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Post by B.E. on Oct 26, 2021 1:14:36 GMT
Someone inform wiki, they're leading Beach Boys diehards astray! Or is Mike behind this? Sticking it to Al?
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Oct 26, 2021 1:20:15 GMT
You know, the single was so inconsequential, it doesn't really matter. No matter which song was the A-side, did it really have a chance? Maybe - maybe - "Susie Cincinnati" had a better chance. Rock & roll. A quasi-car song. A good Al Jardine vocal. More Beach Boyish. The fact that it WASN'T "Everyone's In Love With You".
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 26, 2021 11:17:04 GMT
Well, if that's the case, my apologies for the error. I was (obviously) going off wikipedia's discography of singles. Of course I realize that wikipedia isn't always a foolproof source--though actually it has come a long way since its days as a laughingstock in its early days--but this being a website hobby, not a research project or real publication, it seemed sufficient.
If "Susie Cincinnati" is (finally) the A-side, I say kudos. That was a decent choice. Would have been better had it not been a bridesmaid twice before, but...
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Oct 26, 2021 11:29:22 GMT
Well, if that's the case, my apologies for the error. I was (obviously) going off wikipedia's discography of singles. Of course I realize that wikipedia isn't always a foolproof source--though actually it has come a long way since its days as a laughingstock in its early days--but this being a website hobby, not a research project or real publication, it seemed sufficient.
If "Susie Cincinnati" is (finally) the A-side, I say kudos. That was a decent choice. Would have been better had it not been a bridesmaid twice before, but...
No problem. We just appreciate your time and effort running the thread!
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 26, 2021 11:34:07 GMT
That story is great. Well, not the story itself, but the existence of it. I wonder how many are out there that may never have been digitized or referenced again from over the decades.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 28, 2021 12:28:56 GMT
While we haven't been especially kind to the B-side "Everyone's In Love With You," Mike Love seemed to like it. jk already noted a version he prefers, which is considered part of the mid-00s Mike Love, Not War unreleased album. But way back in 1978, he re-recorded it for his solo album Country Love (which was not released). It's cued up:
If only he'd do another version, ideally with ol' Sugar Ray* chiming in with some well-timed cries of "DO IT!"
*No, I will not use his real name.
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Post by jk on Oct 28, 2021 13:59:28 GMT
While we haven't been especially kind to the B-side "Everyone's In Love With You," Mike Love seemed to like it. jk already noted a version he prefers, which is considered part of the mid-00s Mike Love, Not War unreleased album. But way back in 1978, he re-recorded it for his solo album Country Love (which was not released). It's cued up:
I bumped into that one while looking for the MLNW version, which I still vastly prefer to the other two.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Oct 28, 2021 17:52:22 GMT
Before this one fades away...
"Susie Cincinnati" certainly has an interesting history with the band. It was the group's jack-of-all-trades, their secret weapon, their go-to track, their dependable song, their "hey, we can use "Susie Cincinnati" for this one" song. It was first used as the B-side for "Add Some Music To Your Day" in 1970. Then, when they were looking for a B-side for "Child Of Winter" in 1974, of all the songs they could use, yep, "Susie Cincinnati" was brought out of moth balls. In late 1976, the guys needed a third single (and a Beach Boyish song for the album), and, you guessed it, "Susie Cincinnati" got the call in the bullpen. But, that's not the end of story for this song! Flash forward 45 years and The Beach Boys are still releasing records - in this case Feel Flows. They need a song to promote this new compilation and what do they choose? "Susie Cincinnati" (a live version) of course!
That's four times The Beach Boys used "Susie Cincinnati" as a single of some type, in some configuration. I wonder if that's a record or something, a group using a song as a single (A or B side) four times? I mean, "Susie Cincinnati" is a good song and everything, but I don't think it's anything special. Do think we'll ever hear it featured again?
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 28, 2021 17:55:53 GMT
It's funny in part to me because it's an Al song, and Al is SUCH a tinkerer! (Although looking through Mike's and Brian's catalogues, I guess they're not so innocent.) I mean, whether it's 35 years on "Loop de Loop" or wanting to remove backing vocals from "Seasons in the Sun" after all these years or working on a solo album for decades only to have it mostly Beach Boys reworkings? "Waves of Love" versions 1, 2, 3... It is just such "an Al move" to push for the same song.
Now to be clear, I don't know whether it WAS Al pushing for it again and again over the years. That's just speculation that happens to fit the narrative based on some of his other behaviors. But if so, it's fitting.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Oct 28, 2021 18:13:18 GMT
It's funny in part to me because it's an Al song, and Al is SUCH a tinkerer! (Although looking through Mike's and Brian's catalogues, I guess they're not so innocent.) I mean, whether it's 35 years on "Loop de Loop" or wanting to remove backing vocals from "Seasons in the Sun" after all these years or working on a solo album for decades only to have it mostly Beach Boys reworkings? "Waves of Love" versions 1, 2, 3... It is just such "an Al move" to push for the same song.
Now to be clear, I don't know whether it WAS Al pushing for it again and again over the years. That's just speculation that happens to fit the narrative based on some of his other behaviors. But if so, it's fitting.
I doubt that Al was even behind or pushing for it. I think "Susie Cincinnati" was fortunate to be a new Beach Boyish song when nobody in the group was writing them. And, the group, instead of entirely moving on from their past, just couldn't do it. They couldn't let go. I think they still wanted to give their fans, a taste anyway, of the old Beach Boys' sound.
Instead of the fresh start in 1970 with "Add Some Music To Your Day"/Sunflower, I think they "used" "Susie Cincinnati" to make sure they didn't totally alienate the fans. Same with "Child Of Winter", which could be considered a WTF record; they played it safe with the B-side. They were probably panicking in 1976 with 15 Big Ones in trying to come up with NEW Beach Boys-sounding music. Maybe Al was pushing for SC on 15 Big Ones and as a single but I doubt it. The most perplexing choice was with Feel Flows. Again, they could've tried to blow minds and release something totally out of the Beach Boys' box, but, no, they went right back into it. I highly doubt Al had anything to do with that choice. I'd be surprised if he even knew about the live version being on the boxed set in the first place.
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Post by lonelysummer on Oct 29, 2021 0:16:30 GMT
Okay, I didn't know that Susie was the flip to Child of Winter - my copy is a promo, same song both sides. Surprised they didn't remake Susie as a Christmas song. "Susie Cincinnati can't wait for winter"...lol.
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Post by Kapitan on Oct 31, 2021 11:46:20 GMT
Final day to vote on this week's single. Please be sure to chime in. Tomorrow we move ahead, rushing headlong into the golden era of Beach Boys smash hits...
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Post by B.E. on Oct 31, 2021 19:54:04 GMT
I'd like to destroy Lloyd's goddamn flute in the most violent way possible, though. Thank you!! I'm not crazy about the harp either. The song is sappy/wimpy enough without those things. And Mike's lead doesn't really help in that regard either (not that it's terrible or anything). I really do enjoy the backing vocals, though. It was one of those songs that I was pleasantly surprised about when I first heard it (after reading so much shit about it). But, as the years wear on, I'm kinda starting to get sick of it, too. I'm tempted to only give this a 5, but despite this being its 4th release, I like S.C. too much to drop it that far. And, context-wise, I do think it was the strongest and most commercial track left on 15 Big Ones to release as the 3rd single (though, "Palisades Park" would have been an acceptable choice, too). So, in order to get caught up, here are my ratings for the last five singles (ranked): California/Funky Pretty - 8 It's OK/Had To Phone Ya - 8 Rock and Roll Music/TM Song - 7 Child Of Winter/Susie Cincinnati - 6 Susie Cincinnati/Everyone's In Love With You - 6 While those ratings don't look particularly bad, believe me, I'm filling out the bottom of the ranking now. (The bottom third, actually.) I really do like "California" and "Rock and Roll Music" but the B-sides dragged 'em down a little.
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Post by lonelysummer on Oct 31, 2021 20:45:21 GMT
Let's face it, the Beach Boys as makers of singles in the 70's were hit and miss; mostly miss! I don't want to spoil the party, so I'll try to refrain from commenting on the upcoming releases, but there are some good ones, maybe even a few great ones...and more WTF? choices. The main problem being, their guaranteed hitmaker - Brian - had been out of his wheelhouse for many years. I think if the Beatles had continued into the 70's, they would have continued to have hit singles on a regular basis, because they had at least one guy - Paul - who knew how to write and record them. It's not too farfetched to imagine "Band on the Run", "Listen to What the Man Said", "Live and Let Die" and 'Junior's Farm" as Beatles singles. Mix in a few by the others - "It Don't Come Easy", "Mind Games", "Blow Away", "Photograph" - and they would have done very well.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 1, 2021 11:30:37 GMT
Six voters rated "Susie Cincinnati" and "Everyone's In Love With You" a 5.3. I'll update the ratings thread, and we'll move ahead.
Thanks for participating.
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