper has written before about how he had to do new mixes of songs for theBeach boys to sing over for TV appearances both in the US and abroad.  One place where I believe they did prerecord a new backing track was "Good Vibrations" for Ed Sullivan, not sure if that version is still in the tape vault somewhere but it doesn't sound "live " to me but is clearly different from the single version.

As to why - some of the songs were fairly simple to play and the Boys were already performing them live - other songs were new, less familiar and/or more difficult, like California girls, Help Me Rhonda and Please Let me wonder.

GV on Ed Sullivan still in the tape vault? I believe it's on the Endless Harmony Soundtrack

That's a rehearsal in London about a month or two later.

In Badman's book, (the SHINDIG show I write about above) he tells these were "newly recorded backing tracks" as was the backing tracks for the ANDY WILLIAM'S SHOW. The JACK BENNY SHOW "California Girls" uses the "existing backing track". I think he mentions (I don't have the book in front of me) how the ANDY WILLIAM'S show backing tracks were recorded the day before the show was taped.

Also, he Beatles one and only appearance on SHINDIG in '65, also had the Beatles tape backing tracks the day before and they sung live over it.

Regards,
Cal aka "Beatle Bob"
:)