The Smiley Smile Message Board

A Christmas gift for all y'all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vJT5TyMEwI

More to come; I'm uploading the rest of it as we speak.

Wow!  A very young Daryl Dragon on the organ if I'm not mistaken?

Goodness gracious, what a great Christmas gift. Thanks!

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDfBi_Cn-c

oh wow!  awesome!   :) :) :) :)

how many parts Don??   please don't stop!!   :p

Five. The footage in total is 46 minutes and 2 seconds.

On that note:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEELdPSGLa0

KILLER!!

why hasn't this been released?

BBCentral where are you... this is gold!

Part 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjRJtupjq3k

Part 5:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDE-NrZsMq0

Wow!  Mike Love still in his Maharishi garb in '69? And is that Daryl Dragon playing the keys next to Ed Carter?? Maybe the same line-up as the Live In London European tour of late 1968. Probably the same horn section - they're great! And Bruce is all over the place wailing on the organ, bass, and high vocals. The most active that I've ever seen him! The Boys at their finest vocal era - Carl with the 12-string on I Can Hear Music.....and wowwee! Please Let Me Wonder & Warmth Of The Sun!! Somehow, guys in ice cream suits and Mike in the goofy robe (where's the turban?) singing I Get Around looks a little weird. I think Mike went off the deep end soon after this - damn is he acting strange or what? Dennis' drums on Do It Again sounds like the record. Desper was probably mixing the show with a little reverb thrown in at times. And Breakaway! Was Murry really in the audience? And Bruce again on the Nearest Faraway Place! First time I ever heard that live anywhere. Maybe one of the very few (or only?) times live? And Al with Cottonfields before he re-released a new version - sounds really good!

At the lowest point of their career, but boy they still put on a great show, eh?

And did I mention Mike Love was NUTS?

Are you frickin' shittin' me?!! Awesome.

Incredible. 
Thanxx for posting this!! 
I Simply Love IT!!

 :)

amazing!  can't thank you enough for this one...
checked the set lists and this was likely the whole show except for Good Vibrations...

 ;D ;D ;D

think I'll put this on a vcd with the unicef clip as a bonus!

Thank you so much!
Can't wait to see it!  :-D

Merci beaucoup! You are the greatest Santa ever ;D

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh AWESOME AWESOME AWSOME

Thank you very very much...............

And to think that someone on this very board said that 'is this the end of BB collecting' and then superb stuff like this comes up  ;D

Absolutely STELLAR!!!! Thanks for the Christmas cheer! :o

This footage is really the missing link in the band's history...it's great, and seeing the '69 onstage dynamic it also hints at why Carl Wilson spearheaded remaking the band in '71, too.

...and yeah, Mike is really WEIRD in this.  I'm kinda liking it though!

@ Don Zabu: thanks! This is great to see.



Btw, did anyone suddenly open the French Beach Boys video files? We've had some real treats this last week.

My oh my.... Don, thank you so much !!

I believe this is the footage that someone was talking about on the bloo a few years ago. Shame that BBCentral isn't running and giving us such things....

Man, I'd "love" to screen this for Al, Bruce and Mike and listen to their unedited comments.
Mr Flowing Robe is way out there. What had he been   :smokin

Oh, kill me now!
I've seen everything!


THANK YOU!

Beyond awesome.  Yes, that's Daryl Dragon on keyboards, plus Eddie Carter on bass/tambourine.  Not sure who the percussionist is.  Bruce told me that when they played Europe in those days, they would hire local horn sections rather than bring their U.S. horn section along. 

A million and one thanks for posting this!

I was particularly impressed by the "slow" medley there, moving pretty seamlessly between most of the songs, attention to harmony there. I was also amazed at how involved Bruce was during the live show, switching instruments and playing an awesome organ. Quite a far cry compared to today's shows.

The setlist is the same as the June 2 1969 show in Rotterdam-though the order was slightly changed.  They would have ended with Good Vibrations and then done their standard encore of Johnny B. Goode.

Saw them several times in this configuration-the real Beach Boys, that is. Myke's exhibitionism and attire is extremely annoying as it was back then as well.  His "material" is as flat as cardboard and I love how the audience and the rest of the group barely put up with the asshole. ::)

Very, very nice - thanks for uploading this!  :-D

WOW!!!!

And vocal tag on I can hear music is fantastic!

//RD

OK, so I just finished watching Part 5...the background players (horns & percussion) are from Britain...technically still "local", in a way.  I'm sure that was a way of saving money, on their part...just bring the charts from America, hire backup players in England, and take them to the continent, rather than brining over 6 extra guys from the U.S.

OK, so there's no Part 6...shame.  But we're fortunate to have most of it!

I shall worship you from now on, sir! This is one hell of a Christmas gift!  I was very surprised when they said Murry was in the audience. And I loved the heavenly reverb on the vocals and on Denny's drums on "Do It Again". And Carl Wilson - what a professional - you can tell he put all his heart into playing and singing. The medley was very surprising to me - did they perform it regularly during that tour?
 

I have one million thoughts about this 45 minute gem!!
Here's some to start with:

Bruce is a true entertainer actually taking more space than Al
Mike does great leads, and asks for Steve Desper(?!)
Pompidou, you gotta love it!
Dennis, a proffessional drummer but very absent from the set

Yes, the slow song medley was a regular staple of the '69/'70 shows.  Kind of a successor to the fast medley they did in '66-'67.

Carl stole the show for me ! But Al had some great moments as well. His voice on the beginning of "Cottonfields" just blows my mind. He shows a great rythm on that.
Bruce all in all does a very fine job. Dennis is very good on drums but on the other hand has nothing to sing unfortunately. Mike does a very good job singing but his banter and actions (working on Carl's mic during "Darlin") are a pain though not as bad and annoying as later.
BTW I think they did a great job on "Break away". Never heard a pure liveversion in good quality before.



EDIT:
I just got a crazy idea. What do you think about this concert and the Good Vibrations in Central Park / London on one DVD ? If there wouldn't be the complete version of the lost concert with the Beatles' and Lesley Gore's set, I'd say put that on there as well

Thanks so much for uploading this, man. Merry Christmas indeed!

Trying to figure out whether it's just the language barrier, or whether Mike Love has such a horrific sense of humour he can f*ck up the surefire crowdpleaser 'hey guys, you're on the telly!' before Do It Again...  :lol

Oh jesus, i just lost it over Mike's 'sex machine' comment......  :lol :lol :lol

Unbelievable!  I'm almost hyper-ventilating.  And still only on part 1....

Much appreciated Don - this is the good stuff! Great harmony and fine production, in a kind of unplugged style. Personally, I love the b&w - it just gives it a timeless feel, in front of an old theater stage set.

Anyone know whether this was meant for television release, stateside or Europe?

Hopefully this stays up for awhile - I downloaded it quickly just in case!

Desper was with them for the December 1968 European Tour. Perhaps he mixed this show as well and was responsible for the echo-effects on GOK + DIA for example.

Great permformance thank you! As has been noted already, Mike really was a jackass here.

Good stuff, keep it coming in time for a New Years gift?
MANY THANKS



Maybe Mike was just pumped up because he just started "his fasting stage" earlier in the day.  ;)

Would also explain effect on the drums at the start of Do It Again  (never knew they ever 'reproduced' that live) + other little touches like the reverbed vocal at the start of Cottonfields.  Oh and Mike's 'thunder'  (how weird was that!!)

Thank you for sharing, this was very entertaining!

One of the weirdest things about this performance was Bruce Johnston getting a solo spot in order to perform "The Nearest Faraway Place".

Fantastic concert, thanks so much.

I have to say, although Mike's voice was an essential part of the BBs sound and he contributed some great lyrics and even one great piece of his own songwriting (Big Sur), I believe at least 75% of the Beach Boys "uncool" image is solely his fault, dating back to this late 60s period.

This is really a great concert -- the highlights for me were Cottonfields and God Only Knows.

Denny's drumming is awesome, but too bad he wasn't given a single lead vocal.  He didn't even come up front for THWFOS.  The failure to feature him is my one real criticism.

Agreed with you on Mike

 
The lack of Denny has got to be some sort of fault of Mike Love's.   ;)

MUST argue with you on this one. Looking at popular bands in 1969.... The Beach Boys were really unhip wearing matching clothes and hardly found the gain switch on the amp....Mike Love was the only one with some creativity and ego to wear hip clothing. (which he stopped with late seventies and never went back to...) Music and charts is about the songs and production. And you sure as hell can't blame Mike for the production so blaming 75% of the unhip image on him is very harsh.

Not to jump on the Mike bashing bandwagon, but if his antics here were typical of his behaviour of this period then he definitely was hurting the band image wise. The dippy jokes, the drunken uncle at a wedding dancing and those stoopid robes make him appear ridiculous. In fairness though, with the exception of the odd nervous bit of chatter from Bruce, nobody else was prepared to MC and interact with the audience so credit must be given there. Just show a little restraint Mike.

squares hatin' on Mike . . . :brian

Maybe, however, he alone as the "lead singer" would be categorized as unhip in the then world of music. The geek nasal bleating, the bald head, the "look at me!" clothes, the jack ass humor,  all took its toll and virtually sealed his fate as an onstage jerk who was not to be taken seriously in music circles at that time and in the future.

Yeah, well, even as a goofball, he still fit in with the Beach Boys perfectly well. Just one more goofball in a white robe among a few other gooffballs (Dennis excluded) in matching white suits playing very unhip (for the time) songs with barely audible guitars.

We get you hate Myke with a passion. If so, WHY are you supposedly a "fan" of The Beach Boys?

I happen to hate Eddie Vedder with a passion. I always have. I respect Pearl Jam and all they stand for, but I can't stand Eddie Vedder's voice, his lyrics, or his whole vibe/thing in general. I've tried to listen to Pearl Jam and get into them, but I can't get past my dislike of Eddie Vedder. No disrespect to him as a person, but artistically, he just isn't my cup of tea.

Therefore: I don't claim to be a Pearl Jam fan and I certainly am not all over any Pearl Jam message boards bashing Eddie Vedder all day and night.

If you hate Myke so much, please stop bashing him on a Beach Boys message board. I'm sure there are better places to do so, but I don't think it's here.

Most of us here are FANS of the guy, begrudgingly or not!

Been a fan considerably longer than you have-take a look at the first part of your own post-and you call yourself a stinkin' fan??? Huh, huh, huh,??

Yeah, it's called duality of opinion, at worst. I can see that the Beach Boys are completely unhip and goofy yet still LOVE them! I don't reduce myself to simple name calling.

I don't see how it matters how long you've been a fan if you can't deal with your raging hatred of a key component of The Beach Boys.

Maybe you've been a "fan" TOO long?

...duality of opinion?? There's a new one! And, no, I can deal with it quite well-looks like you're the one having the problem dealing with it. :p

A new one for you perhaps! And perhaps one you should attempt  :p

Well, Mike's stage banter is terrible and not crowd-pleasing. There's nothing to deny. It's got nothing to do with hating Mike or not hating him, it's just the way it is. I can clearly see why Jack Riley made them change their show completely and why they then got popular and "hip" again.  You know, it's Mike's humour and that's okay, but you got to please the audience and if that doesn't work that way, then you better shut up and sing your heart out. Without interrupting the songs.

I've nothing against Mike's robe. I think it looks cool. In fact all the guys look good in those white suits but they don't work as a uniform imo.


Regarding the fan or no fan comments:
I can be a fan of the Beach Boys and their individual members and at the same time be as honest as possible and critisize them for what they did or didn't do. In fact that's why I chose that certain Riley-quote for my signature. Being a fan should never ever stand in your way when it comes to seriously discussing their work. If something is sh*t, then it is sh*t. It's shouldn't have anything to do with if you like theat certain person more than the other or not

I agree. I just think oldsurferdude unendingly attacks Mike/Myke on such a regular basis and with such a vile ferocity that you just have to wonder why he even likes or listens to The Beach Boys....... ever!

I don't see anything Mike's doing in the Olympia clips that is unfitting for an insane rock star.

John Cale once came out in a hockey mask and chopped up a live chicken onstage causing a band member or too to flee in horror!

It's rock n roll, kids! Home of all manner of maniac. Some come in black leather, some in white robes.

I think the Mike criticism here is (mostly) fair, and I'm waaaay far away from being an ML apologist.  That said, it kind of worked for me personally because it was so... bizarre.  It wasn't mean-spirited like a find a lot of his latter day stage patter.  It was just plain weird in a good-natured way.  If I didn't know the history of the band and saw that cold, I would have bet anything that of all the guys onstage, he was the one doing major drugs!

Having said that, it does cast Rieley's actions in a different light, and give some credence to his version of events.  Whatever his motives, he made the right moves for the time.

I love this band!! Many thanks!

:thewilsons :woot

I think Riley's actions were damn right at the time.

To push Carl out into the forefront was most certainly the best "2nd phase" Beach Boys decision possible. Carl, being the groups best (IMHO) singer and most hip style/sensibility-wise, was really the crucial link toward making The Beach Boys hip, or as hip as was possible. I would be including Dennis in this, but he's pretty much missing from The Surf's Up album.  ??? Plus, Carl was really the only one whom I could see fitting into CSNY or playing with Zappa or The Byrds of Dylan or whoever.

Dennis was, of course, hipper than any of The Beach Boys, but he was really an individualist.

BTW, it's awesome to see Bruce playing that little descending (I think: I'm a drummer  :p)  bass part at the end of California Girls that's not a part of the original arrangement. I always loved that little detail on "In Concert" and always assumed it was an Ed Carter invention!

Man, does Dennis just sound so freaking GOOD on drums or what?

This is such great footage of them. Makes me wish I could have seen this lineup for myself!

Mike Love's "robe" looks like the robe all the heavyweight boxers would wear from the dressing room as they walked into the ring in the big fights.  It would make them look badass before they started duking it out.  Mike Love just looks strange, just like that weird picture in the Sunflower album.

What's not to like about Mike Love's robe or his overall stage antics? Just sit back and enjoy because there's probably never going to be a pop/rock group like this again. Personally I have to say that the overall weirdness the group went through is what first drew me in to the group's post-Smiley career.

White suits were quite the rage and even John Lennon can be seen wearing one on the Abbey Road cover, about a year later...The London Carnaby St. influence was certainly at work here, as well as the note that the back up orchestral section was from Britain.  We all wore those neckerchiefs for a year or so during that "pre-Woodstock" time.  It was a lighthearted break from formality in dress, mini-skirts and white lipstick, blue eyeshadow, and chunky shoes,  shiny vinyl raincoats and guys had those thick sideburns, as you see on Carl.  It was "tailored" (mod) without being "tailored" (geek) and Twiggy was the female fashion icon.    They were "hip" alright!

This video is a real contrast to the Gaumont Palace, in Paris, show done a year or so later.  They are out of "uniform" as it were, and are more "unplugged" and very relaxed.  What is cool for me is that I have never seen "The Nearest Faraway Place" live  and the Pompidou thing that Mike did showed "deference" to the venue and was well-received.  Georges Pompidou being the French Premier from 1962-1968, and President of France, from 1968 until his death in 1974.  It was appropriate to the audience, as well as the time of the release of 20/20.

For the younger fans, or those who think the talent of the Band, is confined to an early 1960's time warp, this historic video is the first line of defense.  It is such a "defined time" contemporaneous with the art, literature and fashion.  And, it shows the irrefutable talent of each of the band members, either sharing a lead or doing a solo. 

Magnifique!  ;)

Could you enlighten me on the difference in "tailored"?
Perhaps through a picutre?
Thanks

Generally, "tailoring" involves a trained-professional tailor taking measurements, to ensure proper fit.  In its absence we have sizes which meet rough equivalents of "sizing" - both men and women can wear custom-fitted garments. 

Mike is wearing what I would call a "caftan" which is not tailored but perhaps comes in a more general Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, etc.

I could not upload a photo if my life depended on it as I am "technically challenged." 

Sorry, if I was not clear.     

Check wiki for a picture of Lennon on Abbey Road...

Hell it's the Beach Boys in their prime and I love it. Mike's who he is but as the work he was doing vocally and as a songwriter was strong through Holland he could be a goof. Back then he had the chops to back it up and what he added to the group was way more important then some silly jokes. It's when he began to decline as an artist that I don't like his work. For me you can't beat the pre nostalgia Beach Boys!

here here

Here's a picture of that suit:


(http://www.thebeatlesgift.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/abbey-road1.jpg)

That is very cool! 

You get the prize for research! 

Bravo!  ;)

This is great for those fans who started following the music in the 80's or so and cannot get their head around the tie-in as between music, fashion, art and literature...and think the Boys are just stereotyped as a "car-girl-y-surf" band.   ;)

I like the toga myself :3d. The Beach Boys are supposed to be a little nutty.

Where to begin.........

First of all; Thanks for posting this.  Where has this BEEN?
2nd;  How can i save this to my computer to record?
3rd;  Mike is bizarre....al of that Jesus stuff and assorted silliness...
4th ; Bruce doing NFP solo....
5th ; Bruce playing bass while EC is on tambourine....
6th ; CW in very fine form.....
7th; the band moving equipment themselves so BJ can be seen playing the piano....
8th; Breakaway and that ending!
9th ;lDennis playing very welll...and with no closeups......

Having just re-listened with "headphones" I am blown away by this concert.  The sound is better than trying to hear it out of computer speakers, so "my bad" for not knowing better. 

Mike, was the "front man" for a "foreign" audience...and one would expect that he would be "emphatic" in his role, with simpler banter, knowing that the only English many of the members of the audience knew were the songs of the Beach Boys or Beatles or Stones or other English speaking groups.  I did notice that he did not wait for any stage people to move the organ out of the way for the piano to be visible.  He did it himself.  I had forgotten how cool that organ was for a lot of that music, especially I Get Around.   

The audience would know some of the lyrics better than others, the more simpler ones, to be sure. 

It is too bad that the camera did not zoom in more closely on Dennis, who did a great job at that show.  My sense is that they were a little nervous in front of a foreign audience and did the best they could to make themselves understood and the approach they might use would be different than performing before an English speaking audience. 

It is tremendous...it made me feel 16 again!  Thanks again, for posting the link.    ;) 

Watching it now, and gee, yeah, wasn't it really, really creepy of Mike to adjust Carl's mic like that, just so's he didn't have to stand on tippy-toe to reach it ? I mean, why didn't he just leave it the foder alone ?  ::)

OK, later - remember one thing, most of the audience don't understand a word he's saying except for the song lyrics. Annnnnnnnnddd... he's telling crappy jokes and acting like a rube fresh in from Hooterville ? My friends, this is not news. Listen to Live In London. This is Mike Love. This is who he is. That said, Carl looks increasingly less thrilled as the gig unfolds.

Do you think it is because he might have wanted to sing, "I'm Bugged at My Old Man?"

Sorry, I could not help myself... :lol

Good one!  And I agree that Mike's actions here are nothing new.  It's just that the robe is drawing more attention to him and throwing people off.

Which absolutely wasn't the case as can be seen clearly on the video. Carl could be heard perfectly and seemed to stand quite comfortable. Even if he didn't adjust his own mic before so that he could stand comfortably then it was his fault. You just don't do this during a song if it ain't necessary (like it was the case here). You got enough time before or after a song.

Shades of Hillary Clinton!

Great to see this - the highlights for me CottonFields, Breakaway, and Their Hearts Were Full of Spring - they really nailed the a capella harmonies.

Why didn't some of the band join in during Nearest Faraway Place - it wasn't a solo piano piece on the album! 

The slow medley didn't really work IMO - I can see why they dropped it from the set.

Mike has a habit of adjusting other peoples microphone's

Thanks a bunch to whoever made this show available.  :) Why didn't Dennis come out to the front at the end to sing on Their Hearts Were Full of Spring?