Slightly American Music (Wilson/Paley) - Update

Hey again everybody. I figured since "Some Sweet Day" was getting its debut on an official release later this year I'd share an updated Slightly American Music, with an only marginally rejigged tracklist and the dodgy tape sounds edited out for easier listening.

01. Proud Mary
02. Slightly American Music
03. I'm Broke
04. Chain Reaction of Love
05. Soul Searchin'
06. Desert Drive
07. This Could Be the Night
08. Mary Anne
09. You're Still a Mystery
10. Gettin' in Over My Head
11. Some Sweet Day

Bonus tracks
12. It's Not Easy Bein' Me
13. Saturday Morning in the City
14. Sweets For My Sweet
15. Marketplace
16. This Song Wants to Sleep with You Tonight
17. Must Be a Miracle
18. Frankie Avalon
19. Elbow '93
20. God Did It
21. Goin' Home
22. What Rock 'n' Roll Can Do
23. In My Moondreams

Download here (mp3)

More Goodies (Brian and Mike)

Continuing on from the previous set, here are an additional two of Brian and Mike goodies!

The Brian Wilson goodies offers some very interesting rarities: duets with Jan Berry and Rocky Pamplin, an early version of "Being with the One You Love" entitled "Doin' Time on Planet Earth" (presumably intended for the film of the same name), and some terrific-quality Sweet Insanity backing tracks and a capellas. After that it's the Andy Paley tracks, not presented in the best quality available but with alternate mixes included.

Next, the Mike Love goodies(?) contains a variety of outtakes, alternate mixes of tracks from his withdrawn First Love and Country Love albums, duets with Dean Torrence, Beach Boys covers/originals with Adrian Baker, and a few radio spots (a Looking Back with Love promo and the hilarious Arbor Day message in three versions).

Get 'em here.

Sweet Insanity (deluxe edition?)

I thought I'd make my own Sweet Insanity disc - there are a countless amount of them about already and it's horrifically confusing, so here's another one. I like this album, I'm sorry to say. The obligatory defensive paragraph follows:

Sweet Insanity is more of a mixed bag than Brian Wilson '88, and definitely 'poppier' than its predecessor. There's certainly nothing here that scales the heights of "Melt Away", but it's a different beast altogether - the lead-off track, "Someone to Love", is an utterly infectious pop tune (with a chord progression inspired by Dennis Wilson's excellent "San Miguel"), and most everything else here has a similar sense of hook-filled fun. What lets this album down are the lyrics; where 1988 saw the presence of Andy Paley and David Leaf to prevent Landy's timeless words of "love attacks" from sabotaging the songs, this time around there was no-one to stop him, and as a result we must endure Brian singing of the "crazy beatings" he received from his father, ruining what is otherwise a fine composition ("Brian"). Two versions of this album exist (both were rejected by the label); this is the superior revised cut.

Regarding the bonus tracks, obviously not everything could be squeezed into one disc, so I ensured the stuff I left out was really the material that absolutely no-one should ever be forced to listen to (i.e. "Living Doll", "Spirit of the Forest" - you can find all that elsewhere...) - and trust me, I would've loved to have "Smart Girls" wiped, but since it's part of the 'official' tracklist I couldn't do that. Ah well.

01. Concert Tonight
02. Someone to Love
03. Water Builds Up
04. Don't Let Her Know (She's an Angel)
05. Do You Have Any Regrets (I Do)
06. Brian (Thank You)
07. The Spirit of Rock 'n' Roll (with Bob Dylan)
08. Rainbow Eyes
09. Love Ya
10. Make a Wish
11. Smart Girls

Bonus tracks:
12. Hotter
13. Country Feelin'
14. Daddy's Little Girl
15. Metal Beach
16. Goodnight Irene
17. Turning Point
18. Heavenly Bodies
19. Fantasy is Reality/ Belles of Madness
20. Concert Tonight (First Version)
21. Someone to Love (First Version)
22. Don't Let Her Know (She's an Angel) (Demo)
23. Sweetie (Demo)
24. Black Widow (Demo)
25. Harmonies

Download here (320kb/s mp3s)

Winds of Change (MIU Outtakes)

Well, at any rate, I liked M.I.U.

01. Winds of Change
02. Match Point of Our Love
03. Sweet Sunday Kind of Love
04. How's About a Little Bit of Your Sweet Lovin'
05. Mony Mony
06. Hey Little Tomboy
07. She's Got Rhythm
08. Michael Row the Boat Ashore
09. My Diane
10. Pitter Patter (w/ thunderstorm effects)
11. Pitter Patter
12. Belles of Paris
13. Winds of Change
14. Seasons in the Sun
15. Go and Get That Girl
16. Wontcha Come Out Tonight
17. Looking Down the Coast (False Start)
18. Looking Down the Coast
19. On Broadway
20. Kona Christmas
21. Come Go with Me
22. Match Point of Our Love
23. Here Comes the Night (Single Version)

Download here (192k mp3s, 90mb)

Harmony Friends

A selection of outtakes and alternative cuts from the Smiley Smile to 20/20 era.

Download here (320kb/s mp3s, 246mb)

Dumb Angel Rarities 14: Bamboo + Bonus Tracks (FLAC)

Here's a decent quality copy of the Dennis edition of Dumb Angel Rarities, which includes a few alternate cuts of Bambu tracks not available on the released Legacy Edition.

01. Companion
02. Moonlight
03. It's Not Too Late
04. (I Found Myself In A) Wild Situation
05. Baby Blue [Alternate Version]
06. School Girl
07. Love Surrounds Me [Alternate Version]
08. New Orleans
09. All Alone [Alternate Version]
10. Morning Christmas
11. Good Timin' [Live]
12. Angel Come Home [Live]
13. Quad Symphony [Excerpt]
14. River Song [Early Version]
15. San Miguel [Alternate Instrumental Version] *Actually just the backing track for Time For Bed
16. All Of My Love
17. Pacific Ocean Blues [Track]
18. You Are So Beautiful [Live]
19. He's A Bum
20. Quad Symphony [Excerpt]
21. Carry Me Home
22. (I Found Myself In A) Wild Situation [Without Lead Vocal]
23. Sound of Free
24. Interview [Live]
25. Lady [Live]

Download here (FLAC, 410 mb)

Get Lei'd

The story is an odd one. Smiley Smile is unleashed upon the public, the Beach Boys commence touring, and Brian decides that he's going to show up again. Upon Brian's insistence, his Hammond B-3 is shipped back and forth from L.A. to Hawaii, although the plan to distribute ukuleles to the audience is scrapped. 

After some rehearsals (which are included), concerts are taped for release (both are included), but the performances are found... not up to snuff. The Beach Boys head to Wally Heider's studio to record their selections from their setlist in their new, stripped down fashion (these are also included). 

This entire project is ultimately scrapped and the band swiftly moves onto the wonderful Wild Honey.

This is unfortunate, as these revamped versions of the familiar tunes are quite beautiful. The songs are incredibly tender and airy, by simply pairing down the arrangements and softening their vocal deliveries, they create entirely new songs. Sadly, these arrangements were never revisited. The gentleman who supplied us with the 1972 mono mix of Pet Sounds had a very apt description of "California Girls" when I shared it with him, saying that "Mike sounds like he's floating in the sky." Indeed.

I would advise you to seek out the officially released recordings, which sound markedly better than these bootleg versions. If I recall, they're on various two-fers, Rarities, Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys, and Made in California. These don't sound bad, mind you, but the actual, released versions sound fuller.

Here's a folder with a collection of all the released recordings. Pick yourself out sumthin nice.

The distinction between these bootlegs can get convoluted, so here it is sorted for you:

Aloha from Hawaii (And Hollywood)

• Live at the Honolulu International Center, August 25, 1967
• The "live-in-the-studio" rehearsals at Wally Heider's Studio, September 11, 1967

Lei'd in Hawaii Rehearsal

• Pre-show rehearsal on August 25, 1967
• Some random, unrelated studio outtakes
• A live show from 1963
• Two drunken performances from Carl in 1978 in Sydney (you know the one).

Live 1967-08-26 - Honolulu

• The live show from August 26, 1967
• Has the one-off "Hawthorne Boulevard"

In The Beginning / The Garage Tapes

A 2007 2-CD boot from Sea of Tunes, featuring what could very well be the earliest Beach Boys recordings available; 19 minutes of "Surfin'" rehearsals, apparently from 1960. Also included are various home recordings (with a very young Dennis audible in a track that also contains Mike muttering "Dennis is a prick"), and session material (such as a very early take on 'Sloop John B').

Download here (320kbps mp3s + artwork)

The Lost Hotel Tapes

Here's a hotel room jam session from (apparently) April 1990, with Brian, Bruce, and some friends playing various covers and Beach Boys songs. They do some surprisingly deep cuts too.

01. This Could Be The Night
02. Rhapsody In Blue, Caroline No, Shortenin' Bread, I'm Broke, Spirit of Rock 'n' Roll, Little Honda
03. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Proud Mary
04. Rainbow Eyes, Sherry She Needs Me, Sail On Sailor
05. Palisades Park, So Long, Ding Dang, Caroline No, Disney Girls
06. Caroline No, Shortenin' Bread, Spirit of Rock 'n' Roll, Brian, Please Let Me Wonder
07. Papa-Om-Mow-Mow, Be My Baby, Darlin', Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love, I'm So Lonely
08. Down In L.A., Someone To Love, God Only Knows, Caroline No
09. This Whole World, Add Some Music, Cool Cool Water, Unknown Cover, I Can Hear Music

Download here

Heroes and Vibrations

Here's Heroes and Vibrations, the "taster" for the proposed Smile box set by Vigotone which never materialized (fittingly), which has some superb vocal takes and session snippets unavailable on The Smile Sessions.

"Good Vibrations" Sessions
01. Instrumental Track
02. Toy Piano
03. Fuzz Bass
04. Rehearsals - Instrumental Track
05. Piccolo
06. She's Already Workin' On My Brain (mono)
07. Hum-Be-Dum (mono)
08. Rarities mix (mono)

"Heroes and Villains" Sessions
09. Fire Intro
10. I've Been In This Town... (instrumental)
11. I've Been In This Town... (w/ vocals)
12. In The Cantina... (piano rehearsal, final version w/ vocals)
13. My Children Were Raised... (vocal rehearsals)
14. My Children Were Raised... (w/ final vocals)
15. Sunny Down Snuff... (final vocals)
16. Dum, Dum, Dum (end of H&V part one)
17. Tag To Part One (2nd version)
18. Bicycle Rider (main H&V theme)
19. H&V Part Two (revised version take one)
20. Just See What You've Done (final vocals)
21. Mike Fucks With The Formula

Download here (FLAC, 173mb)

Spit of America

A follow-up of sorts to Endless Bummer, this is Spit of America: Further Atrocities In The Beach Boys Canon, brought to you by sorrowful masochists Judd and Bubbly Waves. It features such essentials as the Celebration cut of "Gettin' Hungry", both sides of Mike and Dean's "Jingle Bell Rock" single, and (in saving the best 'til last) the absolute masterpiece "Spirit of the Forest", a charity single that Brian guests on.

01. Mike's Arbor Day Spot (extended version)
02. Fun Fun Fun (feat. Status Quo)
03. Gettin' Hungry (Celebration)
04. Wrinkles
05. Howdy From Maui
06. Oh! Those Girls (Mike's hair metal track)
07. Can't Stop Talking About American Girls
08. Happy Birthday America
09. Imagine (Mike Love - live)
10. Kokomo (alternate version)
11. Forever (Stamos lead)
12. Jingle Bell Rock (feat. Dean Torrence)
13. Let's Party!
14. California Recall Blues
15. Spirit of the Forest (12'' version)

Download here

#TaxTimeIsHereAgain

The Live Box (1965-1968)

Two shows in Michigan, plus rehearsals and radio spots!

Download here (320kbps mp3s + artwork)

Random Rarities

Here's a collection I made of a few tracks that can be quite hard to come by (including a high quality 'We Got Love'), along with some other tidbits such as my own mix of 'Can't Wait Too Long'.

01. In The Back Of My Mind (instrumental)
02. Wonderful K.O.M.A.
03. Heroes and Villains (Lei'd In Hawaii)
04. Can't Wait Too Long
05. I Was Made To Love Her (Rehearsal)
06. Oh Yeah!
07. Fig Plucker
08. America, I Know You
09. Loop de Loop
10. 'Til I Die (Alternate Mix)
11. Out in the Country
12. We Got Love
13. Rollin' Up To Heaven
14. Mony, Mony
15. Rock and Roll Music (hot mix)
16. Everybody Wants To Live
17. Drip Drop (Teardrops On My Bed)
18. I'm Begging You Please
19. Oh Darlin' (Alternate Version)
20. Oh Lord

Download here

Goodbye Surfing, Hello God!

Here's a beast of a boot; 178 tracks, all in flac, of material mostly from the 20/20 period. We have full mixing sessions of "Help Me Rhonda", "Little Bird", "Never Learn Not To Love", "Be With Me", "Bluebirds Over The Mountain", "Time To Get Alone", and "The Nearest Faraway Place", as well as an amalgam of other goodies such as "Harmony Friends", "Oh Yeah!", "Fig Plucker", alternate mixes and vocals, and a full live show in Washington DC from 11/19/67!

flac (1.42 gb)
mp3s (192kbps, 401 mb)

California Feeling

01. California Feeling
02. Brian's Back
03. We're Together Again
04. Our Team
05. How's About A Little Bit Of Your Sweet Lovin'
06. I'm Begging You Please
07. Santa Ana Winds
08. Looking Down The Coast
09. Lazy Lizzie
10. California Dreamin'
11. Skatetown USA
12. Sherry, She Needs Me
13. River Song
14. Stevie
15. Marilyn Rovell
16. We Gotta Groove
17. Carry Me Home

Download here

21 Little Ones

Some Brian material.

01. The Spirit of Rock and Roll
02. Turning Point
03. Just Say No
04. Heavenly Bodies
05. Christmas Time
06. Walkin' The Line
07. Save the Day
08. Concert Tonight
09. Barbie
10. This Could Be The Night
11. Sweets For My Sweets
12. Too Much Sugar
13. Goodnight Irene
14. California Girls (live)
15. God Only Knows (live)
16. Surfer Girl (live)
17. The Spirit of Rock and Roll (live)
18. Let's Go To Heaven In My Car
19. I'll Bet He's Nice (demo)
20. That Special Feeling (demo)
21. Still I Dream of It (demo)

Download here

Stack-O-Tracks Extended

A load of instrumentals.

01. County Fair
02. Little Girl (You’re My Miss America)
03. Summertime Blues
04. Cuckoo Clock
05. Surfin’ USA
06. Surfer Girl
07. Catch A Wave
08. In My Room
09. Our Car Club
10. I Get Around
11. All Summer Long
12. Hushabye
13. Little Honda
14. We’ll Run Away
15. Wendy
16. Do You Remember
17. Little Saint Nick
18. Do You Wanna Dance
19. Good To My Baby
20. Don’t Hurt My Little Sister
21. When I Grow Up
22. Help Me, Ronda
23. Dance, Dance, Dance
24. Please Let Me Wonder
25. I’m So Young (alternate)
26. Kiss Me Baby
27. She Knows Me Too Well
28. In The Back Of My Mind
29. All Dressed Up For School
30. Guess I’m Dumb
31. The Girl From New York City
32. Amusement Parks USA
33. Salt Lake City
34. Help Me, Rhonda
35. California Girls
36. Let Him Run Wild
37. You’re So Good To Me
38. The Little Girl I Once Knew
39. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
40. You Still Believe In Me
41. That’s Not Me
42. Don’t Talk
43. I’m Waiting For The Day
44. Sloop John B
45. God Only Knows
46. Hang On To Your Ego
47. Here Today
48. I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times
49. Caroline, No
50. Good Vibrations
51. Do You Like Worms?
52. Cabinessence
53. Wonderful
54. Child Is Father Of The Man
55. Surf’s Up
56. I’m In Great Shape
57. Vege-Tables
58. Wind Chimes
59. Love To Say Dada
60. Vegetables (Smiley Smile - alternate)
61. She’s Goin’ Bald
62. Wind Chimes (Smiley Smile - alternate)
63. Gettin’ Hungry
64. Wonderful (Smiley Smile - alternate)
65. Cool Cool Water
66. Wild Honey
67. I Was Made To Love Her
68. A Thing Or Two
69. Darlin’
70. Friends
71. Transcendental Meditation
72. Do It Again
73. Be With Me
74. Cotton Fields (20/20)
75. Time To Get Alone
76. We’re Together Again
77. Break Away
78. Cotton Fields
79. When Girls Get Together
80. It’s About Time
81. Tears In The Morning
82. Sail On Sailor (with a capella fade)
83. Good Timin’
84. Had To Phone Ya
85. Just Once In My Life
86. Life Is For The Living
87. Angel Come Home
88. Here Comes The Night
89. Goin’ On
90. That’s Why God Made The Radio

Part 1
Part 2

Get The Boot (vol 1 & 2)

    

Two excellent boots of 63-2003 demos, alternate mixes, outtakes and other rarities, including the hot mix of "Rock and Roll Music" and the notorious outtake "Rollin' Up To Heaven".

GET THE BOOT VOL. 1
01. Beginning of the End
02. Thank Him
03. Side Two
04. Back Home (1963)
05. Can't Wait Too Long (snippet)
06. Lonely Days (rehearsal)
07. Mona Kani
08. Break Away (vocals only mix)
09. Won't You Tell Me
10. Back Home (1970 demo)
11. Back Home (1970 version)
12. Walkin'
13. It's A New Day
14. Barbara (demo)
15. Add Some Music To Your Day (alternate mix)
16. Slip On Through (alternate mix)
17. Slip On Through (live)
18. Our Sweet Love (instrumental track with backing vocals)
19. I'm Going Your Way
20. 'Til I Die (vocals only)
21. Surf's Up (vocals only)
22. Rollin' Up To Heaven
23. I've Got A Friend (live)
24. Here She Comes (live)
25. Fairy Tale Music (demo)

GET THE BOOT VOL. 2
01. Snowflakes (outtake)
02. Hard Times
03. Battle Hymn of the Republic
04. Good Timin' (track and lead vocal)
05. Don't You Just Know It (single)
06. Why Do Fools Fall In Love (single)
07. Interview/ Rock and Roll Music (hot mix)
08. Runnin' Bear (15 Big Ones outtake)
09. Shake, Rattle and Roll (15 Big Ones outtake)
10. Short Skirts (15 Big Ones outtake)
11. Had To Phone Ya (backing track)
12. New England Waltz (Adult/Child outtake)
13. Here Come De Honey Man
14. California Feelin'
15. Da Doo Ron Ron (Keepin' The Summer Alive outtake)
16. Oh Darlin' (alternate vocal take)
17. Boogie Woogie intro
18. Back in the USSR
19. River Deep, Mountain High
20. Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love (BW)
21. Rescue Me (ML)
22. Stagger Lee (ML)
23. Carl's Song (DW)
24. Where We Are (CW)
25. At The Hop
26. Let's Dance/ Do You Wanna Dance
27. I Can Hear Music (recorded for radio broadcast)
28. Little Deuce Coupe (recorded for radio broadcast)
29. Kokomo (David Marks)

MP3:
Volume 1
Volume 2

FLAC:
Volume 1
Volume 2

Endless Bummer

A comp of the very worst of the Beach Boys, including Spanish Kokomo, Brian's rap song, drunk live performances and ill-advised radio spots.

01. Carl's Anti-Drug Radio Spot
02. Good Vibrations (featuring a very drunk Carl)
03. You're So Beautiful (featuring a very drunk Dennis)
04. Brian Hanging With Some Nerds
05. Be True To Your Bud (Mike sells out)
06. Hyatt Regency Promo (Mike sells out again)
07. Smile Promo
08. Mike Slams Smile
09. Vocal Rehearsal 1
10. Smart Girls (Brian's rap song)
11. Carl & The Passions Radio Promo
12. Kokomo (Spanish version)
13. Mr. Sandman, God Only Knows (pisstake versions)
14. Cell Block No. 9
15. Mike Does Dylan
16. Never Learn Not To Love (demo written with Charles Manson)
17. Help Me Rhonda (session with 'Reggie Dunbar')
18. "I'm A Genius Too"
19. "We Need Help"
20. Vocal Rehearsal 2

Download here

All This Is That

Nice boot of various '69-'80 rarities.

01. Time To Get Alone (instrumental)

02. Country Air (stereo mix)

03. Won't You Tell Me (stereo)

04. Tears In The Morning (instrumental track)

05. Slip On Through (take 12)

06. When Girls Get Together (instrumental track)

07. Cottonfields (vocals only)

08. All This Is That (alternate version)

09. It's A New Day (stereo)

10. Hard Time (stereo)

11. Blueberry Hill (alternate)

12. Had To Phone Ya (instrumental track)

13. Palisades Park (alternate mix)

14. Short Skirts

15. Shake, Rattle & Roll (15BO outtake)

16. Just Once In My Life (instrumental track)

17. Running Bear (stereo)

18. Let Us Go On This Way (backing vocals)

19. Sherry She Needs Me (complete)

20. The Night Was So Young (vocals only)

21. Shortenin' Bread (alternate)

22. Life Is For The Living (instrumental)

23. It's Like Heaven (alternate)

24. Our Love (stereo)

25. Da Doo Ron Ron (stereo)

26. Oh Darlin' (alternate, Brian lead)

27. Where We Are (stereo)

Download here