On the Classic Albums Making of Pet Sounds DVD or Bluray, they got Mark Linett to explain how the track was put together. I believe it's a bonus feature, along with Caroline, No. I will have to pull it out again.

Yep, it's a bonus feature.  But it ends before my favorite part - the tag!  I REALLY hope that somehow, someday, the complete sessions and multi tracks will be released.  I've always wanted to know if Brian had the tag planned all along, or if he came up with it during the session.  The early track on the boxed set doesn't have the horns at the end.  But maybe it's just because he didn't want to rehearse that part yet until they got the verses and chorus down first.  I think IKTAA is one of Brian's finest productions, even though it isn't as complex as some of his other material.  There is so much that's just so right about that track.  The strange sound of the organ and piano perfectly balanced, the forceful bass harmonica, the ethereal guitar part that comes in at the second verse, and the way it all comes together with the horns at the fade - they all combine to make it my favorite backing track.

Mark and Alan,

Yes - thank you so much for all that your hard work has given us over the years!  Sixteen years ago, on my 16th birthday, I received a copy of The Pet Sounds Sessions.  That green rectangle box has been the gift that keeps on giving!

If things do work out for a '68 release, can you empty the vaults of all things We're Together Again?  Backing track, piano track, vocals only, previously unreleased mixes, etc.  That would be a dream come true!

One more thing - if by chance we get any more releases pre-'68, is there any way more session excerpts and/or a full backing track for The Little Girl I Once Knew would ever surface?  I know something weird went on with the backing track (part of it was erased by a comedy skit?), but anything close would be greatly appreciated.  The 2 tracks on Hawthorne, CA shot that song into one of my top 5 favorites of all time.

Once again, thank you so much for all the joy your work has brought to my life!

I Know There's An Answer.  That tag is just so wonderful.  It's my favorite Pet Sounds moment by far.  Has anyone heard more of the session than what appears on the boxed set?  I've always wondered if the tag was intended to be that way from the beginning, or if it developed during the session.

Runners up:

At My Window

Til I Die

We're Together Again

5.  At My Window
4.  We're Together Again
3.  Here Today (backing track)
2.  The Little Girl I Once Knew
1.  I Know There's An Answer (backing track - specifically, the tag)

Stephen Desper's Study Video for Cool Cool Water comes to mind.  Phenomenal vocals!

Is there still going to be a Chicago show?

I did the soundcheck and meet and greet at the New Buffalo show last night.  It was a better experience than the one I did for the 50th Anniversary show (and almost 2/3 the cost).  This soundcheck, we were able to sit in the very front rows.  During the 50th, we had to sit like 20 rows back.  Brian checked his watch a couple of times, but at other times rocked back and forth during the songs, apparently enjoying himself.  As we walked in to the soundcheck, Brian gave us one of his long stares.  But he also smiled at us a few times during the soundcheck.  Al laughed at one point when the "you're under arrest" line was being sung and discussed. 

The meet and greet was also better, considering that we actually got to stand in front of the guys and get something signed, as opposed to only standing behind them for a photo during the 50th.  I told Al how much I loved "At My Window", and he gave me a big smile and short chuckle and commented on what a beautiful a song it was.  Before I had a chance to say something to Brian, I was told to get behind them for the photo.  After the photo, I was asked to move on, but there was no way I was leaving without talking with Brian, no matter how brief.  He didn't seem like he would initiate anything, which came as no surprise, so I extended my left hand (he was holding a sharpie with his right) and told him what a pleasure it was to meet him.  He made eye contact with me briefly, shook my hand, nodded and said something along the lines of "Ok, yeah".  Not very enthusiastically, but not dismissively or cold either - somewhere in between.  I definitely saw a glimmer of 60's Brian in his face and heard it in the softer, conversational tone of his voice.  It was worth the money to me and overall a pleasant experience. 

Also, later on while we were waiting for the doors to open for the show, Al walked through pushing someone in a wheelchair (someone next to me said it was someone he'd known for years).  Al looked at us and asked which way the theatre was.  We pointed him in the right direction.  A few people went up for autographs and he had maybe a minute long conversation with them.

"The Little Girl I Once Knew".  The backing track (or what fragmented sections of it that I've heard) sounds like it belongs on Pet Sounds.  And the tag just explodes with joy.  What he does with the organ and saxes is amazing. 

This ticketmaster site lists only Brian for some shows, Brian and Al for others, and Brian, Al and Blondie for others.  Is this accurate, or will all 3 of them be at all of the shows?  Just curious as to who is actually going to be at the show I'm going to...

http://www.ticketmaster.com/Brian-Wilson-tickets/artist/736468

Sometimes they list Al or Blondie on the actual ticket listings, and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they list one or both of them, but only Brian’s name is on the ticket. Sometimes multiple names appear on the ticket. The September San Francisco show was the first time I had a ticket to one of the joint shows that actually showed “Brian Wilson & Al Jardine” on it. Add to that the fact that Ticketmaster doesn't sell tickets to all of the shows. So the billing can be all over the place.

As far as I’ve heard, Al is scheduled to be at all of Brian’s thus-far scheduled shows through the end of this year (he was even mentioned, I believe, as appearing at the 11/4 benefit show). Blondie has been confirmed for all shows, with the exception of the first five shows in November. I believe he returns to the tour for the 11/17 show. I’m guessing they had been purposely not including Blondie’s name on actual concert billings/promotional materials, perhaps because they weren’t sure up until the last few weeks how many shows Blondie would be free for.

Thanks!

This ticketmaster site lists only Brian for some shows, Brian and Al for others, and Brian, Al and Blondie for others.  Is this accurate, or will all 3 of them be at all of the shows?  Just curious as to who is actually going to be at the show I'm going to...

http://www.ticketmaster.com/Brian-Wilson-tickets/artist/736468

I was equally as shocked to hear of the 40-45 minutes of footage. 

Fascinating stuff, as that's a lot of minutes worth of footage. I guess that's in the 'holy grail' section of BB gold like the lost film of the CBS news speical at Brian's house. A must see all round.

I flipped when I first saw the footage.  At long last, I had an accurate visual representation of the creative burst of energy that filled the dialogue and music of The Pet Sounds Sessions.  It's amazing watching how musical Brian's body language was during that time, even in the short sections that we've been shown.  I think what I love the most about the footage is that it clearly shows how passionate Brian was about the music he was creating.  That's what is so often missing in Brian's physical presence - even in Brian's early 60's concerts.  His dislike of touring becomes even more obvious when you see how animated he was in the studio compared to performing live on stage.  I'd almost take that footage over the multi tracks for TLGIOK...almost

Yep!! I'm that JustinPlank in the video describing that class I went to that Alan Boyd spoke in. That was last February when Mike and Bruce performed here in Bloomington Indiana. I was equally as shocked to hear of the 40-45 minutes of footage.  I Could watch that as silent footage (much like the BB in London 1966 documentary/DVD) all the way through...it'd be really fun trying to pic together everything that's going on.

Including our plea for this footage, I think we need (as Beatles fans are getting) a DVD release of a Beach Boys music/video anthology.

Thanks for the videos, Justin!  I wish I could have been there!  I live about 4 hours away from Bloomington...I would have definitely made the drive!  I hope Alan does a similar class somewhere in the midwest again.  To listen to the actual multi tracks in a studio would be a dream come true for me.  

Especially with the relative success of the film Love and Mercy, I'm surprised this entire video footage isn't released, even as $10 download on i-Tunes or something.  I know the average "greatest hits" crowd might not care for it, but L&M did an excellent job showcasing what a gift to the world of music that Brian is.  It would be interesting to study 45 minutes worth of Brian in studio...in the summer of 66 for crying out loud!  I know there's legal stuff involved, along with wanting to make sure they get a return on their investment, but this footage, along with wealth of unreleased sessions, seems so important to the history of 20th century music in general.  

According to this fan who went to Alan Boyd's seminar, there is alot more footage then shown to us, including an early vocal session for Dennis Wilson doing a Lead Vocal.

Here are two videos about him talking about what went on at the seminar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oizqk2Cpfrc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5gRdG72ME

Thanks!  But this just teases me even more!  Please, Mr. Boyd, please convince someone at Capitol to release all of this footage!  And while you're at it, how about talking them into releasing every single take and multi track for every BB song and demo in existence as a digital download!  Just as a small addition

Yep, but the L&M feature contains slightly longer takes of some of the moments seen in this clip.  I only saw the feature once, but I remember Dennis making faces at the camera at least 2 more times than shown here, as well as more of Brian messing with control knobs and giving instructions.  TSS book contains a page of still frames from this footage, which also indicates there is more to the footage than the clip above shows - it shows Brian sitting at the piano in the studio.  If I remember correctly, the footage was first seen on a CBS news story covering the release of TSS.  The biggest chunk of footage can be seen on the 50th Anniversary DVD (the clip above).  There are also 2 TSS webisodes that feature more of the footage, most of which is not included in the clip above, though much shorter. 

I would LOVE to see all of the existing footage, even if it's only another 30 seconds.  I've re-watched everything released on this session multiple times with the sound muted so I can concentrate.  Seeing 60s Brian with the wrecking crew absolutely fascinates me.

I'm not sure if anyone else noticed or not, but there is a tiny bit more shown of the black and white footage from the Good Vibrations session during the "making of" feature on the Love and Mercy DVD/Blu Ray.  Not much though - maybe 10 seconds more total.  Is there any more from that footage that still hasn't been released?  Is there any chance the complete, unedited footage will ever be made available?

Is EastWest Studios open to the general public for tours?  If I ever visit LA I'd love to see Studio 3.

Thank you so much, Stephen!  It means a lot to me that you would take the time to put all of this together to give us fans such a gift.  However, I've noticed that the "Cool, Cool Water" link is no longer working...and that Study Video is my absolute favorite!  Do you happen to know when that will be up again?

I have an original pressing of Pet Sounds in near mint condition that I was able to get autographed during the 50th Anniversary Tour (thanks to a kind VIP host who took it backstage for me - I didn't get to see it being signed).  Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce and David signed it.  Since David didn't contribute the album, do you think that lowers the worth?  BTW, it was interesting where Brian signed.  The other guys all congregated on and around the white goat, but Brian signed in the green section at the top, to the right of the track listing.  He probably didn't mean this by signing there, but to me it signified that, in many ways, this was "his" album.

Very cool piece. There have been a few discussions in recent memory in regard to members such as Bruce, David and Blondie signing LPs and other memorabilia that they were not personally associated with. It really comes down to personal preference. In this situation, your LP probably wasn't getting signed without the help of the VIP host and it's a great keepsake from the experience. In my personal opinion, I think it detracts from the value, but it might not bother other potential buyers. Again, it's personal preference and I'm sure you could still get some serious cash for it.

During Jeffrey Foskett's time with Brian Wilson, there were accusations that he would secretarial/forge his signature when items were brought backstage, on the bus, etc. Without a photo of your LP, it's impossible to say if Brian or Jeff signed it (and it would still come down to opinions, as no one witnessed the signing). There is a really interesting piece on the subject here:  http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/brian-wilson-autographs-on-the-current-be-careful

Roger Epperson is a highly respected autograph expert/authenticator who has worked for several of the major 3rd party authentication companies (i.e. PSA/DNA, James Spence Authentication, etc.), he also does work for several auction houses, most notably RR Auctions.

Don't take any of the above as a slight, it is an awesome piece that I would treasure. I hope this was insightful (and I hope to see you at the New Buffalo show!).

Thanks for the input!  I tried to upload a photo, but got this message:

"The upload folder is full. Please try a smaller file and/or contact an administrator."

It was 96KB, so I don't think it was too large.

I have an original pressing of Pet Sounds in near mint condition that I was able to get autographed during the 50th Anniversary Tour (thanks to a kind VIP host who took it backstage for me - I didn't get to see it being signed).  Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce and David signed it.  Since David didn't contribute the album, do you think that lowers the worth?  BTW, it was interesting where Brian signed.  The other guys all congregated on and around the white goat, but Brian signed in the green section at the top, to the right of the track listing.  He probably didn't mean this by signing there, but to me it signified that, in many ways, this was "his" album.

I was wondering if anyone on the board has gone to a Meet and Greet at Brian's current tour.  I've only been to one (at the 50th Anniversary tour), but it was very rushed.  Was that because it was with 5 Beach Boys, or is it also that rushed when it's just Brian, or Brian and Al?  What I mean by "rushed" is we were given a 15 second opportunity to stand behind the guys to get a picture taken, then rushed along so the next person could come up - no chance to shake hands, or even say a quick "hi" or "thanks" face to face.  Thanks in advance for any input.

There are a couple descriptions and photos of the meet and greet experience from the summer tour in the "Brian / Al / Blondie Summer 2015 Tour Thread". Here are the links to a couple I found most helpful:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,22022.msg525916.html#msg525916

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,22022.msg526140.html#msg526140

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,22022.msg527527.html#msg527527


I, too, was under the impression that it was going to be run more like C50 and didn't buy the VIP/meet & greet for the Detroit show I attended this summer. As the reports started coming in, I was disappointed I didn't spend the money. Luckily, Brian and Al are coming back to Michigan (minus Blondie, bummer!) and I purchased a front row seat, soundcheck and meet & greet. I can't wait! I hope this helps.

Thank you!  You just might see me there.  New Buffalo is only an hour away from my home!

I was wondering if anyone on the board has gone to a Meet and Greet at Brian's current tour.  I've only been to one (at the 50th Anniversary tour), but it was very rushed.  Was that because it was with 5 Beach Boys, or is it also that rushed when it's just Brian, or Brian and Al?  What I mean by "rushed" is we were given a 15 second opportunity to stand behind the guys to get a picture taken, then rushed along so the next person could come up - no chance to shake hands, or even say a quick "hi" or "thanks" face to face.  Thanks in advance for any input.

How likely is it that the complete, unedited sessions for all of the Pet Sounds material (backing track sessions, vocal sessions, piano demos) would be released for the 50th anniversary next year?  I would think that the critical acclaim given to Love and Mercy would give such a release a better chance commercially than it would have had before.

If we could get the unedited session tapes released, that would be excellent - even if they're only offered in a download-only format.  I've always wondered how the IKTAA fade evolved into its final form.

I've seen the film twice now.  As a Beach Boys fan, I'm so thankful that a quality, artful and thoughtful film has been made that I can point friends to and say "this is why I love this music so much."  Taking the whole film into account, I was very happy with it.

FAVORITES:

Cusack did better than I expected.  I thought he really captured current Brian well.  I was nervous at first, but he knocked it out of the park.

The score was amazing.  I'll be very disappointed if the soundtrack is never released.

Dano did a very good job at capturing younger Brian's spirit.  When I first saw the GV session film footage a few years ago I was hoping that "that Brian" would be portrayed well on film, if the film ever happened.

The film editing was more artful than I was expecting, especially the montage at the end.  That sequence stayed with me long after I saw the movie.  

The studio scenes were an absolute joy to watch - especially GV!  The 360 degree shot was perfect.

Even though they had minor parts, I really enjoyed how Carl and Dennis were portrayed.  They were written and acted well.  That was an unexpected surprise.

The attention to clothes and environments was excellent.  I know that the actual Western location was used.  Does anyone know if any other locations were filmed at the historical locations?

I think Mike was portrayed very fairly.  I actually feel like I understood his motivations better as a result of how he was presented in the film.  I'm hoping that Mike can understand that if he ever ends up seeing the film.  I think the film actually helps his image rather than hurt it.

MINOR COMPLAINTS:

Most of the historical inaccuracies didn't really bother me, except for one - the GOK session.  I'm going off of memory here, but I think they only showed half or 2/3 of the musicians in the room as were actually there.  Bruce was in the booth during that session and described how the players were almost sitting on each other.  And if I remember correctly, there were no string players portrayed in that scene.  I think the string part in GOK is one of the high points of Brian's career.  To feature the song in the film without including that was somewhat disappointing.  It also would have made a great visual stressing Brian's relentless pursuit of musical perfection by showing him cramming as many musicians into that studio as he could.

I thought there could have been longer or more studio scenes.  Maybe take one more PS track and give it the same treatment that they gave GV.  And maybe one more Smile track - like the session for DYLW or something.

I think Dano was just slightly more childlike in his conversation and mannerisms (at times) that Brian really was.  But just slightly.  He really did an excellent job.

I would have liked to see even a brief clip of Tony Asher composing with Brain at Brian's house - Brian still asleep when Asher showed up in the late morning, or Brian wanting to watch Flipper first and crying at the end of the episode, or a conversation between them before Brian would start playing his feels at the piano.

And as a fan fantasy, I would have loved to see a BW film just focusing on 1965 - 1971.  I think showing Brian slowly retreating from the world while still composing some amazing stuff intermittently would have been interesting to see.  But I understand that in doing so you don't get a very good perspective on his life as a whole, so I understand the route that they took.

I'm hoping that the Blu Ray will include all of the deleted scenes!

Does the tag of the California Girls Hawaii version (MIC Disc 6, Track 23) sound an awful lot like the chorus of Love and Mercy to anyone else?