BBsTV article Part 2

[Ian]

Thought I'd start a thread-if anyone reads the article I contributed to ESQ (with contributions from David Beard) on the BBs TV/film apps Part II.  If anyone has any comments, questions or corrections I am all ears.  Looking at it again-I think that maybe it is a bit too fact oriented and not descriptive enough but hopefully it provides a lot of info-so that next time you see a clip you know where it came from.  I'm sure I missed some apps-maybe someone knows of some I missed.

[smile-holland]

Can't wait to read the article, Ian. But I have to wait patiently as I'm still waiting for the edition to arrive in The Netherlands...
But I'll surely respond if I have any questions.

[Ian]

Thanks as always for your help with everything

[Ian]

By the way-this is as good a place as any to mention a few corrections to my first article (TV/Film Part 1) that I have learned since then.  I now know that the BBs were filmed by local station Channel 18 on Nov 30 1963 live from a concert in San Bernardino.  Footage is probably long gone-but boy would that be a cool thing to see!  In regard to Nov 1964 Europe tour-I didn't know exact dates of TV apps in Italy and Germany-but I have since found out that the BBs taped an app on RAI TV in Rome on Nov 11 1964 and an app on TV in Munich on Nov 13.  I also learned, from Ron Swallow, that in May 1965 the BBs actually showed up for that Ed Sullivan app-but the show ran long and they were asked to reschedule (which they never did).  Under 1969 I listed a Hy Lit show as taped on July 12-in fact it was taped July 18 and aired July 19 1969.  I also found out more info on that August 1969 Happening app-although I doubted it-they did perform Cotton Fields, as well as Breakaway and Johnny B. Goode. I also omitted a 1969 TV app-The BBs taped the Dennis Wholey Show in Cincinnati-Dennis sang "Slip on Through"-only recently completed (an audio tape of this exists).  Under 1970 I stated that the Something Else footage of "Good Vibrations" has never been seen since-in fact this was not a straight performance clip-it was more of a music video and some of the footage shot for it is in Endless Harmony-like Mike meditating, Dennis (with beard) kissing a girl on some steps, etc.   

[Ed Roach]

I also found out more info on that August 1969 Happening app-although I doubted it-they did perform Cotton Fields, as well as Breakaway and Johnny B. Goode.
I also omitted a 1969 TV app-The BBs taped the Dennis Wholey Show in Cincinnati-Dennis sang "Slip on Through"-only recently completed (an audio tape of this exists).  

Wish I had a copy of the issue with Part 1; just started to read some of Part 2 yesterday, and you've done some fantastic research!  I'm most interested in that August '69 "Happening", though, as it's one of my first memories of L.A.  However, I'm certain that when Dennis & I showed up at a studio in Hollywood for the taping, the only other one there was Al - and later Fred Vail.  (Wonder what Fred remembers about this?)  I'd brought this show up to both Boyd & Stebbins in the past, and all everyone seems to be in agreement about is that the show no longer exists...  
I seem to recall them fooling around on a beach set with The Raiders; maybe my memory is of a rehearsal, if there is info about them performing.

I also hate seeing that there's another missing performance of Dennis, to go along with the missing David Frost show!  Such a crime, when so little performance material exists on Dennis...

[Ian]

Ed I don't have that much info on the Happening shows-but your story is very interesting.  I know that they taped one app in 1968 while in NY-promoting the Friends album.  They also appeared in the summer of 69-taped in LA at the actual set and that they played three songs Cotton Fields, Breakaway and a version of Johnny B. Goode with the Raiders.  TV guides at that time mentioned the songs they'd be playing-so I assume it was taped in advance and they got a look.  If they did play Breakaway-then Carl must have showed up too.  Like you said-those shows appear to be lost.  It is a real shame that certain TV apps are gone.  Audio tapes exist of the BBs on Johnny Carson in 68 but the Carson people told me the actual footage is gone, same thing for the David Frost where Dennis sang Forever and Lady and discussed Two Lane Blacktop.  I have heard the audio which is fantastic but the Frost people told me they don't have the footage-a real crime-Dennis in his prime.  Similarly-there is an audio tape of Dennis singing "Slip on Through" on a TV show and the tape is listed as coming from the Dennis Whalley (actually Wholey) Show. It aired in Dec 1969-probably taped in Nov 1969 when the BBs were in the midwest.  Again-a real crime that footage of Dennis singing slip on through is gone.

[PrayForSurf]

Ian, these articles are an important piece to documenting the history of the Beach Boys, a task desperately needed. Thank you for having the passion and professionalism to get this dimension of their story told. More to come, we hope?

Phil
PrayForSurfBlog . blogspot.com

[Ed Roach]

One of these daze I'll get to the bottom of that "Happening" show, (although keep in mind that it was August '69, and all that was actually 'happening' here...), but it's the David Frost show that's a real intense memory for me.  Very much the way I could close my eyes from the original airing of "Inside Pop" and picture, & feel that performance, (while the rest of the show, including Zappa, for gosh sakes!), was a total revelation to me when I finally acquired a copy of it.  I can so well remember watching him on Frost, absolutely owning that show & stage!  I mean, check him out on Mike Douglas, for example...
Your articles do so much for me, though, reminding of things I have stashed away on vhs, (or even 3/4 video off a broadcast), that probably don't exist elsewhere.  To say nothing of the things that I know I have that have never been seen...

[Ed Roach]

Just realized that I'd neglected to mention how much the visual memory of the David Frost Show is intensified by hearing the audio, and finely accepting the fact that there is no video that exists anywhere.  Damn...

[Ian]

One that I wish existed was their May 2 1968 app on the Les Crane Show (as they were in NY that day for the Johnny Carson Tonight Show-they probably taped the Crane show in LA a week or so before).  They apparently were the main featured guest and expounded at length to Crane about TM and the Maharishi.  Would have been interesting to see this.  Also-their app on Boss City in Oct 1966-premiering Good Vibrations.  That would be cool to see.  Still I think I'd trade them all-if a tape showed up of that filmed BB concert in San Bernardino in Nov 1963 showed up.   By the way-Ed-that footage in Endless Harmony-when Elvis Costello is describing seeing the BBs in 1972 and being impressed by Dennis-there is a brief clip of Dennis and the BBs onstage in an indoor setting (circa 72-Dennis with short hair)-did you film that? If so where and when?

[c-man]

Ian, great job as usual!  A few things:  I haven't seen it in a long time, but I'm sure that the Sept. 15, 1979 "American Bandstand" performance only included "Sumahama" and "Lady Lynda", not "Good Timin'".  Maybe it's worth mentioning (or maybe not) that all the "AB" appearances were lip-synched to the records.  On the other hand, the March '79 Easter Seals Telethon was fully live:  they did "Good Timin'" (with Mike on lead), "Good Vibrations", and "Surfin' U.S.A.".  Dennis was absent from that appearance. 

I'm pretty sure that the Nov. 16, 1979 "Midnight Special" appearance you mention was a rebroadcast of the April show (which they hosted). 

Finally, you didn't mention the May 1981 appearance on the "National Collegiate Cheerleader Competition", or whatever it was called.  That was interesting:  just Mike, Al, Bruce, and Dennis, with Ed Carter on guitar, Mike Meros on keybaords, and Bobby Figueroa on percussion (Bruce played bass), performing on a Florida beach.  Like the "Midnight Special", this was a live performance with later post-production embellishments and fixes.  They were shown briefly at the beginning of the show (which was hosted by Victoria Principal and Andy Gibb), then the various cheerleading squads were introduced, with the girls individually stating their city of origin.  When it came time for the Boys to peform, each of them came onscreen and did the same:  "Hi, I'm Mike Love from Santa Barbara, California!"..."Al Jardine, Big Sur, California"...But Bruce only managed to get out "Bruce Johnston, Pacific Palisades, Califffff...", before being shoved offscreen (with a friendly wave) by Dennis, who turned to the camera and shouted hoarsely "DENNIS FROM VENICE!!".  They played "Be True To Your School", and appeared again during the closing credits with "Surfin' U.S.A.".

[JaredLekites]

My only correction is that Linda Ronstadt's name was misspelled as "Lynda Ronstadt".

Small criticism for a well researched and wonderfully structured article.

[Ian]

Thanks for the comments.  I completely forgot that May 1981 Cheerleader app-though we do list it at Bellagio.  Pretty odd BB appearance.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Thanks for the comments.  I completely forgot that May 1981 Cheerleader app-though we do list it at Bellagio.  Pretty odd BB appearance.

Remember first time I saw that - could've sworn DW was yelling "I'm Dennis the menace !" And he wouldn't have been wrong, either.

[Ian]

I think that was on Youtube at one point but it is gone now-though you can see them performing on the Easter Seals Telethon.

[kiwi surfer]

Dennis also fronted for the band on the evening television news shortly after touching down in Auckland 25 February 1978.  He spoke of his joy and pride in being a Beach Boy.  At this point at least he still looked and sounded great.

As stated on Bellagio the show from the 28 February was filmed and shown on national television.  Many years ago I tried to purchase a  copy and then later to 'borrow' for a fan convention to no avail.  I wager the film still exists.  Poor quality audio tapes are in circulation.

[Ian]

Yeah -I'd like to see that.  One would hope that maybe the BBs have a copy of that in the tape vault-but you never know.  I'm sure that if they knew then how valuable all that stuff was-they'd have made sure they had a tape of every TV show for their vaults-but I don't think they really cared that much at the time.

[kiwi surfer]

Yeah -I'd like to see that.  One would hope that maybe the BBs have a copy of that in the tape vault-but you never know.  I'm sure that if they knew then how valuable all that stuff was-they'd have made sure they had a tape of every TV show for their vaults-but I don't think they really cared that much at the time.

It must be time I had another attempt at getting my mitts on it.

As I recall they (TVNZ) claimed BRI held the rights and would not release it without their consent and a massive 'production' fee.  I'll let you know how I get on this time around.

[ESQ Editor]

Ed,
Your copy of Part 1 has been mailed.


Best-
David

[adamghost]

Ian, great job as usual!  A few things:  I haven't seen it in a long time, but I'm sure that the Sept. 15, 1979 "American Bandstand" performance only included "Sumahama" and "Lady Lynda", not "Good Timin'".  Maybe it's worth mentioning (or maybe not) that all the "AB" appearances were lip-synched to the records.  On the other hand, the March '79 Easter Seals Telethon was fully live:  they did "Good Timin'" (with Mike on lead), "Good Vibrations", and "Surfin' U.S.A.".  Dennis was absent from that appearance. 

I'm pretty sure that the Nov. 16, 1979 "Midnight Special" appearance you mention was a rebroadcast of the April show (which they hosted). 

Finally, you didn't mention the May 1981 appearance on the "National Collegiate Cheerleader Competition", or whatever it was called.  That was interesting:  just Mike, Al, Bruce, and Dennis, with Ed Carter on guitar, Mike Meros on keybaords, and Bobby Figueroa on percussion (Bruce played bass), performing on a Florida beach.  Like the "Midnight Special", this was a live performance with later post-production embellishments and fixes.  They were shown briefly at the beginning of the show (which was hosted by Victoria Principal and Andy Gibb), then the various cheerleading squads were introduced, with the girls individually stating their city of origin.  When it came time for the Boys to peform, each of them came onscreen and did the same:  "Hi, I'm Mike Love from Santa Barbara, California!"..."Al Jardine, Big Sur, California"...But Bruce only managed to get out "Bruce Johnston, Pacific Palisades, Califffff...", before being shoved offscreen (with a friendly wave) by Dennis, who turned to the camera and shouted hoarsely "DENNIS FROM VENICE!!".  They played "Be True To Your School", and appeared again during the closing credits with "Surfin' U.S.A.".

I remember seeing that when it aired, particularly Dennis' introduction where I thought he said "Dennis the Menace!"  They did "Be True To Your School" I believe. 

[Ian]

I have to admit-obviously I am a huge BB fan-but that is one of the few songs that I can't stand to hear anymore.  Not that it wasn't good in its time-but I don't think they should perform it anymore.  It hasn't aged well.  But obviously they will keep on doing it.

[TdHabib]

I have to admit-obviously I am a huge BB fan-but that is one of the few songs that I can't stand to hear anymore.  Not that it wasn't good in its time-but I don't think they should perform it anymore.  It hasn't aged well.  But obviously they will keep on doing it.

Agreed. Brian made a great production of it in the single version--with the Honeys an all that---but by now it's a bore and too cheesy.

[smile-holland]

Can't wait to read the article, Ian. But I have to wait patiently as I'm still waiting for the edition to arrive in The Netherlands...
But I'll surely respond if I have any questions.

Hello Ian,

Got my copy of ESQ yesterday, and immediately dived into your article. Love it.
I do have some additional info, and questions though. I'll PM you a list, OK?