REVIEW

Vinyl Tap: The Beach Boys - Endless Summer

Written by Gordon Hauptfleisch
Published July 04, 2006

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Still I have the warmth of the sun
(Warmth of the sun)
Within me tonight
(Within me tonight)

I'll dreams of her arms
And though they're not real
Just like she's still there
The way that I feel

My love's like the warmth of the sun...

Though it was no doubt difficult to make track choices for this kind of an LP anthology, it is disappointing to note some glaring oversights for avid Beach Boys fans. The wonderfully manic missing-in-action go-go of “Dance, Dance, Dance” puts it up there with the best of the Beach Boys' up-tempo thrills, while “Breakaway” somehow broke away from the pack as a strong and polished burst of encouragement, surprisingly written for the most part by the feared and abusive patriarch, Murry Wilson. And to undercut any excess of positive-thinking that might have arisen, a perfect counterargument for self-doubt and insecurity could’ve swept in with “When I Grow Up (To Be A Man).”

These songs would show up in the 1975 follow-up collection, Spirit Of America, as does a track, “Please Let Me Wonder,” from Brian’s testing-the-waters departure and precursor to Pet Sounds, side two of Today!

It's unfortunate, then, that at least one of these less sprightly but more deeply evocative songs, perhaps “Kiss Me, Baby,” “She Knows Me Too Well,” or “In The Back Of My Mind,” -- the latter featuring the vocals of Dennis Wilson and a jarringly odd yet striking ending — could not represent on Endless Summer the peerless imagination of Brian Wilson. If room could be made for a post-Pet Sounds track, “Good Vibrations,” (no tracks from Pet Sounds made the cut), then something from an earlier time of experimentalism could and should have been allowed.

Oh, there I go again — harshing my own mellow, probably harshing my long-placated dog’s, too. I can just about see my endless summer coming to a finite end and feel the endless resonance dissipate to airy nothing. Shouldn’t be too hard to recapture the spirit though — all it takes is a turntable and sides one to four of Endless Summer, and soon enough we’ll be catchin' a wave of euphoria and "sittin’ on top of the world."

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Gordon Hauptfleisch, alias Neanderthal Hawthorne, is a Blogcritics Books Editor, free lance writer, and book reviewer for the San Diego Union Tribune. He's also an enigmatic visionary of unfathomable secrets and many a guise, or at least he plays one in his delusions of grandeur. His mandate also includes weird bugs. In a previous life he was a leprous horse thief.

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Vinyl Tap: The Beach Boys - Endless Summer: Published: July 04, 2006; Type: Review; Section: Music; Filed Under: Music: Pop, Music: Classic Rock and Oldies, Review; Part of a feature: Vinyl Tap; Writer: Gordon Hauptfleisch; Gordon Hauptfleisch's BC Writer page; Gordon Hauptfleisch's personal site

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Comments

#1 — July 4, 2006 @ 18:38PM — Glen Boyd [URL]

The Beach Boys In Concert was also the very first album I ever owned (I was seven years old), so there is some resonance there with me.

But the first time I recall being hit HARD by a Beach Boys track was some ten years later.

The way the closing sequence in the film American Graffiti plays with Richard Dreyfuss looking out the plane window and seeing Suzanne Somers elusive VW bug symbolized more than the end of an "Endless Summer."

It symbolized a certain rite of passage as well as the loss of innocence. It meant you could never go home again.

That remains for me the single greatest use of music in a films closing sequence I've ever seen.

For whatever it's worth...

-Glen

#2 — July 4, 2006 @ 18:41PM — Glen Boyd [URL]

Oh and I almost forgot...the song itself was of course "All Summer Long." That was when I first started to see Brian Wilson whose songs were about far more than girls, cars, and waves. Brilliant.

-Glen

#3 — July 5, 2006 @ 00:16AM — Gordon Hauptfleisch [URL]

Thanks, Glen, for the comments--I had forgotten about that scene in "American Graffiti." I seem to remember "Wouldn't It Be Nice" used in a few movies, too, although I can't remember any right now.

#4 — July 5, 2006 @ 13:09PM — MJT

"GIRL DON'T TELL ME" WAS NEVER RELEASED AS A SINGLE. "THE WARMTH OF THE SUN" WAS RELEASED AS A SINGLE, I.E., THE FLIP-SIDE OF "DANCE, DANCE, DANCE." IN THE MOVIE "AMERICAN GRAFITTI," MS. SOMERS DROVE A WHITE T-BIRD.

#5 — July 5, 2006 @ 13:37PM — Gordon Hauptfleisch [URL]

MJT: All Music Guide says I'm right:
"'The Warmth of the Sun'" one of the Beach Boys' finest and most moving ballads. It never became a single but has remained dear to the heart of Beach Boys fans over the years."

"'Girl Don't Tell Me'" was released as a single at the end of 1965: it failed to chart but became a fan favorite and later turned up on the popular compilation album Endless Summer."

I'll check into it more. You're right about the car in American Graffiti. And no need to shout: enough with the caps.

#6 — July 5, 2006 @ 15:08PM — Gordon Hauptfleisch [URL]

MJT: Both of us are half right, half wrong--

"Warmth of the Sun" indeed was the flipside of "Dance, Dance, Dance."

But "Girl Don't Tell Me" however, was indeed the flipside of "Barbara Ann"--Capitol 5561, released Dec. 20,1965.

Well, I'm more of a music fan than a record collector, but I'll never trust AMG again. Thanks for the info, MJT.

#7 — July 5, 2006 @ 20:43PM — Connie Phillips [URL]

When I was 14 I was actually paid for babysitting with a copy of this record. I had been told I could listen to their stereo and asked when the couple came home if they could make me a tape of it.

They gave me the LP instead. I still have it...now if I only had a working turntable.

It's a great collection of all their signature songs. Great review, Gordon.

#8 — July 5, 2006 @ 20:53PM — Jim Bohen

"Good Vibrations" was not on the original release of "Endless Summer." It was added some time later -- maybe in the CD era. At that time Brother/Reprise, not Capitol, had the rights to the music from "Pet Sounds" and later albums.

#9 — July 5, 2006 @ 21:26PM — Gordon Hauptfleisch [URL]

Thanks Connie--appreciate the comment. Good babysitting gig--hope you can get a turntable soon.

#10 — July 5, 2006 @ 21:31PM — Gordon Hauptfleisch [URL]

Jim--thanks for solving a mystery for me. Since I have both the LP and CD, and my LP is currently with a chunk of my album collection in a barn on an old chicken farm in Petaluma, California (long story) I used the CD info. And for the life of me, I couldn't remember "Good Vibrations" being on it, and it didn't make sense. Until now. Thanks again.

#11 — July 5, 2006 @ 21:41PM — Glen Boyd [URL]

I also stand corrected on the car in American Graffiti. I was going strictly by memory and for some reason I saw a VW bug in my minds eye.

Still, that damn closing scene with "All Summer Long" is one of the best ever. It makes watching the credits roll an essential part of viewing the movie.

-Glen

#12 — July 7, 2006 @ 07:57AM — mpbj

The Beach Boys live in concert was recorded in Sacramento not Santa Monica.FYI

#13 — July 7, 2006 @ 08:06AM — Gordon Hauptfleisch [URL]

Thanks for the correction, mpbj.

#14 — January 25, 2008 @ 11:13AM — Steve

I have three questions about the movies that were made on the lives of the Beach Boys. One movie was "Endless Summer". Who can help me find the name of the other one?
My second question is this, Is it true that studio musicians were used in place of the original Beach Boy's recordings for that movie?
Third question, Was there ever a sound track CD released from the movie "Endless Summer"?

Steve

#15 — July 4, 2008 @ 15:20PM — philly smith [URL]

I have found 'endless harmony' and 'summer dreams' on amazon for around $2 a piece, however 'endless summer' remains an enigma, as far as I'm aware its was made for TV so not sure if it ever got an actual release and am presuming because of budget restraints they will have definately used session musicians, as opposed paying royalties or re-recording tracks but I could be wrong.

I have seen the movie and the music is pretty close to the beach boys but am erring towards the session musicians performing as opposed to the original recording artists (I'm not sure how often carole kaye, hal blaine and glen campbell get out nowadays!)

a side note check out 'grace of my heart' a scorcese production loosely about carole king (if she married brian wilson?!) a bit of an odd twist but a great movie with an awesome soundtrack!

#16 — July 4, 2008 @ 15:26PM — philly smith [URL]

actually scrub that, I found a clip on you tube titled 'endless summer' and its not the Tv movie I have seen, which is a biopic starring actors and the like charting the beach boys rise and fall early 60's onwards! so that makes 4 movies, someones just whispered 'the beach boys an american band' in my ear! so that makes 5!?

help anyone? I need clarification!