"Roots Of The Beach Boys" new CD

[The Shift]

Due for release April 30 (info from Amazon UK):

The Roots Of The Beach Boys
Various Artists
Label: Complete Blues

1. Chuck Berry - Sweet Little Sixteen
2. Richard Berry - Louie Louie
3. Bobby Freeman - Do You Wanna Dance
4. The Gamblers - Moon Dawg
5. The Hollywood Argyles - Hully Gully
6. The Robins - Riot In Cell Block Number 9
7. The Teddy Bears - To Know Him Is To Love Him
8. The Four Freshmen - Graduation Day
9. The Hi-Lo’s - I Don’t Want To Cry Anymore
10. Otis Williams & The Charms - Hearts Of Stone
11. Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues
12. The Everly Brothers - Devoted To You
13. Ritchie Valens - Bluebirds Over The Mountain
14. The Mystics - Hushabye
15. The Students - I’m So Young
16. Billy Ward & His Dominoes - Deep Purple
17. Harold Dorman - Mountain Of Love
18. Eddie Fisher
19. George Gershwin - Summertime
20. Paul Anka - Put Your Head On My Shoulder
21. Jo Stafford - The Things We Did Last Summer
22. The Five Satins - In The Still Of The Night
23. The Drifters - Ruby Baby
24. The Six Teens - A Casual Look
25. Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill
26. Leadbelly - Cotton Fields
27. The Kingston Trio - (The Wreck Of The) ‘John B’

No further info on track 18… curious!

[SMiLE Brian]

Eddie Fisher- cindy oh cindy.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Is Put Your Head On My Shoulder only on there because of Don't Talk Put Your Head on my Shoulder?

[Lowbacca]

I'm missing some more early (instrumental) surf rock there... also, some of those tracks aren't really roots just because the Beach Boys covered them... But apart from that: nice collection.

[Andrew G. Doe]

More of a 'songs the BB covered' comp if you ask me - a pukka 'roots' album would include "Jennie Lee" by Jan & Dean, "Underwater" by the Frogmen", "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Ukulele Ike, "Stranded In the Jungle" by The Cadets and of course, "Shortenin' Bread" by, oh, anyone.

Oh, and the obvious one is missing.

[SBonilla]

Is Put Your Head On My Shoulder only on there because of Don't Talk Put Your Head on my Shoulder?

Lately I've been thinking: SINCE I FELL FOR YOU/Lennie Welch (melody) + PUPPY LOVE/Paul Anka (drama effect,vocal approach) = IN THE BACK OF MY MIND.

[SBonilla]

More of a 'songs the BB covered' comp if you ask me - a pukka 'roots' album would include "Jennie Lee" by Jan & Dean, "Underwater" by the Frogmen", "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Ukulele Ike, "Stranded In the Jungle" by The Cadets and of course, "Shortenin' Bread" by, oh, anyone.

Oh, and the obvious one is missing.

Fanny Mae by Buster Brown

[Andrew G. Doe]

More of a 'songs the BB covered' comp if you ask me - a pukka 'roots' album would include "Jennie Lee" by Jan & Dean, "Underwater" by the Frogmen", "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Ukulele Ike, "Stranded In the Jungle" by The Cadets and of course, "Shortenin' Bread" by, oh, anyone.

Oh, and the obvious one is missing.

Fanny Mae by Buster Brown

That too, but I'm talking the screamingly obvious one.

[SBonilla]

More of a 'songs the BB covered' comp if you ask me - a pukka 'roots' album would include "Jennie Lee" by Jan & Dean, "Underwater" by the Frogmen", "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Ukulele Ike, "Stranded In the Jungle" by The Cadets and of course, "Shortenin' Bread" by, oh, anyone.

Oh, and the obvious one is missing.

Fanny Mae by Buster Brown

That too, but I'm talking the screamingly obvious one.

Oh, the Goishwin tune...

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Barbara Ann

[Jim V.]

Be My Baby anyone??

[Paulos]

More of a 'songs the BB covered' comp if you ask me - a pukka 'roots' album would include "Jennie Lee" by Jan & Dean, "Underwater" by the Frogmen", "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Ukulele Ike, "Stranded In the Jungle" by The Cadets and of course, "Shortenin' Bread" by, oh, anyone.

Oh, and the obvious one is missing.

Fanny Mae by Buster Brown

That too, but I'm talking the screamingly obvious one.

Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring?

There are lots of these 'The Roots Of...' compilations - Elvis, Dylan, Stones, Beatles, no idea if they all follow a similar format.

[PongHit]

Oh, and the obvious one is missing.

"Be My Baby" probably cost too much.

[SBonilla]

Oh, and the obvious one is missing.

"Be My Baby" probably cost too much.

How could we forget that one?

[guitarfool2002]

Maybe they couldn't get the rights to include some of those obvious ones, or it cost too much to use them? Of course obvious ones to fans would be "Underwater" "Barbara Ann" and the like, and obvious ones to Smile fans would be "Gee", "Work With Me, Annie", and "The Old Master Painter"...but that stuff might be too obscure...although who would actually buy this compilation besides more devoted fans who could connect the BB's to these songs?

I have to question some of the versions of these songs - often when a more obscure version is included it means that record was cheaper to use than a more familiar recording. Like "Bluebirds Over The Mountain", I'd think the Ersel Hickey original might be the first choice for a set like this since it was technically a "hit". Unless one of the Wilsons specifically mentioned Valens' version.

And how about DION doing Ruby Baby??? THAT was the version that the BB's vocals seemed to be copying more on the Party version than the Drifters, at least to my ears...again I'll stand corrected if one of the band members has cited the Drifters' take over the more familiar Dion version, but I doubt it...

[joshferrell]

"when you wish upon a star"

[Lowbacca]

Maybe they couldn't get the rights to include some of those obvious ones, or it cost too much to use them? Of course obvious ones to fans would be "Underwater" "Barbara Ann" and the like, and obvious ones to Smile fans would be "Gee", "Work With Me, Annie", and "The Old Master Painter"...but that stuff might be too obscure...although who would actually buy this compilation besides more devoted fans who could connect the BB's to these songs?

I have to question some of the versions of these songs - often when a more obscure version is included it means that record was cheaper to use than a more familiar recording. Like "Bluebirds Over The Mountain", I'd think the Ersel Hickey original might be the first choice for a set like this since it was technically a "hit". Unless one of the Wilsons specifically mentioned Valens' version.

And how about DION doing Ruby Baby??? THAT was the version that the BB's vocals seemed to be copying more on the Party version than the Drifters, at least to my ears...again I'll stand corrected if one of the band members has cited the Drifters' take over the more familiar Dion version, but I doubt it...

As far as I know, the Valens recording of "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" was rather popular (and it's a good one!).

And yeah, Party-take of "Ruby Baby" is obviously patterened after Dion (whose version is supreme, anyway).

[guitarfool2002]

It's becoming more obvious that some of these choices may have been driven more by cost and budget than trying to include the versions that may have actually triggered the influence. I have a stack of compilation albums that do this, some of them are actually comical.

Dion cut the most familiar (and probably the definitive) version of "Ruby Baby", there's no question his version was the Beach Boys inspiration on Party...and even including that song no matter which version is a bit odd because the Beach Boys cover was unreleased for three decades...

[SBonilla]

I have to question some of the versions of these songs - often when a more obscure version is included it means that record was cheaper to use than a more familiar recording. Like "Bluebirds Over The Mountain", I'd think the Ersel Hickey original might be the first choice for a set like this since it was technically a "hit". Unless one of the Wilsons specifically mentioned Valens' version.

I think Bruce took arrangement ideas from both versions. I like to think that he was tipping his hat to a hometown hero and his label alma mater.

[Jameswilliam]

It's a blue world!

[Liamo]

Isn't there a cd called Magic transistor radio which is very similiar to this?

[Paulos]

Isn't there a cd called Magic transistor radio which is very similiar to this?

You are absolutely right mate - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Transistor-Radio-Vibrations-Recorded/dp/B003EH3J0O

Note the misleading title 'Magic Transistor Radio: 20 Good Vibrations Recorded By Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys' - errrm, I don't recall Brian or The Beach Boys recording versions of One Kiss Led To Another or Tennesse Waltz or Sweet Little Sixteen. Nice artwork though.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I once ordered 'The Roots of the Beach Boys' off ebay - and i was sent a photo of Murry's ball bag.

(Apologises for the low-brow humour)

[Mikie]

They're kinda remotely connected to Brian......not sure what the compiler was really thinking:

1. "One Kiss Led To Another" - worked on for the Beach Boys Party album - outtake.
2. "Tennessee Waltz" - a cut off the Spring/American Spring album
3. "Sweet Little Sixteen" - "Surfin' U.S.A."

[Paulos]

Thanks Mikie, didn't know about Tennesse Waltz being on the Spring album as haven't got around to getting the Spring album and I forgot that I have the Party! outtake of One Kiss Led To Another - I guess we all know about Sweet Little Sixteen but that compilation still has a misleading title.

Oh and Disney Boy, regarding the low brow humour I did wonder what Australian fans would make of the title 'The Roots of the Beach Boys' - in Australia this would translate as ''The F*cks of the Beach Boys'!