The Complete Hite Morgan Sessions Will Be Released

[CenturyDeprived]

Having listened to just part of the set thus far, I have to say that it's totally awesome. I can't wait to listen to the rest. It must be appreciated on headphones.

Does anyone else think that the original speed version of Surfin' is far superior to the sped-up single version? And does anyone think the song's hit status had anything to do with the faster speed, or that the original speed would have been just as much of a success?

A few initial thoughts:

- I know it's an aural illusion, since there is no keyboard anywhere on the song Surfin', but I have *always* sworn I hear something that sounds like a keyboard sound on the lyrical line "the only way for me"... a melody which sounds to double the vocal melody. I am trying to figure out just what it is that I'm hearing, but it's probably some odd artifact where the voices blending, coupled with the reverb present, create some sound that to me resembles a quietly-mixed keyboard/organ. Does anyone else hear it, or am I nuts?

- Love the vibrato audible on the vocals of Surfin' Take 4 at 1:09 and 1:17.

- Love the confidently-sung line "That won't stop me baby" on Surfin' Take 7 at 1:49.

- Funny how we hear the loop-de-loop-loop-Luau vocals changing a bit each time from take to take. Sometimes they sound like loop-de-loop-loop-BLU-AU, and other times like loop-de-loop-loop-DOO-AH. I wonder if Brian was changing things around on purpose, or if they were more or less flubs.

[Dirtyfaz]

With the release of Becoming The Beach Boys, the two CD set by Omnivore Recordings, we finally have what is referred to as “The Complete Hite & Dorinda Morgan Sessions”, something all fans of the Beach Boys have been waiting for since Brad Elliott’s ill-fated First Wave project from 2000. Unlike Elliott’s project, the arrangement of tracks on Becoming The Beach Boys has all the recordings of the same songs titles grouped together. My preference would have been to present them in their historical order, that is September 1961 and the October recordings as separate sets. That to me is a better way of presenting this in a more historical way.

I like the packaging but do have a couple of question relating to how it is presented seeing as this is being presented as an historical item. I don’t understand why a 1964 photo of the group is included with the package. Surely there was access to more period relevant photos.  Even a better idea would have been to include the three issues of the Beach Boys’ Surfin’ single - Candix 331, X 301 and Candix 301 from left to right when the packaging is laid out flat. I realise the missing one is included in the booklet (page 5).

I am puzzled a bit about the photo of the tape box on page 13. This can’t be the original box from February 1962 as it has a zip code in the bottom left hand corner. Zip codes were not introduced until July 1963! So this tape box must at least date from after that. It has “Beach Boys Candix 1962” written on it, but this box could date from any time after mid 1963.

I don’t understand why a copy of the April 1962 session tape box is included when it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the music contained within this set.

Why not include tape boxes of some importance, like the boxes referred to in the Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 book, such as the World Pacific session with the group name “The Surfers” on it and/or the tape box reputedly featuring the wording in Dorinda Morgan’s hand of “Pendeltons Surfing Song.”
Do these actually exist is the question! That would most certainly confirm if Pendeltons as a name was being used at that time.

Where are the “missing” takes. If they no longer exist, it would have been nice for us to be informed of this. I do see in Jim Murphy’s response about this that explains it well but maybe that should have been in the booklet as well.

I find the Stereo Masters tape box on page 14 of the booklet very interesting. It indicates the recordings on this tape were 3 track recording and mentions what is on the left, centre and right of the recording. Mostly all the right contains the original track (I guess the music backing track) and on some of the tracks it indicates what is on the other 2 tracks. Would I be correct it assuming that the backing tracks were recorded first and vocals and other instruments mostly bass were overdubbed onto these other “tracks”. Would that mean that we could have had some of the original tracks without vocals made available to us.

I must say I am glad for this release and overall the release is most welcome. The audio is superb but the booklet just opened up to me a couple of questions.

[Shane]

I'll defer to any expert on the subject, but it appears the tape box on page 13  may have been a copy made when Hite Morgan leased the music back in the late 1960s or 70s.  Obviously he didn't want to send out the original tapes to random "grey market" record companies.

The April 1962 tape has a take of "Judy" with a different guitar solo overdubbed, and that version is included in this set.

[“Big Daddy”]

According to someone on Reddit, Becoming the Beach Boys will have a special vinyl release for Record Store Day Black Friday. Red, blue, or yellow vinyl.

[donald]

Just bought it.     Now, to go through my three bankers boxes of Beachboys LP's and see which of the several miscellaneous Hite Morgan LP's I can now remove from my collection.  Maybe also a good time to reduce the number of  redundant copies of other compilations.    Might start by giving alway 5 of the 6 copies I have of Endless Summer.