The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

/ News

California Saga: The Beach Boys' "Sail On Sailor: 1972" Explores "Carl and the Passions," "Holland"

By 19 Comments

Beach Boys Sail On Sailor 1972

BUY NOW FROM BEACH BOYS STORE

The cover of The Beach Boys' eighteenth studio album didn't look so different than what fans might have expected, with its shot of the beach, blue sky, and palm trees through a car window.  But once listeners placed the needle on the first track, it was clear this was no ordinary Beach Boys record.  Only one song - the opening "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone," a twangy rocker with little of the lushness once associated with their sound - bore a production credit for Brian Wilson; only three were co-written by the sonic architect of Pet Sounds and SMiLE.  Bruce Johnston, a group mainstay since "California Girls," was out.  South African musicians Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar were in.  And Carl Wilson was steering The Beach Boys into a new era.

On December 2, Capitol/UMe and Brother Records will release Sail On Sailor - 1972, continuing the story of America's Band where the 2021 box set Feel Flows: The Sunflower and Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971 left off.  Sail On Sailor will be available in a variety of formats including 6CD; 5LP+7" single (standard); 5LP+7" single (with lithographs); 2CD; 2LP+7" (standard); 2LP+7" (with Holland replica book); and digitally.

The 6CD Super Deluxe box boasts newly-remastered versions of both albums recorded by The Beach Boys in 1972: Carl and the Passions - So Tough and Holland as well as the Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairytale) EP originally packaged with Holland.  Additionally, the box premieres the band's storied concert at New York's Carnegie Hall recorded on Thanksgiving 1972 - the first time a concert from this era has been presented in full with the original setlist.  The set is rounded out by various alternative mixes, a cappella vocals, backing tracks, more live cuts, and copious session material including never-before-heard songs (some never even bootlegged).  The collection produced by the band's longtime archival team of Mark Linett and Alan Boyd features 105 songs in total, a whopping 80 of which are previously unreleased.  The 5LP vinyl iterations include the remastered albums, live set, and one side of bonus tracks: 53 tracks, 30 of which are previously unreleased.

While the title of Carl and the Passions referred to a concert the band played with baby brother Carl at Hawthorne High in or around 1961, it also alluded to his increasing role as the band's creative leader in the wake of Brian Wilson's retreat.  The album was recorded between December 4, 1971 and April 13, 1972 at various California studios including Brian's Bellagio Road home, and reflected the group's changed makeup.  Ricky Fataar recalled the album being cut piecemeal by different factions: Carl with Chaplin and Fataar; Mike Love and Al Jardine; and Dennis Wilson and his main collaborator, Daryl Dragon.  In an interview shortly after the album's release, Bruce Johnston (who had recently left the group due to simmering tensions) commented on Brian's seeming absence from most of the album.  However, Brian did co-write perhaps its most enduring song, "Marcella," as well as the lead single "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone."  Chaplin and Fataar contributed "Hold On Dear Brother" and "Here She Comes," and the Dennis/Daryl team offered "Make It Good" and "Cuddle Up."  Love and Jardine's "All This Is That" was inspired by their experiences with Transcendental Meditation; the duo also co-wrote "He Come Down" with Brian.  The album reached a peak of No. 50 in the U.S. where it was paired as a 2-LP set with Pet Sounds and suffered in comparison.  It fared better in the U.K. (No. 25) where it attracted the attention of such famous fans as Elton John.

The Beach Boys then sought inspiration in a most unlikely place: a barn outside Amsterdam in Holland.  Carl and manager Jack Rieley spearheaded the group's European move in summer 1972, intended to spark inspiration for a new record.  Their entire California studio was dismantled, shipped across the ocean, and rebuilt in Holland by engineer Stephen Moffitt.  The change of scenery yielded strong material including the three-part "California Saga," Carl and Rieley's evocative "The Trader," and some beautiful true collaborations such as "Only with You," written by Dennis and Love and sung by Carl.  Blondie Chaplin took the lead vocal on "Leaving This Town," a co-write with Fataar, Love, and Carl, but he would ultimately become the voice of the album's most famous track - and one written and recorded once the band got back to Los Angeles: the thrilling "Sail On Sailor."  Upon its release in January 1973, Holland reached No. 37 on the Billboard 200, bolstered by the strength of "Sail On Sailor" on FM radio.  It's still the only song from The Beach Boys' '70s rock period to remain a staple of the classic rock format.  Yet Holland was the final album by the band to feature Chaplin and Fataar; today, Blondie is a special guest member of Brian Wilson's touring ensemble.  Like Carl and the Passions, Holland was rightfully recognized as a special album for young musicians, counting Tom Petty and Elvis Costello among its fervent fans.

Another studio album wouldn't emerge from The Beach Boys until 1976, at which time they'd returned to considerably "safer" ground with the oldies set 15 Big Ones.  Sail On Sailor captures the time when the band was immersed in a contemporary rock sound while still pushing the envelope musically.  The set is housed in a 12.5" x 10" hardcover 48-page book-style package featuring liner notes by Howie Edelson, rare photos and memorabilia, notes from Linett and Boyd, and more.

Beginning tomorrow, September 28, Los Angeles' Morrison Hotel Gallery will present Good Vibrations, an exhibit celebrating the band's legacy.  The gallery will be offering 30 previously unpublished images plus a limited edition of ten prints signed by Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston.

Ready to preview Sail On Sailor: 1972?  The live Carnegie Hall version of "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" is streaming now at YouTube and other streaming services.  All formats are due on December 2 from Capitol/UMe/Brother.  You'll find the track listings and Amazon pre-order links below.  All formats are currently up for pre-order at the Beach Boys' official webstore.

The Beach Boys, Sail On Sailor: 1972 (Capitol/UMe)

6CD Super Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD Highlights (Remastered Albums plus bonus tracks): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1: Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" (Reprise 2MS 2083, 1972)

  1. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
  2. Here She Comes
  3. He Come Down
  4. Marcella
  5. Hold On Dear Brother
  6. Make It Good
  7. All This Is That
  8. Cuddle Up

Bonus Tracks

  1. The Road Not Taken (demo - previously unreleased)
  2. All This Is That (a Cappella mix - previously unreleased)
  3. He Come Down (2022 mix - previously unreleased)
  4. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone (track and backing vocals)
  5. Marcella (a Cappella mix - previously unreleased)
  6. Make It Good (alternate mix with Intro - previously unreleased)
  7. Cuddle Up (alternate mix - previously unreleased)
  8. Carl and the Passions /Pet Sounds Promo (1972)

CD 2: Holland (Reprise MS 2118, 1972)

  1. Sail On Sailor
  2. Steamboat
  3. California Saga - Big Sur
  4. California Saga - The Beaks Of Eagles
  5. California Saga - California
  6. The Trader
  7. Leaving This Town
  8. Only With You
  9. Funky Pretty

Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale)

By Brian Wilson (Please listen in the dark)

  1. Mount Vernon And Fairway Theme
  2. I'm The Pied Piper - Instrumental
  3. Better Get Back In Bed
  4. Magic Transistor Radio
  5. I'm The Pied Piper
  6. Radio King Dom

Bonus Tracks (Previously Unreleased)

  1. We Got Love (2022 mix - previously unreleased)
  2. Hard Time (previously unreleased)
  3. Carry Me Home (previously unreleased)
  4. California Saga - The Beaks Of Eagles (1973 single mix - previously unreleased)
  5. California Saga - California (1973 single mix)
  6. Sail On Sailor (track - previously unreleased 2022 mix)
  7. Holland Promo 1 (1973)

CD 3: The Beach Boys Live at Carnegie Hall: November 23, 1972 (previously unreleased)

1st Set

  1. Concert Intro: Jack Rieley
  2. Sloop John B
  3. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
  4. Leaving This Town
  5. Darlin'
  6. Only With You
  7. Heroes and Villains
  8. Long Promised Road
  9. Don't Worry, Baby
  10. Student Demonstration Time
  11. I Get Around

CD 4: The Beach Boys Live at Carnegie Hall: November 23, 1972 (previously unreleased)

2nd Set

  1. Intro to 2nd Set: Jack Rieley
  2. Marcella
  3. California Saga - California
  4. Help Me, Rhonda
  5. Let The Wind Blow
  6. Medley: Wonderful / Don't Worry, Bill
  7. God Only Knows
  8. Do It Again
  9. Wouldn't It Be Nice
  10. Wild Honey
  11. Good Vibrations
  12. California Girls
  13. Surfin' USA
  14. Fun Fun Fun
  15. Jumpin' Jack Flash

CD 5: 1972 Sessions (previously unreleased)

  1. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone (a cappella mix - previously unreleased)
  2. Marcella (track and backing vocals - previously unreleased)
  3. Here She Comes (session excerpt - previously unreleased)
  4. Here She Comes (2022 mix - previously unreleased)
  5. He Come Down (a Cappella section - previously unreleased)
  6. Hold On Dear Brother (track and backing vocals - previously unreleased)
  7. Steamboat (track and backing vocals - previously unreleased)
  8. California Saga - California (track and backing vocals - previously unreleased)
  9. The Trader (track and backing vocals - previously unreleased)
  10. The Trader (second section a cappella - previously unreleased)
  11. Only With You (alternate mix - previously unreleased)
  12. Funky Pretty (track and backing vocals - previously unreleased)
  13. Sail On Sailor (songwriting session - previously unreleased)
  14. Sail On Sailor (a cappella mix - previously unreleased)
  15. Out In The Country (version 1) (previously unreleased)
  16. Out In The Country (version 2) (previously unreleased)
  17. Oh Sweet Something (previously unreleased)
  18. Spark in the Dark (previously unreleased track)
  19. Rooftop Harry (previously unreleased track)
  20. Body Talk (Grease Job) (previously unreleased track)
  21. Holland Promo 2 (1973)

CD 6:

Live Bonus Tracks

  1. We Got Love (Live 1973 - previously unreleased)
  2. California Saga - Big Sur (Live 1973 - previously unreleased)
  3. Funky Pretty (Live 1973 - previously unreleased)
  4. The Trader (Live 1975 - previously unreleased)
  5. Sail On Sailor (Live 1975 - previously unreleased)
  6. All This Is That (Live 1993 - previously unreleased)

Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairytale) Sessions (previously unreleased)

  1. Fairy Tale Music (2022 mix - previously unreleased)
  2. Pa Let Her Go Out (Better Get Back In Bed alternate version with intro - previously unreleased)
  3. I'm The Pied Piper (a Cappella section - previously unreleased)
  4. Radio King Dom (a Cappella section - previously unreleased)
  5. I'm The Pied Piper (alternate take spoken section - previously unreleased)
  6. Medley: Mount Vernon and Fairway Theme / A Casual Look (session excerpt - previously unreleased)

1972 Bonus Tracks (previously unreleased)

  1. Little Child (Daddy Dear) (Holland home recording)
  2. Susie Cincinnati (Holland home recording)
  3. Medley: Gimme Some Lovin' / I Need Your Love

"California Saga" Trilogy

  1. California Saga - Big Sur
  2. California Saga - The Beaks of Eagles (2022 edit - previously unreleased)
  3. California Saga - California
  4. Carry Me Home (track and backing vocals - previously unreleased)
  5. All This Is That (A cappella alternate verse - previously unreleased)

5LP+7" Super Deluxe Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5LP+7" Super Deluxe Vinyl Edition (Limited Edition): Beach Boys Store
2LP+7" Remastered Albums Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP+7" Remastered Albums Vinyl (Limited Edition): Beach Boys Store

LP 1: Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" (Reprise 2MS 2083, 1972)

Side A

  1. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
  2. Here She Comes
  3. He Come Down
  4. Marcella

Side B

  1. Hold On Dear Brother
  2. Make It Good
  3. All This Is That
  4. Cuddle Up

LP 2: Holland (Reprise MS 2118, 1972)

Side A

  1. Sail On Sailor
  2. Steamboat
  3. California Saga - Big Sur
  4. California Saga - The Beaks Of Eagles
  5. California Saga - California

Side B

  1. The Trader
  2. Leaving This Town
  3. Only With You
  4. Funky Pretty

7-Inch EP: Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairytale)

Side C

  1. Mount Vernon And Fairway Theme
  2. I'm The Pied Piper - Instrumental
  3. Better Get Back In Bed
  4. Magic Transistor Radio

Side D

  1. I'm The Pied Piper
  2. Radio King Dom

The Beach Boys Live at Carnegie Hall: November 23, 1972 (previously unreleased)

LP 3 - 1st Set

Side A

  1. Concert Intro: Jack Rieley
  2. Sloop John B
  3. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
  4. Leaving This Town
  5. Darlin'
  6. Only With You

Side B

  1. Heroes and Villains
  2. Long Promised Road
  3. Don't Worry, Baby
  4. Student Demonstration Time
  5. I Get Around

LP 4 - 2nd Set

Side C

  1. Intro to 2nd Set: Jack Rieley
  2. Marcella
  3. California Saga - California
  4. Help Me, Rhonda
  5. Let The Wind Blow

Side D

  1. Medley: Wonderful / Don't Worry, Bill
  2. God Only Knows
  3. Do It Again
  4. Wouldn't It Be Nice
  5. Wild Honey

LP 5

Side E - 2nd Set Continued

  1. Good Vibrations
  2. California Girls
  3. Surfin' USA
  4. Fun Fun Fun
  5. Jumpin' Jack Flash

Side F -Bonus Tracks

  1. We Got Love (previously unreleased 2022 mix)
  2. Hard Time (previously unreleased)
  3. Carry Me Home (previously unreleased)
  4. Fairy Tale Music (previously unreleased 2022 mix)
Avatar photo

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

Connect With Joe: FacebookTwitter

You Might Also Like

Comments

  2. Been waiting on this to find out what was being curated next & what was to be on it...a sigh of relief that "We Got Love", the studio version, is on it...one thing that isn't, understandably, is that 1973 live album (these sessions & albums were recorded 1971 tail end through 1972, not 1973), BUT pretty cool we got a 1972 unreleased Carnegie Hall concert instead... question is will that official 1973 live album be reissued in a big box?? Or is that 2000 remaster the only document?? Curious...but bring on November 18!!

    Reply

    • If nothing else, maybe we’ll get copyright dumps of that stuff at the end of this year and next, since that album was recorded in 1972 and 1973.

      The studio version of “This Is Love” was finally released on a digital reissue of Holland sometime in the 2010s. Not sure if it’s the original mix or if it’s a new mix, but it sounds good to my ears.

      Reply

  3. I’m not a Beach Boys fanatic, but I am a fan so I’m again THRILLED producers Mark Linett and Alan Boyd are offering the 2cd set of the original albums with a few bonus tracks and I don’t have to make an all or nothing choice.
    These guys get it. Rather than passing on buying the product completely over the cost of a box set (which has a lot to offer the bigger fans) I’m going to give them some of my money they didn’t have and be happy about doing it.

    Reply

  4. The completist in me thinks I have to buy this set, but the other part of me never cared much for either Hollabnd or Carl and the Passions. The live versions of some of the songs that came out on the double live set in the 70's are much better than the studio versions which seem to be rather sleepy as if nobody was really in to either album.
    Leavin' this Town sounded great live as well as Trader. Sail On Sailor sounded like the most finished track on Holland, and it too was great on the double live album from the 70's. I Have bought all the BB albums since their first one and I'm still a huge fan, but just not sure if I'll need to spring for this box set.

    Reply

    • Really?? I truly, honestly, objectively think that Holland is one of their best albums ever (CATP I really enjoy too but not as much as Holland), and I really wish the band continued down that trajectory going forward, instead of going all nostalgia...but it is what it is...I do hope the set after this, with 15 Big Ones & The Beach Boys Love You, that the famous unreleased BW project Adult Child is included...

      Reply

      • I understand that they were trying new things, but a lot of the studio songs just don't hold up as well as the live versions--Funky Pretty, Trader, Leavin' this Town--from Holland, Marsela--from Carl and the Passions. I thought California Saga was boring. Carl and the Passions had some moments, but Make It Good, and Cuddle Up were a long way from Beach Boys no matter who was steering the ship.

        Reply

  6. the lack of live shows is a huge mistake. as with the previous box there should of been 2 live shows included. here we are getting one but the peak of the live period was 1973. in the valuts there are 7 shows from 72 and 7 from 73. why not include a FULL 73 show instead of cherry pickin a few songs. i am still gettin into the sunflower/surfs up box so i will hold of purchase till later. nice cover this time.

    Reply

    • There might be a 1973 show among the 1973 live boxed set, but it’d be odd to include an entire ‘73 show in a ‘72 box.

      And that ‘72 Carnegie Hall show is superb.

      Reply

      • here is the live show dates that were recorded..11/19/72,11/23/72,8/12/73 ,8,15/73,8/16.73,8/18/73,8/19/73,8/20/73,8/24/73,8/25/73,8/30/73,8/31/73,9/1/73,9/2/73. thats 14 shows that were recorded. soooo. whats gonna be the next release ? a HUGE 12 show box set with 24 cds. i dont think so.

        Reply

  8. there sould be a HUGE box of just complete live shows from 71 to 73. not all shows have the same set of songs and musicans so there alot of variety. i myself have 9 from 72 and 6 from 73. when new manager steve love noticed the audience rection to the encore of old songs (63/65) it was his desicion to change course and become more of a so called oldies act. the creative period was over, very sad to see,

    Reply

  10. I have been a Beachboy fan since 1963 but sorry I think these are two average albums with a lot of padding and I never liked buying albums of live concerts.

    Reply

  11. Postponed until December 2nd. Long enough for many Beach Boys fans to re-think whether they really want a Beach Boys 6-CD set of recordings with almost no Brian Wilson involvement.

    Reply

    • Phil, you're just wrong. I won't even touch the previously released and alternate versions with Brian involvement (songwriting or singing or instrumental), but even without that I see stuff like "Spark in the Dark", "Gimme Some Love / I Need Your Love", "Rooftop Harry" and two versions of "Out in the Country." All unreleased with heavy Brian Wilson involvement. As a big time Brian fan, I'm very excited for this set.

      Reply

      • . its the beach boys not the beach boy. brian stepped back and the others proved that they to can be creative, not just him.

        Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy