The Smiley Smile Message Board

Folks, we've got an ultra-distinguished guest here.  Put down those squirt guns and water balloons and bring some worthy questions about Murry's arch-foe from  West 119th Street.

I'll start by repeating my question from another thread: what kind of performance footage exists from David's time in the band?

As far as I know, the only footage that exists is the One Man's Challenge doc and the Red Skelton Show in those silly sailor suits.  I'm sure there's more out there somewhere since David did do a bunch of TV shows, but I haven't seen much of it.  But I don't think there's any visual documentation of David on drums...tho I'd be as interested in seeing that as anyone out there.

As for you question below regarding post-BBs sessions, there are a bunch of great stories in the book, however, most of his really cool stories fall within the live genre...he's jammed with the best of them.  I guess a good example would be his time playing with Delanie & Bonnie and Friends...he and Jim Keltner played together in various bands in the late 60's and did a bunch of sessions together and Jim was a big fan of David's playing.  Jim encouraged David to try out for D&B and he was hired based on his impressive classical chops...he played a Bach piece for his audition.  However, after doing some shows in LA,  just before they left for their tour of the UK, David was fired so Eric Clapton could take his place.   There is also a really great story about Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour bus showing up at David's house in Mass.  I can't even begin to do  the story justice the way Jon does but it's worth the price of the book just for this one story alone.

Wow i get to correct Carrie right away...she expects that from me. I'm sure she forgot there is performance footage of the BB's playing a concert in Hawaii in '63...with both Al and Dave in the lineup. Its silent footage unfortunately...that Dave's dad shot...in color!! 

How about post-BB footage ? Anything in circulation from The Marksmen ? Or the Moon ? And is there ANY chance we'll get to hear a collection of Marksmen stuff on CD one day ? I've only ever heard the stuff issued on Sundazed - "Sheriff Of Noddingham" and "Kustom Kar Show" - but having heard David perform "Cruisin'" in concert I'd love to hear the original ...
BTW - If anyone hasn't heard David's "Works Tapes" collection, check out "I Wanna Be Your Driver" and "Bamboo Shack" - both fantastic tracks (tho' I do recall Carrie telling me she isn't that keen on the 'synthesised' sounds ...)

Is that what they shown in "Endless Harmony", where the BBs were those yellow shirts?

Yeah, Jon...you are correct. I forgot all about that in spite of mentioning the home movies in the post about Kip Brown.  I was thinking more along the lines of that Pickwick thing surfacing or something like that...but it is great footage taken by Elmer Marks.  It just may be the first video of Al Jardine in the Beach Boys....isn't it?

I'm not able to visualize the Endless Harmony footage, but I do think they're wearing the yellow shirts in Elmer's footage - Mike is doing is goofy dance moves - big surprise!  It must be the same footage.  The movies also include the shots of them on the Beach in Hawaii which, I believe, was in the American Band doc.  These home movies have been circulating as a boot for at least 20 years now, so if you look hard enough, you might find someone willing to sell or trade you a really bad quality dub.

Malc:  I have never seen any video of the Marksmen or the Moon.  Have I, Jon?  No, I'm sure I haven't...would love to, though.  Oh wait...why do I keep forgetting those home movies?  There is footage of the Marksmen, but not playing, unfortunately.  On the same reel as the Hawaii trip, there is footage of David and the Marksmen dressing up in costumes and acting out little skits.

There will be a full Marksmen release in time for the book.  I mentioned this earlier -  I'm waiting for an answer from Sundazed about whether or not they want to release it...which, the longer I go without a YES, leads me to believe is a NO.  If I don't get a response soon, then I'll just put the 14 tracks together and release it on David's label;  I'd prefer Sundazed to do it since they have the distribution and would handle things I wouldn't have to, like artwork, however, these tracks are too good to remain in the vaults, so to speak.

Work Tapes - ya know, I love the vocals on that CD...I think they are probably the best of anything released by David to date (not including his upcoming release)  However, as a general rule, MIDI drums just irk me...sorry.  After adding Bamboo Shack to his live shows 2 years ago, he decided to re-record it for his new CD...with a live drummer.

I was testing out a MySpace page for David for his new CD...it doesn't have the final versions of his tracks so I haven't announced it's up, however you can get a pretty good idea where he's going with it.  The new version of Bamboo Shack is currently posted as well as a few others and an alt. take  of Sheriff of Noddingham.

www.MySpace.com/davidmarks

What?  No mention of My Dad's Truck as band members?
;-)

The page looks good, Carrie.  When is the new album looking like being released, any idea yet?

Maybe we should start an e-mail campaign with Sundazed to get the Marksmen CD released- or maybe someone here knows how to get a petition page going.

I'm just listening to his songs on myspace.com and I think he would've been a great songwriting addition to the BBs, if he had stayed with them in Brian's "lost" years. In fact I heard Mike asked him to return in the early 70s during "Surf's Up" (album). Wonder if Bruce must have gone if David came back.

As I recall, David at some point said he was asked to come back and play bass, which he didn't want to do.  Don't remember if it was that time frame or not.  Might make sense if Bruce was leaving, if he was still playing bass on stage, that is. Could have been a whole different situation for all I remember about what I read. Glad he's back in action in any event and getting some of the credit and publicity he's due.  BTW, Carrie mentioned he played a classical Bach piece for his D&B audition.  On guitar?  Wow! Now THAT is impressive. Would sure like to hear some of his recorded music.

Not a bad idea.  A little pressure couldn't hurt, I guess. 

Songwriting was one of the (many) reasons David left the band...he wasn't too thrilled with the fact Murry wouldn't let the Beach Boys record his original songs. Hindsight reveals that not allowing David to contribute songs was a great way of getting him to quit.

Not only would he have been a great addition to the band in the 70's as both a songwriter and as a guitar player with some b@lls, but he could have really helped take some of the pressure off Brian in the mid 60's, too.  David's Marksmen era tunes had their own style, but it's easy to imagine how the Beach Boys vocals could have taken David's original music to whole new level. 

David studied classical composition at the New England Conservatory and Jazz guitar at Berklee in the early 70's...he also studied with Vincente Gomez prior to that - in the late 60's.  His classical chops are very good - even today.  He does a version of  Villa Lobos' Etude #1 in E minor which is amazing....it's by far my favorite piece that he does.  I think his classical influence is most evident in the song 1969, which is available on his MySpace site...which makes sense since 1969 was the year he decided to take his  guitar playing seriously. 

It was while he was studing in Boston that he ran into the Beach Boys...I'll save the details for the book, but that is when Mike asked him to rejoin....during the recording of the Surf's UP album.  Carl wanted David to play bass but after a year and a half of intense studying, the last thing David wanted to do was play bass on Beach Boy songs.

I can really hear that "1969" song on Sunflower or Surf's Up- layered with backing vocals and the Desper touch.  Maybe the title suggests that period, but it's also the mood...

Listen again and throw Carl and Al and Mike and Bruce in their behind Dave...you can't miss it.

I can also hear Dave writing with Dennis.  A shame that never happened.

Add this to the long list of lost BB opportunities.

A lost BB opportunity, yes, but not necessarily one for David.  Having just been intensely studying classical guitar, why on earth would he want to play bass for the Beach Boys?  And that's not a knock on the Beach Boys - heaven forbid! - but a no-brainer.  If you've been working at a very high level at something, you just do not want to take three steps backwards.  I totally understand David's decision at the time....but yeah, he would surely have added some cool stuff to the mix....

It also sounds a bit like Fleetwood Mac, Bobby Welch era. Good song.

I've read those Mike comments about remeeting David and David becoming a 'fine young man' etc.  Those are in the Kingley Abbot book.   

Carrie, are you David's mother, wife, sister?

 :)

She's David's wife.

I studied classical guitar at a very high level before and during college...and I think I'd jump at the opportunity to play bass for a band I liked.

But, as they say, horses for courses.

Surely more footage of Dave with the Beach Boys exists.. what do you call this (http://youtube.com/watch?v=vCVMxMBcD_8&search=surfin%27%20safari)?

that's from One Man's Challenge

Larry Brown mixed the track 1969.  He was the engineer/producer/drummer from The Moon, David's band from '67-'69, so there is a certain amount of that late 60's vibe going on there - lyrics aside. 

I also agree that Dennis and David could have really done some amazing work together.  They also would have caused some serious trouble together as well.

The difference is, David never consider the Beach Boys, "THE BEACH BOYS", like the rest of the world.  At that time, to him, they were just a bunch of guys he grew up with...flawed people that he loved, but he'd already made peace with his decision to leave.  I think the *step backwards* applies not just to the music, but also emotionally.

Now, if Frank Zappa had offered him a job as a bass player, maybe that would be a different story.

Since I did announce the MySpace link before I'd planned, it didn't have all the songs I was planning on including.  So, I just finished uploading 2 new songs...I hope you like them.

To answer Susan's question from yesterday, the tentative release date is May.  It's *almost* done, with the exception of some organ that he wants to add on a few tracks.  He isn't happy with the sounds on his Roland, so that's holding things up a bit...nothing can replace a real B3.

Again, the link to David's audio clips is:

www.MySpace.com/DavidMarks

man, im really diggin these tunes :smokin

I guess i don't make the assumption that Dave liked the BBs like that.    And now having read Carrie's comments, it makes even more sense and i make that assumption even less.  I guess David had really walked away.

That "One Man's Challenge" footage is from the Pickwick Center in Burbank, right?  It's almost hard to believe it's really live when you look at the backing vocalists, particularly Carl, and how they're miked.  I also not the absence of bowling sounds...has that whole film ever been commercially available?  How much of the Beach Boys' performance was filmed?

Hi Carrie! I am really enjoying these new tunes and looking forward to the new album. But, you know, that photo on the album cover looks strangely familiar, like a place I've seen (and been) somewhere before... ;D

My point was really more trying to defend bass playing in a rock band as being something deserving of a classical guitarist, rather than the Beach Boys element.  I think.

David playing with Zappa would have been neat.  Zappa's impossible auditions for players are legendary.  Can David play a reggae-infused pinch-harmonic superlochrian groove in 11/8+13/8 time?   ;D

I think the One Man's Challenge footage is the Azusa Teen Club...just like the film tells you. Hey that's how Dave remembers it , right Carrie?

My mistake; I was told years ago that it was the Pickwick Center and just assumed that to be correct.

Point definitely taken, and agreed with.  But from the classical guitarist's POV - or, more specifically, from what i imagine the CGists' POV to be - it could be thought of as a step back.  Or down.  Or laterally.  All when forward motion was desired.  That's all i was saying.

Yeah, I get what you're saying.  To be fair, I wasn't even really a classical guitarist anyway.  At least not only a classical guitarist (mothers don't let your babies grow up to be multi-instrumentalists).  I'm sure David made the right choice.  But it certainly is an interesting though thinking about what Dave's potentially classical-guitar-inflected basslines could have added to the Beach Boys sound at that point.

"I Think About You Often"...is this song addressed to anyone in particular?

Also, who all else is playing? And who's singing the co-lead?

The song was written one night after David saw Jordan Zevon sitting at Warren's old piano on some rock star kids show on VH1 or something. The last time he'd seen Jordan, he was just a little kid.  He didn't really write it was just Warren in mind, but it sparked a feeling of general loss for those he's lost along the way. Although he did say he knew Warren would have loved this song - it's dark enough to be something he'd really get.

On this particular track, David is playing all the instruments except the drums, which are done by a guy named Ed Jurisinsky.  The rest of the tracks on the CD (except Bamboo Shack) feature a Berklee guy, Eric Kalb, on drums.  Bass is split between David, another Berklee guy, Mike Rivard or NY session player, Jon Price.

The co-lead is Anna Montgomery, David's God daughter.  Her father, Gary Montgomery, was one of David's closest friends - a band mate from the Colours and songwriter on the Moon's first LP.  Shortly after she recorded this vocal, Gary died unexpectedly, only making this tune even more meaningful to them.

This post is kind of a bummer...sorry.

Hi Margaret.  Glad you like the tunes.  The photo was shot on the day after the Chez Jays Denny bash a few years ago...we stopped by on our way up to Santa Barbara.  With the reminiscent tone of the title, we thought that shot was appropriate - especially since he's wearing a Pendleton. 

David's rendition of "Kokomo" is the only rendition as far as I'm concerned.  I can't get enough of it.

I was already going to ask, after spotting his name on the My Space page: what was the Dave-Warren Zevon connection?

They met around 1966 and spent the better part of next decade together until the universe wisely seperated them sometime in the mid 70's.  They had a very strange relationship - they both really respected each other, musically, and also shared the same indulgences.

Their band fizzled out pretty quickly but they continued playing an insane amount of music together.  Warren would get frustrated with the fact that David would play some great part and then wouldn't remember what he did when asked to play it again.  It got to the point where Warren would record them rehearsing his songs and would then have a studio guitar player to copy David's parts for the records.  If you've listened to any of Warren's early stuff, it's not David playing, but his influence all over that first Liberty LP. 

Warren kept all the tapes from these sessions but David did manage to keep one.  His site is down right now because I am switching servers but when I get it back up, I'll add some clips.  The one he has is called "Abstract Plastic Plasma Dog, the Weary Canoe Suite" which was influenced by LSD and Raspberry liquor.  The "Weary Cano" was WZ's nickname for David's guitar. There is also one of the most bizarre arrangements of Rock & Roll Music that you'll ever hear on the same tape.  Oh, and Warren is playing guitar on this tape, not piano.

Jon tells some GREAT Warren Zevon stories in his book and also, before he died,  Warren asked his 2nd wife, Crystal, to write his biography which should be coming out, coincidentally, around the same time as David's biography.  David did a really long interview with her for that book but there was some concern about her editor cutting alot of the story out so I don't know how much they'll get into the parts about David. But he was responsible for getting WZ his job with the Everly Brothers, introducing him to Brian Wilson, gave him a place to live, got him his first record deal...and convinced him to go by the name "Warren Zevon" instead of all those silly stage names he was trying out before he broke in...so chances are he'll  pop up somewhere in the story.

Having real Jamaican Rastafarians on this version really adds a cool edge, IMO.  The track features Garth Dennis of the Black Uruhu (sp?) and his sons, Reggae Rock, who were 13, 15 and 19 when they recorded this...a really talented family.  And it gave a whole new meaning to the line "tropical contact high."

An ex BB sideman hooked David up with a friend of his who owned a studio and was looking to start a label.  After spending thousans of dollars and 3 months in a nasty corner East LA, the friend hosed David and kept the masters for an entire CDs worth of his recordings...so I'm happy this track got leaked somehow and ended up in circulation.  Some people.....

Wow, this is great stuff.  Thanks for your staggeringly informative posts, Carrie --- so precise and towering!

Carrie, I believe you mentioned three Marksmen tracks from Sundazed.  I have two of them- "Sherriff Of Noddingham" and "Travelin'" from Lost Legends Of Surf Guitar II: Point Panic (2003).  What's the third one?  Also, are these the first releases by the Marksmen anywhere since the sixties singles?

I'm still trying to figure out how to get an internet petition together.

I think Carrie and Dave are headed for the UK this week. I can answer the question...the third track Carrie alluded to is Kustom Kar Show, which is a song that might have ended up on the Beach Boys' Little Deuce Coupe LP if things had evolved differently. The DM book explains this. It ende up as the b-side of the first Marksmen 45 in March '64. Recently Sundazed put it on the b-side of their Sherriff of Noddingham vinyl 45 release. And yes that WAS the first official release of KKS since the orig. 45, in fact in the case of Noddingham and Travlin'...the very first official release was the Sundazed release, as both these tracks weren't on the orig. Dave and the Marksmen 45's...they sat in the can for nearly 40 years.

Man, I'm drooling all over the keyboard for this stuff.  Guess I'll have to seek out that vinyl release- wonder how hard that'll be?

And I am looking into getting some help with putting up an internet petition for Sundazed to release the complete Marksmen.  Once we get the electronic petition thing figured out (such that it doesn't harvest people's e-mail addresses) I hope everyone here will help get the word out and get the signatures together. Forty years is way too long to wait for good music to be released (though I guess this board has some experience with that concept) and the material I've heard sure doesn't deserve to sit in the vaults.

Carrie, does David have any thoughts on the upcoming Beach Boy reunion that may take place that you can post here?

Yeah, and how's been the meeting? Jon Stebbins said that Dave would go to Mike and Bruce last night (I believe). It would be such a cool idea...

Let's see....David would like to see a reunion if he was included, obviously.  He basically just wants to go out and play, whether it be a reunion tour, w/ Mike & Bruce, Al & Dean or on his own.  As for whether or not its going to happen, with or without him, it seems a very unlikely possibility.   

We did go see Mike & Bruce play last night at West Point and David sat in for the last few songs.  It was good.  John Cowsill is a great addition to the band - he's really funny and sings great.  But there was no obvious indication (to me) that anything was going to change within the personnel of the group to make room for the principals that want to rejoin. 

You're back! 

Carrie, having lived in Southern California for a long time, I found that there's just a spirit of old surf music that never dies.  Dave was at a distance from it for a long time, but it just seems to pull everyone back at some point.  It's not quite like any other genre.  Even though Dave is not strictly a Dick Dale type of guitarist, I like the idea of it drawing him back to the surf.

What is the musical collision of Dave and Al like?  What do those two strum when they get together?

Joe – David may not have made a career out of the surf era in the way Dick Dale or Paul Johnson have, but his roots will always be firmly planted in the early Southern California sound. You can even hear hints of the influence in his original music that extends outside that genre.

As for what David and Al play when they’re together…Beach Boy songs, of course.  Musically, they lean towards opposite ends of the spectrum but they have that common ground.

None of the other guitar players play the rhythm parts the same way as David…they strum the chords, which is fine.  But David played the original rhythm parts with more edge…real tight and driving. It was his “thing” or like in an earlier thread on this board, more like the earliest punk band.  And with David Logeman (who played with Zappa) on drums, the band really grooves and has tons of energy, while Al nails every vocal part and has, as we all know, a truly amazing voice.  They bring the best of both worlds to the table.

It’s a shame they aren’t working more because I can’t say enough positive things about the few shows they’ve played together this year.

Well, if you can't say enough, put a CD out!  Dave and Al should be an easy sell.  I'd love to hear it.

I've gotten more intrigued by the what-might-have-been aspect with Dave- no knock on Al whatsoever, just a road not taken.  It's always seemed that Dave, personality-wise, would have probably strengthened Dennis' corner of the band, whereas Al held the middle, which was probably more peaceful.  But you wonder if the band with Dave in it- wilder and a little more Strat-driven against that Baldwin organ- would have turned the famous Monterey corner differently.  Maybe the band needed to refill their squirt guns with urine at that stage (if only to keep the urine from getting tested).

Ultimately, I can't help thinking he'd have gotten dragged into the nuttiness just like Al did.  One thing I wish for sure is that, like Al before him and Bruce after him, he hadn't shut the door so completely after 1963.

I would also like to see some kind of recorded project with both David and Al but that isn’t so easy considering we live 3,000 miles apart.  Even though technology makes it more than possible, there is something about the inspiration and chemistry between artists when they’re in the same room.  But I know David is open for it should it evolve in that direction.

I do think you are right about the “what-might-have-been” if David had stayed or rejoined...the band’s sound would have been different, for sure, and I think David would have kept the band a little more relevant in the post-Smile era. And it’s certainly fun to imagine what he and Dennis could have done together – musically and otherwise.

However, had he stayed he would’ve had more access to drugs and faster cars and based on the damage he was able to do with his limited resources, chances are pretty good he would have taken it too far and suffered the same fate as Dennis...so he doesn’t have any real regrets.

As for those closed doors, I think the book will point out how they really weren’t as closed as we’ve been lead to believe.  Besides the sporadic attempts to get David back over the years, there is also some interesting evidence which surfaced while doing research for Jon’s book.  I think people will be quite surprised at just how much power David had in the organization and how late in the game that power extended.  I was absolutely floored by what was uncovered!

they should goto a neutral location, like here in miami in my itty bitty room studio :3d

Counting the days to that book, and the CD.  It's been really interesting for me- it's like David jjust came back from the dead in the Beach Boys story.  He wasn't heard from for so many years, except as a source in the Gaines book and here and there and in the odd newspaper article, and almost never directly until now.  When I was in L.A. I knew he was in town but he was like an urban legend- someone here and there knew him or saw him.  He was in my phone book, but was still sort of the Invisible Man.

Now, finally, we're going to have the Marksmen, some amazing sounding new music, and David's own story with a lot of new angles.

It's not just a huge gap in the Beach Boys story being filled in; it's like a musical and personal addition to the legacy.

You'll be surprised how big that gap really was. Murry swept an awful lot of dirty laundry under the BB's sandbox...like Carrie said, some of what was discovered is pretty huge stuff.

David had good lawyers, they even had his back in the 1967 BRI v. Capitol Record suit.

Hm. 

When you see the whole picture...something closer to the opposite of that is true.

Jon is right.  David had a great lawyer in 1962 when they were negotiating the Capitol contract but after that, things get really interesting!

Interesting.

I guess filing a suit doesn't necessarily put anything in your pocket.

It never has, Cammy...and it never will...

"Cammy", huh?  Hee, hee..... >:D  That may have to stick.

It's May already...how's that album coming?

It's just about finished, actually.  David has a few things to tweak mix-wise and he's still playing with which songs will make this CD and which will be held for the next one, but at least one of the tracks are co-written with Stephen Kalinich. Figuring in manufacturing time, we are looking at shipping CDs during the first or second week of June which means I'll have the website set up to take pre-orders in the middle of May....next week.  I'll post when it' becomes available.  At the same time, we will also be offering a live CD recorded in 1977 which features some of the hottest session guys of the time...it's more Blues oriented than the new one.   There will a discount for those who pre-order them together.

In case anyone hasn't heard the samples, they are available (2 from each CD) at:

http://www.MySpace.com/DavidMarks

This is some cool stuff, too.  I've heard quite a bit of it, and i'm definitely looking forward to hearing the finished product.  Not overtly Beach Boy-ish, but...you are what you are, right? 

But listen to "Ocean Liner" and especially "Light Of The Spirit"- can you imagine this guy writing with Dennis?  Also, imagine "Ocean Liner" with group vocals, on one of the late seventies albums- the sort of stuff I wish they were doing at the time.

Oh, man -- those Dolphin '77 clips are so cool!! Some very tasty guitar work there. Sign me up for those CDs, just please let me pay by check!

I fell in love with "Ocean Liner" when I first heard it on the *Not for Sale* compilation. It's one of my favorites of David's songs.

Surfer Joe - i know!!!  That's what the "you are what you are" comment is all about!  It seeps through, and it's just the right touch!

It gives me a serious "what-if" vibe, Susan, because you can't help thinking Dennis and Dave would have thrown each other a lot of support and gotten some better material on the albums- not to throw Al or anyone under the bus in any way.


Vas is das "Not For Sale"?

NFS was a compilation put together for the first BUSY DOIN' SOMETHIN' East Coast convention back in 2003.  Junkstar put it together.  It featured a whole lot of very cool, often unreleased, songs, inlcuding the afore-mentioned "Ocean Liner."

Ocean Liner is a great song.  It's not one of David's originals, though he's pretty much adopted the song.  It was written by his 35+ year musical partner, Buzz Clifford, and originally appeared on Buzz's "See Your Way Clear" LP released in 1969 on Dot.  David met Buzz after being hired by Danny Moore (the producer) as a session guitar player on the album.  David, Buzz, Danny and Gary Montgomery (another bandmate/studio guy) remained the closest of friends and made some great music over the years.   Danny's biggest claim to fame was writing Shambala by 3 Dog Night and My Maria by BW Stevenson and Brooks & Dunn.

Bringing all this current, Buzz plays guitar on T-Bone Burnett's new CD (another old friend of theirs) and T Bone will also feature Ocean Liner in one of his new films which will be very cool for Buzz.  Also, if you've ever seen the Mark Harmon movie, Local Boys, with Dick Dale...Buzz has 2 songs in that movie as well. 

Carrie, After David left The Beach Boys in 1963 what did he think of the music they made throughout the rest of the sixties and beyond?

Twenty-five words or less, please...
:-/

He loved WIBN and GV when they were released but considered them Brian Wilson songs, not "the Beach Boys".  But for the most part, as Jon will explain in greater detail in his book, David tried his best to not listen to their music.  It was just too weird for him to have that connection while being so far away from them at the same time....it was easier to just tune them out.  The turning point for him liking the music was returning in the late 90's when he gained a real appreciation for both the songs he was on as well as what came later.  He really likes the Surfs Up LP.

Sorry Susan, I failed your challenge. 

That's understandable,
Thanks Carrie.

I believe around that time he was asked to come back into the group, wasn't he?

's all right, Carrie.  You came darned close, and still gave a complete answer!  You win!

Yes, he was.   David's path crossed with the other Beach Boys several times in 1971.   

Hi Carrie!
I am a big fan of David, and was wondering when his book will be coming out?  I can't wait to get my paws on a copy!
Thanks
Carly

Hi Carly,

There hasn't been a firm release date set yet but we are shooting for later this summer.  There was some new information uncovered during the research process of the book which pushed back the spring release, but in the end, the new additions will make the wait well worth it.  In the meantime, David's got a bunch of new music coming out in the next few weeks with more scheduled to come out at the time of the book's release.

Hi Carrie
Just wondering. Both you and Jon have indicated there will be a lot of new infomation about the group and I think Jon has said some of it could be quite shocking. For a already well known story to sell well it needs something new and extra. Do you see a falling out between David and any other members as a result of someone else (I'm thinking marketing people here) demanding a story that David himself is not comfortable telling?
As we know certain group members have been known to call in the lawyers at the first sign of anothers version of the truth.

That's an interesting question. First off, it’s an authorized biography so David has some say in what is released and nothing he's uncomfortable with has been included.  No corporate higher-ups will interfere with the integrity of the book for the sake of sales. And its customary to have an attorney screen the book before it’s released….just in case.  So, no…I don’t foresee any legal issues with the other Beach Boys.

Most importantly, the book will change the way people thing about the Beach Boys early years.  No question about it.  However, just because it tells the WHOLE story for the first time, doesn’t mean it will take anything away from any of the others.  It doesn’t.  David doesn’t have bitterness or anger towards his former band mates so there isn’t anything printed that would indicate a need for their lawyers to get involved.  The intention of the book is not to be a dirt-fest that tears people down...that's not Jon's style and it's certainly not David's.

In fact, one of Jon’s most supportive interviewees was Al Jardine and out of all of them, one would assume this book would rub him the wrong way.  But no…even to his own exclusion, Al was very vocal about what David contributed to the Beach Boys. Mike Love also comes off looking pretty good…not in a kiss-ass way but the fact is, in spite of  everything, they’ve had a pretty decent relationship and Mike has been one of David’s most consistent supporters over the last 45 years.  And Brian, Dennis and Carl were like brothers to David so he doesn’t have anything bad to say about them. 

If anything, they all come out of this looking better than in any other book because David wasn’t there for the down years.  His relationships haven’t been clouded by politics and money and his perspective of all them is based around a happy and innocent times where the music and having fun as a family were the most important things.  The dark parts of this story, and there are many, come later in the book when David struggles with having had and lost that. 

Carrie I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions about how you met David? When and how did you become a Beach Boys fan? Was David the first Beach Boy you met.  What is your impression of each Beach Boy, and finally how did you and Dave first go out. Hope these aren't stupid or too personal.

That's not something that can't be easily answered in a message board post.  You'll have to wait for the book for the answer to this one.

Ok Carrie I will look forward to the book.

Carrie nobody has asked but how was the Tower?

The Capitol reunion was great.  The chemistry between David, Mike and Brian was kind of like watching older versions of the same kids who first entered that building 44 years ago. You could just about imagine them running through the halls in their bare feet and bathing suits…which they did quite often back then.

The other thing I should probably comment on was what was portrayed in some of the video footage (and from Bruce’s post on BBB) about David being excluded from the photos.  What happened was: towards the end of the photo shoot, the executive asked David to step out so they could have one with the 4 guys on Pet Sounds to promote separately.  That’s when the rest of the guys insisted he was one of them and should not be single out and excluded.  It was very cool to witness such an outward and public display of support…it may not always appear that way on the surface, but there is a lot of love there.

I also wanted to post an update on David's CDs.  They are on their way back from the manufacturer and should be in my hands by the end of the week.  Anyone who pre-orded the CDs will have theirs mailed out the same day I get them.  Going to LA for the event at the Tower threw the deadline off so they were late getting pressed...I apologize.  Thank you for your patiences and expect to have them soon.

If you haven't yet, the pre-order "special" will be available until Friday July 14th.  Clips are available at:

DavidLeeMarks.com/AV.html  & MySpace.com/DavidMarks

Thanks for the reply.
Glad all had a good time.

We're pleased to report that we've received David Marks's guitar parts back for his tune on the Jan Berry / Jan & Dean Tribute Album . . . and they're incredible.

Not what most people will be expecting . . . So David and Carrie, don't spill the beans!! . . . if you're asked about it, okay? . . . It'll be a surprise.

David is one talented guitarist . . . the most technically accomplished instrumentalist of any of the original Beach Boys.

M.

Hi Carrie,
please wish David a happy birthday from me and the members of bwfans.com.  :)

Hey Carrie, I was inspired by the Surfin' USA Drummer thread on the Shut Down board, so I wondered if you'd mind asking David if he remembers/knows who the bass player was on the track "Surfer Moon" from the Surfer Girl LP (as opposed to the earlier versions and whatnot).

It's distinctly not a Beach Boys playing the bass.

I asked him but he's not immediately coming up with anything.  He asked why you didn't think it was Brian...maybe that would spark a memory?

It's got a heavy pick sound, it really sounds a lot like Ray Pohlman to me.  It's not Brian's usual pumping, big thumb sound.

Josh - good to see you're well enough to be thinking about such things as the heavy pick sound on a "Surfer Girl" track's bass part!

Can you provide me a link to the thread you mentioned on the Shut Down board?

Thanks,
Craig

http://www.shutdown-vol2.com/forum/index.php?topic=606.0

There's the thread, pretty big stuff...

And yeah, I'm almost too interested in Beach Boys credits today...

Did Brian ever play with a pick? I figured it was just live but for recordings he'd play with one to give it that 'cleaner' sound...

Also, did any other Beach Boy play the bass live or for recordings other than Brian and Al?

In the Surfin Safari/USA two fer you can see pics of Carl playing bass

If Brian ever did use a pick, it was very rare.

And, yes...Bruce did.  And later, Blondie.  But you probably knew that!  :)

Hehe, I forgot to mention the earlier recordings... :p

David has said many times that the photo of Carl playing bass was "staged" and that he didn't play it on the record. Carl did play drums on one track on the first LP.

@Jon: now that's cool. Thanks. Do you know which song Carl played drums on?

I do, but since this is Carrie's thread and Dave's info...I'll let them tell you.

I just received David's new releases in the mail yesterday.

Something Funny Goin' On was THE surprise of 2003 for me as a Beach Boys fan, and I Think About You Often is miles ahead of it. The live album is also great.

Carrie, on David's website at least a year or so ago there were fragmentary session clips posted. Many of these did not find a home on I Think About You Often. Is David planning another CD to round up the rest of this material?

I just wait and see what happens.... :)

Carl played drums on Moon Dawg. 

Right now David has more material to record than time or budget will allow. His next project will most likely be his own arrangements of his favorite Beach Boy songs...this concept was inspired by his recording of Dennis' You and I. He's got the sketches recorded so the project is well on its way, although no release date is set. He's also got several more CDs worth of material waiting to be recorded after that.

David said Brian usually used his thumb instead of his fingers or a pick.

Regarding Surfer Moon, he's not coming up with anything...as far as he remembers it was Brian.

Thanks Carrie. Another piece of the puzzle.... :-D

Another little known fact regarding the drums is that David played them on Surfer Girl and the Letterman's Silly Boy during their live shows so Dennis could go up front and sing.   

I dig it ! Thanks Carrie !

Per David Mark's myspace blog (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=61924274&blogID=175637516):

We are very pleased to announce the long awaited Jon Stebbins biography, David Marks: The Lost Beach Boy, is being published by music giants Virgin and is currently slated for a March '07 release date.

Congratulations Jon, David and Carrie. 

Look forward to reading the book Jon.

The latest 'Mojo' magazine has an interview/hepatitis c awareness promo, 'The Lost Beach Boy' featuring David on pages 94/95. Great b/w photo portrait too.

 8)

I was doing some Googling tonight and found this in alt.music.beach-boys, from 1998:


Anyone here recall reading that interview?

Since I'm logged on already, I might as well add a shameless plug for the book here. It's now available for pre sale at Amazon:

UK listing (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Beach-Boy-Jon-Stebbins/dp/1852273917/sr=8-2/qid=1166911570/ref=sr_1_2/026-4244438-4762806?ie=UTF8&s=books)

US listing  (http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Beach-Boy-founding-members/dp/1852273917/sr=8-1/qid=1166911613/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-6415355-3637461?ie=UTF8&s=books)

Happy New Year!

Carrie

Hi Carrie

Good discusssion below on what members would have done had the BBs never happend. Wondering if Dave has any opinions on himself or others?

Looking forward to the book.

Regards

I asked him and David said he would be doing something with music regardless.  He wrote and recorded his first original song 2 - 2 1/2 years before Surfin' so the Beach Boys didn't put David on the musical path...but they did accelerate him down it.  Architecture is the only thing he said he could see himself doing besides music.

As for Brian, he said "God didn't put all that music inside of Brian for it not to come out.  He would have found some why to express himself even if he didn't have the Beach Boys.  How successful it would have been is another story."  He went on to say that if Brian didn't make it as a songwriter or engineer/producer, he probably would have been the Music teacher or P.E. Coach at Hawthorne High.

He said Mike would be doing something public - sales or maybe politics.  He said (without hesitation) that Carl would do something with cars - probably selling them.  And Dennis - he said he would be a VERY successful salesman because he could convince anyone to do anything.  He figured Al would be a department manager in a large corporation and Bruce would have continued on his own as a producer and songwriter.

I think that  the 3 Wilson brothers, especially Dennis, would probably have experimented in the hippy, drug culture had their been a BBs or not. But they might have straightened up a lot sooner.

Now that the book is out what do you and David think about the final product?

In general, the book turned out better than we could have hoped.  Virgin did a really good job of staying true to our original vision which was great.  In fact, they did very little editing...most of their changes only served to give Jon a British accent.

The best part for me has been watching the response from David's close friends and family as they begin to read it.  I think it may have been easier to open up to an anonymous public than it was to reveal those emotions to his immediate circle –  the ones he’d been trying to convince he didn’t care.  But the people who love him have been really affected by this book and have all commented on how they feel they understand David better now and respect him even more.  A few of the tougher guys even admit to crying on the last page. 

But getting off the serious stuff, what I'm really looking forward to is the US Book Release Party at Rusty's Surf ranch on the Santa Monica Pier on May 29th. 

We are inviting the whole "cast of characters" from the book so it will be nice to have everyone together in one place to thank them in person...and to celebrate.  The rest of the night will be performances with various configurations of people David has played with or is some how related to the book.

We are still working out the details of the line-up but there will be limited tickets available for the public for the event (Rusty's only holds 300 max).  Info will be coming soon for those who don't want to miss it!

Carrie - I hope the launch goes well for you over in the US, wish I could get over there for it ! Hope to see you in the UK again soon ... with the Marksmen CD neatly packaged alongside !! Any confirmed date for that yet ?!
Regards
Malc

Hello,

We're doing the definitive vocal credits thread, and I wonder if David could answer the question of who the carnival barker is on "County Fair" is? Thanks.

Also, can he confirm that it's Nik Venet barking on "Moon Dawg"?

Nik was the carnival barker and did the howling on Moon Dawg.

Hope that helps...

Carrie

Thanks!

Carrie -

There is a topic down below that I started about "Carl's favorite chords" that we'd love to have some input from Dave on.

Thanks.

Thank you! Always was curious about that. Can Dave tell us who the girl on "County Fair" was? (Hope that wasn't covered here already...) Thanks again.

It was his aunt, Andrea Carlo. This stuff is all covered in the Definitive Vocal Credits Thread, below...

Carrie - Once again my apologies to you and David.  Feel a dope!

What are you refering to SurfRiderHawaii?

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,4721.msg77181.html#msg77181

...and it was sorted out already...

Aloha MBE - a major brain malfunction on my part.  Calling David 'Mark".   Not a good feeling to accidentally insult one of your idols :-(

To add to all the other exciting news about upcoming releases, David’s collection, The Lost Years is now available for sale on his website, DavidLeeMarks.com (http://DavidLeeMarks.com). 

We ended up with more than 2 CDs worth of material so David decided to shuffle things around and add a few more tracks and ended up with just under 3 hours of music on 3 CDs.
 
Disc One features 17 tracks worth of David Marks & the Marksmen!  The CD features a wide variety of recordings...including never-before-heard songs and studio out-takes.
 
Disc Two includes recordings from "Lost Years" - with over an hours worth of unreleased recordings, historic jams, demos, alternate versions and studio out-takes from the Moon, the Flies and David's unreleased "Low key Intensity" tracks featuring his own arrangements of his favorite Beach Boys songs…and more.
 
Disc Three is a bonus compilation CD of nearly 2 dozen of David's favorite tracks from his released solo catalog. Starting with Gary Montgomery's Angie by the Colours and closing with the full I Think About You Often CD from last year...this is a great CD that highlights David's evolution as singer, songwriter and musician.
 
For anyone who has read The Lost Beach Boy, this collection is basically your audio guide to the book and includes most of the songs Jon Stebbins details during the story.  For those of you who haven't read the book yet, the CD and book (both signed) are available through DavidLeeMarks.com...bought together, they are a great way to unravel the mystery of the Lost Beach Boy

A complete Track Listing can be found on DavidLeeMarks.com  (http://DavidLeeMarks.com) and 4 tracks from the collection are currently available on David’s MySpace page at MySpace.com/DavidMarks (http://MySpace.com/DavidMarks).

I hope you enjoy the music….

Carrie

thank god for my paycheck coming in this week :3d

Hey Carrie,

Tried to order The Lost Years recently but to my dismay it had already sold out! Any plans to re-stock? Would still really like to get my hands, and consequently my ears, on this fine looking collection!

Yeah, they went fast...its a pretty cool collection. The next run should ship in the next week or two...I just updated David's site today so orders can once again be placed. 

Thanks,

Carrie

Excellent news! Thanks for letting us know

Carrie,

Will David be playing with Mike & Bruce on any of their upcoming dates? I hope this is the appropriate thread for this question...

Thanks :)

Hi,

David doesn't currently have any plans to play with Mike's band again...but he will be playing with Al Jardine tonight in New Jersey and again next Thurs (30th) in Ft Worth, TX...Dean Torrence will be joining them on that date.  David will also be appearing at Eddies Attic in Atlanta on Aug 2nd for a really cool solo set.

Okay thank you for replying Carrie!:) I wont be able to catch any of those shows though, I'm in OH :(

Oh my lord, get this: I'm on my way to NJ (will be there tomorrow, stopped in VA) and I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro. I conveniently missed both of them! Grr.

Carrie,
It was great meeting you and your husband last night at "Eddie's Attic'!
For everybody reading ,David Marks show is a lot of fun
You know when he started ,I thought ,yeah ,he's a good guitar  player , but on "Torn Down" , a blues song Ive only heard Clapton play, he was fantastic! Really impressive guitar playing!
The whole band was smokin,Jez Graham's piano was a great counterpoint to David's guitar playing!
If anybody anywhere gets a chance ,go see "The Lost Beach Boy" He rocks!

Yes, it was an excellent show!  I got to interview David before the show for earcandymag.com, I'll give a 'shout out' when the interview is posted.
Meanwhile, here's a clip from the show - David doing Dennis' "You And I":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkqdMceeEE8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkqdMceeEE8)

It was great to meet both of you, Ronnie and Ray.  Thanks for coming out to the show...I'm glad you enjoyed it!  David had the best time...what a great bunch of guys he had behind him!  The show was professionally recorded so I hope to have some good audio clips to post soon!

Wish I had known David Marks was playing in my neck of the woods (Decatur).  I would have gone!!!

What state?

edit: Nevermind, I found out by looking at your profile :P

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNMsz7xVziU

We're getting ready for the ESQ Pet SOunds Safari show tonight, which will be a very similar solo set to the Eddie's Attic show last month.  If anyone wants to check out the audio clips from Eddie's, they are available for free download on David's website.  I hope you enjoy...and that we'll be seeing some of you tonight at the show!

http://davidleemarks.com/EddiesAttic.html (http://davidleemarks.com/EddiesAttic.html)

I wish you all a very pleasant evening. Wish I could be there...

.

Carrie, is David's The Circle Continues album still on track for a September release? Love the title track and "I Sail Away"!

Glad you are enjoying the song, Margaret!  Yes, the CD is still on track for next month...he's working on some last minute mixing and editing right now so it should be finished very soon.

Are there any plans to play Las Vegas?

Hello Carrie, with all the SMiLE madness going on I haven't forgotten that David was supposed to have a new album out but so far nada, any update on The Circle Continues??

Hi Paulos,

Good memory.  This project has had a few false starts so I don't want to say too much. However, we are actively working on finalizing a release date right now so I hope to be able to announce something soon. 

Thanks for the reply Carrie and I will await your announcement with the patience us Beach Boys fans are known for!  ;D

Here's an update on something we're working on to help raise money for the Hawthorne Historical Society....hope to see lots of people at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go back in time to learn authentic Beach Boys guitar in the Hawthorne HS music room.

David is partnering with the newly-formed Hawthorne Historical Society to promote that local 1960's guitar sound as a legitimate part of the city's history and culture.  He feels like the authenticity of their original guitar sound got lost a bit as the Beach Boys evolved into a more vocal-oriented band and he wants to get back to the original style and techniques they came up with as kids. This is his way of honoring Carl and John's memory and its the historical society's way to preserve their history, so its a great partnership.

As part of the "Good Neighbors Day" event on July 16th, David will be conducting a full-day guitar clinic in the Hawthorne High music room where he will demonstrate chord progressions, authentic rhythm techniques & lead figures as they were originally recorded...participants are encouraged to bring their (unplugged) electric guitars to play along so they can get a better feel for the parts.  Or, you can just observe.  He will hit 3 areas...surf & car songs, ballads and instrumentals.

That evening, David and the Surf City All Stars will preform on the Hawthorne High football field at 7 pm...tickets are going towards the establishment of the first Hawthorne Museum.

Tickets are at:  http://hawthornesurfmusic.eventbrite.com/ and clinic information and registration forms be found on: http://davidleemarks.com

Also looking forward -  we are your market and we're keen!   :D

For the Atlanta-based people on this board...David will be returning to Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GA on August 21st.  He will be doing a solo set with his Summertime Blues band featuring an amazing ATL based backing band.  They will be doing classic songs of summer with a blues twist as well as some of David's originals.  It should be a fun night, we will be celebrating David's birthday a day early...I hope to see some of you there! 

Tickets are available here:  http://eddiesattic.ticketfusion.com/store/one/index.html?store_id=1553&master_store_id=1553&page_type=ticket&show_id=599072&qid=18030162864&cid=8626879 (http://eddiesattic.ticketfusion.com/store/one/index.html?store_id=1553&master_store_id=1553&page_type=ticket&show_id=599072&qid=18030162864&cid=8626879)

I might actually not be working that day!  I'll see what I can do about going!  :-)

Hi Carrie,

I've got a question which I thought you (or in fact David) could answer best that's why I'm posting it here. But if anyone else knows the answer, please fill in.
Does David rememebr who played the cymbal (that sounds like a wave) on "Catch a wave" ? I guess it was probably overdubbed after the basic track.
And another thing: did Al or David sing on the track "Surfer girl" ? Or was it just the four guys ? I really have problems hearing that out because of the double tracked voices.

Great show last night, Carrie!  'Twas a pleasure meeting you and your husband.  :-)

Great, great show once again.  Dave and Carrie, loved getting to talk to you guys again- thanks so much for your friendliness and patience with fans like me, and hope Dave had a great birthday yesterday.

I agree with the general sentiment here. Thanks to David, Carrie, Jez and the rest of the band for a great show! And come back soon, y'all.  :)

Rocker, I asked Dave the question about the cymbal crescendo on "Catch A Wave" back in '05 or '06, and he seemed to recall that it might be Brian on an overdub.  He said Dennis definitely played drums on the basic track, as he could still "see" the session in his mind's eye.  I didn't ask him about the vocals on "Surfer Girl", but my belief is it's just the three Wilsons and Mike on the "hit" (Capitol) version (Dave is definitley present on guitar, though).

Thank you ! I was wondering if Brian or Dennis played the cymbal. Couldn't see that a session musician would've been called in for that

Thank you to you guys for coming out Sunday...it sure was a fun show! 

Carrie

Aloha