231 US Pop Culture 1969 Part 3
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- This week, we wind up the spring of 1969 with a lot of attention to the Beach Boys and their new single, "Break Away!" Check out the 1969 "Break Away to Pontiac" jingle at: • 1969 Pontiac Commercial
Flo & Eddie used to have a radio show on Sunday nights in the early 70s in L A. That was where I heard Break Away for the first time, and they played it a lot. Before that, I didn't even know it existed. You showed a poster or sheet music cover of Break Away, and it had a credit at the bottom: Bri-Mur Publishing Co. I've never seen that credit before (as far as I can remember). I enjoyed seeing the photo of the youthful Regis Philbin as Joey Bishop's sidekick. Looking forward to part 4.
Nice that Flo & Eddie game "Break Away" some air time and reminded folks of it in the early 70s! Good eye on that "Bri-Mur Publishing" credit. As far as I can tell, the only song that used it was "Break Away." (Presumably, that meant that Brian and Murry kept publishing rights when Murry sold the Sea of Tunes catalog a few months later in 1969. It makes me wonder if the sale was under negotiation, or, at least, consideration, when "Break Away" was written and the new publishing company was designed to retain the rights. That would be very interesting to look into.) I was surprised, too, to see young Regis Philbin as "Joey Bishop's Ed McMahon” when I was putting this together. Thanks, as always, for the feedback, Paul! Looking forward to your thoughts on Part 4!
I first saw The Beach Boys perform “ Break Away “ live in the late Summer of 1970 at Manhattanville College in Westchester County NY . The venue was a temporary stage on an outdoor athletic field . They performed well and the sound system was adequate . The band wore those godawful cream-colored suits with flared trousers and lapels the size of surfboards . A hatless Mike Love was still able to get by with a comb over .
It was not a particularly memorable concert except for the opening act ….. The Brooklyn Bridge . Their set was fabulous ! My mind drifted to the Spring of 1969 when I met an unsung giant of popular music .
I was invited by a college friend to spend spring break at his Mother and Stepfather’s home in Florida . My Buddy had explained that his Stepfather , George Paxton , had been a pretty big-time bandleader in the 1930’s and1940’s . In 1969 , he was the semi-retired President of COED Records. My doo wop antenna went up as I knew that COED had artists like The Dupree , The Harptones , and The Crests .
George was engaging and seemed amused by my interest and questions about his involvement with rock and roll . I didn’t know then that he was an accomplished musician, ( Julliard ! ) , bandleader , arranger , music publisher , and composer . He patiently answered my questions in his unique style …. kind of 1940’s musician jive speak ….i.e. , “ Those cats could really cook !” . It was like listening to Phil Harris .
He related many stories , but one stands out even today . When composers Luther Dixon and Allyson Khent delivered a song intended for The Crests , it was titled “ Nineteen Candles “ . It told of a man in love with a girl who was still a teenager . George , who produced the record , reasoned that most of the kids who bought his 45’s could better relate to the age of sixteen .
The song , of course , became “ Sixteen Candles “ . Other facts came out such as, “ …we wrote the bridge in the studio “ and …” can you believe he hit that last note full voice? “ . In retrospect , I imagine that George considered such doo wop records a “ lightweight “ period in his long music career .
Talk about influencing pop culture . Without that song title change , maybe there’s no hit movie with Molly Ringwald . Perhaps Sam Cooke doesn’t release “ Only Sixteen “ . Johnny Burnette ( and Ringo Starr ) might never have performed “ You’re Sixteen “
I never saw George Paxton again , but I’ll not forget the many tidbits of pop music knowledge he imparted
to me .
Wow! Fantastic memories of the Beach Boys live in 1970...and that's just the beginning!
It's SO cool not only that you met George Paxton, but were knowledgable enough to engage him such interesting conversation! (Until your comments, I was "vaguely aware" of his name from the 30s and 40s. I've, just now, read up a little more on him.) He sounds like an amazing individual and was clearly witness too, and an important contributor, to mid-twentieth century popular music. Sadly, those folks have gone today. It's great that you got a chance to meet and speak with him!
Great story about "Nineteen Candles" becoming "Sixteen Candles." George's suggested title change was shrewd and, as you point out, probably also highly influential on what came later.
Once again, I envy your excellent experiences, both in seeing the Beach Boys and Brooklyn Bridge live in 1970 and in meeting George Paxton. Thanks, as always, for taking the time to share the great information and memories, Beanie! VERY much appreciated!
Breakaway has always been huge over here in UK and remains one of the groups most played hits today. It seems to me that by summer 1969 , pop music was going through a reset as many groups were either breaking up or were trying different styles, some successfully, others never to be heard again and many now concentrating on albums rather than singles , Traffic being one and the Who being another that springs to mind , but even MOR groups like the Tremeloes were going for a more serious style , as were the Hollies, so i suppose it was no surprise the Breakaway was selling well here as it fitted in well with the events of the day with a very polished sound, with harmonies to die for , which somehow indicating the fact that even though the group was breaking away, the future was looking bright , as with the saying " One door closes, Another opens " and the Beach Boys were entering a new phase.
So, with all this in mind, , its hardly any surprise what was happening to the Monkees, though its fair to say they were still doing well over here and of course, rumours were rife that the Beatles were not getting on and there were all sorts of rumours suggesting that the group would break up as the build them up and knock em down culture gathered pace, but i guess thats what sells newspapers and of course, all eyes were on John and Yoko, who i suspect were playing up to the media in beds, bags and being generally weird.
Still as Oscar Wilde once said, There is only one thing worse than being talked about and thats NOT being talked about and to my mind Breakaway was well worth talking about as its a fine single.
The Beatles' breakup rumours were turning a lot of heads and seriously depressing a lot of people over here. Nice reading your words, Chris ! Thank you.
Applying that Oscar Wilde quote to John and Yoko circa 1969 is one of the most apt I've ever heard, Chris! Your comments have me thinking that part of the Beach Boys continuing success in the UK (and Europe) was that, for some reason, the general public there, seemingly, didn't have them "pigeon-holed" into a specific genre or time period, the way they were here. It's just a thought, but, could the timing of their big success in the US coming "pre-Beatles" here and "post-Beatles" there be a factor? I tend to think they just had better and more eager promotion in the UK, but I wonder if that slight, but important, difference in timing played a part in how the Beach Boys were perceived.
In any case, as you point out, 1969 was undoubtedly a time of tremendous change in music. As we fans know, of course, the Beach Boys were keeping up with those changes. It's great that the UK audience was there to embrace the changes, seemingly, much more than the US did...and, of course, the US listening audience largely missed a great single in "Break Away."
Great feedback, as always, Chris! Thanks!
@@burlingtonbill1 The pleasure is mine Bill , Thank You.
I remember going to see "Midnight Cowboy", "True Grit", "The Longest Day", & "The Wild Bunch". I wasn't aware of any of the other movie's mentioned. I read about the Mike Douglas performance in one of the music press at the time telling us that " it wouldn't be to long before it reaches our TV screens". It actually took over 45 years. The same thing was said about their appearance on the David Frost show. As the "Break Away" single was claiming up the charts over here Brian was quoted in the press that the Beach Boys were bankrupt and their whole future was heavily dependant of the success of "Breakaway". Mike and Bruce made an appearance on "top of the pops" that week to promote the single and also tried to smooth over the bankruptcy story in some of the music papers. What I mostly remember about "Breakaway" is how popular the song was in all of our coffee bars and pubs during it's time on the chart's it was constantly played on every juke box from early morning till very late at night, and I was both very surprised and disappointed that it only reached no 6 in the charts. Great times and another fine episode.
Coincidentally, I was just looking over the movie titles in this episode and those four; "Midnight Cowboy," "True Grit," "The Longest Day" and "The Wild Bunch" are the only ones I've seen. (I turned nine in 1969, so, of course, I saw all of them long "after the fact.")
It's SO great to know that "Break Away" was playing on jukeboxes there and getting the kind of reception that it greatly deserved (and failed to get in the US.) It's also great to know the music press covered the Mike Douglas and David Frost appearances. Apart from anything else, it's impressive that the group were getting that kind of press coverage there in 1969.
Thanks for the reminder about Brian's "bankruptcy" statement too! (I'll be mentioning it briefly in a future episode.) As I've mentioned in other comments here, reading the other band members' quotes from the time, I get the idea there was a lot of frustration with Brian in 1969 and I'm sure those comments were part of it! (I'll see if I can find the Mike and Bruce "Top of The Pops' appearance too.)
Great stuff, as always, John! Thanks so much for passing along the UK perspective and your insights!
Great video once again Steve! I was told by a very old friend of mine that "1969 was the time to be alive!"
I turned 9 that year, so I probably see 1969 from a different perspective from your friend, but, in my memory, it seems like the whole year consisted of sunny summer days. I think your friend may be right! Thanks for the feedback, Usualmike!
"Goodbye Columbus" was a great song from the Association. For some reason, I've always liked the Monkees' hit, "Listen To The Band," released during this period. After Peter left, many seemed to write them off. Another fine video from Prof. Lewis, with great visuals. Thanks!
Nice job detailing "Break Away." Re: Mike Douglas appearance: Carl Wilson on drums? I've never heard about that appearance before. So I checked it out. It looked more like a parking place for Carl as they may have been singing to a backing track. The drum kit was pretty well hidden by the way they staged everyone! I'm glad Denny came out front for the 2nd number, which was "Celebrate The News." I would rather have heard "Never Learn," myself. czcams.com/video/jbNSuADf9fI/video.html There's an additional live performance on the David Frost which has better camera work (you can see Denny on his drums a lot better. I don't think the sound mix on the vocals was quite as good, however. czcams.com/video/_pp89LbYKtg/video.html
Yet another Mike Douglas show post: "I Can Hear Music" & "Never Learn." (Carl on drums, clearly seen, but you can also see he's NOT a drummer!) The audio is pretty mediocre. czcams.com/video/oS1_rzZFgr8/video.html And here's the "Hawthorne" / Brian version: czcams.com/video/nHx2xWtuQac/video.html
Thanks for mentioning the "Goodbye Columbus" song by The Association. I wasn't aware of it. I just gave it a listen and I love the "sunny 60s" feel of it. (It's going on a mix for me sometime soon!)
I agree about "Listen To The Band." It's a great track and, I'm thinking, probably the most highly-regarded of their "post-Peter" records today. (I'm saying that "off the top of my head." Am I forgetting anything?)
I’m pretty sure that the Beach Boys are miming to the track on “The Mike Douglas Show.” I thought it sounded like they were miming to the record for “Break Away” but that Dennis’ vocal was “live” on “Celebrate The News.” I see what you mean about the drum kit being a “parking place” for Carl while Dennis takes center stage. That definitely makes sense. (I suppose if Dennis did a lead vocal in concert in those days, Mike Kowalski would have been there to take over.)
Thanks, as always, for the excellent insights and feedback, Bill!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 A couple of other points on these subjects. 1. I don't know if this still the case, but the CZcams video for the Beach Boys' appearance on Mike Douglas had a CZcams parental advisory-type warning. Of course, nothing objectionable happened in the video itself, so it must have been about Never Learn Not To Love, which as a song is not objectionable either, but of course there's the matter of its original author. 2. Regarding the Monkees' post-Peter years, including Mike's Nine Times Blue on either Instant Replay or Present would have elevated those albums, quality-wise, immeasurably. I still can't believe that song, which I consider to be one of the best of the past 100 years, wasn't released in the 1960s, especially as Mike, Micky and Davy sang a wonderful version of it on the Johnny Cash Show. I mean, if you're going to sing a song on TV, doesn't that means you want the public to buy it?
@@joelgoldenberg1100 I didn't notice the "advisory" on the Mike Douglas clip. I might have missed it or watched a different posting. In any case, it's ridiculous. I had forgotten that "Nine Times Blue" didn't end up on a Monkees album until "Missing Links." So, yeah! Why would they perform it on Johnny Cash if it wasn't going to be available anywhere? Very odd! (The Johnny Cash Show performance is very nice with the group vocal, too! I can certainly imagine that people went looking for it in the record stores.) Thanks for the follow-up, Joel!
Good video Steve. I think 1969 seems perhaps the first year TV went psychedelic.
"Breakaway" lyrics always intrigued me. Like somebody coming to terms with their own drug addiction. Idk. What say you.
"Celebrate the News" is very Manson inspired. The lyrics describe a season of "bad luck"
As well the second verse to me describes, like "break away", the fleeting euphoria of a drug trip.
The single is the most " "hippie dippy Sixties" vibe The Beach boys to me.
What say you😮
Interesting insight on 1969 television, Marco! I've always thought that US television "going color" and the brightly colorful psychedelic period were intwined. I know TV shows made a point in the late 60s to use a lot of garish color to show off those new color set and it seems perfectly timed to the psychedelic era. Good point about 1969 being the year TV really went psychedelic. (I know the networks also made a pointed decision to tone down the colors in the early 70s, which also seems to follow the wider trend of the times.)
Thanks also for the insight on "Break Away." The drug angle definitely works for those lyrics. I should have considered it from that perspective. Thanks for pointing it out!
I definitely see the similarities between "Celebrate The News" and "Never Learn Not To Love" too.
Thanks, as always, for the excellent perspective and insight, Marco! Always great to hear from you!
Superb again. I agree with you and Al Jardine that Breakaway's finale needed more punch. By my reckoning, the group accomplished that in the alternative version on the box set with Brian singing the lead on the first verse. Inexplicably, the Beach Boys chose the good but less stellar ending. Marcella also suffered from a less than dynamic ending. Although the mixes on the extended Sounds of Summer are mixed, Marcella is the excellent exception. Pity that the Beach Boys did not release that version rather than Carl's too passive mix. Thank you for your unsurpassed commentary.
Thanks for the excellent feedback, Robert! Considering the feedback I've received from you and others, I wish I'd gone into the various mixes and versions of "Break Away." Clearly, the elements were there to make the track stronger than the mix they went with. Good comparison about the ending of "Marcella" too! I hadn't thought of that. Now that you point it out, I definitely see what you mean! Thanks again for the insights, Robert! Much appreciated!
Great stuff as usual Steve. Since I started watching your channel, I've learned at least 75 percent more than I already knew about the Beach Boys and I love the deep dives. I saw non of the movies in this episode. Coincidentally, I have actually gotten movies because of your channel. Always fun to watch. Thanks for the knowledge.
Thanks for the feedback and for the kind words, Michael! I'd say my knowledge about the Beach Boys is also about 75% better since I started the channel: Between the research and the viewer feedback, it's been an avalanche of great information! Learning more about movies, TV and other records has been great for me too. I've found a lot of movies and records that I've really enjoyed from viewer recommendations. Always great to hear from you, Michael, and thanks for being a contributor!
Break Away has always been a favorite of mine. Nice coverage Steve, 1969 seems like only yesterday as you mention the tv shows that brought us so much entertainment. Do it again a classic, and easily makes my Top 10 all time Beach Boys songs.
Thanks, Don, and I agree about "Break Away." I first heard it when I bought the "Spirit of America" collection in 1975. Even then, my first thought was "where did this great song come from and how is it I never heard it before?" It's an outstanding track! Glad to hear you enjoyed the episode!
Hoffman and Voight were nominated and many were disappointed when Wayne was give what amounted to a lifetime Oscar.
Interesting! I can definitely see that! Wayne is certainly good in "True Grit," but, even separated by all these decades, it does seem little like a "lifetime achievement award." Thanks for the info, Bill! Much appreciated!
Always like learning about songs/artists and movies of the period you're talking about, Steve! Of the movies you mentioned, found out about The Mad Room, with Stella Stevens, a couple of years ago. Being a fan of hers, want to pick up the DVD of the movie. In the early to mid 1970s, Stella, along with Roddy McDowell, did a wonderful horror spoof called Arnold, which has only been released on videotape (copies are rare and expensive to buy). Thankfully, the entire Arnold movie is on CZcams. The Beach Boys appearance on the Mike Douglas that you mentioned (where Carl played drums, while Dennis was up front singing), is it on this same episode where Dennis (with Mike Douglas's encouragement) starts dancing with one of Douglas's female guests? When I first heard "Break Away", didn't think it was as good as it was made out to be by people. However, like a lot of Beach Boys songs, it's grown on me. Have always liked Dennis's "Celebrate The News." Oh, was able to watch the Don Adams/Don Rickles television special, with the Beach Boys. Enjoyed it! Thought those two made a good comedy team, and didn't know that they had ever done anything together!
Thanks for letting me know about "Arnold." I hadn't heard of it before. Your descrition sounds interesting and I just read some more about it on line. I'll check it out on CZcams when I have a chance.
Now that you've mentioned it, I remember seeing Dennis dancing with the female guest on Mike Douglas. I can't remember which appearance that was. I'll see if I can figure it out.
Glad to hear you checked out the Don Adams/Don Rickles TV special. I think those two had good comic chemistry, especially with Rickles being quick with the insults and Adams being so good at the "slow burn" and reacting comically. It was a good match.
Thanks, as always, for the great info, Robert! I'll try to follow-up when I've had a chance to give "Arnold" a viewing!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I did watch the Beach Boys Mike Douglas episode again, and near the end of the Beach Boys segment, Dennis does start dancing with Douglas's female guest. Also posted on CZcams are all these Beach Boys documentaries. One from 1966, made in Britain, is narrated by Marianne Faithful. Another, from 1968 (Which I'm currently watching) was also made in Britain. Another, called Going Platinum, was made in 1980 by some Japanese company, and is about the group making the KTSA album. Will be interested what you think of the "Arnold" movie!
@@robertzastrow4648 Thanks for the follow-up, Robert! I'm pretty sure I haven't see the doc narrated by Marianne Faithful. I'll look for it (especially as I've been putting some research on "1966" together recently!)
RE: Breakaway and The Monkees, the vocal melody of the Breakaway verse is very similar to that of Pleasant Valley Sunday
I love both songs!
I never noticed it before. You're absolutely right! Thanks for pointing it out, SeventyFour!
Steve.... Just when I think I know everything about the Beach Boys....you come in and blow me away(again). Great Job! I have always loved Breakaway. I always thought the name came from BREAKING AWAY from Capitol and they were CELEBRATing THE NEWS. I also like the version on the Hawthorne CD better then the single, with Brian singing the lead on the 1st verse and a more produced ending. I have mentioned this to you before.... but...I have always thought Breakaway and The Little Girl I Once Knew Were both orphans from the same father(Brian), both with no real home. Both are terrific singles but neither did very well on the US charts and both ended up on best-of albums. I have always thought The Little Girl should have been released after Barbara Ann did it's top 5 run in the charts. Probably the spring of '66, and let it have a chart run on it's own. It would have been a great transition from earlier music in 1965 and Pet Sounds. Then release Sloop JB just prior to Pet Sounds to bolster up the album sales at the time. Well.... they should have asked me.... of course I was only 12 at the time(LOL). Looking forward to next week's program. Thanks!
Breaking away from Capitol is an excellent interpretation of the lyrics. (I wonder if the folks at Capitol heard it that way. If so, I wonder if it contributed to the apparent lack of promotion for the single.)
Excellent point, too, on "The Little Girl I Once Knew." As I mentioned way back in episode 77, from looking at the charts, it appears that "LGIOK" didn't so much "fail" as it was stomped on by the release of "Barbara Ann" while "LGIOK" was still climbing the chart. I suspect someone at Capitol decided it was a waste to keep promoting "LGIOK" when "Barbara Ann" would help sell the "Party!" album ahead of Christmas. In any case, I think you're absolutely right that it would have done much better had it been held back and released between "Barbara Ann" and "Sloop John B." I think you're absolutely right that releasing "Sloop John B" closer to the release of "Pet Sounds" would have been a good move too! "LGIOK" another of my favorite Beach Boys tracks and sadly overlooked!
Thanks, as always, for the great info and perspective, Lamont!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I was just thinking.... I can imagine The LIttle Girl I Once Knew as the opener for Pet Sounds. A brand new sound, taking the best from California girls and Help Me, Rhonda, talking about finding a new love from and old acquaintance, then going into Wouldn't It Be Nice and continuing the love story. Also I have always thought that Sloop John B fits perfectly right after Let's Go Away for Awhile(talks about going away on a trip). Maybe.....maybe not...just thinking. Thanks...Lamont
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I've always liked LGIOK more than SJB. Maybe it would have blended in better to the themes & sounds of "Pet Sounds"? Bruce Johnston always says that SJB doesn't really fit well.
@@lamontsouth5301 With that phenomenal intro, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" would have made a great album opener! It seems like it actually would have fit better on "Pet Sounds" than "Sloop John B." Good point about "Sloop John B's" placement. I agree! Thanks for the follow-up, Lamont!
@@burlingtonbill1 I don't mind having "Sloop John B" there at the end of side one, but I agree that "LGIOK" would have fit better. (Actually, there's room for both of them if they'd decided to go that route.) Thanks, Bill!
Celebrate The News' ending more than makes up for Break Away's.
Yes! Great observation! Thanks for pointing that out, Bill!
Another great video Steve! And I love the Steely Dan in the background :)
Thanks, Ted! Good eye on spotting "Can't Buy A Thrill," (which was part of this week's "Can and Can't" background theme.) I really love that album!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 here’s an interesting fact about “ Can’t Buy A Thrill “ …. The lead singer on “ Reelin ‘ in the Years “ is Dave Palmer , who had been the main vocalist for The Myddle Class . They were a terrific band from Northern NJ in the mid sixties and deserved more recognition than they actually received .
The Myddle Class headlined a concert at Summit High School that has become famous in that one of the opening acts was The Velvet Underground . Despite what snooty , arty critics claim today , The Velvet Underground WERE booed off the stage . They truly sucked !
Personally I never saw any reason for their fame and notoriety in later years either . I will admit that Lou Reed created some notable work on his own , however .
@@beanie226 Thanks for the info on Dave Palmer and The Myddle Class, Beanie! I knew almost nothing about Dave Palmer and hadn't heard of The Myddle Class before. I'll have to check into them!
Thanks for the info on The Velvet Underground being booed! It doesn't surprise me. I'm very much a "pop guy" so I find most of their work "hard going" apart from a track here and there, especially on the "Loaded" album, which it their least critically loved, yet most enjoyable album. I agree that Lou Reed did some notable work on his own and John Cale later made some records I really love, like "Paris 1919." I'm pretty sure if I'd seen a Velvet Underground show "back in the day," I'd have been, right there, booing too! Thanks again for the great follow-up, Beanie!
Well, as promised, some reflections on Break Away, my favorite Beach Boys song: 1. I'm surprised, given his preference for mono, that a Brian Wilson production was released in stereo, and even more surprising is that the next single, Al's re-do of Cotton Fields, released in 1970, was mono and was available that way exclusively for many years. 2. One bizarre Beach Boys CD release was that of Spirit of America. While the original album was a mix of stereo, mono and fake stereo (though not Duophonic), the original Capitol CD was all mono, even Break Away, which had been released as a UK single in mono. I don't know if they used that mix. Steve Hoffman remastered a much better version of Spirit of America, but that's hard to find. 3. I disagree with Al's (edit: actually Bruce)comment about the guys sounding like old men on the song, and that Brian stopped singing high at this time. Those ethereal harmonies in the background at the close of the song are heartbreakingly beautiful and amongst their best ever. Also, that year, Brian recorded the long-unreleased Where Is She?, which may contain Brian's highest-ever singing, as does his demo for (American) Spring, Awake. (I love the part at the beginning when Marilyn tells Brian not to wreck his voice.) 4. IIRC Brian insists that Murry wrote the lyrics to Break Away, but considering the lyrics and how they relate to Brian (especially the "voices in my head" part), I have my doubts. But if he did, then Murry was a very hip lyricist and makes me wonder if he contributed lyrically to other Beach Boys songs without credit. 5. To me, to some extent, I find Break Away to be a bit reminiscent of Darlin' musically. Sometimes, when I hear Break Away in my head, it sometimes turns into Darlin'. 6. I love all versions of Break Away. At one point, I preferred the alternate version on the Hawthorne, Ca. set with Brian singing the first verse. I felt that whole version had a sharper sound, while the original felt a little understated mix and volume wise, but I've returned to the original thanks to the mastering on the Feel Flows set. 7. On the other hand, I fault the Feel Flows set for shortchanging Break Away, with just the original version and a short excerpt. I would have appreciated at least 15-20 minutes of that song, including the isolated and looped ending harmonies part that was released, ahem, unofficially. 8. I love Brian's demo of Break Away, especially his very strong and dynamic vocals on the chorus. And that one is mono!
While it isn't my favorite BB single, I do appreciate your detailed analysis and always look forward to your production notes. Thanks for the always-thorough scrutiny of such things! I will have to return to "Hawthorne" for another listen!
Thanks, Joel, for the EXCELLENT analysis and breakdown of the many and varied versions, edits, mixes and masters of "Break Away," which I, frankly, find bewildering at this point. Great information!
Good points, too, about Bruce's comments about "Break Away" being when Brian stopped "singing high" and the group "sounding like old men." (Al commented that "Break Away" was "90% of a strong (or good. I don't remember the exact adjective) single.") When I was researching, I was surprised that the comments I found about "Break Away" from group members seemed to be generally negative and to fault Brian. I got the impression that some of it, at least, was "Monday morning quarterbacking." If the single had been a huge hit, I suppose the memories and comments would have been very different. I also got the feeling that there might have been a general exasperation with Brian at the time...that, maybe, they were keenly aware of the fact their leader just wasn't up to the kind of steady leadership he'd provided for so long and were unhappy about it.
In any case, thanks again for taking the time to contribute these comments, Joel! Not only are they interesting for me (and I'm sure the other readers) but they offer an important expansion on what I covered in the episode. (When I do an eventual "follow up" episode, I'll try to remember to recommend this for anyone who missed it.) Great stuff and, once again, thanks VERY much, Joel!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Thanks for the clarification that Bruce said Brian was singing low at the time of Break Away. Interestingly, I was just looking at the Surf's Up issue of ESQ and Al commented that he sang what he now considers an "annoying" falsetto at the beginning of Loop de Loop because Brian stopped singing falsetto. So I guess they both said it at different times.
@@joelgoldenberg1100 Thanks for the clarification, Joel!
Agree with all - Break Away deserves more appreciation. Thanks for providing so much context for the release of the original single in 1969. For my part, my favorite version is the “remastered” version from the Warmth of the Sun collection, which also appears with a short studio intro on the Made in California box set.
Excellent episode, Steve! Diving right in, where did you find the Monkees footage as seen at 8:06? I searched the Glen Campbell show, but could not find anything matching this image (Davy playing bass??? What type of bass? I gotta know!) Fascinating backstory on Break Away. I've always liked this tune, but agree it ended with a thud much like the original Phil Spector/Ronette's "I Can Hear Music" (thank goodness Carl had the sense to resolve their version with the same energy that hooks the listener in the first place); and goodness, another freakin' example of Al Jardine sounding like Carl or Brian (I didn't immediately realize that Carl was no longer singing until listening more intently.) "Celebrate the News" is certainly an interesting track, especially with its use of odd-time signatures during the first half before switching to standard 4/4 (much like "Money" by Pink Floyd) - cool tune.
The Monkees clip is on facebook. I found it by googling "Monkees Glen Campbell." Great comparisons on the ending of "Break Away" and the Ronettes' "I Can Hear Music" and the time signatures of "Celebrate The News" and, of all things, "Money." It takes a musician to come up with those connections! Thanks for passing them along, Chris!
Very informative episode Steve. I feel an opportunity was missed when during the beach boys endless summer era resurgence in popularity that they did not release any new material. However, breakaway was included on spirit of America. Capital should have re-released that as a single at that time. I Remember how fresh and contemporary it sounded on that album even in 1975. It was new to me and sounded like it was a brand new song. It felt out of place on that album because it was so ‘modern’ sounding. I think the song celebrate the news is great too and I do recall reading somewhere it could be referencing Dennis’ celebrating getting away from Manson by that time.
I think you're really right that Capitol should have re-released "Break Away" in conjunction with the "Spirit of America" set in 1975. I first heard the song on that set and agree with everything you said about it, including how fresh and contemporary it sounded, even six years after its original release. Capitol did pretty well re-releasing "Surfin USA" in conjunction with "Endless Summer" a year earlier. Instead of "Break Away," they re-released "Little Honda" b/w "Hawaii" to tie in with "Spirit of America." (Neither side charted.) It's an excellent point and I'm making a note of it to mention when we, eventually, get to 1975 and "Spirit of America." (I'll be sure to give you a "shout out" for thinking of it, too!)
I could certainly see Dennis' lyric to "Celebrate The News" being a reference to getting away from Manson. Thanks for pointing out that perspective too, Go!
Great to hear from you and thanks, again, for the thoughts and insights!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 thanks Steve! Great minds think alike 😉. And thanks for the reminder that the little Honda single was released. I had forgotten about that.
@@Gowiththeflow1966 I figured they must have released something as a single from "Spirit of America," but I had to look it up! Thanks again, Go!
Great episode, Steve! I was looking forward to this as I really like 'Break Away' and I feel that it's failure was not only a result of the Beach Boys' diminishing reputation in counter culture terms, but also because it suffered from a lackluster mix. All the elements of a great track were present, it just didn't come together in that final, critical stage. I feel that a mix that would've brought up it's dynamics would've made it jump out at people like it should've as everything about it was strong: the vocals and the drums especially, which should've been given more emphasis. Brian already had a reputation for rushing through mixes, even in his prolific period, which he obviously got away with as the band were on a winning streak, but by 1969 not only had that changed, but obviously the sound of singles and what was on the radio did and he obviously really wasn't up to the task to step his game up and take that into consideration. The remixes on the 'Hawthorne, California' compilation and others that have come out after it prove that the elements were there, it's just the released mix was muddled and underwhelming. I feel 'Celebrate The News' was mixed much better, but just wasn't as commercial of a song as 'Break Away'. The single never would've been #1, but it could've at least outperformed the inferior 'Do It Again'. Also touched upon in the episode was one of my favorite films of all time: 'Midnight Cowboy'. I didn't discover it until well after it's release and it really resonated with me which is a testament to how great and multi-faceted of a film it really is. There was a book I bought last summer about the making of it called 'Shooting Midnight Cowboy' by Glenn Frankel, which goes into a deep and comprehensive recollection about how it all came together and I suggest you check it out if you enjoy the film as much as I do. And I feel that Schlesinger did seek out to portray New York as dark and gritty as he could as I feel that was his interpretation of the city viewing it as an import from England.
I loved your thoughts on the Break Away sonics... right on !
Thanks for the excellent perspective on the mix of "Break Away" and, to echo BurlingtonBill's comment, I think you're right on! I'm kind of "reading between the lines" with this, and I could be wrong, but Al's quote about Brian creating "90% of a great single," I think was about more than just the last section of the single being a little weak. I got the feeling that it was more about Brian "dropping the ball" on the record just before it was really done. I wonder if, as he often did, Brian lost interest in the single at the 11th hour and just kind of slapped the mix together?
I mean, I think it's a great single as it is, but, as you point out, the elements were there to make it much stronger.
Thanks for letting me know about the Glenn Frankel book. It sounds really interesting! Thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks, too, for the thoughts on Schlesinger's portrayal of New York. I've spent a little time researching "1970" recently for some future episodes and have realized that "Midnight Cowboy" was followed by a real avalanche of "gritty New York" movies all through the 70s and 80s. (Apart from the occasional Woody Allen movie, I can't think of many movies, in the 70s at least, that portrayed New York any other way. Seems like it lightened up a bit in the 80s, at least.)
Thanks, once again, for the excellent perspective and info, Mike!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 you're welcome, of course. And I think you read Al's quote accurately with him almost repeating the opinion he shared of Brian's production on the first version of 'Cotton Fields'. I think he felt Brian was no longer investing himself in his productions as he had done in the past and there's definitely evidence to back that up. I feel that part of it was distractions (his various vices, friends, etc) and that he was afraid of really giving it his all because if it wasn't a hit, then he'd feel hurt and rejected. His idol Phil Spector adopted that same mentality after 'River Deep-Mountain High' wasn't a hit, and that might've influenced Brian to embrace that same attitude. He just lost that desire for competition and the resilience to handle the potential negative outcomes of putting himself out there artistically. Also: maybe part of it was he just wasn't feeling the song entirely to begin with, possibly because it was a collaboration with Murry and that probably took a lot of compromise for him to push himself through that. Had it been written with someone he was enthusiastic about, his attitude towards the song and production would've been more spirited.
And: I think you'll really like the 'Midnight Cowboy' book. Now that you point it out: I do think it was kind of a trendsetter in terms of other filmmaker's approaching the city from a grittier angle. I feel that 1969 was the first year mainstream filmmakers really started to move away from the glossed over approach that was the status quo in movies and gravitated towards a darker, more realistic view of life. Also the easing of the censorship in films played a part in that too, they could get away with more. But, I think I've bombarded you with enough information for one comment. Thanks for your response and insight once again, Steve!!
@@burlingtonbill1 thank you Bill! I really appreciate that! Definitely a missed opportunity. Mixing does play a big role in the personality and reception of a song.
@@novim9 I think that's an excellent "read" of what Brian's attitude may have been in 1969. The quotes I came across from the rest of the band from that period often express a lot of frustration with Brian. It must have been hard for them to see him retreating and adopting that "defensive" attitude. (Of course, it only got worse for a long time, but none of them could have know that then.)
I think you're right about 1969 being the year that films, in general, began to go "darker and grittier." ("Easy Rider," which we'll be getting to soon, is also often cited as a part of that "new Hollywood" movement.) I think the relaxation of censorship definitely played a part. I think there was also a certain level of pessimism creeping in from the Vietnam War dragging on that made "bleak" films seem more appropriate for the times. I suppose there was some kind of nexus between it being attractive to show a bleaker view of the world because it couldn't have been done before...and because it fit the tenor of the times. (As a kid, I remember a period of being delighted whenever a movie didn't end on a completely "downbeat" note...especially after the "kill all the characters and then blow up the world" ending of "Beneath The Planet of The Apes" traumatized me in 1970.) Thanks, Mike!
Great video, Breakaway is a great record but I prefer I can hear Music, Cottonfields, and Tears in the Morning from this era.
Thanks for the perspective, Raymond! The group certainly created a lot of excellent and diverse singles to choose from during this era. Great to hear from you!
"I was inspired by the Monkees' music. I thought they were a great band, and I thought,
'I can write a song that's just as good as the Monkees'!' So I wrote 'Break Away'... I was trying to write a hit single, and I think I did."
- Brian Wilson, as quoted in "The Beach Boys:
The Definitive Diary" by Keith Badman (2004)
hope this is accurate, I asked Instagram's AI to find it for me
Great work, John! Thanks! I have the book and use it for research. I can't believe I missed the quote! Much as I like the Monkees, it seems pretty funny to me that Brian, with his track record, would take it as a challenge to write a song as good as the Monkees. I will definitely give you a "shout out" on this next time I do one of those "Cool Stuff" episodes. Thanks again!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 I'd like to think that BW meant he was trying to write a more commercially-appealing song that would make #1 on the Top 40 charts, which were becoming less of a big deal by mid-'69.
I heard, not sure how reliable and I can't find the source, that the Monkees/Joey Bishop influence can also include seeing The Monkees performing Listen to the Band and Someday Man on the Bishop show. I can hear similarities between Someday Man and Breakaway (I may have read that in something Andrew Hickey wrote).
Thanks for the info, Iain! When I was researching, I read about the Monkees having been on the Joey Bishop Show. The source said the appearance came after "Break Away" had been written.
After reading your comments, I double-checked. According to the Keith Badman book (which, I know, isn't always correct), recording for "Break Away" began on March 31.
The Joey Bishop Show appearance was, apparently, April 24. From what I'm seeing, "Someday Man" was first released as the b-side of "Listen To The Band" on April 26.
If those dates are right, it seems like the resemblance between "Someday Man" and "Break Away" (which I can definitely hear too) must be coincidental, since "Break Away" was recorded before "Someday Man" was released, and "Someday Man" was released before "Break Away."
(I'm hoping someone will chime in here if the dates I'm finding are wrong.)
Your comments also lead me to give "Someday Man" another listen. I'd forgotten that it's a pretty good track!
When I posed a Monkees question, I was hoping you'd chime in, Iain! Thanks again for the feedback! It's always great to hear from you!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Dang! I should have checked the dates! Ah well...and yes, I think Someday Man is a really good track.
@@iainlee It was interesting to check out. Thank again, Iain!
Another great roundup of information, Steve! I watched the Pontiac commercial and while it may have been part of the inspiration for the BB track, I don't see much similarity musically. It's a typical "sing-songy' commercial jingle of the period. It's an amazingly long commercial, did they really show ones that long on TV in the 1960's? The Beach Boys song is much better and more interesting, I feel. It's a really enjoyable track and one of their best of the period, if not the best. I would rate it head and shoulders above "Do it again", which, as I've mentioned before, really does nothing for me and is a pretty weak track IMO.
I agree: the resemblance between the commercial jingle and the Beach Boys song is "passing" at best. If it played a part, I think it wouldn't have been any more than a partial inspiration. In any case, I've got to imagine Brian and Murry at least knew about the ad campaign and that some in the US audience, at least, would connect the two. (I'm glad that passing connection didn't put them off using "Break Away" in the lyric! As you point out, what they did with it was far, far beyond what's in the commercial jingle.)
Good point, too, about the commercial being long! I wonder if that's some kind of "master reel" produced for Pontiac that would be edited into 30 and 60 second commercial spots? Maybe that cut was used at auto shows or for dealer presentations? (I've seen shorter commercials that also use the jingle.) I hadn't noticed it before. Thanks for pointing it out!
Good to hear from you, Chris, and thanks again for the feedback and perspective!
I was never a fan of Midnight Cowboy. It's been a long time since I've watched it though so I should probably try it again. Not a big True Grit fan either but I love The Wild Bunch even though the violence is more than gratuitous.
It's so odd that the Beach Boys were so much bigger in Europe than in the US in the late 60s. I'm always surprised the Break Away never caught on in the US. There are so many weird releases too, with a demo released in 1998 for Endless Harmony Soundtrack, an alternate take that pops up many times such as on Warmth of the Sun and Made in California, and having its true LP debut on Spirit of America where it sticks out. Weirdly, even the big Feel Flows set doesn't provide much for it. I always thought it could be easily interpreted as a coming out of the closet/ LGBT anthem. I'm surprised no one ever took it in that direction.
Great video as always! Let me know if you want to collab again!
I've started wondering if the continued popularity of the Beach Boys in the UK and Europe had something to do with the slight difference in timing between their "breakthroughs." In the US, of course, they came "pre-Beatles" and in the UK, they started having hits slightly "post-Beatles." Maybe that made them seem more "modern" in the UK? I also think, maybe, not having had a "surf scene" in the UK, and all the cultural associations that came with it, might have helped the Beach Boys in the late 60s. Maybe, in the UK, the lack of that "cultural baggage" helped. (I think they also just received much better, and more creative, promotion in the UK where Capitol seems to have "written them off" after the mid-60s.)
Anyway, I digress!
Thanks for mentioning the various versions of "Break Away." I probably should have gone into them here. (Maybe, I'll do it in a follow-up!)
Definitely looking forward to another collaboration! Thanks, as always, for the great feedback!
3:28 What a stark difference there--the pure Hollywood True Grit vs Peckinpah's nihilistic The Wild Bunch...which is one the greatest American movies, IMHO. And of course, Wayne beat both Voigt and Hoffman for that Best Actor Oscar. Fine. Give it to the Duke. Jon and Dustin would both win later on down the road...
4:05 Why would they do Never Learn Not to Love, I wonder...?
Excellent section on Break Away. I'm mildly curious how they came up Reggie Dunbar for Murry's pseudonym...
As I mention in an episode later on, it struck me as a little surprising that, in such a "forward thinking" year as 1969, there were quite a few Westerns in the theaters. Peckinpah's movie certainly expanded the boundaries of the genre. (I agree that it's a great film.)
Good question on why they did "Never Learn Not To Love" on Mike Douglas. Now that you've mentioned it, I can only get to it by "process of elimination." "Do It Again" was pretty old by then. Some of the other 20/20 tracks, maybe, would have been too hard to mime (especially stuff from the SMiLE sessions.) I suppose they might have done "Bluebirds," but it has already "flopped" as a single, or they might have done "Cottonfields." I'm not sure. Thanks for raising an interesting question!
I wasn't able to find anyone even venturing a guess as to where "Reggie Dunbar" came from. It's a name that always sounded to me like a "lost character" from the Beatles "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."
(I'm hoping someone will chime in if they have any additional information.) Thanks for the feedback, rangergrrrl!
Andy Warhol accused Midnight Cowboy of stealing from his own films of the period and presenting a sanitized version of them and the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. BTW, I love “Breakaway” and never noticed any of the things it was criticized for.
Interesting! Do you happen to know if there was any merit to Andy Warhol's accusations? (I'd like to know, but I'm not sure if I'd want to suffer through a bunch of Andy Warhol films to find out!)
I love "Break Away" too. The criticisms I came across are interesting and didn't, in any way, diminish my enjoyment of the track. It's always been one of my favorites. Thanks for sharing the info and perspective, Danny! Much appreciated!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Lonesome Cowboys was the main film. Of course, the party sequence was straight out of The Factory.
@@danny1959 Sounds intriguing! Knowing that, I'd love to do a comparison sometime. Thanks again for the info, and for the follow-up, Danny!
As a lapsed New York native born in the 60s, with dim childhood memories of 1969, I can report that Midnight Cowboy reflected the scuzzy, sleazy reality of late-60s New York City (and Taxi Driver reflected the scuzzy, sleazy 70's New York City reasonably well, as did The Warriors, albeit in a cartoony way), rather than inspiring the popular national perception of New York. The city was given a major cleanup and overhaul in the 1980s, kicking the dozens of adult theaters and dope dealers out of Times Square and building a sanitized, Disney-fied version of the Square. This was followed by a law-and-order era during the 90's that turned New York into one of the safest big cities in America. In recent years, New York has returned to its scuzzy, sleazy form, but without that 60s/70s charm...
Thanks for the great feedback and perspective from a New York native! Thinking about it, I suppose "Midnight Cowboy" must have reflected reality, rather than "creating it" somehow. As I'm researching, I've definitely been reminded of how many movies in the 70s and into the 80s were centered around "scuzzy, sleazy" New York. I guess "Midnight Cowboy" was just one of the first. I don't know the city well at all, but I have been there enough over the years to have observed some of the trends you mention. (Actually, I'm hoping to get there in the fall...but not looking forward to seeing its return to "scuzzy, sleazy" form!) Thanks again for the great info and feedback, SC!
Still a mindblower to me that the BB actually performed Never Learn Not To Love on television, considering who wrote the song (I'm guessing you know who THAT was!). Thanks for including some Monkees info on this video...I'm just as hardcore a fan of those guys as I am of the Beach Boys. Very unfortunate we never got to hear anything (not even a single) from Peter's group. I wish I liked the Break Away 45 more, but it just never did it for me....too bad Slip On Through (recorded in 1969) didn't get released until the following summer. Soulful Old Man Sunshine, recorded by the BB later in 1969 (though not released officially until the 1990s), is, IMO, probably the best thing the group created that year (tough call tho....Slip On Through is a fantastic piece of work). Not a huge fan of any of the movies you highlighted in this episode, and Krakatoa's level of awfulness and sheer cinematic ineptitude is in a class by itself. Looking forward to seeing if you'll include Medium Cool in your next segment, since that was released in the summer. That's probably my favorite movie of 1969, along with On Her Majesties' Secret Service. Thanks for doing this series 👍...are you planning to go through all the 1970s as well?
I share your passion for Denny's "Slip On Through!" It was an awesome way to kick off "Sunflower," prolly my favorite BBs album of all time. I think Dennis did his best work as a group contributor on this album, as most people acknowledge.
I'm definitely a hardcore Monkees fan as well. Regarding "Release," I know Peter said, at one point, that he "might have some demos around somewhere." I hope they survived and that we'll get to hear them some day. It would be really interesting!
Thanks for mentioning "Soulful Old Man Sunshine!" It's a song that they, obviously, put a lot of work into and had high hopes for. It's very strange that it stayed "in the can" until the 90s. I wonder why?
I've never seen "Krakatoa..." myself, but the clips I saw when researching it definitely looks "inept" as you put it. My wife, who would have been five at the time, was taken by her parents to see it. (They wanted to see it and, in those days, if they wanted to see a movie, they just took the kids along, regardless of whether they thought the kids would enjoy it.) Unsurprisingly, she remembers it as a miserable experience.
At the risk of "spoilers" for next week, thanks, too, for mentioning "Medium Cool." It's another one I haven't seen. It sounded interesting when I was doing research. On your recommendation, I'm going to check it out!
Thanks for the great perspective, comments and info, Anthony!
Enjoyed the section on Breakaway very much. Superb song! Shame it wasn’t promoted. It would have made Capitol money
I agree! With the group about to leave the label, it seems like the Beach Boys could have given Capitol a "throwaway" single just to fill out the contract and save their "good stuff" for a new label. Whatever the reason, they gave Capitol a great single that, as far as I can see, Capitol promoted just as if it had been a "throwaway." It's definitely a shame...as you say, it's a superb song. Thanks for the comments, Jamie! Always great to hear from you!
@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 Looking back all these years later, a lesser group might have been sunk by such conscious or unconscious "sabotage" by their record label. Not promoting this song more strongly, reminds me of the short-lived promo of Pet Sounds before Capitol rushed out the "Best Of," the mediocre album covers, etc. There are probably other instances that could be cited.
@@burlingtonbill1 I agree, Bill. So often, especially at the time, a "Best of" was a subtle signal that an act was considered "over" by their label and the failure of a single like "Break Away" due to lack of promotion would have been "it" for a group's career. I'm sure neither thing helped, but the Beach Boys, fortunately, had the talent and the track record, to carry on. Thanks for the observations, Bill!