Dennis/Dragon Album - Question to Alan Boyd

[alanjames]

With the success of POB, Brother Records can release an album of Dennis/Daryl Dragon sessions.
Alan, you have comments about this material? They'll released soon or later?

[SurfRiderHawaii]

The bigger question  is whether 'BRI' is analyzing POB/Bambu sales figures to determine if releasing a Dennis Wilson/Beach Boy  box set (consisting of all those unreleased Dennis/Dragon tracks and lots of others) is viable.  In my imagination, it would be a two CD set.  First CD would be the best of DW/Beach Boys and the 2nd CD unreleased tracks/Demos.

As to the mythical 'Dennis/Dragon Album', I've never seen real evidence that a full album was ever completed. 

[Dove Nested Towers]

Yeah Alan, time to man up, get on the ball and get this stuff released already! What's the hang-up?

All kidding aside, this stuff, if it exists, would obviously be some of the best unreleased material in the archives and I just hope POB/Bambu "sells a million units in January" and motivates those in charge to consider greenlighting it.

That would be a beautiful thing!

[Surfer Joe]

Just tell me how many copies of POB/B I have to buy and give to friends before we hit the sales number for this to happen.

[Dove Nested Towers]

I'll bet your wallet would be seriously depleted.

That's an interesting question. What is the approximate point in sales at which label execs not only sit up and take notice, but decide that the profit margin
indicates that the constituency, both new and built-in, of a particular artist or group is such that investment in further product, whether reissue, new com-
pilation or more labor and research-intensive previously unreleased material-based, is financially warranted?

It sounds like POB/Bambu is doing quite well, but just how well is well enough?

[Alan Boyd]

Well, I certainly hope that the powers-that-be will get behind a release of Dennis' best music, released AND unreleased.  There is interest in the wake of the POB reissue, but it's hard to say how or who or what just yet.  The only definite thing - there is some very good music, mainly from the 1969-1974 era, that has yet to be heard.

As far as the 1971 album is concerned, there's not really all that much on the surviving tapes.  Most of that material is very unfinished, but even in its half-finished state there are some real gems, apart from "Barbara."   

I don't know how many copies of POB have been sold, but I'm told they exceeded expectations.

[Dove Nested Towers]

Thanks, Alan, for that tantalizing and informative answer!

Also for your passion and the vital and irreplaceable work you have done and hopefully will continue to be able to do in helping to facilitate new releases.

[Jonas]

Who would make the ultimate decision at BRI if they were to follow through with a Dennis release, Alan?

I'm assuming it would have to go through a 'vote'?

Has Mike, Bruce, Al, or Brian commented on the POB re-issue?

[Andrew G. Doe]

I don't know how many copies of POB have been sold, but I'm told they exceeded expectations.

The figures I recall hearing were over 8000 in the US and just under 10,500 in the UK in the first week of release. Given the arcane nature of the music and musician, I'd call that very impressive.

[Dove Nested Towers]

I don't know how many copies of POB have been sold, but I'm told they exceeded expectations.

The figures I recall hearing were over 8000 in the US and just under 10,500 in the UK in the first week of release. Given the arcane nature of the music and musician, I'd call that very impressive.

There is a compelling quality to Dennis' visual iconography and the spiritual element in his music that is undoubtedly attracting a fair number of new
buyers to his work, and the phenomenon bears some resemblance to the posthumous "career" trajectories of Nick Drake or Jeff Buckley. If only his profile and
audience could somehow grow to the proportions of theirs, sales would definitely justify further releases, if indeed that is the only factor (doubtful).

[the captain]

... the phenomenon bears some resemblance to the posthumous "career" trajectories of Nick Drake ...

Well, somebody has to get Volkswagon to put a Dennis song in a commercial...

[Bicyclerider]

To me this is a no brainer.  Capitol is the KING of reissuing material that every Beach Boys fan has, but including a few gems to make them buy it again.  Now Caribou/CBS has done the marketing and PR (and legal) work of getting Dennis's name and musi out there, and having a successful release that has made money!  Why wouldn't Capitol want to take advantage of that, and use what good will and "hipness" quotient (Foo Fighters, Dennis as tragic cult hero) has been created around Dennis by others and cash in on it with a Best of Dennis Wilson release recycling his Beach Boys material with unreleased tracks?  Although this sounds like a cynical take on it (and it is), I don't really care why they do it, I just want to hear more unreleased Dennis.  And BRI and Mike et al will make money off it, as they didn't with POB.

[Aegir]

Mike made some money with POB. He wrote the lyrics to two tracks.

[alanjames]

I hope that one day Brother will release a collection of Dennis Wilson: double cd, box set, various cds... with his unreleased material, incluiding the 71 album, his first recorded song called I Don't Know (67), demo tapes, etc...
Who can make an approval for a release of DW material 67-74?
POB/Bambu proved: Brother can release DW material, and make money and have success.
With POB, Dennis's fans over the world want more DW unreleased: completed songs, half-finished songs, backing-tracks, studio demos, home tapes, etc...
I hope Caribou will release more DW material, cause Jim Guercio now owns the rights of 75-79 tapes.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Good to see that Alan Boyd and others at Brother Records/etc.  are at-least considering this idea!  I can only think that, as a 'new/from the vault/Best of' release under the Beach Boys name would help it sell even more than POB/Bambu!

Jon Stebbins - Do we have any up to date sales figures on POB/Bambu.  I know everyone is excited about TLOS but I am still glowing over the long awaited rerelease of POB/Bambu.

Also, Jon, any update on 'The Real Beach Boy' re-release?