Details on "Summer Love Songs" (NEW STEREO MIXES)

[Sciencefriction]

Alright, second post, here goes.

I'm excited that Lady is finally getting airing, but the exclusion of Sound Of Free has me wondering, like others what is up.  I figured it's because Sound Of Free isn't summery enough?  I think Lady is a bit darker though, at least the atmoshpere.  This may sound silly, but what has sold me on this set is the stereo mix of Good To My Baby.  It's one of my favorite BB's tunes.  I'm hoping these recent discoveries will lead to some stereo mix album releases, because both Today and Shut Down Volume II are among my favorite Beach Boys albums.  I can't fault them for releasing Why Do Fools Fall In Love either, because it's such a great song and the boys do it beautifully.  I know, you're thinking, does he think everything they touched is gold!?  No, but they didn't pretty well and I'll pay to for whatever gems they want to release. 

[Dove Nested Towers]

Sound of Free wouldn't really fit in with the romantic theme. In the Parkin' Lot is a relatively
minor tune but has some lovely group harmonies, and it's good to see Your Summer Dream,
Keep an Eye on Summer and I'm So Young included, and Lady of course. Far from perfect,
but O.K.

[MBE]

I really don't care about stereo when it comes to the Beach Boys. Brian's mono is much more interesting.

[Sciencefriction]

I'm one of those people that just has to hear everything, call it a curse.  I enjoy mono, but I'm always interested in stereo and I can't fault it unless it's a bad mix.  At least the Beach Boys didn't come of age in the 80s and suffering from mixing albums to DAT, or what not.  I hope we see more Dennis tracks in the future though.  Is this just a fluke, or a good sign?

[Ebb and Flow]

I actually prefer that to the usual alternative, vocals in the middle and instrumental track in stereo.  They were using four track at this time, I guess if they synch the instrumental track before the bounce to the final four track with vocals they could  have stereo vocals (but depending on the final four track breakdown, they may still be able only to put the lead in one channel and backing on the other)  with a stereo instrumental track.

Brian didn't have access to four track until around mid-'64 I believe.

After listening to the stereo mix, the tape breakdown of DWB is likely a mono backing track, stereo lead vocals and then one track of backing vocals recorded onto a new tape.  I could be wrong, as there are a number of different ways they could have done it.

One thing that surprises me, is that Help Me Rhonda will probably still be in Mono. As far as I could tell, a stereo mix of that should be possible.

"Help Me Rhonda" can be remixed to stereo, but the guitar part and piano solo were added during the mono mixdown, which would yield an essentially incomplete "alternate" version of the song.  Personally, I say remix and release it in this form on a new Hawthorne-esque set.

[Alan Boyd]

"Don't Worry Baby" is ALREADY in stereo!  It was on the original LP!  That was before the "mono only" policy.  Now OK they've remixed it again, it may be good, who knows.  But they needn't have bothered.  Hardly a selling point.

'cause the mix is odd - lead one side, bvs the other and the track in the middle.

I actually prefer that to the usual alternative, vocals in the middle and instrumental track in stereo.  They were using four track at this time, I guess if they synch the instrumental track before the bounce to the final four track with vocals they could  have stereo vocals (but depending on the final four track breakdown, they may still be able only to put the lead in one channel and backing on the other)  with a stereo instrumental track.

The Beach Boys were still working in three track in 1964 and much of 1965.  For "Don't Worry, Baby" the instrumental track was recorded mono.  he only instrumental overdub was for the lead guitar stabs in the break.

FYI - "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" has a rather elaborate instrumental intro that we'd never heard before - or even heard of.

[Sciencefriction]

FYI - "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" has a rather elaborate instrumental intro that we'd never heard before - or even heard of.

That's something for me to look forward to, certainly, the song has a lovely melody.  Is there anything else like that on the compilation?

[sockittome]

15. Time To Get Alone [new stereo mix]

Is this really necessary?  I love this song; it's one of my favorites, but I never thought there was anything wrong with the original mix.

I guess I'll just have to give it a listen and see if anything new comes to light (like the Hawthorne version).

[Sheriff John Stone]

Because "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" has been a staple of the Mike & Bruce shows the last few years, does that mean Mike was picking songs?

"Help Me Rhonda"? Why? The same version as on Sounds Of Summer, or the Today version?

"In The Parking Lot" finally made it to Compilation Land!

"Keep An Eye On Summer" - The Beach Boys' or Brian Wilson's version?

"Our Sweet Love" is kind of a dark horse; sounds a little like "God Only Knows; but, maybe they wanted to represent Sunflower? It has "love" in the title? 

"Fallin' In Love" is worth the price of admission....

While I know WHY some of these tracks were chosen (you gotta have SOME hits), it is a bit of a ripoff when about half of these songs were on the last two comps. I know, I don't have to buy it.

[Chris Brown]

15. Time To Get Alone [new stereo mix]

Is this really necessary?  I love this song; it's one of my favorites, but I never thought there was anything wrong with the original mix.

I guess I'll just have to give it a listen and see if anything new comes to light (like the Hawthorne version).

It's not about anything wrong with the original mix...just a new listening perspective.

[Wrightfan]

1.  Why Do Fools Fall In Love [new stereo mix from newly recovered analog multi-track master]

2.  Don’t Worry, Baby [new stereo mix from newly recovered analog multi-track master]

11. Hushabye [new stereo mix]

12. I'm So Young [new stereo mix]

13. Good To My Baby [new stereo mix]

14. Fallin' In Love [previously unreleased track, written and recorded by Dennis Wilson]

15. Time To Get Alone [new stereo mix]

Yes...those shall be mine! 

[Mahalo]

I admit, it's much better than I expected. I will be buying this.

[Jay]

I think Capitol should release a massive one time only box set of the entire Beach Boys catalouge(including the weird stuff like Lady Liberty) in mono, and release a second volume of the same exact thing in stereo. I'm tired of buying 30 cd's just for a handful of mixes I need.

[Bedroom Tapes]

Hopefully iTunes will offer this compilation.  That way I can just buy "Fallin' In Love."  

[Dove Nested Towers]

"Don't Worry Baby" is ALREADY in stereo!  It was on the original LP!  That was before the "mono only" policy.  Now OK they've remixed it again, it may be good, who knows.  But they needn't have bothered.  Hardly a selling point.
[/quote

Hi Alan, good to hear from you here. Can you tell us if all the multitracks for Shut Down Vol. ll were
recovered?



'cause the mix is odd - lead one side, bvs the other and the track in the middle.

I actually prefer that to the usual alternative, vocals in the middle and instrumental track in stereo.  They were using four track at this time, I guess if they synch the instrumental track before the bounce to the final four track with vocals they could  have stereo vocals (but depending on the final four track breakdown, they may still be able only to put the lead in one channel and backing on the other)  with a stereo instrumental track.

The Beach Boys were still working in three track in 1964 and much of 1965.  For "Don't Worry, Baby" the instrumental track was recorded mono.  he only instrumental overdub was for the lead guitar stabs in the break.

FYI - "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" has a rather elaborate instrumental intro that we'd never heard before - or even heard of.

[alanjames]

It's great to have a Dennis's "unknown" song.
I'll buy it because this compilation have new mixes, but in fact, I'll buy it because it have the track Lady.

[Shane]

I'm really curious to know about these newly recovered tapes.  Where were they found?  How much material was found?  From looking at the SOT track lists, it seems that nearly all of the tapes from the Shut Down Vol.2 and the Little Deuce Coupe album were missing for many years.

[CarCrazyCutie]

Yay for Fallin' In Love, I'm So Young, & all the other new mixes

[Sciencefriction]

One day, they're going to make a Star Wars-esque trilogy about the Beach Boys, their vaults, and their war to release beautiful music long after the tapes stopped running.  The soundtrack will be Summer Is Love and feature big hits such as Don't Back Down, Custom Machine, and Are You Surfin' Yet?, a previously unreleased band composition and new single.   

I would really like to see a complete boxset too, mono and stereo, but that probably won't happen.  No matter how annoying it is to some, another round of CD reissues may be what the Doctor ordered, if a wealth of tapes have been found I mean.  I'm happy to pick up a compilation CD every couple years or so as long as they keep giving me unreleased tracks and new mixes to listen to.

[sockittome]

I'm banking on these tracks being available as mp3 downloads on Amazon, like the singles collection.  That way I can buy just the hew remixes and skip the tracks I already have 10 times over (and I can make up my own comp).

[Menace Wilson]

I'm exactly the sort of sucker these compilations are geared for.  Will shell out the cash for yet another BB comp because of the stereo mixes.

[Wrightfan]

Not got the 2fer to hand... but maybe the bonus alternate mix on the Today !/Summer Days... CD ?

That'd be it. I'm guessing this stereo mix will be of the final version that made the album.

By the way, it's stuff like this that I'm glad I download MP3's from Itunes. Now I know that makes me a young whippersnapper and "rebel" on this board but... 

[Jonas]

its great that the beach boys get this compilation... and the beatles get this: http://beatles.com/core/news/

[Sciencefriction]

You have to admit though, The Beatles are The Beatles, and the business (family) end is fairly well run these days as compared to the Beach Boys.  I would love for that to happen with The Beach Boys.  I imagine there would be lovely bonus discs with all the Beach Boys reissues though.   

[Bean Bag]

Personally, I say remix and release it in this form on a new Hawthorne-esque set.

That's what I want.  I want another Hawthorne set.  We'll never see another one of those.  The marketing-monsters are probably asking;

"who the f@$k released that!?  They're so, like, fired! That was at least 2 dozen compilations we could have made, like...'Summer Sweating' and 'Summer Chaffing'.  Damn."


This is really starting to get me angry. Do I need to get 2007's Warmth of the Sun and 2003's Sounds of Summer now too?  And what about that damn, over-priced Singles box?  I do believe there's room for better fidelity than the 2fers I have.  Also, remixing with today's technology can greatly improve the fidelity too.

Did I just answer my own question?