50th Anniversary, The SMiLE box, the reunion, new material and things to come

[Foster's Freeze]

Lets see... With titles such as "Good Vibrations", "Do You Like Worms", "Let The Wind Blow", "Country Air" and "Wipe Out!" to name a few in their back catalogue I'm sure VDP could weave a botty/farty concept album.

A well earned grammy awaits.

His inspiration?  Don't go near the water.

[Foster's Freeze]

What both surprises me and doesn't surprise me is how f-ing difficult it is for the band & Capitol to just RELEASE A BOX SET OF THIS STUFF already.

Can you imagine a company with a bajillion people pounding on the door outside begging to buy a product if they would simply just make it?  Capitol and the band have rooms and vaults full of this stuff just sitting there.

Maybe in a way this fittingly sums up the screwed up and crossed image of the Beach Boys for the last 25 (+/- ?) years.

So frustrating.

IS there a bajillion people wanting to buy this stuff, though? I mean, what exactly equals a success nowdays-1 million copies sold, 2 million? Half a million? How many copies of a SMiLE box set would sell? I mean I would buy it in a second, but would it really sell enough units to justify putting together a multi-cd set with a nice booklet? Is the desire for SMiLE material really there-at least, is there enough interest to warrant putting something together? I really don't know.

Does anybody recall how many copies of the official box set sold? What about the PS box set? If those didn't sell well, then maybe that's part of why a SMiLE one has never come out.

I agree that there are not that many people wanting this but is Smile not one of the most hyped, wondered about, talked about and made out to be a mythical legendary project?

Considering how the music industry blows these days, you might think that Capitol would be happy to release a project that at least has some interest.  The PS and original box sets consisted of a lot of material that had already been released - I know lots of smile has come out in different pieces and places but for the most part, the smile LP lives as a "unreleased album."

How hard would it be for Capitol to do this?  Al would probably be happy to help put it together, who knows?

Damn Beach Boys, LOL.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

[The Heartical Don]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

[Foster's Freeze]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

That could be Dennis' final contribution to the band - get the sniff sample from Mike's meditation room.....

[The Heartical Don]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

That could be Dennis' final contribution to the band - get the sniff sample from Mike's meditation room.....

  you naughty man, you...

[tomstuart]

What both surprises me and doesn't surprise me is how f-ing difficult it is for the band & Capitol to just RELEASE A BOX SET OF THIS STUFF already.

Can you imagine a company with a bajillion people pounding on the door outside begging to buy a product if they would simply just make it?  Capitol and the band have rooms and vaults full of this stuff just sitting there.

Maybe in a way this fittingly sums up the screwed up and crossed image of the Beach Boys for the last 25 (+/- ?) years.

So frustrating.

Never has a truer word been spoken!

[Mike's Beard]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

That could be Dennis' final contribution to the band - get the sniff sample from Mike's meditation room.....

  you naughty man, you...

Sounds like we are on to a winner here boys! Now what to call  it? Can anyone top "Pocket Symphonies"?!!! 

[The Shift]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

That could be Dennis' final contribution to the band - get the sniff sample from Mike's meditation room.....

  you naughty man, you...

Sounds like we are on to a winner here boys! Now what to call  it? Can anyone top "Pocket Symphonies"?!!! 

Bum Angel?

[Foster's Freeze]

Little Deuce Poop? 

(o.k., sorry, I'll stop)

[A Million Units In Jan!]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

That could be Dennis' final contribution to the band - get the sniff sample from Mike's meditation room.....

  you naughty man, you...

Sounds like we are on to a winner here boys! Now what to call  it? Can anyone top "Pocket Symphonies"?!!! 

SMeLLY

[Sheriff John Stone]

"Let's Put Our Farts Together" 

[A Million Units In Jan!]

"Let's Put Our Farts Together" 

Their Farts Were Full Of Stink

And this thread has officially run it's course!

[donald]

"Let's Put Our Farts Together" 

Their Farts Were Full Of Stink

And this thread has officially run it's course!

No, it hasn't.  The course is much longer.

Release new material?   Why not?   It seems that fans of the old bands are still buying CD's while fans of newer or more youth oriented music are getting music in other ways.  Beach Boys CDs continue to sell.

[The Heartical Don]

If they only stopped releasing a new anthology each 6 months and spicing it up with one or two 'new remixes' (sigh). I predict: a double CD set, well annotated, nice cover pic, and with only fully unreleased material, sequenced in the best way... I predict that such a set would sell very well.

Why?

Because there are so many true devotees out there who have everything, but stop short of getting an expensive 'singles box' with only two things they don't have already (they do have the songs in various forms, mind, but not the 2010 stereo remix, the third one in fact). Because very few people actually have money to burn.

A double set for a reasonable mid-price would sell well. I know that. And whet the appetite for more.

[Foster's Freeze]

If they only stopped releasing a new anthology each 6 months and spicing it up with one or two 'new remixes' (sigh). I predict: a double CD set, well annotated, nice cover pic, and with only fully unreleased material, sequenced in the best way... I predict that such a set would sell very well.

Why?

Because there are so many true devotees out there who have everything, but stop short of getting an expensive 'singles box' with only two things they don't have already (they do have the songs in various forms, mind, but not the 2010 stereo remix, the third one in fact). Because very few people actually have money to burn.

A double set for a reasonable mid-price would sell well. I know that. And whet the appetite for more.

Really well said!  Bravo! 

[Bean Bag]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

That could be Dennis' final contribution to the band - get the sniff sample from Mike's meditation room.....

  you naughty man, you...

Sounds like we are on to a winner here boys! Now what to call  it? Can anyone top "Pocket Symphonies"?!!! 

Bum Angel?

Vertical SMiLE?

[Mike's Beard]

Well said Don! Frankly I don't really care about "stereo mix" releases of old tracks.  The GV 30 Year Box Set is the definitive collectors box set so we don't really need to essentially buy that again with a few track changes here and there thrown in.  A 2CD set full of unreleased stuff (of which there are tons) would get my vote. And yes I can guarantee it would sell. Proof?  Pacific Ocean Blue went top 10 over here in the UK when it was re-issued in '08. Without a doubt 90% of the people who bought that would also buy a 2CD rarities/unrealised set if it contained "Wouldn't it be nice to live again" on it. There's your hook right there Capital!

[The Heartical Don]

Well said Don! Frankly I don't really care about "stereo mix" releases of old tracks.  The GV 30 Year Box Set is the definitive collectors box set so we don't really need to essentially buy that again with a few track changes here and there thrown in.  A 2CD set full of unreleased stuff (of which there are tons) would get my vote. And yes I can guarantee it would sell. Proof?  Pacific Ocean Blue went top 10 over here in the UK when it was re-issued in '08. Without a doubt 90% of the people who bought that would also buy a 2CD rarities/unrealised set if it contained "Wouldn't it be nice to live again" on it. There's your hook right there Capital!

Cheers! You know, just after I'd posted my take on things, I realized that I should have put in POB as an example of how a well-thought out re-release can do very, very well, even within a market that has a few extra boundaries compared to that for your average teen idol. Thanks for throwing that in.

BTW: is POB rereleased worldwide now at a budget price with only 3 bonus cuts? It is in Holland, at any rate. Is the DeLuxe package deleted?

[Ganz Allein]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

That could be Dennis' final contribution to the band - get the sniff sample from Mike's meditation room.....

  you naughty man, you...

Sounds like we are on to a winner here boys! Now what to call  it? Can anyone top "Pocket Symphonies"?!!! 

Bum Angel?

Vertical SMiLE?

Well, Brian would need one song on there to give the album context. He and VDP have already written a tune about food, "Vegetables," so maybe he can bring him in for a new track called "Fiber." I'm sure Van Dyke could come up with a lot of clever lines about the colon, the digestive process, and expulsion of gas. 

[Mike's Beard]

Hmmmm... I imagine Capital would fallen over themselves for SS to be released, even if it had consisted of nothing more than Brian Wilson farting down a microphone for 40 mins.

The blueboard would have had a field day!

If only VDP could add some lyrics...

They could use "George Fell Into His French Horn" as the backing track.

...and a scratch 'n' sniff cover.

That could be Dennis' final contribution to the band - get the sniff sample from Mike's meditation room.....

  you naughty man, you...

Sounds like we are on to a winner here boys! Now what to call  it? Can anyone top "Pocket Symphonies"?!!!  

Bum Angel?

Vertical SMiLE?

Well, Brian would need one song on there to give the album context. He and VDP have already written a tune about food, "Vegetables," so maybe he can bring him in for a new track called "Fiber." I'm sure Van Dyke could come up with a lot of clever lines about the colon, the digestive process, and expulsion of gas.  

Brian could also rework that B Side he wrote with Lindsay Buckingham as "He couldn't get his poor old bowels to move"!

[The Shift]

Well said Don! Frankly I don't really care about "stereo mix" releases of old tracks.  The GV 30 Year Box Set is the definitive collectors box set so we don't really need to essentially buy that again with a few track changes here and there thrown in.  A 2CD set full of unreleased stuff (of which there are tons) would get my vote. And yes I can guarantee it would sell. Proof?  Pacific Ocean Blue went top 10 over here in the UK when it was re-issued in '08. Without a doubt 90% of the people who bought that would also buy a 2CD rarities/unrealised set if it contained "Wouldn't it be nice to live again" on it. There's your hook right there Capital!

... I realized that I should have put in POB as an example of how a well-thought out re-release can do very, very well, even within a market that has a few extra boundaries compared to that for your average teen idol. Thanks for throwing that in.

You'd have to question whether the BBs have enough unreleased material in their vaults that's up to the standard of POB/Bambu. Okay, there's the SMiLE stuff and WIBNTLA (which I regret I haven't heard - not even on a bootleg which I wouldn't have even if I had it) and can only go on the reputation of), and a few other chunks. But the DW set was of a consistently high musical standard, and probably sold because the reviews in the major mags said as much. A BBs set of truly unreleased would have to garner the same level of favourable reviews.

It'd take someone in the know on the board to convince me that a 2CD set could be achieved -  maybe AGD, or Alan Boyd, or Howie, or Jon S, or Mark L, or Peter R, etc etc etc, might like to suggest potential unreleased BBs songs of the necessary quality for this to survive on the mass market?

[Nicko]

I don't think that any comp would have to have solely completely unreleased material. The early version of Big Sur, for example, is good enough and different enough to merit release. Stuff like that would be much more desirable than hearing slightly alternate versions of the hits.

[rogerlancelot]

Two words (and sorry to be late on this but I just moved across country):

"Poot Sounds".

And now back to the thread.

[The Shift]

I don't think that any comp would have to have solely completely unreleased material. The early version of Big Sur, for example, is good enough and different enough to merit release. Stuff like that would be much more desirable than hearing slightly alternate versions of the hits.

Agree such stuff would appeal to the likes of us, but to the general public? POB/B sold beyond our obsessive community on quality. I love the early Big Sur, but I don't think it's in quite the same league.
(Can't believe I'm writing this but...!)