Singles that should have been...

[Steve Latshaw]

I always thought Roller Skating Child was the most commercial track from Love You, at least in terms of radio play.  Having said that, I did always think it was missing something.  I recently heard a live show from 1979 featuring the song, which had been featured again in that tour.  The live version has a great bass line... almost a disco bass line that really drives the song along.  I remember hearing some scuttlebutt that year regarding the song... prior to the demise of Here Comes the Night. I had heard there was some talk of putting out a live "disco" versioin of RSC as a single.  Obviously nothing every came of it - but it might have made a better choice as their foray into disco instead of Here Comes the Night.

Other missed single opportunities... Keepin' the Summer Alive... Matchpoint of Our Love... Angel Come Home... California Calling... Runaway (live)... a summer 1978 Beach Boys version of Country Pie... any thoughts?

[Bicyclerider]

Country Pie would be the only of that lot that I would consider single material that might have a chance at charting.

RSC would have been a far superior choice to Love is a Woman, that's for sure.

She's Got Rhythm is a missed single - especially if a disco bass was added on there somehow.  A "dance mix" perhaps.

[Sheriff John Stone]

- "Palisades Park"
- "The Night Was So Young"
- "Sunshine"
- "Runaway (live)"
- "California Calling"
- "Lahaina Aloha"
- "Spring Vacation"
- "Summer's Gone"

...and I always wish(ed) they would re-release "God Only Knows" as a single in the 2000's - with promotion - maybe when it appeared in a movie or something. I am curious how that song would be received by an entirely new/young/different generation. On a different subject, and not to derail this thread, but if I were running a record company, I would be re-releasing old, classic, timeless singles from the 1960's and 1970's to generations who missed it!

[dogear]

RSC was released here http://www.45cat.com/record/p162r
California Calling here http://www.45cat.com/record/ba3341
Keepin' the Summer Alive here http://www.45cat.com/record/crb8663

[TimeToGetAlone]

Two missed opportunities in terms of single potential for me would have to be 1. that huge lag between Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains and 2. the Endless Summer boom.  I'm not exactly sure on the songs, however, given the release struggles of those respective periods.  For the latter, it seems like such a waste that other than re-releases and an uncommercial Christmas single, it took two years for something to surface and the result was Rock & Roll Music.

Then again, the band got punished stateside for theoretically smart single choices like Break Away and the Sunflower/Surf's Up singles failed to make much of any impact, so who knows.

I think I'd be most intrigued to see how the more unconventional single choices would have been received at particular times.  What if, instead of a B-side, Please Let Me Wonder was an A-side release before Today came out?  What about if a cobbled together Surf's Up made it in late '66?  These are times when their popular was huge, so imagine if these choices, even if not smashes due to their nature, at least were top 40 hits and standards on BB compilations.

[CenturyDeprived]

Two missed opportunities in terms of single potential for me would have to be 1. that huge lag between Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains and 2. the Endless Summer boom.  I'm not exactly sure on the songs, however, given the release struggles of those respective periods.  For the latter, it seems like such a waste that other than re-releases and an uncommercial Christmas single, it took two years for something to surface and the result was Rock & Roll Music.

Then again, the band got punished stateside for theoretically smart single choices like Break Away and the Sunflower/Surf's Up singles failed to make much of any impact, so who knows.

I think I'd be most intrigued to see how the more unconventional single choices would have been received at particular times.  What if, instead of a B-side, Please Let Me Wonder was an A-side release before Today came out?  What about if a cobbled together Surf's Up made it in late '66?  These are times when their popular was huge, so imagine if these choices, even if not smashes due to their nature, at least were top 40 hits and standards on BB compilations.

I think Please Let Me Wonder could have been a hit as an an A-side, somewhere along the lines of popularity that Don't Worry Baby attained as a B-side. Maybe not quite on the same level, but perhaps close. It's just so tender and beautiful, and I think it would have crossover appeal - I use the example of my mom (who grew up in the 60s never really liking the BBs/never really connected with them emotionally) who, nevertheless, still really likes Don't Worry Baby, despite whatever BB prejudices she may have.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I wonder how "It's About Time" would have done as a pre-Sunflower roll-out singe instead of Add Some Music.

Rockin' track like that might have managed some FM play.

As great as "Add Some Music" is, people must've heard it and thought "Ah, same ole dorky Beach Boys" ....

[TimeToGetAlone]

Two missed opportunities in terms of single potential for me would have to be 1. that huge lag between Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains and 2. the Endless Summer boom.  I'm not exactly sure on the songs, however, given the release struggles of those respective periods.  For the latter, it seems like such a waste that other than re-releases and an uncommercial Christmas single, it took two years for something to surface and the result was Rock & Roll Music.

Then again, the band got punished stateside for theoretically smart single choices like Break Away and the Sunflower/Surf's Up singles failed to make much of any impact, so who knows.

I think I'd be most intrigued to see how the more unconventional single choices would have been received at particular times.  What if, instead of a B-side, Please Let Me Wonder was an A-side release before Today came out?  What about if a cobbled together Surf's Up made it in late '66?  These are times when their popular was huge, so imagine if these choices, even if not smashes due to their nature, at least were top 40 hits and standards on BB compilations.

I think Please Let Me Wonder could have been a hit as an an A-side, somewhere along the lines of popularity that Don't Worry Baby attained as a B-side. Maybe not quite on the same level, but perhaps close. It's just so tender and beautiful, and I think it would have crossover appeal - I use the example of my mom (who grew up in the 60s never really liking the BBs/never really connected with them emotionally) who, nevertheless, still really likes Don't Worry Baby, despite whatever BB prejudices she may have.

Yeah, I mean it actually reached #52 as a B-side, and as far as I know God Only Knows is the only B-side to chart thereafter in the US.  I might even go as far to say it was likely to have been a decent hit at the time.

[Cabinessenceking]

Dont Worry Baby  should never have been a B-side

[Orange Crate Art]

Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight might've been a good choice for a single.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Male Ego!


Not kidding!

[SMiLE Brian]

Male ego is what love you 2 would sound like.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

But it's a catchy-as-hell song!

as a follow up single to Getcha Back: it could have done swell

[Alan Smith]

But it's a catchy-as-hell song!

as a follow up single to Getcha Back: it could have done swell

Hell yeah! Even the drum machine rises to the occassion.

I know Forever was the B-side of CCW, but wonder if it would have performed as an A-side.

[Zack]

Catch a Wave, people.   

[wantsomecorn]

Isn't It Time (the album version) would've made a much better single than TWGMTR. Great reunion song, doesn't rely on nostalgia, and catchy as hell, with vocal bits from everyone.

Also, River Song could've killed as a follow-up new single to Endless Summer, if they had gotten it recorded. Hell, they could've released a live version.

Or for that matter, a live single from Beachago.

[CenturyDeprived]

Denny's "School Girl" coulda been a contender.

I think. It sounds to me like it was absolutely written with intentional commercial potential and radio airplay in mind, moreso than any other DW recording I can think of.

[Steve Latshaw]

I have to disagree about Isn't It Time.  I thought the album version was cute, sort of a modern day spin on a Friends album track, right down to the keyboard sound and guitar,  The single version was pumped up slightly and fun to hear but tanked as a single.  TWGMTR was a hit so I'm not quite sure why Isn't It Time would have been a better choice considering it followed it and never charted.

Someone else posted that Spring Vacation would have been a good single.  I agree... I played it for my 25 year old son when the album came out and he loved it.  And he don't listen to the Beach Boys, except for an ancient oldie he likes called Kokomo.

[CenturyDeprived]

I have to disagree about Isn't It Time.  I thought the album version was cute, sort of a modern day spin on a Friends album track, right down to the keyboard sound and guitar,  The single version was pumped up slightly and fun to hear but tanked as a single.  TWGMTR was a hit so I'm not quite sure why Isn't It Time would have been a better choice considering it followed it and never charted.
 

I think "Isn't It Time" tanking also had a good part to do with the band not really doing much to promote it, since it came out at a mighty awkward time in the C50 timeframe. I almost feel like there was going to be a push to promote the song (after all, the band went out of their way to re-record parts of it for a single version, but didn't follow through with much, if any promo effort when it got released - that always struck me as very odd).

I think timing is/was a good part of it, but perhaps it would've fared not much better if it had been the lead single.

[bluesno1fann]

Let Him Run Wild
I'm Going Your Way
It's About Time
Hard Times
Maybe I Don't Know
I Do Love You

[Nicko1234]

Country Pie is a very good shout. A very commercial singalong song.

Little Honda is an obvious choice.

Something clearly went very wrong in 1970 as The Beach Boys disappeared off the charts completely all over the world. Maybe Forever or Good Time would have been better choices as lead single. Probably partly due to the record labels though...

Male Ego would have required another verse I think.

Spring Vacation is easily the catchiest song on TWGMTR but it would have required some lyrical revisions (and a Spring release obviously) to stand a chance of success.

Lahaina Aloha should have been the single on SIP.

[Moon Dawg]

  Back in 1980 I saw The Beach Boys play KTSA on Fridays and assumed it had to be their new single.

 Wish they had released ""KTSA" as the lead single about June 1980, put the album out in July, with "Goin' On" coming out as the second 45 around September. Meanwhile, we can also wish Bruce had convinced the band to lose "Some of Your Love", "Sunshine", and "When Girls Get Together", to be replaced by "Still I Dream Of It", "California Feeling" and something by Dennis, maybe "Love Remember Me" as Bambu wasn't actually happening by 1980.

 I do like "Honkin' Down the Highway" as the single for Love You, but it did not come out until about a month after the LP and received very little promotion. Warners' knew the band was leaving and couldn't care less, but the tune had a bit of chart potential.

 Could "Baby Blue" have been a nice A side? I think so.

[Moon Dawg]

Denny's "School Girl" coulda been a contender.

I think. It sounds to me like it was absolutely written with intentional commercial potential and radio airplay in mind, moreso than any other DW recording I can think of.

 Agreed. Maybe some of the lyrics would have been changed but the same thought has crossed my mind too.

[Nicko1234]

 Back in 1980 I saw The Beach Boys play KTSA on Fridays and assumed it had to be their new single.

 Wish they had released ""KTSA" as the lead single about June 1980, put the album out in July, with "Goin' On" coming out as the second 45 around September. Meanwhile, we can also wish Bruce had convinced the band to lose "Some of Your Love", "Sunshine", and "When Girls Get Together", to be replaced by "Still I Dream Of It", "California Feeling" and something by Dennis, maybe "Love Remember Me" as Bambu wasn't actually happening by 1980.

 I do like "Honkin' Down the Highway" as the single for Love You, but it did not come out until about a month after the LP and received very little promotion. Warners' knew the band was leaving and couldn't care less, but the tune had a bit of chart potential.

 Could "Baby Blue" have been a nice A side? I think so.

I think Brian and Dennis might have had something to say about that...

[Nicko1234]

Maybe it`s just me but I don`t hear anything commercial about School Girl.