The Smiley Smile Message Board

Here's SmileySmile's version of Dear Abby,


Dear AGD,

Recently, I've been reading your book (not the first time) and I was wondering, with all your knowledge and information posted on your website, have you considered writing another book (as I'm sure I'm not the only who would encourage this)? I would love to have a copy of a lot of the things you've posted on your website...Is there a lot of paper work to go through for publishing writing on unreleased music versus writing for a website? Well, maybe your website is your preferred media now, which is perfectly fine, you're the writer.

Thank you,
a concerned punkinhead

It's all to do with market forces, sadly: turn up at a publishers with a Beatles, Elvis, Beiber or GaGa manuscript and they'll throw money at you. The Beach Boys are a much harder sell: the Comguide only happened because the good folk at Omnibus are very enlightened as regards rock history and insisted on a BB volume in that series. Their faith was justified, as it was one of the best sellers in the original series, and the update didn't do too badly either. I'd love to see a hard-copy version of 10452, but something tells me it would have to be self-published, which in turn would mean assuring a certain level of sales, and ever since a certain Mr. Elliott's shenanigans ten years ago, the word "subscription" has been a very dirty one in BB fan circles.

Writing/publishing on a website is subject to exactly the same rules & regs of copyright (and libel !) as the printed page. Strictly speaking, the only problem with unreleased material is that you're not supposed to have heard it.  ;D

Andrew, I don't know if you're familiar with the Beatles book 'Revolution in the Head' (Ian MacDonald)? Have you ever thought about writing a book like that about the Beach Boys' discography? I've read your book so often that it's falling apart, but I've always found it a bit frustrating that it obviously contains just a very small percentage of all the information and knowledge that you have about those songs.

"AGD Writes The Complete Guide To the Music of Lady GaGa" that should be a hoot.  ;D

Yes, I am - had a copy for more years than I care to remember. It's a good book. However, The Beatles were fully active in the studio for about eight years, released 11 studio albums whereas The Beach Boys were recording 1961-1992 and released 26 albums.

I'd dearly like to do a book that dispels certain long held myths and beliefs (as you may have noticed, I tend to get a bit pissy regarding that subject...), but I doubt anyone would commission one. A secondary problem would be that some information could be potentially litigious.

Would also be a very short one.  ::)

One of few publishers who might entertain such a BBs book would've been Helter Skelter, but their top banana (or was it Louie) Sean Body (big BBs fan) passed away a few years ago and so only a trickle of books are published by them these days.

Andrew I'd design the book for you if did it and went self-pub.

What's this situation?

Brad Elliott was once a leading light in the BB fan firmament, published an essential BB discography (1961-80). He laid plans for a book of sessions, a series of prints of Smile session photos and a 2CD version of the complete Hite Morgan recordings. Nothing wrong with that, except that he asked people to subscribe to these projects (or back them, in the case of the CD) - then vanished without either completing the projects or returning the cash. That's the bare bones.

I subscribed to Brad Elliott's 'Surf's Up! The Beach Boys on Record 1961-1881' maybe 7 or 8 years ago, and there was a long delay (was he ill or something?), but I did eventually receive a signed copy.

The only reason that reprint came out was because Helter Skelter agreed to handle it: I recall talking with Sean in the shop about it during the first series of  London BWPS shows and he was getting anxious that everything was taking so long. I don't think I exactly eased his mind.  :)

I need to fair here - the main problem with the First Wave CD wasn't down to Elliott.  The Hite Morgan tracks had been released on innumerable compilations, mostly of dire quality, since 1969 without anyone saying anything... then suddenly The Beach Boys decided they owned those tapes (which had been in Morgan's sons closet for some 30 years) and demanded the release be stopped and claimed punitive damages of something like $80 million in lost royalties. I agree, insane even by Beach Boys standards. Anyway, the release was blocked. That was in no way Elliott's fault, and I'd stand up beside him in court and say that.

But. He never returned any of the backer's cash despite having signed promissory notes to do exactly that within a specified time period, irrespective of whether the CD was released or not. I know of at least two people who are out tens of thousands of dollars. As far as I know he still has process servers on his trail. He did great, great research, and his book is still essential, but he also defrauded people out of large sums of money.

wow, that's crazy, didn't know that. I do own his Surf's Up book (61-81), and I was wondering when the 2nd volume would release....when did that book release originally?

So nobody knows where Mr. Elliot is now?

There is a phone number listed on his website, don't know if it works, but you could give him a call:

http://www.surfsupbooks.com/

Folk have tried.  ;D

Perhaps next year after the 50th anniversary celebrations have brought the Beach Boys back into mainstream public conciousness and Brian is acknowledged as supreme musical genius of the past 100 years, the market may be ripe? Of course, this depends on the 50th anniversary going smoothly....

JUst FYI...I was signed to Backbeat Books of the Hal Leonard Group earlier this year to write The Beach Boys FAQ book, which I'll be delivering before years end, and will be in the market next year. Press release below...

Stebbins to write Beach Boys edition for Backbeat Books
Author Jon Stebbins has been signed to Backbeat Books, an imprint of the Hal Leonard Publishing Group, to write the Beach Boys edition for their popular FAQ book series. The FAQ series is subtitled “All That’s Left to Know and More” with an emphasis on digging deeply into the details and minutia of the evolution of the band and its recordings. Books covering The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, The Doors and others have either been released or are on the horizon for Backbeat’s FAQ series. The Beach Boys FAQ title will be among the most extensive volumes in the series with Stebbins meticulously investigating the entire 50-year history of the band. The approximately 400-page book will be illustrated with rare photos and memorabilia images.

Damn - he beat me to it. That was the other reason I'm not currently pitching any product. I know when I'm outgunned.  :)

Sounds VERY interesting Jon! Can't wait for it to come out.

 :thud


I remember you saying something about this a while ago, I forgot....OOOO, I can't wait!

 :o Fantastic

Dear Andrew,

Do you do birthdays and bar mitzvahs?

speaking of writing books, I was thinking the other day, how I've heard of fans covering Brian's music and putting it together for a tribute ( I think Bloo did it before.) 

While some of us aren't blessed with musical talent and/or recording/music equipment, we're all capable of typing about our obsessions (BW/BB). It'd be cool to do a book from all of us of essays/articles on Brian, for Brian, and ourselves.

Before the Bloo, there were the four Net Sounds albums (from the Pet Sounds mailing List). I'm on one of them. Twice.  ;D

Whatever happened to Tøn Def ?

OH YEAH!

I remember seeing tracklist for Net Sounds but I didn't really know what it was for

"Rubber Ducky Surfer Girl"!!