Things are good. It's moving forward.

A huge extra repeated thanks is owed to Howie and the team of folks behind the scenes (Boyd, Linett, etc.) who do more to make this stuff happen than you'll ever know.

And I think the fans who have kept the discussion going on this and kept it on the public/internet radar should also offer themselves and each other a thanks as well. It truly *has* made a difference. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. I know we'll all stay vigilant/cautiously optimistic, etc. as things move forward. We all know with the BBs that we're never fully out of the woods until the product is out there in our figurative if not literal hands. But this latest news is good. I'm glad folks know that things are moving forward now.

The behind the scenes stories are interesting, and always ongoing, and there will be plenty of time in the future to ruminate on all of that. Right now, let's get this material in our ear holes....

Do we know if a 2020 physical release off the table yet, or still a possibility?

Things are good. It's moving forward.

With my Wildflowers 9LP set to arrive this week, and this, it's been a damn good week. Thanks Howie!

Bands make very,  very little from streaming.

There's more to it than just the profit made from streaming, it gives the band a platform to spread further. As much as I'm not a streaming focussed person, it's a lot easier to recommend something to a friend when they can access it right away.

Also, any money is better than no money...

I really do not know what to make of this, and it's making me a little unnerved. If we still get a 5CD set in 2021, I don't care how much they throw at us, but I don't want them to skimp, and then we get nothing. I'm happy for the Track and Background Vocals mixes to be digital only if they were never part of the 5CD set, as these are arguably 'filler', but are still a nice listen.

Fingers crossed for some info soon.

FWIW, I had the alternate version of Tears In The Morning On my YouTube, and that got taken down in 2019!

Well... something is happening. Let’s hope this pans out the way we want it to.

Tom talked a few years back about releasing a companion album to Wildflowers that would include songs that would have been on the originally envisioned two-disc version of Wildflowers. I wonder if Tom completed the project prior to his death and, if so, if Carl is on any of those tracks.

You can hear Carl much more clearly on the version of Hung up and Overdue released on the new Wildflowers box-set.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJRyOoVz5WM

And even better, if you put the track out of phase, it cancel's out Tom's vocal completely, and leaves just Carl singing the chorus!

Man, what a great song.

We were always told the material wasn't the reason for the holdup.

I've been simply doing my best effort and commenting on almost every instagram post put out by Brian's Page, Mike's Page, and the Official Beach Boys Page. I even DM'd Mike's page this morning in a very complimentary way, though I know that'll vanish in to the ether. Anyone curious, I'm @hypnoticfred.

I'm trying, I'm REALLY trying. Howie, any idea if this sort of thing helps even slightly, or does it actually hinder the situation?

Crazy to think that yesterday was the last date of the C50 tour, and the last time we saw any actual unity here. Anyone scared of damaging the brand has truly missed the entire point.

I wonder if it’s anything to do with how poorly Sunflower did on the charts? “Why is that worth celebrating”.

It starts with a guitar intro, when the original single version starts more like the original 20/20 version. I think that's the reason

The Original Single has that guitar intro too, but it's just quite quiet.

I agree that NPP is nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be. However, it could easily have been much better:

Side A:
1. This Beautiful Day
2. On The Island
3. The Right Time
4. Whatever Happened
5. Guess You Had To Be There
6. Tell Me Why

Side B:
1. I'm Feeling Sad
2. Somewhere Quiet
3. Half Moon Bay
4. One Kind of Love
5. Sail Away
6. The Last Song

To me, this puts together the best of the sessions musically, and with some great guest features from Zooey & Kacey. It also works wonderfully as a single LP follow-Up to TWGMTR, and I wish we got something like this for the vinyl version.

I would ditch Half Moon Bay and put Saturday Night on instead.

While I do miss the inclusion of 'Saturday Night' from Freddie's tracklist, I also really like how chill he made the album by taking off the overly pop-sounding songs.

Gonna make that into a playlist.

I agree that Saturday Night is a fun track for sure, and I can understand slipping it in to side 2 instead of either Somewhere Quiet or Half Moon Bay, but this does make for a very chilled LP for sure, and I do adore consistency. Having the poppier tracks as an EP around the same time would be a fun bonus for me.

Just to let you know, no announcements re: FEEL FLOWS will be coming via a fanzine.
If and when the project picks up steam -- I promise you guys will be first to know.

Also chiming in with a thanks for dropping by. Your phrasing gives me some hope that, if still stuck, it’s not completely off the cards yet.

It could just be that Mark and Alan fancied offering up the difference as a fun tidbit, or they felt they couldn't replicate the effect in a satisfactory way.

Hey I haven't had a chance to listen to the entire thing, but thus far I've listened to about 1/3rd of it, AMAZING! You have such a radio-friendly voice that I had to check out what other podcasts you have done - glad to see there is another Beach Boys album to look into (and I'm intrigued by the rest of the episodes too).

Your breakdowns are very informative - you helped me pick up on stuff that I never noticed before in the mono mixes. Also your production is 10/10.

I would love to hear an episode about the Pet Sounds stereo/mono mixes...as I definitely prefer some songs in stereo and some songs in mono from that album - would be cool to hear your thoughts on it. Perhaps talk some about the CATPs Pet Sounds mix.

But thanks for posting this, looking forward to finishing the episode and hearing more!

When it comes to Pet Sounds, I have a long list of notes I've been working on... it's certainly on the cards, but I wanted to build up the episodes a bit further before I jumped on that train. I will however say that the CATP Mono LP does match the standard mono, but I might do a run down of pressings as a bonus in the episode, as... well... why not? 

Your comments mean a lot though! I do get a bit concerned about my delivery sometimes, so I'm glad it comes off well, same on the production. It's been a while since I've been on the board, so it's nice to see a familiar face like yours chip in. 

Stay tuned!

Freddie

Looks like a lot of cool stuff on the site!  I will be perusing soon.

Thank you very much! Hopefully there’s plenty more to enjoy than just the Beach Boys episodes! All feedback is welcome.

Just throwing in my bump again to keep making some positive noise about this material! BRI, my wallet is ready!

I agree that NPP is nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be. However, it could easily have been much better:

Side A:
1. This Beautiful Day
2. On The Island
3. The Right Time
4. Whatever Happened
5. Guess You Had To Be There
6. Tell Me Why

Side B:
1. I'm Feeling Sad
2. Somewhere Quiet
3. Half Moon Bay
4. One Kind of Love
5. Sail Away
6. The Last Song

To me, this puts together the best of the sessions musically, and with some great guest features from Zooey & Kacey. It also works wonderfully as a single LP follow-Up to TWGMTR, and I wish we got something like this for the vinyl version.

Hello Friends! If you haven't stumbled upon my Mixology podcast before, in each episode I take an album, and break down the mono and stereo mixes associated with that album, and often non-LP tracks associated with it. However, today I've taken my first look at a remix on the show, and that is for 1967's Wild Honey. Obviously comparing the 1967 Mono Mix to the 2017 Sunshine Tomorrow Stereo Mix, there were a surprising amount of very clear differences between the two mixes, making a 24 min album into a 44 min episode! I will also be taking in to account the 2001 Mix of Let the Wind Blow, the 2012 mixes of Wild Honey & Darlin, and the 2013 Stereo mixes of Darlin' & Country Air, as well as a a little curio from the 1967 French Stereo LP, and the Sunshine Tomorrow "Stereo Single Mix" of Aren't You Glad.

If you enjoy the episode too, I've previously covered Shut Down, Volume 2, as well as albums by The Beatles, The Hollies, The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, and more, with plenty more to come! You can find the podcast on all good podcast platforms searching up "Mixology", and once you get past all the alcohol related ones, you're golden! You can also find the show on Podbean right here: https://mixology.podbean.com/

If you enjoy the show, consider checking out my companion podcast "Back to Mono", which is structured more like a radio show, where I play mono mixes taken directly from my vinyl collection, with plenty of nerdy discussion of course. Again, all podcast platforms, and on Podbean here: https://backtomono.podbean.com/

SO! Please enjoy the show, and let me know any suggestions for future episodes.

Happy Listening,

Frederick

The more I read this thread the more I just feel frustrated.

Someone on the Hoffman forum claims to know the real reason the box is delayed.  Of course he isn't telling, so...

Yeah, I asked if he could give anything close to a indication of how he feels it's going... and he kinda sits where we are. It's more (he says) that he knows someone in the know, rather than actually knowing the project.

No one knows how much I desire this set than my wife, and I honestly think she'll want it to be released just to keep me quiet

In all seriousness though, a collection of this material finally released to the world would truly make so many people's 2020 far better than it has been. I'm lucky that I haven't hit too hard, but this set would still make all the difference. The prospect of a large book to go along with this set, with many of the wonderful photos from this era inside, would be a huge icing on the cake, and I'm sure if this gets a physical release, that would be a no brainer.

My money is merely waiting BRI. Show me the payment link and there will be no hesitation.

Just some thoughts about this track since I've started tinkering/mixing/etc with Smile for the millionth time a few weeks ago.

More and more I believe that the version that best works for me follows the BWPS template for the major part. That is, starting with the 'verse'. It just seems the right, mystical atmosphere, without giving it all away (that's what starting straight with the chorus does for me).

Moreover, starting with a verse rather than the 'bridge' makes room for including the verse more than once, like the old acetates do as does the 2011 mix. It's just too good a piece of music to hear just once... And it makes for a cohesive, clear structure like most of the old Smile material has, with a clear verse, chorus and bridge section. Verse/chorus/verse/chorus gives the track a more complete feel, more of a song, than just fragments (all to my ears of course).

Then: the bridge, as a pause in the song, time to overthink what happened in the minute and a half before.

How to end the song? Well, just listen to virtual all the vintage edits: one more chorus. Or, half a chorus like the vintage instrumental edit. Whatever you may choose though, I think it would have ended with a fade-out.

I came across some forum post that made this point again: most of Brian's songs end with a fade. Smile material included. It makes the songs go on forever, it completes them once and for all.

Furthermore, the last bass/cello tone of the chorus just doesn't seem to be recorded as a 'hard finish'...way too 'casual' I feel. It rings out in the 1966 instr test edit, but there's talking going on, so chances are it would have been a short fade out like Good Vibrations. A short repetition of the main part of the song, a reminder for the listener.

So, all 'revelations' put together, what I think is both historically and musically a very satisfying edit of this personal favourite song:

Verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/(half-)chorus/FADE.

Just wanted it to share with some of you who might still be reading these threads.

PS: this 'fade-out' thing made me turn down the volume of the last notes of Wonderful as well. The bass notes are brought forward in the 2011 mix, with echo and all, but  in all seriousness, it would have been a strange ending to the song. In my opinion it would have been a short fade out, just making it to end of the last backing vocals (won-won, won-won...). Much more likely and musically 'logical', I think.

Your perspectives on fade outs here has blown my mind as such an obvious and useful piece of the smile puzzle. I recently made an edit of CITFOTM using this acetate for the non vocal sections to get that vintage mix (that distant piano is essential to me), and this fade will complete it beautifully. I'd love to hear the exact timings you've used on both this and Wonderful.

[Sunflower]

Are there any rumblings regarding anything from 1969 coming out this year?

There's been some minor stuff, but nothing close to official. Some think there could be a Sunflower box set or even a Sunflower / Surf's Up set, which would be awesome. But I don't know. It would be cool to some physical product this year from the guys, but if the best we can get is downloads (a la last years sets) then so be it. I'll be happy to buy the stuff either way!

And I just realized I didn't answer your question. I would say its about 99% sure that we will get at least a 1969 set this year, judging by the copyright sets they've done since 2013 (for the 1963 material).

I would certainly love a SDE of Sunflower/Surf's Up in one set, with all recordings in chronological order, and in vintage mixes where appropriate. However, I'm also a big fan of the 2CD set format, as not only was it physical AND cheap, but it was also cheaper than buying the digital download last year. But I also don't want to miss out on anything... we'll see where we go from here. This material, IMO, demands the vintage mixes as most of the material has come out since in other mixes, though I'm for alt mixes, remixes, and a cappella/backing track mixes too.

Okay, sod it, give us everything.

The “issue” with trying to say these should be physical discounts the fact that these two sets exceed the time limit of to CDs - I’d rather have all the material digitally, than miss out on some physically. Obviously I’d love a multi CD physical though.