Endless Harmony Soundtrack

Last updated
Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless1Cover.jpg
Compilation album by
The Beach Boys
Released11 August 1998
Recorded12 June 1963 – 4 July 1998
Genre Rock
Length74:01
Label Capitol
Producer Phil Sandhaus, Michel Etchart
The Beach Boys chronology
The Pet Sounds Sessions
(1997)		Endless Harmony Soundtrack
(1998)		 Ultimate Christmas
(1998)
Alternate cover
Endless2Cover.jpg
The cover for the re-released version, issued on 28 March 2000.
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Endless Harmony Soundtrack is an anthology album of previously unheard material by The Beach Boys, originally released by Capitol Records in August 1998. Named for Bruce Johnston's song on the 1980 album Keepin' the Summer Alive , it was designed as a tie-in with the band's biographical documentary of the same name. The soundtrack was re-issued in March 2000 with some remixing and different artwork (European pressings retained the original mixes), while the original 1998 edition (with the orange/yellow cover) went out of print shortly thereafter.

Contents

Background

The Endless Harmony project was undertaken shortly after the death of founding member Carl Wilson, who died of lung cancer in February 1998. At this point, Brian Wilson decided that the band was officially finished and disassociated himself from any further group activity. At odds with Mike Love for continuing after Carl's passing, Al Jardine did the same. Both Love and Bruce Johnston (with their accompanying concert act) continued to perform live as The Beach Boys until all five surviving members reunited for their 50th anniversary in 2012.

The Endless Harmony Soundtrack itself is patterned like The Beatles' Anthology albums, with alternate versions and live renditions of songs, as well as previously unreleased ones. Spanning from a stereo remix of 1963's "Surfer Girl" to the completion of the unreleased 1969 recording "Loop de Loop (Flip Flop Flyin' in an Aeroplane)", the album also includes a brief snippet of both Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks routining three Smile songs in 1966.

Endless Harmony Soundtrack never charted in the U.S. or the UK. Although the album was not a commercial success, it did encourage Capitol Records to issue a more comprehensive archival package in Hawthorne, CA , released in May 2001.

Track listing

All tracks written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, unless otherwise noted.

  1. "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" (Writing session excerpt) (Brian Wilson, Rick Henn) – 0:42
  2. "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" (B. Wilson, Henn) – 3:25
  3. "Radio Concert Promo 1" – 0:15
    • The version on later pressings and the revised 2000 edition features a different promo from Dennis Wilson, which matches the one mentioned in the booklet.
  4. "Medley: Surfin' Safari/Fun, Fun, Fun/Shut Down/Little Deuce Coupe/Surfin' U.S.A." (Live) (B. Wilson, Mike Love, Roger Christian, Chuck Berry) – 3:33
    • Recorded on 22 October 1966 in Michigan
  5. "Surfer Girl" (Binaural mix) (B. Wilson) – 2:27
    • The version on the revised 2000 edition of the album is more of an a cappella mix
  6. "Help Me, Rhonda" (Alternate single version) – 2:50
  7. "Kiss Me, Baby" (Stereo remix) – 2:42
    • The version on the revised 2000 edition is a redone mix by Mark Linett, as opposed to Andrew Sandoval.
  8. "California Girls" (Stereo remix) – 2:44
    • The version on the 1998 edition, also redone by Mark Linett features slightly out-of-sync vocals. This specific "updated stereo mix" has since appeared on most Beach Boys compilations issued since 2001.
  9. "Good Vibrations" (Live) – 3:40
  10. "Heroes and Villains" (Demo) (B. Wilson, Van Dyke Parks) – 2:27
    • Recorded on 4 November 1966, this run through for Los Angeles DJ "Humble" Harve features, in addition to "Heroes and Villains", the fragments "I'm in Great Shape" and "Barnyard"
  11. "Heroes and Villains" (Live) (B. Wilson, Parks) – 3:40
  12. "God Only Knows" (Live) (B. Wilson, Tony Asher) – 2:45
    • Actually a live-in-the-studio recording in September 1967
  13. "Radio Concert Promo 2" – 0:15
  14. "Darlin'" (Live) – 2:26
  15. "Wonderful/Don't Worry Bill" (B. Wilson, Parks, Ricky Fataar, Blondie Chaplin, Steve Fataar, Brother Fataar) – 5:52
  16. "Do It Again" (Early version) – 2:30
  17. "Break Away" (Demo) (B. Wilson, Reggie Dunbar) – 2:38
  18. "Sail Plane Song" (B. Wilson, Carl Wilson) – 2:12
  19. "Loop de Loop (Flip Flop Flyin' in an Aeroplane)" (B. Wilson, C. Wilson, Al Jardine) – 2:56
    • Recording begun in March 1969, finished by Al Jardine in July 1998
  20. "Barbara" (Dennis Wilson) – 2:58
  21. "'Til I Die" (Alternate mix) (B. Wilson) – 4:52
  22. "Long Promised Road" (Live) (C. Wilson, Jack Rieley) – 4:17
    • Recorded on 23 November 1972 at Carnegie Hall in New York City
  23. "All Alone" (Carli Muñoz) – 3:36
  24. "Brian's Back" (Love) – 4:07
    • Written in response to Brian Wilson's 1976 return to the public eye
    • This version was recorded by Mike Love for his unreleased (but bootlegged) solo album, “First Love.” A Beach Boys version was recorded in 1978 but is unreleased as of 2023.
  25. "Endless Harmony" (Bruce Johnston) – 3:10
    • The version on the revised 2000 edition features a hidden a cappella sample of "Kiss Me, Baby" after the song ends, extending the length to 3:29


Sources

Related Research Articles

<i>The Beach Boys Christmas Album</i> 1964 studio album by the Beach Boys

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album is the seventh studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released November 9, 1964 on Capitol Records. It contains five original songs and seven standards on a Christmas theme. The album proved to be a long-running success during subsequent Christmas seasons, initially reaching No. 6 on Billboard's Christmas LP's chart in its initial release and eventually going gold. Music historian James Perone wrote that it is "regarded as one of the finest holiday albums of the rock era".

<i>Keepin the Summer Alive</i> 1980 studio album by The Beach Boys

Keepin' the Summer Alive is the 24th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 24, 1980, on Brother, Caribou and CBS Records. Produced by Bruce Johnston, the album peaked at number 75 in the US, during a chart stay of 6 weeks, and number 54 in the UK. It is the group's last album recorded with Dennis Wilson, who drowned in 1983, although he only appears on one song.

<i>Ten Years of Harmony</i> 1981 greatest hits album by The Beach Boys

Ten Years of Harmony is an official double album compilation album released by the Beach Boys in 1981, and spanning their entire Brother Records-era up to that point (1970–80), including some unreleased or rare material. Although the song "Darlin'" had originally been recorded in 1967 while the group was signed to Capitol Records, the version on Ten Years of Harmony was recorded live in 1973 for the album The Beach Boys in Concert.

<i>Hawthorne, CA</i> (album) 2001 compilation album by the Beach Boys

Hawthorne, CA, subtitled Birthplace of a Musical Legacy, is the second anthology collection by the Beach Boys and released through Capitol Records. A double-compact disc, it was put together after the positive reaction to the Endless Harmony Soundtrack to give hardcore Beach Boys fans more rarities and alternate versions of well-known songs. The collection features spoken word tracks from different band members recorded throughout the 1990s during production of the Endless Harmony documentary, as well as a clip from a 1969 radio show. Home recordings dating back to 1960 and a backing track from 1973's "Sail On, Sailor" were also included. It never charted in either the United States or the United Kingdom, and it is currently out of print.

<i>Classics Selected by Brian Wilson</i> 2002 compilation album by The Beach Boys

Classics selected by Brian Wilson is a compilation of songs by The Beach Boys and released through Capitol Records in mid-2002. It was compiled by Brian Wilson himself that February. It includes a new recording of an unreleased 1970s track, "California Feelin'" not by The Beach Boys but Wilson and his live band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss Me, Baby</span> 1965 single by The Beach Boys

"Kiss Me, Baby" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was issued as the B-side of the group's "Help Me, Rhonda" single on April 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do It Again (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1968 single by Beach Boys

"Do It Again" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was released as a standalone single on July 8, 1968. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love as a self-conscious callback to the group's earlier surf image, which they had not embraced since 1964. Love and Wilson also share the lead vocal on the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfin' Safari (song)</span> 1962 single by the Beach Boys

"Surfin' Safari" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys, written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. Released as a single with "409" in June 1962, it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also appeared on the 1962 album of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">'Til I Die</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"'Til I Die" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up, subsequently issued as the B-side of the single "Long Promised Road". With autobiographical lyrics about death and hopelessness, it is one of the few songs in which both the words and music were written solely by Brian Wilson. An extended mix of the original recording, created by engineer Stephen Desper, was included on the 1998 Endless Harmony Soundtrack.

"Wonderful" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, it was their only collaboration that resulted in a love song, telling the story of a young girl's sexual awakening and its disruption of her devotion to God and her parents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cool, Cool Water</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"Cool, Cool Water" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love and later issued as an A-sided single in March 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slip On Through</span> 1970 single by the Beach Boys

"Slip On Through" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. Written by Dennis Wilson and Gregg Jakobson, it was issued as a single with the B-side "This Whole World". It did not chart.

"Come Go With Me" is a song written by C. E. Quick, an original member of the American doo-wop vocal group the Del-Vikings. The song was originally recorded by The Del-Vikings in 1956 but not released until July 1957 on the Luniverse LP "Come Go With The Del Vikings". The final version of the song was released in the second week of January 1957 and was led by Gus Backus. When Joe Averbach, the owner of Fee Bee Records couldn't handle the demand, he signed with Dot Records in late January 1957; the song became a hit, peaking at No. 5 on the US Billboard Top 100 Pop Charts. It also reached #2 on the R&B chart.

"Lady" is a song written by Dennis Wilson, recorded by him with Daryl Dragon and released under the name "Dennis Wilson & Rumbo" in the United Kingdom on 4 December 1970, on Stateside Records. The song served as the B-side of the "Sound of Free" single. The single was not issued in the United States.

Mark Linett is an American record producer and audio engineer who is best known for his remixing and remastering of the Beach Boys' catalog. Since 1988, he has been the engineer for Brian Wilson's recordings. He has also worked with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Los Lobos, Rickie Lee Jones and Randy Newman. Linett is based in Glendale, California, where he owns a home studio, Your Place or Mine Recording.

"Loop de Loop (Flip Flop Flyin' in an Aeroplane)" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, and Carl Wilson. It was originally recorded between the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1998, Jardine finished the song for its release on Endless Harmony Soundtrack.

<i>Made in California</i> 2013 box set by The Beach Boys

Made in California (1962–2012) is a compilation box set by the Beach Boys, released on August 27, 2013. The set, released through Capitol Records, was designed by Mark London in a form emulating a high school yearbook. The set contains six CDs with tracks that span the band's entire career, including outtakes, demos, B-sides, rarities, alternate takes and versions, plus over 60 previously unreleased. It supersedes the theretofore career-spanning 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys, which followed a similar premise.

"H.E.L.P. Is On the Way" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was recorded during the making of their 1971 album Surf's Up. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love about H.E.L.P., a Los Angeles restaurant that the band had frequented. The song also references Wilson's health food shop, the Radiant Radish.

<i>Feel Flows</i> (album) 2021 compilation album and box set by the Beach Boys

Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969–1971 is an expanded reissue of the albums Sunflower (1970) and Surf's Up (1971) by American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released by Capitol/UME on August 27, 2021 and was produced by Mark Linett and Alan Boyd. Feel Flows is the band's first major archival release since Wake the World and I Can Hear Music in 2018, and the first issued on physical media since Sunshine Tomorrow in 2017. The title is taken from the Surf's Up track "Feel Flows".

References

  1. ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Review: Endless Harmony". Macrovision Corporation . Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  2. ↑ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). London: Oxford University Press. p. 479. ISBN   978-0-19-531373-4.
  3. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; with Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York, NY: Fireside/Simon & Schuster. p.  46. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.