Lei'd in Hawaii

Recording

Shortly after the band shelved Smile, dropped out from the Monterey Pop Festival, and completed recording of the imminent Smiley Smile, they scheduled two performances in Hawaii that would be released on Brother Records as a live album and possibly a concert film. Difficulties arose around this time. Member Bruce Johnston refused to travel for the reason that "it had all got too weird." To alleviate this, Brian Wilson was persuaded into making the trip, but only on the condition that he be allowed to bring his Baldwin organ, thus forcing bass guitar duties on Carl Wilson and Al Jardine per Johnston's absence despite neither possessing apt capabilities for the instrument. The band was also chronically under-rehearsed, adding new songs to their set list such as "Gettin' Hungry", "Heroes and Villains", and a cover of the Box Tops song "The Letter". Ultimately, the band performed too poorly for the material to be released, and the recording allegedly suffered technical problems that could not be fixed with overdubbing or other studio doctoring.

On September 11, the band migrated to Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco and attempted to rerecord the entire performance as a live-in-the-studio album with the intention of inserting an audience response track later. Only six tracks were recorded before the idea was abandoned in favor of a regular studio album.

Release

Portions of Lei'd in Hawaii have been released in piecemeal throughout various compilations and reissues including Rarities (1983), Concert / Live in London (1990), Endless Harmony Soundtrack (1998), Hawthorne, CA (2001), and Made in California (2013).

Bootlegs

The August 25 show and Heider sessions are available on the unauthorized compilation Aloha From Hawaii (And Hollywood). In 1994, bootleg label Vigotone released a compilation of the Lei'd in Hawaii recordings entitled Lei'd in Hawaii Rehearsal. It featured additional studio outtakes such as "We're Together Again" from Friends and "Sherry She Needs Me".

Hawaii, August 25

1. "The Letter"
2. "Hawaii"
3. "You're So Good to Me"
4. "Surfer Girl"
5. "Surfin'"
6. "Gettin' Hungry"
7. "Sloop John B"
8. "California Girls"
9. "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
10. "Heroes and Villains"
11. "God Only Knows"
12. "Good Vibrations"
13. "Barbara Ann"

Hawaii, August 26

1. "Hawthorne Boulevard"
2. "Hawaii"
3. "You're So Good to Me"
4. "Help Me, Rhonda"
5. "California Girls"
6. "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
7. "Gettin' Hungry"
8. "Surfer Girl"
9. "Surfin'"
10. "Sloop John B"
11. "The Letter"
12. "God Only Knows"
13. "Good Vibrations"
14. "Heroes and Villains"
15. "Barbara Ann"

Wally Heider Studios, September 11