What if the Beach Boys had played Monterey?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by RayistaGeoff, Aug 14, 2005.

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  1. zen

    zen Senior Member

    The Beach Boys had become cultural dinosaurs that quickly? Wasn't Good Vibrations a huge hit in late '66/early '67?
     
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  2. S. P. Honeybunch

    S. P. Honeybunch Presidente de Kokomo, Endless Mikelovemoney

    No one else that I know of was employing theremin in rock. Thankfully, M. L. learned how to operate said instrument and gainfully employed himself to bring this "far out" sound to The Beach Boys live performances. What would the embryonic live renditions of "Good Vibrations" be like without the "woo woo machine"?
     
  3. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy

    Location:
    USA
    In all honesty, I don't think not playing at Monterey was anything. The Beatles didn't play and they were fine afterwards. They like the Beatles would not have been able to reproduce the music that was current for them. They like the Beatles shouldn't have to do oldies. The only thing that really killed the momentum was the lack of promotion at Capitol Records, during that time period. They had the best of the best in music going for them but no one to support it fully. Capitol wasn't too concerned Sgt Pepper taking it's time.
     
  4. BIG ED

    BIG ED Forum Resident

    JJ
    "Good Vibrations"
    :uhhuh:
     
  5. I sort of like Brian's crazy minimalist Smiley-Smile-esque arrangements of their old hits. The harmonies are exquisite. Also I think many in the audience might have enjoyed a laid back mellow performance as a change from the electricity of The Who or Hendrix.
     
  6. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    I was wrong about something above: Capitol had the Beach Boys dead and buried two months after the release of Pet Sounds by releasing Best of in July 1966, eleven months before Monterey. Sorry.
     
  7. cungar

    cungar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Torrance, CA

    Yes open air rock festivals are always ruled by pristine harmony vocals.
     
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  8. PhilBorder

    PhilBorder Senior Member

    Location:
    Sheboygan, WI
    Given their abilities as a live act at that time, I don't think they would've made a great impression.
     
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  9. S. P. Honeybunch

    S. P. Honeybunch Presidente de Kokomo, Endless Mikelovemoney

    Are you here to be negative about The Beach Boys tremendous abilities? If you're going to be negative, just stop posting.
     
  10. Tony Sclafani

    Tony Sclafani Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    It was a festival, so most acts didn't do that many songs. The Animals did four. Quicksilver and Big Brother did five each.

    The Beach Boys could have gone over if they picked five of their more current hits (or LP cuts) and played them with both Brian and Bruce in tow (Brian on keyboards). Ironically, Johnny Rivers opened his set with the Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda," so they could have claimed that right off.

    The four other tunes could have been "Sloop John B" (which had folk cred), "California Girls," "Good Vibrations" (a #1 hit six months earlier), and either "Heroes and Villians" or a guitar-oriented number like "Girl Don't Tell Me" (not everything had to be hits). They might not have blown the roof off the place, but could have reminded everyone how catchy these numbers were and how their music had progressed.

    Other acts that didn't fit the Monterey stereotype included the then-little known Laura Nyro, Simon and Garfunkel, the aforementioned Johnny Rivers, UK folkie Beverly Martyn (Kutner), and the Association. I see a good Beach Boys set going over way bigger than any of these acts.
     
  11. davenav

    davenav High Plains Grifter

    Location:
    Louisville, KY USA
    I think you are rewriting history according to your own 20/20 hindsight.

    So, I'll just leave you to it.

    Bye.
     
  12. cungar

    cungar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Torrance, CA
    LOL Anything else you want me to do oh great overlord of the forum? The question was how would the Beach Boys have done at Monterey. I voiced my opinion. Don't like it? Too bad.
     
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  13. bumbletort

    bumbletort Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore, Md, USA
    If they had performed in suitable garb--that is, anything but the stripe shirts etc. associated with their imho genius and mis-evaluated 'surf & hotrods' era--and simply given the audience the following (it was after all not going to be an Endless Set)...

    Good Vibrations
    Wonderful (mostly solo Brian like the vintage original from Autumn 1966)
    Wind Chimes
    God Only Knows

    ...there would have been moments of awe tantamount to those of the now more revered acts of the festival, and they would have triumphed...and the History of that Era would be considered far differently in some respects today (this should happen anyway...and it will).
     
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  14. S. P. Honeybunch

    S. P. Honeybunch Presidente de Kokomo, Endless Mikelovemoney

    Too bad for you that you aren't interested in hearing the Beach Boys sing well. Enjoy your screamo festival.
     
  15. vinyldreams

    vinyldreams Forum Resident

    Location:
    Main St.
    They would have gone over fine. A lot of the acts there sounded rather rough in a live setting anyway. If S&G and M&P could perform then surely the BB could as well.
     
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  16. Rubber Soul

    Rubber Soul Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Rebecca, GA, USA
    Not sure how they would have gone over. That certainly would depend on their performance. However inferring that they didn't have the material to wow a crowd is just wrong. I mean beyond the hits they now had Pet Sounds, Good Vibrations, and stuff from Smile(such as Surf's Up). They could have been amazing!
     
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  17. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    In terms of hipster cred, playing Monterey didn't seem to do much good for the Association. Or the Mamas & the Papas, for that matter.
     
  18. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    Nobody had heard Smile then.
     
  19. JohnnyQuest

    JohnnyQuest Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paradise
    "Wouldn't it Be Nice" would've made a nice opener. (As cheesy as it sounds.) :p

    It also didn't hurt them.
     
  20. captwillard

    captwillard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nashville

    Well, it served as a launching pad for Hendrix, Otis Redding, Jefferson Airplane, Joplin, Etc... It didn't help that Redding, Joplin, and Hendrix would be dead five years later.
     
  21. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy

    Location:
    USA
    They better not have worn the striped shirts
     
  22. audiodrome

    audiodrome Senior Member

    Location:
    North Of Boston
    I guess I would have to agree with this assessment but it probably wouldn't have mattered that much in the context of the show.
     
  23. JohnnyQuest

    JohnnyQuest Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paradise
    Check out the 1968 attire...
     
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  24. oldsurferdude

    oldsurferdude Forum Resident

    Location:
    detroit, mi. 48150
    Thank God Brian could see beyond the surfing stuff. That's why we've got Pet Sounds, Good Vibrations, Smile, Friends, Wild Honey, 20/20, Sunflower, Surf's Up, Holland, TWGMTR, and the newly minted No Pier Pressure to listen to. :uhhuh:
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2015
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  25. wavethatflag

    wavethatflag God is love, but get it in writing.

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    showtaper and seed_drill like this.
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