The Smiley Smile Message Board

I'm a longtime Beach Boys fan with very limited knowledge of what role David Marks has played in the band's history.  I read recently that he has been to music school and is a talented guitar player.  Will David Marks spice up the Beach Boys in concert with guitar licks, does he have much of a voice to contribute to the vocal mix, and can we expect him to help pen some new songs with band members?

a true master of guitar

His guitar sound was part of the foundation of the original Beach Boys sound.

I don't think his vocal work could exactly be described as having been prominent back in the day but his more recent solo material has been fine.

According to reports, Mike's looking to work with him on some of his material for the new Beach Boys album. Now that's promising as Dave's position as a non-band member for so many years means that he's the one member least-encumbered by all that surf  hotrod thing that's stereotyped them into a corner for so long.

I only hope that Mike's contribution doesn't amount merely to him adding the word "Well" to the beginning of every verse or second line, in exchange for a songwriting credit!    >:D

Well, on the 2008 tour with Mike & Bruce he added joint lead guitar with Scott Totten. Generally David would take the more 'surfy' guitar parts (those through, say, late 64) on a Fender while Scott would play the later lead parts on a Gibson. He added a *lot* to the guitar sound, and it looks like he'll be one of the main guitarists on the tour (only him and Totten are primarily guitarists).

Vocally... he bears a slight vocal resemblance to Dennis, and adds a huskiness to the harmonies that's been missing since Dennis died (though Bruce's voice now has some of that too). He's very obviously not the singer the others are (on the 2008 tour he sat out some of the more vocally-complex songs) but he does an *extremely* good job of doing Dennis' old leads on Forever and Do You Wanna Dance.

He won't add as much to the show as the others, but he *is* an extremely good guitarist, a competent vocalist, a decent person and a Beach Boy, and I'm very glad he'll be on the tour.

So what do we have? Where Dave was playing Toes on the Nose rhythm guitar before Al, will both of those guys play rhythm and Dave take the leads for the surf and car songs on this tour? Does Totten play lead guitar with the Mike and Bruce show? If so, maybe he'll handle many of the other leads and maybe share some with Jeff (or Dave). If Scott Bennett goes with them, he plays guitar and other stuff. Whose gonna play bass - Brett Simons? If Darian's on the tour, he and Brian and Bruce will play keys. And Mertens and Probyn on woodwinds/horns/harmonica and Bragg on percussion and Cowsill (and sometimes Stamos) on drums.

Gotta say, what a journey now for Darian, from fan to musician to Brian's musical SMiLE curator to official Beach Boys sidesman.  What a journey for all those guys.


What a night in store. Here comes the night!

Let's break it down ... Please note, Scotty doesn't really play guitar with BW. He can, but he's more a dual keyboardist with Darian.

Keyboard section (four players)

Brian - Piano (miked plugged in or not? We'll see)
Bruce - Keys (maybe he'll go without)
Scotty - Keys and vibes
Darian - Keys and vibes

Guitar section (five players confirmed, one possible)

Al - Rhythm guitar
Dave - Lead and rhythm guitar
Scott T. - Lead guitar
Jeff - Guitar (Maybe he'll go without)
Probyn - Guitar / Tannerin

Unconfirmed: Nicky Wonder (ditto)

Percussion section (two players confirmed, one possible)

John Cowsill - Drums
Nelson Bragg - Percussion

Unconfirmed: Mikey D'Amico (haven't seen him anywhere)

Bass

Brett Simons - Apparently they only need one.

Winds (two players)
 
Paul Mertens - Sax / harmonica / etc.
Probyn - Trumpet, French horn

So this is one honking big band. Some 13 confirmed players, and the possibility of two more. (I'm not counting Stamos for religious reasons.)

Brian will have a mic.  Count on it.  I'm sure his keyboard will be plugged in too - whether he'll play it......TBD. They'll probably (or should) have a piano on stage - Brian would be comfortable behind that.

Oh, I didn't mean Brian wouldn't be mic'd vocally. I was referring to the piano. It's varied at his own shows over the years.

Nelson Bragg gets on my nerves like Jeff Foskett seems to annoy a lot of people around here...he's sort of a cross between Jerry Mathers and Ray Cooper..I'm always in fear the poor man will have a stroke once he gets going. :p

Oh i do see the comparison to Ray Cooper.. Totally never thought of that.

Why do you guys keep thinking that Darian will be involved?

Probyn is confirmed, yesterday I got an email from him saying "If you feel like watching the Grammys, I will be on there about an hour into it with the Beach Boys, I made it into the 50th year reunion band"

He's in the background of the rehearsal pictures from the Grammys. Doesn't mean he'll be on the tour, necessarily, but it seems likely, no?

That's amazing. Great news. I'm so happy for him. I've made the adjustment in the big list up top.

Come to think of it, though, Probyn was kind of a shoo in. He allows for a two-person brass section (important if they try Darlin'), some authentic Tannerin in Good Vibes, and the French Horn on GOK.

Probyn's on the tour.

Did you mean to say Darian?

I was guessing Darian to be on the tour. Not sure he will be, but I'd think he or Benett would be the Mike Meros of the band, right? Brian or Bruce couldn't handle playing all those songs.

And I edited my post above to include Dave not only playing rhythm and lead on the surf songs, but the car songs too. GOTTA have all those songs on the setlist!

What a bunch of butt-kickin' musicians there will be on that stage, all complimenting each other at the same time! Hope nobody steps on any toes and they can go the full 50!

Several of the BW / BBs / AJ / J&D band guys know each other well and have played together in different configurations in LA for decades now, so I expect smooth sailing. There's a lot of mutual respect and shuffling between groups. (Quick quiz: Who has played in the most of them? I would guess Gary Griffin ... maybe Foskett)

Although, really, it's basically Brian's band with Dave and a couple of Mike's very best guys. Hard to see how that could go wrong. Scott T. has been scrupulous about restoring the arrangements to their original form (in other words, a Darian-like role for Mike and Bruce), and Cowsill is reportedly amazing all round.

What's anyone's beef with Nelson Bragg? He's a very talented percussionist (and drummer) and adds a hell of a lot. Anyone here ever listen to any Beach Boys records???? Brian REALLY loves percussion of the non-drum-kit variety. He loves sleigh bells, timpani, tambourines, hand percussion, whistles, etc and that stuff is all over their stuff. Sometimes it seems like Brian considers the drum-kit as a necessary evil for a "rock" band but really gets off on all the extra percussion. Nelson does an awesome job at it and has a good voice too. He should be there and it will be cool to see him and Cowsill play off each other.

I freaking love that we're getting a mix of the Brian band and the Mike/Bruce band!

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/426040_10150611058142241_34250497240_8935190_1949379324_n.jpg)


Not sure whether that image will post, but it's on Brian's Facebook page since eight hours ago… looks like that might be Probyn poking his head round the door, too…

Caption: Brian, Wesley (Engineer), Gregory (Videographer), Darian at the keyboards and Brian today at Oceanway Studios, Hollywood, CA.

Could you point me to which of the pictures exactly?

Because the listing on the BB Band site - http://www.beachboysband.net/TOURSCH/BB_TOUR_SCH.htm - has him listed and he's in the Grammy rehearsal photos,

Thanks for this!
But how does this prove that he is involved with the Beach Boys Reunion exactly?

Again, which photos?  I must have missed those.
And I wouldn't trust the BB.net site too much...

But hey, I would be SO happy to be proven wrong!!

Well, I guess it isn't exactly proof. But add it to the pic from the rehearsals, take into account of the fact that it's taken at Ocean Way, where to the best of our knowledge at least some of the new BBs album is being recorded, and take into account the fact that he's actually available for a pic and not off on some other project (he's a busy guy) and I don't feel too daft coming to the conclusion that it's very likely he's involved.

http://i.usatoday.net/life/gallery/2012/l120210_beachboys/05_foster-pg-horizontal.jpg (tried posting as an inline image, but something about the message board isn't playing well with my machine today).
He's on the right, in the background, between Scott Totten and someone who's either Jeff or Probyn (can't tell because they're distorted by the camera angle), just above Brian. Not a very good picture, but it's definitely him.

You are right, that's him!
Great that he's involved with the Grammy's appearance!
Let's also hope he will be going on tour.

Back to David, from what I've heard/seen on youtube, etc. he has a great Rock'n'Roll sound with an edge that I haven't heard in Brian's band or Mike and Bruce's. I hope they'll put a surf instrumental in the show that he gets to play. Like "Surf jam".

Dave was in the studio too yesterday, putting guitar parts on the new LP...although I don't have any photos, (I just got a verbal report)...sounds like it went well.

Great news Jon !

Does anyone know any song titles of the new material ? I'd love to hear what the songs are called.

So these guys are preparing for the Grammy awards AND recording on the same day, huh? Seems like they're spending a LOT of time together!

I believe one is called "Shelter" -- Brian has talked it up in several places -- and another bizarrely titled "The Private Life of Bill and Sue" (not sure if the names are right).

Any chance of a VDP collab on at least one track?

Please yes! One thing I've never witnessed live was a Surf instrumental in all of the Brian and BB shows I've seen. Misirlou would be awesome. Give David Marks the spotlight and let him tear it up.

Surf instrumentals would be something new for longtime fans to see at a BBs show. :rock

I think David adds a coolness factor to the band that has been sorely missing since Dennis, I dig his style.  :hat

"Sheriff of Noddingham" would be even cooler!