Endless Harmony Soundtrack

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Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack cover
Compilation album by The Beach Boys
Released 11 August 1998
Re-release:
28 March 2000
Recorded 12 June 1963 -
4 July 1998
Genre Rock
Length 74:01
Label Capitol Records
Producer(s) Phil Sandhaus
and Michel Etchart
Professional reviews
The Beach Boys chronology
The Pet Sounds Sessions
(1997)
Endless Harmony Soundtrack
(1998)
(2000)
Ultimate Christmas
(1998)


Alternate cover
First released edition of Endless Harmony Soundtrack
First released edition of Endless Harmony Soundtrack

Endless Harmony Soundtrack is an anthology album of previously unheard material by The Beach Boys, originally released by Capitol Records in 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 2000 with some remixing and improved artwork, while the original 1998 edition (with the orange/yellow cover) was deleted shortly thereafter.

This project was undertaken during a time when The Beach Boys fractured apart - irrevocably - after the death of 51-year-old Carl Wilson in February 1998 from lung cancer. Brian Wilson, a temporary member for several years by this time, decided that the band was over and disassociated himself from any further group activity. At odds with Mike Love in continuing on after Carl's passing, Al Jardine did the same. To the present day, while Wilson and Jardine are pursuing solo careers, both Love and Bruce Johnston (with their accompanying concert act) still perform live as The Beach Boys.

The Endless Harmony Soundtrack itself is patterned somewhat like The Beatles' Anthology albums, with, variously, alternate versions and live renditions of songs, as well as 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)" 29 years after it was started, the album also includes a brief snatch of both Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks routining three Smile songs in 1966.

Although the album wasn't a commercial success, it did encourage Capitol Records to issue a more comprehensive archival package in Hawthorne, CA in 2001.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" (Writing session excerpt) (Brian Wilson/Rick Henn) – 0:42
  2. "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" (Brian Wilson/Rick Henn) – 3:25
  3. "Radio Concert Promo 1" – 0:15
  4. "Medley: Surfin' Safari/Fun, Fun, Fun/Shut Down/Little Deuce Coupe/Surfin' USA (live) (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Roger Christian/Chuck Berry) – 3:33
  5. "Surfer Girl" (Binaural mix) (Brian 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) (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:50
  7. "Kiss Me, Baby" (Stereo remix) (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:42
  8. "California Girls" (Stereo remix) (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:44
  9. "Good Vibrations" (Live) (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 3:40
  10. "Heroes And Villains" (Brian 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", "I'm In Great Shape" and "Barnyard"
  11. "Heroes And Villains" (Live) (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 3:40
  12. "God Only Knows" (Live) (Brian 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) (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:26
  15. "Wonderful/Don't Worry Bill" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks/Ricky Fataar/Blondie Chaplin/Steve Fataar/Brother Fataar) – 5:52
    • A medley of Smile's "Wonderful" and an unreleased song called "Don't Worry Bill" recorded on 23 November 1972 at Carnegie Hall in New York City
  16. "Do It Again" (Early version) (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:30
  17. "Break Away" (Demo) (Brian Wilson/Reggie Dunbar) – 2:38
  18. "Sail Plane Song" (Brian Wilson/Carl Wilson) – 2:12
  19. "Loop De Loop (Flip Flop Flyin' In An Aeroplane)" (Brian Wilson/Carl 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) (Brian Wilson) – 4:52
  22. "Long Promised Road" (Live) (Carl Wilson/Jack Rieley) – 4:17
  23. "All Alone" (Carli Munoz) – 3:36
  24. "Brian's Back" (Mike Love) – 4:07
    • Written in response to Brian Wilson's 1976 return to the public eye
  25. "Endless Harmony" (Bruce Johnston) – 3:29
    • Includes a hidden a cappella sample of "Kiss Me, Baby" after the song ends

Endless Harmony Soundtrack (Capitol 72435 24002 2 5) never charted in the U.S. or the UK.

[edit] Sources

  • Endless Harmony Soundtrack CD booklet notes, Brad Elliott, c. 2000.
  • AllMusicGuide.com
The Beach Boys
Brian Wilson | Carl Wilson | Dennis Wilson | Mike Love | Al Jardine | Bruce Johnston
Studio albums
Surfin' Safari (1962) | Surfin' USA (1963) | Surfer Girl (1963) | Little Deuce Coupe (1963) | Shut Down Volume 2 (1964) | All Summer Long (1964) | The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (1964) | The Beach Boys Today! (1965) | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (1965) | Beach Boys' Party! (1965) | Pet Sounds (1966) | Smiley Smile (1967) | Wild Honey (1967) | Friends (1968) | 20/20 (1969) | Sunflower (1970) | Surf's Up (1971) | Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" (1972) | Holland (1973) | 15 Big Ones (1976) | Love You (1977) | M.I.U. Album (1978) | L.A. (Light Album) (1979) | Keepin' the Summer Alive (1980) | The Beach Boys (1985) | Still Cruisin' (1989) | Summer in Paradise (1992) | Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (1996)
Live albums
Beach Boys Concert (1964) | Live in London (1970) | The Beach Boys in Concert (1973) | Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 (2002)
Related articles
Song List | Lead Vocalists | Capitol Records | Brother Records | Sea of Tunes | Discography | Solo Discography