Chuck Britz Interview

[Shane]

For those who haven't heard it yet, I would like to highly recommend a 1993 audio interview with Chuck Britz that is now posted on youtube, in 5 parts.  He's extremely gracious and candid in this interview, and provides one of the best first-hand accounts of BB history I've ever encountered.

I find it interesting when he talks about the journal reels that he had rolling on various BB sessions, just for his own reference... I only know of two that actually still exist (the "I Know There's An Answer" vocal sessions, and the infamous "Murry" tapes).  Also of interest are the kind things he has to say about Dennis, and the stories of being called to drive and pick up Brian in the 1970's when Brian was "having problems".

Anyways, here's the link to part 1, and the other 4 parts should show up on youtube as well:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3x5LH-feyq8

[Chris Brown]

Wow I'm surprised more people haven't responded to this...very fascinating interview, thanks for posting this!

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

It was posted in the media forum, so maybe most people responded over there?

It was great to listen to this.  I really wish he would have got into the real technical stuff, but that's only interesting to .1 per cent of the fanbase.  Chuck definitely left us too early. 

Interesting how he remembers Audree playing organ on the early stuff.

[Shane]

"It was posted in the media forum, so maybe most people responded over there?"


Probably explains why I missed it, having only stumbled across it a week or so ago.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Interesting how he remembers Audree playing organ on the early stuff.

Um... I just checked with someone else who was there at the time, because I found it amazing that no-one ever made this claim before, not even her sons. David is adamant that Brian played organ.

[Shane]

There is a recording on... I think its the "In The Beginning" SOT.  It has Brian in the studio, giving Murry tips as Murry plays the organ.  Chuck is also clearly present.  Maybe its something like this that he remembers? 

I would also take it that there were a lot of things that happened in the studio when the tape was NOT rolling... perhaps he remembers Audree doing some rehearsal stuff.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Yeah, I'm sure Chuck isn't just flat out making it up, I doubt she made it to a BBs record, but I have no doubt she played organ in front of Chuck.

[Surfer Joe]

It's funny- the one time I met Chuck Britz, briefly and totally by accident, one of the few things I asked him about specifically was the "infamous Murry tape" that had just surfaced a few months earlier.  He said he hadn't heard of it, and gave me his general response about having his own way of dealing with Murry- which I took as a reference to the fake board.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

It's funny- the one time I met Chuck Britz, briefly and totally by accident, one of the few things I asked him about specifically was the "infamous Murry tape" that had just surfaced a few months earlier.  He said he hadn't heard of it, and gave me his general response about having his own way of dealing with Murry- which I took as a reference to the fake board.

Your meeting Chuck is sure a great story.  How he knew you were a Beach Boys fan just because...you knew who he was.

[Surfer Joe]

LOL- flattered that you remember that- slight and brief as it was, it was my great honor just to shake his hand and gawk at him for a few minutes.

SJ: Are you Chuck Britz?
CB: (over his shoulder) Yes.
SJ: Are you...THE Chuck Britz?
CB: (turning around) Yes, and you're a Beach Boys fan.

Then I gave him a Coke and he threw me his Steelers jersey.

You young 'uns won't get that.

But it was also my honor also to see him go from just "Chuck in the sound department" to Icon gawked at by many after I outed him in what proved to be his last week on the job.  As a matter of fact, if I recall correctly, I asked him how often he got "discovered" there at work, and he laughed and said "Now and then."

Now I'm bringing it up because I'm truly interested in the implication in this thread that it was his legendary "back-up" tape that caught the Murry episode, which I actually discussed with him. If it was his tape, wonder how it leaked?

When I opened the booklet to Hawthorne Blvd in 2001 and saw mention that he had passed on, I nearly choked. What a guy.

Being in L.A. gives you access to those incredibly special chance encounters with those who are still around, and I know you tapped a little of that magic, too.  The Beach Boys' spirit still hovers there.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I doubt it was his personal tape.  He's not quite right about the session tape as far as I know.  I mean, the instrumental tracks are just the raw 3-track or 4-track tapes, same reels and source that the master takes come from that they mix.  He didn't put up two mics and run them to a separate tape machine for that.

And the vocal session tapes seem to me to be much the same deal except they're going to a separate deck in that case, which is more in line with what Chuck's talking about, in that it's a "work" tape that wouldn't be in consideration for a master.  And those are rare to begin with, anyway.  Who knows was "serendipity" led to that Murry exchange being taped.  Of course, maybe most of the sessions were like that...

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

flattered that you remember that

Well, that's just the kind of stuff I do have a good memory for.  Chuck would be about the first guy I would seek out in the afterlife if we all meet up there again.

And it's true, one of the best things about living in LA is those great, sort of quasi-mundane run-ins you have.  Like, oh, it's Bob Downey buying an iBook.

[Surfer Joe]

I doubt it was his personal tape.  He's not quite right about the session tape as far as I know.  I mean, the instrumental tracks are just the raw 3-track or 4-track tapes, same reels and source that the master takes come from that they mix.  He didn't put up two mics and run them to a separate tape machine for that.

And the vocal session tapes seem to me to be much the same deal except they're going to a separate deck in that case, which is more in line with what Chuck's talking about, in that it's a "work" tape that wouldn't be in consideration for a master.  And those are rare to begin with, anyway.  Who knows was "serendipity" led to that Murry exchange being taped.  Of course, maybe most of the sessions were like that...

Proud to say I was almost smart enough to wonder about that, in my own very limited way- i.e., what would a "back-up" tape consist of?

Haven't listened to the ugliness in years, but isn't Brian on tape saying "...I'm making sure we're getting this on tape.."?

Chuck would be about the first guy I would seek out in the afterlife if we all meet up there again.

You'll meet a very gracious, unpretentious regular guy who'll get an immense kick out of you. He struck me as an island of sanity.

And it's true, one of the best things about living in LA is those great, sort of quasi-mundane run-ins you have.  Like, oh, it's Bob Downey buying an iBook.

Watching Bowser from Sha Na Na eat a sandwich in a deli.  Hitting comedienne Sandra Berhhardt with my POS Hyundai as she crossed Sunset Boulevard between Book Soup and Tower Records.  Watching Anna Nicole Smith argue with somebody over a pay phone at the 7-11 in Burbank. Being roughed up by Charlton Heston's bodyguards for standing too close to him.  Standing in John Tesh's office as a crazed female stalker claimed she was having his baby on speaker phone.  Those are the Tinseltown moments I miss.

[Aegir]

You hit Sandra Bernhardt with your car?!

[Surfer Joe]

Put her right up on the hood, baby.  But she was jaywalking.  I was trying to turn right into always-heavy traffic at that spot.  You don't forget that face in your windshield, especially with that expression on it. Man, she had a good-looking blonde with her...

I know Chuck Britz will forgive this digression.