The Smiley Smile Message Board

seems like i should aleady know this- but nope- thanks for filling me in-

'409', 'Shut Down' and 'Little Deuce Coupe' were originally released on the Surfin' Safari, Surfin' USA and Surfer Girl albums respectively. They were repeated on the Little Deuce Coupe album because that record was all about cars. They needed to  make another album for the holiday market of '63, so Brian put that album together. To save time, he reused those three songs to fit the concept.

Brian, alone, did not have the final say in the reuse of songs on albums, that was Capitol's call to allow that. Capitol contracts were onerous. Most of the artists on their roster had to deliver an LP every quarter. The Beach Boys needed material in order to fulfill contractual obligations. Reusing songs, inserting skits, recording covers and instrumentals helped them do that.

And then added "Be true to your school". 
???

Which, technically, kinda fit the car theme...a little...by virtue of that one line about driving around with my decal in back...

Check out Jan and Dean albums circa 1963-64.  They reused tracks like crazy. 

COMMENT:

Question: why are songs repeated on the early albums?

Answer:    $  repeat:  $  Again:  $


It's the music business.

~swd

I suppose when you're expected to crank out as many as a couple albums a year, you end up repeating some songs.

there's a slightly more contemporary equivalent to this old LP practice

I'm referring of course to SUSIE CINCINNATI that appeared as the perpetual 45 B-side

and it's not like the guys didn't have plenty of finished but unreleased tracks to substitute in its place at that time

Capitol was exploiting catalog - that's what publishers and record companies do. That's not what was Reprise was doing with Susie Cincinnatti. Remember, '409' & 'Shut Down' also appeared on, SHUT DOWN, a V/A exploitation album, which came out before the LITTLE DEUCE COUPE LP.
That's how record companies operated.

I wonder if it was ever considered for the band to re-record those early tunes, so at least it'd be an alternate version of the songs for fans to dig into, the way that Ronda/Rhonda and Be True to Your School were re-recorded and re-released. Although in these cases, these were already hit versions, so Brian may have felt no reason (and had no budget) to want to redo them.

"That's not what was Reprise was doing with Susie Cincinnati."

sure it was

same difference - saving money.  capitol did it ("exploiting catalog" = saving money, or trying to make more on what you already have out there). reprise did it so as not to master anything new on a 45 they probably had little confidence in it the time, and save the flipside new mastering expense

Except, the versions of Susie were different. There was added mastering expense.

Exploiting catalog doesn't mean saving money. It is when music publishers and record companies make the effort to seize upon or create opportunities for their copyrights.

their fans, if not the record buying public in general, are entitled to value-for-money when buying a new 45 not the same old flip-side that it seems a joke.  we got love was mastered but not released at that time which could've been the flip to child of winter instead of SC


"It is when music publishers and record companies make the effort to seize upon or create opportunities for their copyrights."

still sounds like we don't want to bother spending the money (for a new flip-side) as articulated by accountants (creative type perhaps) instead of a music artist
 

 
   
 

Including re-recording Dead Man's Curve, of course.