It was 36 years ago today...

[Andrew G. Doe]

... that Pacific Ocean Blue was released. I bought it that day, took it home, played it, fell over backwards, died and went straight to heaven. God bless you Dennis Wilson.

[Mikie]

I remember when there was a heads-up that it was coming. I think it was Alice Lillie's BB fanzine or Don Cunningham's "Add Some Music". We knew it was coming, and the day it came out, I ran down to Tower after work and bought one. Took it home and played the hell out of it for two or three years. Even picked up vinyl promo copies, the 8-track for the car, the cassette after that, and the Sony/Caribou CD (1991) after that (which was only available for about 1 year). I still pull it out (the new Legacy reissue) sometimes and turn it up loud. I'll go out on a limb here and say it's still the best Beach Boys solo album that has ever been released.

The album peaked at #96 for 12 weeks on the U.S. charts, and eventually went on to sell almost 300,000 copies. Not sure how many of the re-issued Leagacy CD's sold, but I know it sold quite well.

In 1977, there was a single (45) from the album, white-labelled promo copies of the album itself, a promo EP with River Song on it, actual record sleeves to hang on the wall, two different large POB promo posters (one door sized), green balloons, coffee cups (rare) and buttons used to promote the album. Dennis was interviewed for the album at a few radio stations (including on KOME radio) in my neck of the woods and I think Pete Fornatale in NY. Rolling Stone gave it a pretty good review too.

[Jon Stebbins]

Nice catch Andrew! After hearing a radio preview of the album a couple weeks earlier, which blew my mind so thoroughly that i almost forgot how shitty 15 Big Ones was...I bought my first copy at Peaches Records in Pasadena, or was it Licorice Pizza...anyway it was a hot hot hot day in Pasadena, i was visiting my sister, I brought the record home and played it for some unsuspecting friends...no one could possibly guess that this had anything to do with the Beach Boys and when I told them they were so confused. Met Dennis about a year later and the first thing I said was "I love your album." Thanks fate for giving me that chance.

[Mikie]

Dennis did an in-store record signing at Licorice Pizza Records on the Sunset Strip back on October 22nd 1977. He probably did more of them, but this one was notable because DJ Rodney Bingenheimer was there. He probably promoted it on the radio back then. Karen Lamm was there and was the room's decor...

[Sheriff John Stone]

I'll go out on a limb here and say it's still the best Beach Boys solo album that has ever been released.

I don't think that's going out on a limb; in my opinion it is clearly the best solo album that has ever been released.

I'm not sure that I bought it the day it was released but it was close to it. Back in those days, of course, there was no internet or message board or numerous outlets with rock & roll "news". I stumbled into the local record store and there it was. Took it home, dropped the needle, and was blown away. I immediately made a cassette copy for my 1971 Dodge Dart. The two main things that I remember is first, how clear and bright the record sounded because of all of the different instruments that Dennis used. And, second, how the different emotions just poured off of the album. And, that's the impression that stays with me. It's almost like the songs were an excuse, an excuse for Dennis to express the deep emotions that he was feeling; he wanted to get them out, get them across to the listener. Whenever I get bored and don't know what to listen to, I pull out my own personal Dennis Wilson comp, which includes Pacific Ocean Blue among others, and I still "feel".

[Daniel]

Andrew, Mikie and Jon - great posts.
thanks for this brilliant info!

God bless Dennis

[pixletwin]

Well next week (August 28) it will be 6 years since I first heard "River Song" on youtube, performed by Adam Marsland's group; this was my introduction to Pacific Ocean Blue and Dennis Wilson as a songwriter. Now it is one of my all time favorite albums. Gracias Adam. And Gracias Dennis.  

[Mendota Heights]

Oh, I love POB so much.