Several Beach Boys Classics Remixed to 5.1 Surround Sound

Last week, Capitol Records announced that it will release expanded DVD and VHS editions of Endless Harmony: The Beach Boys Story. The documentary, produced by Stephanie Bennett and directed by Alan Boyd, made its US television debut on VH1 in 1998. A soundtrack CD of Endless Harmony, originally released to coincide with the VH1 airing, is also available.

But what may prove most interesting to Stereophile readers, especially in light of many of the comments from last week's Vote!, is that in addition to the typical DVD bonus materials, there will be several new 5.1 surround-sound mixes of seven of the Beach Boys' classic songs: "California Girls," "Kiss Me, Baby," "God Only Knows," "Surf's Up," "Long Promised Road," "Sail On Sailor," and "Do It Again."

The DVD will hit shelves March 14, and will also include five bonus video clips, including recently rediscovered and previously unreleased footage from the vaults. Among the newly added highlights is a 1980 concert performance of "Do It Again" in Knebworth, England, one of the few times a concert with all six Beach Boys—Brian, Carl, Dennis, Mike, Alan, and Bruce—was recorded and videotaped.

In "California Girls," longtime fans will recognize outtakes from the All Summer Long LP photo session, while "Kiss Me, Baby" features shots from a pair of late-1965 recording sessions at Western Studios. Never-before-seen footage of Carl Wilson strolling through Europe on a 1969 world tour accompanies "Long Promised Road."

The five bonus video clips featured on the Endless Harmony DVD include TV appearances, promotional films, and concert footage. Complete performances of "Surfin' USA" and "Things We Did Last Summer" are from the Beach Boys' earliest-known network TV appearance, in 1963. Also, the complete promotional film for "Sloop John B" features a guest appearance by legendary Beatles publicist Derek Taylor, while the original film for "Friends," from 1968, boasts a previously unreleased mix of the song recently unearthed during a search of the group's tape vaults. Finally, "In My Room" and "Little Deuce Coupe" are from the recently rediscovered "lost concert" of March 1964, already available on DVD.

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