Just read the news on yahoo, very sad. Billy Hinsche was an integral part of the 70s Beach Boys sound. One thing that has not been mentioned are his DVD diaries of the band on the road. I wonder what will become of them now. I was lucky to see Billy live on tour with Brian at an open-air gig in Aalborg, Denmark. I shouted an excited, "Billy!", and he smiled back at me. RIP Billy Hinsche

Hello! Sorry to have been away for so long, I felt I did not have anything to contribute and the board was in a slump last I visited. But now it appears that it's come alive again, good to see! 170 pages of Feel Flows, wow! This board is very special.

Anyway, I was searching for David Marks on amazon the other day, hungry for more BB product. I've been looking for "Something Funny Goin' On" for years now, with no result. But then a single from 2017 popped up, one that I missed at the time of release! Don't recall it mentioned here or on BBFC. It is a basic two song CD single in a mini sleeve, credited to Miami Dan & The Hayes Street Band featuring David Marks: High Surf b/w Star of the Beach. The A-side is your classic surf rock sound brought up to date with some nice keyboard touches. It has some harmony vocals, just some "ooh's" and "aaah's", but it sounds good! The B-side is a full song, very BB-inspired. David is on guitar and vocals on both, and co-produced. Mark Linett mastered this single.

Monte Hellman, visionary director of cult films like "Two-Lane Blacktop" and "The Shooting", has died, aged 91. As a Beach Boys fan, I am very grateful to Monte Hellman for seeing the potential of Dennis Wilson and giving him a lead role in the poetic road movie, "Two-Lane Blacktop", in 1971. He got the best out of Dennis, and his film is an essential part of any serious Beach Boys collection. RIP Monte Hellman

https://variety.com/2021/film/obituaries-people-news/monte-hellman-dead-dies-director-two-lane-blacktop-1234956241/

Absolute genius himself. Song Cycle is a masterpiece. What an incredibly talented man. I saw another poster say Song Cycle stereo or remix was being pitched but no takers. I asked for a link but no avail.

Back in 1990, when I switched to CD and got heavily into music, I bought "Song Cycle" on the strength of VDP's rep and the lost album "SMiLE", and I did not get it at first. Sold it, only to repurchase a copy years later. It was also around that time that I got my first CD boot of "SMiLE", the one with the sphinx on the back inlay...

Brian had four main collaborators, four great lyricists, none of whom we could do without: Love, Christian, Asher, and Van Dyke Parks, Take one out, and you get an incomplete picture of Brian's artistry. I wouldn't even attempt to rank them, they are all four so very, very important. Love has gotten a lot of flak over the years, some of it maybe deserved, but even the most ardent naysayers will have to admit that his contribution was hugely important, especially in the 1960s. The polar opposite would be Van Dyke Parks. The Love camp would say that VDP was bad for Brian, how he introduced him to a bohemian crowd, where the old lysergic was liberally indulged in. The trajectory would seem to be: ascension, peak, VDP, crash, bed. "Over and over, the crow cries uncover the cornfield..." Much has been said about those crazy "SMiLE" era lyrics, but just give them a proper listen, feel them, feel their musicality. They sing so bloody well. And then there was the reunion with Brian in 1995, which begat "Orange Crate Art", my favorite 90s project. And the completion of "BWPS" in 2003-2004. VDP's solo work is an acquired taste, but last night I finally got to hear "Clang of the Yankee Reaper", and I tell you, it's just as good as "Orange Crate Art", just as lush and just as old-timey. So three cheers for VDP !

Surfer Girl is in an incredible song and the whole album is one of my favorite BB LPs. It came out at a time when albums still had some filler but what other record from that time has so many classic songs on it (title track, Catch a Wave, Deuce Coupe, In My Room)? Some of the lesser-known stuff is absolutely brilliant too (Hawaii, Your Summer Dream, Surfer Moon) and that makes it a classic for me despite tracks like Woodie Boogie (pleasant but kind of forgettable). Iconic cover art too, besides Pet Sounds there's probably no other picture that defines the classic Beach Boys as much as this one.

I agree entirely, and would add that the Surfer Girl cover is the single most iconic Beach Boys image ever. It is the most recognizable and formed the basis for the Hawthorne Beach Boys monument. Not even the Pet Sounds cover is as familiar, nor does it encapsulate what the band is about as well as Surfer Girl does.

"Surfer Girl" has two distinctions, no, three.

....but now he also hired the Wrecking Crew to play the instruments. The result was a fuller sound, which compares favorably to Phil Spector's studio productions.

As far as I know, which isn't much  , there is very little of the Wrecking Crew on this album: Steve Douglas in place of Mike on saxophone (not a shocker,  ) and Hal Blaine on a little bit, and maybe Ray Pohlman (and I think Jan Berry) on one song.  I'd love for c-man, JH, or SaltyMarshmallow to correct me if I'm wrong, though.

I haven't got encyclopledic knowledge of all the recording sessions, but of course I could have elaborated and said the wrecking crew musicians were added gradually, the more orchestration the more musicians. Surfer Girl was the first Beach Boys album to use the Wrecking Crew, if only in part. Anyway, the point of my original post was just to celebrate the song and the album as a sign of the genius of Brian and the Beach Boys.

If you're talking about the song Surfer Girl, the beach boys themselves are still playing all the instruments.

I see the way I wrote it that I did mean the song, but you are right. It's just the Beach Boys on the single.

"Surfer Girl" has two distinctions, no, three.

It was the first song Brian ever wrote, at the age of 19. He was driving his car, and composed it in his head. Dedicated to his then girlfriend, Judy Bowles. And inspired by the Disney song, "When You Wish Upon a Star", as covered by Dion & the Belmonts.

It was also the first song Brian Wilson took credit for having produced. The single was released on July 22, 1963 (a month before I was born), and peaked at #7 on Billboard. The single and the album were a quantum leap for Brian, who took over production reins from Nick Venet, the producer on the first two albums in 1962. 1963 was an important year for Brian, who became infatuated with Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. He attended some of the Gold Star sessions, and was knocked over when he heard "Be My Baby" on the car radio. "Be My Baby" was released in August, by which time Brian and the Beach Boys had already recorded and released the "Surfer Girl" single. To me, "Surfer Girl" is the first sign of genius. Brian had already used double-tracking on the vocals for the single "Surfin' USA", but now he also hired the Wrecking Crew to play the instruments. The result was a fuller sound, which compares favorably to Phil Spector's studio productions. Brian became a big name, superstar producer, who also did work for other artists like Honeys and Glen Campbell.

Mike Love will turn 80 on the 15th of March. Ironically, that's The Ides of March, the day Caesar was killed. All joking aside, will there be anything to mark the occasion? Has he mentioned anything? Or will he still be on stage, with Bruce rolling in a surprise birthday cake, sparklers and all?

Thanks for clarifying, Stephen. Whatever may be, I think it was good to add Roger's vocals on the title song from "SIP". A bit like Dylan guesting on one version of "The Spirit of Rock'n'Roll".

As for not appearing at Monterey, well, that can be argued. Bruce concluded that it turned them into surfing Doris Days in the minds of the public. They had already long since put the candy-stripes behind them and had enough mature material to take on the best.

1. Abandoning Smile
2. Rapidly Replacing Brian Wilson with Glen Campbell, Bruce Johnston etc.
3. Rapidly returning to NEVER-ENDING touring after Dennis Wilson's death.
4. Rapidly returning to NEVER-ENDING touring in the current arrangement after Carl Wilson's death.
5. Kokomo

Each of these things continue to cheapen their existence (well, except number one.)

I would argue that not appearing at Monterey was actually a smart move. What were they going to do? Pop on stage in their stripes and rip through Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow for the likes of Hendrix?

1. Agree
2. They didn't have a choice. Brian had a nervous breakdown on the plane in 1964. It freed up Brian to be more creative in the studio.
3. Dennis was the soul of the band, but they did well even after his death. I think they did right to continue, but the never-ending jukebox tour was perhaps not the best way to look after their legacy.
4. Agree
5. Kokomo is fine. It clicks with the audience and is the most popular number in Mike's show.

The Beach Boys are easily America's most successful band and the only band to offer the Beatles any real competition in the 1960s. They are indeed, "America's Band", and to me, the greatest band of all time. However, their nearly 60 year long career has been a series of bad career moves. You might say, they achieved their success and scaled those heights IN SPITE OF those bad decisions. It's easy to be clever in hindsight, but I sometimes wonder what could have been... only to end up being grateful for what we've got. Now that they are approaching retirement, or should I say, ripe for retirement, perhaps we could take stock of what went down, which decisions affected them in an adverse way.

My top five bad career moves:

1. Shelving SMiLE all those years.
2. Not appearing at Monterey Pop
3. Releasing "Summer in Paradise"
4. Recording the 7 minute disco version of "Here Comes the Night"
5. Not continuing C-50 after Royal Albert Hall

I keep forgetting what the "C" stands for in C-50 - is it Celebration?

Welcome back, Stephen Desper! Sorry about this late reply, I have been absent for a while. Looking forward to reading your stories from the business. - GoogaMooga

So Roger was never in the studio at the same time as the BB's, I take it - overdubs?

An interesting collaboration. I'd like to know how much Roger McGuinn recorded with the Beach Boys. Ding Dang was a co-write, but as far as I remember, no vocals by Roger.

That leaves us with two tracks:

"Summer in Paradise" promo single, also available on an Uncut Magazine freebie CD.
"California Dreamin'", which I've got on a 2 CD Disky comp, Time Passages.

Any others?

Hello! Last night I was doing a bit of research on the year 1973 for a book on music history that I am writing. My CD collection is not in order and I can never find anything specific, it's the proverbial needle in a haystack. So I played four key albums on Youtube instead, to save time: Band On the Run, Let's Get It On, 3+3, and Holland. The first three I could play in full, but with Holland, some of the tracks were blocked! Why is that, I wonder. Perhaps intervention by BRI...? Can anyone here enlighten me as to why Beach Boys albums can't be played in full on Youtube DK (Denmark)?

How could you say hopes are dashed?

They honored their 50th in 2012, so wouldn't it make sense to honor their 60th in 2022?

They formed the band in November 61, so I calculated with that. But you are right, Capitol was 62. They will be pushing 80; Mike will be 81, if I am not mistaken.

Just saw an announcement on Facebook that Mike and Bruce will appear in Viborg, Denmark, next summer, so any hopes for a full 60th reunion are dashed.

double post, sorry

Like a perfect fusion of Americana, Archie Comics and Beach Boys! Some editor over at Archie Comics must be a Beach Boys fan...

Latest tp in a series of reprints from Archie:

Brian only wrote/produced a half dozen songs for Spring, but one song, "Sweet Mountain", has been stuck in my head for two days now. Had not heard it since I bought the Rhino way back. Simply forgotten how good it was. Some people call it American Gothic. Whatever it is, it has a kind of lofty, romantic - but also a little bit spooky - beauty to it.

 

Glad I did not buy this yet. But also happy to have seen five Beach Boys onstage - together.

Andy Paley - wasn't it just the stuff on Pulp Surfing? Can't have been that many songs.