Van Dyke Parks interview in the latest Record Collector

[harveyw]

There's a three page interview with yr man in the new issue of Record Collector, out this week in the UK. Smile is touched upon in the final couple of questions (on the imminent reissue, Parks says, "I'm happy just to see -finally- that Mike Love had learned to eat crow"), but the interview focusses on the series of 45s he's about to issue, on upcoming live shows, and the current political climate in the US. He also mentions that he's compiling a CD called "Arrangements", a "selection of collaborations which sit in ignominy in the Warners vault", which should be good.
It's a fantastic piece, and so refreshing to read an interview with someone of Parks' wit & intelligence.

[oldsurferdude]

There's a three page interview with yr man in the new issue of Record Collector, out this week in the UK. Smile is touched upon in the final couple of questions (on the imminent reissue, Parks says, "I'm happy just to see -finally- that Mike Love had learned to eat crow"), but the interview focusses on the series of 45s he's about to issue, on upcoming live shows, and the current political climate in the US. He also mentions that he's compiling a CD called "Arrangements", a "selection of collaborations which sit in ignominy in the Warners vault", which should be good.
It's a fantastic piece, and so refreshing to read an interview with someone of Parks' wit & intelligence.

...over and over the crow cries uncover the Lovester...

[Runaways]

awesome quote. 

[A Million Units In Jan!]

You know what I find interesting? That Mike Love, the supposed devil, never really takes a lot of shots at VDP, yet every chance he gets, Van Dyke talks a bunch of sh*t about Mike Love.

[rab2591]

You know what I find interesting? That Mike Love, the supposed devil, never really takes a lot of shots at VDP, yet every chance he gets, Van Dyke talks a bunch of merda about Mike Love.

Probably because Mike doesn't have to. Mike can laugh all the way to the bank. VDPs strikes me as a very well-mannered guy who doesn't think much of money or fame (heck, isn't he in overalls or a tux anytime a picture is taken of him?)....he doesn't seem like the type of person to hold a grudge for nothing....there's obviously a good reason for his annoyance.

[hypehat]

I think VDP has other reasons to be annoyed at Mike - Saddling him with the bill for a private plane is an obviously dick move. And lest we forget, Mike Love is an ass.

I bet Parks has been saving the 'Eat Crow' line for fucking decades though   

[rab2591]

that post made my day lol

[oldsurferdude]

I think VDP has other reasons to be annoyed at Mike - Saddling him with the bill for a private plane is an obviously dick move. And lest we forget, Mike Love is an ass.

I bet Parks has been saving the 'Eat Crow' line for friggin' decades though   

[TdHabib]

Parks is the modern day Mark Twain, he's a treasure of a lost era.

[Runaways]

You know what I find interesting? That Mike Love, the supposed devil, never really takes a lot of shots at VDP, yet every chance he gets, Van Dyke talks a bunch of merda about Mike Love.

mike wouldn't exactly help his cause if he opened his mouth..again.

[Mark H.]

Love it.  (no pun intended) 

[MBE]

You know what I find interesting? That Mike Love, the supposed devil, never really takes a lot of shots at VDP, yet every chance he gets, Van Dyke talks a bunch of merda about Mike Love.

I hear you.
Van Dyke just doesn't act classy when it comes to Mike. Don't care what Mike did or didn't do it's still not classy.

[Runaways]

i think mike did his damage already.  Mike pretty much junked van dyke's work, that's a pretty personal attack.  van dyke can take his shots. 

[Rocky]

mike wouldn't exactly help his cause if he opened his mouth..again.

he will...mark my words. it will be understated and harmless at this point, but with the media frenzy that will erupt over the summer, Mike won' t be able to resist.

[GuyOnTheBeach]

mike wouldn't exactly help his cause if he opened his mouth..again.

he will...mark my words. it will be understated and harmless at this point, but with the media frenzy that will erupt over the summer, Mike won' t be able to resist.

I can picture it now, Al, Brian, Bruce and Mike are atop Capitol Tower, there are film cameras and interviewers, about halfway through something snaps in Mike, he says something like 'And I still don't know what that line means!', Brian walks out, uses his veto and SMiLE is never heard of again.... 

[Fun Is In]

Hopefully he won't get after Brian and VDP but will return to his celebrated RR HOF commentary on Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger.

[oldsurferdude]

You know what I find interesting? That Mike Love, the supposed devil, never really takes a lot of shots at VDP, yet every chance he gets, Van Dyke talks a bunch of merda about Mike Love.

I hear you.
Van Dyke just doesn't act classy when it comes to Mike. Don't care what Mike did or didn't do it's still not classy.

Van Dyke is excused when commenting on someone with absolutely no class.

[Autotune]

I think VDP cares so much that he carried his bitternes towards Mike for decades. He has not many nice things to say about Brian's music either. He's not a fan of Brian's music and Brian's not a fan of VDP's.

Truth is ML sang the hell out of VDP's lines. There are records that attest to it... And his Cabinessence vocals were heard by the public as early as 1969, so probably it's time Van Dyke moves on. The airplane incident sounds like one of those VDP stories to me: entertaining fiction with a touch of reality. Like the story about Lennon's remarks on ML.

Maybe there was a reason for Brian's speech at Ringo's b-day.

[juggler]

He has not many nice things to say about Brian's music either. He's not a fan of Brian's music

Huh?  In every interview I've ever seen, VDP is effusive in his praise of Brian Wilson's musical genius.  Sure, he has taken a few shots at the other Beach Boys for wanting to stick to the cars-and-girls formula,  but with regards to Brian, he's been uniformly positive.  Show me something negative he ever said about Brian's music.

I can't really blame VDP for carrying a grudge.  Remember "The Beach Boys: An American Family" made-for-television movie?  

Gee, if I were portrayed negatively and falsely in a major network television movie... and my name were mentioned 7 or 8 times... and I had to get a lawyer and threaten to sue unless they would change the name of "my" character, I think I'd be a little upset, too.

[pixletwin]

What did VDP say about Lennon and Mike Love? Can't be anyworse than being called an All American Bullet-headed Saxon Mother's Son. 

[hypehat]

On the contrary, I think Mike sounds quite bored, or indifferent, singing the ooh, three or four portions of Smile he gets solo spots on (The Cantina, Crow, the shared H&V verse, sunny down snuff, and some others I've probably forgotten)? Probably doing it at the insistence of Brian.
His bass singing is, as usual, tiptop, but he is really not bringing it on those leads.

And if you were Van Dyke, wouldn't you be mad? Here is a struggling songwriter, given the chance to write for the most successful young man in American pop music, with the success, acclaim, and all the rest that that entails, and the chance slips by because there is resistance in the band (I know there are other factors, mostly Brian's mental state) making things difficult. That's how he calls it. He has to leave. And he gradually sees the Beach Boys (and he works in the periphery for quite some time), who he personally witnessed as being on the cusp of something amazing, slowly twist and turn into a very sad affair, with dwindling musical/commercial stakes. And he sees Mike Love happy and Brian, well, not. In simplistic terms. I can understand wholly why VDP would be mad at Mike. Hell, sometimes I'm mad at him!

Not only did Mike Love stiff VDP with the bill for a private plane (and VDP is nowhere near a rich man), he also bloody assassinated his character in that TV show. And, i repeat, Mike Love is an ass! A great singer, talented (if limited) writer, and I don't wish he was still pumping gas, but still. The man is an ass.

The Lennon story is in here, I think http://www.vandykeparks.com/miscfiles/latimes0004.html. I also distinctly recall in one Beatles bio Paul or George recalling that he took lots of contraband with him to sell to fellow meditators in Rishikesh.....

[pixletwin]

Thanks hypehat. This is news to me. 

[Mikie]

On the contrary, I think Mike sounds quite bored, or indifferent, singing the ooh, three or four portions of Smile he gets solo spots on (The Cantina, Crow, the shared H&V verse, sunny down snuff, and some others I've probably forgotten)? Probably doing it at the insistence of Brian.
His bass singing is, as usual, tiptop, but he is really not bringing it on those leads.

And if you were Van Dyke, wouldn't you be mad? Here is a struggling songwriter, given the chance to write for the most successful young man in American pop music, with the success, acclaim, and all the rest that that entails, and the chance slips by because there is resistance in the band (I know there are other factors, mostly Brian's mental state) making things difficult. That's how he calls it. He has to leave. And he gradually sees the Beach Boys (and he works in the periphery for quite some time), who he personally witnessed as being on the cusp of something amazing, slowly twist and turn into a very sad affair, with dwindling musical/commercial stakes. And he sees Mike Love happy and Brian, well, not. In simplistic terms. I can understand wholly why VDP would be mad at Mike. Hell, sometimes I'm mad at him!

Not only did Mike Love stiff VDP with the bill for a private plane (and VDP is nowhere near a rich man), he also bloody assassinated his character in that TV show. And, i repeat, Mike Love is an ass! A great singer, talented (if limited) writer, and I don't wish he was still pumping gas, but still. The man is an ass.

The Lennon story is in here, I think http://www.vandykeparks.com/miscfiles/latimes0004.html. I also distinctly recall in one Beatles bio Paul or George recalling that he took lots of contraband with him to sell to fellow meditators in Rishikesh.....

Post of the day, without question.   

[hypehat]

Why I oughta.... 

[Runaways]

You know what I find interesting? That Mike Love, the supposed devil, never really takes a lot of shots at VDP, yet every chance he gets, Van Dyke talks a bunch of merda about Mike Love.

I hear you.
Van Dyke just doesn't act classy when it comes to Mike. Don't care what Mike did or didn't do it's still not classy.

i think van dyke handles it in a pretty classy way.  Has he ever actually called mike names?  that'd be unclassy.  and he doesn't here.  Y'know what i doubt mike has EVER done?  that would probably fix all of this?  mike apologize to van dyke.