The Beach Boys - Heroes and Villains (live rehearsal - Hawaii 1967)

The rare live version with Brian on lead vocal.
From the rehearsals for their 1967 Hawaii live show on the Sunshine Tomorrow boxset, intended to for the Lei’d In Hawaii album that never came to be.

[@dogsbod]

Quite simply the greatest vocal group of all time

[@philjennings6725]

Ireckon they were the pioneers of acapela what do you think.

[@modifproductions]

@@philjennings6725 Brian was a student of the Four Freshmen but they definitely perfected the technique!

[@steveskouson9620]

A Cappella. Singing without back up music. The Beach Boys did it, very well! Now, the beach boys couldn't do A Capella, if it fell out of their collective posteriors! Beach Boys, a band started by Brian Wilson, with his brothers and a good friend, Alan Jardine. Contrast to the beach boys. A tiny group, started when the Wilson boys were SUED by Hateful Mikey, to STEAL the name of Brian's band. Please notice capitalization! steve

[@ianwatkins6202]

One of their greatest songs without doubt ❤

[@hermanbruner2913]

You might be right

[@nataliarobinson9514]

I like this version, even tho it’s a rehearsal it’s still sounds good

[@forjustsomemusicstuff7040]

it hits the perfect sweet spot of being a stripped down version of an amazing song and having Brian perform live at his creative peak. so glad we have this

[@kensellar]

It's those stripped down alternate takes, demos and rehearsal versions of famous songs that reveal themselves to have a special magic all their own. The Beatles Get Back special showed us that. The Beach Boys have all of that same magic and more.

[@johnpod]

No one, and I mean NO ONE, comes close to writing and performing songs like this today. Oh and also for the past 30+ years.

[@lordemed1]

Has Brian ever sounded better? Great vocals...and done live...

[@mrsmacca126]

I prefer Carl’s lead vocal, overall.

[@ericwarncke]

It has been said that they overdubbed the live stuff in the studio. I can't tell.

[@BrianStabnermusic]

Imagine they played it just like this at the Monterey Pop Festival?

[@artiewithers6980]

Even though Smile fell apart, they had enough new material to blow everybody away.

[@yoblol]

It would have just felt like Pop, not psychedelic. It would have been better if they tried to get the original sounds right.

[@busydoinnothinn]

@@artiewithers6980 i mean yeah, they could have done a set like.... Good Vibrations Cabin Essence Wonderful Heroes & Villians You Still Believe in Me Surfs Up

[@Providence..]

I'm gonna be honest, if they played it there like this, it would be a snooze fest, they would need to go all or nothing, I'm talking additional musicians being needed, maybe some of the Wrecking Crew. The vocals are good, that goes without saying, but we're talking about when they were supposed to play songs from Smile for the first time live, they were going to be the opening and closing act, it needs to blow the other performances out of the water.

[@runnersdialzero1244]

​@@busydoinnothinn If they brought a fucking orchestra on tour with them, yeah.

[@SurferJoe1]

I wish the whole "Smiley Smile" album sounded a bit more like this. Relaxed, but focused.

[@thetearsoftime]

Would be cool but it’s kinda perfect as is

[@nedrobinson7490]

Wouldn’t it be nice...

[@SkyVettel]

This version goes so hard.

[@elchingon6759]

This is better than the Smiley Smile version for sure.

[@cjm3122]

Sounds better than the original release. Man were these guys good.

[@avantegarde365]

brian wilson's range is clearly the most dynamic in the band, evilsteven

[@runnersdialzero1244]

Carl, tho.

[@steveskouson9620]

So simple, so clean. That is what we want from The Beach Boys! steve

[@alexanderj19]

This version would have fit much better on Smiley Smile than what it is

[@BrestFanTV]

agree, smiley smile was deliberately stripped down, this is perfect fit for it

[@spookyman5468]

Agreed. The main version works really well for Smile, but this one would be at home with the Smiley Smile vibe

[@mitchellkaye9619]

The best version that have ever heard, IMO. Gorgeous

[@ericwarncke]

Absolutely legendary moment in music.

[@sidsizzeler88]

Brian Wilson the man that could hear the music

[@qasanoba]

This is a stoner gem

[@collinbeckham8259]

When I think of stoner gems, I think of Jimi Hendrix or Funkadelic before the Beach Boys, but that's just me.

[@sweez-i6819]

Honestly this shit is deep in other ways psychedelic bands aren’t

[@themagnanimous1246]

@@collinbeckham8259 lame!

[@grooveunlocked]

@@collinbeckham8259 smiley smile in itself is such a lowkey stoner gem, different moods altogether- no need for comparison. so long as the vibrations are good my friend

[@collinbeckham8259]

@@grooveunlocked still working my way through all of their albums. I'll do Smiley Smile next. I've been kind of getting back into Woodstock, Soul, and Funk lately, so I kinda had that on the brain. Ravi Shankar is a bit of a trip if you like sitar music.

[@peacefrog9306]

this is so good it makes me sick

[@MrTonyS.2]

Live in Hawaii, August 1967. Superb!

[@carlmoore3215]

At 0:45, we reach the point where the studio recording had voices shifting chords but the instrumental chord didn't change. Presumably that was a mistake, but it gave a bit of an other-worldly feel WHICH I LEARNED TO LIKE!

[@marcus_marcus]

What do you mean? It's exactly the same apart from the harpsichord in the studio version

[@sgspecialfaded]

@@marcus_marcus Listen to the Smiley Smile version

[@mrsmacca126]

Yyp

[@RepublicOfUs]

I'm glad I stumbled upon this, because it's three million percent the best version they ever recorded. Every album version sounds like a self-parody, with the zany sound effects everywhere--and that might've been the point, I don't know--but here its played as straight as it could be, really low-key, and it's all the better for it.

[@PunkingtonGrunge]

I don't know of any better beach boys content honestly. Everything about this performance is perfect, I've always wanted a stripped down album just Brian and the piano, and this proves that would've been amazing.

[@rapgen5805]

@@PunkingtonGrunge I adore the 2004 version, it’s just insane compostionally with the big organs and that weird harmonica thing and those DRUMS, it’s just kickass

[@petestaint8312]

Agreed! 👍

[@RaysTrack]

Best version I've heard.

[@michaelmakes1225]

These Hawaii rehearsal performance were the last public ones by the Five by themselves..

[@junto5]

Wow! Didn't Brian join the band doing this live in 1969? London?

[@michaelmakes1225]

@@junto5 no, if you mean the Live in London album,Brian was in a "Different place" ... physically and mentally.. besides, if he was there, it would have been in a group that included Bruce Johnston and a horn section..I meant just the original 5, alone....and those Hawaiian " rehearsals" were the last time they did that , publicly..

[@junto5]

Got it. I had a cassette tape that was the 69' live album. And it had two "bonus" tracks. One was Heroes live with Brian on stage and the other I think was Don't Worry Baby. They were not "polished" but definitely Brian sung Heroes. I bought the cassette way back and probably can't find it. Maybe they tacked those cuts on from another show? But you hear girls screaming a bit and I think Brian "shushing?" them. @@michaelmakes1225

[@junto5]

I thought I replied to you but, no? Anyway, I had a cassette of that London 69 or 68 and included, according to the liner notes two live songs that were not " well produced" but did indeed include Brian and band doing Heroes live and Don't Worry Baby. They were called "Bonus Tracks".@@michaelmakes1225

[@JohnnyCake6759]

Someone should create a Redux of the Smiley Smile album but replace the version of “Heroes & Villains” there with this

[@zucchinin]

And replace Good Vibrations with something else that fits better

[@DravenLostSoul]

Cool Clear Water.

[@sheatiller2465]

@@zucchinin just use the lo-fi version of Good Vibrations from Sunshine Tomorrow imho. Cool Cool Water would work too but it's not from that era.

[@racializedkanadian]

Beautiful !!

[@AndySalinger33]

This is the goods.

[@honeybeebadger]

Beach Boys get better timeless wonderful joyous thank you Brian 💚💛💜

[@TheTricktracktruck]

I'm in awe from the beginning to the end

[@patrickjohngallagher]

Sublime... to the max!!!

[@DocRock1007]

WOW!!!

[@billb89]

Brian Wilson is the most underrated genius in the music industry.

[@redadamearth]

Brian Wilson is not "underrated". He's known across the entire world as a genius and one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century, with "Pet Sounds", alone often called the greatest album of the 1960's. In no way, shape or form, is he "underrated".

[@lightweed]

To hell with hollow mantras and routine *statements*. Say something real. Such music deserves it, almost demands that you do...

[@cjm3122]

​@@redadamearth It amazes me that Brian Wilson's music continues AND WILL CONTINUE to hold up. When I hear the junk that's recorded now it baffels me that kids these days can't come up with anyhting near what Wilson was doing. No doubt someone will com along some day, but the big "wow factor" goes to Brian. He is a rare guy.

[@AlanODuffy]

Wow…. I remember the moment I first heard the single in McHughHimself Talbot St Dublin with brother C, care of cousin Gerard McHugh … this underproduction is ‘something else’ again, to quote Ray Davies x

[@pinwiz121]

Heavenly.

[@user-sz6jv2fk8f]

Aww Brian

[@gerrydooley951]

this is just great

[@jocknarn3225]

Gr8 version of an under-rated song

[@Lridesagain]

Just lovely!❤️

[@joshwalshthe1]

Beautiful 😍

[@cynthiarowley719]

"Never came to be"? Can we dig this one out of the history books? Purrrrfection😊🎉

[@thedriftwoods9224]

Awesome!

[@joshwalshthe1]

The complexity is off the hook

[@danielcarrillo3128]

Impresionante.

[@junto5]

Gee. The absolute epitome of progressive, retro and nuevo all in a room practicing.

[@AntheaCarson]

Beautiful

[@soundshaper]

That was great! Thank you for posting it.

[@yamstar1johnson991]

Some of the best performances across all rock groups come out of casual rehearsals.

[@TonysMusic1974]

Even in that photo Mike Love looks disgusted at the whole thing LOL . . . .

[@AnalogLanguage]

You should hear him when the show starts and he's making all kinds of passive aggressive remarks, what a DOWNER

[@MrTony.S]

Poor Brian was mentally burnt out by this time but still sounded beautiful

[@Matthew-mp2qz]

perfection

[@tomref4001]

performed a la 'all this is that'/'surfs up' groove-way. Instantly love it. 😎

[@Matthew-mp2qz]

complex beauty

[@jacquelinefrere8454]

yesssss....

[@tunesmusic8929]

To bad they didn’t officially release this -

[@braulioacosta6816]

It's officially released somewhere

[@utub1473]

Is there anywhere on Apple Music I can find this?

[@forjustsomemusicstuff7040]

look up the “1967 - Sunshine Tomorrow” compilation, and the 6th to last song on it is “Heroes and Villains (Rehearsal Take)”

[@utub1473]

@@forjustsomemusicstuff7040 thanks!

[@atroyz]

Is Brian on Bass and Carl on guitar here? Or session players?

[@buddygripple7512]

Brian on organ, Carl on bass, Al on guitar, and Dennis on drums. Bruce didn't roll up because the boys were smoking so much hash.

[@atroyz]

@@buddygripple7512 Nice. And mike on....swimming trunks?Proves these guys were a tight quartet and didn’t need mike/Bruce.

[@buddygripple7512]

@@atroyzHey now, don't go raggin' on my man Bruce. He might be kinda square, but he could sing and play piano with the best of them . When Mike was in his prime he was no slouch either. The truth is that they're all important to the sound of the harmonies and (in Bruce's case) the music.

[@atroyz]

@@buddygripple7512 Bruce was integral to the band on the road after 1965 and brought a lot of class (and keyboard skills) to the live shows. And he definitely had more talent and a better voice than Mike.

[@chrisfreeman9960]

@@buddygripple7512 You can hear Bruce's voice beautifully in recordings by the Beach Boys, when he was touring with them, replacing Brian. Not officially acknowledged as a Beach Boy, nor in their group photos from Capital's publicity department. You hear his voice stand out in the final moments of"California Girls" as well as "God Only Knows", two of their finest pieces from their creative '60's peak. Those songs wouldn't sound the same without his voice contribution.

[@dbo514]

There is footage from this rehearsal I really wonder where it's available. I've seen it in documentaries

[@ginnogalochino]

Mike L. Bass part here was nice anyway 😅

[@debussy10]

Isn't this from the fake live tracks they made after the show because the live tracks were so terrible? At any rate, this would have fit better on Smiley than the composite Western/home studio track they did release.

[@forjustsomemusicstuff7040]

nope, this is from the rehearsal for the live show in Hawaii. the rehearsals sound much better than the actual concert too. and agreed on this being a much more natural fit for Smiley than the full blown SMiLE version. same with Good Vibrations, the Lei’d version is so laid back and good

[@debussy10]

So the story that the "Lei'd in Hawaii" recordings were meant for a fake live album was false?

[@forjustsomemusicstuff7040]

they did record 2 live shows in Hawaii, and this is from a rehearsal for them, but the performances and recording setup didn't turn out too good. so then they went into the studio to record fake live versions but eventually gave up on those too.

[@debussy10]

How can you tell the difference between the rehearsal recordings for the Hawaii concert and the fake live recordings done after the Hawaii concert?

[@BorgurKing]

@@debussy10the live recordings have lots of crowd noise

[@tunesmusic8929]

To bad this never came up and Brian started his forever downhill spiral

[@randalclarke5487]

How silly... they bowed out of Monterey and yet they are touring new material a couple months later?? So what was wrong??

[@qasanoba]

It aches

[@gerrydooley951]

they blew as they had done so many times

[@gerrydooley951]

sorry, meant to say "they blew it"

[@MIKELIN8]

They backed out of Monterey because Brian thought they didn't have enough new material to play. He feared they would be laughed off the stage.

[@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP519]

@@MIKELIN8 so sad FML i'd kill'd to have seen them in monterrey pop

[@JohnWatson-ey4bh]

"Surfer Joe is right. If the smiley smile material had been focused. Key word.

[@Ouopa.]

Is Al singing lead here? Sounds great

[@luckykennedy7364]

No it’s Brain.

[@mef]

@@luckykennedy7364🧠

[@lightweed]

Ecstasy, Bruce, ecstasy. By god..

[@dannyarchila]

Perfect palette cleanser after hearing Van Dyke take a swing at this song.

[@jerrymeadows5059]

Sounds like Al Jardine to me.

[@jhaduvala]

Modern Madrigal

[@pacz8114]

The vocals are decent, but the group is awful as instrumentalists. Brian aside, it's clear the other BBs never practiced and therefore never gained any technical competence whatsoever on their instruments. With all due respect, they play far better as an ensemble on their first few LPs (particularly Surfin' USA, with its strong instrumentals). However, by early 1967 they were still playing with 1963 "chops" -- when Cream, The Doors, The Who and Zappa had pushed the pop bar way, way up. Frankly, the group and Bri collect all these rose-coloured accolades 50+ years later about Smiley Smile and Wild Honey being groundbreaking lo-fi LPs; but, the reality is that Bri just stopped trying (as he candidly stated in the 11JAN1968 Hightower interview) and these two LPs were all that the group could muster given Bri was no longer interested in substantial creative development.

[@forjustsomemusicstuff7040]

just because you cited specific years and an article doesn’t mean this tired opinion is the truth. the instrument playing is fine and the sentiment of “Brian didn’t make Pet Sounds 2 so he gave up on life” is such bullshit, especially if you’ve bothered listening to the recent boxsets showing him engaged and in charge for these albums, which are also very good and unique. for someone with a lot of knowledge of this band, i have no idea why you’d bother going around to well-liked songs and reminding people “this is actually bad for very specific and wrong reasons” instead of enjoying what you like

[@pacz8114]

@@forjustsomemusicstuff7040 It’s not an article it was an interview. You can listen to Brian himself in the Jakame Hightower interview, where in response to ending the SMiLE sessions, he states "I decided not to try anymore and not try to do great things". Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, The Hawaiian concert rehearsals and performances and the Wally Heider live-in-studio sessions (from SEP 1967) clearly exhibit a band whose technical chops are very much below average; and Wild Honey’s lack of vocal harmonic arrangement further underlie Bri’s reduced interest in creating thoughtful and challenging music -- and continuing the musical growth seen from Today to Pet Sounds and into the SMiLE sessions. And that’s that. Luckily, for the next LP, Friends, Bri was earnest about delivering a good LP by writing better material, creating solid arrangements, and calling in some session cats to get the instruments up to quality levels. For their touring band, the BBs hired two real musicians - organist, Daryl Dragon and guitarist, Ed Carter - in 1968 to help improve their stage show

[@jonnyalec5646]

Goofy take

[@jonnyalec5646]

@@pacz8114 going back and rereading this comment again, your response has got to some of the most pretentious shit I’ve ever heard, I’m 100% positive you don’t know how to play a single instrument.

[@JessonCowart]

Unfortunately for you, you don't know what the hell you're talking about.