Mike Love's Celebration band & album(s)

[The Shift]

This was starting to be knocked around in the New Album thread but I thought was better-off sidelined into its own topic. So here goes:

I have no inside knowledge, but I have a gut feeling the new album will be called 'Celebration', for good or ill. It seems to be an appropriate Beach Boys brand name for the whole 50th anniversary tour/ album package. At least the title doesn't have 'Summer' in it.

I also hope they manage to find and include at least one quality 'new' Carl lead vocal (not Soul Searchin, already released), as it seems wierd to me to have the Beach Boys without Carl (and Dennis for that matter) represented. But then, Summer in Paradise had no Brian input at all, so I guess for me, you can have the Beach Boys as long as you have at least one Wilson brother involved. Otherwise, it's a 'BB related' project. 

Bassist Brett Simons' personal website lists the title as being "Celebration."

Celebration was also the name of Mike's almost-fogotten band way back when, which did a few tracks for the Almost Summer soundtrack.

And a rather enjoyable follow up album simply named 'Celebration' , always liked 'Starbaby' and the Cover of 'Gettin' Hungry'

(Think I've sorted those quotes out now…!)

I have that Celebration album, Rob, but I also have a very vague recollection of seeing a live Celebration LP back in the day – probably around 1980, give or take a year or two. It might have been a bootleg, of course, but I've never come across a reference to it since, and sorely regret not buying it at the time. If I recall correctly, other BBs were credited as appearing.

Maybe this is getting too far off topic and would be better off in a Celebration thread I'm thinking… ah, it is!

[Rob Dean]

Don't know about a live Celebration boot , but I guess it comes from the UCLA free gig that they did ( as per photos on the 2nd Album ) where both Brian and Carl appeared with Celebration.Also as we know both Brian and Al did a few lip-synch TV appearances with Celebration to plug Almost Summer
Additionally there were quite a few tapes of Mikes Endless Summer Band floating around in 1981 when he was plugging LBWL

[Smilin Ed H]

Second album's got some decent stuff on it.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Rare album too - don't know if it's true but I heard only 5000 were pressed.

[smile-holland]

Celebration discography

Albums:
Almost Summer (1978, MCA 3037)
Celebration (1979, Pacific Arts PAC7 122)
Disco Celebration (1979, ADC Records LS-4052) *

To get an idea of it’s contents: www.beachboys.com/solosI.html#almostsummer

* It’s is questionable if this album was officially released, copies are hard to find, so it’s probable that this one didn’t get past the promo-stadium.

Singles:
Almost Summer/Lookin' Good (1978, MCA 40891)
Summer In The City / Island Girl (1978, MCA 40930)
Starbaby/Gettin' Hungry [CB] (1979, PAC 45 105)


As far as I know no Celebration boot was ever released, but recordings of one or two concerts do circulate.

[Nicko1234]

What were the Beach Boys related songs on those albums?

Almost Summer
Sad, Sad Summer
Cruisin'
Gettin' Hungry
Starbaby
She's Just Out to Get You
Country Pie
I Don't Wanna Know

Maybe one or two more that I'm forgetting.

Not a bad bunch of songs though and better than quite a bit of the stuff that the BBs put out.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"How's About A Little Bit Of Your Sweet Lovin'"

"Lovestruck" (originally "Jailbait").

[Nicko1234]

Thanks. Put those 10 songs together and you'd have a better album than KTSA or 15 BO imo.

[Rocker]

"I don't wanna know" is a great tune. Mike re-recorded it for his still unreleased "Mike Love not war"-album, sung by Christian.
"Almost summer" was totally destroyed, probably by Mike and Al as Brian's demo shows something really promising.
"Gettin' hungry" is a nice reggae style version. But that song doesn't work for me in either form, Smiley Smile or Celebration, although the latter is easier to get into.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Rare album too - don't know if it's true but I heard only 5000 were pressed.

And yet, I bet you could still buy one for real cheep!

[Les Chan]

Almost Summer (KRTH- Los Angeles) was also a white label promo vinyl  45  rpm with custom lyrics for the LA area.  I've heard a custom KFRC -San Francisco version and one for a Cleveland station.  Does anyone know about additional ones??

[Andrew G. Doe]

There was one for a Detroit station. Most of the custom versions were distributed solely on radio carts.

[Rob Dean]

Rare album too - don't know if it's true but I heard only 5000 were pressed.

And yet, I bet you could still buy one for real cheep!

Damn right , I am amazed at this 'Buy It Now' price

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CELEBRATION-Mike-Love-LP-1978-Stern-PAC7-122-Mint-Minus-Condition-SEALED-/230737651449?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item35b90926f9#ht_1008wt_952

[Andrew G. Doe]

Jesus, it's worth maybe 10 times that.

[Rob Dean]

Jesus, it's worth maybe 10 times that.

Too right , if it was UK based I would buy it straight away and make quite a few quid on it ( ie at least £20 )

[Heysaboda]

What were the Beach Boys related songs on those albums?

Almost Summer
Sad, Sad Summer
Cruisin'
Gettin' Hungry
Starbaby
She's Just Out to Get You
Country Pie
I Don't Wanna Know

Maybe one or two more that I'm forgetting.

Not a bad bunch of songs though and better than quite a bit of the stuff that the BBs put out.

Is this the Bob Dylan "Country Pie" from his Nashville Skyline LP?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Nope: written by Ron Altbach & Ed Tuleja.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Rare album too - don't know if it's true but I heard only 5000 were pressed.

Have it.  Is it worth anything AGD?

[Andrew G. Doe]

More than $2.99. 

[The Shift]

'any on, some confusion being sowed... Aren't we talking Disco Celebration (1979, ADC Records LS-4052) as being the valuable rarity, not the original synonymous Celebration LP?

[Andrew G. Doe]

There's some question as to whether Disco Celebration was actually released, but that's much rarer then Celebration. It's also considerably worse than any LP you've ever heard.

[SMiLE Brian]

There's some question as to whether Disco Celebration was actually released, but that's much rarer then Celebration. It's also considerably worse than any LP you've ever heard.

Even SIP on Vinyl?

[Eric Aniversario]

I've always thought that "She's Just Out To Get You" could've been a hit if released as a single, and it is definitely one of Mike's best lead vocals, post-1975.

[MBE]

There's some question as to whether Disco Celebration was actually released, but that's much rarer then Celebration. It's also considerably worse than any LP you've ever heard.

Even SIP on Vinyl?

Yes it's worse. I don't know if it came out but I have one.

[MBE]

More than $2.99. 

Not as much now but I used to see these all the time in the late eighties going for peanuts. I saw so many of them it would  be more than 5000 I would guess.