For further reading on this topic, I refer you to http://beachboysarchives.com/page11...and http://beachboysarchives.com/page12.

Not to forget the interview which was originally published in Scene Magazine on January 13th, 1977: https://www.danaddington.com/denny/scene.html

I'm really not a sentimental guy, but this could be tears in my eyes.
Thanks so much for sharing this. 

Again all I can say is thank you Stephen for all your kind efforts. 

Tomorrow (November 13, 2015) Sundazed Records will release their new 80-track (on 4-CD) box The Knickerbockers "The Challenge Recordings". Liner notes (40-page book) are written by no one less than Dominic Priore and a few previously unissued tracks made it on the box. More details here: http://theseconddisc.com/2015/11/11/more-than-lies-sundazed-collects-the-knickerbockers-challenge-recordings-on-new-box-set/
Tragically Sundazed (again) missed to include The Knickerbockers 1965/66 version of "Fun, Fun, Fun", so people still has to go over to Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1dJjka0Ewg and listen to the lip-synced Dick Clark's ABC-TV clip.

I’ve been trying to put my finger on a word or phrase that would best describe how analog sound makes me feel in contrast to digital listening. I think I’m going with “more live.” Analog sounds closer to the real thing, closer to the actual sound event to me. More alive. That’s just me.

For me analog sound has a soul. Or to quote Lenny [Leonard Bernstein] "Music can not be subdivided into zeros and ones."  - his answer to me why he don't like the Compact Disc format and still prefers vinyl.

Ace is one of the greatest reissue and archival labels ever formed. Expect phenomenal sound quality on these discs.

Thank you very much for this nice compliment. Much appreciated and forwarded. Most of the time people tend to criticise everything.
And no, I wasn't involved in this particular project.

Here http://theseconddisc.com/2015/05/22/ace-collects-good-vibrations-on-here-today-the-songs-of-brian-wilson/ you can find detailed information regarding this new release.

Dear Stephen,

thank you ever so much! That's pure magic blasting thru the studio monitors.

Mick

@OGoldin
Could you please check the DR (dynamic range) of the 24/96 flac files? Many thanks in advance.

Bowman seems to be the correct answer according to the "Catalog of Copyright Entries 1942 1 Music New Series Vol 37 Pt 3".

Was Bruce really involved in some way with La Bamba (#2 on this list)?  He has said many times that he worked for Del-Fi Records, but I had never heard that his involvement went back to late 1958 and Ritchie Valens' La Bamba.

I think he plays drum on La Bamba, by Ritchie Valens, my grandmother's first cousin 

Thought that was Earl Palmer on drums?

Right. It was Earl Palmer on drums.

Here's what Bruce Johnston himself told about:
In the early days of my music path (my age at the time was 16) and in the summer of 1958, I was in a Los Angeles local house band called Kip Tyler & The Flips. Our job was to back up the 'one hit wonders of the day' at dance & shows around LA County and we often backed up Ritchie Valens at the start of his recording & performing career. Ritchie's first released single at the time was "Come On Let's Go" which reached a national USA chart position of #42 in 1958. My role on stage in the band back then was to play keyboards while Ritchie played his guitar and sang. This took place a few short months before the release of Ritchie's "La Bamba" and "Donna" recordings.
Just after Ritchie passed away in 1959, I was asked to sing backing vocals on an 'answer recording' to Ritchie Valens' album track "We Belong Together." The 'artist' was Donna (Donna Ludwig) and she was Ritchie Valens' girlfriend (and friend) starting in the 10th grade. Donna's song was called "Lost Without You." I actually sang in my normal tenor voice instead of my future-higher-Beach Boys-vocal-range voice. The recorded backing vocals for Donna's single release had very little harmony & were mostly sung in unison.
source: http://rockabillynblues.blogspot.de/2013/01/bruce-johnston-ritchie-valens-and-donna.html

Stephen,
I just would like to say a big THANK YOU for the Break Away Study-Video (and the others ones too of course). Really appreciate it. The boys still sounds second to none while blasting through the studio monitors.

Cheers,
Scotty

Didn't knew that the US Amazon CD at least already included "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" - the European releases misses the bonus track.

Would be cool if Avex Network would also release Brian's album "That Lucky Old Sun" + all five bonus tracks ("Oh Mi Amor", "Message Man" (With Danny Hutton), "Good Kind of Love" (With Carole King), "I'm Into Something Good" (With Carole King),  "Just Like Me and You"). If anyone speaks Japanese he/she should write them a few lines and ask for. 
 

Avex Network in Japan has just (5/9/12) re-released the CD including the bonus track "Let's Call the Whole Thing off" which has only been available as MP3 download as far as I know.
Source: http://avexnet.jp/id/brwil/discography/product/AVCW-12891.html
Didn't ordered a copy for myself since I don't like that bonus song that much. And I'm simply happy with the vinyl album.

Avex Network in Japan has just (5/9/12) re-released the CD including the two bonus tracks "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and "Peace On Earth" which both so far has only been available as MP3 downloads.
Source: http://avexnet.jp/id/brwil/discography/product/AVCW-12890.html
Already ordered a copy for myself - but it'll take a few weeks before arrival.

How did you get the cd already?

So how is Carl's part?

Well, since I don't wanna get anyone into trouble please accept that I simply had it in the mail today. But I'm sure I'm not the only one on this planet earth 

Carl sings on the chorus only along with Al, but in general his voice is buried too deep in the mix (which is ...well, mediocre at best).  Don't think I've heard Carl on the harmonies, but sometimes It's difficult to distinguish Matt and Carl's vocals.
Anyway the song is growing on me - and I have no doubt that with a better arrangement, mix and some more tweaking it would make perfect sense on the upcoming Beach Boys album.

The CD of Al's "Postcard from California" arrived a few minutes ago.
The liner notes for "Waves Of Love":
WAVES OF LOVE (Jardine/Dvoskin) Al Jardine Music/Miracle Music
Recorded live backstage at Merv Griffin's Resorts in Atlantic City
Vocals: Al jardine, Matt Jardine, Carl Wilson
Guitars: Dan Knutson & Al
Bass: Ed Carter
B-3 Organ: Michael Meros
Synth Keys: Larry Dvoskin
Drums: Mike Kowalski

Who played the prominent saxophone isn't mentioned at all. Anyone knows?

The song is a nice addition and I like it more than the poor re-recordings of "Help Me Rhonda", "Honkin' Down The Highway", "California Dreamin'" and the lousy "San Simeon" or "Drivin'".
DitDit...DitDitDitDeDeDit....Uhhhhhhhhhhh 

Might be because of how they were recorded. Does anyone know if those songs were recorded direct to tape? Something about the Paley produced stuff sounds very legit. The newer stuff, while GREAT, has more of a modern "digital" sound to it.

Some of the Wilson/Paley stuff were recorded using a little mobile MULTITRACK RECORDER (can't remember if 4 or 8 track model) - something like a TASCAM PORTA-07. Simply ask Andy Paley - he most probably will remember which model exactly has been used back in 1993.

That's more like it. My own retailer: € 183; but mail order bol.com in Holland: € 140. Which is idiotic. I'll see what JPC charges for shipping to Holland, though.

JPC charges additional 2,99 Euro for shipping to the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg or Switzerland. So, still the cheapest in the moment AFAIK. Shipping in Germany is free.

For our people in and around Germany...JPC sells the Smile Sessions box set (pre order number 9904795)  for just  116,99 Euro - much cheaper than Amazon (130,99 Euro). 

[Thanks, I was getting mixed messages. On a whim, I checked out the same feature for The Beach Boys, and to call it grossly inadequate & inaccurate would be a positive compliment.  

You're right. All entires before 2000 (if I remember correctly) are ... well ... uh ... affected by a black hole ... but from 2000 up until today these lists on their website are pretty accurate.
But it's always a wise decision to check the original copies of Billboard - no question at all.

Cheers,
Scotty

"We Wish You A Merry Christmas" - I'm being dim: did this chart in 2005 or 2006 ? And which chart - AC or seasonal ?

Although I already posted it (see above) you can have a look yourself at Billboard here:   
http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/brian-wilson/chart-history/6031?f=341&g=Singles

We Wish You A Merry Christmas charted on AC for one week in 2006.

Best
Scotty

Need a bit of help from you good people out there. Specifically, the week-by-week AC chart figures for the following songs:

Come Go With Me
What You Do To Me
Kokomo
Still Cruisin'
Hot Fun In The Summertime
Deck The Halls
We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Anything greatly appreciated.

From Billboard AC charts

Deck The Halls
five weeks on the charts
12.10.05 #22
12.17.05 #9
12.24.05 #10
12.31.05 #10
01.07.06 #8

We Wish You A Merry Christmas
one week on the charts
01.07.06 #29

Good luck with the rest
Scotty

http://twitter.com/ZildjianCompany/status/71661552993976320

"Nashville studio legend Eddie Bayers recording Beach Boys 50th anniversary record! All surviving members are there." (via Twitter on May 20th)

IF true, it's just one of the best studio drummers working/recording with the boys. And don't worry - Eddie is more a Rock'n Roll kinda drummer albeit he played on numerous country records. 

Papa Doo Run Run - IMHO always been a better live band than the Beach Boys.  I remember a quote by Don Bleu who said "They sound more like the Beach Boys than the Beach Boys do!"