My e-mail correspondance with Van Dyke Parks

[rogerlancelot]

I wrote him once on February 23, 2008 asking about a possible release of his song "Wall Street". His reply:

Dear eric
It's coming along fine. Paint is drying.
Work in progress.
Buy the album by inara George,
On everloving label-- within 2 months.
More soon. Van dyke

Sent from my iPhone

Okay, not really an answer but more of a typical VDP response.

Fast forward to late March, 2011. I go on vacation to Shreveport, Louisiana to see my family. Although I flew in with my laptop, It was days before I even had the time or interest to get on a computer. In the meantime my mother called me to ask about some strange e-mails she was getting from me. I logged into my yahoo account (one that I've had since 1998!) and sure enough my account had been hacked. I logged in and changed my password and of course that was the end of that (good to know if it ever happens to you). Unfortunately everybody who I had saved in my contact list had been sent multiple messages of spam. And that included Van Dyke Parks of all people!!!

I don't know whether to laugh or cry about the situation. I have to laugh at his responses and just the fact that he was replying to spam messages but I am sad that I can never send him a message again. Like I said, I only wrote him that one time 3 years ago but I was holding his contact in case I had a really important question to ask him one day. Anyway, without further ado, here are the 2 messages he responded to. You have to admit it is kind of funny...

SPAM:
Van,

Do you enjoy every day of your life? Where you want to be in life, is where you're going to be in life. Just listen to my story Life's only consistancy is death and dreams, lets make your dreams come true. Everything in your life so far has lead up to this, make a change and click the link. http://x.co/UIdT Walk a mile in my shoes, and you'll know what royalty is. Here, lets trade shoes.

VDP:
no thanx
not now
keep yer shoes on
bye

Sent from my iPhone

SPAM:
Van,

Man, I saw you at a gas station the other sunday. Didn't look very happy. Are you having financial issues? Cut to the chase, you're slacking. Let me help you succeed. I can get you there by next sunday Change what everyone thinks of you. Succeed. Live in the rain and you'll only see sunlight half the time. Live in constant light before next sunday http://x.co/UIdj Help isn't something that you have to beg for, or something that will hurt your pride. Its simply what it is.

VDP:
Stop writing to me, please.
...and I don't go to gas stations.

Sent from my iPhone

Heartbreaking that he doesn't want me to write him. Yet funny that he kept on replying to obvious spam messages.

[hypehat]

haha, how weird!

[rab2591]

"Here, lets trade shoes."

"keep yer shoes on"

Ok, I'm stealing this anecdote for myself -

At least he wasn't flooded with spam....and I'm sure you could still email him about what happened, he'd probably be understanding.

[rogerlancelot]

"Here, lets trade shoes."

"keep yer shoes on"

Ok, I'm stealing this anecdote for myself -

At least he wasn't flooded with spam....and I'm sure you could still email him about what happened, he'd probably be understanding.

I think I'll leave him alone right now. But it is kind of funny picturing this 68 year old (or so) man responding angrily to spam messages. 

[FUN³]

he doesn't go to gas stations?
weird. maybe he's a bicycle rider.

[rogerlancelot]

he doesn't go to gas stations?
weird. maybe he's a bicycle rider.

He is responsible for that lyric, is he not?

[rab2591]

he doesn't go to gas stations?
weird. maybe he's a bicycle rider.

Ha! Nice pun. If that's the case I envy him.

[Mikie]

It's amazing as hell that he wrote back to you at all.  Pretty nice guy to bother to respond to that crap.  Seriously.

[rogerlancelot]

It's amazing as hell that he wrote back to you at all.  Pretty nice guy to bother to respond to that crap.  Seriously.

Of course he is nice as hell. Obviously I didn't write him "that crap". My account had been hacked and I seriously wasn't trying to bother him at all. That's why I'm just going to leave it alone and maybe later one day down the road explain to him what happened. Doesn't he hang out in front of Tower Records? 

[rab2591]

It's amazing as hell that he wrote back to you at all.  Pretty nice guy to bother to respond to that crap.  Seriously.

I hear that Van Dyke is very responsive to his email (posted on his official website)....and this correspondence proves that.

I've always wanted to email him but, other than drooling over SMiLE and Song Cycle, I can't imagine what I'd say to him. And he doesn't need a personal message from me to realize that he is a talented man.

[Mikie]

Doesn't he hang out in front of Tower Records?

Dunno if he does now, but back in '76 he did.  Said Dennis Wilson (who had a lotta meat) could take him like straw in the wind!

[rogerlancelot]

Doesn't he hang out in front of Tower Records?

Dunno if he does now, but back in '76 he did.  Said Dennis Wilson (who had a lotta meat) could take him like straw in the wind!

I was referring to his '76 interview which was featured in the NBC special that year and some other bits in the American Band documentary. I have no clue where he hangs out at now (but not at gas stations). 

[Mikie]

Yeah, I was also referring to the '76 "It's OK" NBC special interview with Van Dyke in front of Tower Records on Sunset. You remember what he said about Dennis, right?

"They came back and they were wearing tennis shoes". And the reference to the Smile lyrics and saying "I don't know what they mean!"

[TheLazenby]

At this point, I like to remind people...

I wrote to Van Dyke, asking a question about the 'Psychedelic Sounds' boot and what that session was intended for.
Van Dyke responded not by answering my question, but by hitting on me.
I am a guy.  He knew this.  He referred to me by name.

End of story.

[Runaways]

i may have to drop him a van dyke-ian note

[Chris Moise]

Ok, no foolin'. If VDP is responsive to email then we should 'appoint' someone to send a concise email asking if he wrote verse lyrics to Child in 1966 and if so what the hell happened to them. Last thing we want is 10 different people emailing him the same question so we should get the wording right and get someone that isn't Fishmonk to send it  Seriously, I fear the book might not cover that sort of info so we should ask the source. Can't hurt.

[Mikie]

Yeah, we'll have Bill Tobelman send him the e-mail.

[Amy B.]

Why don't you invite him to come to this board and be an honored guest? Think he'd go for it? 

[Jay]

VERY cool of him to answer his mails. Although, I'm not sure how he'd feel about reading his mail correspondence being posted in messageboards. 

[Myk Luhv]

I guess he'd care about as much as Andy Paley did when his private dinner conversation was recollected here (third hand, I believe, but even so)?

[Shady]

Why don't you invite him to come to this board and be an honored guest? Think he'd go for it? 

That's a really good idea

[Chris Moise]

Why don't you invite him to come to this board and be an honored guest? Think he'd go for it? 

That's a really good idea

I don't think it's a good idea at all. Without doubt the endless pages of nonsense like, for example, the Vegetables lyrics would scare him away. That's why I think a clear, succinct email from one person here would get the best response.

[Mike's Beard]

I volunteer Fishmonk.

[LeeDempsey]

At this point, I like to remind people...

I wrote to Van Dyke, asking a question about the 'Psychedelic Sounds' boot and what that session was intended for.
Van Dyke responded not by answering my question, but by hitting on me.
I am a guy.  He knew this.  He referred to me by name.

End of story.

Well, if his intention was to offend you to the point that you wouldn't correspond further with him, then I would say that his tactic -- while unorthodox -- was successful! 

Lee

[LeeDempsey]

VERY cool of him to answer his mails. Although, I'm not sure how he'd feel about reading his mail correspondence being posted in messageboards. 

Agreed.