The Smiley Smile Message Board

Did the band's early success depend on them wearing uniform outfits?

I realize it was very "in" at the time for bands to wear matching outfits. Most successful bands of the early '60s did wear matching outfits. And yes, most everyone agrees that The BBs went on a couple years too long wearing the striped shirts.

My question is more about: could the band have still had as much success if they nad been rebellious against the status quo and NEVER wore the striped shirts, instead wearing different outfits of their choosing?  Would this have affected their book-ability on national shows, for example?

Or... what if they all wore a different kind of matching outfits? Like say, striped pants, but solid shirts? Or if they kept wearing the Pendleton shirts for years?

A cool idea might have been if they had embraced the psychedelic direction and released Smile, if they were gonna keep wearing striped shirts, how about custom warped/swirly striped shirts (OP Art style), that actually took the vertical stripe idea so associated with the band, and turning that on its ear to make more of a psychedelic statement? Sort of a reference to the past, but saying that things have changed with the times. Maybe that would have been super cheesy, but perhaps better than keeping the old early '60s vertical stripes well into 1967.

I wonder how many of the band's striped shirts still exist. Some of the band members must have a few tucked away in a closet or storage locker.

Could be that right after Brian released both Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations they should have ditched the shirts for a more current look to match the times and their new sound. The last time I saw them with the stripes was 1967. By 1968, they were thankfully history.

I'm surprised they weren't sued or at least called out by The Kingston Trio. I know the boys/Murry were inspired to don them because they liked the Trio (history has forgotten how hugely successful the Trio were, rivaling Presley) but they're wearing identical shirts to the ones the Kingston Trio sported on the "Close Up" and "College Concert" LP's. I guess it's like all of the British acts in the wake of the Beatles, dressing just like them. 

Has it been documented where those striped shirts ended up?

I bet they could fetch a pretty penny.

I think they did just as much damage for the touring band in '67 as they did help for the group in '62. The ship known as the striped shirts had sailed. June 1st of '67 Sgt. Pepper is released and features wax dummies of the Beatles in their old "touring uniforms" with the newly regenerated group in the center. It's exactly what the Beach Boys needed. Not that it mattered, since nobody knew who the hell was who anyway...

I think it was just a smart outlook and trend on the surf style Murry set of for them at the time and they continued it for a few years after due to their success.

Not identical at all. On those album covers at least, the Trio wore shirts with stripes alternating in two different tones of blue on white, while the Beach Boys wore shirts with stripes in a single blue (or red) color on white.

In the arrest.

Just to keep the timeline straight. The striped shirts didn't show up until '64. They wore solid shirts between Pendletons ('61/'62) and stripes (mid '64).

That's right, I keep forgetting that. Thanks Jon. Yeah, the solid shirts can be seen in pics like the '63 pic with the Dave/Al lineup where they are all posed around a piano.

Do you suppose the band played *any* early shows in their first few years without all wearing uniform outfits? I would tend to think that maybe there were a handful of exceptions, but maybe not.

I always liked the striped shirt look, but by 1966, they did have that 'surfin doris day' look.  Glad they disappeared,
it just didn't suit the music anymore.  would have been cool to see them pull em out for the 50th reunion thou.

I like the stripe shirts during their earlier period. But things change with the time.

Thanks for the correction, even so, the idea of the "uniformed boys" on stage was passe by '67, regardless of how long they had it previously.

I, too, agree it would have been cool, however, in 2012 to honor that era somehow as it is part of their history.

Yes, of course, you're correct! I had a mind blank while reading this last night, lol!

I remember reading somewhere that Al still has his.

If he does that's pretty cool.  :smokin

I bought a stripe shirt like theirs from Urban Outfitters. Similar to what they wore on the Ed Sullivan Show performing Wendy and I get around.

does anyone know what brand(s) they were?  would be an interesting item to add to the collection.

The stripes were different colors as well. Working from memory regarding the  colors: black, blue, red , I think.  I think type of  outfits they wore on the Jack Benny special in "65 when they performed Cal girls would've looked good on stage.

Didn't Al actually wear his striped shirt for that appearance? I feel like he didn't get the memo that day  :lol

It is curious how long they hung onto to these shirts.  "Hang on to Your Shirt-Ohs".  The thought comes to mind, maybe they really just liked them a lot and enjoyed going to Penney's occasionally to buy a new batch!  I mean polka dots shirts were very popular for awhile there in the mid-sixties, would they have stuck with the dots had they started out with them?

I do not however remember them being contemporaneously being put down by fans for their striped shirts.  Didn't seem to me to be that big an issue at the time.  And they pretty successfully transitioned out of the surf and hot rod music on the charts and I really don't remember them being put down for that much either.

I think the key thing that happened was the lawsuit with Capitol, the loss of corporate support from them (quite understandable considering the lawsuit, the non-deliverance of product timely, fighting with them over releases, etc) and probable lack of promotion from Capitol regarding their new releases.  And of course, the outstanding non-commerciality of Smiley Smile and Friends.  I think if somehow 20/20 could have been the immediate follow up to Wild Honey, and received some support, it may have helped them out quite a bit.

Of course I do love both Smiley and Friends....but just noting those releases seriously damaged them as a commercial entity!

I think the clothes and the surf/hot rod music became convenient excuses for explaining their waning commercial fortunes well after the fact.  Heck, look at the goofy outfits (collarless jackets, not a good look) and all the Motown covers the Beatles wore/did and no one held that against them. 

I much prefer the striped shirts over, say, Carl's white safari suits and whatever they wore on the 20/20 sleeve.

  This is likely an unpopular opinion, but I like the latter day striped shirt look of 66-67 (long sleeves and untucked) far more than the earlier style (short sleeves and tucked in.) I'd wear the long sleeve striped shirt over a Sgt Pepper suit in public or private any day.

I actually *liked* the 1969-era look!

  Carl's safari suit was the worst! :lol

I liked the striped shirts anyone know the brand?  they were wearing them when my grandparents seen the beach boys at euclid beach in 64/65 (cant remember).

They should have always dressed like this. :-D Dennis remains cool.

(http://www.theassociation.net/pics/beachboys/beachboys1.jpg)

I wouldn't say it - he just opted for casual style. In that below picture, Carl looks a bit out of fashion, to wear hippie psychedelic trousers when you're not slim is epic fail. The top is OK. Bruce is dweeb in anything, dress him as punk rocker, would be the same. Al looks very cool - such contrast, wide stripes top, narrow stripes bottom, checkered beret, same brown color shoes, plus cool hairdo & face expression. As for Mike, only see the hat, it is average, not too extraordionary.

I think the above reference was right - at least some were Penney's/

Bruce Johnston is inherently not a cool guy, but in that photo he's pretty stylishly dressed in a North East kind of way for the time. He would have fit right in as an extra in Love Story, the Graduate or Goodbye Columbus

Stylish dressing but it could be anybody. Photoshop Martin Short's head to it, even he would look cooler. :3d

Funniest thing I have read all night ;D

  Bruce's only "cool" period was 1971-72. That's it!

The best look was the "Beach Boys 85" era. The short shorts,white socks and sneakers, and Mike's Chauffeur's hat.

 :hat

So, Bruce is uncool.  That's probably why I've always liked him. Never cared much in real life about the cool kids, myself.

Don't you mean Goodbye C50TourBus?  ;D

I wonder if the band had a stylist who dressed them in this era, or if these were their ideas of cool threads. I tend to think the former.