The Carrie Marks Thread

[Carrie Marks]

Since I did announce the MySpace link before I'd planned, it didn't have all the songs I was planning on including.  So, I just finished uploading 2 new songs...I hope you like them.

To answer Susan's question from yesterday, the tentative release date is May.  It's *almost* done, with the exception of some organ that he wants to add on a few tracks.  He isn't happy with the sounds on his Roland, so that's holding things up a bit...nothing can replace a real B3.

Again, the link to David's audio clips is:

www.MySpace.com/DavidMarks

[Jonas]

man, im really diggin these tunes

[Susan]

Having just been intensely studying classical guitar, why on earth would he want to play bass for the Beach Boys?  And that's not a knock on the Beach Boys - heaven forbid! - but a no-brainer.  If you've been working at a very high level at something, you just do not want to take three steps backwards.

I studied classical guitar at a very high level before and during college...and I think I'd jump at the opportunity to play bass for a band I liked.

But, as they say, horses for courses.

I guess i don't make the assumption that Dave liked the BBs like that.    And now having read Carrie's comments, it makes even more sense and i make that assumption even less.  I guess David had really walked away.

[Surfer Joe]

That "One Man's Challenge" footage is from the Pickwick Center in Burbank, right?  It's almost hard to believe it's really live when you look at the backing vocalists, particularly Carl, and how they're miked.  I also not the absence of bowling sounds...has that whole film ever been commercially available?  How much of the Beach Boys' performance was filmed?

[Emdeeh]

Hi Carrie! I am really enjoying these new tunes and looking forward to the new album. But, you know, that photo on the album cover looks strangely familiar, like a place I've seen (and been) somewhere before...

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I guess i don't make the assumption that Dave liked the BBs like that.    And now having read Carrie's comments, it makes even more sense and i make that assumption even less.  I guess David had really walked away.

My point was really more trying to defend bass playing in a rock band as being something deserving of a classical guitarist, rather than the Beach Boys element.  I think.

David playing with Zappa would have been neat.  Zappa's impossible auditions for players are legendary.  Can David play a reggae-infused pinch-harmonic superlochrian groove in 11/8+13/8 time?   

[Jon Stebbins]

That "One Man's Challenge" footage is from the Pickwick Center in Burbank, right?  It's almost hard to believe it's really live when you look at the backing vocalists, particularly Carl, and how they're miked.  I also not the absence of bowling sounds...has that whole film ever been commercially available?  How much of the Beach Boys' performance was filmed?

I think the One Man's Challenge footage is the Azusa Teen Club...just like the film tells you. Hey that's how Dave remembers it , right Carrie?

[Surfer Joe]

My mistake; I was told years ago that it was the Pickwick Center and just assumed that to be correct.

[Susan]

I guess i don't make the assumption that Dave liked the BBs like that.    And now having read Carrie's comments, it makes even more sense and i make that assumption even less.  I guess David had really walked away.

My point was really more trying to defend bass playing in a rock band as being something deserving of a classical guitarist, rather than the Beach Boys element.  I think.

Point definitely taken, and agreed with.  But from the classical guitarist's POV - or, more specifically, from what i imagine the CGists' POV to be - it could be thought of as a step back.  Or down.  Or laterally.  All when forward motion was desired.  That's all i was saying.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Point definitely taken, and agreed with.  But from the classical guitarist's POV - or, more specifically, from what i imagine the CGists' POV to be - it could be thought of as a step back.  Or down.  Or laterally.  All when forward motion was desired.  That's all i was saying.

Yeah, I get what you're saying.  To be fair, I wasn't even really a classical guitarist anyway.  At least not only a classical guitarist (mothers don't let your babies grow up to be multi-instrumentalists).  I'm sure David made the right choice.  But it certainly is an interesting though thinking about what Dave's potentially classical-guitar-inflected basslines could have added to the Beach Boys sound at that point.

[Surfer Joe]

"I Think About You Often"...is this song addressed to anyone in particular?

Also, who all else is playing? And who's singing the co-lead?

[Carrie Marks]

"I Think About You Often"...is this song addressed to anyone in particular?

Also, who all else is playing? And who's singing the co-lead?

The song was written one night after David saw Jordan Zevon sitting at Warren's old piano on some rock star kids show on VH1 or something. The last time he'd seen Jordan, he was just a little kid.  He didn't really write it was just Warren in mind, but it sparked a feeling of general loss for those he's lost along the way. Although he did say he knew Warren would have loved this song - it's dark enough to be something he'd really get.

On this particular track, David is playing all the instruments except the drums, which are done by a guy named Ed Jurisinsky.  The rest of the tracks on the CD (except Bamboo Shack) feature a Berklee guy, Eric Kalb, on drums.  Bass is split between David, another Berklee guy, Mike Rivard or NY session player, Jon Price.

The co-lead is Anna Montgomery, David's God daughter.  Her father, Gary Montgomery, was one of David's closest friends - a band mate from the Colours and songwriter on the Moon's first LP.  Shortly after she recorded this vocal, Gary died unexpectedly, only making this tune even more meaningful to them.

This post is kind of a bummer...sorry.

[Carrie Marks]

Hi Carrie! I am really enjoying these new tunes and looking forward to the new album. But, you know, that photo on the album cover looks strangely familiar, like a place I've seen (and been) somewhere before...

Hi Margaret.  Glad you like the tunes.  The photo was shot on the day after the Chez Jays Denny bash a few years ago...we stopped by on our way up to Santa Barbara.  With the reminiscent tone of the title, we thought that shot was appropriate - especially since he's wearing a Pendleton. 

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

David's rendition of "Kokomo" is the only rendition as far as I'm concerned.  I can't get enough of it.

[Surfer Joe]

I was already going to ask, after spotting his name on the My Space page: what was the Dave-Warren Zevon connection?

[Carrie Marks]

I was already going to ask, after spotting his name on the My Space page: what was the Dave-Warren Zevon connection?

They met around 1966 and spent the better part of next decade together until the universe wisely seperated them sometime in the mid 70's.  They had a very strange relationship - they both really respected each other, musically, and also shared the same indulgences.

Their band fizzled out pretty quickly but they continued playing an insane amount of music together.  Warren would get frustrated with the fact that David would play some great part and then wouldn't remember what he did when asked to play it again.  It got to the point where Warren would record them rehearsing his songs and would then have a studio guitar player to copy David's parts for the records.  If you've listened to any of Warren's early stuff, it's not David playing, but his influence all over that first Liberty LP. 

Warren kept all the tapes from these sessions but David did manage to keep one.  His site is down right now because I am switching servers but when I get it back up, I'll add some clips.  The one he has is called "Abstract Plastic Plasma Dog, the Weary Canoe Suite" which was influenced by LSD and Raspberry liquor.  The "Weary Cano" was WZ's nickname for David's guitar. There is also one of the most bizarre arrangements of Rock & Roll Music that you'll ever hear on the same tape.  Oh, and Warren is playing guitar on this tape, not piano.

Jon tells some GREAT Warren Zevon stories in his book and also, before he died,  Warren asked his 2nd wife, Crystal, to write his biography which should be coming out, coincidentally, around the same time as David's biography.  David did a really long interview with her for that book but there was some concern about her editor cutting alot of the story out so I don't know how much they'll get into the parts about David. But he was responsible for getting WZ his job with the Everly Brothers, introducing him to Brian Wilson, gave him a place to live, got him his first record deal...and convinced him to go by the name "Warren Zevon" instead of all those silly stage names he was trying out before he broke in...so chances are he'll  pop up somewhere in the story.

[Carrie Marks]

David's rendition of "Kokomo" is the only rendition as far as I'm concerned.  I can't get enough of it.

Having real Jamaican Rastafarians on this version really adds a cool edge, IMO.  The track features Garth Dennis of the Black Uruhu (sp?) and his sons, Reggae Rock, who were 13, 15 and 19 when they recorded this...a really talented family.  And it gave a whole new meaning to the line "tropical contact high."

An ex BB sideman hooked David up with a friend of his who owned a studio and was looking to start a label.  After spending thousans of dollars and 3 months in a nasty corner East LA, the friend hosed David and kept the masters for an entire CDs worth of his recordings...so I'm happy this track got leaked somehow and ended up in circulation.  Some people.....

[b.dfzo]

Wow, this is great stuff.  Thanks for your staggeringly informative posts, Carrie --- so precise and towering!

[Surfer Joe]

Carrie, I believe you mentioned three Marksmen tracks from Sundazed.  I have two of them- "Sherriff Of Noddingham" and "Travelin'" from Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar II: Point Panic (2003).  What's the third one?  Also, are these the first releases by the Marksmen anywhere since the sixties singles?

I'm still trying to figure out how to get an internet petition together.

[Jon Stebbins]

Carrie, I believe you mentioned three Marksmen tracks from Sundazed.  I have two of them- "Sherriff Of Noddingham" and "Travelin'" from Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar II: Point Panic (2003).  What's the third one?  Also, are these the first releases by the Marksmen anywhere since the sixties singles?

I'm still trying to figure out how to get an internet petition together.

I think Carrie and Dave are headed for the UK this week. I can answer the question...the third track Carrie alluded to is Kustom Kar Show, which is a song that might have ended up on the Beach Boys' Little Deuce Coupe LP if things had evolved differently. The DM book explains this. It ende up as the b-side of the first Marksmen 45 in March '64. Recently Sundazed put it on the b-side of their Sherriff of Noddingham vinyl 45 release. And yes that WAS the first official release of KKS since the orig. 45, in fact in the case of Noddingham and Travlin'...the very first official release was the Sundazed release, as both these tracks weren't on the orig. Dave and the Marksmen 45's...they sat in the can for nearly 40 years.

[Surfer Joe]

Man, I'm drooling all over the keyboard for this stuff.  Guess I'll have to seek out that vinyl release- wonder how hard that'll be?

And I am looking into getting some help with putting up an internet petition for Sundazed to release the complete Marksmen.  Once we get the electronic petition thing figured out (such that it doesn't harvest people's e-mail addresses) I hope everyone here will help get the word out and get the signatures together. Forty years is way too long to wait for good music to be released (though I guess this board has some experience with that concept) and the material I've heard sure doesn't deserve to sit in the vaults.

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

Carrie, does David have any thoughts on the upcoming Beach Boy reunion that may take place that you can post here?

[Rocker]

Carrie, does David have any thoughts on the upcoming Beach Boy reunion that may take place that you can post here?

Yeah, and how's been the meeting? Jon Stebbins said that Dave would go to Mike and Bruce last night (I believe). It would be such a cool idea...

[Carrie Marks]

Let's see....David would like to see a reunion if he was included, obviously.  He basically just wants to go out and play, whether it be a reunion tour, w/ Mike & Bruce, Al & Dean or on his own.  As for whether or not its going to happen, with or without him, it seems a very unlikely possibility.   

We did go see Mike & Bruce play last night at West Point and David sat in for the last few songs.  It was good.  John Cowsill is a great addition to the band - he's really funny and sings great.  But there was no obvious indication (to me) that anything was going to change within the personnel of the group to make room for the principals that want to rejoin. 

[Surfer Joe]

You're back! 

Carrie, having lived in Southern California for a long time, I found that there's just a spirit of old surf music that never dies.  Dave was at a distance from it for a long time, but it just seems to pull everyone back at some point.  It's not quite like any other genre.  Even though Dave is not strictly a Dick Dale type of guitarist, I like the idea of it drawing him back to the surf.

What is the musical collision of Dave and Al like?  What do those two strum when they get together?