Legacy of Endless Summer

[Juice Brohnston]

Endless Summer was number 1 on Billboard this week in '74. I know it is a 'divisive' album, in that many see it as the end of a creative period for the bands music.

However, there is no denying the impact this album had on the history of The Beach Boys. Obviously the financial benefits were great. I can't imagine how many fans discovered the band through this album, and I am sure it resulted in a great deal of them digging deeper into the catalogue.

Mike's involvement apparently steered this compilation away from the traditional 'greatest hits packaging' and gave it an altogether didferent vibe.

Still the album has sort of been tossed aside. Discontinued in the shadow of other comps like Sounds of Summer. I think that's a disservice to the album. It should have been treated with a deluxe special edition re-release somewhere along the way.

[KDS]

Endless Summer is definitely of historical importance.  It was both the best thing, and the worst thing, to happen to The Beach Boys.  You could argue that the band might have ceased to exist without the release of that album.  But, like you said, it did pretty much put a stop to the creative roll The Beach Boys were on in the early 1970s. 

Its really a shame that the Boys followed it with the very mediocre 15 Big Ones album. 

[Rob Dean]

Endless Summer is definitely of historical importance.  It was both the best thing, and the worst thing, to happen to The Beach Boys.  You could argue that the band might have ceased to exist without the release of that album.  But, like you said, it did pretty much put a stop to the creative roll The Beach Boys were on in the early 1970s. 

Its really a shame that the Boys followed it with the very mediocre 15 Big Ones album. 

Don't forget that another (successful) compilation came between ES and 15BO, 'Spirit Of America' in 1975 which hit No.8 in the U.S.A.   

[Rob Dean]

ES sure didn't help in the halting of the creative nature of the BB's output, but my theory also includes the huge loss of both Blondie and Ricky  (god what a band they were with these 2 guys on board studio & live output wise) and the total in-activity of a certain BW.  

[Pretty Funky]

I would be one of those fans who discovered the group only through one of the compilation albums of the 70s (20 Golden Greats) so I'm thankful. Because of that I then searched out their albums. (followed by tours, new recordings, books, movies....... )

[KDS]

I honestly can't think of a compilation that was more of a double edged sword than Endless Summer / Spirit of America.  

I know Queen released a Greatest Hits album in 1981, but it didn't turn them into a nostalgia band.  In fact, as they went on, they played even less of that material in concert.

The Beatles were broken up by the time the Red and Blue albums were released.  

[Juice Brohnston]

I honestly can't think of a compilation that was more of a double edged sword than Endless Summer / Spirit of America.  

I know Queen released a Greatest Hits album in 1981, but it didn't turn them into a nostalgia band.  In fact, as they went on, they played even less of that material in concert.

The Beatles were broken up by the time the Red and Blue albums were released.  

That's a good point. The band didn't do much to swim against the strong tide of Endless Summer. I guess, in their defence, their has seldom been a band that is so connected to a 'culture' as the Beach Boys have been to well, the Endless Summer. But they did work their tails off to show the world they were more than just surf and cars.

Still, this album showcased how good the early stuff really was/is. 40 years later, people still pack em in to hear those songs.

[MikestheGreatest!!]

The hits re-issues need not have stopped the group's ongoing creativity.  Likely the success of those albums contributed to a feeling of, oh hell, lets just do the oldies and forget about the new stuff which really doesn't sell in any appreciable quantities anyway.  It was easier to just tour the old stuff.  As Jardine would say, "follow the path of least resistance".

Other factors involving the group's acquiescence into the oldies format most likely were the personal problems that some or all of the members were experiencing.  It is a shame that they were unable to figure out a way to both exploit the re-issues and use them to generate positive reaction to any new music.  But the new music was starting to go downhill anyway.  Holland was good but not as good as Surf's Up.  CATP was ok, good in places but kinda spotty too.

I think they had just largely run their course, musically.  How many things can you do with what is basically a vocal group?  Had they evolved into a better instrumental group over time, perhaps they could have continued to evolve.  But they really didn't.

From their apparent failed attempts to work with Guercio to do an album of new original  material post-Holland , it kind of became a foregone conclusion that they would dip their toes back into nostalgia.

So Endless Summer in my opinion was a savior for the group, if only mainly for financial reasons and re-generating a basic level of respect for their earliest work.

Re-makes of oldies had always served them well on the singles market.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

The hits re-issues need not have stopped the group's ongoing creativity.  Likely the success of those albums contributed to a feeling of, oh hell, lets just do the oldies and forget about the new stuff which really doesn't sell in any appreciable quantities anyway.  It was easier to just tour the old stuff.  As Jardine would say, "follow the path of least resistance".

Other factors involving the group's acquiescence into the oldies format most likely were the personal problems that some or all of the members were experiencing.  It is a shame that they were unable to figure out a way to both exploit the re-issues and use them to generate positive reaction to any new music.  But the new music was starting to go downhill anyway.  Holland was good but not as good as Surf's Up.  CATP was ok, good in places but kinda spotty too.

I think they had just largely run their course, musically.  How many things can you do with what is basically a vocal group?  Had they evolved into a better instrumental group over time, perhaps they could have continued to evolve.  But they really didn't.

From their apparent failed attempts to work with Guercio to do an album of new original  material post-Holland , it kind of became a foregone conclusion that they would dip their toes back into nostalgia.

So Endless Summer in my opinion was a savior for the group, if only mainly for financial reasons and re-generating a basic level of respect for their earliest work.

Re-makes of oldies had always served them well on the singles market.

I think your post is on point.  In addition to that, the crowds had been clamoring for "oldies" since about 1967.  Album sales were far from setting the world on fire and singles weren't doing any better.  They simply gave the people what they wanted and it gave them a big wave of popularity that lasted for several years. 

[Gerry]

I think that James Guerico had a big influence with the band at this time and pushed them in the oldies direction as well.

[Rocky Raccoon]

It's a pretty nice compilation but I find it odd that they used the Today! version of Help Me Rhonda with the weird false endings instead of the more familiar and superior single version and the album version of Be True to Your School too.  Like were the masters for the single versions not available for some reason?

[donald]

I had been a fan and buying BB records since around 64.    BUT, I had strayed as a fan and had been into other stuff of the day in the early 70's .   Then, my favorite hip record store had a rack of copies of ES on sale.   I bought.    I reconnected.   Been a rabid fan , bigger than before ever since.    As a vinyl collector, I have since acquired the entire catalogue along with 6 copies of ES .     I agree with the thread initiator that this is a milestone collection.  HMR should have been the single version though.

[Lonely Summer]

It's a pretty nice compilation but I find it odd that they used the Today! version of Help Me Rhonda with the weird false endings instead of the more familiar and superior single version and the album version of Be True to Your School too.  Like were the masters for the single versions not available for some reason?

This was typical of compilations in the pre-digital age.

[Juice Brohnston]

Probably among the minority, but I always liked the cover art, and wished that the poster insert was the full gatefold illustration instead of the plane picture.

[Cam Mott]

I imagine the Boys were as surprised by ES as anybody.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Probably among the minority, but I always liked the cover art, and wished that the poster insert was the full gatefold illustration instead of the plane picture.

Are the faces on the cover supposed to be the Beach Boys or are they just random faces?  I've always thought two of them look vaguely like Brian and Al but if they were trying to make uncanny resemblances of the five guys, the artist failed at that.

[SenorPotatoHead]

Probably among the minority, but I always liked the cover art, and wished that the poster insert was the full gatefold illustration instead of the plane picture.

Are the faces on the cover supposed to be the Beach Boys or are they just random faces?  I've always thought two of them look vaguely like Brian and Al but if they were trying to make uncanny resemblances of the five guys, the artist failed at that.

Yes, Mike, Brian and Al on the front and Carl and Dennis on the back.  Then Brian again on the inside gatefold.   

[Rentatris]

[/quote]

 

That's a good point. The band didn't do much to swim against the strong tide of Endless Summer. I guess, in their defence, their has seldom been a band that is so connected to a 'culture' as the Beach Boys have been to well, the Endless Summer. But they did work their tails off to show the world they were more than just surf and cars.

Still, this album showcased how good the early stuff really was/is. 40 years later, people still pack em in to hear those songs.
[/quote]

 I think Queen were still very popular when the Greatest Hits were released and writing some of their best music. BB on the other hand were struggling to make a living and so I would imagine willing to jump on anything that would pay the bills....

[Aum Bop Diddit]

ES is certainly a huge watermark in their career and I can't disagree with most of the comments here.  I would add that the  "resurgence" of the Blondie/Ricky period had likely already passed.  They had essentially left the band and there was no sign of any new creative  activity after "Holland."  I would also think that although the early 70s touring group and the LPs of that time with the attendant exposure in Rolling Stone etc. raised the profile and "hip" quotient of the band, they probably liked the amount of financial success and audiences that came on board after several years relatively out of the spotlight and sagging profits.  So why not?

I can also tell you as a huge fan of the band at the time, especially "Pet Sounds" through "Holland", I hated "Endless Summer"  and what it did.  "Spirit of America" I liked -- it had "Breakaway" on it.

[Competition Clutch]

I believe ES's highlighting of the oldies helped show how superior that music was to much of what was on FM radio, the album rock in the early '70s.    If you were in Connecticut listening to  WPLR, the album rock FM station out of New Haven, they would play an entire side of Endless Summer.  This was possible due to the format, which limited/grouped commercials in blocks.   Every evening there would be a longer special with 60-90? minutes devoted to one band.   After a long, impressive BB set, the DJ, Stoneman, once said:  "Back on the East Coast," and then go on to identify himself and the station.  It sometimes felt like we had left the East Coast with the immersive experience.

[Cyncie]

I can't complain about Endless Summer. It gave me the chance to snag all of those great Beach Boys hits I heard on 45 back before I had the change to buy anything. I think the nostalgia wave in the 70's actually could have worked in the band's favor if they had been in a place creatively to match the quality of the original product and leverage the exposure into a second career chance. I just don't think they were there, so they locked into the oldies approach. Other bands from the same period, like the Four Seasons, managed to use the momentum to move forward. The Beach Boys just didn't.

I don't think Endless Summer trapped them into the oldies circuit. They did that on their own.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Its not an album, it's a greatest hits compilation, albeit a brilliantly titled/marketed one which sold incredibly well and revitalized interest in the band. But its still not new material, not a new release, not a cohesive unified statement. Its a rerelease of old songs. It had its time and now its largely irrelevant because of more comprehensive greatest hits comps and boxsets. It has no reason to exist anymore, as far as rereleasing it.

[Lonely Summer]

I believe ES's highlighting of the oldies helped show how superior that music was to much of what was on FM radio, the album rock in the early '70s.    If you were in Connecticut listening to  WPLR, the album rock FM station out of New Haven, they would play an entire side of Endless Summer.  This was possible due to the format, which limited/grouped commercials in blocks.   Every evening there would be a longer special with 60-90? minutes devoted to one band.   After a long, impressive BB set, the DJ, Stoneman, once said:  "Back on the East Coast," and then go on to identify himself and the station.  It sometimes felt like we had left the East Coast with the immersive experience.

It's interesting that many of the FM rock stations latched onto "Endless Summer" - and the followups, too. Listening to classic rock radio today - which is supposed to represent what was popular then - you NEVER hear ANY Beach Boys songs.

[Lonely Summer]

I can't complain about Endless Summer. It gave me the chance to snag all of those great Beach Boys hits I heard on 45 back before I had the change to buy anything. I think the nostalgia wave in the 70's actually could have worked in the band's favor if they had been in a place creatively to match the quality of the original product and leverage the exposure into a second career chance. I just don't think they were there, so they locked into the oldies approach. Other bands from the same period, like the Four Seasons, managed to use the momentum to move forward. The Beach Boys just didn't.

I don't think Endless Summer trapped them into the oldies circuit. They did that on their own.

The Four Seasons had 2 hits in 75/76 - Who Loves You and December 1963 (Oh What a Night). If you stretch the definition of hit, you can get 3 by including Silver Star, which barely made it into the top 40. Well, if we're going to do that, the Beach Boys had similar success - top 5 with Rock & Roll Music, top 40 It's OK, and bubbling under with Sail On, Sailor. Frankie Valli had several solo hits in the mid 70's; there wasn't any solo  Beach Boy to ever have that kind of success.

[Aum Bop Diddit]

I can't complain about Endless Summer. It gave me the chance to snag all of those great Beach Boys hits I heard on 45 back before I had the change to buy anything. I think the nostalgia wave in the 70's actually could have worked in the band's favor if they had been in a place creatively to match the quality of the original product and leverage the exposure into a second career chance. I just don't think they were there, so they locked into the oldies approach. Other bands from the same period, like the Four Seasons, managed to use the momentum to move forward. The Beach Boys just didn't.

I don't think Endless Summer trapped them into the oldies circuit. They did that on their own.

The Four Seasons had 2 hits in 75/76 - Who Loves You and December 1963 (Oh What a Night). If you stretch the definition of hit, you can get 3 by including Silver Star, which barely made it into the top 40. Well, if we're going to do that, the Beach Boys had similar success - top 5 with Rock & Roll Music, top 40 It's OK, and bubbling under with Sail On, Sailor. Frankie Valli had several solo hits in the mid 70's; there wasn't any solo  Beach Boy to ever have that kind of success.

"Good Timin'" did okay at the dawn of the 80s as well.