Beach Boys-Little Honda/I Get Around/Lonely Sea/Memphis Beach Thailand 7" *RARE*

$

50

The Beach Boys - "Girls On The Beach"
Little Honda I Get Around
Lonely Sea Memphis Beach
*EXTREMELY RARE "UNOFFICIAL" RELEASE*
*per  Panayiotis at beachboys45.nl: "Article - The "Girls On The Beach" EP      INTRODUCTION
Over the last few years (and before) there has been a long discussion and a large amount of speculation about this Girls on the Beach EP from the Beach Boys.
Since writing this article for Beach Boys STOMP many years ago, and subsequently posting a revised version on this website, I’ve done more research and much discussion with other knowledgeable Beach Boys’ collectors worldwide.
I have now taken the time to rewrite this article, to include newfound information, which I hope will provide insight and new evidence to challenge previous speculation regarding this record’s origin. There are many opinions, and I know this article will not be the “last” word on this EP, but in the very least I hope it will provide additional information and points of views, which will help many adjust or come to a different conclusion. As always, I welcome any feedback.
Panayiotis
July 26, 2017
San Leandro, California, USA   **********************
With the appearance of the Beach Boys in the film The Girls on the Beach in 1965 (Release date, May 12, 1965), some speculation suggests Capitol Records in the USA (i.e. CRUSA) considered issuing a Girls on the Beach EP. This EP might have included the tracks from the film performed by the Beach Boys. Whether this was ever a serious consideration is unknown and very little has been found to indicate any attempt was ever actually made. Still, this EP turned up in the early 1980s, and has continued to intrigue and baffle collectors everywhere.     THE FACTS
The Girls on the Beach EP (i.e. GOTB EP) was pressed using what appeared to be a standard Capitol Orange and Yellow swirl label as used by CRUSA during the 1960s. Side A contains “Little Honda” and “I Get Around”, while Side B pairs “Lonely Sea” with “Memphis Beach”. There is a notation indicating “Film ‘Girls on the Beach’ ” just under “The Beach Boys” on the top of the label. It’s also interesting to note the title track (i.e. “The Girls on the Beach”) is not included on the EP even though it does open the film. Further, “I Get Around” and “Memphis Beach” do not appear in the movie at all. Only “Little Honda” and “Lonely Sea” from this EP appear in the film. (more about “Memphis Beach” below) ...       A detailed inspection of the labels indicates no catalog number was assigned to this release and the labels are also missing master matrix numbers, time notations and composer and publishing credits. In addition, “Produced by Brian Wilson” is not credited anywhere, which would almost be expected. Nearly all of the lettering is not printed extremely sharp, which could indicate an “illegitimate” pressing, but there are many legitimate Capitol pressings which are not printed extremely sharp as well. Finally, the Capitol Logo on the left side of the label is also not printed as sharp, and appears different from the logos used on USA pressings.     A POSSIBLE THEORY
Is it a USA Promotional Release?
In the late 1990s, when I first spoke to Beach Boys Historian Brad Elliott about this release, he told me he assumed “this record was some sort of promotional release, perhaps issued in support of the film”. He continued by telling me the only numbers found on this record were the serial numbers in the deadwax area, showing “X-268” on Side A, and “X-269” on Side B. Elliott’s research could not find any connection with anything which could attach it to anything CRUSA had ever considered, or issued whether it was a custom, commercial or promotional release. It is well known CRUSA did not release “promo” or “custom” releases on the Orange and Yellow Swirl label, which was reserved for stock issues. Thus, this record seems to be an oddity unexplained even through CRUSA itself.
Elliott believed the release not to be a fake or “bootleg”, and “it was undoubtedly a genuine Capitol Records release from somewhere” even though he was not convinced, it was of USA origin. He surmised it “could be from the Far East”—meaning Thailand, Singapore or Korea, “or even from south of the border”—meaning Mexico or one of the Latin or South American countries. He also pointed out the numbers on the deadwax, mentioned above, were not “hand etched”, but rather, “machine stamped”, which he felt was not a usual characteristic of a counterfeit or bootleg.
I think Elliott was wrong in his assumptions to think this EP was a “genuine” Capitol Records release from somewhere. It may have a CRUSA label, but this clearly doesn’t make it a “legitimate” release. I also don’t agree with his speculation about the “machine stamped” serial numbers in the deadwax area as proof. While this might suggest a legitimate release, as a personal observation, I have found repressed bootlegs of many rare doo-wop singles, where the numbers in the deadwax were “machine-pressed”. Most serious Beach Boys’ singles collectors know many of the Capitol singles from certain factories in the USA (and around the world) do have “machine stamped” numbers, while others are clearly “hand etched”. So his opinion and conclusion didn’t validate a “legitimate” release.
More recently, others have come forth and argue that because it clearly says “MFD BY CAPITOL RECORDS INC USA” in the fine print on the bottom edge of the label, it must be from the USA. Could be, but as mentioned above, Elliott’s research could not find any connection to CRUSA, and there is no other concrete evidence that conclusively points the EP to a USA origin. Thus, I disagree with this conclusion as well. I have provided additional information below which backs up my conclusion for this argument.   DIFFERENT SPECULATION
A Far East release?
When the record first appeared in the early 1980s, there was some speculation it was from the Far East. Legendary Beach Boys’ Collector Peter Reum (who owned the first discovered copy) told me how he “acquired the record in a group of singles that also included some odd Beach Boys LP records from Taiwan”. He wasn’t sure why the GOTB EP was included. (Brad Elliott confirmed at this time there were no 7-inch Capitol label records known from Taiwan.) All Taiwan issued Beach Boys’ records were done on “local” labels like Liming and Lyou Feng, and not on Capitol Record labels. Most were LPs on colored vinyl, enclosed in flimsy record covers. The GOTB EP was on black vinyl, which didn’t follow this colored vinyl trend. Because of this, both Elliott and Reum speculated it couldn’t be from Taiwan, but was possibly from Thailand or another country in this region of the world.
Elliott also mentioned, “Sometimes CRUSA, would issue weird things like these X PRO promo albums, which have turned up over the years.” The X PROs are single promotional LP compilations pressed by CRUSA which were sent to their overseas affiliates informing them of the latest CRUSA releases which would be available for release overseas. They were titled “Manufacturing Associate Reference Pressing” across the top of the label. (See an example in box below). The “X” in the catalog number and prefix was for “export”. Elliott concluded perhaps the Matrix numbers on this EP (X-268 and X-269), could have also meant the EP was intended for export. Still with no firm information in CRUSA’s files, there is nothing to support this theory.   ...   The copies of the GOTB EP shown (in two different variations) on this website are the second and third copies which have appeared since the 1980s. Neither copy is the record once owned by Peter Reum. Reum’s copy was sold on Ebay about 15 years ago to a collector in Japan. A fourth copy appeared in mid-2017, and was also auctioned on Ebay. The dealer who sold this copy gave our website some additional information.
This dealer friend told us he had purchased this Girls on the Beach EP while traveling in the Far East and was definite the record was “clearly from Thailand”. He also added, “All 45s pressed in Asia, were usually done in very small quantities. Most are very difficult to find. From what I can tell, most of these issues were done for American GIs, who were visiting the local Bars and Clubs. Many of these establishments had jukeboxes, and during the Vietnam War era many records were pressed in Thailand, probably illegitimately, to service these jukeboxes for the US servicemen stationed there.” He was also certain most of the records weren’t authorized by EMI or Capitol Records (or any other record companies in the US), and explained that “the local Thai businessmen saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. They pressed many records by the Beach Boys, and other popular US and UK artists of this era, to fill the need and demand created by the American servicemen stationed in the region who wanted to hear the popular music from home.”
  US AND THAILAND RELATIONS
1960s: The Vietnam War Era
After World War II, Thailand and the US developed an extremely close relationship mostly based on the idea of stopping the spread of communism in Far East region of the world. For the USA, Thailand was viewed as an ally of anti-communism in this region of political uncertainty, but it also represented a valuable “rest and relaxation” (R&R) destination for US servicemen who were stationed in Thailand or fighting in Vietnam. By the mid-1960s, about 80 percent of the American bombing missions flown against North Vietnam and Laos were launched from air bases in Thailand. And just as our record dealer friend mentioned to us above, there was a large population of US Servicemen in the region, and many local businesses and industries who took advantage of this economic opportunity and sometimes contracted with the US Government to provide services or supplies for these same servicemen. Some research I found revealed the influx of American servicemen stationed in Thailand, and those who were on R&R leave from Vietnam, pumped more than $850 million dollars into the local Thailand economy during this era. This generated the manufacture of many products for the US servicemen serving abroad. This clearly would have included entertainment items, including records with the music from home. It is also evident that many US Films from this time period were very popular in this area with US servicemen, and most also became popular with the local population and community."
X-268 / X-269 1960's Thailand(?)

*Vinyl: G - please see pictures for condition

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