Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 -- Available Now!

[Jim Murphy]

ianeh
McFarland advises the book is "being published simultaneously in an electronic edition. Ebook sellers are working to release the ebook for their particular platform. While some of these companies may be selling the ebook in as little as a few business days, most advise that it takes up to eight weeks."

Andrew
Sorry it has been so frustrating for you to purchase the book. Hopefully it arrives soon. If I had known, I would have taken a trip across the pond and personally delivered a copy in exchange for a pint. The UK is always a favorite travel destination.

[shadownoze]

I ordered the book four weeks ago on Amazon and they wouldn't even offer a guess when it might actually be shipped. Finally, just yesterday, I got an email saying I should have the book on Thursday this week. Looking forward to it!

[RangeRoverA1]

I'd like to say that if there's any book on the BBs - & I read reviews of 'em - that I wouldn't hesitate to get, it's this one. Based on chapters alone, I'm curious beyond. That's a very interesting time frame for me, I've said it before elsewhere on the board. ianeh asked good question, e-book format would be welcome for convenience reasons. Anyway, let me bring this quote of yours, Mr. Murphy:

Yes, I am very happy to report that Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 will include professional portrait photographs of Hite and Dorinda Morgan. Beautiful quality.  Some of the many, many questions that motivated me to begin researching and writing the book was, "Who were Hite and Dorinda Morgan?  Where did they come from?  What were they like?  How did they meet Murry? What was the true story?  What happened to them after the Boys signed with Capitol?  What did they look like?"  Well, now we'll know.  I cannot post the photos here until the book is published.  But, soon. Thanks again for your interest and support! 

The main bit is you said when it's published you'll post the photos of Morgans. As it finally happened, will you do that now, as a preview of some sorts? That would be great.

[Catbirdman]

Just received the book and browsed for 5 minutes. At first glance, this is an AMAZING book. Everything I had hoped for and more. The research is exhaustive, annotated thoroughly, and details are presented fairly. If it's a known fact, it's supported. If it's speculation, or if there is conflicting evidence of what occurred, it's explored thoroughly and honestly. This is the Beach Boys history I have always dreamed of.

I only hope it's just volume 1.

I can't wait to devour this over the next few weeks, and I dream of the next installment (The Beach Boys In Bloom: 1964-1965?).

[bgas]

Updating....   I called McFarland this morning, figuring I'd get a refund, then purchase again when the book was available; The person there told me that when I ordered last Wednesday there weren't any copies available. so they generated the Backorder letter and mailed it.
  The next day or two,  they evidently printed more copies as She then told me my package had shipped Friday and it would be here in 7-10 days as it went out Media Mail.
 Lo and behold, it arrived in the mail today.  WAY too quick for Media!!
  Along with the other reports , I'll have to say that it appears to be a really good book. Going to take some time to get thru it tho...

[Jim Murphy]

Here's a review of Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 . . . . Glad to hear copies of the reprinting are making their way out to folks.

http://psychobabble200.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-becoming-beach-boys-1961-1963.html

[John Manning]

Just received shipping notification from Amazon.com… how long will it take to cross the pond? Expected July 10. 

If I'd known Jim made deliveries by hand in the UK in exchange for beer I'd've ordered direct. Next time…

[Andrew G. Doe]

Here's a review of Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 . . . . Glad to hear copies of the reprinting are making their way out to folks.

http://psychobabble200.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-becoming-beach-boys-1961-1963.html

Slightly fascinated by the reviewer stating that Murry & Audree vacationed in England. The only person I've ever know say that was Dennis in a late seventies interview: the perceived wisdom is that they went to Acapulco with friends from England. Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice...

[John Manning]

Here's a review of Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 . . . . Glad to hear copies of the reprinting are making their way out to folks.

http://psychobabble200.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-becoming-beach-boys-1961-1963.html

Slightly fascinated by the reviewer stating that Murry & Audree vacationed in England. The only person I've ever know say that was Dennis in a late seventies interview: the perceived wisdom is that they went to Acapulco with friends from England. Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice...

Sure there was a thread here in recent years that pinned it down specifically to a business trip to England: Murry was visiting an engineering place in Halifax, West Yorkshire, if memory serves… I never did (yet) get to go there and ask to see the books!

[Jim Murphy]

Very glad to hear copies are making their way out, here and across the pond. 

Yes, there was a thread about Audree and Murry possibly going to England . . . Search "Murry England" . . . that's Murry England, not Merry England 

As the Psychobabble reviewer noted, the proof lies in Murry's United States Passport records. In hindsight, I wish I had included an image of them in the book, but they got bumped for other things. I'll show them, complete with his passport photos, on the website which is under construction. Happy to find them after trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to find passenger lists from airlines serving LAX in late 1961. That frustrating excursion among the weeds redefined needle in a haystack . . .

Seems to me there should be central repository (museum?) for the Beach Boys' historical documents and memorabilia, along the lines of the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville founded by a passionate believer . . . Intriguing.

[Emdeeh]

Just ordered a copy of the book from Amazon, will let y'all know when it gets here.

[bgas]

Seems to me there should be central repository (museum?) for the Beach Boys' historical documents and memorabilia, along the lines of the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville founded by a passionate believer . . . Intriguing.

You want to donate everything you have to me, and I'll set it up here, in The Gateway To The West?

[shadownoze]

Two days ago, I finally received the copy I ordered from Amazon and I've spent much of the past 48 hours reading it. Great job, Jim! This is not some hasty, thrown-together fan collection of the same old stuff. It is a weighty, densely-packed volume of incredible research that captures—better than anything else I've seen—what it must have been like for six boys to go from ordinary kids to the hottest group in America. There are many factoids that I did not previously know. My favorite is probably the tidbit that—for the first few weeks/months he played saxophone — Mike Love had the mouthpiece on upside down! It's interesting to see what Hite and Dorinda Morgan looked like, and there are several other photos that have not been seen dozens of times. The detail is amazing. While I may not care to know the physical layout of the music store where the boys rented those instruments in 1961, past experience on this board has shown that there ARE people here who can't WAIT to get that information.
It's also interesting to see just how early Brian wanted out of touring and live performances...he bailed on the VERY FIRST Midwest tour they did. Today may be the first time he really seems to enjoy doing concerts.
Anyway, Jim, thanks for the thousands of hours it took to assemble this. It is a treasure trove for us and should help settle arguments for years to come.

Mike

[metal flake paint]

Congratulations on the book, Jim! A wonderful document about the group's formative years.

[Pretty Funky]

Here's a review of Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 . . . . Glad to hear copies of the reprinting are making their way out to folks.

http://psychobabble200.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-becoming-beach-boys-1961-1963.html

Slightly fascinated by the reviewer stating that Murry & Audree vacationed in England. The only person I've ever know say that was Dennis in a late seventies interview: the perceived wisdom is that they went to Acapulco with friends from England. Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice...

Ah..Andrew 

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,9656.0.html

Just been having a most interesting email dialog with Carrie Marks, and thought I'd ask for thoughts and musings here, it being after all the best place for such.

While she & David were in LA doing his lastest album, she told me JoAnn (David's mom) said that Murry & Audree didn't go to Mexico, but rather to England to visit the company he imported ABLE's lathes from (she even recalled the name, Binns & Berry of Halifax, who are still in busines !).

So... thoughts ?

[Andrew G. Doe]

I contacted said firm several years ago, asking the obvious question. No reply.

Also, am old. Short term memory is fading. Additionally, short term memory is fading.

[Bicyclerider]

Ordered the book from amazon last night.  Shipped today!!  Glad it's available again.

[John Manning]

Arrived two days ago… "impressed" is an understatement. Congratulations Jim, I'm only a handful of pages in and I'm blown away… in a year of highlights - tours, albums, movies, biographies - this is some icing on the cake!

[37!ws]

Geez, I ordered from Amazon two weeks ago, expected arrival between NOW and 7/11, and IT HASN'T SHIPPED YET. arhghghgh....

[mikeddonn]

Ordered the book from amazon last night.  Shipped today!!  Glad it's available again.

Me too!

[Rob Dean]

Thanks for highlighting that thread from 5 years ago, been reading it (again) for the last few hours - Brilliant brilliant stuff, possibly one of the best threads we have had on this board.
I recall at the time how damn geeky (sorry far beyond geek) some certain bods on this board can be, with the arguments about the value of the 'loan' etc...etc... were fascinating (and still very much are) the input from Carrie Marks was very welcome in addition to Guitarfools insight into guitars of the time.
Love how someone suggests it would be a great idea to use this as a base for a project AND HEY now we have it thanks to Jim. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

My copy was waiting for me when I got home. Have merely skimmed a few chapters, enough to know I love this book already.

Here is a fine place to express my grateful thanks to the several posters here who offered to buy it for me Stateside.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Spent yesterday dipping in and out of Jim's astonishing book. At times the level of detail is close to overwhelming, but never superfluous. The coda concerning the Morgan tapes is deeply fascinating, and confirms for the first time in public what many of us strongly suspected back in the day, i.e. that Elliott was still taking orders (and money) for First Wave knowing there was a ruling about to be handed down.

As for the observation of JoAnn Marks about Murry & Audree going to England and not Acapulco... so as not to (entirely) spoil that part, let's just say David's inherited his memory for events and dates from his mom. 

If you're at all interested in The Beach Boys, and why they became The Beach Boys (and not merely in name), you need this book. Really, you do.

Does this mean I'm on Jim's payroll ?

[Smilin Ed H]

How much should we paying for this in the UK?

[Mark Costa]

Just received my book the other day and finished it in two days.  Fantastic.  It is a must for all fans.  Question -- the book mentions a personal website for James Murphy's stuff that he had to leave out of the book -- becomingthebeachboys.com  but the site does not seem to work.  Anyone know why or has it been taken down already??