The Smiley Smile Message Board

By: Howie Edelson

Beach Boy Al Jardine is currently working on his first-ever solo
studio album, which will be a concept album about California.
Jardine, who stopped touring with the group in 1998, will be
focusing the project on California's history, climate and energy
problems as well as various ecological topics. There's been no
release date set for the still-untitled album.

Jardine told us that he used one of the Beach Boys'legendary
unreleased tracks as the springboard for the project: "I've put
together kind of an anthology. After we had El Nino here, I kind
of came up with some other songs and some tie-ins to (the Beach
Boys'song) 'Lookin'Down The Coast,'and I was gonna change the
title and call it 'California Coast'and then bring it up to
date, and try to do more of it in Spanish. Y'know, because the
Spanish language is so huge now. 'Cause California was
discovered by the Spanish. Y'know, these carousing Spaniards,
right (laughs)?"

Throughout the years, Jardine has often written and recorded
California-themed songs for Beach Boys albums, including the
"California Saga" suite from the group's 1973 Holland album, and
"Santa Ana Winds" which he co-wrote with Brian Wilson for the
group's 1980 Keepin'The Summer Alive album. Most recently,
Jardine released "California Energy Blues" on the 2002 Al
Jardine Family & Friends Live In Las Vegas album.

In addition to recording the new album, Jardine is also working
on his autobiography, and on an animated feature based on the
Beach Boys'1966 hit "Sloop John B."

This winter, Jardine will team up with Christopher Cross and
Loggins & Messina's Jim Messina for the California Christmas
tour, which will feature the trio performing holiday classics as
well as their greatest hits. The tours dates and venues are
still being ironed out, but the tour is expected to begin in
early November.


http://www.icebergradio.com/node/18125

The New Album - Sounds good and very promising. Hopefully, Al will keep the cover versions to a minimum, as well as the voice-overs. Not too enamored with a bunch of Spanish lyrics. I don't need novelty songs or even intricate themes. Just good songs. Maybe we can get both good songs and intricate themes. I won't hold my breath on this new album, as there have been at least two previous announcements of some sort of a forthcoming Al album. I think his publicists actually put a full-blown press release out back in 1998 about an album from "The Jardines." Nothing ever came of that. I think back around 2000 or so ESQ or somebody reported about Al working on an album that was going to include a song he wrote with Terry Jacks (was that "Don't Fight the Sea"?), and, interestingly considering Brian remade it not too long after, "California Feeling."

The Tour - I'm not sure about the X-Mas theme or having to sit through material from Cross or Messina, but if the tour gets Al out there a bit more for his fans to see, then that might be good. Hopefully the tour will be substantial enough that there will be enough shows around the country that most fans can get to one without too much trouble.

The Autobiography - Again, I'm not holding my breath on this one either. Hopefully if it makes it out it won't be like a Timothy White sort of thing where half the book is about the Jardine family tree and the history of Big Sur, but however it comes out, it will be interesting to get the story from a new perspective.

The Animated Film - I'm sort of indifferent to this one. I got the book because it had a new song on the CD. But I've spoken to several folks who are quite knowledgable about children's literature, and they weren't greatly impressed with the book. I certainly felt the book could have been a little more substantial, even for its target age audience. 

This is the part that intrigues me.  I love the idea of those three voices working together...and i love Jim Messina's music!  Not so high on Christopher Cross, but i never disliked it.

This show i would go see in a heartbeat.

A solo-album by Al would be great news! "California energy blues" is awesome imo.

Well, I guess there goes the reunion, right (if that would ever have happened)....?

I'd like to hear 'Al Jardine - The spoken word album' talking about weather in Southern California and raising horses on his ranch.

I guess it'll sound like this:

"Here in southern california we got a weather condition known as the santa ana winds..."


Maybe he could put a "Mow" in there somehow....

I think an autobiography by Al Jardine could be very interesting and entertaining.
I wouldn't mind at all hearing him go on a bit about Big Sur and life at Phifer Beach.  And his perspective on the band is certainly unique.

Yeah, I actually like California Saga, even the beaks of eagles I'll listen to when I play the record. 

Color me skeptical.  :whatever

An autobiography from Al? Seems like it would be pretty straight (not have as much controversy like Brian's).  However, Al seems to have lived a pretty uneventful life, despite being in the Beach Boys.

possible excerpt:

And then I said to Brian, "Hey we should record that song Sloop John b." Brian seemed slightly interested, and when I showed him that instead of playing a C Major chord during the line "I wanna go home", we should drop the chord down to a B/Amaj7 and then to an Amaj7. That way the song would have more of a jazz feel to it. Brian was impressed, and went home that night and arranged the song to how we know it to be today. Despite my name not appearing with Brian's as the song's arranger, I still felt very happy with the final version of the song. When I told Mike how I felt about my name not appearing on the song and that I wanted to sue, he told me to wait until after twenty years because 'it would be funnier that way'."

I'll buy it anyway.

Haha, I'd buy a book that had things like that in it.

    I can't find this article on the Iceberg website.  You didn't make it up, did you?


                Love and merci,  Dan Lega

When I posted my response, I had clicked on the link and that website did contain the article. My guess would be either that news items on that website expire very quickly, or somebody had the article pulled or decided to pull the article.

I  read about Al working on or doing part of some sort of ecological based concept allbum many years ago.  Could this be his attempt to finish that album?

He did Santa Ana winds, the California Saga stuff and some other related pieces.
And he did live out at Phifer Beach foer a while....or maintained a residence there.  Same place Bobby Darin retreated to in his folkie period.  I believe that is where he is seen with the horses on one of the Bios...and that is where the footage of the water shooting through the rocks on the  wendy beach was filmed.

I can see this as a viable project inspired by the rugged natural beauty of central California.  It would make for some great video as well.  Question: are ANY of the BB's at this point capable of  one last really great album ?  

When's Bruce going to come out with something?

Your kidding, right?

He still has thousands of copies of his 1st album in the basement that he's trying to get rid of.

Hahaha...still though Bruce's 'outside' perspective of the band would be very interesting...

If it was made up, then it would be the best "made up" Beach Boys story since Gcplayer from the "old" Shut Down board posted this story:

This is a story from the Associated Press that was released Sunday, November 27, 2005:

Early Saturday morning, Beach Boys founder and main producer, composer, and arranger Brian Wilson walked out of his New York City hotel to find former bandmate Mike Love waiting for him. Love sued Wilson earlier this year for "shamelessly misappropriating...Love's songs, likeness, and the Beach Boys trademark, as well as the 'Smile' album itself." According to the hotel's doorman, Love appeared to be intoxicated and began screaming obscenities at Wilson, calling him among other things a "liar" and a "cattle rustler". Wilson tried to walk back into the hotel and end the confrontation, but Love followed him, spun him around and slapped him like a little girl. Wilson calmly told the doorman to call authorites and Love ran away, screaming behind him "I'm Mike Love!! I can bench four hundred pounds!!" Authorities throughout the states of New York and Pennsylvania are trying to apprehend Mike Love. If you sight him, please notify your local police department.

  Gosh I love that little guy Al.  He truly was the third genius in the BB's.  His cd must include a heady over-produced thinly mixed techno/ disco remake of his Disney-esque "Lady Lynda" from the highly under-rated La light album.  Mr. Jardine is still a largely untapped reserve of interesting talent.  Al, just do something,cd,book,concerts something instead of sitting on your tookas.  We want to hear him live but the little guy is as evasive as BW in the years 68-82.  Why doesn't Al capitalize on the interest in his music....I haven't a clue.  I just wanna give him a super tough Big Sur bear-hug.  And squeeze the little impish man. 

Al's had a couple of shots at a solo album, thus:

"untitled Jardine family album[/b]
projected release date spring 1999
recorded spring-summer 1998
produced by  The Jardines & Michael Utley
Islands In The Sun - A Pirate Looks At Fifty - Wish - California Saga:California - Tell Me - Shooting Star - Beauty Day - Middle Of Nowhere
(track sequence unknown)

Big South[/b]
projected release date ?2001
recorded spring-summer ?2000
produced by  Alan Jardine
California Feeling - Looking Down the Coast (trilogy) - Don't Fight The Sea - California Saga: California - Crumple Car - Highway 101 - Wishing You Were Here - Good Feelings - California Energy Blues
(track sequence unknown)
 
   The only band member never to have released a studio solo album to date nonetheless announced the recording of one such in a June 1998 press release from Brown & Dutch, The Beach Boys publicists. The project was reported to have been inspired by a public service ammouncement by Jimmy Buffett concerning the endangered Floridian manatee... and nearly five years later, we're still waiting. "Islands In The Sun", an uptempo, "Kokomo"-styled ballad written by all three, features a lead vocal by Matt and was partly recorded at Jimmy Buffett's studio in Key West, The bulk of the tracks listed were recorded at Alan's Red Barn studio in Big Sur: "A Pirate Looks At Fifty" is a rewrite of a classic Buffett song, "Wish" is a collaboration between Alan and Larry D'Voskin, a ballad inspired by Jardine's wish to fulfill the band's relationship with Brian when he decided to cease touring with the band in 1966 and it's possible that a small portion of the rerecording of "California" was featured in the Endless Harmony documentary of 1998. The last four titles listed are songs by Adam, except "Middle Of Nowhere", a collaboration between Matt and BB sax player Ritchie Canata.
 
  About a year later, Endless Summer Quarterly reported that in addition to completing a new song, Alan had plans to put an album together "very soon" with his sons Matt and Adam. Presumably recorded at Red Barn,  tracks mentioned for possible inclusion were "California Feeling", the "Looking Down the Coast" trilogy, "Don't Fight The Sea" (a collaboration with Terry Jacks dating from late 1980), "Highway 101" (featuring the late Steve Douglas on sax, thus recorded before April 1993), "California Saga: California" (recorded in 1996 for the Stars & Stripes Volume 1 album), "Good Feelings" (featuring a Matt Jardine lead vocal), "Crumple Car", "Wishing You Were Here" (presumably the Chicago song) and "California Energy Blues". Only this last title saw eventual release, as a 'bonus' track on the Family & Friends Live In Las Vegas CD of 2001."

Maybe Al's problem is the same with Mike's: No record company wants an album from a bunch of has-beens. Brian Wilson should be in the same category, but it is "Brian Wilson", so he mas a little more merit.

Al's California concept album looks like it may be very fun to hear. I hope the direction he takes with it will be similar to how the "original" version of Big Sur was recorded. Folkie with soothing harmonies. None of that PT Cruiser stuff.

Mike's album might get picked up if he somehow is able to release it under the name "Beach Boys". Why not? He tours under the name, wouldn't be much of a stretch. Or better, a possible release on the internet, via Beachboyscentral.com.

The license to use the BB name is for touring only. That's why not.  8)

Thank goodness! :thud

Hell, SIP was a Mike solo album, and it went under the Beach Boys name. Of course, as Andrew has just informed us, the license isn't for recording.


Don't know about that, because many has-beens still have record deals... AC/DC immediately springs to mind, the Who (without the late Moon & Entwistle, it's pointless), Whitney Houston (although I think she's too busy doing lines in between dodging punches from Bobby to record an album)...don't know why this would be any different.

All (slanderous) jokes aside, I'm hoping Al actually does release it, as I think the work he did with the BB to me is proof that there were other geniuses in the band besides the Wilson brothers.

Well, somehow I think acts like AC/DC, The Who, and Whitney Houston have just a *tad* more name recognition among the general public than "Al Jardine." This is precisely why Al has trouble booking live shows. As much as labels (whether major or indie) who go after "aging" acts might like to put out an album based on the quality of the music, the reason some "aging" acts get a record deal is solely due to their name selling a minimum number of units.

I'm not quite as down on "Gettin' In Over My Head" as AGD for instance, but I think it's safe to say that some unknown artist would not have easily sold an album of that quality to any label.

Getting a record deal has little or nothing to do with Al producing or not producing an album. He knows he can sell it himself on the internet. That's what he did with "Live in Las Vegas"! Al is seemingly in a pretty good position to put an album together. He has experience releasing the stuff on his own, he presumably has more time on his hands than he did during his active touring years, he has experience as a producer, and he has his own studio! What I believe Al probably needs is an outside producer to helm the project. Not so much to even influence the sound of the album, but rather simply to execute some editorial control over the thing and convince Al to settle on some finished compositions and recordings and put something out. He probably has a bit of the "Loop de Loop" syndrome of over-working things. Just look at the song titles that have been mentioned in relation to this album. We're still looking at songs like "California Feeling", "Looking Down the Coast", and probably other songs that popped up in that long list of unreleased songs in the "authorized" Byron Preiss biography back in 1978/83. I wouldn't mind a new album with those songs (although it's pretty clear we'll never see the old recording of "Looking Down the Coast" released even if some sort of "Brother Rarities" set is released at some point), I'm just pointing out how long these songs have been in progress.

Just as a matter of interest. Any ideas on the costs of a internet only release ? I think Mike and Al may have to look at this as the only way to go as have Billy, Jeff, Adrian and others plus of course Brian with the original release of "Roxy". Al has had some experience in this with "Vegas" so that may be the way he is planning to release.

The book... I'll pick up a copy after the reunion show in London in September. ;)

It's relatively cheap to do an internet-only release, at least in terms of the post-production costs (meaning once you have the finished master ready to press). Al has used DiscMakers to do "Live in Las Vegas" and I believe the "PT Cruiser" CD single as well. I have a bit of experience with them, as I worked with a band that looked into using them to press some CD's. It costs something like around $990 to press 1,000 CD's with them. (DiscMakers has placed ads in ESQ magazine in the past, and I believe ESQ used DiscMakers to press their "One in a Million" CD from awhile back).

The costs of course depend on what kind of artwork you want and how elaborate the artwork is. (I think that $990 price is for like a cardboard sleeve and the CD, whereas jewel cases with inserts would cost a bit more). In any event, to press up 5,000 or so copies of an album on CD would cost several thousand dollars. Then, there are costs involved in selling the CD's. You can just put up a website with an address to send money orders and checks to, and have your family help you stuff CD packages all day. Or, you can just have DiscMakers or whatever company who presses the CD's send them straight to a service like CDBaby (which Al used for the Vegas album at one point), and that service handles all of the orders for the CD's so the artist doesn't have to bother with it. These services of course take a cut of the money that comes in. I think it's even possible for self-made CD's to be sold on Amazon under the right circumstances. I think Amazon sold Al's "Live in Las Vegas" at one point (and probably still have it listed), albeit as a "Special Order" item. For that matter, Al eventually got some sort of mainstream distribution deal in place for the Vegas CD at some point, because I eventually saw it in a few indie CD stores maybe a year or so after it came out via the net.

Given the fact that Al could easily sell several thousand copies (as in probably 5,000 or so, give or take) of a new album, it could not at all be cost prohibitive for Al to release a CD himself. Even if you add in the cost to pay someone to master the album (assuming Al doesn't just do it himself at his studio, which he could), and add in the cost to produce the recordings (paying the engineer and musicians), and other miscellaneous costs, I don't think Al would lose money if he sold a finished CD for $15 or $20 via his website. He's probably already put plenty of time and money into recordings over the years anyway. It's about time he gets some return on that investment.

At the same time, I don't think it's totally out of the question that a super-indie label might be interested enough to sign Al up and release his album. It probably wouldn't make Al a ton of money, but it helps a lot just to get a CD with any label that can get your CD into stores and on Amazon, etc.

"Al's California concept album looks like it may be very fun to hear. I hope the direction he takes with it will be similar to how the "original" version of Big Sur was recorded. Folkie with soothing harmonies. None of that PT Cruiser stuff."

My hopes too.

So what if the songs themeselves are old - doesn't stop BW or Mike, for that matter.

I know that, but consider what if Brian had the legal rights to use the name "Beach Boys" as his rider, and then tried to play "Love & Mercy"? There would be a lawsuit in that.

Whitney Houston could still have a career if she cleaned herself up. The Who are releasing a new album (+ ep) this year, which will draw a lot of attention. AC/DC will always draw crowds due to their energetic performances. But what differentiates these artists from Al Jardine and Mike Love is that they contain the "original talents" as opposed the the sidemen who make up the band. If Roger Daltrey toured as The Who by himself, the concerts would not draw as much attention. If AC/DC toured with out the Young brothers, I don't think they would be as exciting.

Mike Love's "Beach Boys" have played a few of Mike's solo songs recently, including of course "Cool Head, Warm Heart", and "Make Love Not War" or whatever it was called, on the Imus radio/TV show. Interestingly, one of the points mentioned in the various Brother lawsuits against Jardine when Jardine was touring as "Beach Boys Family & Friends" was that Jardine's setlist didn't reflect the sun, surf, and cars image. Apparently, performing songs like "Lookin' At Tomorrow" or "You Still Believe In Me" was damaging the BB name. Of course, now several years later Brother's licensee for the BB name is performing numerous "rare" songs not normally recognized as BB hits or sun, surf, or car songs.

Nope - as long as you pay the performance fee, you can play any song you like live. Mike & Bruce could even play BWPS.

That'd be beyond horrible. Whatever you feel about Mike & Bruce themselves...umm...this isn't going to be nice...


Sorry, but the rest of the band happen to be some of the least talented "professional" musicians I've ever heard.

Well, supposedly there is, or was claimed to be when Brother was going after Al Jardine, certain terms that a licensee of the Beach Boys name has to follow, and these terms can potentially include what type of songs should be played. Somehow, shock of all shocks, Brother is apparently not nearly as concerned with Mike and Bruce performing non-surf/fun/car songs as they were when Al Jardine was performing such songs as "Beach Boys Family & Friends."

I have no idea if such terms are or were ever actually written into the licensing agreement, but they at least potentially can be. Even if something along these lines was written into an agreement, who would interpret what songs are or aren't acceptable? I recall back around 1999 when the lawsuits began, there was a Rolling Stone article that rightly pointed out that the criticism of Al playing non-surf/car/fun songs didn't make sense in light of the Mike/Bruce band at that very time playing songs like "God Only Knows."

Quote..
Sorry, but the rest of the band happen to be some of the least talented "professional" musicians I've ever heard.

Yeah but they work cheap.

But back to Al's album. The California concept idea could do ok with internet sales IMO. Between BB fans and the tree-huggers there could be a bit of interest and $900 is not a big outlay.
I think it comes down to ego again. Having to do a DIY rather than having a label behind you must grate.

It shouldn't bother him, though...at least then, he can do whatever he wants. Besides, it's not like he's hurting for cash/

So do homeless people :lol

Al Jardine is a brilliant if at times a tad lame musician.  That aside, a warm glass of ovaltine with that little impish man sittin' on my knee, lookin' down the coast or whatever.   :hat Perhaps a soothing pep talk as well regarding his realeasing of a new internet-only cd.  Now I am getting that California feeling. :p

I think it comes down to ego again. Having to do a DIY rather than having a label behind you must grate.



....I was thinking about Mike's unreleased album as well when I wrote this line. His co-writer couz gets the publicity for anything he puts out nowdays and Mike can't get a deal. I figure by doing a few tracks each Mike and Bruce show he could get a bit of interest as well. Maybe he just prefers the boots doing the rounds?

From January 2000:

"Beach Boy attorney Mike Flynn insists Jardine has been using the "Beach Boy" name without the proper license from BRI, and also claims audiences at Jardine's shows have complained they were expecting a "traditional" Beach Boys show." 

So, yes, according to the lawsuit(s) brought against Al Jardine by BRI, a "non traditional" BB show is damaging to the BB name.

I don't think any of the surviving BBs besides BW were ever capable of a really great album, let alone now. If you want anything approaching that you still have to look towards Brian, and no matter how much optimism you have the chances of that are almost non existent.

On the prospect of an Al solo album, it may be interesting to hear as it would with any other of the BBs, but I doubt in his ability to produce anything of real substance.

"I don't think any of the surviving BBs besides BW were ever capable of a really great album..."  POB anyone?

"On the prospect of an Al solo album, it may be interesting to hear as it would with any other of the BBs, but I doubt in his ability to produce anything of real substance.

There seems to be two Al Jardines.  There's the one who has written folk-inflected songs like Lookin' At Tomorrow, Song of the Whale and California; then there's the oldie/car song Al who goes for the safe option.  Personally, I prefer the former.  Those songs did add substance.  However, if you're looking for a more traditional BB album, then you're probably looking in the wrong place - and, sadly, you're probably right in what you say about Brian, as much as I cling on to some hope.

I did say any of the surviving Beach Boys. I agree Dennis was capable of a great album, although I'm not sure POB was it. By the way Smilin Ed what is the 'Song of the Whale' you refer to?

Sorry about that.

Song of the Whale/Monterey - sometimes known as Lookin' Down the Coast; it was meant to be parts 2 and 3 of a California Saga type trilogy; part 1 was Santa Ana Winds - all recorded in 1978, I think, although the latter was re-recorded, and considerably sweetened in the process, for KTSA.

Awesomely terrible.

What about some songs without 'California' in the title. He should just call it the album 'A man waiting for a bus'.