New article on Dennis

[SloopJohnnyB]

For me it wasn't how much Dennis contributed to the live shows. I just wanted to SEE HIM THERE. I was disappointed when he wasn't there. Same thing with Brian. If Brian just sat and played a few chords on the piano well, for me I was glad to just SEE HIM THERE. Nice to see them all together.

After hearing POB I wanted to see Dennis on stage that much more. Dennis did come out front to sing 'Angel Come Home' in the late 70's.

Stuck on a desert island and can have only one Beach Boys Solo Album? I must have Pacific Ocean Blue.

That 25th anniversary show on NBC with all of the guest musicians? Yes, it would have been so much better if Dennis was back there kickin' it on the drums.

For me the band was never the same.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Brian is on record saying that he never knew Dennis recorded Pacific Ocean Blue. This flies in the face of previous "knowledge" of his alleged praise for the record. The band's management (probably working from the Brian/Michael/Al faction's voting record) told Dennis that his future in the Beach Boys would be that of a former member if he started the solo tour in late 1977.

Brian is also on record as saying how much he loved POB, and that predated the "never knew" quote by a good 30 years. I know which one I'd afford more credence.

[Sheriff John Stone]

For me it wasn't how much Dennis contributed to the live shows. I just wanted to SEE HIM THERE. I was disappointed when he wasn't there. Same thing with Brian. If Brian just sat and played a few chords on the piano well, for me I was glad to just SEE HIM THERE. Nice to see them all together.

I agree with you and I'm with you. We're diehards.

But, what you said - "I just wanted to SEE HIM THERE" - is basically my point. The Beach Boys really weren't getting much from Dennis in 1977 other than him (Dennis) being seen. I mean, really, I won't rehash it but Dennis' contributions to the group were fading fast. Would the group deny him a solo career because they wanted him "to be seen"? To some degree I'm sure the band sensed the strength in numbers (of Beach Boys on stage), but, I didn't think they were at that point yet - yet - where the number of Beach Boys on stage was an issue. That would come later.

[Jon Stebbins]

I've spent a good amount of time listening to the multi-tracked POB tour rehearsals from late '77 and there is no doubt Dennis was on his game and the material was sounding amazing. If this Nov. 77 incarnation of Dennis Wilson solo is the version that the public would have heard I don't think it's a stretch to say it would have been well received. The arrangements of the up-tempo songs were funkier, hotter and in some ways better than the LP versions, and in general made the Beach Boys sound archaic in comparison. The players obviously loved the material, and particularly the brass section was just on fire doing things like Time, What's Wrong, Pacific Ocean Blues and Dreamer. The what if , whether Dennis could pull it off or not, keep himself together...if his BB's history is the evidence then it would undoubtedly be hit and miss. But to generally paint Dennis as not a factor or weak contributor to the BB's in '77 to '83 is fundamentally untrue. Yes, at times he was drunk, even often, and his drumming erratic...but to say they weren't "getting much" from him in those years goes completely against the historical evidence of concert goers and reviewers who, just as often as they noted he was terrible or a distraction, often made the counterpoint that he was the only thing that gave the band any rock credibility, soul or passion. He was regularly noted as being a mess, and he was regularly noted as being the star and the highlight and the primal energy of an otherwise wheezing oldies show. Ian and I poured through dozens upon dozens of concert reviews from writers who were there, a good sampling are in the Beach Boys In Concert book...and there you can see that with Dennis it was hit or miss, almost to the end...sometimes he was embarrassing, other times he lifted the whole experience with his presence. It's all recorded in the history of the band, and I can say from personal experience I saw both sides. His drumming and presence were brilliant in two of the four '76 - '81 shows I saw...and in the other two he was messed up and even violent. But i can also say he had the POB tour set completely tight and happening, and someday...  I hope you all can hear it. It was pretty cool until the plug got pulled.

[retrokid67]

I've spent a good amount of time listening to the multi-tracked POB tour rehearsals from late '77 and there is no doubt Dennis was on his game and the material was sounding amazing. If this Nov. 77 incarnation of Dennis Wilson solo is the version that the public would have heard I don't think it's a stretch to say it would have been well received. The arrangements of the up-tempo songs were funkier, hotter and in some ways better than the LP versions, and in general made the Beach Boys sound archaic in comparison. The players obviously loved the material, and particularly the brass section was just on fire doing things like Time, What's Wrong, Pacific Ocean Blues and Dreamer. The what if , whether Dennis could pull it off or not, keep himself together...if his BB's history is the evidence then it would undoubtedly be hit and miss. But to generally paint Dennis as not a factor or weak contributor to the BB's in '77 to '83 is fundamentally untrue. Yes, at times he was drunk, even often, and his drumming erratic...but to say they weren't "getting much" from him in those years goes completely against the historical evidence of concert goers and reviewers who, just as often as they noted he was terrible or a distraction, often made the counterpoint that he was the only thing that gave the band any rock credibility, soul or passion. He was regularly noted as being a mess, and he was regularly noted as being the star and the highlight and the primal energy of an otherwise wheezing oldies show. Ian and I poured through dozens upon dozens of concert reviews from writers who were there, a good sampling are in the Beach Boys In Concert book...and there you can see that with Dennis it was hit or miss, almost to the end...sometimes he was embarrassing, other times he lifted the whole experience with his presence. It's all recorded in the history of the band, and I can say from personal experience I saw both sides. His drumming and presence were brilliant in two of the four '76 - '81 shows I saw...and in the other two he was messed up and even violent. But i can also say he had the POB tour set completely tight and happening, and someday...  I hope you all can hear it. It was pretty cool until the plug got pulled.

Awesome post Jon and I hope those tapes come out soon

[SloopJohnnyB]

Great insight, Jon. Wow, I hope those recordings get released. I hope the guys find it in their hearts to release one more tribute to their brother and cousin Dennis. Please...........

[Kurosawa]

....but it seems they didn't want to give Denny's stuff a fair chance and the people who were around at the time have noted that they were jealous of it, particularly Mike Love and Al Jardine.   

"No one listened," he moans, "not even my brothers."

Not even my BROTHERS.

Translation: "most importantly not even my brothers."

Poor guy had a sad life. Murry screwed all those boys up bad.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Something everyone here is missing in the rush to condemn Carl & Brian on this particular point - Carl is very obviously on at least two, maybe three tracks of the album (and remember, at the time Carl had a serious back problem - reportedly he did his vocals for POB in a wheelchair: I'd call that above and beyond the call of duty, even for your brother), so to say he never listened to it is, well, impossible. Unless he did his vocals with his fingers in his ears .  

[Mr. Wilson]

OMG.. Live tour rehearsal tapes..     I hope and pray I get to hear those before I cross the great divide..

[SurfRiderHawaii]

OMG.. Live tour rehearsal tapes..     I hope and pray I get to hear those before I cross the great divide..

Me too!

[The Shift]

Many thanks Jon. Fine, informative post… now we're all wondering when those tapes were last listened to and whether a release is on the cards for the near future!

Would love to know the personnel involved. Would the tour have definitely been a separate entity ora prolonged Dennis set within some BBs gigs? Would Dennis have had his own backing band or was part of the problem perhaps that he hoped to use BBs backing musicians? Who were his backing singers?

[Micha]

I've spent a good amount of time listening to the multi-tracked POB tour rehearsals from late '77

Were there other songs being rehearsed than the POB songs?

[Ed Roach]

Would love to know the personnel involved. Would the tour have definitely been a separate entity ora prolonged Dennis set within some BBs gigs? Would Dennis have had his own backing band or was part of the problem perhaps that he hoped to use BBs backing musicians? Who were his backing singers?

Jon will have to answer you about the tapes, as I'm dying to hear them myself!  However, I was there for several rehearsals, and as I recall his band was pretty well pillaged from The Beach Boys back up band;  Carly, (of course), Bobby & Eddie, and the horn section The Hornets.  This probably added to their anxiety about his solo tour, which was a complete separate entity, (except for when they tried it out opening for The Boys), and was initially booked for ten cities

[Jon Stebbins]

I just wrote an extensive post answering some of your questions, but before I hit reply it disappeared...Dennis? Anyway, a quick and less detailed second try...the backing band was the BB's horn section (Michael Andreas, John Foss, Lance Bueller, Charlie McCarthy etc... plus Carli M, Billy H, Bobby F, Ed C, Sterling Smith)...Dennis on lead vocals, Carl was there too and sang a little. This, unlike the Aug '77 experiment of a POB mini-set which only lasted a couple of gigs, was not in any way connected to the BB's tours, it was a stand-alone tour set, and gigs/dates were booked in Dec. '77 and early '78 that did not conflict with BB's tours/gigs.

The tapes were evaluated several years ago when Jim Guercio was considering a follow up release after the success of the POB Legacy set. These live rehearsals would in theory be a part of that release. This release would have been titled Tornado, which was another of Dennis' working titles, and also the nickname of the horn section he was using, formerly known (as Ed said) the Hornettes. The idea got shelved when Guercio's energy went toward trying to assist in getting the Drummer film off the ground, which turned out to be a dead end.

The only non POB song on the rehearsal tapes is Baby Blue, although I assume they would have performed You Are So Beautiful as well, no need to rehearse that one as they'd been doing it for years. I'd expect the tour set would have been nearly the whole POB album, plus Baby Blue and YASB...they could have added more as they went.

The emphasis seemed to be on the dynamic rhythmic elements of the songs, and not so much on vocals or subtlety... even the ballads had a powerful feel i would describe as "Big". This was a hot band that sounded like the shackles of Little Deuce Coupe had been taken off, and they were getting to play something new and exciting. It's an electric performance, loose in places, and incredibly tight in others. Soulful, funky, progressive, edgy even...nothing like the '78 BB's. It sounded like fun with a positive energy throughout.

[Ed Roach]

I just wrote an extensive post answering some of your questions, but before I hit reply it disappeared...Dennis?

Wasn't Dennis, Jon - just me (tee hee!)  Guess we were posting at the same time.  Thought some of these tapes were the rehearsals from Brother Studio, rather than from the shows they did opening for The Boys.  Also, we're both right about the horn section - they were The Hornets at first, and I think Dennis rechristened them The Tornados

[Jon Stebbins]

I just wrote an extensive post answering some of your questions, but before I hit reply it disappeared...Dennis?

Wasn't Dennis, Jon - just me (tee hee!)  Guess we were posting at the same time.  Thought some of these tapes were the rehearsals from Brother Studio, rather than from the shows they did opening for The Boys.  Also, we're both right about the horn section - they were The Hornets at first, and I think Dennis rechristened them The Tornados

Yep, the tapes were definitely from multiple days rehearsals at Brother, as you said. I'd heard a bit of them many years ago at one of our mutual friend's home. But the last time I heard them was up at Hanlon's house with Guercio's approval and they seemed to be a lot more complete than i previously remembered, more vocals, more complete takes. They just sounded so f'n great! And Ed, for you to have been there while all this was happening must have been so exciting, and also so disorienting as everything was happening at once. It's like everything came together and crashed and burned in an almost simultaneous dance. It must have been like doing heart surgery during an earthquake.

[Mikie]

I saw Dennis at many of those concerts in the Bay Area and Sacramento in the 70's. While reading this thread, I remember how Dennis was at those concerts, full of energy on stage, conversing with the crowd, just an integral part of the band. Radio station interviews and record store signings revealing a happy, energetic guy. Then only about a year after POB came out, many, including myself, witnessed a fast downward spiral. Look at him in the concert videos from '78, disheveled, the face losing expression, the vitality seemingly lost, the alcohol and coke really taking hold. After reading above what could have been and how fast it was put together then disintegrated and the proposed mini=tour aborted, it's really surprising and unusual how fast he declined right after that.

[The Shift]

Many many thanks for the replies Jon and Ed. his material sounds like a new Grail for fans: we've had Smile, we've had  WIBNTLA, we've had POB and the out-of-left-field Bambu… even AWoPMC… and now this, which from the sound of it packs as much punch as any of those.

How can we encourage Jim Guercio to proceed with Tornado?


Oh boy oh boy oh boy…

[c-man]

Interestingly enough, there are AFM contracts from Brother Studio late '77 that would seem to be from these rehearsals. And the artist's name on them is "Dennis Wilson Bamboo"...so evidently, he was calling his band Bambu and someone just used the more conventional spelling. For the benefit of anyone who hasn't already seen it, here are some comments supplied directly to me a few years ago by horn man Michael Andreas, which I incorporated into my POB/Bambu essay at beachboysarchives.com:

"It was during this period that Dennis asked me to put together a band to tour the album.  It took me a month or so to do the charts and get things together for our first rehearsals...we had a band ready to go out and tour Pacific Ocean Blue...it was incredible, but Dennis pulled the plug on it.  Long story...personally I don't think he was ready for it...The band rehearsed for several weeks, then Dennis got into an argument with the record label because they wouldn't also support taking a string section on the road with us.  Dennis got mad, cancelled the tour and the band never performed.  Personally, my feeling was that as the band started shaping up and everyone was getting very excited about it (it was really quite incredible!), the responsibility of carrying it all on his shoulders became too much for Dennis.  We could have easily hired a string section for any of the big venues we were going to play... that's what bands were doing at that time and I told Dennis... but it was over.  Although it took awhile, Dennis did pay everyone for their services.  I (with the help of Trisha Campo) made certain the musicians all got paid.  I waited a year for my payment which leads to an interesting side story.  An attorney told me that as long as I continued sending Dennis a billing reminder once a year, my claim would remain active.  So at the end of the year, I sent Dennis a letter telling him about this and that he shouldn't worry about the 'legal' ramifications of the letter, that I was just protecting myself and that I knew that when he had the funds, I would get paid.  Thanks to Trisha, I finally did get paid.  But years later when I saw Dennis in Venice Beach (he was at his worst - a few months before his death)...at first I thought it was a bum walking my way, then I saw it was Dennis, so I said 'Hey Dennis!'.  He looked at me... a spark of recognition came across his face and he said...'I remember you... you sued me!'.  Such was the price of being Dennis' friend".  Andreas adds, "Dennis was pretty much everything you may have heard:  brilliant and tortured, he could be cruel, he could be an angel, a best friend, no friend.  But he certainly made my life a lot more interesting and I'm better for it!". 

[c-man]

Many thanks Jon. Fine, informative post… now we're all wondering when those tapes were last listened to and whether a release is on the cards for the near future!

Would love to know the personnel involved. Would the tour have definitely been a separate entity ora prolonged Dennis set within some BBs gigs? Would Dennis have had his own backing band or was part of the problem perhaps that he hoped to use BBs backing musicians? Who were his backing singers?

Here you go...based on the AFM contracts I mentioned above...from my essay mentioned above:

"Dennis also planned a short concert tour behind Pacific Ocean Blue; by that time The Beach Boys as a group had also signed to CBS/Caribou, so the contractual prohibition barring Dennis from performing live solo was null and void.  When POB was released in late August, Dennis actually opened a couple of Beach Boys shows (at Pine Knob in Michigan) with a short solo set following "official" tour opener Ricci Martin (a Wilson brothers protégé and Dean's son).  According to Bobby Figueroa, there was no real rehearsal, just a quick run-through at soundcheck.  "We'd do a half-hour set before The Beach Boys came on, but it didn't last very long.  It was me, Carli Muñoz, Ed Carter, Billy (Hinsche), and Dennis played keyboards".  Guitarist Ed Tuleja and bassist Wayne Tweed also played in Dennis' band for these performances.  By the time the tour hit Canada a few days later, Dennis' solo set had shrunk to just two songs ("What's Wrong" and "Friday Night") performed in the middle of The Beach Boys' show, and even that lasted only for a couple of shows at the most.  The shambolic nature of these performances cast doubt on Dennis' ability to lead a band of his own, and he apparently realized this and decided to buckle down and refine his act.  To this end, Dennis held a handful of rehearsals at Brother Studio in late October and early November, with a band consisting of guitarists Ed Tuleja and Steve Ross, bassist/background vocalist Joe Chemay, keyboardists Carli Muñoz and Elmo Peeler, drummer Bobby Figueroa, vibraphonist/percussionist Darrell Harris, and horn players Michael Andreas, Rod Novak, Lance Buller, Bill Lamb, John Foss, and Charlie McCarthy, plus Carl, Billy Hinsche, and Dennis himself on piano and vocals (the record company balked at Dennis' initial demand for a 22-piece ensemble including a string section).  Ricci Martin was hired as the opening act, and it was announced that Brian might even join the show in one or two cities, along with Bruce Johnston.  The tour would have opened in New York in late November, working its way west into December.  Dates were booked in about ten cities, at venues such as Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY (November 22nd), New York City's Avery Fisher Hall (November 23rd), Philadephia's Academy of Music (November 29th), and Los Angeles' Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with Chicago also mentioned as a likely stop.  However, the tour was cancelled, and the reasons appear to be many and complex, including the label's refusal to pay for the string section, pressure from The Beach Boys' management, and Dennis' own personal demons." 

[The Shift]

"Essay", Craig? Fine liner/sleeve notes!

Terrific stuff.  Many, many thanks.

[Jay]

First of all, I want to say thank you very much to Mr Roach, Mr Stebbins, and c-man for all the incredible insights into this period of Dennis's life. This may well turn into another thread to be looked back on as one of the best. After reading the last several posts, I can kind of understand how The Beach Boys could have come to the decision of giving Dennis an ultimatum of either touring as a solo or the band, but not both. If the tour would have been of the same caliber that the existing tapes are(going from Jon's description alone), then it it would have been downright embarrassing for the group. Let's for a minute use the analogy of The Who getting into a fight with Jimi Hendrix over who would follow who at the Monterey festival. Now, as big of a Who fan as I am, I have to admit that in 1967 Jimi Hendrix was simply a better concert experience. I believe the same could be said for Dennis and Carl touring POB versus a typical 1977-78 Beach Boys concert. I'd rather see and hear Dennis and Carl do the POB album and hear Carl sing Baby Blue, than a 1978 Beach Boys show with a warbling out of tune In My Room "sung" by Brian, followed by a badly damaged Jan Berry trying his best to sing a half decent version of Dead Man's Curve, with the rest of the band not knowing which harmony line to sing. A 1977-78(what year/ month are we talking about, exactly?) Dennis and Carl Wilson tour could have been a big humiliation for The Beach Boys. If the tour had been successful, then it would have been a very public humiliation. Let's also consider the fact that since this hypothetical tour was so successful, various record labels are clamoring to sign Dennis and Carl for additional albums and tours. A Dennis and Carl tour very well have ended The Beach Boys as a group.

[startBBtoday]

I can understand frustration on the band's part about Dennis going out on a solo tour when he couldn't even get it together for one of The Beach Boys' tours. I know they didn't "need" him out on the road, but sometimes people do irrational things out of frustration. "Get it together for our shows, then you can do your own thing."

[Sheriff John Stone]

....here are some comments supplied directly to me a few years ago by horn man Michael Andreas, which I incorporated into my POB/Bambu essay at beachboysarchives.com:

"....we had a band ready to go out and tour Pacific Ocean Blue...it was incredible, but Dennis pulled the plug on it.  Long story...personally I don't think he was ready for it...The band rehearsed for several weeks, then Dennis got into an argument with the record label because they wouldn't also support taking a string section on the road with us.  Dennis got mad, cancelled the tour and the band never performed.  Personally, my feeling was that as the band started shaping up and everyone was getting very excited about it (it was really quite incredible!), the responsibility of carrying it all on his shoulders became too much for Dennis.  We could have easily hired a string section for any of the big venues we were going to play... that's what bands were doing at that time and I told Dennis... but it was over." 

I was waiting for some reaction and/or response to this quote from Michael Andreas. I think it's interesting anyway...

[Jon Stebbins]

First of all, I want to say thank you very much to Mr Roach, Mr Stebbins, and c-man for all the incredible insights into this period of Dennis's life. This may well turn into another thread to be looked back on as one of the best. After reading the last several posts, I can kind of understand how The Beach Boys could have come to the decision of giving Dennis an ultimatum of either touring as a solo or the band, but not both. If the tour would have been of the same caliber that the existing tapes are(going from Jon's description alone), then it it would have been downright embarrassing for the group. Let's for a minute use the analogy of The Who getting into a fight with Jimi Hendrix over who would follow who at the Monterey festival. Now, as big of a Who fan as I am, I have to admit that in 1967 Jimi Hendrix was simply a better concert experience. I believe the same could be said for Dennis and Carl touring POB versus a typical 1977-78 Beach Boys concert. I'd rather see and hear Dennis and Carl do the POB album and hear Carl sing Baby Blue, than a 1978 Beach Boys show with a warbling out of tune In My Room "sung" by Brian, followed by a badly damaged Jan Berry trying his best to sing a half decent version of Dead Man's Curve, with the rest of the band not knowing which harmony line to sing. A 1977-78(what year/ month are we talking about, exactly?) Dennis and Carl Wilson tour could have been a big humiliation for The Beach Boys. If the tour had been successful, then it would have been a very public humiliation. Let's also consider the fact that since this hypothetical tour was so successful, various record labels are clamoring to sign Dennis and Carl for additional albums and tours. A Dennis and Carl tour very well have ended The Beach Boys as a group.

Thanks for the nice post...just a reminder...Dennis already had a three-album deal with CBS/Caribou. Wish he could have honored it.