Beach Boys 1968 - "I Can Hear Music: The 20/20 Sessions" and "Wake The World: The Friends Sessions"*

Another digital copyright dump or CD?

 

There is no official word just a strong rumor by Knowledgeable Ones that an archival release is in the works. Because last year's first Sunshine Tomorrow came out in the summer, it is assumed that this year's release will just be a digital release in December, as it was in some other years. But nothing is known.

 

From SmileySmile.net

Posted today at PSF:

So...Alan Boyd popped up on the Discord last night and talked about the 1968 set. Only plans for a digital release for now, mid to late December.

"Lots of interesting tracks and fragments from the FRIENDS and 20/20 sessions. New track and a cappella mixes too, alternate versions and a batch of concert tapes from the 1968 summer tour."

It's coming, lads.

Digital only...puke...I loved Sunshine Tomorrow, why not release this one in a physical format as well??

 

Very haphazard system - 1964 excellent studio release in digital, filler Party sessions - CD, no 1965-1966 sessions at all, 1967 on CD and this one again in digital. Dissapointing

 

We gave Sunshine Tomorrow strong support. You'd think they'd have more faith in us than this. I hate downloading stuff, having to come up with jewel case art (because if I dont the discs get misplaced). Happy to have the material but c'mon... every other big name artsist had a release this season. Why are we on the sidelines messing around with mp3? It's insulting.

 

Looking forward to this even if it is mp3 (hopefully there'll be a Flac or similar option). There's a lot of superb stuff from 1968 by The Beach Boys.
If they only released a newly found 1968 photograph it would still be better than the Beggars Banquet deluxe so I'm not gonna whine too much about mp3 !
However....I am extremely desperate to hear the 1966 I'm In Great Shape acetate that was auctioned from Durry Park's collection. Does anyone have any idea if that was bought by Brian or The Beach Boys people. From the description on Smileysmile board that acetate sounded like a key missing piece. Probably ranks as my top "known to exist but not in circulation" piece of music by anyone. Surely it has not disappeared into a private collection never to be heard. ?

 

Here's a post by Mark Linett on the PSF about the situation, and also a little insight on what could be on this new set:

 

Fine with streaming/download releases for now, since one-off physical issues like the Sunshine Tomorrow 2CD just feel odd and incomplete. Would rather they put out a big archival box with everything from 1967-1972 (Smiley Smile - Holland) once they get to that point in 2022.

 

Well said. How very stupid and strange that there's no physical release.

 

Thrilled about the release, but similarly disappointed that there aren't plans for anything physical. I guess that slot was taken up by that lame orchestral album. A shame, but I still am very excited to hear this stuff.

As for the Durrie Parks acetates, what a bummer. Whoever shelled out for such an obscurity would obviously be aware of its historical significance and appeal. I guess we can only hope that the better angels of this collector's nature win out.

 

If you really need it on CD, you can get a CD burner?

If these things were dependent on physical product, they'd never get released (why do you think they're only coming out now as copyright extension releases?). Enjoy them, or don't.

Also, look at the Live Sunshine set, that would've made zero sense as a physical release. Digital means it doesn't have to confine to archaic space limitations, so they can release everything interesting without going "oh, this disc is too long, we need to cut something." It is much better this way.

The Wild Honey stereo release had a somewhat wider net, because it was of interest to significantly more people than a collection of 20/20 & Friends scraps. If they pressed this to CD, they'd probably sell 200 copies, if that, probably all to SH forum members. Not worth the effort.

 

Friends is a very popular album with fans these days. And... sound quality? Liner notes? Packaging? MP3s just won't cut it, unless this will also be released as HD digital tracks; should we expect that?

 

yeah--with all these digital releases, i just hope there comes a time when, with all the mastering/mixing/liner notes already prepared, they dump them into a bare-bones boxed set someday and put 'em up for sale for goofballs like me who just aren't on board with downloads, etc...

the money is waiting

smitquest

 

Actually the live set was edited down slightly (dialogue mostly), just as if it was being released for something with space limitations. My only guess is that this was done "just in case" UMe decided that Live Sunshine should get a physical release like that Motown set did.

Sure people (except me perhaps) may not care about dialogue being cut, but it's not exactly taking advantage of the digital nirvana now is it?

 

I could reasonably argue that was done to a) make the shows more listenable to the at-home audience, and b) reduce the level of embarrassment of Mike Love. I'm 100% okay with this decision, I love live stuff and I love the Beach Boys, but don't really ever need to hear between-song banter at any show Mike is a part of. I don't think it had anything to do with format, just trying to make a more listenable product. (AFAIK, all the music is intact, which is all I care about)

 

Everything from the previous releases is available in FLAC if you look in other places besides iTunes, some in hi-res (although IMO the live tracks aren't really the kind of recordings that really benefit from it, but if you have more money than you know what to do with, it exists).

 

Does anyone know if the 1964 sessions releases ever came out in high res? EDIT: Ah, found it. 88/24. Think I'll bite, thanks for the heads up.

Come to think of it, whatever happened to the 1965 outtakes other than Party?

 

I was wondering that too. They went through all the trouble of rehabbing the lamest 60's Beach Boys album (the two lamest, if you count Beach Boys Concert), but skipped over their 2nd & 3rd best LP's of the decade. Strange decision. Although I wonder if there just isn't much in the vaults that involves actual Beach Boys, since Brian was almost entirely using session musicians, so outtakes wouldn't really have a lot of actual Beach Boy involvement. (I know there's dozens of session bootlegs around, but I don't really know what's on them, since they never particularly interested me for this reason)

 

I’m sure any hope of a physical release for this was bumped by the orchestral album and not having a strong enough press release headline (i.e. “Wild Honey” album for the first time in stereo!”). It’s a shame, because the “Friends” era really deserves its day in the sun and continued critical re-evaluation. That said, (unless it’s vinyl) CDs these days just get ripped and filed by me - so HD downloads work just fine. So excited about this release!

 

It's really arbitrary too, because the 1964 Today! Sessions were released in this way, but nothing from 1965!

 

This may be a reason why: BeachBoys.com: The Complete Guide

" There is actually very little of the Beach Boys on these discs, since apparently most of the vocal sessions were not in Capitols vaults when these copies were made, so often there is only one or two "finalized" vocal sessions (and sometimes no vocals at all) leaving many of the tracks with only Brian and the studio band slugging out the backing tracks."

Theoretically, the BB's camp has access to more tapes than 1990's bootleggers, but...it's entirely possible that 50 years later, they actually don't. As lovely as Brian's productions and the Wrecking Crew's performances are, recordings of them working on stuff without any actual Beach Boys wouldn't make for much of a release, even to big fans, I think. I know they did that with Smile and the Pet Sounds sessions, but those are of significantly more historical interest than multiple takes of "Amusement Parks USA," y'know?

At least we got a live set. I don't go back to them that often, but I think they're really fascinating historical documents, not only of the Beach Boys, but just of the history of rock/pop performance as well.

 

It is in the hands of a private collector who would no doubt lease it to BRI if the money was right - but I doubt it will ever see official release. Maybe unofficial, someday . . . we can hope. Since it's out of copyright now, it could be released without permission or consequences for the collector - but he did pay $10,000 for the acetates, and there's not enough new in them to justify a gray area CD release overseas, for example.

 

Really? What about the following tracking sessions:

Please Let Me Wonder
Kiss Me Baby
In the Back of My Mind
Girl Don't Tell Me
Help Me, Rhonda
California Girls
Let Him Run Wild
Summer Means New Love
The Little Girl I Once Knew

 

Has Sunshine Tomorrow 2: The Studio Sessions ever been released in HD format?

 

If this 68/69 set comes out in FLAC, I’ll purchase it...print my own artwork and make my own cd w/printed artwork on the disc itself.