Which Beach Boy Era Are You Currently Into The Most Now-a-Days? :)

[rogerlancelot]

I think everything from First Love (1978) to Country Love (1978) is especially jaw-dropping and can easily be compared to a mountain of fresh steaming hot excrement (fecal matter). Lately I've been doing A/B comparisons of "Problem Child" alternate mixes (instrumental version, single version and radio edit). Some days I compare the 3 versions of "Rock'n'Roll To The Rescue" (beach party mix, percadella mix and instrumental mix) but then other days I choose to go for more adventurous stuff like Salute NASCAR or Disco Celebration or Mike & Dean.

When is the "salute NASCAR" sessions box set coming out?

Oddly, the only mention of Salute Nascar on Wikipedia is this:

Love has attempted several times to have a career outside the Beach Boys. In the mid 1970s, he recorded and released two albums with side band Celebration, including the top 30 hit single "Almost Summer" (co-written with Brian Wilson and Jardine), along with further songwriting contributions to the band's third (unreleased) album "Disco Celebration". In the late 1970s, he also recorded two unreleased solo albums, First Love and Country Love. Some tracks from First Love were used on later Beach Boys releases.

In 1981, he released a solo album, Looking Back With Love. Consisting mostly of cover versions, the album was neither critically nor commercially successful.

He confined himself to guest spots on recordings alongside artists such as Dean Torrence of Jan And Dean and The Association, contributing to the albums "Rock'n'Roll City", "Rock 'n Roll Again," "Winter Party On The Beach (aka "Scrooge's Rock'n'Roll Christmas")" and "New Memories". He also developed a penchant for re-recording old Beach Boys' hits, released on packages like "Catch a Wave" and "Salute Nascar" with Adrian Baker. He has also lent his vocal abilities to a 2003 Bruce Springsteen tribute CD (singing "Hungry Heart"), and a Bruce Johnston–produced album for the Kings Singers, amongst others.

Also, in 2003, he announced plans for a new solo album. This album, which has been announced under the working titles Unleash The Love and Mike Love, Not War (not to be confused with the Beach Boys bootleg of the same name), is still a work in progress (although bootleg recordings have appeared) and, to date, one new track from these sessions, "Cool Head, Warm Heart", has appeared on an official Beach Boys–related collection.

Further research shows that it was released in February, 1998 on MELECo/Tosco label and was only available at Union 76 truck stops. I found the cd and there are no liner notes to indicate when the material was recorded or if any outtakes did in fact still exist. There are two things that struck me as odd: Mike Love is holding a guitar and Bruce looks like he is tightly clenching his buttocks. Also it says "Special Collector's Edition" which means I need to seek out more copies since these are highly collectible.

I found this review to be quite revealing:

This album, probably the last original album from the Beach Boys this century, came at an inopportune time. Released in February of 1998 only at 76 Gas Stations (!), it coincided with the death of Carl Wilson on the 6th of the same month. Many thought of this month as the official death of the group known as "The Beach Boys", not only because of Carl's death, but because of this release as well. The album credits "Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and David Marks of The Beach Boys" as the artist, instead of simply "The Beach Boys". However, later in the year, Mike Love gained the rights to use the official "Beach Boys" moniker for this same trio. The results are kind of embarassing, and it would be sad if this were the last Beach Boys album to be put out; a sad way to end the Beach Boys legacy. The results are listenable, but this album is completely composed of car song remakes which are totally inferior to the originals in that they lack their heart and youthful vigor. Obviously, this was not intended to be a serious project, as it wasn't even promoted, and sold for a "bargain price" of $5.99. But there are a few sparks of creativity. Mike decided to change "Little Honda" up a little bit, to sound more like the recent live rendition they had been performing. "Ballad of Ole Betsy" features Mike Love taking the lead, in a much more intelligible form, giving it a sound harkening back to the last few ballads on "Looking Back With Love", Mike's 1981 solo album. Adrian Baker takes the uncredited lead on "Don't Worry Baby", which sounds great except for the sloppy drum machine intro. All in all, a lightweight effort that probably should have been considered a Mike Love solo album, as Bruce and David are nowhere to be heard.

I found copies selling for $75.50 (http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Johnston-David-Salute-Nascar/dp/B000BUVKG2) along with more helpful reviews but still not sure if there is enough material out there to justify a 5 disc box set of sessions. Anybody know more about this legendary album and was it really an undercover tribute to Carl and Audrey?

[SMiLE Brian]

I think everything from First Love (1978) to Country Love (1978) is especially jaw-dropping and can easily be compared to a mountain of fresh steaming hot excrement (fecal matter). Lately I've been doing A/B comparisons of "Problem Child" alternate mixes (instrumental version, single version and radio edit). Some days I compare the 3 versions of "Rock'n'Roll To The Rescue" (beach party mix, percadella mix and instrumental mix) but then other days I choose to go for more adventurous stuff like Salute NASCAR or Disco Celebration or Mike & Dean.

When is the "salute NASCAR" sessions box set coming out?

Oddly, the only mention of Salute Nascar on Wikipedia is this:

Love has attempted several times to have a career outside the Beach Boys. In the mid 1970s, he recorded and released two albums with side band Celebration, including the top 30 hit single "Almost Summer" (co-written with Brian Wilson and Jardine), along with further songwriting contributions to the band's third (unreleased) album "Disco Celebration". In the late 1970s, he also recorded two unreleased solo albums, First Love and Country Love. Some tracks from First Love were used on later Beach Boys releases.

In 1981, he released a solo album, Looking Back With Love. Consisting mostly of cover versions, the album was neither critically nor commercially successful.

He confined himself to guest spots on recordings alongside artists such as Dean Torrence of Jan And Dean and The Association, contributing to the albums "Rock'n'Roll City", "Rock 'n Roll Again," "Winter Party On The Beach (aka "Scrooge's Rock'n'Roll Christmas")" and "New Memories". He also developed a penchant for re-recording old Beach Boys' hits, released on packages like "Catch a Wave" and "Salute Nascar" with Adrian Baker. He has also lent his vocal abilities to a 2003 Bruce Springsteen tribute CD (singing "Hungry Heart"), and a Bruce Johnston–produced album for the Kings Singers, amongst others.

Also, in 2003, he announced plans for a new solo album. This album, which has been announced under the working titles Unleash The Love and Mike Love, Not War (not to be confused with the Beach Boys bootleg of the same name), is still a work in progress (although bootleg recordings have appeared) and, to date, one new track from these sessions, "Cool Head, Warm Heart", has appeared on an official Beach Boys–related collection.

Further research shows that it was released in February, 1998 on MELECo/Tosco label and was only available at Union 76 truck stops. I found the cd and there are no liner notes to indicate when the material was recorded or if any outtakes did in fact still exist. There are two things that struck me as odd: Mike Love is holding a guitar and Bruce looks like he is tightly clenching his buttocks. Also it says "Special Collector's Edition" which means I need to seek out more copies since these are highly collectible.

I found this review to be quite revealing:

This album, probably the last original album from the Beach Boys this century, came at an inopportune time. Released in February of 1998 only at 76 Gas Stations (!), it coincided with the death of Carl Wilson on the 6th of the same month. Many thought of this month as the official death of the group known as "The Beach Boys", not only because of Carl's death, but because of this release as well. The album credits "Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and David Marks of The Beach Boys" as the artist, instead of simply "The Beach Boys". However, later in the year, Mike Love gained the rights to use the official "Beach Boys" moniker for this same trio. The results are kind of embarassing, and it would be sad if this were the last Beach Boys album to be put out; a sad way to end the Beach Boys legacy. The results are listenable, but this album is completely composed of car song remakes which are totally inferior to the originals in that they lack their heart and youthful vigor. Obviously, this was not intended to be a serious project, as it wasn't even promoted, and sold for a "bargain price" of $5.99. But there are a few sparks of creativity. Mike decided to change "Little Honda" up a little bit, to sound more like the recent live rendition they had been performing. "Ballad of Ole Betsy" features Mike Love taking the lead, in a much more intelligible form, giving it a sound harkening back to the last few ballads on "Looking Back With Love", Mike's 1981 solo album. Adrian Baker takes the uncredited lead on "Don't Worry Baby", which sounds great except for the sloppy drum machine intro. All in all, a lightweight effort that probably should have been considered a Mike Love solo album, as Bruce and David are nowhere to be heard.

I found copies selling for $75.50 (http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Johnston-David-Salute-Nascar/dp/B000BUVKG2) along with more helpful reviews but still not sure if there is enough material out there to justify a 5 disc box set of sessions. Anybody know more about this legendary album and was it really an undercover tribute to Carl and Audrey?

All the material mentioned on that wiki article needs to be on a box set pronto!

[rogerlancelot]

More about Tosco (the label name):

Tosco (The Oil Shale COrporation) was an independent US based petroleum refining and marketing corporation. It was founded in 1955 in Santa Monica, California by A&P heir Huntington Hartford, and originally focused on extracting oil from oil shale and developing alternative energy sources. In 1996, Tosco acquired the Circle K chain of convenience stores. In 1997, Tosco bought the rights to the Union 76 brand of gas stations and the western United States refining and marketing operations from Unocal. Tosco merged with Phillips Petroleum in 2001. Phillips merged with Conoco in 2002 to become ConocoPhillips, who spun off the Circle K stores to Canadian-based Alimentation Couche-Tard.

While this information is very interesting, it still does not give us exact dates and other session details. Maybe Craig can help us out on this one. So far we don't even know where it was recorded or why it is credited to Bruce & Dave even though they don't make a single appearance on the final mix.

Here is an article (http://articles.latimes.com/1997-03-11/business/fi-36935_1_tosco-corp) from the LA Times dating March, 1997 telling how Tosco Products was going to lay off as many as 550 people. I am assuming that none of these employees had anything to do with the production or making of this album. I'm guessing the bulk of sessions happened in late 1997 when Carl was too sick to work and Mike needed more money.

I didn't find any useful information about the project here (http://manvsclown.wordpress.com/2006/07/21/why-i-hate-mike-love/) but I was mildly entertained. I went over to Mike Love Fan Club's message board (http://pub9.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=760910562&frmid=44&msgid=0) to see if I could find out anything there but sadly nothing about these sessions had been covered by his fans. There was however a warning about Mike Love's anus (http://pub9.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=760910562&frmid=44&msgid=762296&cmd=show) that was very interesting but still not very helpful with my search.

The page on Smiley Smile (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?topic=103.0) has a message from The Real Beach Boy which says:
"The scary thing about this album is that there was a VERY rare album of material put together from these sessions called "Catch A Wave". The Mike/Adrian Baker sessions are dire to say the very least, I only like one of the tunes."
That means there were several sessions to account for. Maybe we could at least squeeze out a deluxe 2 cd edition with a comprehensive companion book featuring photos from the sessions and extensive liner notes? One can only hope.....

[SMiLE Brian]

I need to find more info on country love and first love as well.

[PongHit]

wow brian said that? where can i find this interview?

Recorded 44-years ago, as-of last week:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,11997.0.html

[rogerlancelot]

I found a review about Catch A Wave:

In 2007, Mike Love sued Brian Wilson (and lost) for doing what he himself had done three times before - re-recording old Beach Boys hits and releasing them as promotion items in the United States and Canada.  These recordings, which were pretty much Adrian Baker's baby with Mike Love and Bruce Johnston providing lead and some backing vocals, were almost note-for-note recreations of the original Beach Boys hits, and were slick, professional work.  The most well-known of these tracks appeared on the NASCAR CD, but this CD appeared first.  It's unknown whether this album ever achieved legitimate release to the public, but it was available for a short time through Adrian Baker's website.  There's not much else I can say about these recordings - they're colder, more synthesized than the originals, but the tempos, arrangments, and vocals are all spot on - Mike Love's voice is of course more nasal than the original recordings with The Beach Boys, but these are fine reproductions - it's like hearing one of the many rip-off Beach Boys products out there, but with an eerily familiar-sounding lead vocalist in place of the usual anonymous schlep artist.  I'm not certain whether this surfeit of songs was recorded with the intention of selling them to the highest corporate bidder, but that's what happened, and hey, that's what makes America great, isn't it?  (Well, that - and being able to sue your family over it.)

Very interesting.....

[SMiLE Brian]

Adrian Baker is a musical genius, Mike really should write with him instead of Brian.

[Newguy562]

wow brian said that? where can i find this interview?

Recorded 44-years ago, as-of last week:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,11997.0.html

i have to download it to hear it? :/

[anazgnos]

wow brian said that? where can i find this interview?

Recorded 44-years ago, as-of last week:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,11997.0.html

i have to download it to hear it? :/

Too primitive for you?

[Newguy562]

wow brian said that? where can i find this interview?

Recorded 44-years ago, as-of last week:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,11997.0.html

i have to download it to hear it? :/

Too primitive for you?

i'm just scared of downloading stuff :/

[cablegeddon]

Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama. Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go

[SBonilla]

RE: MELECo/Tosco label,  do you suppose that "MELECo" stands for something like Michael E Love Enterprises Company?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Favorite period is 1966-1973. Least favorite? Ummm...tie between the 1986- afterwards period and (to be perfectly honest) the first few albums.

[Newguy562]

Favorite period is 1966-1973. Least favorite? Ummm...tie between the 1986- afterwards period and (to be perfectly honest) the first few albums.

least favorite for me is 71-80
but i have to make an exception for love you cuz "the night is so young" is definately a stand out song of that decade is one of the beach boys greatest pieces.
btw i know this is random as f*** but did brian have an affair with marcella?

[Andrew G. Doe]

RE: MELECo/Tosco label,  do you suppose that "MELECo" stands for something like Michael E Love Enterprises Company?

Damn close - Michael E. Love Entertainment Company.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Favorite period is 1966-1973. Least favorite? Ummm...tie between the 1986- afterwards period and (to be perfectly honest) the first few albums.

least favorite for me is 71-80
but i have to make an exception for love you cuz "the night is so young" is definately a stand out song of that decade is one of the beach boys greatest pieces.
btw i know this is random as f*ck but did brian have an affair with marcella?

Define "affair".  

You know what the real Marcella (and there was one) was, right ?

[SMiLE Brian]

RE: MELECo/Tosco label,  do you suppose that "MELECo" stands for something like Michael E Love Enterprises Company?

Damn close - Michael E. Love Entertainment Company.

We know him too well....

[Newguy562]

Favorite period is 1966-1973. Least favorite? Ummm...tie between the 1986- afterwards period and (to be perfectly honest) the first few albums.

least favorite for me is 71-80
but i have to make an exception for love you cuz "the night is so young" is definately a stand out song of that decade is one of the beach boys greatest pieces.
btw i know this is random as f*ck but did brian have an affair with marcella?

Define "affair".  

You know what the real Marcella (and there was one) was, right ?

did brian cheat on his then wife with marcella ?
and nope i dnt

[kookadams]

Anything from '62 thru '73; and '77.

[Mike's Beard]

Favorite period is 1966-1973. Least favorite? Ummm...tie between the 1986- afterwards period and (to be perfectly honest) the first few albums.

least favorite for me is 71-80
but i have to make an exception for love you cuz "the night is so young" is definately a stand out song of that decade is one of the beach boys greatest pieces.
btw i know this is random as f*ck but did brian have an affair with marcella?

Define "affair".  

You know what the real Marcella (and there was one) was, right ?

did brian cheat on his then wife with marcella ?
and nope i dnt

Marcella was Brian's favourite handjob queen at the local massage parlor. 

[Newguy562]

Favorite period is 1966-1973. Least favorite? Ummm...tie between the 1986- afterwards period and (to be perfectly honest) the first few albums.

least favorite for me is 71-80
but i have to make an exception for love you cuz "the night is so young" is definately a stand out song of that decade is one of the beach boys greatest pieces.
btw i know this is random as f*ck but did brian have an affair with marcella?

Define "affair".  

You know what the real Marcella (and there was one) was, right ?

did brian cheat on his then wife with marcella ?
and nope i dnt

Marcella was Brian's favourite handjob queen at the local massage parlor. 

i bet she never washed her hands after she was done with  brian lol

[Cabinessenceking]

1. Love You, my current favourite + Had to phone ya, such a great song!

2. smiley smile sessions (unsurpassed masters) A wisperin' wind sent my wind chimes a tinkeling....

3. Sweet sweet, a honey bee! I got a taste of WILD HONEY

[PongHit]

i'm just scared of downloading stuff :/

Why?

[Newguy562]

i'm just scared of downloading stuff :/

Why?

viruses :/

[Alex]

i'm just scared of downloading stuff :/

Why?

viruses :/

You're not going to catch a cold, nor HIV...the file's clean!