The Smiley Smile Message Board

Thought this deserved it's own thread as the other one going is about David's recent heart scare.

https://soundcloud.com/davidleemarks/kustom-kar-show

This baby rocks with a great David vocal!

I love it too but I'm biased!

For, this is the best BB-related track released in at least 4 years. Great job!

 ;D Spirited stuff, v-cool!

This must be what it sounded like on that famous day on 119th street when the marksman music first found its way into the air, as Jon  describes the moment in his book. I can almost see Murry coming out indignant with his pipe. Dave is absolutely the undisputed king of the surf guitar. Do you hear the solo in here? It is absolutely mind blowing. I wouldn't see any particular reason to say anything negative about Mike song. Mike's song is very much full of consolation which might help people at a very lonely time of the year. Some of us get old, and we lose our families and maybe we're not with anyone special and we remember the innocence of Christmas, and it's so wonderful to think that one can meditate and think deeply and feel part of a greater spiritual truth. No, I congratulate Mike for being Mike in a very characteristic way and Dave for doing the same, and i thank both Beach Boys for these amazing gifts which I intend to enjoy over and over.

I actually like Mike's recording a lot, though I'm sympathy with the folks who called the vocal processing into question.

You're pretty close in that nearly all of this recording was done in an actual '50s era garage, with wood beams and bric a brac on the walls.  I think the garage itself deserves a coproduction credit!

BTW, vis a vis the guitar, David also redid "Sheriff of Noddingham" and that will leave you gasping for air.  Phenomenal performance both by David and the A-Phonics.

Oh Adam, in case it wasn't clear I want to offer a very specific note of thanks to you for this. It's an absolute gem and I just keep putting it on play and listening to it again and again. So vintage yet so fresh and so timeless. If anyone reads the book about Dave,  the Lost beach boy or digs into those old marksman recordings and then finds out that today in the year 2015 you have released a new smoking hot fresh and vibrant version of that song, it's just like a dream come true which takes the past into the present so powerfully ,so emotionally , and with so much energy. You have captured a bit of Dionysus here, which is the goal of every musical artist, and the professor salutes you and the garage with great thanks.

And yes, you are right about Mike's processed vocals, which one would pretty much just have to overlook in order to get to the core of the song I suppose.

Thanks man, it was the best situation, where everyone was on the same page and brought their A-game.

Did David rerecord this version this year?

Yes, in September-October 2015.

Really a great job Adam. I feel properly reverb drenched as all good surf guitar music should. Brings back memories as a kid and getting out of the surf in Redondo Beach. Can't wait to buy this album!

LOL glad to hear it.  We mixed the whole album in one day, and about the biggest thing on my mind was blending the vintage and non-vintage reverb sounds so that the digital portion of the sound didn't blow the vibe.  So I appreciate the kind words!

Sounds awesome and like David was having a great time singing it too

Quick question, Adam-is David playing his Jaguar Big Block on this?
Cheers and can't wait to hear more

I think so, yeah.  He used both his Jag and the Strat, and my recollection is he used the Jag on all the Marksmen stuff and the Strat got used on some of the BBs remakes.  We tended to keep things moving so I wasn't keeping close track - he switched back and forth a few times, so I can't say 100%.

EDIT:  Actually, listening back to the track, it's definitely the Jag, just from the sonics of it.  My ears are better than my memory anytime!

Thanks Adam-I thought it sounded like the Jag. I'm assuming it was bought for the C50 tour? I've been looking for a decent Big Block for a few years now but they are scarce. Anyways, thanks again for uploading-off to listen again!

Excellent work, Adam. You definitely captured the spirit of '63 in this track in a way that other attempts have fallen short of the marks (no pun intended).  ;D

They all brought it.  :)  I just (hopefully) didn't screw it up.  

I think a problem these days is people want a vintage sound, but they're kind of afraid to use the same process.  The gear is important for sure - but we tracked the band live in a room with no baffles or anything like that.  You just don't "do" that anymore, but that's how the old records were made.  The sound of the room and allowing the instruments to bounce around is part of what makes 'em so cool.

Carrie deserves a lot of credit for how it worked out...she brought a lot of impetus and support for the approach.

Great mix! I can hear the guitars, bass, drums, vocals pulling together but still distinct. The mic bleed really helps give it that classic sound. Watching Love and Mercy recreate all those people in one room, same thing. I hope this is a huge success and we get a Vol II. Now why isn't Rolling Stone doing a page report on David like Mike got today?

 Love it, most especially the guitar! :rock

This sounds great all around.  Only thing it's missing is the Beach Boys harmonies behind it!

Paul McCartney recorded an album called "Run Devil Run" in the 90's shortly after Linda passed away, it was just all throwback rockabilly stuff, didn't take long to do.  It was great.

David should hook up with Al and Brian and record an album like that, just stuff like this that rocks and gets back to their early roots.  It'd be amazing!

Very well done... and listening to it right after 'Alone On Christmas Day 2015' is lol...

I was thinking the exact same thing Ron!  Since the story (I believe) is that David wrote this while he was in the band, but Murry had no intent of letting the group record it, I would love to hear a "what-if" version with a harmony stack.

Lee

Actually, if I recall the passage from TLBB correctly, BW told Dave he "wasn't ready" after Dave brought the song to him. (P.97: actually Jon Says Murry was glowering over B's shoulder, so he may have compelled B to reject it.

Looks like Dave is ready now!

Would have been a great Mike lead vocal back in the day! Another great BB song that wasn't. Also too, Desert Drive had a Mike lead written all over it.

Is the track available for purchase? 

Pretty sure it's not at this juncture, but my understanding is that they are going to release it, with the rest of the tracks (they did 17 in total), in the not-too-distant future.  We'll all just have to wait and see!

I think if Dennis and Carl had lived they would have been on this easily!

Good version of a lousy song. Never cared for the song itself. Very blah. 
Zeppo

100% agree!!! Too bad Carl declined to use the Paley material.

Too bad too that this KKS wasn't recorded in 1963 for the LDC album. It would have been the hardest rocking song on that.

Great song and great re-make.

That’s still up in the air right now.  Any thoughts about whether there’s a preference for CD or vinyl for a release like this? EP or full album?  I would appreciate any comments that might help weigh a decision one way or another.  This was originally recorded with the intention of being used for European promotional purposes.  But, it did come out better than we hoped (Thank you, Adam!) so if the demand is there, we might pursue releasing it.

Aloha Carrie. Full LP please. And then a Vol II. I don't buy vinyl anymore but I will buy this CD. Please put this out, if nothing but iTunes atleast. I love that surf guitar sound and David is the real deal! Glad David is ok and will be 100%. Best to you both!

CD please! I want the full album.

Hi Carrie,
I prefer buying albums on vinyl but would pay for this on any format. Maybe an EP could be released in limited quantities as part of Record Store Day next April?
I hope David is doing well

A full album would be best as I'm always in favour of releasing as much stuff as possible and personally I prefer CDs because I have no way of playing vinyl. Is there any chance there will ever be another release on CD of Something Funny Goin' On and I Think About You Often?

A CD release and then vinyl on record store day would be cool.

oh yes, as much as possible in terms of songs and in CD form. I can't play vinyl.  Thanks Carrie. Get Rolling Stone to promote it, review it, do a spread. If it's all as hot as KKS then it's bound to blow people away. I have KKS and Dave's live album on continual play in the car--a rockin' way to cruise the Southland freeways.

Hi Carrie - vinyl would be great, especially if you guys recorded to analogue tape (although I get the impression this was recorded digitally).

If that's not viable $$ wise, it would be great to get a hold of 24bit/88.2 (or greater) uncompressed files - either by download or on a physical format like Blu Ray Audio or Hybrid SACD (that's where you can have both a CD and High res CD on the one disc - that's the format the Analogue Productions reissues have been released).  I mention this because based on David's download only "re-issue" of The Circle Continues, he made it pretty clear he wants his released music formats to be representative of his vision, and the high res format may better help us hear what David hears in his head and out of his amp.

Cheers - A

This is authentic, fun, high quality surf rock. Great job by all involved, Dave, Carrie, Spanish guys, Adam...kudos to all. Would have made a solid album track on the LDC record in '63, with a BW touch...but in this incarnation it just burns rubber in a hot and beautiful way.

First things first... digital release of the track (iTunes, Amazon, whatever).  Then CD/Vinyl/etc.  I prefer an LP in the long-run.

EDIT: As far as $$ is concerned, there's a serious trend toward the digital download as opposed to CD.  I'd buy a CD, but I'd love a digital option.  Obviously that costs less to produce and, IMO, would bring in more sales.  I've got two turntables for vinyl, but aside from my PC (which I use to rip CDs to lossless digital), I have no way of actually playing a CD.  Not even a CD player in the car.  Writing's kinda on the wall.

Would have made a solid track on That's Why God Made The Radio, which could've used a little more energy and a "group contribution" feel.

It made my day to hear this Rockin Track. Can't wait to hear more!

Yeah, a great early 60s sound. Really enjoyed it.

Once again SJS, I second your opinion.  Or else along with Goin to the Beach on MIC.   

Yeah, that "group contribution" feel is what made PS and Smile so great, after all.  ::)

It's great. It could have taken the place of one of the recycled car songs, or Be True to Your School, and made LDC a truly proper pioneering concept album. Do you know what the timeframe was for David suggesting this song to Brian?

Any info on this david Marks song Anytime USA? It sounds new also like Kustom Kar Show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G_vsMstRSM

Carrie, full album on CD please.

Yes, the timeframe is in the Lost Beach Boy book, as I recall it was when they got back to L.A. from the summer '63 tour and were recording some new things for LDC.

Thank you for the feedback. I’ll keep this in mind when it comes time to making this project public. We still have some things to consider and the tracks still need to be mastered, plus artwork, but it’s looking good for a full release.


The words to Anytime USA were written by David and Stevie Kalinich while driving around in LA traffic during the BB Landmark weekend - so that makes it 10 years old already.  David went home (NY at the time) and wrote the music & recorded the track.  Dennis Diken of the Smithereens plays drum, Jez Graham is on the organ and Alan Boyd is singing all the backing vocals.  This song was sort of released on the ‘let’s pretend this didn’t happen’ album, The Circle Continues.  This track is actually pretty good, thank you for the reminder.  Since the new project is going up on iTunes, I will release a digital version of Anytime USA as well. 

Thanks for the info! Thats awesome news you will have to let me know when you get that music up on itunes!

Some cool, free music from the A-Phonics. Wonder how David found them?

https://a-phonics.bandcamp.com/album/mediterrani-beat-guitars

It has way too much energy for TWGMTR's mellow feel. Wouldn't have fit and if Dave had supposed it, Brian would have rejected it. It should have been on LDC, though.

'Twas digital, but I'm pleased you couldn't tell from the audio.  That's kind of the point 'round here.  :)

Thanks, Adam! Appreciate the info and looking forward to whatever and however coming out!
 :thumbsup

The Marksmen have a following in Valencia, believe it or not, so Juan Diego Sanchis, the A-Phonics lead guitarists and promoter of the annual Surf-O-Rama festival, reached out and hired David to play with them at the surf music festival last May.  It was the first time a promoter request “more Marksmen, less Beach Boys” from a set! :)

I like the song a lot, and wish it could have been recorded back in the day. But since it wasn't, this is a more than respectable substitute. The production is fantastic Adam. I would buy the full album without hesitation in whatever format it gets released. Thank you and cheers.

What a fantastic time for Dave. He dodged a bullet and now is riding the crest of an amazing wave of proper critical acclaim. His live album on the Sunset Strip is starting to receive critical attention, as in David Beard's worthy review, http://www.examiner.com/review/david-marks-and-friends-live-on-sunset-2010, and now he has created a rockin', burning album that has excited the BB faithful.

If Mike and Brian can get it together, I look forward to more of David with the BB as well. If that happens or not, he has achieved personal excellence and displayed artistic brilliance, which all we fans cherish.

Way to go Dave. We are with you.

Thanks Carrie! Very cool! I remember reading about David playing the festival. How wonderful it has evolved into this special project! Who better to be the new King of the Surf Guitar!!! About time for a comeback of this great music form.

Most encouraging stuff, Carrie!  :)

???  "Kustom Kar Show" WAS released in 1964 on the A&M label by Dave & the Marksmen as the flip side to "Cruisin'" (A&M 730):

http://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/dave_and_the_marksmen/cruisin___kustom_kar_show/

Both promo copies and store stock copies were pressed.

It was also reissued by Sundazed Records a few years ago on colored vinyl:

http://www.amazon.com/THE-SHERIFF-NODDINGHAM-KUSTOM-SHOW/dp/B00AOAG2G2

Lee

Oops, sorry for that, I forgot/hadn't realized about the Marksmen version. That particular statement was mostly a response to what I read upthread about how cool it would have been if the BBs had recorded it for the Little Deuce Coupe LP...  In any case my only motive for posting was to show support and encouragement for Adam and Carrie/Dave, because I listened to the track and thought it was rad. Simple as that.

Ahh, I get your point now Peter.  I would love to have heard a Beach Boys version as well.

Actually I prefer David's new version to the Marksmen version -- the track is much tighter, and David's lead vocal is stronger.  I would love to hear more in this vein.

Lee

My feeling is that David and els Al-Phonics' remake of "Sheriff of Noddingham" also bests the (formidable) original.  YMMV, of course...we'll see if folks agree when it all sees release.

Hi Carrie, I'm the freak BB fan who pretty much only buys digital downloads, and I would very gladly buy a soft copy of any music that sounds like this!

Very cool to hear Adam. Hope this is out in time for summer!

er, A-Phonics, not Al-Phonics.  I blame jet lag.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT THE AL-PHONICS?!?!??!!


(http://www.zoomerradio.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Al-Jardine.jpg)

I'm not a huge fan of the song writing & lyrics,     .... But geetar-wise, and production-wise, this song SLAYS!!!!!


Holy crap. It's got the balls that Beach Boys songs have been completely lacking since about before the Today album....


Carl "Lead Guitar" Wilson may have been the lead guitarist of the band, but this David Marks fellow of Hawthorne, CA fellow was truly the soul of those early recordings.


Much love,

The progeny of 2 different Hawthorne High School students

So....

Maybe I'm the only one, but.....


I think world peace can be achieved by an Adam Marsland/Brian Wilson produced 2016 Beach Boys production.


I enjoyed the That's Why God Made The Radio album, but it was obviously a Brian Wilson solo venture featuring the voices of various Beach Boys....

This here "Kustom Kar Show" track that isn't on a Beach Boys album absolutely has the chutzpah to be considered a Beach Boys great, all it lacks is those vocal harmonies.....


Talk about missing the punt return!!!! Wow. This is the kind of music that needs to be on that BW R'N'R tribute album he's been talking about for the past few years......

Good heavens, lol, what are you getting me into?

I think probably my best production move was getting the heck out of the way!  My job was mostly to keep things on track/make suggestions/tweak when needed, but butt out when not.  The best recordings come when everyone's on their A-game and on the same page.  So credit where it's due: the guys all brought the sound with 'em when they came in, including the right amps and the right attitude.  

I once asked my mentor, Earle Mankey, the secret to why his tracks always sounded so great.  His answer:  "Find musicians that play great, and put a mic in front of them!"  Wise words.

BTW, quick plug for another band that just recorded here, Mod Hippie - their new album does a very cool '60s psych-garage thing.  From the BBs world, Probyn Gregory guests on a track on theremin, and Teresa Cowles, who sacriligeously wore a firehat in Love & Mercy, is all over it on bass and backing vocals.  If you're of a mind to check it out, there's a highlight reel here:  https://youtu.be/RxP3mE5gAmw (https://youtu.be/RxP3mE5gAmw) - different from Dave's thing, but pretty neat.

Now back to trying to find a flight out of Manila during APEC!  :)

Not world peace, but it's hard to imagine a more boring and even less exciting soundscape than the latest BW/Joe Thomas coproductions. So any other producer would be welcome. Joe Thomas is to me the sonic equivalent to Landy. Landy saved Brian's life but damaged his body severely. Thomas ensures that Brian records but gives the recordings a soundscape that drains all energy from them. I took a short listen to a few tracks from the 2012 live record the other day - how is it possible that someone ruins the material this way?!? Obviously Brian is fine with that.

Yeah, Brian was credited as a Producer. Oh, sorry, wrong thread. No, wait...

 Well, let me put it this way. David is creating music now in the year 2015 that is not necessarily 100% retro but is rather timely, hip, urban, punk, multicultural so to speak, and timeless. That surf sound is by no means dated and comes out of the speakers as incredibly powerful and vital. Brian Wilson knows that Dave can play like this and can create this type of music. However, Brian and Joe are interested in a mellow as hell adult contemporary style. I listen to no peer pressure all the time, but it will leave you hungry for the intensity and the animal power of this particular track that Dave has done, which is probably representative of the rest of the album. Now Brian Wilson must not be the best producer of David work at this time, but if the Beach Boys could ever pull together their five individual talents and creativity, then you would have a beach boy album that at least in part would really cook. If I were Mike and Brian listening to this, & I should say Al and Bruce as well, they would want to get together and make an album with various different songs, some really burning like this one and some others mellow as hell. It's really up to Brian and Mike to talk to Dave to hear what he's doing and, as it were, to understand that this sort of hot music, distinctly in a beach boy style because Dave is a beach boy, can be featured on the next beach boy album, which Adam should produce. With Adam and Mark and Alan in charge of a project, I guess that would be a dream project, you would get the best of the individual Beach Boys and the best of their collective collaborations.

Also have a question on the  david marks song Polemics, Poetry & Peace . Is this recorded around the same one as Anytime USA? it is also With Stephen Kalinich.Thanks

https://youtu.be/tCwez7pcj8o

Forget it. Brian only works if he's in total creative control, he's not a team player. And he just isn't into energetic music anymore, the TWGMTR and NPP albums show that very clearly. He's not going to let a driving song like this put on an album.

I fear that you are 100% correct in this. This is quite a shame, but it underlines why we will have to enjoy individual beach boy music for the rest of their lives, with the occasional visit, cameo, or partial collaboration such as David and Alan working with Brian etc etc. But it's a shame that they don't have a way to pool their collective talents. They really did not do so on the radio album. I think Bruce described it as a bunt or a punt, I don't remember which, but other word indicates in a sports metaphor a type of resignation or failure or safe decision, something like that.

Closing in on 1,000 plays on Soundcloud.  Not too shabby!

Looks like the pre-order and samples are available for David's new album:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CF444PA?ie=UTF8&keywords=david%20marks%20garage&qid=1457560697&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

*cough* Sheriff of Noddingham *cough*

Does anyone know if this is going to be a bonus track still?