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Over on another thread there's been some discussion about a Beach Boys Convention - Busy Doin' Somethin' - that took place in August 2003 in Connecticut. Rather than continue to hijack that thread, I decided to start a new one here. Before I go any further: all hail Susan Lang for coordinating what turned out to be one of the best Beach Boys-related events ever. For me it runs second only to the live premiere of SMiLE in my personal fan history. Thanks for the memories Susan.

Our honored guests were Stephen W. Desper, Alan Boyd, Ed Roach, and (via phone) Alan Jardine. Did I forget anyone? (I know David Marks showed up at one of those conventions, but I think it was a later one.) There really weren't THAT many people there, which is a shame for those that missed out, but a boon for us, as we had a more intimate setting around the bar talking to the guests. Mr. Desper provided a mixing board and allowed us punters to twiddle the knobs, making our own mixes of a few Desper-era songs - I remember "Cool Cool Water" was one (anyone remember the others?). Mr. Boyd set up a listening station and played us some ultra-rare tracks from deep in the BB archive. Mr. Roach was a general all-around raconteur, regaling us all with tales of youth and adventure. Someone - it may have been Ed - also premiered a bunch of raw video footage that Dennis shot, or something along those lines... someone please fill in the gaps in my knowledge here. I sorely wanted to watch those, but I couldn't be two places at once, so I had to choose - and I chose the listening sessions instead. I will post again later this evening with notes on the songs I heard that weekend. In the meantime...

Callin' all - raise your hand if you were there. Please post your memories on this thread.

The best Beach Boys conventions were the 1990 and 1992 conventions in San Diego, put on by ESQ. Honorable mention goes to the 1980's Beach Boys conventions in the Bay Area, organized by Mr. Chan.

I didn't/haven't made it to any of them; but I bet those who were at the 2003 might argue the point with you mikie. Just from the tracks list that AB played, I think it gives the others a run for the $$( based on yours and others descriptions of them)  And I realize Brian played for at least one of those SD ones, correct?
Just sayin

Thanks, catbirdman and bgas.  I had a blast at all three.

FWIW, there are a bunch of people who were at all three of my conventions, and David and Carrie are two of them.  Who else can say they were at all three?  Quite a few people, actually...how many will check in here?

Good to see you Susan!

I had heard about those San Diego conventions and I heard they were great. Wish I could have been there. That said, this one was for the East Coast folks. And thanks to Elliott Lott and Alan Boyd, we had plenty of musical treats. Digging up my notes from back then:

I have broken it into four parts: 


1. “Sneak Preview” Listening Session, Friday Night, August 9.
2. Official Listening Session #1, Saturday afternoon, August 10.
3. Official Listening Session #2, Saturday afternoon, August 10.
4. “Bonus Tracks” – impromptu listening session, Saturday night, August 10. 


We pulled in Friday evening and right before bedtime Stephen Desper and Alan Boyd let us in on a little sneak preview. Unfortunately I did not have my notebook on hand for this first session, so I have little to report. It began with some material from Dennis. Mr. Desper explained that it was intended for a solo album in the early seventies, and that what we were hearing was for the most part Dennis “getting his feet wet” and teaching himself how to work in the studio. The first track we heard was piano-based, medium tempo, not as emotionally urgent as, say, Cuddle Up, and after a minute or two the conventional piano arrangement developed into fuller sections. I tried and tried to lock their character in my memory but sadly it’s gone. All I remember is that first track got better as it went on. There were perhaps 4-5 more selections played, most of which were also included in the official listening sessions the following day. I did take notes on those, so I will cover them in a later post. Mr. Desper explained that much of what we were hearing were unformed ideas and probably not many lyrics or complete song structures had at that point been conceived. 


Following the Dennis material, we were treated to the unreleased second Flame LP in its entirety. It was quite a striking opening. Just a straight, sparse, piano tune. Blondie’s singing was a very straight reading, plaintive and more powerful as a result. Various bells and whistles were pulled out near the end of the track, but the main character of the song was straight, spare, piano ballad. I remember thinking it was a very bold way to begin an album. I can no longer remember any of the titles, but there were 8-9 tracks, and it was REALLY good stuff. The last 4 tracks were indeed the best tracks on first listen. Just extremely creative, groovy, challenging arrangements, nice use of Moogs, emotive singing. Everything you’d expect from Flame but so much more accomplished and developed. The songs were solid. 

I just found a website that listed a few of the tracks from the Flame LP: Seven Sisters, Sigh Baby Sigh, Sunny Skies, Sweet Jane, and Thank Someone. I remember Seven Sisters was on Side 1, Sweet Jane was the last song on the album, and Thank Someone was I think 3rd from last. Thank Someone was one of my favorites – it opened with a strummed acoustic guitar-based arrangement, the kind of thing that is usually done to death but was actually a welcome change of pace on this album. Sweet Jane, by the way, is NOT the Lou Reed tune. I seem to remember Sunny Skies as being just what you’d expect – one of the more upbeat and catchy songs on the LP. I will stop talking about this music now because I have nothing valuable to say – but let it be known that it blew our socks off. 


Up next: Official Listening Session #1

Official Listening Session #1, Saturday afternoon, August 10.

The first official listening session opened with a strong rocker from the pen of Alan Boyd – the theme song of the Convention, Busy Doin’ Somethin.' Mr. Boyd’s stellar musical reputation is not exaggerated. The mix was perfect, the parts were imaginative. It was a pastiche, of course, and that is what the situation called for. He even worked in the Shortenin’ Bread lick to excellent effect. I’m sure this song will be making the rounds in the collector circles before long, so I won’t say much more about it, except to give you all a heads-up on the tag. Steve Kalinich is there in all his glory, reading off his skipping reels of rhyme, informing us, with some urgency, that we are the infinite (Blake would be proud), and basically that we can, every one of us, accomplish absolutely anything we want to.

Cottonfields. Vocals only. Al’s version, the single. What can I say? Close your eyes and imagine. It was that and more. Have you ever really sat and marveled at the vocal arrangement and chord progression in that last verse right around where the key changes?



I’m In Great Shape, version #1, recorded October 27, 1966 at a Heroes & Villains session. There were three short snippets of I’m In Great Shape spread across this listening session, but I will speak to all three here. The first take features a heavily-reverbed piano or tack piano, played in the lower register, medium-slow tempo. Over the piano is a saxophone playing the eggs and grits melody. All three takes feature a “tape explosion” as heard in the Cantina H&V. The second take is very similar, but a bit faster and a brighter sound to the piano. The third take is my favorite. It features a plucked sound – maybe piano strings taped down? The sax plays staccato notes. The bass line is great in this third take, as it does some little jaunty runs a la Child Is Father Of The Man.



It’s A New Day is a Dennis solo track from 1971. According to Mr. Desper, it was intended for a commercial for Dry Command, an anti-perspirant. But that aside, it was a solid song. Blondie sang lead, unless my ears deceived me. It’s an up-tempo number that climaxes at the end of each verse with “It’s a new daaaaaay” – the word “day” sustaining a higher note than the rest of the phrase. Near the end of the song there’s a nice little quick break where it goes down to just a piano and a backing vocal, and then it kicks right back in with a full, lush tag the hovers on one chord through the fade (though of course what we heard didn’t fade, but it was obviously meant to in the final mix). I might be wrong, but I seem to recall the chord of the tag was NOT the dominant chord of the song, which is an effect that has always appealed to me.

Da Doo Ron Ron. This is a Keepin’ The Summer Alive outtake. We heard a vocals-only version. It’s as you would expect. Typical arrangement for that album, a little too busy maybe (actually much more basic than Goin’ On or even School Days, but very full all the way through), predictable, sensible, and fun. Carl sings lead. Yes, of course it is a cover of the Spector tune.



I’m In Great Shape, version #2 – see notes above. 


Won’t You Tell Me. This is a Rick Henn/Murry-driven track from 1970. I do not know who the composer was, but I’m guessing one of those two with maybe Brian involvement as well. You could call it a companion to Soulful Old Man Sunshine, but it’s more of an honest-to-God ballad and is much – how can I put it – sappier. Brian sings a nice light lead. The song opens with the line from the title, and the chorus climaxes with the words “together, you and I,” once again perpetuating that grammatical monstrosity that we just can’t seem to rid this world of. The backing vocal parts at a certain point near the end of the verses (leading into the chorus) are very interesting, with some passing notes that you wouldn’t expect. This is not one of my favorite tracks because it reminds me too much of Deirdre and that ilk, but it is a well-written tune and a typically (for the time) lush production.



I’m Going Your Way. Dennis solo, 1969. According to our hosts, Dennis’ vocal is a scratch. They tell me this is actually making the rounds amongst collectors now. Imagine that. So I guess many of you already know that it’s a rocker cut from a similar cloth as Got To Know The Woman, but lacking female backing vocals sadly. It features an energetic trebly guitar solo that is begging to be beefed up on the board. It’s a good track, not as good as San Miguel but better than Got To Know The Woman. Maybe. 


Kiss Me Baby, instrumental track only. Beautiful and yet another pang in the gut that we can’t go to the store and buy a Today/Summer Days sessions/stereo box. 


Walkin’. 1969 Sunflower outtake. We’ve all seen this one listed on the first sequencing of Sunflower, and we’ve all been curious. The track was nothing like I expected it to be. It was an out and out goof. It started right off the top with the Brian vocal: “My folks have a friend / who knows a little old lady…” and continued to tell the twisted tale of some woman who stalls her electric automobile and has to walk the rest of the way. It was a blues shuffle, driven by a pure, spare arrangement of bass, organ, drums, and embellished with some harmonica blues flourishes. Brian is a real cut-up throughout, and I seem to recall some spoken asides before he starts singing, and definitely later, about halfway through the track, when his performance breaks down and he laughingly exclaims “Look, I can’t sing this bitch!” Now, I might have misheard what he said there, but that was the spirit of it. It was pretty damn funny, and I sure wish I had it in my collection. 


Vega-Tables. This is the “demo” as it were. You know the one, with the “cornucopia” lyrics and the laughing. The one that’s on the March 1966 comp reel. We’ve all heard it, but not all of us have heard it in such pristine quality. The stereo vocals knocked our socks off. Funny anecdote: when the laughing started, a few of us made eye contact and started laughing in earnest and before long most of the room were nearly rolling on the floor as well. Brian’s music is infectious. 


Caroline, No. Stars ‘n’ Stripes, 1996. Backing vocals only. Puts a lump in your throat as the final project with Carl and all the Boys sans Dennis. Now I wouldn’t contend that the Stars ‘N’ Stripes album was anything but the turd it’s commonly criticized as being, but the Beach Boys are the Beach Boys. What I mean is, those vocals ALWAYS sound amazing, regardless of the material. And as it happens this number in particular had a great arrangement. I would LOVE to see this entire album released with backing vocals only. 


Shake, Rattle, & Roll. 15 Big Ones outtake, 1976. This is a cover of the old classic tune. The arrangement is not overly ambitious; I think there was a loose sax in there and rolling percussion. The track skips along quite nicely and Al delivers his usual solid lead. The backing vocals are all mid-rangey standard call and response kind of stuff. I like this track quite a bit but then (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again regardless of the effect it has on my credibility) 15 Big Ones is one of my top 5 favorite Beach Boys albums. If you like Palisades Park, you’ll like this one. 


Intro – Ecology. 1971, Dennis solo track. Part of this has often been known as “All Of My Love.” Actually, there are a number of sections to it, and more than anything other than Rio Grande or SMiLE itself, this music smacks of “grand-suite-itis.” Most of the pieces overlapped each other, begging the question of whether Dennis planned on editing them together in that sequence or if they just happened to end up on tape that way. Again, Mr. Desper stressed that the music of this time was a collection of works-in-progress, and Dennis was feeling his way through. But the title of the track certainly suggests a larger frame story. The first section of “Intro – Ecology” is the “all of my love” choral section as heard on the bootleg. It’s Dennis, double-, triple-, and kazilliontuple-tracked with himself so that it sounds like a huge choir. Then there’s a count-in to a different section. We hear water bubble sounds and exotic Moog sounds over a shimmery Eastern-flavored track. If you’re familiar with Pink Floyd’s Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Richard Wright’s keyboard parts in particular, that will give you a feel for the mood (and harmonic mode) of this section. Dennis had laid down some backing vocals as well, and I can hear the exact melody in my head, a chant-like “run, run, river run / move the body.” This section was WAY COOL. Then there’s another overlapping count-in and a new section begins. This one, in a faster tempo, is based on a piano playing arpeggiated chords VERY much like in the opening of River Song. That section then segues into a final section that I was familiar with. I think it’s known as “Quad Symphony” or some such. This particular part features some organ trills played in a very fast baroque style.

Please Let Me Wonder. Live 1965 in Chicago. Brian is present and sings lead. I’m more of a studio outtakes kind of guy myself, so this kind of stuff interests me but doesn’t thrill me.



Our Sweet Love. Instrumental track and partial backing vocals only. The Brian backing vocals (“doo-doo-doo-do-dooo-do-do”) were isolated against the majesty of the arrangement. I think we all know how beautiful this one is.

I’m In Great Shape, version #3 – see notes above.



Wonderful. Live from the “box set tour,” 1993. Most of us have heard the Valley Forge show (not sure if this is the same show or not) and are familiar with the arrangement. They have the harpsichord in there and the vocal performances (lead by Carl) are spot on.

California Feelin’ demo. 1974. Just Brian and a piano. Wow. The first time I heard it I was a bit disappointed because the approach was so unexpected. Then when I had the chance to hear it a second time its beauty hit home. Brian plays a GOSPEL piano on this cut. Gone is the straight reading and measured ease of the Bruce remake. Gone is the soft, sauntering laze. Instead it’s a dangerous and desperate stab at reclaiming the landscape as a haven for the soul. Brian believes what he’s singing but it’s crumbling around him. The more the scary truth threatens to overtake him – the truth that it’s all a half-assed veneer – the more his voice breaks in an earnest, exuberant plea. There are some gulped phrasings bordering on embarrassment; some rushed lyrics and some frankly goofy interpretations on the theme. He wants this to be a postcard sung in Las Vegas. He wants it to be a classic. It’s not, just like California is not. At least not in a God Only Knows sense. Now THAT’S a classic. But that’s also an ideal, and wouldn’t it be nice if it were true. When you’re 24 and on top of the music business the love of the ideal can just about take you away. When you’ve lost your father and you’ve returned from exile, your mind shattered, your drugs medicating less and less, the ideal taunts you no matter how hard you try to still believe. This is a very moving cut, if nothing else. I really hope everyone gets to hear it someday. When you do, you will be surprised. Expect a gospel piano (not the usual chordal banging), an affected, bewildered crooning, and a wandering, lost-at-sea tempo, and you might just get the spirit of it all.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice To Live Again. 1971, Dennis solo. Surf’s Up outtake. Simply the best unreleased Dennis cut I have ever heard, despite the clunky title. This one will get an official release soon, it just has to. At least, if the honored guests that were at the convention get their way, it will. The tag matches that of Funky Pretty in terms of pure funkiness, but it’s much less jerky. GREAT bass line and flutes on the tag. Why this (or for that matter San Miguel or Fourth Of July) didn’t make the lineup of the Surf’s Up LP I will never understand. Actually, I do understand, but I can’t accept it. Mr. Desper confirmed that it was an important goal to have equal representation on the albums, as they were very much a group project. Dennis, he said (and he acknowledged he was only speculating based on hindsight), seemingly felt that he had more than done his share on Sunflower, and in fact, had “saved” that album. One could certainly argue the truth of that. When Surf’s Up rolled around, each member had to get in their say, and Mike (Student Demonstration Time) won out over Dennis possibly partly because Dennis was a bit fed up and saving his stuff for his own project. This is all conjecture of course, and keep in mind that I am merely paraphrasing the conversation from the Convention and I apologize if I'm mis-representing. 


Next up, Official Listening Session #2.

3. Official Listening Session #2, Saturday afternoon, August 10.

Warmth Of The Sun. Stars & Stripes, 1996. First up for Listening Session #2 was a gorgeous backing vocals-only version of what I consider to be the album’s best track. I would love to hear a vocals-only version including Willie’s lead as well. Let’s hope that someday in the distant future, when even Stars & Stripes is a relic of the past, that the album gets reissued with bonus tracks of all the backing vocals. We know these mixes have been made; Alan Boyd told Chris Allen that Joe Thomas mixed them all for use in the Endless Harmony documentary.

Add Some Music To Your Day. Alternate lyrics. Musically I heard nothing different about this version, except for something heavy (a fuzz bass or something of that character) being boosted in the tag. The differences were in the vocals, mainly the lyrics. There seemed to be less backing vocals as well, especially on the tag. The lyrics were obviously an earlier draft, with the need for revision apparent. (As an aside, Alan Boyd told us that an early mix of ‘Til I Die has been found that features an earlier draft of the lyrics as well; hopefully that will make its way onto a release at some point.) Despite Brian’s constant championing of the lyrics to this song, I’ve always found them disappointing and one-dimensional, goofy where they should be poetic. The first draft is even worse. Two of the verses (the worst two) are as they are on the final version, with the other two featuring some entirely different couplets. Here is what I was able to write down:

“We heard about … soul
The new sound, the old sound, the timeless sound of rock ‘n’ roll
I’ve heard it since I was one
It’s been a part of all my fun
Add some music to your day

On your way to work it’s with you in your car
In elevators you hear violins; in [coffeehouses??] you hear guitars
Your doctor knows it… etc.”

Honda 55. 1964 studio session for radio commercial. This was nothing new, nothing exciting. Just a small sample of the session that we’ve all had on bootlegs for years.

Mona Kani. 20/20 outtake, 1968. A Dennis track. This is another one that has been .mp3’d to death in recent years; a beautiful, textured instrumental track in the SMiLE vein (reminiscent of Child Is Father Of The Man in feel) that has leaked out to the collecting proletariat in the poorest sound quality imaginable. If there’s anything worse than 36th generation tape hiss, it’s a low-res digital audio file. Bob Hanes once said it sounds like something swirling out of a trash can, and I couldn’t have described it better than that. So you can probably imagine what a thrill it was to hear this track in great quality. On the sheet that someone (I presume either Mr. Desper or Mr. Boyd) typed up that listed all the songs, this one was spelled “Monacana.” Actually I wrote “Moncana” but I’m thinking I might have left out one of the A’s when I wrote it down. Does anyone know where that spelling might have come from and if it is correct?

Vega-Tables/Take A Load Off Your Feet (medley). Live from the “unplugged” tour, 1993. I say Vega-Tables because I mean Vega-Tables. It’s the SMiLE arrangement with the Do A Lot sections in there. This was the second selection from this tour that was played to us, the other being Wonderful. This one, to me at least, was by far the best, and Wonderful is one of my all-time favorite songs. But with these two songs (both played in their entirety and linked together) they really nailed it in performance and spirit. I have the Valley Forge show from this tour, as many of us do, but I couldn’t say for sure if it’s the same show or not. Probably not. In any case, hearing it at the Convention was like hearing it for the first time. This is one tour that is screaming out for an official release.

Had To Phone Ya. Instrumental track. Yes, I am biased toward the 15 Big Ones material. To me it is the John The Baptist to Love You’s Jesus. Virtually no one on this Earth agrees with me, so I’ll accept it and shut up. But this track would blow me away no matter what album it comes from. The internet is plagued with hyperbole. With all the people infesting this world, you get every imaginable permutation of sickness in word and thought and it’s all collected for us on the internet. So maybe I’m just adding my sludge to the foul pool, but I will stand up and say it clearly: This track is as good as Pet Sounds. Better. With vocals or without, I would stand by that statement. In this case it was just the instruments. Has anyone ever REALLY sat down and listened to this track? Why is it not consistently listed as one of Brian’s top 10 pocket symphonies? The version that was played to us was a much fuller arrangement, most notably due to the addition/emphasis of a bed of strings that ran throughout the song. The final version on 15 Big Ones was cut back considerably, but it is still majestic. Add the words (one of Brian’s most brilliant guided tours of the mystic minutiae of everyday life – ultimately an essay on human longing) and it’s a masterpiece.

Back Home. Demo version, 1970. This was a rough demo of the track that followed, and having neglected to note it I can not recall if it was piano-based or if it was a fuller demo. Al sang the lead with Carl and Brian providing the backup. See also next track…

Back Home. Sunflower outtake, 1970. Once I figured out what song it was, I was too much in shock to adequately record on paper what I was hearing. I knew this song was recorded for Sunflower of course, but had never heard it. I was familiar, as most of us are, with the other two incarnations (1963 and 1976) of the song, and as a result I had some foolish expectations about this version. For example, I expected the lyrics to be similar. Another example: I expected the music to be similar. Logical assumptions, you say? Well, throw ‘em out the window. This was completely different, and not until the final tag (“back home, back home…”) did it tread on truly familiar territory. The other versions of Back Home are very straight-forward, 1-4-5 exercises, and this was too, for the most part, but it had a few subtle chord substitutions and the arrangement was Sloop-ified, if you will. Sloop John B. is a good example of a 1-4-5 song that Brian dressed for success. This felt similar. The track had a California (as in Al’s song – you know, barrancas, chaparral, Country Joe, Steinbeck, etc.) feel to it, with a loping bass line. Other than that I can neither describe nor remember, much to my great loss. On first listen it wasn’t a great track by any means, but it was fun and interesting, at least as much as, say At My Window (which I adore), and infinitely more than Tears In The Morning (which I don’t). Boy, would I love to have this one in my collection.

Slip On Through. Instrumental track, 1969. Sticking with Sunflower, this was the perfect follow-up to Back Home. I’ve always liked this track, and it has obvious selling points, but it’s never really grabbed my gut so to speak. There were some differences in the mix that we heard at the Convention, and they all made the track more interesting to my ears. On beats 2 and 4 (where you want to hear the snare, but of course the snare comes on a screwy beat, which has always been my favorite thing about this song) there were guitar slaps (percussive hits of 2-4 strings of a chord) that really gave it some punch. There was a percussive sound – I wrote cowbells but I’m not sure if that’s what it was or just something with that character – on the downbeats that also provided punch and definition. The bass line was very active in the break after the chorus, and I don’t remember it doing that on the LP version, but I could be wrong. Bass saxophones were also prominent, something I had never associated with this track before.

Tones. March 1967. Carl’s production, probably his composition as well, although I have not heard that confirmed. It's a string-driven tune (violas and cellos I would guess?), mid-tempo, with some nice chord changes in the last part of the verses leading to the chorus, and a snazzy slide guitar overdub on the final chorus/fade. The drums also kick in at the same time as the guitar. It's very similar to that string-laden "Goat" track (can't remember which one - there are more than one) from the High Llamas' "Gideon Gaye" album.  Of course the real kicker was the crystal-clear sound quality. The frustrating part though is that prior to the final chorus, you can hear a lapse in sound quality, and a sharp click, as though someone turned a knob or something. I never could figure out what could have caused that - maybe someone was adjusting levels prior to the overdub of the guitar/drums? Who knows. But anyway, that little glitch is in the recording that has circled the 'net; alas, it was also in the recording played for us at the Convention.

Running Bear. 15 Big Ones outtake, 1976. Brian doesn’t rush this one, much to its benefit, and as is his wont during the 15 Big Ones sessions, he smothers it in sax. Low, growling saxophones. Mike sings the lead. It would be a welcome addition to my collection (A double disc of 15 Big Ones with a disc full of outtakes is my reissue wet dream right after the SMiLE box) but in all honesty this track is only fair. See, even I can be objective. It is begging for backing vocals, specifically echoes of the lead lines (a friend of me said he was hearing the same exact parts), but it’s just Mike’s part.

Fig Plucker. 20/20 Sessions, 1968. This was an excerpt from that treasured piece of tom-foolery that graces the Goodbye Surfing release. Scandalously, I rarely actually get around to pulling that one out and listening to it, but after hearing it again at the Convention I am realizing that it’s at least good for keeping blood pressure low. They say having a pet reduces stress, and I would suggest a three-pronged approach of owning a kitty cat, saying “I love you” to your reflection 10 times each morning, and listening to Fig Plucker on your lunch break every day. It somehow achieves the trick of releasing aggression and producing relaxation simultaneously, and that is a rare feat. Maybe “Fig Plucker” was Dennis’ mantra?

Breakaway. Vocals-only version. Ho hum. OK, OK, so it’s gorgeous and all of that, but you know, it’s like, well, we already had it. For me this song suffers from “Disney Girls syndrome;” that is, it seems to appear, in some form or other, on every imaginable collection or special project of the Beach Boys that gets officially released or presented. I’m just tired of it is all.

Boys And Girls. Keepin’ The Summer Alive outtake, 1979. This was an instrumental track only. Not only had I not heard this song before, I had never heard OF it. So the anticipation was great. Did it deliver? Absolutely. It was spectacularly so-so. Beatifically boring. As such it fulfilled my expectations to a T, and gave me the same goopy glow inside that the entire KTSA album never fails to conjure. Yeah, I like that album, even though it, well, I guess ‘sucks’ would be a good word. There are some good compositions on that album (Goin’ On is always the most glaring example) but there’s something that keeps the songs mired in mediocrity. Until the Convention I had never quite figured out what. The problem with the recordings on KTSA is they have no dynamics. This track was no exception. It started off with a typical KTSA track: piano/bass/drums/keyboard/possibly a subtle rhythm guitar, all mixed inoffensively and balanced politely, and it chugged through like a trooper until it was done. It never changed gears, never cursed, never spat, never cried, never howled. It just did its thing and excused itself when it was through. Pleasant enough for a fan, but nothing noteworthy for the canon.

Time To Get Alone. Partial vocals. Another great, great song that I’m sick of. Disney Girls syndrome part 2. This, I believe, was the same version that you hear on Hawthorne with the “country mile” lyrics in the bridge. To be honest, I tried, but I didn’t pay attention like I should have. I know many of you are probably interested if it had some Redwood vocals or when it was recorded or stuff like that, but I’m ashamed to say I can’t help you much on this one.

Only With You. Live from Carnegie Hall, 1972. This has always been my least favorite Holland song and my least favorite Dennis song, and I know many of you have the opposite opinion. Well, I have to say maybe I’m coming around a bit. After hearing this the second time (one of the 10 or so tracks I got to hear twice over the weekend) it began to sink in. I definitely prefer this performance to the studio recording, and that might be a first for me. The Holland version always annoyed me with the stupid choppy vocal accents on the tag (all I wanna do – OOH). It just seemed out of place and in poor taste. The singing on the tag of the live version is toned down and much more delicate. Of course that’s not the only reason I like or dislike the song; it’s just an example. But in general this live version was much more sensitive and smooth. I liked it quite a bit.

Surf’s Up. Vocals only. As you’d expect, a beautiful performance by Brian, especially when heard so intimately. I am always amazed with that performance in particular how he holds out all those notes in that falsetto and his voice never breaks or wavers in pitch. Oh, if only I could sing like that. The recording they played started at the second verse, with the line “hung velvet overtaken me.” You’d think I’d remember this, but I don’t: I THINK it was the Carl lead but I’m not sure now. The “bygone” backing vocals were there, way up front in the mix. There were some harmonies on the line “columnated ruins domino” that I had never heard clearly, if at all, before. I haven’t gone back to listen to the LP version, but a friend said that he had heard these parts before but they are back in the mix. He claimed that Marilyn sang one of these parts (it DID sound like a woman’s voice), but I had never heard that confirmed. Does anyone know? The full Child tag was there as well, including a part that I had never noticed before – beginning on the and of the three an ascending “that’s why the child” with the word “child” falling on the downbeat of the next measure. There was an answering “yeah yeah” or “hey hey” as well.

Coming up next: the fourth and final installment – “The Bonus Tracks.”

“Bonus Tracks” – impromptu listening session, Saturday night, August 10.

When the Convention was officially over, it was just getting started. Alan replayed songs from the earlier listening sessions, and then on a sudden inspiration challenged us with: “I’d be interested to see how many of you can sing along to this…” and then with no further introduction as to what we were about to hear, proceeded to jar our headphones with:

Solar System. Instrumental track only. I made my entrance on “the planets,” missing the first two words. Not bad for a song that has vocals from the top. I doubt anyone would deny that I was the biggest singing fool in the room on this one. Pity, ‘cause I missed the nuances of the instruments. But hell, the Beach Boys are all about having fun, right? And I wasn’t the only one singing. Alan visibly got a charge out of watching the room get lost in space. Who wouldn’t be? The line about Mars really choked me up, too, I have to say.

Country Air. Stereo Mix. Lost track from January 1967. Given that date, that could possibly fuel speculation that this might have been one of the Elements? Yeah, well, maybe it would if I weren’t a lying sack of sh!t. No, it wasn’t recorded in January. I just put that in there to see who was paying attention. What it was, though, was a crystal-clear, eye-widening sonic success. I made my voice heard on this one, when it was over, saying clearly to Mr. Boyd and Mr. Desper: “Wow, that is one album, along with Smiley Smile, that is just CRYING out for a stereo remix.” I got an encouraging nod of agreement on that one.

Companion. This is the Dennis track. I don’t know the exact year it was recorded, but of course I would guess 1978 or 1979. This was different from the version on Denny Remembered in that there was no lengthy percussion intro, but other than that it seemed the same and played at the same speed (on Surfin’ Rarities it’s obviously sped up). Someone in the room asked Mr. Desper about the authorship, and he said that Carli Munoz either co-wrote it or wrote it outright, just like a lot of the songs Dennis recorded around this time (All Alone is the officially released example). I asked if It’s Not Too Late was another one written with or by Munoz, and Stephen confirmed it was.

I Can Hear Music. Live on the tour with Chicago, 1975. This sounded great. I had read somewhere a few months ago that the tapes from this tour had been located and a few people had expressed interest in seeing an official release. Judging by this track it would be a welcome addition. Of course, I’d first like to have SMiLE, then Brother Rarities, then a stereo Smiley/Wild Honey, then a stereo Today/Summer Days, then a live 1993 release, and maybe a few other things as well before a BB/Chicago live release, but I’ll take whatever I can get. This rendition of ICHM was very strong, with a driving acoustic guitar out front.

Baby, Baby. This is a Dennis song from 1971. There were some false starts and by the time it got to the complete version I think it was on take 5. It was a slow boogie-woogie piano kind of thing, with Dennis goofing around over that. I can’t remember any of the lyrics but it was silly. There was a blues guitar on the track. It would make a nice companion to Walkin’, but it was even rougher than that track.

All Day. Recorded January 3, 1967 at the tail end of a Heroes And Villains session. This was discovered by Alan Boyd when he was researching the vaults for the Hawthorne collection. As it started playing someone in the room asked Alan when it was recorded and I bursted out (a bit too eagerly) “January 3!” It’s what you might expect – a piano exercise where Brian apparently is “feeling out” the theme and experimenting. It’s the Da Da melody all right, but it’s being played with and fleshed out. At one point Brian experiments with working out little chromatic flourishes as he goes from I to IV. It’s very nice. Chuck calls out “All Day” from the booth.

Wind Chimes. Smiley Smile version, stereo mix. Ah, this was nice. Like a cool breeze. This was the final Beach Boys track played that evening (at least the last one I had the good fortune to hear), and it was the perfect, peaceful (if somewhat sinister) send-off back into the real world. You might be interested to know that the “whispering winds” tag also featured the tinkling harpsichord.

All my notes above, mind you, were written in 2003. I realize a lot has changed since then. Most of the tracks have since leaked into collectors' hands, and some information has been confirmed, contradicted, etc. Just sayin'.

UK 1988 BB convention (the 10th annual one), surprise guest - some guy called Wilson.

Reported in all the UK music press and a few national papers.

Ah. the "jaw dropping" and "strong men weep" incident.... were you one of them, Andrew?   ;D

@ Catbirdman: thanks a lot for sharing these recollections (and writing them down at the time). Don't have mucht time right now to read it all (I'm at work), but when I'm home I'm going to read it all. And I shouldn't forget to forward the 2nd Flame album bit to a good friend of mine who manages the Flames website (www.the-flames.com). He'll love to read your stories.

Again thanks !!

Thanks for that I wished I was there esp to hear Solar System instrumental track love that song so much

Not exactly. I knew he was going to be there... but yes, the collective gasp was something to behold.  ;D

Thanks for sharing your notes "Catbirdman"; you did an excellent job of conveying your reaction to hearing these tracks.

I'll only add, as noted in another thread, that the melody to the 1970 "Back Home" is borrowed from "Merry Christmas, Baby".

Nice read, Catbirdman!

What's the story behind the Get The Boot bootleg? Almost all of these songs ended up on that one.

I think this post by Alan Boyd (when the last Sea Of Tunes were released which also contained tracks that could be found on Get The Boot) pretty much sums it up.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,3734.msg62657.html#msg62657

Oh God. I probably shouldn't answer that one, but I will.

I, too, was/am surprised at how many of those songs ended up in circulation. Let me state very clearly: I had NO IDEA how that happened. Certainly nobody I know at the convention was secretly recording the material or anything like that. I tend to think it happened via the stolen reference cassette that Alan mentioned in his post.

Now, the part I probably shouldn't say...

The "Get The Boot" collection was done by a fan, just a poor old sod that happened to have received these tracks somewhere WAY down the food chain, back in 2004. This fan was a bit OCD, and inclined toward putting together pretty packages for himself, and he proceeded to organize and make cover art for the various rarities in his collection. Those compilations included Get The Boot, Psychedelic Sounds, Secret SMiLE, Sea of Tunes Source Tape, and two Heroes And Villains compilations. At first, said fan kept these goodies to himself, which was his intention all along, but after a few months he decided to share them with a few people he thought he could trust. Well, from there it snowballed out of control, and all of a sudden the fan started seeing his cover art appear on public websites, and people started discussing the material openly. The fan gasped. How did this happen? The fan never did figure that out.

That unfortunate fan was me.

Brother, Inc. went ballistic. People got very angry, especially about Get The Boot. There was particular aversion to seeing Battle Hymn of the Republic available for public consumption. Lawyers ponied up and everything. My memory is a bit hazy now, but somehow I got in contact with Alan Boyd, or he got in contact with me, I can't remember exactly how. But I remember 'fessing up. I raised my hand, and said "it was me." I spent a while with Alan on the phone about it. I think he was under the gun about it, and the PTB were looking for someone to blame. Even though I played ZERO part in leaking these tracks in the first place, and even though I had no idea how the material ended up getting so widely distributed, it was my cover art and my track sequences out there for everyone to see. So I fell on my sword for the whole ordeal. I was basically being given a cease and desist order, which is exactly what I did. I purged the material off of my hard drive and sent everything back to Alan. I "burned the tapes" basically. To this day I could not recreate those CDs, even if I wanted to. So don't ask.

Since that day I have never shared anything Beach Boys-related with ANYONE, no matter what the situation. My collecting days pretty much ended right then and there. I dropped out of the scene completely. It is only now, after hearing the SMiLE announcement, that I have started to dip my toe in the pool again by visiting this message board.

You should have encoded at a higher bit rate.

Did anyone make any money from those bootlegs? As far as I know, they were mp3 only.

Interesting story anyway. Thanks.

If I may add something to your "confession": you were one of many in the chain, albeit an early one. You got it from someone, and months later you forwarded it. With the main thing attracting addition that you made the artwork and track sequence that happened to become THE Beach Boys download to have the next couple of years. Not giving any judgement here (I heard those recordings as well, so strictly speaking I'm part of that same chain). And I can understand you mixed feelings towards these questions and memories. I'm glad though that you've found the joy back of being a Beach Boys fan again

It keeps surprising me how these kind of things can spread so fast (almost exponentially). And keep in mind the fact that a lot of fans - when forwarding the material - asked for discretion. (and we all said "yes" but acted with "not at all"... ah, the (dis)advantages of the anonymous internet movements...)

Absolutely champion first response  :lol

Under the gun ? He nearly lost his job and his reputation. I know you didn't steal the tracks from his house, but you put them into general circulation, and having attended the 2003 convention you must have had a very good idea as to the original source. That was a despicable act. Despicable.

Again, *I* didn't put the tracks into general circulation as you claim above. I gave CDs to 5 people. That is the extent of what I did. It was a mistake. I thought I could trust those people. They probably did the same thing I did - gave it to 5 more people they thought they could trust. I'm sure the BIG leak happened way down the chain from me.

But it was my artwork, my "brand" as it were, that got leaked. And people need someone to blame. I get it.

I've rued this whole miserable situation for years now. I felt HORRIBLE then. And now I'm feeling it again. You use the word "despicable." That hurts a lot; I am not/do not ever want to be that kind of person.

I am very sorry for how my actions led to trouble for Alan. If I had known what would happen...

But it happened. I am so sorry.

:lol

The bit rate??? AGD reveals that Alan Boyd almost lost his job over this (I never knew it was THAT bad!!!), and people are concerned about the bit rate?????

Besides, I had them as .aiff files on my computer. I deleted them years ago. They're gone.

As for who was responsible for spraying this thing all over the internet (as low bit rate mp3s apparently), I couldn't even begin to imagine who that was. I wish I knew. I would have a few choice words for them (one of which would be "despicable" - I know first-hand how that one stings).

deleted

Hope you'll find some joy now that you're "back" and have some fun on this board.

What's done is done. You made a mistake, as we all do from time to time. In any case, I myself feel you are one of the best new members we've had in forever, and I welcome you being here.

Never trust anyone...
Sad story, but your mistake brought a lot of joy to many Beach Boys fans. Some of the coolest unreleased and alternate stuff is on those CD's.

I think the word despicable is not the right choice here (nor is it very tactful). I think if anyone is entitled to use these kind of words it's (a.o.) mr. Boyd himself. Catbirdman got these recordings, and at a certain moment shared them with a few others. A sensible thing to do? Or a naive move? I'd say yes. And looking back on the effect of it: stupid? Maybe so. But if I read the story correctly, this wasn't the intention. Plus I think he has got his "punishment". No need to do repeat it again.

And think of this: I wouldn't surprise me if half of the board members has heard, or posesses this CD(s) or the downloads. Could have been easy to not buy or download it if we decided that it wasn't right to keep that chain going... What does that make of us?

Again: not trying to justify anyting here, just trying to put it in perspective. (well... I'm trying to...  :)  )

That confession was a bold thing to do. You came with a story to tell – a fascinating one at that, one that's probably already stored in a dozen BBs historians' databases – told it and got the wrist slapped all over again, which is a shame.

You have my admiration for the genuine regret you've expressed now, and for the way you handled it at the time as soon as you realised what you'd unintentionally done.

We've all dropped a bollock once in our lives and not all had the balls to fess' up.

Let him without guilt cast the first rock, 'n all that…

Oh dear, I opened a real can of worms. And I usually like worms, too.

I should not have "confessed" on this board. I did so for selfish reasons: I wanted to be absolved of the matter and to hear people say it wasn't really my fault. Some of you have said just that, and I won't lie, it's what I wanted to hear. But what AGD said has kind of put me in my place a bit.

Consider: Alan Boyd nearly lost his job and reputation over this. Whoa. I mean, I knew he took some heat, but not to that extent.

I could plead that I was just an unfortunate stooge, and that the whole thing is unfair. But as Andrew points out, Alan was obviously the source for the leaked material, and knowing that, I simply should not have gotten involved on ANY level. It was a mistake, and my actions had consequences.

An apology would probably ring hollow to Alan, but an apology is all I have. I'm sorry for what I did. Beyond that, I can't undo what's done; the toothpaste is out of the tube. I'm not going to beat myself up over it anymore.

Catbirdman, don't beat yourself up.  I don't think you did anything wrong.  You're clearly not a distributor, and all you did was share a few songs with 5 people whom you thought you could trust.  You also did not profit monetarily from any of it.  In addition, you didn't steal the boots yourself, you got them from someone else, who got them from someone else, etc.

Based on the years I've been posting on this board, for ANYONE to call the above "despicable" is like a local sheriff announcing a campaign to rid his town of obscene materials when he's the best customer at the brothel one town over.  If there is anyone here who hasn't heard a Beach Boys bootleg or made a copy for a trusted friend, then that person is clearly in the minority.

I'm not a bootlegger.  I don't make this stuff and I would never steal tapes from a vault or from someone's house.  That being said, the Beach Boys ought to get on their knees and thank God that they have fans who are so committed to the music...let's see, about 45 years after that music STOPPED being relevant to the world-at-large, that they would be willing to listen, let alone distribute, snippets of alternate takes and instrumental tracks of obscure songs that were never hits or even well-known at the time they were released.

"Cease and Desist" order?  That's pretty heavy-handed.  Always a good business decision to read the riot act to one of your most dedicated fans.  Good going, Brother Records!!  I hope these people are aware that just about every penny in profit they make off this upcoming SMiLE box will largely be due to the fact that the existence of bootlegs has helped keep this music alive, vital, and relevant since 1967.  Most people will not buy this box, or the SMiLE 2-disc edition, were it not for someone who'd told them at some point how important this music was, or what it could have been.

And how would anyone in the 1980's or 1990's have any idea of SMiLE or what it meant, without being able to hear just a little bit of the music?  It would have become a footnote of history, maybe something discoverable 100 years from now by some archiver of late 20th Century popular music.  Something you'd hear about in 5-10 minutes of a graduate seminar.   Brian Wilson's long dead by then, even SMiLE 2004 would never have been made.

I'm not saying bootlegging is legal, or right by the artists involved (provided of course those artists actually own the music in question).  Otherwise, I feel your pain, I really do, Mr. Suit-wearing Capitol Records bureaucrat!

But spare the self-righteousness and judgments (a.k.a. despicable) for people who commit real crimes.

I wasn't busting your balls, I was laughing at the first response!

You obviously f***ed up, but then we all do. C'est la vie. I certainly don't think any less of you.

Ironic how in threads all over the board you can find people complaining that "certain collectors" do not share material but then when they do share they are despicable...

It's a sensitive and complex situation, especially because it involved Alan Boyd, who really didn't deserve any merda on him.
But honestly now, who on this board has never shared unreleased material?


Not me of course. I have never heard, seen or possessed any unreleased material.

AGD?   ;D

Everyday, everyone have some people to count on. And one day, everyone will see that some of these people didn't deserve it...they lie to us and this is it. I think everyone one day lived this kind of situation.
Certainly he did. He made a mistake, but he didn't want it.
Despicable: killing each other, steal each other, hurt each other, etc...
He shared a material that possibily will never see a proper release, and maybe some of these material didn't have the ideal quality to release.
And I think all the fans who have listened Get The Boots will buy all releases containing these material in a pristine and clear sound, mixed and mastered properly, because the quality of the leaked material is very rough.
 

I remember that a bootleg came out sometime around '82, and on the back cover whoever put out the boot had listed my  name and address, for people to contact me if they wanted info on my newsletter.  I got a threatening phone call from the Beach Boys' legal firm ordering me to "cease and desist" distributing the boot and to hand over all proceeds to the band pronto.  I asked them if they thought I was stupid enough (don't answer, AGD!) to put out a bootleg and then print my name and address on the damned thing?  I then reeled off some inside information concerning embarrassing behaviors of a bald band member that might see the light of day if they wished to continue harassing me before hanging up on them.  Never heard back from them. Still have no idea who put out the boot.

I heard it was issued by Mother Taber Records   ;D

Wasn't that Landlocked. Funny enough Mike made a joke out of bootlegs in Goldmine while "Brian" blasted people for them on his message board.

As for myself I think this accident was a happy one in the big picture. I am truly sad that Alan almost lost his job, but hell if BRI dosen't give us this stuff what do they expect! I think it's much worse for someone to pirate things that are currently in print then to boot unreleased stuff. For instance if I put out a record and some schmuck took it and was selling it without paying me then I would be pissed. However I would be flattered if somebody wanted the outtakes that I didn't see fit to put out.

In the case of the Beach Boys some stuff is never going to come out until if and when the copywrite runs out for good. I understand them being embarrassed by some things, but there are those of us who really just want the whole artistic picture good, bad, or ugly. Perhaps thanks aren't in order, and I myself would never copy something I was asked not to, but aren't most of us really enriched by those Cd's? I personally only regret we don't have vinyl on them. Hell one last thing. Some bands have put out their own versions of bootlegs and ALL of these sell better then the boots. All of us here would support and buy this stuff legally but we can't so we don't.

Most of the BBs stuff won't come out till they're gone, is what I think. then maybe it'll be easier to convince their heirs to release it. course I'll probably be gone too... 
Course that is if they don't have it destroyed as part of their "last wishes"

I've always wondered what Brian's reaction was when he found out his band used to collect boots :lol

I think I read somewhere that Darian used to knowledge of SMiLE boots when they were doing BWPS.

Of course I think it was "Brian" not Brian who had a problem with it. I don't know if Mike collected them but he certainly didn't mind discussing them with the interviewer jokingly trying to extort $20.
I know John Lennon liked to buy them. I think Elvis even was OK with them.

Paul Mccartney has been known to actually tape record other people's shows.  :lol Jimi Hendrix did too. Actually, a few bootlegs from club jams come from Hendrix recording from his personal tape recorder.

The 'official' story of Darian going into the vaults and copying all the Smile stuff he could find for BWPS was greeted - and rightly so - with considerable hilarity by everyone who knew him, as he already had something like 85% anyway.  :)

Thank you very much for "Here Come Da Honey Man". I like it even better than "Da Doo Ron Ron".

:lol


Somewhere in all of this I forgot about the Les Chan tape, when Brian was asked about the Hawthorne Hotshots bootleg!

Would you refresh my memory on the Les Chan tape and Hawthorne Hotshots, Billy? Did Les ask Brian about this bootleg?

As you probably know, Hawthorne Hotshots was a Peter Reum compilation. Are you talking about Les' interview with Brian in the early 80's?

Dethpicable!

Get The Boot (Vol. 1 and 2), Psychedelic Sounds, Secret Smile, Sea of Tunes Source Tape, and the Heroes And Villains compilations.  Thanks for those.  I enjoyed them immensely.

Anybody else here go to either/or of the two Beach Boys conventions in San Diego? I know of 3 or 4 that post here that were there. Good memories.

Yeah, I was. Gotta say, asking Brian about it took some balls.

Hey everyone,

In regards to that whole GET THE BOOT situation - file under "stuff that happened a long time ago."  No lingering hard feelings.

I really have to point out that there's a huge difference between dedicated fans and collectors and musicologists and Wilsonologists discreetly trading tapes.... and bootleggers packaging and selling unreleased material with the intent of making a profit.  I know Pete wasn't out to squeeze a few bucks out of those unreleased tracks, and it's unfortunate that someone he trusted passed what Pete had created along to someone else who apparently DID want to squeeze a few bucks out of other collectors.

There are dedicated fans and collectors out there who have been immensely helpful and to whom we'll always be grateful.  And believe me, if anyone has leads on anything we might be missing, they'll be welcomed with open arms (or "no questions asked," if they prefer).

Thanks,

Alan

PS - I really miss Reverend Bob.

Well said. As an artist myself, I'm against the selling of unauthorized material. As a listener  and a collector, I'm 100% behind trading. If there's no profit to be made, I don't see the harm.


Me too.

Alan, I was thinking of you when I posted earlier on this thread, concerning both the subject of the "misplaced" music from your house that made its way to the outside world and the San Diego conventions in the early 90's (Down South In San Diego), which I thorougly enjoyed.

Lots of luck and thanks in advance for your work on the upcoming "SMiLE" release!

Ha ha this board is great!

Thanks for sharing your story Catbirdman. Hopefully Mr Boyd's post has assuaged any guilt you were feeling, and the generally positive response to your 'confession' will encourage you to post here more often.

And yes best of luck Alan Boyd with the Smile project! It's no exaggeration to say the prospect of an official Smile release has brightened up my year considerably. 

I was at the Connecticut convention in 2007...I hope there is some other convention on the east coast sometime soon...Maybe I'll have a "SMiLE Box Set Release Party" in New York. Everyday I come here hoping to see the release date posted...

Yes, rest in peace Reverend Bob.

Thanks for posting Alan, and I'm so glad to see you're doing so well and in the thick of SMiLE right now. You're a hero to many.

Thanks for being so gracious about the ugly ordeal from years ago. For my part, I'm so sorry it happened and that I facilitated it to happen and that it affected you. It will never happen again through me I can assure you that.

I know I speak for everyone when I say we're excited beyond words for the SMiLE release. I hope you're having loads of FUN with it. And I hope you're finding lots of cool stuff.

Just what material, exactly, are you missing?  ;)

Thanks, Mr. Boyd, for all that you have done to make the release of the Smile Sessions box a reality, and for all of the other fine work that you have done to make an old Beach Boys obsessive fan like me happy. 

I would pay money for the music on Get the Boot if it was released properly. I would pay money for a lot of unreleased BBs music.

I can understand bands being pissed off because they're losing money to bootleggers. I can understand bands not wanting their worst musical moments released to the general public.


What I can't understand is why some label doesn't put out this unreleased material officially. There is money to be made (even if it's via cdbaby), and there is an audience for it (albeit small, and dwindling). As for the worst musical moments being released, I paid good money for Summer In Paradise, so I don't see how Battle Hymn of the Republic is any MORE embarrassing than that.


I wish more music would find a way out. I don't want anyone to lose their job over it, but why not celebrate the release of this stuff, officially, in good audio, and make a bit of money from it.

I think that was the original idea for beachboyscentral.com, an official beach boys website that would offer unreleased material as downloads.  It has been "coming soon" for several years.  I believe Alan Boyd owns the domain name.  Not sure what the hold up is, probably the Beach Boys don't want to offer some of that material.  It would seem to make sense to offer songs that have been bootlegged already in high quality so that they could make some money off it, and take that revenue away from the bootleggers.....

There's not be an awful loot of archive material releases anyways since that site was set up. Maybe this might be the trigger, even if they only change the pic on the home page to a Smile Sessions ad.

Yeah, I never understood why they don't use that site for a bio, have a discography, merchandise for sale, etc.....

It really is a no-brainer to offer high quality downloads of stuff that pretty much everyone has in iffy quality anyway... but you have to bear in mind we're dealing with a bunch of people who, when presented several possible options (including the blindingly obvious), historically and invariably choose the most inane one.

Just in case beachboyscentral.com does come online and has a digital store, I would like to offer the suggestion that for the first couple of months extra bandwidth should be purchased as they will likely have a lot of activity at the beginning.

This went from a thread on the convention to a thread on boots.

I dare say, in defense of catbirdman, that everyone here who has boots, got them from someone else who had boots and so on.  Let the BB fan without sin cast the first stone.

I have not bought a boot from someone profiting from it since I bought vinyl boots at the local used record store many many years ago.  (except for that smile album vinyl boot I bought couple of years ago on haight st).

By the way, I have totally enjoyed the Get the Boot material.  It is one of my favorites in the realm of eccletic boots.

Thanks and I promise never to share it for profit.

I'm going to assume that you never heard BHOTR or you are another of the deaf Beach Boys fans who frequent this forum. ;)  SIP may have issues, but the singing on it is not one of them.  

I can certainly understand why the band didn't release a lot of this stuff.  Certainly not in the shape it was in when it was booted.
BHOTR is just awful.   That had to be just a bit of noodling around ....never ever meant for release.  I'll bet they're embarrassed!

On the other hand, I love hearing a work in progress like SOT or Brian demos of Love You.  That is listening to a work in progress. That is worth hearing.   More of that would be fine.

I would love for an official release of You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, the unfinished River Deep, or whatever of that 70's synth genre of the band, covers or not...

Although I didn't get the chance to attend any of the conventions in San Diego I was was fortunate enough to have Rick Edgil send me a bunch of the  posters and flyers from the 1992 convention. I thought everyone would like to see them  :)

(http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m100/lbonahue/Smiley%20Smile/Poster.jpg)
(http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m100/lbonahue/Smiley%20Smile/Flyer2.jpg)
(http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m100/lbonahue/Smiley%20Smile/Flyer1.jpg)

Lisa

For some reason I really like the pink one lol

I was also at the ESQ San Diego BB Conventions in 90 and 92.  Great memories, and hard to believe it's been around 20 years.

As far as Get the Boot is concerned, hearing those songs has served to increase my knowledge of and appreciation for BBs recordings, with the result that I'm a certain customer for any and all legitimate releases, whether on physical media (which I would prefer, with detailed liner notes), or downloads from BBs Central.  (How many years has it been now since we've been greeted with the message "New site coming soon"?  :-D)

From a sound quality standpoint, most of the stuff on Get the Boot sounds like it came from multigenerational cassettes, with hiss and loss of high end as a result of tape head azimuth misalignment.  Official releases from pristine sources will sound dramatically better.

I was in this audience in 1990 in San Diego. See the guy with a big smile on his face with a 1974 Beach Boys concert shirt on? That's me. Later, I had my picture taken (thanks Les!) with Mr. Wilson by his limo. The picture was enlarged to 8 x 10 and a few years later I asked Brian to sign it for me. He stared at the picture for a few seconds, then looked up at me with a smile before signing it carefully. Now framed behind glass and hanging on the wall, it's one of my favorite prized possessions.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=beach+boys+convention+san+diego&aq=f

"River Deep..." isn't that good - it's Brian being shouty and hails from the mid-1980 BW/ML sessions in Santa Barbara.

"And it gets HIGHER!!!!!!!".  ;D

Speaking of the '92 convention...wasn't that the one for which Alan Boyd wrote and recorded "Down South In San Diego?"

Love that song!

I first heard it when someone tagged it on to the end of a cassette...way back in the day. Actually, IIRC, it was Alan and some folks talking about the convention, and then playing the track at what appeared to be some sort of college radio station.

Sound familiar?

Hey Alan, thanks so much for all the hard work you're doing, have done in the past, and all the hoops you're undoubtedly jumping through to make this project the best it can possibly be.

R.I.P. Bob.

"Down South..." was for the 1990 gig: the 'theme' for the '92 bash was "Everybody's Waiting". Both available on Alan's excellent Channel Surfin' CD.

I looked and looked, but I couldn't see ya for sure; about what time are you visible?  (Are  you the guy with the demented look? )  
Question about the song: Did Brian start live and then switch to singing along with a tape?

Anyway, nice to live in CA where it's easy to attend these things.  How many people would you say were at this convention, watching Brian?

Interesting point: unless I'm missing something there's only been three such conventions in SoCal: the 1979 BBFUN bash and the two ESQ events in 1990 & 1992. Suze Lang held three BB bashes in 2003/05/07 in Connecticut, there was a 2nd BBFUN conv in the midwest in the early 1980s and ESQ held anothergatthering last summer. There was a Dutch BBFC meeting in 1980, and of course from 1979-2009 inclusive there was the annual UK Beach Boys Stomp gathering of the tribes (anything up to 350).

Thanks for the clarification and info, Andrew!

Ouch! 
Nice to live in CA, CT and the UK, taking short vacations to unknown midwest and Dutch locations!

Amersfoort.

Bless you.

There have been several BB conventions or meetings in The Netherlands. I know of several "fan days" in the late 80ies early 90ies, organised by the BBIC (Beach Boys Info Centre) which started in November 1989 and stopped in Feb. 1993, when the last meeting also took place. Nowadays a group of Dutch fans still regularly meets. (http://www.brianwilsonfans.com/)

And how could we forget the German fan club California Saga? They have been organising yearly meetings for many years (early september, this year on Sept. 3rd).

Eddy Feiken organised the Amersfoort bash, Easter 1980. I went, it was pretty neat.  Been to BB gatherings in four countries (Endland, Scotland, Netherlands & USA) and two continents.  ;)

Have to disagree- I think it rocks...only wish I had a clean version... :rock

I like Brian's take on Phil's songs better. Less reverb, more ROCK!

Battle Hymm rules! It's the proto wacky "Love You" era arrangements.

The Charlotte ESQ event was in September of 2009, an event that was close enough for me to attend. That was fun. David Marks, Billy Hinsche, Dean Torrence, and most of the Surf City AllStars were there.

Jeez... I'm old. Time's passing quicker. Thanks.

Familiar name. He was also the founder of the  relatively shortlived Dutch BBIC in the late 80ies/early 90ies. Don't know when the fanclub you mentioned started/ended. In the 70ies there was also a Dutch fan club called the Beach Boys Appreciation Society. Don't know how long that one lasted, but as one of the founders of that fan club regularly visits this board, I'm sure we'll get an answer on that.  :)

Somewhere in my archives I have a full set of Eddy's Dutch BBFC... think it lasted three, four years.

You forgot about the several West Coast Beach Boys fan conventions in the Bay Area. Hal Blaine was at one of them and told a lot of stories and mingled with the fans and did a book signing. Steve Desper came to another and played unreleased stuff. Good times.

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I was demented at the 1992 convention. I had stayed up all night after eating a big dinner and knocking back pitchers of Foster's with Stephen McParland and Sean MacCreavy and others from the UK who drank like fish as I was struggling to maintain an upright position in my chair. Really good people and a lotta fun to be around.

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Quitityerkillingme!

I poo you not, Bgas. I had a blast. Collectors brought collectibles to sell and I bought some good stuff there, including this great 45 called "Landy You Need Me/Games People Play" by the Shocking Shrinks! And I talked to Landy for awhile - he was standing by himself 'cause nobody would talk to him, so I did. He said the next album,  Sweet Insanity was gonna "blow away" Brian Wilson '88. Talked to Marilyn and Diane for awhile..........asked Marilyn the main reason that Smile was aborted.....stuff like that. You shoulda been there, man!

Obviously, in retrospect, wish I had.  If memory serves I had given it serious thought, but decided not to; and have no recollection of why, other than maybe $$
Oh well....

Quitityerkillingme!
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Fosters!!!! Here in Australia no one drinks that!!!!

Damn right, I've been here 7 weeks and haven't seen Fosters anywhere -back in the UK their adverts make you believe that Australians drink nothing else!

Back when I lived in Halifax, in Yorkshire, England, Fosters was brewed there.  You're on the wrong continent, mate!

Funny.. I like Fosters..   so is it like the shittiest one over there in Australia?

Yeah it's treated as a joke.. Anyone in Sydney next week I am at the 4 seasons! We can have a few icy cold Hahn Super Dry's or Carlton Premium Dry..

What was her response to that question?

In addition to the conventions, there was a multi-day series of fan gatherings in association with the dedication of the Beach Boys Historic Landmark in Hawthorne, CA in 2005. Not to mention numerous CWF events in the L.A. area -- I've been to all but one of those; also the Dennis Wilson Bash in Santa Monica.

I still wanna know what Marilyn said about SMiLE! Or rather, her version of it...it's always possible it's not definitive.

As related to me later it was "Ah, you must be Mikie - AGD told me you ask that... and yes, I know about Brian & Sherri".  ;D

I was there for all three.  But I have to agree that the first was the best or the three.  The music was obscenely good.

And don't forget the lion trainer!