Scenario: Let's say you get a time machine and travel back to about 1965..

[modestmaus]

And let's also say you end up with a pretty high position in Capitol Record's PR department. What sort of things would you have your PR department do and would would you suggest The Beach Boys themselves do to give Pet Sounds a much higher chance of being the #1 seller it should have been in '66?

While I'm at it: What efforts do you think you, your PR department and The Beach Boys would need to make to virtually ensure Heroes & Villains as a #1 single?

All within legal non-shady as possible bounds, please. 

[Gertie J.]

kidnap the beatles

[Pretty Funky]

I would probably suggest not publicizing well in the US and let fellow musicians and respected critics rave about it. This hopefully would lead to ongoing sales for many years and who knows, maybe even have the album toured live someday. In other words...Brilliant PR!

Seriously though. Have any names ever been associated to the decision not to promote?

[petsoundsnola]

Just a few thoughts:

The PR effort should be focused on establishing a "Cool" factor.  Hindsight being 20/20, in less than two years from our time travel arrival in 1965, the Boys would become ostracized and wind up on the outside looking in as a new group of hipsters takes over (i.e., "You'll Never Hear Surf Music Again.")

There are some photos of Brian hanging out on the Sunset Strip during this burgeoning hip scene in 1965.  ALL of the Boys need to get in on that scene, shed the striped shirts, and start hanging out with the cool people.  Bring in Derek Taylor earlier, and do not adopt the "Brian is everything and the Boys are his followers" attitude.  Get the whole band in on the PR machine. 

A concerted effort should be made to expand the touring group to include extra musicians so that the more complicated and multi-instrumental songs can be played on stage, and prevent the unfortunate limitations of the group playing their older work in an age where the music was expanding along with everyone's consciousness.

[urbanite]

Maybe change the title of the album and the album cover.

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

Fire Mike Love Put on a non stop assault of magazine adverts declaring the album to be the greatest piece of music since Rhapsody In Blue.

[Misterlou]

As a Capitol suit, I'd tell Brian:
a. to go easy on the hard stuff.
b. to not make a future trip to the zoo for some pictures... but rather to use my avatar photo (not yet taken) for the album cover (although I'm not sure when it was taken), because it's a much cooler photo.
c. I'd tell my fellow Capitol suits that in 50 years, many people are going to be proclaiming Pet Sounds as the best album ever... so lets's promote it like there's no tomorrow, to give the Beach Boys a tomorrow.
d. that him and this guy named Van Dyke Parks were going to write this amazing album together called SMiLE and that it was really, really, really important that he finish it in the spring of 1967, and to not worry and obsess so much over Heroes and Villains, etc. I'd plead with him to not listen to the naysayers. I would also bring with me some modern editing software and computers, etc., to assist him with this future project.

When I came back to the present, I would then check the music charts, and see that both Pet Sounds and SMiLE were number 1 albums, and the Beach Boys, not the Beatles, are heralded as the greatest band ever. I would also issue an in-person apology to Lewis Shiner... who would look at me funny and walk away.

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

b. to not make a future trip to the zoo for some pictures... but rather to use my avatar photo (not yet taken) for the album cover (although I'm not sure when it was taken), because it's a much cooler photo.

No offense, but that photo would be a much worse cover photo than what they used.

[Misterlou]

b. to not make a future trip to the zoo for some pictures... but rather to use my avatar photo (not yet taken) for the album cover (although I'm not sure when it was taken), because it's a much cooler photo.

No offense, but that photo would be a much worse cover photo than what they used.

No offense, but I completely disagree.

[You Kane, You Commanded, You Conquered]

b. to not make a future trip to the zoo for some pictures... but rather to use my avatar photo (not yet taken) for the album cover (although I'm not sure when it was taken), because it's a much cooler photo.

No offense, but that photo would be a much worse cover photo than what they used.

No offense, but I completely disagree.

I still think it's a neat photo, just wouldn't work for the album.

[Ang Jones]

Perhaps not undermine Pet Sounds by releasing a Best of compilation just for starters.

[JK]

Perhaps not undermine Pet Sounds by releasing a Best of compilation just for starters.

The best idea yet.

[jiggy22]

This topic reminds me a lot of the book "Glimpses" by Lewis Shiner, where the protagonist travels back in time to help Brian help finish SMiLE. Unfortunately, the album is a commercial failure, the group ditches Brian, Marilyn leaves him, and then he just fall into his pool and dies. So, I'd obviously try to prevent, you know, that.

[KDS]

While I'm in 1965, can I take some money and put it in stocks for IBM or Apple?  Or even just a high interest savings account?

On the BB front, have them on Sullivan and any TV show promoting the songs from PS. 

But, I wouldn't want to tamper too much and risk myself not being born. 

 

[Sound of Free]

Two things:

1. Tell the Capitol suits to give the album time. It's not going to be an out-of-the-box smash like their other releases. Keep promoting it and do NOT put out a best-of to undercut things (as Ang Jones mentioned).

2. Closely related to No. 1: Don't put God Only Knows as a B-side to Wouldn't It Be Nice. In the theme of  the album being a "grower" and not a smash, let Wouldn't It Be Nice have its run on the charts, pushing the album up, then put God Only Knows out on its own (with heavy promotion) to keep the album sales going.

[Emily]

Two things:

1. Tell the Capitol suits to give the album time. It's not going to be an out-of-the-box smash like their other releases. Keep promoting it and do NOT put out a best-of to undercut things (as Ang Jones mentioned).

2. Closely related to No. 1: Don't put God Only Knows as a B-side to Wouldn't It Be Nice. In the theme of  the album being a "grower" and not a smash, let Wouldn't It Be Nice have its run on the charts, pushing the album up, then put God Only Knows out on its own (with heavy promotion) to keep the album sales going.

Absolutely.

[KDS]

I might've pushed Here Today a little more. 

With the exception of Wouldn't It Be Nice, Here Today probably sounds more like the "Beach Boys Sound" that US record buyers were going for in 1966. 

Can I also have somebody from Capital tell John Lennon to stay home on Dec 8, 1980?  Or would that rip a hole in the fabric of time? 

Maybe tell Carl to lay off the cigarettes. 

[Emily]

I might've pushed Here Today a little more. 

With the exception of Wouldn't It Be Nice, Here Today probably sounds more like the "Beach Boys Sound" that US record buyers were going for in 1966. 

Can I also have somebody from Capital tell John Lennon to stay home on Dec 8, 1980?  Or would that rip a hole in the fabric of time? 

Maybe tell Carl to lay off the cigarettes. 

Yes, please do both of the latter two.

[KDS]

I might've pushed Here Today a little more. 

With the exception of Wouldn't It Be Nice, Here Today probably sounds more like the "Beach Boys Sound" that US record buyers were going for in 1966. 

Can I also have somebody from Capital tell John Lennon to stay home on Dec 8, 1980?  Or would that rip a hole in the fabric of time? 

Maybe tell Carl to lay off the cigarettes. 

Yes, please do both of the latter two.

Done.  Bring me my DeLorean.

[Emily]

I might've pushed Here Today a little more. 

With the exception of Wouldn't It Be Nice, Here Today probably sounds more like the "Beach Boys Sound" that US record buyers were going for in 1966. 

Can I also have somebody from Capital tell John Lennon to stay home on Dec 8, 1980?  Or would that rip a hole in the fabric of time? 

Maybe tell Carl to lay off the cigarettes. 

Yes, please do both of the latter two.

Done.  Bring me my DeLorean.

It'll be there in the morning. Give Dennis a good talking-to while you're at it.

[KDS]

I might've pushed Here Today a little more. 

With the exception of Wouldn't It Be Nice, Here Today probably sounds more like the "Beach Boys Sound" that US record buyers were going for in 1966. 

Can I also have somebody from Capital tell John Lennon to stay home on Dec 8, 1980?  Or would that rip a hole in the fabric of time? 

Maybe tell Carl to lay off the cigarettes. 

Yes, please do both of the latter two.

Done.  Bring me my DeLorean.

It'll be there in the morning. Give Dennis a good talking-to while you're at it.

Good idea. 

While I'm in the mid 60s, I'm going to be buying a lot of records and selling them for a premium in 2016. 

[Juice Brohnston]

Sneak Ahmet Ertegun into the audio while it was being recorded. Get him to work his magic to move the band to Atlantic.

[KDS]

Sneak Ahmet Ertegun into the audio while it was being recorded. Get him to work his magic to move the band to Atlantic.

Good idea. 

Would it be wrong to try to get a date with Jane Asher while in the 60s?  She might be looking for a rebound after Paul.   

[Emily]

Sneak Ahmet Ertegun into the audio while it was being recorded. Get him to work his magic to move the band to Atlantic.

Good idea. 

Would it be wrong to try to get a date with Jane Asher while in the 60s?  She might be looking for a rebound after Paul.   

Whoa, out of the blue you show that you can pick out the awesomest woman in a crowd. They haven't broken up yet, but you can probably spare her some stress by hurrying that along.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Fire Mike Love Put on a non stop assault of magazine adverts declaring the album to be the greatest piece of music since Rhapsody In Blue.

NO! Don't cross that out!! If only they had.