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M.I.U. Album
Studio album by The Beach Boys
Released	October 2, 1978
Recorded	Autumn 1977 and Spring 1978 except "Hey Little Tomboy" (1974) and "My Diane" (1976)
Genre	Rock
Length	32:19
Label	Brother/Reprise
Producer	Al Jardine Ron Altbach
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (C) link
The Beach Boys chronology
Love You (1977) M.I.U. Album (1978) L.A. (Light Album) (1979)

M.I.U. Album is the twenty-second studio album by The Beach Boys, released in 1978. Recorded at a fraught time for the band, only Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Brian Wilson appear throughout the album. Carl and Dennis Wilson are audible on only a few of the songs.

After the release of Love You, The Beach Boys fell into dispute over the direction of the band, and were close to breaking up. Brian Wilson began regressing back into drug use and mental illness. Dennis was readying his debut solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, and was largely unavailable for the new project, of which he and brother Carl were not in favor. The idea, by staunch Transcendental Meditation follower Mike Love, was to record the new album – initially intended as a Christmas release – at the Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa, (hence the 'M.I.U.' title). Consequently, when it was time to record the album in September 1977, only Love, Jardine and the eldest Wilson showed up.

The original intention was for Brian Wilson to produce the album, but it soon became clear he was either unable or unwilling to function in that role. The production credit on the album was given to Al Jardine and songwriting partner Ron Altbach, with Brian billed as "executive producer" - though the exact nature of this role was never clarified. The provisionally titled Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys was rejected by the record company, which demanded the band submit a regular studio album instead. New lyrics were overdubbed on to some of the original Christmas tracks the following spring, which, together with quickly-penned new material, formed the basis of the M.I.U. Album, the band's last for Reprise Records before embarking on their CBS Records (now Sony Music) contract.

When asked about M.I.U. Album in the British press, Dennis Wilson said that he "[doesn't] believe in that album" and that it was "an embarrassment to [his] life. It should self destruct.. I hope that the karma will fuck up Mike Love’s meditation forever."^[1]

Although the album peaked at only #151 in the US and became their first since 1964 to miss the UK chart completely, "Come Go With Me" would become a top 20 hit in late 1981 when it was released as a single from the Ten Years of Harmony compilation.

Track listing

1. "She's Got Rhythm" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Ron Altbach) – 2:27
   • Features Brian Wilson and Mike Love on lead vocals
2. "Come Go with Me" (C. E. Quick) – 2:06
   • Features Al Jardine on lead vocals
3. "Hey Little Tomboy" (Brian Wilson) – 2:25
   • Features Mike Love, Brian Wilson, and Carl Wilson on lead vocals
4. "Kona Coast" (Al Jardine/Mike Love) – 2:33
   • Features Mike Love and Al Jardine on lead vocals
5. "Peggy Sue" (Buddy Holly/J. Allison/N. Petty) – 2:15
   • Features Al Jardine on lead vocals
6. "Wontcha Come Out Tonight?" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:30
   • Features Brian Wilson and Mike Love on lead vocals
7. "Sweet Sunday Kind Of Love" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:42
   • Features Carl Wilson on lead vocals
8. "Belles of Paris" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Ron Altbach) – 2:27
   • Features Mike Love on lead vocals
9. "Pitter Patter" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Al Jardine) – 3:14
   • Features Mike Love and Al Jardine on lead vocals
10. "My Diane" (Brian Wilson) – 2:37
    • Features Dennis Wilson on lead vocals
11. "Match Point of Our Love" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 3:29
    • Features Brian Wilson on lead vocals
12. "Winds of Change" (Ron Altbach/Ed Tuleja) – 3:14
    • Features Al Jardine and Mike Love on lead vocals

Singles

• "Peggy Sue" b/w "Hey Little Tomboy" (Brother 1394), 28 August 1978 US #59
• "Come Go with Me" b/w "Don't Go Near The Water" (from Surf's Up) (Brother/Caribou ZS4 02633), 2 November 1981 US #18

M.I.U. Album is now paired on CD with L.A. (Light Album).

M.I.U. Album (Brother/Reprise MSK 2268) reached # 151 in the U.S. during a chart stay of 4 weeks.

Merry Christmas From The Beach Boys

After signing with CBS Records in 1977, the Beach Boys wanted to satisfy the terms of their Warner/Reprise contract by releasing a Christmas Album. Rejected by Warners, many of the tracks appeared on various bootlegs and on the 1998 release Ultimate Christmas. If released, the album would have had the following track listing:

Side 1:

1. "Christmastime Is Here Again" (The Peggy Sue track with new lyrics)
2. "Child Of Winter (Christmas Song)" (A remix of the 1974 single)
3. "Winter Symphony"
4. "Michael Row The Boat Ashore" (Outtake from 15 Big Ones)
5. "Seasons In The Sun" (Recorded in 1970)

Side 2:

1. "Holy Evening" (a.k.a. "Morning Christmas")
2. "Christmas Day" (A new track, not the song from 1964's Christmas album)
3. "Go And Get That Girl"
4. "Santa's On His Way" ("H.E.L.P. Is On The Way" with new lyrics)
5. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (not the seasonal standard)
6. "Medley: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Come All Ye Faithful/Hark The Herald Angels Sing/We Wish You A Merry Christmas"

outtakes include:

1. "Santa's Got An Airplane" ("Loop De Loop" with new lyrics)
2. "Belles of Christmas" (Rewritten as "Belles of Paris")
3. "Kona Christmas" (Rewritten as "Kona Coast")
4. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (Lead vocals by Wendy and Carnie Wilson, backing vocals by the Beach Boys)

California Feeling

The non-seasonal album recorded in Iowa was delivered to Warner Bros. in the spring of 1978. It was originally titled "California Feeling", after a song which Brian demanded not be included on the album. The album was to be released with the following lineup:

1. "Match Point Of Our Love"
2. "Pitter Patter"
3. "Sweet Sunday Kind Of Love"
4. "Belles Of Paris"
5. "Winds Of Change"
6. "My Diane"
7. "She's Got Rhythm"
8. "Our Team"
9. "Hey Little Tomboy"
10. "Kona Coast"
11. "Wontcha Come Out Tonight"
12. "How's About A Little Bit Of Your Sweet Lovin'"

Also considered for the album were the 1969 Dennis Wilson song, "San Miguel," and an early version of Al Jardine's "Lady Lynda." This album was rejected by Warners.

Winds Of Change

The "California Feeling" album was overdubbed and "sweetened" for release. Two songs, "How's About A Little Bit Of Your Sweet Lovin'" and "Our Team", were replaced with "Peggy Sue" and a new version of "Come Go With Me." The album was retitled "Winds Of Change" and scheduled for release in the summer of 1978. "Winds Of Change" was to be released with the following lineup:

1. "Match Point Of Our Love"
2. "Pitter Patter"
3. "Sweet Sunday Kind Of Love"
4. "Belles Of Paris"
5. "Winds Of Change"
6. "My Diane"
7. "She's Got Rhythm"
8. "Peggy Sue"
9. "Hey Little Tomboy"
10. "Kona Coast"
11. "Wontcha Come Out Tonight"
12. "Come Go With Me"

Also considered for the album was the 1977 outtake, "Ruby Baby." This album was also rejected by Warners.

The album was finally released in October 1978 as "M.I.U. Album" with an alternate mix of "Hey Little Tomboy" used.

References

Sources

• M.I.U. Album/L.A. (Light Album) CD booklet notes, Jeff Tamarkin, c.2000.
• "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience", Timothy White, c. 1994.
• "Wouldn't It Be Nice — My Own Story", Brian Wilson and Todd Gold, c. 1991.
• "Top Pop Singles 1955–2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
• "Top Pop Albums 1955–2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
• Allmusic.com

External links

• M.I.U. Album lyrics