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Title: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: rn57 on August 06, 2012, 06:57:25 PM http://bananastan.com/letters_1.html
From VDP's site, an essay written while he was in Berlin doing a show in June. It's in his customary kaleidoscopic style - JFK, the Cold War, the Seal Beach & Hermosa Beach folkie communities, family history, all tumbling around in that quintessentially Van Dyke-ish way. He does touch upon the BBs, specifically "Surfer Girl" - and also says epoxy surfboards came in in '63. I thought it was a year earlier. Anyway, quite worth reading. Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: Jay on August 06, 2012, 08:13:39 PM At first glance, I saw the years separated with a hyphen, and my stomach turned upside down.
Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: runnersdialzero on August 06, 2012, 08:19:40 PM At first glance, I saw the years separated with a hyphen, and my stomach turned upside down. Same, especially with the 2012 at the end. I shat myself, but upon realizing he wasn't born in '63, I unshat myself with a vacuum-like action. Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: Dunderhead on August 06, 2012, 10:55:45 PM At first glance, I saw the years separated with a hyphen, and my stomach turned upside down. Jesus, glad I wasn't alone. Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: stack-o-tracks on August 06, 2012, 11:29:30 PM I think a lot of people are going to think that at first. I know I did.
Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: Micha on August 07, 2012, 12:02:02 AM I think a lot of people are going to think that at first. I know I did. I didn't. Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist on August 07, 2012, 12:10:32 AM Jesus Christ man, pick a better title!
Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: Andrew G. Doe on August 07, 2012, 04:30:53 AM For once, my infuriatingly retentive memory came up trumps.
1/3/43, Hattiesburg Mississippi. 8) Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: rn57 on August 07, 2012, 12:23:47 PM After reading I make a conclusion that Mr. Van Dyke has great talent at writing essays & so on. Mostly enjoyed his memories about his brother Carson (btw, I didn't know he has a brother) & their coffee house, about jazz, "Beatnik" stuff &, of course, about short BBs honorable mention, among other artists. Thanks for sharing these writings, rn57! That was like travelling in time machine to old times. If you put "van dyke parks" and "interview" in Google you'll find probably a hundred conversations with him, a good many as wide-ranging and entertaining as this essay. What makes the Berlin one unusual, coming from VDP, is that it does refer to the BBs before Smile. In most of his chats he gives the impression he'd hardly paid much attention to the band before David Crosby introduced him to Brian in '65. I think once he talked about doing a folk set in some coffee house in '64, walking outside between sets, and hearing muffled teenage screams for the BBs at a nearby theater. And the title of the thread should be changed but I don't see how I can do that...if TRBB or one of the moderators has the wherewithal to turn it into "New Van Dyke Parks Essay" or some such, be my guest. Van Dyke and Carson Parks' group the Greenwood County Singers have a Scopitone video on YouTube that would probably make you laugh, RRA1. Van Dyke looks like he's twelve in it...he was actually 21. His brother (who wrote "Somethin' Stupid" and "Cab Driver") doesn't look much older. Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: Aegir on August 07, 2012, 12:59:10 PM At first glance, I saw the years separated with a hyphen, and my stomach turned upside down. Same, especially with the 2012 at the end. I shat myself, but upon realizing he wasn't born in '63, I unshat myself with a vacuum-like action. See, I thought the 1963 - 2012 signified death, so then I assumed that VDP's construction of what Berlin "should be" had died. You know, like when people say "punk is dead"? That sort of thing. Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: KittyKat on August 07, 2012, 05:15:33 PM After reading I make a conclusion that Mr. Van Dyke has great talent at writing essays & so on. Mostly enjoyed his memories about his brother Carson (btw, I didn't know he has a brother) & their coffee house, about jazz, "Beatnik" stuff &, of course, about short BBs honorable mention, among other artists. Thanks for sharing these writings, rn57! That was like travelling in time machine to old times. His brother Carson Parks wrote "Something Stupid," the Frank Sinatra/Nancy Sinatra duet. So, both brothers had Top 40 hits in 1967 (Carson with "Stupid" and Van Dyke with Harper's Bizarre's "Come to the Sunshine"). Title: Re: Van Dyke Parks - Berlin 1963-2012 Post by: willy on August 08, 2012, 12:58:32 PM There are several of these essays hidden on the site... click on the tiny bus icons bottom of page...
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