The Smiley Smile Message Board

Interesting lineup!
http://www.nme.com/news/the-beach-boys/70462 (http://www.nme.com/news/the-beach-boys/70462)

Very much so. Under the pretext of going to see the Mike & Bruce hits show, I would, however, direct my full attention to:

(http://static.nme.com/images/article/2011SaturdaysPA030512.jpg)

As would Mr M E Love, I'm sure!

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he asks them to be cheerleaders during an 3min opus intro of, "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen"

OK-The Beach Boys aren't even headlining and are below JLS. Also, looking at the Barclaycard website, tickets are £35 for standing.

Bruce mentioned on the BBB site that they had been offered a gig in July as well as the one at Henley so I am assuming this is it.

£35 is reasonable for that sort of event. I'll get a ticket tomorrow.

I agree that the price is reasonable. I've never listened to either JLS or The Saturdays but they have had stacks of hits so it is a pretty good and varied line up.

You're right-£35 is pretty good although I'm not sure if that is just for Barclaycard holders.

Either way, as much as I'd like to see to see M&B again, I'll wait for another indoor show like The Apollo gig a few years back.

Definitely hope it isn't just for Barclaycard holders -- that would be pretty off if it was. It'll still be cheaper than a Henley ticket would be, though.
I'd much, much rather see Mike & Bruce in a theatre than doing a hits set to a festival crowd, but given that they don't play the UK that often (two proper tours and a handful of short hops like this in the last twelve years) and their age, it might end up being the last chance. I'll take what I can get.

I was thinking that when I typed my reply.
We all know that Mike, at least, will keep playing until he drops but I hate the thought of their last UK performance being a GH supporting JLS. Hopefully they will do a couple of theatre shows next year. I guess a flat (probably nice big) fee from Barclays is better than hoping on ticket sales

Doing a show that night, and lol if I'm paying money to see fucking JLS, but in a charitable mood today so kinda annoyed I won't be able to see M&B.

As I understand it they always take a flat fee (though they may take a percentage on top).
And in some ways I'd have liked Wembley last year to have been the last show by any Beach Boys line-up, as well as the last ever real Beach Boys show. But since they're playing the set anyway, I'll gladly go and see it.
(I don't even know who any of the other people on the bill are, except Paul Young. JLS probably can't be worse than when I saw Mike & Bruce support Status Quo in 2001 -- and Mike and Bruce will be far, far better.)

Once again a picture of the Beach Boys tour from last year is being used.

(http://static.nme.com/images/gallery/2012MikeLoveBeachBoys02PARed270912.jpg)

Was hoping for another gig, Henley's just too expensive. And exactly 2 years since the Epsom gig ;D I'm in, looking at some 2013 setlists and even the more barebones sets have some interesting things going on.

Well, the Barclaycard site has the, ahem, 'proper' Beach Boys line up. I think that was just the NME not knowing the difference and going for a C50 photo.

Andrew-I completely agree. The Beach Boys finishing last year at Wembley would have been sublime but we all know that it wasn't going to end like that. In some ways, I'm glad M&B are still going doing the GH. The gig is pitched as a 'Family Day' so there are acts mostly tailored for kids/teens and I suppose they thought that they need an act for the parents. Unfortunately, I think being that most of the parents will be in their early 20s, the chances of one of them shouting out for Meant For You are quite slim!

It'll be an awesome gig anyway and as you said, catch them while you can!

The image being used by the Hyde Park event website:
(http://bst-hydepark.s3.amazonaws.com/img/Familydaybannerevent.jpg)

It's almost enough to make you be ashamed to be a fan. 

The Beach Boys ft. The Gruffalo

I can't help but chuckle at seeing the Beach Boys given equal billing with The Gruffalo. I initially thought that was a joke at Mike and Bruce's expense, but I now realise its not! I do enjoy seeing the Gruffalo smirking over Bruce's shoulder though - almost as though he can't believe it either.

The BBs getting equal billing with the gruffalo is what the brand needs.... ::)

Who cares about "the brand" though?

Mike Love does!

JLS
PUPPET SHOW
The Beach Boys

To go or not to go... considering I'm seeing the stones there the night before.

Has anyone been to see any Hyde Park shows in the past?

I've heard from a friend that the sound is terrible as they have been forced to turn it down due to complaints from local residents. And that obviously you could be a mile from the stage.

Well, maybe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztFcpguCB8o


Does anybody else start singing "River song" too when this one comes on?

I've heard nothing good about them - last year there was a big hullabaloo over Blur's set being incredibly quiet and the sound being cut as Bruce Springsteen was jamming with Macca or something. It's a bloody ridiculous place to stage an arena show, anyway.

I saw Springsteen at Hyde Park last year, and the sound was pretty good until the curfew kicked in and they turned it off during the McCartney cameo appearance.

In two minds about attending.  I've never seen Mike and Bruce's Beach Boys, and was disappointed that my own ignorance let me miss out on their excellent 2008 set list in London.  However, I guess this will be more of a hits affair.  If they are in town anyway, might there be a chance that they announce another gig for July?

Shame there doesn't seem to be any sign of Brian, Al and David coming to the UK at the moment.

Tbh I'm a little surprised we got this second one given the current tour schedule*, as it is they're playing Hyde Park then heading to Paris and then there's Henley two days after. So the optimist may hold out hope for a gig to spring up in the day in-between or any other time. I'm gonna go to this because it's been killing me that I couldn't afford to go to Henley so I think it's the safest bet.

* http://www.beachboysband.net/TOURSCH/BB_TOUR_SCH.htm (doesn't show the Hyde Park gig as of yet)

A: I was at Bruce last year. Great all round in my opinion, and I've been to the venue a few times myself.

No, Bruce said on the BBB board before this was announced that they had "another show" (singular) planned for July in the UK. And they're on a very tight schedule. July 3rd they're doing a US date, then July 6 Belgium, then Hyde Park the 7th, Paris the 8th, Henley the 10th then back to Iowa for the 12th.

Even if another date did miraculously appear, it'd be a hits show. They only rehearse up the rarities when they're doing a full tour of theatre venues.

But you should go and see them anyway. Even the hits shows are very good.

oh god, that's too funny  :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

I just know how much I enjoyed Epsom, and getting the setlist that was from Mike's mic stand is a great memoir. is it worth the pain for them again? maybe!

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/v/972997_632180093462988_418634371_n.jpg?oh=16754a56bcf5115ebbb2c1fe3901c7f5&oe=51A0A5B0&__gda__=1369498034_26d9cc5004c7fef9ae80d6e73d34be81)

[The tape was from the stage = it's blu-tack'd to the wall.]

Hey mrmoustachioto I got one of the other setlists from Epsom! Not sure to whom it belonged. I absolutely loved that gig and I'm looking forward to another M&B show if it's anything like that one; and there's more a chance of getting close to the stage than at Wembley at least :p

Exactly. That was a bare-bones meat-and-potatoes set. just like this one will be. My only concern is that the crowd might not be that into it, being a crowd that's mostly there for a different band. It's a seriously strange line-up...

Yeah, realistically (all things being equal) would Henley be the better gig to do people think? I'm weighing up whether I will go to either or none. The atmosphere maybe should be better at Henley I suppose but, then again, perhaps it will be entirely populated by posh gits. Possibly the set at Henley may be slightly longer?

Yeah, a bunch of kids going to see JLS and The Saturdays might not approve of WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN to say the least - Brian playing Glasto and the Isle Of Wight festivals are the closest parallels, and he went over well there both times, but then the mainstream festival crowd is more tuned to boomer stuff than a gig like this.

I'd be there in a heartbeat if it was the real Beach Boys

Go see them if you get the chance. I'm just ticked they won't be playing the Stanislaus County Fair this year like they did in '08 and '10.  Also saw M&B and their great band at 'The Fruit Yard' in Waterford for American Graffiti fest 2005 (in a carved out orchard!) and at the San Juaquin County Fair in Stockton a couple times in the late 90's and early 2000's. Those were great times at the County Fair!  Go West young man, don't be a snob see the group if you can...

The rest of the bill at Henley looks much better -- but not fifty-five quid plus dinner jacket hire costs better. £35 to see Mike & Bruce do their hits is reasonable. £90 isn't.

I bit the bullet and bought tickets. Despite all the warning signs like apparently not-great sound, festival audience, the Gruffalo; it's still the Beach Boys playing Beach Boys songs. To this day I regret not going to the RAH gig but Wembley was a heckuva show to end the C50 on and I also want to experience the Beach Boys as they happened not as some idealised fantasy, not that I feel like I have to explain myself.

Gotta give Mike, Bruce and band credit for their touring stamina, like a machine. That said, being the middle act between bands I never heard of is kinda sad. Though obviously I am not up on trendy bands. Maybe a brilliant showcase for all I know.

JLS are a boy band -- absolutely huge over here, nothing anywhere else. They just split up and this is their farewell tour. The Saturdays are a middlingly famous girl group who've had their own TV series and headline arena tours, but who I've managed to be unaware of. My wife says they're quite good if you like that sort of thing.

There's certainly no shame in being on as the middle act between two bands who sell out arenas on their own merits, but it's a very, very odd bill for them to be on. I suspect, actually, that they will have been asked to do one of the other shows there and had to reschedule or something, because the other lineups (the Stones one night, Elton John, Ray Davies and Elvis Costello another) sound much more suitable. I've no idea how they'll go down with a largely teen and pre-teen audience...

Maybe they should dust off "Hey Little Tomboy"

 ??? Just what is the Gruffalo? An ill-mannered buffalo?  ???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gruffalo

Very popular children's book/cartoon.

I wonder if Mike will dust off his stage banter from 1964? ;D

How long exactly is a 'hits set' or otherwise???

It varies but around 30 songs or less normally.

As this is a festival bill then I would be surprised if the set was that long to be honest. An hour or just over maybe?

The only time I've ever seen them perform as a support act (in 2001) it was 25 songs. Given the nature of the bill, and normal festival performance lengths, I'd guess 90 minutes/30 songs would be about right. The reunion tour did 31 songs at Bonnaroo, which was another festival show.

That's The Gruffalo, behind Bruce.

Anyone else just looked at that picture of 'the Beach Boys' - the band supposedly behind songs such as God Only Knows, Cabin Essence and Cuddle Up - stood beside JLS and the Gruffalo and just completely lost the will to live? Because I have.

I feel ya. Luckily I don't have the foggiest as to who those people are. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. :)

I wouldn't be suprised if this is to be televised in the UK. Can it be shown on T:4 so my viewing pleasure is interupted every 15 minutes by stupid, unfunny wanker presenters please?

thanks for that! :)
For a minute thought they had a new drummer.

I feel more sorry for Paul Young, who apparently isn't more talented than an anthropomorphised children's character. Still The Beach Boys got equal billing with the gruffalo, that's pretty rough man.     

If you've heard Paul Young's singing recently then that's a pretty fair assessment.

Okay, JLS are shite, granted, but don't diss the Gruffalo… my four year old loves him and that just might be my way into a BBs gig his year! :lol

I lost the will to live with Mike and Bruce a long time ago

That JLS guy with the hat on backwards is making me feel violent. Mike should like, come on stage and knock his hat off or something during the performance. Then punch him.

Plus Bruce should pistol-whip him.

Then steal the hat.

Don't judge them for their appearance; judge them for their terrible, terrible music. 

That would require listening to it...

Beach Boys have never heard of JLS:

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/playlist/view/322599/Beach-Boys-have-never-heard-of-JLS/

I suspect lots of folks in the US have never heard of JLS.

I wish I'd never heard of JLS.

Manufactured pop crud at it's worst.

Wow, never thought I'd see The Beach Boys play on the same set as any of these other acts. That said, I'd love to go there just too see those Saturdays... Mmmm... And they make great pop records!

:) Mark

The esteemed members of this board could've written the above interview with Mike - the Beach Boys cliche police are out in force  :-D

Like what he says about there being good restaurants in London - this is the Beach Boys Gastronomic Whistle Stop Tour...

I hope he does a restaurant review.

You know I'm actually feeling pissed off as well as embarrassed to be a fan of the band at the moment, considering I have to explain to just about everyone I know that this isn't The Beach Boys that made Pet Sounds, Good Vibrations and so many of the greatest songs of the 20th century but is in fact closer to a tribute act you would see at a local high school or a carnival. The fact that I've seen more publicity and people mentioning this upcoming gig than The actual Beach Boys 50th anniversary concerts, TWGMTR and The Smile Sessions aggravates me to no end. I'm currently in denial that this current band even exists as it does but seeing that poster again sets me off. Its like seeing a close friend of many years living as a homeless tramp on the streets. :(

So, who's going to this shindig, then ?

Dumb people who don't know any better or have nothing else to do. So great to see myKe and his tribe get second billing. Better start getting used to it peepull. :p

I might go. I love the Gruffalo, JLS and Paul Young!

I'm going because I love The Beach Boys and quite fancy checking out Paul Young, the Soul Rebels and seeing what else is on show. Guess that makes me a dumb person.

So is this the same stage the Stones are playing the 6th, which I think is now over in the UK?

My dad is there. He just rang me to tell me Mike and Bruce played "Goin To The Beach"

That I would like to hear!!

I wrongly assumed you were joking.

Pretty surprising that even though they were only given a 1 hour slot they played stuff like this and Isn`t it Time.

It's so weird that they do "Isn't It Time."  I mean, isn't the subtext of that song basically "isn't it great we're back together again"?

You're dead wrong, it's about the night Mike wined and dined Bruce and told him the good times never have to end.

 :lol

*sigh* I bet goin to the beach was another summertime classic....

Theye do a very solid job on Isn`t it Time anyway as shown in this video from a couple of nights ago:

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

Just got back, ace show. Was very taken aback by "Goin' to the Beach". They packed a lot into their hour yet those dang beach balls provided more entertainment for the young girls around us at the front.

Setlist:

Do It Again
Catch a Wave
Surfin' Safari
Surfer Girl
Don't Worry Baby
Little Deuce Coupe
I Get Around
Isn't it Time
California Girls
Then I Kissed Her
Sloop John B
Wouldn't It Be Nice
God Only Knows
Good Vibrations
Kokomo
Help Me, Rhonda
Barbara Ann
Fun, Fun, Fun

Encore:
Goin' to the Beach
Surfin' U.S.A.

 ;D That says it all! Shame they didn't include any contemporary material, like 'Duke of Earl'

How was "Goin' to the Beach"?

"Isn't It Time" sounded distinctly threadbare with myKe blowing quite a few off key notes throughout the performance.   :o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5y98Zr1Vco

Goin to the beach

Ditch the Saturdays and replace them with a reunited Sundays, and get the C50 BBs back up and running, and I'll blow all my money on a plane to the UK.

Not bad. Total cheese, but not bad. Looking forward to the studio recording on MIC.

OMG, this is what we are getting instead of "Carry Me Home"?   :wall

Thanks for posting.  I won't say anything about it other than..."they couldn't find anything better in the vaults?"

This is what we're getting instead of Big Sur 4/4 and I've Got A Friend?

I watched them work out a part of "Goin' To The Beach" on the "Making of the Keepin' The Summer Alive" album on TV (and video). After watching that recording session back in 1979, I remember being glad they didn't release it. I was bored with it then and I'm bored with it now.

P.S. This ain't encore material!  Stick with Wild Honey!

I thought Goin' To The Beach sounded alright...it certainly fits the show. Just not an encore song after its debut...

HOWEVER, that was the first I had heard Mike & Bruce doing "Isn't it Time" and that certainly has some good and bad going for it. The song screams reunion...and I don't think the reunion of this particular beach boys band is the one the fans are screaming for. The new arrangement is weird...especially Mike singing the bridge...I don't like that...it just sounded wrong. However, props to Scott Totten & Bruce Johnston's vocals because they both kicked some major ass and held the fort down on this one! I wish Scott would play ukulele on it like Cq50 but I guess the band isn't big enough to compensate for the loss of guitar. Although Bruce could always play it...it's not like his hands are doing anything important over there  :o

So fucking sad. Boils down to luHv who will stoop to unbelievable, record setting lows to make a buck. Would luHv it if BRI said keep the money and the name will go to Brian and his group. I mean this is simply gawd awful crap. :o

I'm sure they did and could find others, including Carry me Home, but all estates/members have to vote on it, correct? This one has "beach" in it, so it was probably one of Mike's few "yes" votes.

I see Mike grew back his Colonel Sanders goatee.  I have to say, he's sounding pretty good.

Damn. Cowsill really is a beast on the drums!

Ticked that box then. Next!

All of the unreleased songs on the box set are Mike `yes` votes. Otherwise they couldn`t be on it could they.  ::)

Yes but Mike doesn't have to let BRI decide what he puts into the live show. I'll be very surprised if we get ANY more "songs from the vault" in Mike and Bruce's set this summer.

Indeed. It would fit better in amongst the early surf numbers.

No sense paying Blondie any more than they already are. ::)

 It sounds great with the band, the song itself is just kinda weak. It seems like it only has one real verse . I can see why it's gone unreleased. But cool of Mike to play it.

Ha, might be it. Blondie is not a Mike fan.

That "Isn't It Time" performance is absolutely dire imo. I miss Al.

As there are only about a dozen songs that have yet to be released in any form then that is a near certainty. I can imagine one or two of the album tracks being added to the setlist though.

I'd seriously dispute that. Just got to the end of the 'C' section at 10452, and there's 19...  :)

I'll bet they're going to play the instrumental version of "Transcendental Meditation". First, it's about TM and second, it'd give Mike a chance to play the sax. :angel:

Well can't say that Goin' To The Beach ends up interesting.. very simple and short song, a nice little melody but that gets forgotten just right when the song ends, i can understand why this was left off and never used/talked about again, nothing memorable, as for the lyrics, i guess it's just Mike Love tryin' to make another Do It Again stuff, just didn't really work that time around.

The song is what it is (I wonder if the studio version is really so short) but I think it's fantastic that they still sometimes include rare/odd/unreleased songs.
Kudos to Scott for making it happen and to Mike for letting it happen.

That have never been released in any form??? (and we were talking about the songs on MiC in case you missed that)

Double post

You might have been but Rubbersoul13 switched to talking about "from the vault". That's how I read it…

I think it goes without saying though that they aren`t going to perform any songs that have no immediate possibility of release.

Absolutely. I'm gobsmacked that they even did Goin' To The Beach (and almost regretting going for a walk in the sunshine instead of going to Hyde Park!); assume there was no mention in the pre-amble of the box set (which incidentally just took a price drop at Amazon UK).

I concur. This is one of the more bizarre setlists that Mike and Bruce have performed imo. They were playing in front of a festival crowd and could only do 20 songs and yet thought Goin to the Beach and Isn`t it Time would be more suitable than Cottonfields, Do you Wanna Dance, Rock and Roll Music etc. Bizarro.

I honestly think Goin' To The Breach was for fans like us. They're keenly aware that they don't get to tour as they ought here and so they slip things like this into their festival sets to please the hardcore fans. It might not be everyone's fave unreleased track but it is a treat to hear an unreleased track (see We Gor Love thread) once in a while.

And Going to the Beach does have some catchy hooks… Scott plays a mean (albeit brief) guitar break there)… the original could perhaps have been improved with some thoughtful production…

So when Mike starts a concert by playing "Mike Love Not War" from start to finish, I think we'll all have reason to get excited  ;D

Sounded grand and actually got the crowd going, I strongly disagree with the people who think it didn't make a good encore; they tried something new and it went down smoothly. They were the only act to get called back for an encore (I left before JLS so I'm not sure if they did) and I thought it was over after Fun, Fun, Fun. The band seemed caught off-guard by being asked for an encore it seemed and when they said they'd do "one more" I thought "OK so maybe Surfin' USA?" only to be pleasantly surprised and pretty gob-smacked.

All the criticisms I've read here are, with all due respect, unfounded. A gig is so much more than YouTube videos. The crowd was annoying at times and the beach balls were a nuisance (because I'm a killjoy) but the show was better than what I expected - obviously the sound is thinner than the C50 shows but that's kind of a given really and is of little consequence. Then again these kind of criticisms come with the territory of this board alongside the usual OSD trolling, though it's not like anyone takes it seriously :lol

The main reason I went to this gig was because I thought the £90 for the Henley concert was extortionate but now I'd actually gladly (well maybe slightly-begrudgingly) hand over that cash to see these guys play again. Although I won't because I'll never be able to justify that to myself ::)

They should have played "Match point of our love" to chime with the UK's current tennis mania.

Really enjoyed that, had a nice summery vibe to it. Thank you Mike for digging it out for us, made my day.

:) Mark

Amen. Mike's been bleating on about this years. It's clearly a favourite topic of his. But, jeez, Mike, you're the guy who wrote Warmth of the Sun. If you'd done nothing else, ever, that should be enough to earn our respect and admiration. But this...? I suppose its presence on the box is some kind of compromise, but at the expense of what?

Agreed, this "vault track" is a total joke and didn't come out for reason. Mike is obsessed with the superficial beach image of the BBs.

Going to the beach... going to the beach...  gosh! It's so direct, you know?

When you heard it was destined for MiC, what exactly were you expecting the subject matter to be?

A Do it again knock-off and I was exactly right.... ;)

Sucks that this crap is on the box instead of "Carry Me Home".

Something tells me it wasn`t an either/or situation...

But one mans crap is another mans treasure. We all have different tastes, even in the Beach Boys songs we like. I for one can't wait for this on the Made In California box-set, even more-so now I've heard that live version.

:) Mark

Without passing any comment on the individual track whatsoever, I get the impression and have for a long time that Mike cannot distinguish between song in terms of artistic quality, only commercial viability. I doubt he sees much difference in quality between Goin' to the Beach and I Know There's an Answer, or Warmth of the Sun. In terms of commercialism though he'll probably have an opinion.

I think you are about on the money, there. It seems with Mike that quality and hit ability go hand in hand. Though, with Brian's songs, they did kind of go hand and hand. That can spoil a lead singer's thinking, you know.

And therein lies the problem. Was a great singer; was a great lyricist; is a great frontman. None of these should be denied, but...

Agreed!

You have to remember too, that back when that song was written they were searching for anything that would work. Like that Carl quote where he said they were damned if they do, or damned if they don't. They were grasping at anything or any style that would work for them on record. Listening to 15 Big Ones through The Beach Boys (85) albums will tell your ears that.

"You have to remember too, that back when that song was written they were searching for anything that would work. Like that Carl quote where he said they were damned if they do, or damned if they don't. They were grasping at anything or any style that would work for them on record. Listening to 15 Big Ones through The Beach Boys (85) albums will tell your ears that"

Well, I think there's a definite style to Love You and Brian was certainly attempting to go for a particular style for Adult Child - until he clearly lost interest...
I don't get the obsession with such a bit of fluff 30-odd years later...? It perfectly captures his lack of ambition for the band - or rather, a lack of musical ambition that seems to have been with him since the early 70s. Perhaps that's a little too damning - after all, the stuff on his unreleased first album was good and some of it was a lot better than what came out on MIU, LA or KTSA, but you know what I mean.

Wow! Goin' To the Beach is dire crap ... why am I not surprised?

I think that there was always that hope that one of those types of songs would catch lightning in a bottle; they never did until Kokomo, and that was sort of a fluke, really.

Here's an alternate video of Goin' To The Beach, much better sound than the other one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM6_LVL_ZKk

I don't know, I kind of like it.  It's catchy and it's fun.  Sure it's corny, but not everything has to be high art.

Is it just me or does Mike sing better with whiskers on his puss? ;)

I always thought Mike sang better when he had hair on his puss.

This is exactly right. I just got back from London, having travelled from Manchester to get to this show, and I've been trying to avoid coming on this board because of the negativity, but wanted to see what anyone else said. I can't believe that when Mike tries something different -- encoring with *an unreleased song from the Keepin' The Summer Alive sessions that NO-ONE has ever heard before in its finished form*, of all things -- people are trying to pick holes.

I'll be doing a proper review on my blog, but here's the thing. They weren't playing before their own audience -- this was mostly small children and their parents. Paul Young said he'd got into trouble for extending his set by *thirty seconds* to announce the Wimbledon winner. The Saturdays (who very much *WERE* playing to their own audience -- the kids were screaming) had to drop a song.

Mike & Bruce had a longer set than anyone else on the bill, and before they came on, everyone around me was complaining about that -- saying "It's an HOUR?! Why aren't JLS on yet? Who wants to see the Beach Boys?"

Yet when they got told "just one more song" by the backstage staff, they actually did two more -- Barbara Ann and Fun Fun Fun -- and they got called back for an encore by the entire crowd ROARING "MORE! MORE!".

And when they came back for that encore, they did a song that was in the set just for us hardcore fans.

They won that crowd round, in a way I've never seen anyone do before. It was an ASTONISHING show, and anyone who wasn't there nit-picking it should just grow up.

Many thanks Andrew!  A much needed refreshing bucket of cold water!  :D

Don't say puss.

Andrew Hickey, you make that gig sound like hell! I think I was better off in the pub watching the tennis...

Maybe Mike&Bruce will play, y'know, a normal gig in a normal venue in the UK at some point before one of us dies so I can actually go and see them.

No, it was great, though the acts on before them were very much not my kind of thing.
I'd *definitely* rather see one of their full length theatre shows, of course, but the way they won that crowd round was astonishing.
But yes, I hope they do a proper tour of the UK again sometime soon...

Still crap, in my opinion. Maybe the studio version with more real Beach Boys on it (Carl) might make it better.

Thanks for that review Andrew. It seems from other reviews that their performance started quite slowly (I don`t understand the obsession with playing Catch a Wave at shows like this) but built as it went on.

It will be interesting to see what setlist they play at Henley which will be a longer show. It would be nice if Goin to the Beach remained but hopefully Wild Honey will make an appearance too. It would be a shame if they are only to throw in one of these as an encore...

Yeah, they seem like they worked a miracle with the tweens. It's the power of the music, isn't it? You couldn't have picked a better day for it!

A proper tour would be ideal - these fly by night weirdo small 'festival' appearances just aren't practical for my wallet, given that you're seeing the band for an hour. I'd really like to give M&B a chance, as boots and youtube vids don't give the greatest picture, but I've never had the opportunity! I thought the Tories were all about welcoming foreign business interests...

It did build -- with the exception of Kokomo, which, as always, killed the atmosphere stone dead.
Henley's only 90 minutes, I think, and they did over their allotted hour at Hyde Park (though not by much). I'd guess the same set plus Hawaii, Darlin', Cottonfields, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, 409, Shut Down, In My Room, Rock & Roll Music, When I Grow Up and maybe Don't Back Down, Dance Dance Dance and/or Do You Wanna Dance. MAYBE Heroes & Villains.

But this junk isn't even high corn-not even good porta potty material.

I'm getting a vision of Capitol's "Made in California" marketing effort:

"Finally completed after 34 years, the legendary "Goin' to the Beach" is Mike Love's "SMiLE"...the true unreleased masterpiece in the Beach Boys' vaults."  

"In 1979 my cousin Brian and I were writing together in the same room, something I'm not allowed to do with him now, and we came up with this mind-blowing song," explained Mike Love, mastermind of the track.    "I really kind of thought we had done something special when we finished that one.  It was just like "Good Vibrations," where Brian had this way-out-there music but I made it relatable with my hook and boy-girl lyrics, leading to us topping The Beatles in a British music poll nearly 5 decades ago.  Anyway, we started recording "Goin' to the Beach" and nearly had it finished, but I got all kinds of resistance.  Dennis said it was a bunch of crap.  Carl and Al kind of shrugged and put their vocals on it, but I knew they weren't excited about it.  Brian started the track but then said he preferred to get back on drugs.  Van Dyke Parks said, "'Goin' to the beach?'  What does that mean?"  And I realized the world wasn't ready for what I was trying to accomplish lyricwise."

"But I never gave up hope.  I know there were rumors I buried the tapes in the dunes at Malibu, but that wasn't true.  I was just waiting for the right time to put on the finishing touches and present it as a thank you gift to our fans as part of a $145 box set.  And just like Brian premiered his ode to acid alliteration live in London, I premiered my long-lost masterpiece live in London too...and to a lot more people, I might add.  This fall the OFFICIAL Beach Boys will be doing a "Goin' to the Beach" tour with a symphony orchestra.  Well, it's not exactly a symphony orchestra, but we are adding one extra keyboardist who will be sharing a room with Scott."

Then there will be speculation on this board about how "Goin' to the Beach" would have sounded if it had been completed in 1979, and whether the lyrics are original or newly written.  And hot-tempered debates about who's really to blame for it not coming out on KTSA, and for Brian, Al and David not being on the "Goin' to the Beach" tour....

^ priceless!  ;D

Les, it seems Mike and Scott Totten were in the studio doing overdubs on this gem. Can you shed some light on this?

 
There are unconfirmed rumors that Mike wanted a "Good Vibrations" theremin line, but after finding out how much theremin rental can cost, decided on a guitar overdub instead.

Which of course, he got his son Christian to play as a favour, just so he didn't have to pay extra. Sort of a 'mates rates' deal.

The follow-up to "Goin' To The Beach", after it hits #1 on the pop chart just like Kokomo, will be "Goin to the Toilet".

I'm gonna make some t-shirts outta this. Sell it to a few folks on the board, who will no doubt wear it to the beach   8)

(http://i40.tinypic.com/ibe1ds.jpg)

Well said, Andrew.

I'd also like to add:  at a *festival gig*, the Beach Boys also played their newest single, and an unreleased track to promote their upcoming boxset.  Before the reunion, when was the last time you could type a sentence like that?  Twenty years ago.

And people here are nitpicking that the unreleased song wasn't one they wanted to hear?

Cheers,
Jon Blum

Exactly.

:lol

Ouch! :o

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jul/08/beach-boys-jls-review

In part...

Headliners JLS lack one iota of the Beach Boys' mercurial magic, and are calling time on their generic but successful pop/R&B career. When they inevitably reform for a comeback tour in later years, they must hope their ranks don't include a member apparently driven to exploit their history and legacy at all costs. They must pray they don't have a Mike Love.

Not a good review (for the author, not for Mike's Beach Boys, that is) - actually, this isn't a concert review at all. Mr Gittins doesn't go into any specifics performance/music-wise (apart from confirming the tunes are still awesome and the band is very capable - d'uh) but keeps referring to some abstract absence of something.. be it sentimentality (???), Brian Wilson or 2012. I guess he very much enjoyed the music (who wouldn't?) but couldn't get over himself.

This review proves it.

Everywhere on the internet criticism of Mike Love is rampant, everywhere except here, on an anally retentive fanboy site.

Who is right? Well, us obviously.

We alone know that the whole world is critical of Mike because;

• They read David Leaf's book
• It's fashionable
• They're all Basement Brianistas.

                                                                                                         

Out of the whole world, we alone know the truth.

Mike Love is a beautiful spirit.

Nice bullets  :smokin

I would have thought that any JLS fan might view that review with bemusement. The journalist could have at least mentioned their performance a little.

I would think a JLS fan would look at a pebble with bemusement.

Just realised – Goin' To The Beach has some resemblance to Heartache Tonight by the Eagles.  Anyone else spot it?

And I hear some "Runaround Sue" by Dion & the Belmonts

Yep, so if you look at the bit that actually reviews the band's performance, it says

"They can certainly play the songs. Love has been touring roughly the same band for 15 years, and musically the band's peerless back catalogue is safe in their proficient hands. The perfect harmonies and stardust melodies of Little Deuce Coupe and I Get Around still shimmer like musical sunbeams of pop.

Good Vibrations and California Girls similarly remain infusions of pure joy, seemingly beamed in not from a beach or recording studio but from some distant, superior planet."

The rest of it just says that Brian wasn't there, which we already know.

It's a weird review for sure. Castigates the show for something that's little to do with the show he saw, for the sake of sounding knowledgeable and clever.  Ho hum…

I need this shirt.... :lol :lol :lol

Yea, but people keep going to the concerts and ENJOYING them.

And actually, even in the little bit of that review I quoted that talks about the show, there's an obvious falsehood:
"Love has been touring roughly the same band for 15 years"
Other than Mike & Bruce, the only band member who was in the band fifteen years ago was Tim Bonhomme. Scott T joined in 2001, as did Cowsill, but Cowsill was on keyboards then. Kirsch joined in 2004, and was on rhythm guitar then, and Christian joined in 2007 or 8, when Cowsill switched to drums and Kirsch to bass.

Put my name on the list, too-I'll need 365 of them-gonna wear a fresh one every day. :angel:

"GOiN TO THE BEACH"

Agreed.  While it's rather lightweight, disposable pop, to the amount that the song does succeed, it succeeds on the merits of it's hook.  Based upon the title alone, the subject matter couldn't possibly have come as a surprise to anyone, and in the sense that the number is everything it was ever meant to be, there's not a damn thing wrong with it (I don't recall ever hearing folks pining for the legendary, long-lost classic, "Goin' to the Beach").

That said, what really gets me is the amount of folks feigning surprise at the relative quality of the composition, as if they've never had any indication of how the song goes.  I mean, as much as I love the 'Boys, as an avowed Beatlefan, I'm nowhere near the level of BB fan as most here, and even I have heard the demo, backing track, and a fan mix of the two on youtube.  I don't know, I would think that almost anybody here at this site would already have sought out the available recordings long before now (especially after "Goin' to the Beach" was highlighted in the Made in California press release).

To be fair, I'd never heard the demo -- never even knew it existed -- though of course I've got the backing track. I don't think the demo has been that widely booted.

You'll note, the bitching comes in the main - if not exclusively - from people who weren't there. Interesting new journalistic concept...

Stop being argumentative. You know full well JLS fans aren't people.

Don't know if I'm allowed to put this link here or not (I'm a rookie on this board):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8er-kxIPhA

Hey guys, just saw a tweet from NME mag about the Hyde park event & some comments (from Everything, Everything) on having the Beach Boys supporting those JLS whatever people:
http://www.nme.com/news/everything-everything/71333?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=lazytitles (http://www.nme.com/news/everything-everything/71333?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=lazytitles)

Not only us, but other people in the music scene find the lineup sad  :(

Ha! "It's like eating a lovely meal then eating a pile of sh*t"

My kind of review.

FYI, I'm pretty sure Christian was in the band already in 2006.

Yeap...sad but true (as Metallica would say)

I'm surprised to learn that you hadn't come across it yet (as you seem pretty hip to these things), but you could be right, maybe it just hasn't made the rounds before now (of course, by the time something reaches the likes of youtube, it's not exactly an exclusive anymore). :)  I'd actually like to hear these recordings in lossless, myself, but I wouldn't begin to know where to look.

So, as I say, I find it a likeable enough number, well-suited for a live show, and I think it's cool that the fellas debuted it the other day.  I cannot help but wonder what may have recently been done in the studio with the track - what all has been added and how much of the original recordings will be kept.  Is anyone familiar with who is playing what on the original backing track?  I'd be curious to know.

Wow! First "Wild Honey" as an encore, now "Goin' To The Beach". Keep up the great work guys! Which begs the question, with some deductive reasoning... :police:

Because they performed "Goin' To The Beach" live, it had to be rehearsed. If it was rehearsed, is there a good chance that it is eventually going to be worked into the setlist? If it is being worked into the setlist - why? Why this song over other unreleased and/or lesser known BB album tracks? Is it possible that "Goin' To The Beach" is being released as a single in conjunction with the release of MIC?

If the original tapes were supplemented with new recordings recently (I don't recall if it was confirmed that "GttB" was the one), then who knows, you could be on to something.  It would certainly make sense to have something to submit to radio in promoting MiC.

I thought about that as well "Goin to the Beach" as a single.  It would be very strange promoting the single with a video that is missing Al, Brian, and Mark though.  Creative editing could fix it, but that would involve getting permissions from the participants.  Probably not a likely happening.

I would hang my head in shame of "goin" was the single, its not much of a song with it being the 20th "Do it again" knockoff from ML. I want a better track to promote the box set instead of a "KTSA" outtake.

Who the hell is "Mark"?

KILL THE NEWBIE!! HE MADE A MISTAKE!!!

I think if the video features Mark Lindsey, you've got a winner here.

Mark Lindsay was in the crowd at the Brian show in Montclair, NJ in June of 2011. Foskett was very quick to pick him out.

EDIT - Fixed year.

I wonder if Raider message boards devolve into Paul vs. Mark?  :smokin

I saw Mark @ a casino about 10 years ago, and he was totally cool. I saw the Raiders at an outdoor festival, and Paul wouldn't shut up with his corny jokes. Hmmmm...I see a trend here!

I did the same thing years ago. In an exchange with Carrie Marks no less.   :wall

Oops...I meant David Marks.  The newbie repents.

I'm not one who has heard WIBNTLA yet, but if it has any commercial appeal (I know it's supposed to contain one helluva vocal, at least), then maybe a promo film, utilizing vintage era footage, could be assembled into something in the vein of a "through the years" kind of tribute and submitted to the likes of VH1, or something?


Here's food for thought:  Among the unreleased numbers bound for MiC, what do people think would potentially work as a single?  Something catchy enough, which sells the idea of the box set (and the band's image/legacy) to the public at-large, while still being something you think you could live with as a hardcore fan?

Great link. Here is the instrumental track sync'd with the demo vocals. Lacks guitar parts (which I assume Scott Totten was recently overdubbing) and hopefully some Carl vocals.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JC6DfsQo1RE&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJC6DfsQo1RE

Obviously not new as 15, 000 people have viewed the video.

I don't know if it counts, but if this "Do it Again" stereo mix elevates the song to Friends like fidelity, I could see it fitting into contemporary indie radio programming like a hand in glove.

It seems Bruce calls the shots in the studio now.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/07/09/jls-to-duet-with-the-beach-boys-3875412/

Tip for JLS. DON'T hold your breath!

Sorry I missed this one for the ages.

Most importantly,  how was the Gruffalo?

Gruff.

Had to double-check today's date.  Thought maybe it was April 1st for a minute there.

What a gemstone! Jasper, malachite, turquoise, ruby and lace agathe in one big uniform boundless universal shape veiling the alpha and the omega.

So glad people finally get to lay ears on this song. Big kudos to Scott T, I get the feeling he is the guy behind this move. I like Foskett, but Scott's really the unsung hero here.

The title Goin' To The Beach is thought evoking in itself and in combination with the catchy and highly seductive chord progression you only feel like one thing: you feel like going to the beach with your best friends for a nice fun in the sun day. It's so colorful and it feels like your mind is washed by a cascade of sparkling cool clear salt water.

Gonna play this for my date the next time I see her. She might like it too and reward me like a pilgrim kneeling by the cradle of seas and rivers. It will be this song, candles, me, her and her resplendent chemise.  :)

When listening to "In The Back Of My Mind" it's obvious where Brian was leaning towards, even before making Pet Sounds. With Mike Love's "Kokomo", it seemed that the master of surfing had done it again, this time with an international smash. A poll at the time in Britain listed the most popular bands in Britain as 1) The Beach Boys 2) Rick Astley 3) Tracy Chapman (as Mike often points out nowadays). It is only now we see the genesis of Mike Loves songwriting, "Goin To The Beach" being the obvious inspiration for later hits to come. We live in a great time when these absolute gems become available to the public, no longer only in the hands of the few and fortunate.

I find when listening to the high-pitched moan that is Mike Love's voice caressing my ears, it is as if I am lying on the beach, with my favorite girl in my arms. The breeziness of the expertly chosen key mimics the sounds of waves licking the shore, asking you to come to them, tempting you to jump into their loving embrace. Their backing vocals are reminiscent of the sand underneath your feet, the warm feeling hugging your toes.

The last, bittersweet coda is like driving home. The wind blowing through your hair as Mike stumbles through lyrics of girls and their tans. Pure bliss is achieved as you lean back in your seat, and Mike references songs from 50 years ago.

However, in a move of utmost selfishness, Capitol decided to keep their beach masterpiece under wraps, allowing only a worthy handful of people to enjoy the aural experience of a sweet, summer day.

Don't you people get it!? Mr. Love has you all FOOLED. The song is indeed a masterful satire of the "Beach Boys song", deftly lampooning the group's desperate need to be modish, in itself a flawless critique of social and political values. The "breeziness of the expertly chosen keys" as you so ignorantly mentioned are in fact genially sly attacks at the common listener, juxtaposing the song's feather-light harmonies with its underlying themes of greed and lust, thereby giving us an entirely new perception of the world around us. Truly Love has transcended the Beach Boys song to a level previously thought unthinkable.