Alan Boyd on Cotton Fields:

"...COTTON FIELDS was never intended to be included on an album, although EMI - which had distribution rights in Europe for the first two Brother Records albums on their Stateside label - saw fit to add the song to their initial release of SUNFLOWER, and somebody at Stateside took a mono single master, made it duophonic (yecch) and it appeared as the first song on side one of the European Stateside Records SUNFLOWER."

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,1203.msg26330.html#msg26330

Re the Edition you have - go to Discogs, and type in the album title + any other barcodes or industrial type markings you can see (in the deadwax etc).  Perhaps you have this edition:

Beach Boys, The ‎– Sunflower
Label: Caribou Records ‎– CRB 31773
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: UK
Released: 1980

Hi Alan,
Yes indeed, the one you have listed above is the exact copy I have.  Okay, that clears that up.  Anyway, I listened to it for the first time yesterday and I have to say, it sounds lovely.  It's a great copy just in itself; the fact that whoever had the vinyl before I laid my hands on it, really took care of it. 
Thanks again for the assistance!

I have both the original UK Stateside issue [Gatefold w/Duophonic Cottonfields] and the Later, non-gatefold UK Caribou re-issue. To clarify these matters, the original version also has Deirdre and Got To Know The Woman swapped around for reasons I don't know [but I prefer it] and the Caribou issue, as you state, features the standard US tracklisting. Seen the Caribou copy around quite a bit, my dad got it in a 50p box solely for Forever.

But anyway, I digress, both copies sound great to me [though Duophonic Cottonfields, is, well, Duophonic], but I haven't played the Caribou one for a long time, simply because I haven't needed to.

Either way, good find, is your cover gatefold? And does it have the 'stateside' logo on the front of the cover? The caribou cover isn't gatefold, but has cropped versions of the interior photos on the back cover in the previously empty space.

Sadly, I'm not near my collection [the thing I'm missing the most being at Uni] but I'm sure someone else can help you If not I'm home next weekend.

Hi all,

Yes, the cover has EMI/Stateside printed on the left hand side of the cover whilst on the right side it has the Brother Records label.  The track listing on the back has "Cotton Fields" including the information that says "...is a mono recording electronically reprocessed to give a stereo effect..."  Like I said though, "Cotton Fields" isn't on the actual vinyl.  It is a gatefold cover.  There are no pictures on the back aside from the whole "Ingredients" picture of a sunflower, etc.  The actual vinyl has "Caribou Records/Embassy"  The only date given is the original year the album was released, 1970.  
That's all the information I can give.  Thanks everyone for your help on this.  I'm always interested to know the history of these vinyls.
  
P.S I'm listening to it right now using my Quad 303/33 with B&O Beovox 3702 speakers and it sounds absolutely sublime. 

Hey all,
I recently visited a vinyl store and came across a copy of "Sunflower".  Of course I was elated because just before entering the store I had been thinking to myself: "Wouldn't it be nice to find Sunflower in here?"  Anyway, the actual cover has "Cottonfields" listed as track 1 on side one but upon inspection, the vinyl itself starts with "Slip on Through".  Now I know that this could just be a mix up with covers that perhaps occurred during this particular copy of the album's 43 years of existence but what I would really like to know are your thoughts on the actual vinyl pressing, itself.  I understand that this has been discussed before (in length) but for some reason I have been unable to find that particular post which is why I am posing the question again.  The pressing itself is labeled "Caribou".  With regard to other pressings, what is the general consensus on this one?  And am I right in thinking that the inclusion of "Cottonfields" was part of the album's European release? 
Thank you all for your help on this. 
P.S This album is now in a very safe place...   

Ah, this is great.  Thank you for the upload...  again! 

That moment when the theremin kicks in towards the end of "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" and "sings" its melody line. 

Hm, interesting review.  For all his talk about "plug-ins", etc. and that he'd rather go with "does it sound good?", I still think a lot of this new box set has moments that just shouldn't be there in terms of what they've done with the overall sound.  Despite everyone raving about how good "do it again" sounds, I remain unimpressed, and as for the Good Vibrations box set being assembled in the early days of digital transfers, I much prefer the overall sound of that set in comparison to MIC.  Don't get me wrong, I am happy that MIC is available to us, I just think it sometimes sounds a little "artificial"...  for want of a better word. 

My favorite is P.P. Arnold's 1968 version of 'God Only Knows' (doesn't seem to be on Youtube anymore).

Also stumbled across this awhile back, a fuzz-guitar version of 'Here Today' by a Canadian band called SUNSHINE. Not sure the year but sounds like the '60s for sure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWei43oN8Os

Nice sounding record.  According to the little bit of information included, it was recorded in 1970.  Well, it's close enough to the 60s to be considered for this idea. 

Thank you to all for your comments.  It's really appreciated. 

Thank you very much Bluesno1fann.  I really appreciate your comment. 

A great set.  Only issue I have is the mono version that was included.  I don't know if anyone else noticed a lot of "clicks" and wavering (the latter especially prevalent in "Let's Go Away For Awhile") throughout the album?  I have the original vinyl 1966 mono pressing and I don't hear any of that. 

I managed to purchase this set about a year after its release and I absolutely fell in love with it.  Just for interest sake though, I was browsing through the comments left by reviewers on amazon.com and I'm surprised by the amount of people who put the whole box set down on account of the overall sound quality.  I have to say, I've always enjoyed how the music sounds on the set. 

Hey all,
This is a recording I made based on Brian's original demo of "Awake".  I have included the complete and acapella versions. 
They can be found here:

Complete mix:  http://soundcloud.com/antarctic-media/
awake

Acapella mix:  http://soundcloud.com/antarctic-media/
awake-acapella-version

Now I'm just the messenger, haven't got my copy of MIC yet, but have heard from a customer who's otherwise satisfied with the set that there's a mastering error on Disc 3 - apparently the disc finishes before Surf's Up does, and each track has around 2 seconds of silence before the actual song starts. Anyone else in the UK or elsewhere finding this problem with Disc 3 ?

Yes, indeed.  I have that exact issue with my copy of disc three. 

So what was this thread originally about?  A new interview in a magazine, you say?  Cool, cool...   

http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/33500000/Bruce-Johnston-the-beach-boys-33556401-500-539.png

What an unfortunate photograph...

To get back to that "swoosh" sound that apparently resembles the sound of an orgasm - I don't doubt this point as I was once told it does seem to sound like an overwhelming swooooosh, I mean according to a particular woman... 
Anyway, I'm trailing off here...  The only "swoosh" sound I can hear is the one that actually starts the song itself before the piano starts and then there IS another smaller one (could have at least gone for a multiple here really, don't you think?) beginning around 2:43 and ending at 2:46.
These are the only ones that I would think mister Reiley could be thinking of unless of course he's just making it all up? 

Hi,
Thanks very much for your comment.  I really appreciate it.  
If I've managed to encourage a melody in someone then I feel I've succeeded.  It was an enjoyable piece to write.  It came very easily.  In actual fact, I'm thinking of working on a collection of songs in a similar vein.    
Thank you again for your kind words.

Hi all, 

This is an instrumental I wrote and recorded.  I hope you'll have a listen and I sincerely hope you'll enjoy it. 

Here is the link: 

https://soundcloud.com/antarctic-media/california-dream

happy reading

Sorry Mr Mayo, do you know where can I have access to this interview? I know its an old thread but I'm really curious...

I am also searching for this one.  I read about it in Peter Ames Carlin's biography about Brian but it would seem that it's less accessible than I imagined! 

I was just wondering if anyone else has found the bass to be a little too much on the stereo mix of "Do It Again"? 

Absolutely "Where Is She?" with the alternate version of "Meant For You" a very close second.  Those harmonies the group breaks into after Brian has finished singing "Have you ever seen a puppy dog laying his head on his brother?" are exquisite.  But "Where Is She?" is a gem. 

[OK, I don't understand why so many smiley smilers taken it for granted that "of course" they have to include all the hits. WHY? WHY? WHY? #1) They released the Smile Sessions which had ZERO hits on it (basically) and they deemed that worthy enough to sell on its own. #2) I know it's not a totally fair comparison, but the Beatles Anthology 1 broke sales records and it didn't have a single previously released track on it. Same for anthology 2 and 3 although they didn't sell AS well....]

OK, I don't understand why so many smiley smilers taken it for granted that "of course" they have to include all the hits. WHY? WHY? WHY? #1) They released the Smile Sessions which had ZERO hits on it (basically) and they deemed that worthy enough to sell on its own. #2) I know it's not a totally fair comparison, but the Beatles Anthology 1 broke sales records and it didn't have a single previously released track on it. Same for anthology 2 and 3 although they didn't sell AS well....

With all due respect were you around when The Beatles' "Anthology 1" came out?  Because I was and it was literally one of the most ill received projects I've ever witnessed in my life from a major rock band.  The reason being despite the fact that The Beatles promoted "Anthology 1" as a rarities album, most of the general public that bought it assumed that it was going to be a traditional greatest hits type compilation and were in for a rude surprise when the set contained outtakes, demos and live performances and none of the CV they were hoping for.  Perhaps they assumed that since it was also marketed as the soundtrack to the "The Beatles: Anthology Television Special" that it would be a greatest hits type package I don't know.  But it wasn't well received at all by the general public which was indicated by the dip in sales for the other two installments in the series.

It wasn't that well received on the collector's market either...

In regards to TSS, that box set sold on the myth and legend of "SMiLE" alone and to a very specific market (US!) that went out in droves the day it came out to buy it like they had just been allowed access inside the pearly gates.  Did it sell well?  Someone get me the figures and we can work that out but remember TSS also was released in three formats and I'd bet you a doughnut that the 2CD format outsold both the vinyl and box set format as well.  So while I understand your frustrations about the inclusion of the hits on MIC, your logic doesn't necessarily wash when placed alongside the facts.

Gosh, I had forgotten about that.  I remember when Anthology Number 1 came out and yes, there seemed to be a big "hoo-ha!" preceding it (especially here in South Africa) but once it came out then that was it.  The follow ups (numbers 2 and 3) didn't even seem to get any coverage over here.  I remember walking into a record store and seeing number 2 on the shelf, and thinking:  "Oh, wow, that's number 2!"  Anyway, seems like ages ago now... 

Man, I can't seem to get enough of "Where Is She?"...  Nice to hear Brian's falsetto. 

I know this is a long shot but does anyone have this interview?  It would seem that I missed it when it was originally posted! 

I am sorry if I offend some folks on this board but I really don't like these 2012 remasters.  It is like the constant fiddling that goes on with The Beatles catalog, in the end it doesn't sound much like the original albums I grew up listening to.  Perhaps I am just being awkward about the whole issue, I really don't know.  It reminds me of George Lucas and his constant "tweaking" of his classic "Star Wars" series.  They cannot leave it alone!  
Well, that's my two cents on the subject!  

What do you mean in regards to the "constant fiddling" of The Beatles music? Before the 2009 remasters the CD's dating from the mid-80's is all that was available on that format. Besides that the remasters sound much closer to how they originally sounded on UK vinyl, particularly the Mono albums!

Ah, indeed you are correct about the 2009 Beatles remasters.  I guess I lost my head there for awhile...