25th Anniversery in Hawaii---what went wrong?

[punkinhead]

From what I gather, a lot of folks don't care about this performance, and I kinda agree. I'd say there's about 1/4 of it worth listening to. I've read where there was some sort of party the night before that screwed up the performance the next day...so this leads me to believe they all partied and thought, "oh well, we've been do this for years, we know what we're doing," and as a result, their performance (or lack there) of suffered. I also think the tracklist could have been better. I mean, why is Wake up Little Susie on there? I know it's the Everly Bros. but this is a BB event! And the "thunder birds" performance of Rock and Roll Music is lower than par that was originally set by the BB in 76....I get no Beach Boy warm-feeling when I hear this performance. How much of this show was overdubbed? and I know the script reading bothers folks...let's face it, the Boys aren't actors...I think they should have learned the lesson from An American Band with this whole ordeal. I think they shoulda introduced songs in their own words...the way this is portrayed is awkward.

Anyone else on this?


I've honestly never read anywhere about this even...not in any books, and if they did, they touched very lightly on the subject.

[Steve Mayo]

there are audience tapes of that show. lots of tune ups and stuff. listen to those tapes and you will know why they rerecorded backing tracks. 

[HeyJude]

I think what you got with this TV special was a classic combination of the normal awkwardness and train wreck that often goes along with BB TV appearances (certainly of that era) mixed with the usual awfulness of “tribute” TV specials and multi-artist variety show type stuff.

The reason we got awkward non-BB song performances seems likely to be that, in order to woo what was even at the time an odd mixture of classic artists and newer, but past-their-prime arguably B-list artists, they had to allow those artists to do one of their own songs and/or plug whatever they were doing at the time. That, and even in 1987 the network probably was acknowledging some young kids wanted something other than the BB’s on primetime TV.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds were/are just fine, they’re cool doing their thing. But they obviously had no business at a BB show, evidenced by choosing to cover a BB cover itself.

But I actually watched this the other day, presumably from a Japanese laserdisc (perhaps a bit longer than the TV airing?), and now we can look back and just have fun with all of the crazy stuff going on:

1.   Brian “mouthing” Mike’s lines as Mike reads them
2.   Brian generally alternating between looking awkward and confused
3.   Brian waving to Ray Charles after Ray’s performance
4.   Al being sandwiched in between Belinda Carlisle and Gloria Loring at the end
5.   Patrick Duffy. Enough said.
6.   Joe Piscopo. Ditto.
7.   Paul Shaffer comparing himself to Phil Collins
8.   Brian’s awkward “We love you man” tribute to Dennis
9.   Several guest stars getting BB lyrics wrong, especially Glen Campbell singing part of “I Get Around” one beat off
10.   Belinda Carlisle’s mic cable awkwardly not reaching, and her dress continually slipping off her shoulder
11.   Awkward editing (e.g. cutaway slow-mo shot of The Everly Brothers walking on stage)
12.   A shirtless Brian (and Mike)
13.   Perhaps my favorite: During the “all-star” finale singing “Good Vibrations”, Mike exclaiming off camera “Don Ho, what are YOU doin’ here?”

There were some genuinely good bits. As many have noted, Carl’s “Heaven” was a nice performance. Brian’s “The Spirit of Rock and Roll” was largely pre-recorded and kind of a cheesy song, but still a good one and cool to see the whole band singing it (or miming to it).

[SMiLE Brian]

Mike Love being creepy.

[guitarfool2002]

10.   Belinda Carlisle’s mic cable awkwardly not reaching, and her dress continually slipping off her shoulder

This is/was a highlight.

[Rocker]

There's even some bad editing and it sounds like the Beach Boys' vocals from "Sail on sailor" were muted and replaced by a wall of Jeffrey's (some other songs too). All in all this is the kind of cheesy stuff that played a big part in the downfall of the Beach Boys' legacy if you'd like to see it like that

[punkinhead]

there are audience tapes of that show. lots of tune ups and stuff. listen to those tapes and you will know why they rerecorded backing tracks. 

I just have a recording that I think was from TV...it has some gaps between songs that make me think it was a commercial break or something.

[punkinhead]

I think what you got with this TV special was a classic combination of the normal awkwardness and train wreck that often goes along with BB TV appearances (certainly of that era) mixed with the usual awfulness of “tribute” TV specials and multi-artist variety show type stuff.

The reason we got awkward non-BB song performances seems likely to be that, in order to woo what was even at the time an odd mixture of classic artists and newer, but past-their-prime arguably B-list artists, they had to allow those artists to do one of their own songs and/or plug whatever they were doing at the time. That, and even in 1987 the network probably was acknowledging some young kids wanted something other than the BB’s on primetime TV.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds were/are just fine, they’re cool doing their thing. But they obviously had no business at a BB show, evidenced by choosing to cover a BB cover itself.

But I actually watched this the other day, presumably from a Japanese laserdisc (perhaps a bit longer than the TV airing?), and now we can look back and just have fun with all of the crazy stuff going on:

1.   Brian “mouthing” Mike’s lines as Mike reads them
2.   Brian generally alternating between looking awkward and confused
3.   Brian waving to Ray Charles after Ray’s performance
4.   Al being sandwiched in between Belinda Carlisle and Gloria Loring at the end
5.   Patrick Duffy. Enough said.
6.   Joe Piscopo. Ditto.
7.   Paul Shaffer comparing himself to Phil Collins
8.   Brian’s awkward “We love you man” tribute to Dennis
9.   Several guest stars getting BB lyrics wrong, especially Glen Campbell singing part of “I Get Around” one beat off
10.   Belinda Carlisle’s mic cable awkwardly not reaching, and her dress continually slipping off her shoulder
11.   Awkward editing (e.g. cutaway slow-mo shot of The Everly Brothers walking on stage)
12.   A shirtless Brian (and Mike)
13.   Perhaps my favorite: During the “all-star” finale singing “Good Vibrations”, Mike exclaiming off camera “Don Ho, what are YOU doin’ here?”

There were some genuinely good bits. As many have noted, Carl’s “Heaven” was a nice performance. Brian’s “The Spirit of Rock and Roll” was largely pre-recorded and kind of a cheesy song, but still a good one and cool to see the whole band singing it (or miming to it).

5. Patrick Duffy---was this when Bobby Ewing was "dead?" Dang that guy was hungry for work...maybe that whole concert and season 8 was all just a dream after all. 

Also...is this the only recording of the Beach Boys doing the Spirit of Rock and Roll?

[ontor pertawst]

Joe Piscopo. There's where they went wrong.

http://youtu.be/AlrLySfy4Ic

[Justin]

I really love that version of "Sail On Sailor" with Ray Charles on vocals though...fantastic.

[guitarfool2002]

One of the highlights was watching to see if Belinda's dress would actually fall completely off...in what could have been a classic wardrobe malfunction years before the Janet Jackson fiasco.

I also noticed Band Of Gold was an unusual cover, and she did a good job with Wouldnt It Be Nice but honestly after decades of various "tributes" and cover versions, NO ONE can sing it as well as Brian did on the record. Or Al in concert.

[punkinhead]

I've never seen the concert, but why was Disney Girls played? I'm surprised it wasn't I Write the Songs that was sung by Bruce at that specific concert.

[LeeDempsey]

I know I've seen/heard two versions of Brian's tribute to Dennis:

"I love you man, and I want you to know, that you'll always be with us, no matter where we play"

"I love you man, and I want you to know, that you'll always be with us, no matter where we go"

"Play" vs "go."  IIRC "go" was from the audience tape, like it was a rhyming poem, and "play" was how it ended up being aired.

Lee

[LeeDempsey]

Also I seem to remember some discussion somewhere about bartering of artists by their respective record labels -- as in, "we'll let XXX appear on the show -- if you let our other artist, YYY also appear..."

[NightHider]

13.  The Everly Brothers wigs

[HeyJude]

I think it may have been a quote from the “In Their Own Words” book that mentioned that the BB’s called some of the “big” artists that had opened for the BB’s over the years, like Billy Joel, to be on the show, but they were turned down. There’s a definite b-list vibe to some of the artists on that show, which in and of itself doesn’t bother me if the performances are still good. Some of them were good (Ray Charles), some not bad (Two Dog Night), some were “meh” (Jeffrey Osbourne, Everly Brothers). Probably the low point musically was that ultra-cheese ballad Carl sings with Gloria Loring.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I just remember that annoying twat chucking rubbish and oil all over the beach.

[HeyJude]

One of the highlights was watching to see if Belinda's dress would actually fall completely off...in what could have been a classic wardrobe malfunction years before the Janet Jackson fiasco.

I also noticed Band Of Gold was an unusual cover, and she did a good job with Wouldnt It Be Nice but honestly after decades of various "tributes" and cover versions, NO ONE can sing it as well as Brian did on the record. Or Al in concert.

My guess would be that “Band of Gold” was simply her new record out at the time, which makes the whole thing even more awkward and opportunistic. Still, her performance was not the worst on the show.

[Lowbacca]

10.   Belinda Carlisle’s mic cable awkwardly not reaching, and her dress continually slipping off her shoulder

This is/was a highlight.

The reason I'm keeping my rare DVD.

[roll plymouth rock]

10.   Belinda Carlisle’s mic cable awkwardly not reaching, and her dress continually slipping off her shoulder

This is/was a highlight.

The reason I'm keeping my rare DVD.

This Belinda dress slip got me intrigued and it turns out she let the whole dress slip off for Playboy at some point around then ha! NSFW: http://www.celebset.net/Belinda_Carlisle_Naked/

[Lowbacca]

10.   Belinda Carlisle’s mic cable awkwardly not reaching, and her dress continually slipping off her shoulder

This is/was a highlight.

The reason I'm keeping my rare DVD.

Thanks a gazillion!!

But.. those photos look kinda.. "artificial".

This Belinda dress slip got me intrigued and it turns out she let the whole dress slip off for Playboy at some point around then ha! NSFW: http://www.celebset.net/Belinda_Carlisle_Naked/

[roll plymouth rock]

yeah looks like they were taken after the advent of photoshop for sure 

[Autotune]

There's so much to dislike about that TV special. They sang live leads over pre-recorded everything. Most of the leads sound awful.

Strangely, there's two different versions of Surfer Girl: a regular one, and  a second one (part of which plays in the background of someone speaking) in which there is a modulation for the bridge (which is one or two half-steps above) and then modulates back to the original key for the third verse. I still have no clue why they did that.

[Awesoman]

I think the biggest problem with this special is that it's so terribly 80's.  That being said, Ray Charles performing "Sail On, Sailor" is worth the price of admission alone. 

[Jay]

Seeing Carl swallowing really hard during Heaven gets me every time.