Saw this on my timeline. I'm guessing that the images change based on artists that you like, but thought it was kind of appropriate.

Wow, cool! It's cool how an offhanded line from a studio outtake can bring historical context.  Appreciate the thoughts, rn57.

Was listening to the Party! Sessions collection this morning. On their silly take of "the Artist," at 1:25, Mike sings,

"I know it shows no class, and sometimes they throw my *** (out of Martoni's)"

Martoni's was, evidently, an Italian restaurant frequented by artists in the music biz in the 60s. I'm wondering if anyone knows if there's a true story behind this lyric, or is it Mike just being Mike?

Mike is very clearly referring to the thing that the long-closed Martoni's restaurant is most famous for - among '60s music fans, anyway.

A bit of background - for years, until it closed (supposedly because some things got knocked around in the 1994 LA earthquake, but it'd been running out of steam for awhile) Martoni's was the leading showbiz hangout where Italian eateries in LA were concerned. Part of this had to do with the rumor that Frank Sinatra (and some unnamed gentlemen of his acquaintance) co-owned the place.  

The crowd at Martoni's leaned a bit toward old-school showbiz, but rockers were tolerated - up to a point.

One evening, apparently in late June or early July 1965, Sonny Bono was thrown out of Martoni's. Two versions of why have been most often circulated. Rodney Bingenheimer has said for years that he went to the eatery with Sonny and the latter was kicked out because Ciro Marino, the head chef, thought Son's hair and bobcat vest presented sanitary issues. (Or maybe some bobcat in the corner was complaining.)

The other version is that Sonny was in there with Cher and some minor hoods from out of town were discussing her attire in uncomplimentary terms in tones so loud Sonny came over and started duking it out, which resulted in him and Cher being ejected.

Either way, Sonny promptly wrote a song about what had happened, went right to the studio, and recorded it. Within weeks, his one solo 45 to be a hit, "Laugh At Me," was racing up the charts.  I still think it's the greatest thing Sonny ever did:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=berHdguUts0

Sonny's intro and verse of the song is what Mike's doing a takeoff on with "The Artist."

Was listening to the Party! Sessions collection this morning. On their silly take of "the Artist," at 1:25, Mike sings,

"I know it shows no class, and sometimes they throw my *** (out of Martoni's)"

Martoni's was, evidently, an Italian restaurant frequented by artists in the music biz in the 60s. I'm wondering if anyone knows if there's a true story behind this lyric, or is it Mike just being Mike?

Today at Holiday World:

Barbara Ann
GOK
IJWMFTT
Here Today
Friends
Getcha Back

Kiss Me, Baby in stereo from Endless Harmony and it's not even close!

Alternate Cover for ES recently discovered as the Endless Wookiee.

Wait, Jack Palance wrote and sang a song about Van Dyke Parks? 

Yes.  Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IfzRf1DtxQ

Smiley, and nothing else comes close.

First time I heard Pet Sounds, I was in my first year at the Uni. It just resonated with where I was at the time.

"She'll smile and thank God for her one, one, one, one, one... (music stops)

"Say ladies, don't you agree that our tans look won-won-wonderful?"

Or "we're number 1 in the staaaaaaate"

At Holiday World (Santa Claus, IN) today, I heard IJWMFTT, Sloop John B, Darlin', You're So Good to Me, and a few car hits over a 3 hour period.

Recently, we've seen some Mike Love interviews. People have complained about them being the same old softball questions with the same old stock answers.

So, let's cut to the chase. What are some questions YOU would ask Mike Love?

"Mike, can you explain to me what 'Well, she got her daddy's car and she cruise to the hamburger stand now' means? Because it feels like acid alliteration to me."
 

Here's my tip.  I buy all of my frames at thrift stores.  Bring a tape measure with you, and know what sizes you need.  They're usually dirt cheap, and once you take it home and remove the stupid picture of ducks flying or trees or whatever, a 2nd hand frame looks just as good as a $40 one.  Many times I turn the picture of ducks backwards in the frame, to use as a blank background if the frame is a little too big.

This is a great idea.  Thanks, Shane!

A very interesting cover.

Some trivia:

Brian at the time talked about "Norwegian wood" in an interview, mentioning "I would have orchestrated it, put in background voices -- done a thousand things".

Definitely an intriguing comment.  The sitar certainly wasn't in Brian's sonic pallet at that time.

That said, the producer very much put that surf harmony sound imprint into it.  May not have had Brian in it, but I bet it was fun to brainstorm the potential in the studio.

Post of the month.   

I don't think any of them have anything left to say after 45 years that they haven't said already.  The problem is some of you guys are never satisfied with the answers you're given.

In regard to your first sentence, Brian hasn't even touched the surface in discussing the specific SMiLE songs. In regard to your second sentence, you're probably right, but, boy, wouldn't it be fun.

Well, what could you realistically ask him?

Brian, did you ever intend to make H&V a two-sided single?

"Yeah, we put it in the boxset. It's great. Great harmonies. The boys really sang on that"

They sure did, Brian. But in 1966? Or 1967?

"Oh, I never finished Heroes And Villains. Too many little sections. I couldn't complete one song. It bummed me out."

Er, but you must have had a plan?

"I was taking too many drugs and it got to me. I couldn't complete it."

Let's get down to brass tacks, Brian. About the use of motifs, can you explain the thematic significance of Do You Like Worms, Heroes & Villains, Vegetables, and Wonderful have similar bridge or fade sections?

"I was experimenting a lot with 'feels', like, little melodic sections that I groove on and they become songs. Wonderful, oh man, that's a beautiful song.

Ok, let's talk about that. Why did you record it four times?

"I recorded it four times?! It's on Smiley Smile, right? I was never satisfied with anything. I was very depressed, I started hearing voices - auditory hallucinations, you know? - and they said things like ARUBA JAMAICA OH I'M GONNA KILL YA when I was in the shower and stuff."

Well I have this version here which is kinda a jazz thing *plays Rock With Me Henry Version* and there's all these little weird vocal inserts for it... Why, may I ask? To what purpose? You must have known, Brian. You don't just re-record something ad naseum, something that was arguably perfect the first time, in various weird ways, without a reason! ...Do you?

*Nods and smiles wanly at stereo for a while* "Carl sang that. Carl was a great singer."

It's like Bull Session with Big Daddy, 2012.

So bizarre, but he drafts a new will when Audree drops the bomb that she doesn't want to do the sex anymore with him.

Did as thorough of a search as possible but came up with no hits.  Since we're looking at his letter to Brian, I stumbled across this gem on the Hard Rock Memorabilia site.  Damn, that is one cold document:

http://memorabilia.hardrock.com/?item=027393

The album is missing an upbeat, BB rocker.  Come on guys, break 120 beats per minute.  No more shuffles. 

First time listening to Daybreak over the Ocean, I could have sworn that Mike sang "Date Rape over the..." on his first line.

Just to clarify,  Bill and Sue are

Wonderbill and Susie Cincinnati, all grown up.

"The real reason Brian abandoned SMiLE?"


So he could devote more time to keeping the streets of Los Angeles safe from crime, of course.

Is that the reason I felt so safe when I was over there in April this year? 

You felt safe there 'cause Phil Spector was safely behind bars.   

Thank God and Brian that the mind gangsters finally had been corralled.   

[I do wonder if Brian would have kept the "12th st" quotes had the song been released in '67]

I do wonder if Brian would have kept the "12th st" quotes had the song been released in '67, and how much it would have resembled the BWPS version. One of my favorite pieces of the SMiLE puzzle.

Probably. I thought it was assumed it was kept off of BWPS for some sort of legal reason?

I think it would have been a part of "Look" back in '66-'67 - Brian's contemporary quote is evidence that he wanted to keep it in there even after he was told it was copyrighted material ("I'll pay for it - you know I don't steal").  For BWPS I have a feeling they just didn't want to pay for its use, even though they could have done so had they wanted.

Someone who should know told me that Brian decided to leave it out of BWPS as an artistic decision.

Liner notes on the single CD

"Look (Song for Children) contains music from Twelfth Street Rag Music by Euday L. Bowman (Public Domain)"

Which, to state the obvious, means they no longer had to pay for it since it's in the Public Domain, being nearly 100 years since it was written.   In 1966, it would not have been in PD.

Interestingly, both Brian and Ozzy appeared as background vocalists on Ringo Starr's "Vertical Man." 

If you want to hear Brian channeling Ozzy, check out "Without Understanding."  Kinda creepy, Brian, singing about "no good vibrations."

My kiddos burst into laughter every time they hear that bit.  Great humor relief...that's why they call it SMiLE.

Had the Boys been able to finish Sandy/Sherry She Needs Me/She Says That She Needs Me, it would have made a great addition to side 2 in the place of Bull Sessions.