Tongal Contests: California Feelin' & Goin' to the Beach

[SonicVolcano]

I uploaded it to Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0JquRFC-mk

[?]

Hmmm, I've got some stuff going on but maybe I should start thinking about working on a video for this.  I could use the money.  Decisions...

Yeah, same here. Got some bad news last week and any possible outlet would help.

The good news is I think there won't be quite as much competition since it's summer.  Now if only my graphic designer wasn't so busy right now.  I've already got her trying to fit some other things in for me so I hate to spring this on her too.  I wish this would have come up last month.  So much to do.

[Alan Smith]

Man, this version of CF is grrreat - what a blow-out.

Might have missed it above; is this a newly prepared mix/composite of a couple of versions by Boyd/Linnet, or a remaster/spit & polish of a near final version that was sitting in the can (with the Brian intro added in)?

I hear most of the elements of the LA outtake (as noted above), with a few (good) changes - eg the drums in the first half/first verse mixed down, and the Flash Gordon synths reigned in a bit.

  

[Loaf]

Awesome song

Sounds like a 2013 composite of at least 2 different versions. The Brian intro doesn't sound like it was originally part of the Carl bit that comes next. And there's another vocal snippet of Brian that sounds added in, at 1:46.

No one does backing vox like The Boys. Great stuff.

[Gohi]

Who wrote the lyrics for California Feelin'?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Who wrote the lyrics for California Feelin'?

I think Stephen Kalinich

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I feel happy today. Great stuff.

[Freddie French-Pounce]

This mix of "Goin' To The Beach" strangely has a lot less dynamic range compression on it than the released MP3 (which has to be sourced from the actual box set). Y U DO THAT, CAPITOL RECORDS.

Yeah, it sounds so much better for it. I don't understand the need for 'loudness' on such a release.

[Micha]

Here's something funny...I had 'Goin to the Beach' playing on my laptop...my daughter walks in the room and immediately started singing 'Goin Home' off TLOS when she heard it...and it kinda fit

wow, she knows her stuff.

When is she getting an account on here 

She's six so may be awhile!

 Now that she did it I can't hear it without hearing 'at 25 I turned out the lights...'

Teach her to write already, will ya?

[Micha]

Goin' To The Beach reminds me so much of Waves of Love…

In what way?

[Micha]

I uploaded it to Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0JquRFC-mk

Thanks a lot!

No one does backing vox like The Boys. Great stuff.

I agree with you. Minority opinion: the bg vox are the only thing I like about this song.

[Nicko1234]

This is an interesting recording. It does sound like a very obvious edit from Brian`s vocals at the beginning into Carl`s part. I certainly don`t think this is an absolute classic as some seem to attest (though thay may be partly down to having heard so many versions in the past) but it is a welcome release.

It would have been a good choice for LA if Brian had been willing to include it.

[The Shift]

Goin' To The Beach reminds me so much of Waves of Love…

In what way?

Similar bouncy chunka-chunka rhythm… similar instrumental blend…

[urbanite]

Very cool track.

[JohnMill]

If AGD's word is to be trusted the Brian Wilson vocals are almost certainly post 1974 (i.e. not the infamous demo we've all heard about).  There was a discussion on here about a month ago with AGD (buried no doubt somewhere in the MIC thread) after the tracklist to the boxset was announced.  In this conversation AGD mentioned another different later version of "California Feelin'" which he apparently wasn't too high on and said would never see release.  The reason being is that Brian Wilson wasn't necessarily taking his vocals seriously on this take and made one infamous comment/ad-lib after the line "It was such a beautiful day" making reference to how everyday in California is beautiful.  So it becomes pretty clear now that the Brian Wilson vocals that we are discussing are obviously from that recording if we are to take AGD at his word.

[Shady]

Only the Beach Boys would keep a song as good as this unreleased all these years.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I uploaded it to Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0JquRFC-mk

Thank you for the link, SonicVolcano!

Wow, this sure is interesting. My vote goes for a 1974 Brian vocal. I'm hearing more "Child Of Winter" voice than MIU, and Brian wasn't on L.A. Light Album so I can't compare that album. That little ad lib where Brian goes, "Like most days" is what sways me. Due to the lack of, actually no vocals from Brian on L.A. Light Album, if this recording was vintage 1978, you wonder why they didn't include it on L.A. Light Album - just to get Brian's voice on there. This song would've been a perfect closer for that album.

I like this version and I'm glad they put it on the new boxed set, but does anybody think it drags a bit? Maybe I've been listening to Brian's take of the song on the Hallmark From Here And Back CD. On that version I like the drums and the "rolling along" feel that they came up with. Either way, it's hard to believe that this song flirted so many times with being released on an album, and only in 2013 is it finally being officially released...

[JohnMill]

Forum member AdamGhost seems to corroborate Andrew G. Doe's report that the Brian Wilson vocals we are discussing are from 1978.  In a post dated 3/29/12 he writes:

I heard a later version of "California Feeling" once with a Brian vocal that I believe was from '78.  i don't think I had heard the one from '74...very cool!  The '78 one had a hysterical moment where he's singing "it was such a beautiful day" and he interjects quickly in spoken voice..."like most days!"  Clearly, not that interested in delivering a releasable vocal...

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,12489.msg258319.html#msg258319

Also from the aforementioned AdamGhost:

"California Feeling" SHOULD have worked, but I have heard the L.A. version and I see why they left it off.  It just sits there (and the 1978 version with Brian's vocal is a case study in amused disinterest).

[runnersdialzero]

I'm really wondering if this is the same Brian vocal Adam heard or if the "like most days!" was something Brian ad-libbed and then opted to work into the vocal. It's certainly not "spoken", here, as Adam describes, nor does it even seem especially awkward or out of place.

Or maybe I'm just disappointed because it's nowhere near as hilarious as I'd imagined. ;(

[RangeRoverA1]

Here's my 50 cents:

1. California Feelin' is certainly beautiful, only I wish it had more vocals from Brian (or better, he sang it entirely). Carl sounds good (especially his jazzy falsettos), but there's sth. about his voice that says to me it doesn't fit singing this exact melody, let alone in a slow mode. Maybe that's because I'm mostly not fond of his 70s leads. Either way, it's a very good version & Bruce's vocals surely added some mellow color, he kind of lightened up the song. Without that, it would've sounded (again) too majestic which isn't bad but we already have it on Al's & new Brian's takes. So, glad to hear sth. different. As for the harmonies, they're just wonderful! Hands down the best feature of the song.

2. Goin' to the Beach - before listening to it myself, I attentively read the self-titled thread. Seeing people were divided into "for" & "against" camps, I really thought I'd go with the former. But I was wrong: the song's boring, too repetitive, the b/g vocs sound forced, no specifically interesting bits (even boogie-woogie piano). Besides, GTTB reminds me of "On & On & On" which I absolutely hate, be it original or cover. That said, Mike did great performance & thumbs up for saxophone deletion.

Thanks to GV33 for finding & sharing the link to this Tongal site! I never miss the chance to download music for free. And btw, that guitar contest seems like a cool idea! Wonder who'll be that lucky to enter The BBs history on MIC.

[Micha]

Goin' To The Beach reminds me so much of Waves of Love…

In what way?

Similar bouncy chunka-chunka rhythm… similar instrumental blend…

Ah.

[phirnis]

Goin' to the Beach - this would've fit nicely on KTSA because of how utterly unremarkable it is. A decent tune that's somewhat charming but nothing special.

Really can't get enough of California Feelin'. This might be the one 1970s song of theirs that could've been a huge smash. Utterly wonderful.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Here's something funny...I had 'Goin to the Beach' playing on my laptop...my daughter walks in the room and immediately started singing 'Goin Home' off TLOS when she heard it...and it kinda fit

wow, she knows her stuff.

When is she getting an account on here 

She's six so may be awhile!

 Now that she did it I can't hear it without hearing 'at 25 I turned out the lights...'

Teach her to write already, will ya?

[HeyJude]

I'm really wondering if this is the same Brian vocal Adam heard or if the "like most days!" was something Brian ad-libbed and then opted to work into the vocal. It's certainly not "spoken", here, as Adam describes, nor does it even seem especially awkward or out of place.

Or maybe I'm just disappointed because it's nowhere near as hilarious as I'd imagined. ;(

I suppose it's up for debate as to whether it's literally spoken, but it's close enough that I have to believe Adam's description is of the same vocal bit.

It sounds ad libbed to me, and out of place compared to any other version.

I like this new mix, although it sounds like they tacked on a Brian vocal bit just to get him on the song. Not sure if I like that they keep mixing the drums in and out throughout the song.

[bossaroo]

the "like most days" bit is pure Brian... he doesn't sound at all disinterested or like he didn't care about cutting a releasable vocal.

just Brian being Brian. quirky, funny, adorable Brian. I'd put it right up there with the intro on "Little Pad", the last lines of "I'd Love Just Once to See You" and "I Wanna Pick You Up", lyrics about enemas or being fat as a cow, and other moments in their music that seem to make some folks cringe. Personally, I can't get enough.

I've never heard the version on the Hallmark CD. Can anyone help me out?