Still Cruisin' and Summer In Paradise rerelease?

[Douchepool]

Capitol already did reissue Still Cruisin' as a download. The version of Wouldn't It Be Nice is also the same one on Made in USA.

[HeyJude]

Thing is, hit or flop, popular or not popular, I can't imagine Capitol reissuing Still Cruisin', simply because it's half-compilation. Also, I'm wondering if there might be some licensing issues with, say, "Wipe Out."

What would be better would be to release something else that includes the new Beach Boys songs (for 1989, that is), "Rock and Roll To The Rescue," "Chasin' The Sky" (assuming they can get clearance for that one), "Crocodile Rock" (ditto), "Howdy From Maui," etc. And I would argue to KEEP "Wouldn't It Be Nice" because it's a version you can't get anywhere else.

While any sort of physical release of anything is less likely these days, I could think of many items that are more far-fetched than a "Still Cruisin'" reissue. I'm not saying it would happen (especially at this late stage), but whatever its composition, it was a relative "hit" album (didn't it go gold?), and has the band's best-known post-60's hit (which is probably why it sold so well in the first place).

Capitol/Universal has shown no interest in "cleaning up" the band's back catalog and ridding it of the other myriad of cheapo compilations, so I can't see them not doing this one *because* it's kind of a compilation. If anything, it might not be *enough* of a hits compilation to warrant release.

As someone else mentioned, they put it out out (though almost surely not a new remaster) on iTunes ages ago. They've essentially just never bothered to keep it in print on CD.

They could obviously get far more creative and fan-friendly with reissuing it, dropping the oldies and adding some rare non-album songs, pairing it with SIP, etc.

[Lonely Summer]

Thing is, hit or flop, popular or not popular, I can't imagine Capitol reissuing Still Cruisin', simply because it's half-compilation. Also, I'm wondering if there might be some licensing issues with, say, "Wipe Out."

What would be better would be to release something else that includes the new Beach Boys songs (for 1989, that is), "Rock and Roll To The Rescue," "Chasin' The Sky" (assuming they can get clearance for that one), "Crocodile Rock" (ditto), "Howdy From Maui," etc. And I would argue to KEEP "Wouldn't It Be Nice" because it's a version you can't get anywhere else.

What is different about that version of WIBN? Agree with the rest of your statement.

[Douchepool]

Different lead vocal from Brian.

[CenturyDeprived]

Different lead vocal from Brian.

Wasn't this presumably due to a mistake in pulling the wrong master? As in, this was probably not an intentional creative choice?

[Douchepool]

I think it was a case where the original master was lost for a time. Apparently a safety copy was found in New York.

[NateRuvin]

Okay, they are not awful. I have to admit I LOVE the song "Somewhere Near Japan" and… Okay… I'll say it… "Summer In Paradise"…
Anyway, doesn't Capitol have the rights to SIP? They released a live version on MIC.
I don't see why they don't put those albums on iTunes and the various streaming services.

[Douchepool]

Brother owns the rights to the album.

[KDS]

I guess that explains why Summer in Paradise was the only Beach Boys album cover that wasn't in the program for the 50th Anniversary Tour. 

[HeyJude]

I would tend to doubt it, but I’m curious if there’s any chance that Brian has essentially asked or dictated that the SIP album be sort of “decommissioned.” It would seem to be unlikely to be a coincidence that it was left out of recent album collages and whatnot, although that could just be the art director folks (or whoever puts the stuff together) recognizing on their own that SIP is sort of an anomaly in the BB catalog.

While Brian did appear in a few things in that timeframe (the Baywatch episode at least), my recollection is that Brian still has *never* commented on the album or any of its songs.   

[CenturyDeprived]

I would tend to doubt it, but I’m curious if there’s any chance that Brian has essentially asked or dictated that the SIP album be sort of “decommissioned.” It would seem to be unlikely to be a coincidence that it was left out of recent album collages and whatnot, although that could just be the art director folks (or whoever puts the stuff together) recognizing on their own that SIP is sort of an anomaly in the BB catalog.

While Brian did appear in a few things in that timeframe (the Baywatch episode at least), my recollection is that Brian still has *never* commented on the album or any of its songs.   

I do not buy the idea that Brian never listened to POB (despite him claiming such, likely out of not wanting to deal with an emotionally rough spot)... but if there is a BB album I can believe he's never sat and listened to all the tracks, it would be SIP.

I wonder if any unreleased SIP outtakes exist?

[kwebb]

I remember reading on one of Brian's recent Q&A's that his favorite song off of POB was You and I

[kwebb]

He mentioned You and I as his favorite song on the Reddit Q&A from late March/early April:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,20145.25.html

Q: What do you consider the best songs on Dennis' solo album? A: You and I thats my favorite because I liked his vocal. Great vocal

[Cam Mott]

Mike made a few interesting comments about "Still Cruisin'" in his infamous 1992 Goldmine interview:


But the problem with a major is that just as recently as the Still Cruisin' album, the same week that we went to radio with a song called "Somewhere Near Japan," which was getting really good airplay, Capitol Records went to CHR radio stations with eight singles. That was just one label in the same week. They'd also just done a deal with Duran Duran. They had paid a lot of money for Duran Duran, whereas we did an album of half new and half older songs. The theme of that album was to have been songs that have been in movies. It was basically a repackage.

But then in got watered down with politics, meaning Brian's Dr. Landy forcing a song called "In My Car," which was never in a movie, and a song by Jardine, which ultimately ended up on the album, called "Island Girl," which was never in a movie either. So to me the concept was a little bit diluted there politically.

So what happened in this instance was I was not happy that the album was half repackage and half politics. What happens when you do things politically just to accommodate the fact that if you're in a group and you divide it by five members, and you got two songs each, it may be a nice thing to do but everybody has their own point of view that isn't taken into consideration objectively.

On the one hand, he agrees with many fans that the album was diluted a bit. But he feels it was diluted by the "non movie" songs, like Brian's and Al's songs. But then, at the same time, he seems to trumpet "Somewhere Near Japan" a bit, even though it was also one of the "non movie" songs (perhaps not coincidentally, one *he* co-wrote).

He doesn't seem to include himself in any of the criticism, but it is interesting that he did note that the album came across as sort of half-baked and a bit schizophrenic. It was indeed about "half repackage" and "half politics." It just sounds like he may have been more into a firm decision to go with "repackage", essentially a "Beach Boys Greatest Movie Songs", more than "politics" even if the "politics" at least resulted in more *new* music.

I guess he wasn't against new music then, he just didn't think it should be mixed in on that repackage album.
It does show the band was democratic in these matters and Mike wasn't in control of the album or the band.

[bonnevillemariner]

Okay, they are not awful. I have to admit I LOVE the song "Somewhere Near Japan" and… Okay… I'll say it… "Summer In Paradise"…
Anyway, doesn't Capitol have the rights to SIP? They released a live version on MIC.
I don't see why they don't put those albums on iTunes and the various streaming services.

Spotify had Still Cruisin' for about a month back in 2013, then it disappeared and has been gone since.  I've got a cassette of this album (it was actually my first BB album), so I'm dying for a digital release.

[Jim V.]

Mike made a few interesting comments about "Still Cruisin'" in his infamous 1992 Goldmine interview:


But the problem with a major is that just as recently as the Still Cruisin' album, the same week that we went to radio with a song called "Somewhere Near Japan," which was getting really good airplay, Capitol Records went to CHR radio stations with eight singles. That was just one label in the same week. They'd also just done a deal with Duran Duran. They had paid a lot of money for Duran Duran, whereas we did an album of half new and half older songs. The theme of that album was to have been songs that have been in movies. It was basically a repackage.

But then in got watered down with politics, meaning Brian's Dr. Landy forcing a song called "In My Car," which was never in a movie, and a song by Jardine, which ultimately ended up on the album, called "Island Girl," which was never in a movie either. So to me the concept was a little bit diluted there politically.

So what happened in this instance was I was not happy that the album was half repackage and half politics. What happens when you do things politically just to accommodate the fact that if you're in a group and you divide it by five members, and you got two songs each, it may be a nice thing to do but everybody has their own point of view that isn't taken into consideration objectively.

On the one hand, he agrees with many fans that the album was diluted a bit. But he feels it was diluted by the "non movie" songs, like Brian's and Al's songs. But then, at the same time, he seems to trumpet "Somewhere Near Japan" a bit, even though it was also one of the "non movie" songs (perhaps not coincidentally, one *he* co-wrote).

He doesn't seem to include himself in any of the criticism, but it is interesting that he did note that the album came across as sort of half-baked and a bit schizophrenic. It was indeed about "half repackage" and "half politics." It just sounds like he may have been more into a firm decision to go with "repackage", essentially a "Beach Boys Greatest Movie Songs", more than "politics" even if the "politics" at least resulted in more *new* music.

I guess he wasn't against new music then, he just didn't think it should be mixed in on that repackage album.
It does show the band was democratic in these matters and Mike wasn't in control of the album or the band.

Okay then. However, why was he against Brian and Al getting their non-movie songs on the album ("In My Car" and "Island Girl" respectively), but just fine with touting his co-written non-movie song? Sounds like non-movie songs were just fine for Still Cruisin' as long as one of the writers listed was one "M. Love."

[Douchepool]

Capitol probably insisted as it was the current single.

[Cam Mott]

Mike made a few interesting comments about "Still Cruisin'" in his infamous 1992 Goldmine interview:


But the problem with a major is that just as recently as the Still Cruisin' album, the same week that we went to radio with a song called "Somewhere Near Japan," which was getting really good airplay, Capitol Records went to CHR radio stations with eight singles. That was just one label in the same week. They'd also just done a deal with Duran Duran. They had paid a lot of money for Duran Duran, whereas we did an album of half new and half older songs. The theme of that album was to have been songs that have been in movies. It was basically a repackage.

But then in got watered down with politics, meaning Brian's Dr. Landy forcing a song called "In My Car," which was never in a movie, and a song by Jardine, which ultimately ended up on the album, called "Island Girl," which was never in a movie either. So to me the concept was a little bit diluted there politically.

So what happened in this instance was I was not happy that the album was half repackage and half politics. What happens when you do things politically just to accommodate the fact that if you're in a group and you divide it by five members, and you got two songs each, it may be a nice thing to do but everybody has their own point of view that isn't taken into consideration objectively.

On the one hand, he agrees with many fans that the album was diluted a bit. But he feels it was diluted by the "non movie" songs, like Brian's and Al's songs. But then, at the same time, he seems to trumpet "Somewhere Near Japan" a bit, even though it was also one of the "non movie" songs (perhaps not coincidentally, one *he* co-wrote).

He doesn't seem to include himself in any of the criticism, but it is interesting that he did note that the album came across as sort of half-baked and a bit schizophrenic. It was indeed about "half repackage" and "half politics." It just sounds like he may have been more into a firm decision to go with "repackage", essentially a "Beach Boys Greatest Movie Songs", more than "politics" even if the "politics" at least resulted in more *new* music.

I guess he wasn't against new music then, he just didn't think it should be mixed in on that repackage album.
It does show the band was democratic in these matters and Mike wasn't in control of the album or the band.

Okay then. However, why was he against Brian and Al getting their non-movie songs on the album ("In My Car" and "Island Girl" respectively), but just fine with touting his co-written non-movie song? Sounds like non-movie songs were just fine for Still Cruisin' as long as one of the writers listed was one "M. Love."

Because Brian and Al got to?

Also it was a Bruce song, for "politics".

[CenturyDeprived]

Okay, they are not awful. I have to admit I LOVE the song "Somewhere Near Japan" and… Okay… I'll say it… "Summer In Paradise"…
Anyway, doesn't Capitol have the rights to SIP? They released a live version on MIC.
I don't see why they don't put those albums on iTunes and the various streaming services.

Spotify had Still Cruisin' for about a month back in 2013, then it disappeared and has been gone since.  I've got a cassette of this album (it was actually my first BB album), so I'm dying for a digital release.

That is truly odd. I wonder why that happened (both the album going on Spotify, and it leaving just as quickly). Does anyone know if it sounded just like a digital CD rip of the album, or if it sounded in any way remastered?

[Jim V.]

Mike made a few interesting comments about "Still Cruisin'" in his infamous 1992 Goldmine interview:


But the problem with a major is that just as recently as the Still Cruisin' album, the same week that we went to radio with a song called "Somewhere Near Japan," which was getting really good airplay, Capitol Records went to CHR radio stations with eight singles. That was just one label in the same week. They'd also just done a deal with Duran Duran. They had paid a lot of money for Duran Duran, whereas we did an album of half new and half older songs. The theme of that album was to have been songs that have been in movies. It was basically a repackage.

But then in got watered down with politics, meaning Brian's Dr. Landy forcing a song called "In My Car," which was never in a movie, and a song by Jardine, which ultimately ended up on the album, called "Island Girl," which was never in a movie either. So to me the concept was a little bit diluted there politically.

So what happened in this instance was I was not happy that the album was half repackage and half politics. What happens when you do things politically just to accommodate the fact that if you're in a group and you divide it by five members, and you got two songs each, it may be a nice thing to do but everybody has their own point of view that isn't taken into consideration objectively.

On the one hand, he agrees with many fans that the album was diluted a bit. But he feels it was diluted by the "non movie" songs, like Brian's and Al's songs. But then, at the same time, he seems to trumpet "Somewhere Near Japan" a bit, even though it was also one of the "non movie" songs (perhaps not coincidentally, one *he* co-wrote).

He doesn't seem to include himself in any of the criticism, but it is interesting that he did note that the album came across as sort of half-baked and a bit schizophrenic. It was indeed about "half repackage" and "half politics." It just sounds like he may have been more into a firm decision to go with "repackage", essentially a "Beach Boys Greatest Movie Songs", more than "politics" even if the "politics" at least resulted in more *new* music.

I guess he wasn't against new music then, he just didn't think it should be mixed in on that repackage album.
It does show the band was democratic in these matters and Mike wasn't in control of the album or the band.

Okay then. However, why was he against Brian and Al getting their non-movie songs on the album ("In My Car" and "Island Girl" respectively), but just fine with touting his co-written non-movie song? Sounds like non-movie songs were just fine for Still Cruisin' as long as one of the writers listed was one "M. Love."

Because Brian and Al got to?

But how come he didn't mention that his song was guilty of the same things as theirs? Why did "In My Car" and "Island Girl" feel the wrath of Dr. Love, but "Somewhere Near Japan" was alright?

[HeyJude]

That little Mike interview blurb is more than anything else simply interesting because it gives insight into the politics involved in putting that album together. Beyond that, I don't see a need to "explain" or "defend" the fact that what he says is *clearly* inconsistent. Nothing more, nothing less. No big deal. But instead of trying to "reason out" or parse what he says into somehow making sense, how about just acknowledging that his comments lack internal consistency in terms of logic?

He touts one song, and then moves on to attacking the politics involved in allowing "non-movie" songs onto the album, likely simply forgetting that he had just moments earlier touted another "non-movie" song. Yes, one can make *both* points, but one will also have ZERO credibility in making them. An alcoholic can also tell someone else they're drinking too much, and it can be good information they're imparting. It doesn't mean we can't point out the irony and inconsistency.

As with many people in life, it's about using a piece of information out of convenience as evidence for or against something else. Don't like that politics bogged down your "vision" for another album compilation? Then of course it will be Brian and Al's songs being cited. Don't like that Capitol didn't support the album properly? Then use a song *you* co-wrote and inply it *would have* been a hit, even if you're ignoring that that song was only on the album because of the politics you decried in the same interview.

Again, just admit his comment is inconsistent rather than trying to explain away everything with laughable parsed interpretations. The interview doesn't need defending. The silly defense only makes Mike look more guilty than he is (like I said, this interview is no big deal, far from inflammatory), and makes his defenders look more desperate and myopic.

There is *no other group* of obvious "defenders" of any person or faction of this group that go to this length to never admit "their guy" is wrong (and lumping him in with the entire group and saying "they were all to blame" about something doesn't count). Even hardcore Brian apologists will usually admit when some Brian interview doesn't make a lick of sense, or when Al says one of those random "Wtf?" things in an interview. Fans who think Dennis was the "coolest" BB will admit to his mistakes. But with Mike, the defenses eventually just start sounding like Jeremy the Boob from Yellow Submarine.

[HeyJude]

Okay, they are not awful. I have to admit I LOVE the song "Somewhere Near Japan" and… Okay… I'll say it… "Summer In Paradise"…
Anyway, doesn't Capitol have the rights to SIP? They released a live version on MIC.
I don't see why they don't put those albums on iTunes and the various streaming services.

Spotify had Still Cruisin' for about a month back in 2013, then it disappeared and has been gone since.  I've got a cassette of this album (it was actually my first BB album), so I'm dying for a digital release.

That is truly odd. I wonder why that happened (both the album going on Spotify, and it leaving just as quickly). Does anyone know if it sounded just like a digital CD rip of the album, or if it sounded in any way remastered?

Whatever "digital" versions are or have been out there, I would highly doubt they're anything other than taken from the CD master.

[HeyJude]

Mike made a few interesting comments about "Still Cruisin'" in his infamous 1992 Goldmine interview:


But the problem with a major is that just as recently as the Still Cruisin' album, the same week that we went to radio with a song called "Somewhere Near Japan," which was getting really good airplay, Capitol Records went to CHR radio stations with eight singles. That was just one label in the same week. They'd also just done a deal with Duran Duran. They had paid a lot of money for Duran Duran, whereas we did an album of half new and half older songs. The theme of that album was to have been songs that have been in movies. It was basically a repackage.

But then in got watered down with politics, meaning Brian's Dr. Landy forcing a song called "In My Car," which was never in a movie, and a song by Jardine, which ultimately ended up on the album, called "Island Girl," which was never in a movie either. So to me the concept was a little bit diluted there politically.

So what happened in this instance was I was not happy that the album was half repackage and half politics. What happens when you do things politically just to accommodate the fact that if you're in a group and you divide it by five members, and you got two songs each, it may be a nice thing to do but everybody has their own point of view that isn't taken into consideration objectively.

On the one hand, he agrees with many fans that the album was diluted a bit. But he feels it was diluted by the "non movie" songs, like Brian's and Al's songs. But then, at the same time, he seems to trumpet "Somewhere Near Japan" a bit, even though it was also one of the "non movie" songs (perhaps not coincidentally, one *he* co-wrote).

He doesn't seem to include himself in any of the criticism, but it is interesting that he did note that the album came across as sort of half-baked and a bit schizophrenic. It was indeed about "half repackage" and "half politics." It just sounds like he may have been more into a firm decision to go with "repackage", essentially a "Beach Boys Greatest Movie Songs", more than "politics" even if the "politics" at least resulted in more *new* music.

I guess he wasn't against new music then, he just didn't think it should be mixed in on that repackage album.
It does show the band was democratic in these matters and Mike wasn't in control of the album or the band.

If that's true, then it also implies Mike *really doesn't like* democracy within the band.........

[CenturyDeprived]

There is *no other group* of obvious "defenders" of any person or faction of this group that go to this length to never admit "their guy" is wrong (and lumping him in with the entire group and saying "they were all to blame" about something doesn't count). Even hardcore Brian apologists will usually admit when some Brian interview doesn't make a lick of sense, or when Al says one of those random "Wtf?" things in an interview. Fans who think Dennis was the "coolest" BB will admit to his mistakes. But with Mike, the defenses eventually just start sounding like Jeremy the Boob from Yellow Submarine.

As I've pointed out before, I honestly think that there are people who have almost made some kind of pact (maybe literally, though probably not actually) that since Mike has unfairly been publicly judged for a number of things he is not necessarily guilty of, and because he is not respected for lots of great things he has brought to the table, that it is somehow necessary to never admit things that are actually very hypocritical or just outright poor behavior/treatment of others, are in fact such. That some "big picture" goals of Mike gaining more respect for what he deserves respect for history's sake for will somehow be compromised. I cannot conceive of any other motivation other than actual secret payroll status.

[Douchepool]

I can't really explain the thinking behind the interview since Somewhere Near Japan was more Bruce than Michael anyway. Or maybe Michael just didn't like In My Car and Island Girl. In My Car would have been a GREAT Brian single but on Still Cruisin' it sticks out, even with the added Carl and Al vocals.