The Smiley Smile Message Board

Probably in about 200/2001, there was a great show at the Hollywood Bowl where Charles Floyd (or LLoyd) conducted the Pet Sounds Suite, an orchestral version of Pet Sounds with arrangements by Van Dyke Parks. I used to have an mp3 of this fantastic Gershwin-meets-Wilson show but has been long-lost. Does anyone know even remotely what I'm on about here and - more importantly - does anyone have a copy ofr said extravaganza?

I have a copy. :)

I was there and if my memory's not mistaken Van Dyke Parks actually conducted that night in the absence of the intended conductor. The show didn't sell out which I took as a slight against Brian, who was, after all, playing his home town. Great show tho'.  The whole thing was booted back in the day.   :)

But you don't have it. Right? :)

Not a Pet Sounds suite. Just an orchestral medly of BW tunes arranged by VDP -- it included pre- and post-PS material. It was the opener to the Pet Sounds symphonic shows. The orchestra would play the 15-20 minute suite, then the band would play a hits set. Then intermission, and the band and orchestra would unite for PS. The orchestral parts for the album performance were not arranged by Van Dyke -- it was Paul Mertens' first work arranging for BW.

Can someone clear this up - why would you hire an orchestra to play Pet Sounds, only to omit them from the cd and dvd release? Did they not want to pay them or something?

Something like that. Paying an orchestra to perform live during a concert is one thing, but recording them for a CD/DVD release is significantly more expensive and I assume the bean counters did not think it worth the expense to include an orchestra in the recordings.

There are some misunderstandings here.

The orchestral shows took place in 2000, and they were only performed in America. Later that year, the band realized that it could perform PS on its own perfectly well without the orchestra (the full arrangements were very subtle and did not contribute much).

The British Pet Sounds shows came two years later, in 2002, and never included an orchestra. The 2002 British shows were recorded and filmed for CD and DVD.

aaaahhhh. That explains it. Thanks!

I distinctly recall the Pet Sounds Live week in London, 2002. Just prior to that I'd come to know that there would be no symphonic orchestra with the band, and I was somewhat disappointed. Then an American correspondent wrote me that there was no need to worry, the 14-piece group would not let me down. And was he right... never before in my life as a music fan I felt so elated at what actually was realized on the RFH stage.

My memory from 9 years ago is that some shows on the American tour were "scheduled" to have an orchestra and some not.  When they played at the University of Minnesota in September, 2000 the orchestra was cancelled at the last minute although it had been advertised.

I feel strongly it was due to financial considerations.  The hall was about 50-60% full for PET SOUNDS!  Roughly 4500-5000 seats total in the auditorium.  Half full or so.

I drove 700 miles to be there.

Those shows were amazing though -- I saw the PS/Orchestra show in Denver, and it was beyond words. Admittedly, it was my first time seeing BW, but there was so much energy from the audience and band -- and BW.

True, but I think the real loss was not having a properly recorded version of Van Dyke Park's orchestral medley.

You do know that every respectable soundman records every gig he works the board on, right? Maybe not to the most pristine media, but it gets recorded. I believe there is a soundboard of the 2000 Pet Sounds tour in circulation but I haven't come across it. 2001 is the year for BW soundboards.

To some, a soundboard recording would not necessarily be considered a "properly recorded version", but I'll grant you that decent sounding soundboard recordings  could very well exist. I'll rephrase my complaint: "...the real loss is not having an officially released recording of Van Dyke Park's orchestral medley."

It should be released with VDP's and Brian's version of Rhapsody in Blue.