Could the Lei’d in Hawaii arrangements been hits?

[CenturyDeprived]

I have lately been fascinated with the Smiley Smile-esque arrangements on the Lei’d in Hawaii material. Especially California Girls, Surfer Girl, and Help You, Rhonda... but really all of that material is SUPER interesting to listen to.

It occurred to me, what if some of those songs had never been written/released before, but in 1967 some of them (say Help You, Rhonda, for example) were for the *very first time* released in the Lei’d in Hawaii arrangements. Does anyone think there's a snowball's chance in hell that they could have been hit songs in those arrangements? Or were the songs too dated for that time, despite the psychedelic twist?

Separate from that question, does anyone know if these arrangements were ever performed live outside of the Lei’d in Hawaii shows/ fake live studio attempts?

[Pablo.]

Of course no. But they are very interesting.

[MikestheGreatest!!]

No hits and terribly annoying to listen to.  The vocals are too precious, I can see why this stuff wasn't released....

[joshferrell]

maybe to the stoners it may have been a hit at the timre..    

[CenturyDeprived]

maybe to the stoners it may have been a hit at the timre..    

Right, because it's very much identical stoner production style to Smiley Smile, but with songs that were proven hits. It's interesting to think about if they could possibly have been hits if those Lei'd songs were wholly new songs at the time, released in stripped-down versions.  There's always been the question as to whether it was the production style of SS which made the SS songs uncommercial, as opposed to the actual SS songs themselves.

[ForHerCryingSoul]

I think any Beach Boy song could be a hit if it was properly promoted.  I think if they said, "this album is back-to-basics, no frills, pure, REAL" then it could have a chance with the underground crowd...  

[Rick5150]

The songs were originally hits because of their production, energy, and lush harmonies. Until the Beach Boys, there was nothing like this before. So I think that the Lei'd in Hawaii stuff would not have been a hit if the songs were released as is.

Smiley Smile was unique because it is a departure from what came before. Really good music, but face it - the record-buying public was not going to line the sidewalks outside of their favorite music store because of Fall Breaks and Back to Winter or Little Pad, Whistle In or She's Going Bald.

It was not the light production that hurt that album, as the Beach Boys had a hit with Barbara Ann from the Party! album. The songs are a bit weird and not what the average fan wanted to hear from the clean cut, squeaky-clean Beach Boys. Most of the songs that charted were upbeat or had upbeat sections.

[rab2591]

I think they could have been hits (not #1s but upper charting) - only if this timeline included that the songs had already come out. Like Rick5150 says, they were originally hits because of a perfect storm combining creativity, talent, and energy. By taking away the energy you really lose a lot of what make those songs brilliant to hear for the first time.

But if people have the originals in mind while they hear the Lei'd version of California Girls it becomes a unique take on a brilliant song. I also think for chart status to happen they would've had to change up the instrumentation just a little - keep that organ front and center but add some more dynamics on the instrument front (ukulele, standup piano, glockenspiel, perhaps adding a little reverb to the vocals, etc).

The tag on the Lei'd version of California Girls is outta sight.

[Steve Latshaw]

<<But if people have the originals in mind while they hear the Lei'd version of California Girls it becomes a unique take on a brilliant song. I also think for chart status to happen they would've had to change up the instrumentation just a little - keep that organ front and center but add some more dynamics on the instrument front (ukulele, standup piano, glockenspiel, perhaps adding a little reverb to the vocals, etc). >>

Interesting thought on all of this... during at least one of the fall 1967 shows (Detroit, I think), the band gives the audience the option of picking the Lei'd in Hawaii ending or the standard California Girls ending.  The audience overwhelmingly picks the standard ending.

[rab2591]

<<But if people have the originals in mind while they hear the Lei'd version of California Girls it becomes a unique take on a brilliant song. I also think for chart status to happen they would've had to change up the instrumentation just a little - keep that organ front and center but add some more dynamics on the instrument front (ukulele, standup piano, glockenspiel, perhaps adding a little reverb to the vocals, etc). >>

Interesting thought on all of this... during at least one of the fall 1967 shows (Detroit, I think), the band gives the audience the option of picking the Lei'd in Hawaii ending or the standard California Girls ending.  The audience overwhelmingly picks the standard ending.

That is damn cool they gave them an option. I was watching an interview with a band a while back, and they were asked why they never improvise on stage and do different takes on their songs. They said [paraphrasing] "the audience comes to our shows to hear live what they hear on the albums at home - I think if we go too off script they may not enjoy it as much as they could."

9/10 in a live setting I would rather feel the energy of the original ending of California Girls. But that Lei'd version is still beautifully unique. Properly recorded I think it would've been a cherished track by many fans. Thanks for that anecdote about the Michigan concert!