Fireside Sessions questions

[The_Beach]

I was wondering what you guys all know about the fireside sessions. I heard them for my first time today. Do you guys have any information on these? Where The Beach Boys planning on making a CD with them. There is quite a bit of talk but also alot of good music on them. I dont know anything about them besides that it must be from the early 90's by the way it sounds like and how they are talking and Brian a main guy in these sessions.

Any help and infromation would be great THANKS 

[wantsomecorn]

You mean the Campfire Sessions?

That was recorded for the Endless Summer TV show in 1989.

[The_Beach]

Yeah that must be it. Is there any known release of these campfire sessions if not what was the origional plans to do with them?

[Lonely Summer]

It was for their Endless Summer syndicated television show, 1989. I saw several episodes that summer on one of our local tv channels. IIRC, the Beach Boys performances were the only truly live performances on the show; all of the guest artists lip-synched.

[HeyJude]

While most of the BB stuff on the show was live (fireside stuff, live concert stuff), their "Club Kokomo" bits, like other artists, were mimed to pre-recorded tapes. The Chicago stuff taken from the live concert as the BBs was of course also truly live.

[phirnis]

I really like the campfire stuff, it's like Party! almost a quarter century later. Brian's in fine form and I love their renditions of Be My Baby and All I Have to Do Is Dream.

[37!ws]

From what I hear, the original masters of that show (at least the "campfire" stuff) were lost in a fire, so pretty much all that survives are whatever people recorded. Yay, VHS!!

[HeyJude]

I guess that would explain why the footage used in “Endless Harmony” looks worse than my off-air VHS copy. (Still not sure why the “Kokomo” video clip also looks that bad).

It would be sad if any video masters from that show are gone. But it’s so unlikely they’d ever be able to put it out (song clearances, also clearing the appearance of likenesses of the TON of people in the background during the campfire segment), I suppose it doesn’t matter as much if the footage is safe but just rots away in a vault somewhere.

[guitarfool2002]

From what I hear, the original masters of that show (at least the "campfire" stuff) were lost in a fire, so pretty much all that survives are whatever people recorded. Yay, VHS!!

Talk about irony on several levels...

[LeeDempsey]

From what I hear, the original masters of that show (at least the "campfire" stuff) were lost in a fire, so pretty much all that survives are whatever people recorded. Yay, VHS!!

That's really a bummer, as I'm betting that there were outtakes.  But since it was a syndicated show every station that subscribed to the series should have received a broadcast copy of each show sent to them via physical videotape.  I would think there is a good chance that at least one set would exist in some TV station's tape library somewhere -- which would be of considerably better quality than some home viewer's off-air VHS tape.

Lee

[bgas]

From what I hear, the original masters of that show (at least the "campfire" stuff) were lost in a fire, so pretty much all that survives are whatever people recorded. Yay, VHS!!

That's really a bummer, as I'm betting that there were outtakes.  But since it was a syndicated show every station that subscribed to the series should have received a broadcast copy of each show sent to them via physical videotape.  I would think there is a good chance that at least one set would exist in some TV station's tape library somewhere -- which would be of considerably better quality than some home viewer's off-air VHS tape.

Lee

Anyone know which network, presuming it was a broadcast network, had the rights to the show? That would make it somewhat easier to try and trace; tho with changes of ownership/consolidations in the intervening years, things may have changed. 

[LeeDempsey]

Anyone know which network, presuming it was a broadcast network, had the rights to the show? That would make it somewhat easier to try and trace; tho with changes of ownership/consolidations in the intervening years, things may have changed.  

According to IMDB:

Production Companies:
BEI
Binder Entertainment
Dakota Pictures

Executive Producers: Steve Binder, Jeff Franklin, Steve Waterman

Distributors: Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (all media)

It was privately syndicated, so not all CBS affiliates had to buy it, and those who did could air it in the time slot of their choice.  The station in Charlotte aired it on Saturday nights after the news (opposite Saturday Night Live).

Lee

[HeyJude]

Interesting. Steve Binder is presumably the "TAMI Show" director. Jeff Franklin is one of the "Full House" guys. The show is *very* late 80's, so that makes sense. Stand-up comedians in loudly-colored shirts, etc.

I'm pretty sure in my local area (the SF Bay Area) that the show was broadcast on an independent station rather than a broadcast network affiliate. I wanna say it was KOFY, Channel 20. My recollection is that it aired on either Saturday or Sunday afternoons.

[bgas]

Does anyone know if " the Video Beat" is an authorized seller? As it seems they have all 8 episodes for sale on Two ( 2)  DVDs at $19.99 each: 

http://www.thevideobeat.com/rock-roll-tv/beach-boys-endless-summer-1989.html

[HeyJude]

That's certainly not a legit release. Surely sourced from off-air VHS dubs. They do DVD-Rs, of course. Doesn't even appear to be a sort of "grey market" European or Asian pressing. Just some guy making DVD-R copies.

I haven't checked, but aren't some if not most of the BB segments up on YouTube?

One of the interesting sort of retconned modes of technology these days is that "old school" stuff on physical media like this is often ripped from YouTube, which in turn was lifted from old videotapes.

[southbay]

Interesting. Steve Binder is presumably the "TAMI Show" director. Jeff Franklin is one of the "Full House" guys. The show is *very* late 80's, so that makes sense. Stand-up comedians in loudly-colored shirts, etc.

I'm pretty sure in my local area (the SF Bay Area) that the show was broadcast on an independent station rather than a broadcast network affiliate. I wanna say it was KOFY, Channel 20. My recollection is that it aired on either Saturday or Sunday afternoons.

Yes, 1989 to be exact.  The actual concert footage was shot May 27, 1989 at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, CA at the 2d show in Beach Boys/Chicago tour. I was at that concert.  The Campfire scenes and Club Kokomo scenes were all shot a couple of days later (May 30, to be exact--thanks AGD and 10452) at Universal Studios in LA. I remember reading about the TV series tapings, the new Capitol contract and upcoming album and the big tour with Chicago that same weekend (Memorial Day weekend) in a big front page article in the LA Times.

[37!ws]

It was privately syndicated, so not all CBS affiliates had to buy it, and those who did could air it in the time slot of their choice.  The station in Charlotte aired it on Saturday nights after the news (opposite Saturday Night Live).

In Chicago it was shown on WFLD, which was [and still is] a Fox affiliate.

[bgas]

It was privately syndicated, so not all CBS affiliates had to buy it, and those who did could air it in the time slot of their choice.  The station in Charlotte aired it on Saturday nights after the news (opposite Saturday Night Live).

In Chicago it was shown on WFLD, which was [and still is] a Fox affiliate.

YEah, I was thinking it might not be so easy. I'll have to check with our CBS station( and hope they carried the show) if I can get past the receptionist. 

[LeeDempsey]

That's the thing Chris; since it was syndicated it could have been on any of the local networks. Since it was distributed by CBS I would suspect that the CBS affiliate got the right of first refusal, but if they passed, whoever wanted to buy it could have aired it.

You might want to see if you can find a local TV Guide from that time period.

Lee

[Rocky Raccoon]

All of the Beach Boys performances from the show were uploaded on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZylusEw-68

[Andrew G. Doe]

Does anyone know if " the Video Beat" is an authorized seller? As it seems they have all 8 episodes for sale on Two ( 2)  DVDs at $19.99 each: 

http://www.thevideobeat.com/rock-roll-tv/beach-boys-endless-summer-1989.html

Eight ? There were eleven episodes aired, but #8 through #11 consisted of footage from the first seven re-edited.

[Ian]

The campfire footage is awesome and there was clearly more shot than aired. For example, we come in as the bbs are finishing hushabye and at one point Brian says to mike that they could do all I have to do is dream again since he wasn't singing along the first time.

[Ian]

I mentioned in my book that in an interview soon after Bruce was extremely disparaging of the TV show but he raved about the fireside footage which he said was like the good old days had briefly returned

[filledeplage]

All of the Beach Boys performances from the show were uploaded on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZylusEw-68

Thanks to bgas and Rocky raccoon for linking this.

Around 26 minutes is Love and Mercy, performed by the BB's!

Bravo! 

[HeyJude]

I mentioned in my book that in an interview soon after Bruce was extremely disparaging of the TV show but he raved about the fireside footage which he said was like the good old days had briefly returned

Interesting that Bruce didn't like the show. It was cut from the exact same, late 80's cheese cloth as their appearances on "Full House." I'm sure most BB fans did what I did, watched the opening BB concert number, then waited (or fast forwarded) for a possible "Club Kokomo" BB performance, then fast forwarded to the weekly "campfire" segment, and then watched the closing concert performance. I think they may have had a few decent other musical guests (I remember Steve Ray Vaughan was one).

They also did a couple of segments on Brian's solo bits during the BB concerts, including a performance of "Love and Mercy" with the extra verse, and a live performance of "In My Car" where the song's main melody line on the verses was totally different, intercut with studio footage and interviews about the song.

The fireside stuff is cool, but even that stuff is a *little bit* awkward now and then. There's one point where Brian is yelling at a kid with a scowl on his face to stay away from the fire (certainly a responsible thing to do; but weird to leave such a thing in and not edit out). But Brian giving Mike the third degree briefly about "Looking Back with Love" and Mike trying to pretend it doesn't exist is pretty funny.