The Smiley Smile Message Board

What can you guys tell me about this song? I always figured it was an Al song, but was surprised to see Brian had a cowriting credit. Still, I'd assume it was mostly Al's handiwork, though I may be waaaaay off base.

I think the chorus is amazing. I particularly love the bass vocal part near the end, "Santa Ana wiiiiiinds keep bloooowing". It has a strange, mystical quality to it, like an actual breeze blowing out of your speakers. Heck, even the string arrangements are pretty darn good; the vocal melody in the verses are appropriately strident; and you'd have to be subhuman to hate the harmonica bits.

It also has such classic Beach Boys drums, tied so perfectly into the overall sound you almost can't tell if the drums exist, and yet the song wouldn't be the same without it.

Believe it or not, the spoken intro doesn't even bother me!

My favourite song from KTSA by a mile. Intended, in its nascent form, for LA. Was it meant to be part of a California Saga-type trilogy with Lookin' Down The Coast/Song of the Whale? Assuming that Song of the Whale is an alternate title for Lookin' Down the Coast, which I always have, what was the third part (if there ever was one)? Don't Fight the Sea was started by then, so...? Whatever, both Santa Ana Winds and Lookin' Down the Coast would've improved LA (which I mostly like anyway, but there are several songs I wouldn't miss). I prefer the lyrics to the KTSA version, but the LA outtake is less sweetened, so it's six and two threes for me. I also assumed it's largely Al's work. Kinda hoped he would've redone it for his album...

Al's California stuff was cool. "Lookin' Down the Coast" would've been a perfect Holland song, although the BBs version sounds demo-ish to my ears. It's just not a great production instrumentally (and I'm referring to the arrangement, not the sound quality of the boots). Al's solo version is better, but it still doesn't feel like the ultimate version. He nailed "California Feelin'", but not this one.

Imagine Santa Ana Winds/Looking' Down the Coast/California Feelin' as an updated California Saga in 1979. One can only dream...

Anyway, always loved Santa Ana Winds, although I think the original version is much better than what Bruce came up with for KTSA. I heard him say in an interview that he didn't like the original backing track and so he recorded a new one. The original arrangement sounds much more BW-like and much fuller overall. Also, the lyrics weren't half as cheesy.

I wonder whose idea it was to include the very unnecessary spoken word intro. It's sooo clunky and not needed! I wonder if it was a bandmember, or perhaps a music executive outside of the band who worried that listeners wouldn't know what Santa Ana winds are. Which is true, most people probably wouldn't know, but still, listeners don't need descriptive handholding like that intro!

That said, I do like the song a lot for its KTSA era. The only odd thing is that the BBs harmony voices don't really sound that much like the BBs, which is really strange to me. Sort of in the way that I similarly feel that the BBs harmony voices on She's Got Rhythm don't really sound that much like the BBs either.

A really cool song, and could be easily played in concert. I'm surprised Al has never once dusted the song off for his live shows over the years. It was in the 1980 setlist for awhile, and then dropped before the end of the year.

I agree, a remix to get that spoken intro out of the way would be ideal.

The released version on KTSA carried over the backing vocals and some other bits from the 1978 "LA" sessions version. On that earlier version, you can more easily pick out Brian's backing vocals near the end.

I would have expected a reissued version (sans spoken word intro) to have been released at some point. Probably will be in the future, I'd imagine  - Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale)-style.

I wonder if Al in hindsight thinks the intro is lame too. Then again, maybe it's just you and I who feel the way we do about the spoken word intro. Maybe Al likes it.

Unless they open up the "Brother Archives" and/or do expanded reissues of all the albums including KTSA, I doubt we'll see the track revisited again.

Al seems to respond positively when someone mentions the song to him. Considering it's a very easy song to play, I'm amazed not once (to my knowledge) has Al performed this live since 1980, not even at the New York show earlier this year where he dug up some eclectic songs to play. Brian's band would sound great on the song.

Al will be playing with Brian at the two Bridge School benefit shows this weekend. They're acoustic shows, so it would be a cool song to play in a show like that. But Al has already said he literally just tags along on the Brian shows; he doesn't work on the setlist with them. Plus, if they pulled out something weird at those shows, it might be "California Saga" with Neil Young or something, since Neil Young sang on Al's solo album version.

I wonder if it's an instance of Al just feeling the song doesn't really have many fans. I agree, he should totally play it.

Here's a question: did anyone in the band ever speak the spoken word intro live at any of the times when the song was played in 1980?

I'm sure the song doesn't come to Al's mind often because it's an obscure one. But he has pulled out obscure tracks before. I mean, "Lookin' at Tomorrow" isn't particularly more well-known among the masses than "Santa Ana Winds."

I've never heard that they did the spoken word intro live. Al may have talked during the intro describing the song, but I don't think they had Al reciting word-for-word what is heard on the album.

Santa Ana Winds is good.  Lookin' at Tomorrow (regardless of its origins) is really good.

I’ve always thought it would be great to hear Al backed by Brian’s band doing both of these songs. I’ve held out a tiny bit more hope for “Lookin’ at Tomorrow”, as Al has performed the song from time to time over the last 15 years, including at his 2012 Roxy gig just before the C50 tour.

Brian's falsetto at the end of the track always sends shivers down my spine (for the right reasons).

'Won't last foreverrrrrrrr'.

When my band played with Al Jardine in 2006, I strongly advocated that we do this tune.  One of my own band members really didn't like the song, so it didn't happen.  Missed opportunity!  We did do "Honkin'" and not long after that Al rerecorded it, so maybe doing it with us had something to do with that.  But who knows.  I love the song too and I feel a little guilty reading this thread we didn't seize that opportunity.

I heard the unreleased version before I heard the released version and I still think the earlier take is vastly superior to the over-produced, over-written KTSA track.

I like the unreleased version a lot.  In feel, it sounds kinda like a '90s grunge band, like the Lemonheads or someone, in the verses, anyway.

I prefer the released version though.  Mike's line finishes those sections properly, the lyrics are better.  But I don't compare them, generally.  Feel like each version was going for something different.

Seriously ? The lyrics to the 1978 version are hilariously clunky:

"On my porch
Thinkin' 'bout the torch
I've been carryin' for you so long"

... and after that it gets really laughable.

Ummm... if you're going to say something like this, might be an idea to check you're quoting the right track. Otherwise you end up looking... well... silly.

KTSA version totally blows away the early version, early take sounds like a sound check desk recording.

Acoustic bass - nifty - an(d)a moment of relief on a headscratcher album

The KTSA version actually sounds less cluttered and more stripped down to me. Yes, it has some strings. But it drops the drums, and drops out the bass harmonica and whatnot.

I remember back when you guys did that gig, and that was indeed the first time I think Al have revisited that track since probably 1977. I think it's highly probable your suggestion had something to do with Al cutting it for his solo album.

The only other case I can think of where Al would have pulled out some rare tracks was when he was scheduled but then had to back out of one of those Pop Overthrow festivals in the early 2000's. I remember reading afterward someone mentioning that Al was going to do a bunch of obscure tracks, like "Lady Lynda."

Al's vocals on this song are pretty awful

Is it really Brian on harmonica? Love that bit.

Nope.

I always thought Santa Ana Winds" would've fit better on L.A. Light Album than KTSA. L.A. Light Album would've definitely benefited from it's energy. Maybe something like this:

1. Good Timin'
2. Full Sail
3. Santa Ana Winds
4. Angel Come Home
5. Goin' South
6. Lady Lynda

But you gotta ditch the spoken word intro for it to fit into L.A. Light Album. That part is so dorky, if it's gonna be on there, IMO it fits in better with overall dorkier material on KTSA.

I used the older version on my alt LA, but I wish it had the later lyrics!

Surf's Up ! The Beach Boys On Record 1961-1981, p.293 (first edition):

"Several years later (i.e. after 1978), Alan explained that "Santa Ana Winds" was conceived as the opening song of a trilogy. The original concept followed "Winds" with "Song Of The Whale" (working title: "Down Along The Coastline") then "Monterey". The suite ended with a second section of "Song Of The Whale".

Or as we now know it, "Winds" followed by "Looking Down The Coast".  :)

i don't care if I'm in the minority or not, but I love Brian's intro vocal on Looking down the coast. Then again, I'm a mark for Brian's voice.

Would be very good with an album containing a tracklist something like:

Side A:

Good Timin'
Angel Come Home
Santa Ana Winds (without spoken intro)
Looking Down The Coast
California Feelin'

Side B:

Don't Fight The Sea
Lady Lynda
Baby Blue
Goin' South
It's Not Too Late (Carl vocals, yey!)
5-10secs pause
Here Comes The Night (single version) - cmon it's far from perfect, but this song gives the album the album the added disco flavour!

For some reason, I get Santa ana Winds and Winds of Change confused at times. Similar era, Al Jardine involvement, er, 'Winds' in the title ...

I am an unworthy acolyte and kneel rightly chastised before the omniscient guru that is AGD :angel: .

As it should be, and ever will be.  ;D

You had me until that garbage Goin South.

Except you've left off the best track on the record: Love Surrounds Me.

That is so Al...betcha he was behind it. I mean, look at all the Jardine-related voice-overs:

- The intro on "'Cassius' Love vs. 'Sonny' Wilson"
- I Saw Santa Rockin' 'Round the Christmas Tree
- Tidepool Interlude
- California Energy/Recall Blues
- The Beaks of Eagles
- Lady Liberty

I LIKE the spoken intro… I guess it comes from the more folky tradition, in which direction Al leans.

And you know what? I wish Al would just do that. His solo stuff (well...the one solo album he has :)  ) just leans too much on the Beach Boys crutch, you know what I mean? I'd love him to do an album, or even a concert at an intimate venue, in which he just completely geeks out on folk stuff. I'd love to hear what he would do with that.

I bet if Brian did the spoken intro, people would love it.

Don't forget TM Song

"Time to meditate..." ;D

I heard Al has long petitioned for a spoken word intro to be added to "Sloop John B".

"Sloop John B" is an old folk standard that I suggested to Brian. One of the chord changes you hear was my idea.

I guess it's more annoying on Santa Ana Winds (as opposed to a tune like TM Song) because it's right on top of a cool musical part which I'd much prefer to hear by itself.

I couldn't agree more.  A folk-oriented album, in a stripped-down, rootsy, organic style, with a sympathetic producer on board (one who actually forces Al to finish the damn thing rather than fiddle with it forever), showcasing performances that have the benefits of both Al's veteran experience and his surprisingly sprightly pipes.  Such a thing could quite plausibly win critical acclaim, not to mention possible attention from some quarters not normally drawn towards Beach Boys-related products.

(It still wouldn't be a hit though.  Let's keep things in perspective, it would still be an Al Jardine solo album.)