Dennis & Baron Stewart

[Ed Roach]

So I was reading Craig Slowinski's excellent notes on POB/Bambu http://www.tiptopwebsite.com/custommusic2/craigslowinskicom2.pdf#page=63  referenced in the thread on Dennis re-recording his own songs, and came across this about Album Tag Song:

The intro and outro of this cut is comprised of an intriguingly progressive experiment in what
appears to be 7/4 time, with Baron Stewart singing a wordless vocal part. This was recorded
during the tail-end of the POB sessions, but was almost immediately earmarked for Bambu. At
the 2008 mixdown sessions, an undated piano/vocal demo found in the CBS vaults was skillfully
edited into the middle by John Hanlon, adding so much value to the piece, and truly turning it into
a "song" (by an incredible stroke of luck, the musical keys of the two pieces matched, enabling a
seemless edit).

This got me to thinking about & remembering Baron, who I haven't seen in years, since he left L.A.  Baron was a most amazing character - I can vividly recall the night Dennis & I first met him, and have some really wonderful, bizarre stories I could tell about him.  I was also wondering if many people here have ever heard his beautiful music; (best reference to it I can find to his first album comes on two Fleetwood links: http://www.buckinghamnicks.net/lb/guest/baronstewart.html
http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/discog/discog.php?pid=200 ) but the best news of all is that I discovered he has a site where you can hear six of these songs: http://baronstewart.com/ Hope you enjoy his music half as much as Dennis & I did, and it's so great hearing that voice & loving it all over again myself!  Whataya' you guys think?
(By the way, you might be able to hear Dennis on the last song, "Runnin' Right Back", which was recorded at Brother.)

[Andrew G. Doe]

According to Elliott (1981), Dennis plays drums, keyboards and produced the track.

[c-man]

Cool...as far as I know, "Runnin' Right Back" was never officially released. 

[bgas]

Cool...as far as I know, "Runnin' Right Back" was never officially released. 

I wonder, tho, If "Runna Right Back" which he recorded with Stu Cook producing, is the same song? ( I don't have it to compare)

[Ed Roach]

Ah, bgas, you are somewhat right!  You just interupted my response:
Au contraire, C-man; might not be this version on his 2nd album, Temperatures Rising, but the song was on there:  
1. Temperature rising   2. Runna right back   3. I crave a wave   4. What's a matter, baby   5. (After the storm) I go out dancin'   6. Total madness   7. I'm a fiend   8. Look here, sweetie   9. Sweaty pants   10. Positively 4th street
MCA 5311XLPUSEDLN:225677

[c-man]

Ah, bgas, you are somewhat right!  You just interupted my response:
Au contraire, C-man; might not be this version on his 2nd album, Temperatures Rising, but the song was on there:  
1. Temperature rising   2. Runna right back   3. I crave a wave   4. What's a matter, baby   5. (After the storm) I go out dancin'   6. Total madness   7. I'm a fiend   8. Look here, sweetie   9. Sweaty pants   10. Positively 4th street
MCA 5311XLPUSEDLN:225677

I stand corrected!  So the version on his website is from this 2nd LP?  Is there any mention of Dennis in the liners, or is this a re-recorded version?

[bgas]

Ah, bgas, you are somewhat right!  You just interupted my response:
Au contraire, C-man; might not be this version on his 2nd album, Temperatures Rising, but the song was on there:  
1. Temperature rising   2. Runna right back   3. I crave a wave   4. What's a matter, baby   5. (After the storm) I go out dancin'   6. Total madness   7. I'm a fiend   8. Look here, sweetie   9. Sweaty pants   10. Positively 4th street
MCA 5311XLPUSEDLN:225677

I stand corrected!  So the version on his website is from this 2nd LP?  Is there any mention of Dennis in the liners, or is this a re-recorded version?

From this website, it seems a re-recorded version, tho I won't swear by the info: http://www.dismarc.org/index.php?form=search   

Some nice quotes here from Tom Smith about Dennis :  http://www.dangerbrothers.com/InterviewWithTomSmith.pdf

[Dove Nested Towers]

So I was reading Craig Slowinski's excellent notes on POB/Bambu http://www.tiptopwebsite.com/custommusic2/craigslowinskicom2.pdf#page=63  referenced in the thread on Dennis re-recording his own songs, and came across this about Album Tag Song:

The intro and outro of this cut is comprised of an intriguingly progressive experiment in what
appears to be 7/4 time, with Baron Stewart singing a wordless vocal part. This was recorded
during the tail-end of the POB sessions, but was almost immediately earmarked for Bambu. At
the 2008 mixdown sessions, an undated piano/vocal demo found in the CBS vaults was skillfully
edited into the middle by John Hanlon, adding so much value to the piece, and truly turning it into
a "song" (by an incredible stroke of luck, the musical keys of the two pieces matched, enabling a
seemless edit).

This got me to thinking about & remembering Baron, who I haven't seen in years, since he left L.A.  Baron was a most amazing character - I can vividly recall the night Dennis & I first met him, and have some really wonderful, bizarre stories I could tell about him.  I was also wondering if many people here have ever heard his beautiful music; (best reference to it I can find to his first album comes on two Fleetwood links: http://www.buckinghamnicks.net/lb/guest/baronstewart.html
http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/discog/discog.php?pid=200 ) but the best news of all is that I discovered he has a site where you can hear six of these songs: http://baronstewart.com/ Hope you enjoy his music half as much as Dennis & I did, and it's so great hearing that voice & loving it all over again myself!  Whataya' you guys think?
(By the way, you might be able to hear Dennis on the last song, "Runnin' Right Back", which was recorded at Brother.)

Really, really enjoyed hearing Baron Stewart's music, Ed, Thanks for the link. Very interesting info about Album Tag Song also.

[Ed Roach]

Some nice quotes here from Tom Smith about Dennis :  http://www.dangerbrothers.com/InterviewWithTomSmith.pdf

Guess it's things like the post above that make me grateful for starting a thread like this one.  Tom Smith & I had been in touch awhile back, but I don't recall seeing this site, or having read this before:

"Dennis showed up one night at a Load gig in Venice opening for Baron Stewart. Baron sang and wrote some of Dennis' album PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE. During our show Dennis came out as if he were a roadie and scrambled all around Dave's microphone stand moving it up and down, messing with the chord.  It was quite funny. I don't think the crowd knew who he was, and Dave wasn't even singing so the mic was irrelevant to the song. Cool guy...."

I'm so grateful when someone strikes a chord in my memory; so many of Baron Stewart's shows featured either Dennis or Brian popping on stage at one point or another, sometimes adding to the show, sometimes not...
Also reminded me what great opening acts Baron always had; I tend to only remember him having Patti Davis, (President Ron's daughter),open, but this story reminds me that many people opened for him.  This was a time when Venice & Santa Monica was full of Beach Boy related bands, from Eddie carter's group to Baron & Slavin' Dave, as well as Ricci Martin & Main Squeeze, (which featured Fataar, Hinsche & Munoz, as well as Wayne Tweed & Sam Clayton!).  Many of these clubs were actually little transformed from the speakeasies that they originally were, and these musicians were a part of the 'new prohibition' we were casting off in the late seventies....  And all of these bands were rife with musicians who Dennis was connected with in one way or another.  A most fruitful time indeed...

[bgas]

Ah, bgas, you are somewhat right!  You just interupted my response:
Au contraire, C-man; might not be this version on his 2nd album, Temperatures Rising, but the song was on there:  
1. Temperature rising   2. Runna right back   3. I crave a wave   4. What's a matter, baby   5. (After the storm) I go out dancin'   6. Total madness   7. I'm a fiend   8. Look here, sweetie   9. Sweaty pants   10. Positively 4th street
MCA 5311XLPUSEDLN:225677

Bought a copy which I just received; now if I can only find a turntable that works! 
LP was produced by Stu Cook, co-produced by Baron; Drums, Tom Smith; Keyboards, Sterling Smith; Piano and Vocals. Braon Stewart. No Dennis mention
 
Ed- if you have this LP, does it have a quotation added in the lower corner on the back cover, with a Baron Sig?  Hard to tell if the one on mine is printed or a real autograph?

[Rocker]

LP was produced by Stu Cook,

Which brings the question to my mind if there was ever a connection between Dennis and CCR

[Jon Stebbins]

LP was produced by Stu Cook,

Which brings the question to my mind if there was ever a connection between Dennis and CCR

Well CCR and the Beach Boys played some shows together in '68 or '69. Also, there's a great quote from John Fogerty somewhere about Brian. The gist is some record label guy told him in the pre-Creedence days, '65 or so, that "kids don't really know anything about making hit records." Fogerty just replied "Brian Wilson".

This probably isn't the kind of Dennis/Creedence connection you had in mind...but... I wrote a book about Dennis, and my brother-in-law Felix Brenner has been John Fogerty's live mixer for many years.

[Rocker]

LP was produced by Stu Cook,

Which brings the question to my mind if there was ever a connection between Dennis and CCR

Well CCR and the Beach Boys played some shows together in '68 or '69. Also, there's a great quote from John Fogerty somewhere about Brian. The gist is some record label guy told him in the pre-Creedence days, '65 or so, that "kids don't really know anything about making hit records." Fogerty just replied "Brian Wilson".

This probably isn't the kind of Dennis/Creedence connection you had in mind...but... I wrote a book about Dennis, and my brother-in-law Felix Brenner has been John Fogerty's live mixer for many years.

Great none the less. Thanks Jon !
Well, both of Dennis' brothers did record a Fogerty-song.

I thought there might've been a closer connection as I sometimes have the feeling that every californian from that time has a Dennis Wilson-story...
And tell your brother-in-law he's doing a great job. Fogerty's concerts sound great and powerful

[Ed Roach]

Interestingly, Fogerty lived just a few doors down from the first house that I lived in with Dennis, which was his first house after Sunset Boulevard.  However, I never saw them interact any further than a casual hello.  That was a funny thing to me about Dennis; I got the impression that he shied away from other 'famous' musicians.  There were only two times that I saw this change; the first was the "Miller Drive" house, where he interacted with a wide variety of contemporary artists.  The other time was with Fleetwood Mac, and I wish that had continued in a musical vein.  Unfortunately, it ended pretty much once he & Christine became an 'item', and then even their musical collaboration was sidetracked after a bit.

[northwallace]

Hello, this is my first time posting on the forum.  So just wanted to say thanks to begin with.

I know it has been a long time since this topic has been posted on, but I wanted to chime in with some info.

First off, I met Baron when I was 6 or 7 back in 1991.  So I missed out on the earlier parts of Baron's life. 
It's really awesome to read stories about him and Dennis.  He doesn't talk much about his past, (he's always living in the present)
but I can link up a lot of stuff that I heard here, with stories by him, and it's really special.   

I actually started baronstewart.com for Baron.  Any ideas on songs you want added or material? 

Baron has been working on some new songs so those should be coming soon!

I'm surprised nobody has said anything about his dog 'Great Gatsby'.  (Gatsby and the Gulls say goodbye!)

Would love to hear more stories of Baron!

Thanks!

[Ed Roach]

So glad you found this, and thanks for making Baron's music more accessible!

And of course I remember Gatsby, and think of him often...  (Spent many a sunrise/sunset with that dog)
I've still got an old Christmas card with a drawing of him, as well as his image on an old Fox Venice poster...

Funny enough, I'd just posted something about Patti Davis in another thread.  When I saw this from you, I immediately remembered the countless times I'd stumble in to one of the great old Venice dive bars to catch Baron, only to see Patti Davis on stage opening for him!

[stack-o-tracks]

When do you plan to open your museum, Ed? 

[northwallace]

Good ol' Gatsby.  The dog I love, yet have never met. 

I'm sure Baron would love to hear from you Ed.   If you send me your name and number I'll be sure to give it to him next time I see him.

a quick Baron story

I use to love going to thrift stores with Baron and looking for cool stuff.  There was always an old piano at most of them and Baron would always start playing
and singing right on the spot.  Everyone kind of looked at him oddly, then when they realized how amazing he is they would all huddle around and watch him.

He also did this in a Dorm room cafeteria (impromptu) and everyone went nuts!