How "live" were their live albums?

[shelter]

We all know that 'Concert' and 'Live At Knebworth' were heavily doctored and that 'Lei'd In Hawaii' was even going to be entirely re-recorded in the studio, but how about 'Live In London', 'In Concert' and 'Songs From Here & Back'? Are those recordings all "pure"?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Don't know about "Live in London", but "In Concert" and "SFH&B" def. were heavily edited. If I'm not mistaken, "Caroline No" from "In Concert" was actually spliced together from more than one show.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Live In London is substantially honest - just a few edits here and there, no overdubbing that I know of.

[Ed Roach]

We all know that 'Concert' and 'Live At Knebworth' were heavily doctored and that 'Lei'd In Hawaii' was even going to be entirely re-recorded in the studio, but how about  ...'In Concert'...? Are those recordings all "pure"?

Good gosh, it's a little disconcerting to even see this question, re: "The Beach Boys In Concert", because to me that album was drained of any 'live' feel at all.  And that's truly sad, because it represents them at just about the top of their game as a touring act, at least in my sometimes-less-than humble opinion.  I mean, good Lord, it was recorded over the course of two years, wasn't it?
On a positive note, though, (beyond the quality of the songs themselves), is that the massive overdubbing and the eternal and endless recording of tours led to the building of Brother Studios!  Had that not have gone on & on, that building in Santa Monica would have remained just a storage warehouse in an alley for The Boys, with a porno movie theatre up front!   

[astroray]

My good buddy Al Jardine ,told me once,the "Live In London" recording was sped up. He sang along with "Their Hearts were Full of Spring"It was playing while he signed autographs ,many years ago!

[TonyW]

.... and the eternal and endless recording of tours led to the building of Brother Studios! 

... RELEASE THEM NOW!! ...

[shelter]

Good gosh, it's a little disconcerting to even see this question, re: "The Beach Boys In Concert", because to me that album was drained of any 'live' feel at all.

Of course I know it's not a "real" concert album in the sense that it was not recorded during once concert. But my question was if the seperate songs are all real live recordings, without overdubs or anything.

[shelter]

I mean, good Lord, it was recorded over the course of two years, wasn't it?

November 1972, April, August and September 1973.

[Beach Boy]

We all know that 'Concert' and 'Live At Knebworth' were heavily doctored and that 'Lei'd In Hawaii' was even going to be entirely re-recorded in the studio, but how about 'Live In London', 'In Concert' and 'Songs From Here & Back'? Are those recordings all "pure"?

I read somewhere that the Knebworth concert wasn't much overdubbed, just with some backing vocals and a guitar or something.

[Andrew G. Doe]

We all know that 'Concert' and 'Live At Knebworth' were heavily doctored and that 'Lei'd In Hawaii' was even going to be entirely re-recorded in the studio, but how about 'Live In London', 'In Concert' and 'Songs From Here & Back'? Are those recordings all "pure"?

I read somewhere that the Knebworth concert wasn't much overdubbed, just with some backing vocals and a guitar or something.

When I spoke with him some five years after the show, Steve Desper told me the tapes of the show were extensively overdubbed as the original intention was for the gig to be released as a video album for the 20th anniversary.

[Dave in KC]

I mean, good Lord, it was recorded over the course of two years, wasn't it?

November 1972, April, August and September 1973.

I'd love to know which songs on which dates as I was at a few of the April shows. Indeed they were at their best. And then Endless Summer changed the roadmap.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Can't help with the songs, but these are the known dates recorded for the 1973 live set:

1972
11/19 - Capitol Theater, Passaic NJ [2 shows]
11/23 - Carnegie Hall, New York NY [2 shows]

1973
4/20 - Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood CA
8/12 - University of Cincinnati OH
8/14 - Auditorium Theater, Chicago IL
8/15 - Auditorium Theater, Chicago IL
8/16 - Auditorium Theater, Chicago IL
8/18 - The Mosque, Richmond VA
8/19 - Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale NY ("We Got Love" & "California Girls" from this show used on the released album)
8/20 - Schaeffer Center, Foxboro MA
8/24 - Dillon Stadium, Hartford CT
8/25 - Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City NJ
8/30 - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD
8/31 - Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh PA
  9/1 - Century Theater, Buffalo NY
  9/2 - Massey Hall, Toronto ONT, Canada [2 shows]
  9/3 - Pine Knob, Clarkston MI 
       

[Jon Stebbins]

To say the '64 concert LP is "heavily doctored" is probably not quite accurate. Other than the two "fake" live songs (Fun Fun Fun and I Get Around) that LP is quite honest in its Live-ness. There are a few additional vocal fixes, but really not much at all. Things like Lets Go Trippin, Papa Ooh Mow Mow, Little Old Lady from Pasadena and Graduation Day show the '64 band exactly as it was....which was great IMO.

[yrplace]

We all know that 'Concert' and 'Live At Knebworth' were heavily doctored and that 'Lei'd In Hawaii' was even going to be entirely re-recorded in the studio, but how about 'Live In London', 'In Concert' and 'Songs From Here & Back'? Are those recordings all "pure"?

I read somewhere that the Knebworth concert wasn't much overdubbed, just with some backing vocals and a guitar or something.

When I spoke with him some five years after the show, Steve Desper told me the tapes of the show were extensively overdubbed as the original intention was for the gig to be released as a video album for the 20th anniversary.

I think Steve may be confusing the shows he worked on in that period. When I mixed the project we found that aside from a single track of group bg vocals that were overdubbed and some scattered xtra guitar tracks the show was not overdubbed. The lead vocals are all live..... Hope that helps...... Mark

[Andrew G. Doe]

Thanks for the clarification, Mark - another note in the 'corrections' file. 

[Ed Roach]

Can't help with the songs, but these are the known dates recorded for the 1973 live set:

1972
11/19 - Capitol Theater, Passaic NJ [2 shows]
11/23 - Carnegie Hall, New York NY [2 shows]

1973
4/20 - Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood CA
8/12 - University of Cincinnati OH
8/14 - Auditorium Theater, Chicago IL
8/15 - Auditorium Theater, Chicago IL
8/16 - Auditorium Theater, Chicago IL
8/18 - The Mosque, Richmond VA
8/19 - Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale NY ("We Got Love" & "California Girls" from this show used on the released album)
..............................

One of my next 'future projects' has to be cataloging whatever tour itineraries I have left, to assist with putting together correct show dates & locations.  I'm always amazed at how many dates through the years are still so vague.
Unfortunately, Dennis would often involve me in a game of 'guess what city we're landing in', (especially when we were traveling on private jets), and in that case, we'd destroy the itineraries at start of the tour, so I'm missing many of them.

[Wirestone]

So let's recap:

Beach Boys Concert (64)
Features a couple of studio-recorded tracks but is otherwise largely true to life.

Live in London (69, 76)
Basically untouched, although potentially sped up.

The BBs in Concert (73)
Painstakingly edited together and overdubbed in the studio.

Live at Knebworth (80, 02)
Scattered overdubs (re Mark) but otherwise basically "pure."

Songs From Here & Back (06)
Edited live tracks (although one doubts the band would have bothered to dub them).

Then you have the Brian Wilson live discs -- pretty much all of which are edited and dubbed.

[Shady]

Then you have the Brian Wilson live discs -- pretty much all of which are edited and dubbed.

Strange considering he has the best live band on the road

[grillo]

Then you have the Brian Wilson live discs -- pretty much all of which are edited and dubbed.

Strange considering he has the best live band on the road

...And the crappiest live voice...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

We all know that 'Concert' and 'Live At Knebworth' were heavily doctored and that 'Lei'd In Hawaii' was even going to be entirely re-recorded in the studio, but how about 'Live In London', 'In Concert' and 'Songs From Here & Back'? Are those recordings all "pure"?

I read somewhere that the Knebworth concert wasn't much overdubbed, just with some backing vocals and a guitar or something.

When I spoke with him some five years after the show, Steve Desper told me the tapes of the show were extensively overdubbed as the original intention was for the gig to be released as a video album for the 20th anniversary.

I think Steve may be confusing the shows he worked on in that period. When I mixed the project we found that aside from a single track of group bg vocals that were overdubbed and some scattered xtra guitar tracks the show was not overdubbed. The lead vocals are all live..... Hope that helps...... Mark

Mark,about  the DVD release of the Knebworth concert... was that autotune used on Mike's vocals?

[shelter]

The BBs in Concert (73)
Painstakingly edited together and overdubbed in the studio.

Edited together, yes, but who said anything about studio overdubs on that album?

[Andrew G. Doe]

The BBs in Concert (73)
Painstakingly edited together and overdubbed in the studio.

Edited together, yes, but who said anything about studio overdubs on that album?

Reportedly, they had to all but pull Carl away from the mixing desk in order to get it out on schedule.

[Alex11]

Songs from here & back:
The "live" songs from the late 80s were at the time recorded for the "endless summer" tv series. if you watch the clips today you get the feeling they weren't completely "live" at the time (overdubbed for TV). If you listen to "Kokomo" from this concert on "Songs from here & back", the sax solo by Michael Brecker is missing. So they were worked over then and are again edited for the "SFHB" CD.

Greetings from germany...

[Sheriff John Stone]

On "Dance Dance Dance" from Songs From Here And Back...I know it's supposed to be the original live vocals, but Mike's lead always sounded "added" to me. 

[Smilin Ed H]

I always thought Concert could have done with more overdubbing - the guitar on SOS, for example.