Sure to sell a million downloads...in June!

Queen 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'. Queen does Rockabally, and the world was like- "Whaa-?" Also their first US #1.

There's a new Joe Jackson album 'Fool' that is really good. His voice is mostly unchanged over the last 40 years which is very comforting to me.
This is the energetic single 'Fabulously Absolute':  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnc1EasHvZg

The opening of 'The Gong' copies the reversed gong sound from the album opening of The Moody Blues' 'Days of Future Passed' (released in 1967). That can't just be a coincidence. This album does further demonstrate to me how hard the the group was trying (and failing) to fit into the changing pop music landscape of the time.

The Christmas Season is now in full swing! Please take a moment to partake of this little cup of holiday cheer, a video set to the music of the perfectly splendid Beach Boys' ditty 'Christmas Day'. I've bumped this thread from last Christmas in hopes that some who may not have been around last year will check it out. Hope you enjoy it, and Merry Christmas to the Beach Boys fans!

The Beach Boys- 'Christmas Day':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-XuJdM-TCQ

How about that  new recording of "Love and Mercy" with The Miraculous Love Kids. That would be a great album closer.

Well, that's not a Christmas song

No it's not, but quite often songs that were not written for the Holiday Season are appropriated by artists for their Christmas albums if the song is in the right spirit. 'My Favorite Things' used by Barbra Streisand for example. 'Love and Mercy' in this context very much reminds me of John Lennon's 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)'. Thanks for the all the links you provided. I had not heard many of those.

This post by HeyJude gave me an idea:

Also worth mention is that they still have a page up on Brian's website that collects all the stray Xmas tracks including some not found on the XMas album (e.g. "The Christmas Song"):

http://www.brianwilson.com/christmas/

So, over the years the Beach Boys, or the individual members, have released Christmas-themed songs. Not all of them masterpieces, but I guess it would be a nice fan-compilation. Therefor I thought we could compile a list of them, if possible with a link, so that everyone can create his/her Beach Boys Christmas-"rarities" playlist.
Only criterion: The songs must be officially released and not be part of an album by the band (but single versions would be ok if they differ from the album release). Radio broadcasts do count. I include the bonus songs of "What I really want for Christmas" because they were only bonus and not part of the album itself.
I don't know if I forgot some stuff. Maybe one of you can add something. We could also include other things that are Christmas related like interviews etc. Do you know if there are such things?



The Beach Boys

Little Saint Nick (single version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_3HLtW8mCw

Child of winter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPPnP3yFdhE

The Lord's prayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn6g8uAv0UU

O come all ye faithfull (live 1967): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc_CVsNn3jM


Brian Wilson

The Christmas song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIYx5tBFizQ

White Christmas - with Styx: http://www.brianwilson.com/christmas/

Silent night: http://www.brianwilson.com/christmas/

Peace on earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cET-iLzxork

On Christmas day: http://www.brianwilson.com/christmas/  

Joy to the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gBsL7gcKCU


Mike Love

Jingle bell rock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agUUp4VZaYM

Jingle bell rock - with Dean Torrence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RryIroTqs-k

Santa's goin' to Kokomo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6BCb1rsoT0

Alone on Christmas day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEINo14z7OU

Do you hear what I hear? with Mary MacGregor: https://youtu.be/ARlZGJ8C5yM?t=1209   (link is from the TV special)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas: https://youtu.be/ARlZGJ8C5yM?t=2203  (link is from the TV special)


Al Jardine

Hurry up, hurry up, Santa Claus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp8rlb0hC_E

Sunshine to snowflakes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0koOGcw9xRA

Big Sur Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqlOQzLupjY

Christmas day (live): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkl4yv4etNU


Bonus

Collin Raye (with the Beach Boys) - Winter wonderland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjOamhXJUNI

Brian Wilson and family - Silent night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpDEMdhmPVs

Carnie & Wendy Wilson (feat. Carl Wilson) - Hey Santa!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO8NYJ0bZ1c

The Beach Boys and family - I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3csflec-uo

How about that  new recording of "Love and Mercy" with The Miraculous Love Kids. That would be a great album closer.

Please check out my new slideshow video for the this Beach Boys classic.

Wouldn't It Be Nice:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8OJoCgaghc

I sense it is time to bring back my old avatar.

Please check out the new video. It's the first time I've tried doing a video for a Pet Sounds song.

IJWMFTM:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEAmH6lRFjg

I can hear it too. You don't need a surround sound mix. Just listen closely  in stereo with headphones and you can hear it.

I'm surprised Warmth of the Sun isn't on that list but the list is heavily weighted to post-Pet Sounds years (compared to popular opinion), what much of the Beach Boys hard core would consider the cool years.

He sure looks to be singing a lead on this one. Some great pictures. Good find!

It looks like hes really excited to be playing with The Beach Boys. Like reeealy excited.

I like his T-shirt. 'Drums and Wires' is one of my favorites. Maybe the aging rocker doesn't need so much of his face in the video though.

1- Pet Sounds
2- The Smile Sessions
3- Today!
4- Surf's Up
5- Sunflower
6- Friends
7-Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
8- 20/20
9- All Summer Long
10- Shut Down Vol. 2

I hope you enjoy this tribute to The Beach Boys and the endless summer done in the graphic style of the All Summer Long album cover.

The Beach Boys- All Summer Long
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVA_bmAZtuQ  

1) Wouldn't It Be Nice
2) Surf's Up
3) I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
4) Let Him Run Wild
5) Warmth Of The Sun
6) Dance Dance Dance
7) Please Let Me Wonder
8. Break Away
9) This Whole World
10) I'm Waiting For The Day

Happy Independence Day to all! And what better way for a Beach Boys fan to celebrate than with this classic good-times record from America's Band? I sincerely think it's one of their very best. Time for Summer!

Dance Dance Dance:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me6gvmkGW5s

Fascinating!

The lyrics sound like a reference to brother Brian even though they're sung in the first person:

I used to be a famous artist
Proud as I could be
Struggling to express myself
For the whole world to see
I used to blow my mind sky high
Searching for the lost elation

and then there's:

And now I'm but a child who art
Erect in humility
Serving out of love, everyone I meet
In truth who are really me

I'm a longtime fan. When I was a kid we had a copy of The Greatest Hits album in our house thanks to my older sister, so at an early age I became familiar not only with their hits, but gems like 'No Fair At All', 'Time For Livin' and 'Like Always'. I was there the first day when Rhino released that 2 CD anthology. I even got a chance to see them live in 1972 on the Steel Pier singing the old hits and promoting their last LP 'Waterbeds In Trinidad' and the song 'Kicking the Gong Around'. I always really loved the weird audacity of this record 'Happiness Is' from the 1967 'Insight Out' album and have made my own tribute to the band:

The Association- Happiness Is:      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMCaIxicUqM

This version by Maddie Poppie was totally forgettable. It's too bad that God Only Knows is the only Beach Boys song that ever gets performed on these talent shows. I think a singer would be better served doing something less predictable like Warmth Of the Sun or In My Room or something way out there like Don't Talk Put Your Head On My Shoulder.

Bumped an old Queen thread

Today's a big day for Queen fans as the trailer for the long awaited biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is being released. 

I know biopics can be a mixed bag, but considering Queen were the first band I ever really got into, I'm really looking forward to this one. 

I saw the trailer and I think this movie looks quite promising. I'm really looking forward to it.

Check out Louis Philippe. Beautiful music. He seems to get overlooked in these types of threads until I bring him up.

There already was a Tribute To Brian Wilson TV special some years back featuring various artists, so it's really already been done. Brian Wilson = Beach Boys, even though the others no doubt were talented. The next great outpouring of appreciation for BW will probably be (unfortunately) on the occasion of his passing.