The Hallmark Beach Boys CD "Songs From Here And Back"

[Jeff Mason]

People touring in 1974 included Carly Munoz, Ed Carter, Ricky Fataar, Mike Kowalski, and Billy Hinsche.  Any of those in the credits?  Of course, most of them were there in 1989 too, I believe...

[HeyJude]

Is anybody willing and/or able to post a picture of the front cover (and/or the back cover or any other artwork from the CD)? Or, at least a description of it? I'm mildly curious as to what the CD looks like.

[endofposts]

This post-Mother's Day release date is pure sexism.  Don't moms like the Beach Boys, too?  More people buy cards and gifts for their mothers than their fathers, too.  Marketing faux pas.

[XY]

And yes - there is a website under construction!  This is going to be THE official Beach Boys/Brother Records site, with all sorts of special features in the works.... including exclusive releases of material from The Beach Boys' archives.

Wow, that's fabulous news!!!

when I get home I'll check the CD with headphones and see if I hear Brian, etc.

He's very prominent on "Little Deuce Coupe"...

[Jeff Mason]

This post-Mother's Day release date is pure sexism.  Don't moms like the Beach Boys, too?  More people buy cards and gifts for their mothers than their fathers, too.  Marketing faux pas.

They have a foofy female artist for Mothers' Day promotions.

[Third Coast]

This post-Mother's Day release date is pure sexism.  Don't moms like the Beach Boys, too?  More people buy cards and gifts for their mothers than their fathers, too.  Marketing faux pas.

My hunch would be that it's marketed with the beginning of SUMMER in mind.

[Aegir]

On recordings I've heard of Brian singing during Kokomo, it's always been pretty obvious that he was there, in comparison to the recorded version.. after having listened to the studio recording for so long (probably one of the first Beach Boys songs I heard) he just sounds out of place.

[Cal]

I've found the disc at the Hallmark store at Rockefeller Center in NYC, below ground
at their concourse level store. $10.95 plus tax!

Regards,
Cal

[Cal]

Gave cd a first spin at my desk at work. For the "new songs" I actually like Mike's song, "Cool Head, Warm Heart" a lot! Brian's "Spriit Of Rock And Roll" (new version)
really doesn't do it for me. I guess any Landy era written songs I have problems with for some reason. Al's song "PT Cruiser" is a retread/retro track that's
just ok. There could be some good things coming from Mike's tentative
new solo album!

Regards,
Cal

[Beagle Boy]

I've found the disc at the Hallmark store at Rockefeller Center in NYC, below ground
at their concourse level store. $10.95 plus tax!

Regards,
Cal

I work at 30 Rock and bought mine at the exact same Hallmark.  But it was $7.50 since I also bought three cards. 

[Beagle Boy]

Is anybody willing and/or able to post a picture of the front cover (and/or the back cover or any other artwork from the CD)? Or, at least a description of it? I'm mildly curious as to what the CD looks like.

Here you go...

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Beagle Boy]

And the back...

[attachment deleted by admin]

[HeyJude]

Thanks for posting the scans. A couple of interesting things I've noted on the artwork:

It does indeed state that all 9 live tracks are from the Universal Amphitheatre. So, either that listing omits the info on the two 1974 recordings, or perhaps the 1974 recordings were also performed at the same venue. Dates would have been nice, but somehow we have the dates anyway based on early reports.

It appears that Brian thanks "The Beach Boys" underneath his solo track (and also dedicates the track to Carl and Dennis). This certainly isn't any sort of hard evidence of a pending BB's reunion or anything. But I recall that recent releases from Brian have often been dedicated to Carl and Dennis but have not mentioned the Beach Boys. It just seems like sort of a weird thank you, considering that the track in question was, apart from the Hawaii anniversary show performance in which they tacked on a few BB's to a solo recording, intended way back when as a solo track.

The mention of the upcoming website that will hopefully offer some substantial things for fans does now give a better context for this Hallmark CD. It seems like it could be a sort of "sampler" to offer both to the fans and perhaps the BB's themselves to show what sort of archival releases are possible in the future. Hopefully future archival releases would be more substantial than this Hallmark CD, but it seems to bode well for possible future releases.

I don't see a Brother Records logo on the back cover, which is a bit surprising. Brother of course is mentioned in the booklet.

I think the overall design of the CD is pretty good. It's way more subdued than I thought it would be. I thought the artwork would just look like another one of those BB compilations you see in drug stores and gas stations, but this artwork is pretty understated and tasteful, within the confines of still having to show surfboards, woodies, etc. Plus, I like orange for some reason, which is probably why I didn't think the original CD artwork for "Endless Harmony" was as bad as most people thought!

Too bad none of my local Hallmarks are breaking the release date. I'd ask somebody to pick a copy up for me, but by the time I got it all sorted out, it wouldn't be too long before I could go get it myself (assuming the Hallmarks near me don't screw up and not put the CD out at all!).

[Don't Back Down]

Why didn't Brian use Paul Mertens on Sax? The sax player on this is really good, just wondering. I still don't know what to think of this version of "The Spirit of Rock 'n Roll" if I like it more or less than the versions from Sweet Insanity, etc. While Al's "PT Cruiser" is definately a rip off any car songs from the '60s sounding like the BBoys, Jan and Dean, etc. it's really catchy. Definately sounds more like a Jan and Dean song. This cd is a good listen.

[Wirestone]

I'm just guessing it was a later overdup to the track. It comes from the same sessions as WDTPOL / L&M, which did not include a sax. But given that Joel Peskin also contributes to the Mike Love track, perhaps he just dropped by the studio and did the work on both tracks. Peskin also plays on the original recording of Kokomo, so he's another link to the 80s version of the group.

[Jeff Mason]

I'm just guessing it was a later overdup to the track. It comes from the same sessions as WDTPOL / L&M, which did not include a sax. But given that Joel Peskin also contributes to the Mike Love track, perhaps he just dropped by the studio and did the work on both tracks. Peskin also plays on the original recording of Kokomo, so he's another link to the 80s version of the group.

Longer than that.  Peskin was doing sax work live for the group in 1971.

[Rocker]

I wonder why Ricky Fataar is listed as an additional player, when he was a full group member at that time....

[Old Rake]

Dear Alan: I would be happy to spend hundreds of dollars on the new Beach Boys site, if you let me. I'm certain I'm not alone!!

(also, apropos of nothing: I really want to hear "Cool Head, Warm Heart." I couldn't tell ya why, but I've been inordinately curious about the Mike album since it started being chatted about.)

[Sheriff John Stone]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Why, why, why...

The two 1974 tracks, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Good Vibrations - do they sound ANY DIFFERENT from the versions on the 1973 In Concert album? Is there any reason stated anywhere WHY seven tracks are selected from a 1989 show, then they go back to 1974 for two? Just wondering about the thought process behind that choice...

For the car medleys that I have heard in concert, there were usually three, maybe four songs strung together - "Little Deuce Coupe", "409" (sometimes), "Little GTO" (sometimes), "Shut Down", and "I Get Around". And I love the car medley, great live rock & roll! But on this Hallmark CD, why just two songs?  Why cut out the additional song (maybe 2 minutes)? A shortage of space on the CD?

I could care less what songs Mike and Al contributed to the CD, and wonder why Bruce (who always seems to be writing songs for some project) didn't contribute any - but is anybody disappointed with Brian's contribution/choice? Much like the Beach Boys Classics Selected By Brian Wilson album in which Brian dug out "California Feelin'", this was a perfect opportunity for Brian to "stretch out" (yes, we've heard that before) and do something new and fresh and DIFFERENT...

[punkinhead]

pretty sure RIcky was still in the band in 74

[Wyndham]

Dear Alan: I would be happy to spend hundreds of dollars on the new Beach Boys site, if you let me. I'm certain I'm not alone!!

(also, apropos of nothing: I really want to hear "Cool Head, Warm Heart." I couldn't tell ya why, but I've been inordinately curious about the Mike album since it started being chatted about.)

I have to say from what I have heard of Mike's album (which was circulating quite freely on the BBB board a while ago) it is quite significantly better that GIOMH (I am far more a Brian fan than Mike fan btw). It has better songs, better vocals, and superb background vocals.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I like Mike's cut.

Al's is typical.

Spirit of Rock and Roll has always been one of my favorite unreleased cuts. The new version is pretty good, but it doesn't sound as convincing as earler attempts.

The concert stuff is sounds ok. I haven't explored it that thoroughly yet....

[Fire Wind]

'Spirit of Rock and Roll' - Is that the one with Dylan doing a couple of lines?  How many versions are there?

[Don't Back Down]

yeah there was a version with Dylan doing a vocal. I'll see if I can find it when I get to my room. I think I like the Sweet Insanity attempts of the Spirit of R&R better.

[PMcC]

I much prefer the "Spirit" without the Dylan vocal. His couple of lines become an intrusion, then a quick annoyance. (nothing against Dylan's singing, just the wrong somg for him) I feel the dame way about Terrance Trent D'Arby trying "Walkin the line...I'm glad they didn't use that one either...IMO