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Post by kds on Jan 6, 2020 13:14:19 GMT
I really think the issues with SC being an EP posing as an LP could be rectified with a reissue, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 6, 2020 14:02:55 GMT
I really think the issues with SC being an EP posing as an LP could be rectified with a reissue, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. I think there is slim to no chance of that happening, but it wouldn't be difficult to accomplish, assuming they could work out any licensing issues. All they would have to do is eliminate the unnecessary tracks - "California Girls", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "I Get Around" - and substitute them with three other Beach Boys' "soundtrack" songs, songs that have yet to be released on CD:
- "Chasing The Sky" from Up The Creek - "Happy Endings" from The Telephone - "Don't Worry Baby" (The Everly Brother & The Beach Boys) from Tequila Sunrise
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Post by kds on Jan 6, 2020 14:20:09 GMT
I really think the issues with SC being an EP posing as an LP could be rectified with a reissue, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. I think there is slim to no chance of that happening, but it wouldn't be difficult to accomplish, assuming they could work out any licensing issues. All they would have to do is eliminate the unnecessary tracks - "California Girls", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "I Get Around" - and substitute them with three other Beach Boys' "soundtrack" songs, songs that have yet to be released on CD:
- "Chasing The Sky" from Up The Creek - "Happy Endings" from The Telephone - "Don't Worry Baby" (The Everly Brother & The Beach Boys) from Tequila Sunrise
Maybe by the time it's up for a copyright release in 2039, it will have achieved cult status like some other mediocre Beach Boys albums.
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Post by lonelysummer on Jan 7, 2020 7:00:09 GMT
They should have tracked down that girl on the cover of "Beach Boys Rarities" to pose for "Still Cruisin".
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 7, 2020 13:15:20 GMT
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Jan 8, 2020 19:04:45 GMT
I've always found it perplexing that Capitol wanted the Boys to follow up Kokomo with not one, but three hit songs. Seems very unrealistic, unless they thought Brian was going to be an active contributor again. Even then, I don't know what they were thinking.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2020 19:08:40 GMT
I've always found it perplexing that Capitol wanted the Boys to follow up Kokomo with not one, but three hit songs. I don’t understand what you’re saying here. Can you expand on that?
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Post by The Cincinnati Kid on Jan 8, 2020 19:27:14 GMT
I've always found it perplexing that Capitol wanted the Boys to follow up Kokomo with not one, but three hit songs. I don’t understand what you’re saying here. Can you expand on that? There's an LA Times article from 1989 that talks about Kokomo's success and how the band is going to follow it up. The line that caught my attention is this: “Three hit singles, to tell you the truth,” Jardine said. “That’s what they told us.” www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-05-26-ca-869-story.html
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Post by B.E. on Jan 8, 2020 20:50:55 GMT
Bruce’s comments are interesting. What happened to that Bruce?
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 8, 2020 20:57:37 GMT
Thanks, that was an interesting read. I don’t recall reading it before. Honestly I don’t take away from that article that Capitol necessarily truly expected three hit singles as follow-ups. First, Al is the lead dependable interview, as he has repeatedly scrambled facts over the years. But also, I’d guess the message was that they wanted multiple singles off the album (so there had to be multiple single-quality songs). In other words, “don’t just give us nine songs of crap plus ‘Kokomo.’” I’m sure Capitol wanted hits, sure … but not as if that were an expectation. Like B.E., it was Bruce who was more interesting to me. He talks about championing new studio music to justify the tours, about avoiding becoming a jukebox act, yet he was happy to ride the jukebox train for 20 virtually new-content-free years! It’s an embarrassment that a Mike-Carl-Al-Bruce core couldn’t put together a couple of decent albums of original music during the time they were together after Still Cruisin’, Brian or no Brian.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 8, 2020 23:36:59 GMT
"We're going back to the original formula", said Dr. Eugene Landy. That's the most interesting quote in the article IMO. It didn't pan out that way, not with Still Cruisin' and certainly not with Summer In Paradise. Yet it is a fascinating take on the state of the 1989 Beach Boys, according to the man who held a lot of the cards in his hand. Brian only contributed one song, "In My Car", to Still Cruisin'. And, with Brian only singing a note here or a line there - probably overdubbed after the song was recorded - you have to wonder what went wrong. We've already addressed above how a Brian-led Still Cruisin' coulda/woulda/shoulda turned out. That comment (BS?) by Landy just adds to the frustration.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 9, 2020 0:03:29 GMT
My baseless (other than general knowledge of the band, that is) speculation is that Landy was happy at the time to have Brian be a Beach Boy: bigger checks! But I'd guess this was him talking out of turn, as it were, saying what he might want without having actually hammered out any details.
It's easy to imagine a world in which Landy--knowing Brian was not really fit to perform regularly or extensively, thinner or not--thought Brian (and himself) could sit in LA writing and recording, and then the Beach Boys could add their parts, release the content, and tour it. Everybody wins, right?
But also, presumably Landy would anticipate a substantial cut for himself, and to work on his own terms ... which of course the band wouldn't be OK with and which eventually actually did undo the Landy Plan for Brian.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 9, 2020 0:38:41 GMT
I know I've said it on several threads (regarding Brian being "back"), and I'll say it again. Going into 1989, I was very optimistic about Brian Wilson, his role with The Beach Boys, and the immediate future of the group. But first I'll go back a bit.
There are pages and pages that could be written about the abuse of Brian Wilson at the hands of Dr. Eugene Landy, but in many ways, Brian was - WAS - able to be both a Beach Boy and a solo artist during the second Landy stint.
Start with 1984. Brian appeared with the band at the D.C. Beach Party.
In 1985, Brian contributed significantly to the 1985 album, he appeared in the videos, he appeared on Solid Gold, and he performed with the Beach Boys at Live Aid.
In 1986, Brian participated on "Rock And Roll To The Rescue", and again appeared on Solid Gold and other TV shows.
In 1987, Brian recorded with the group on "California Dreamin" and "Wipe Out", and continued appearing in videos and TV specials, including The Beach Boys 25th Anniversary Special and the Super Bowl XXI TV special and pregame performance.
In 1988, Brian appeared with the group at The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction, on the American Music Awards TV show where the group received a Lifetime Achievement Award, filmed a nationally syndicated TV series with group, and sang on the Spanish version of "Kokomo".
So, Brian was able to walk that line of being a Beach Boy and a solo artist for a large part of the 80's. I'm not saying it was easy and harmonious, but he did it - and Landy allowed it. Going into 1989 I was expecting more. I saw The Beach Boys and Chicago in early 1989 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. Brian performed an odd three-song solo set right in the middle of the concert, and then he was gone. But he was there, and the group appeared to be supporting him.
That is why Still Cruisin' was such a disappointment. Something happened in early 1989. I don't what it was, but Brian was gonna be mostly gone until Stars & Stripes in 1995. I'm wondering when the rumblings about Landy's mistreatment really started to gain momentum? Maybe that would explain Brian's somewhat tepid work on Still Cruisin'. Either that or Brian and Landy really wanted to devote most of their energies to Brian's solo career. While Brian's 1988 solo album was a bit of a disappointment (and no hit singles), maybe they were even more determined to make a successful follow-up solo album, and didn't want to give too much away to The Beach Boys.
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 9, 2020 1:45:47 GMT
Sorry, SJS, but if a main point of your post is that Landy had Brian semi-successfully being both a Beach Boy and a solo artist up until Still Cruisin, isn't it noteworthy that in some ways he was only both for a couple years? After all, Brian wasn't in any substantial capacity a solo artist until his debut in '88. So three, four years? I know your timeline started with '84, but whatever Brian might have been saying or doing with his own time, he didn't release solo material for several years after that.
I'd see it more as Brian was a half-ass Beach Boy (as he had been for years) until '88, when he added solo artist to his curriculum vitae. And his Beach Boydom waxed and waned for the next decade before he became Brian Wilson, Exclusive Solo Artist, up until TWGMTR, basically.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 9, 2020 2:15:02 GMT
Well, yes, that was my main point. I do think that Brian was definitely both a Beach Boy and a solo artist while under Landy's care for about a six or seven year stretch in the 1980's. Brian was popping up at some Beach Boys' shows as early as 1983, and he recorded and appeared with The Beach Boys as late as 1989. Now, how successful or crucial Brian was in either role is another point or another topic.
Whether or not it was BECAUSE of Landy, yes, the fact remains that Brian was NOT up to his old standards on The Beach Boys' albums he appeared on, or his solo recordings, released and unreleased. But I have to say again that Brian was pretty consistently present on things like videos, TV shows, and TV specials. He was also in most of the group's publicity photos. I mean, it looked like he was still a member of the group, and as a fan that was important. It gave you hope. As far as recording, while Brian didn't drive the 1985 album, he was fairly prevalent. The only other album recorded in the 1980's was Still Cruisin', and Brian appears on all of the new/recent songs except "Kokomo".
I really don't think Brian or Landy or the group was trying to deceive the public or their fans. I don't think it was a facade. Like I said above, I'm sure it was at times tense and, frankly, nuts. Anything involving Eugene Landy would be crazy. Let me ask you this question. Wouldn't you like or prefer if in the 1990's and 2000's and 2010's that Brian Wilson would've recorded with The Beach Boys, appeared in videos and on TV shows, and occasionally appeared with the band in concert? He did that in the 1980's.
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