The Smiley Smile Message Board

Well, this morning I had a surprise. I was playing random tracks on Spotify and Googling some of them. One such was my fave Archies song, "Feelin' So Good" - the one with the "Skooby-Doo" chorus. (Yes, with a "k"- it was recorded and released before that eminent Great Dane and his gang went on the air.)

I then found out that Geno Washington, the Indiana-born soul singer who was highly successful in the UK in the '60s, had recorded the same song in 1971 - his second-to-last record before he went back to the States, where he remained off and on until the early 1980s.

So while I listened to Geno's version  I looked him up at Wikipedia. I knew that back in the late 1970s he recorded a few albums on the DJM label and that Bruce produced one of these - I guess they got to know each other when Geno opened for the BBs in Britain a number of times in his hitmaking days.

But the Wiki entry also says this: "[He] made acquaintance with The Beach Boys and recorded some music with them that was never released."

Ahem?

Putting Geno and the guys into Google, I find it stated at a few sites that he did at least one session with them, and that it was sometime either in the '70s or '80s. But there are no details. And I don't see this mentioned anyplace on this board, or any of the other BBs sites. And the Wikipedia statement gives no source. None of my BBs books have anything to say about it.

But naturally, the idea of the guys working with a Northern Soul legend is a mighty intriguing one. Can anyone provide further info?

Never happened.

Geno's DJM LP " That's Why Hollywood Loves Me!" was "Produced by Curt Becher for Bruce Johnston Productions". 
Bruce and Peter Noone( among others) get a Special Thanks in the credits. 
The LP was recorded at Sounds Good Recording in West Los Angeles during the spring and summer of 1979
Mike Meros played all the Keyboards

OK, my mistake - it's been about 30 years since I've seen this record so evidently I forgot Curt had the producer's credit. The time of recording is pretty interesting - right between LA and KTSA.  It's tempting to drop a line to that pioneer Boettcherologist Dawn Eden and see what she learned about that record...but I have the feeling it's been quite a while since she's pondered such things.

I think I remember hearing she's put secular music behind her, as she has become quite religious and developed a career in, so far as I can tell, encouraging girls to remain chaste.

http://dawneden.blogspot.com/

Good luck with your query, though. It would be nice to get a little more information about the circumstances regarding that record.

Chaste?  I believe she just needs a few more rounds with Saint Peter and she'll be cured

I've got one of the two 12" singles taken from the album "My Money, Your Money" (5:23) b/w "Get Some Bad Tonight" ( 7:37) DJR 18005 - while the sleeve says "Produced by Curt Becher for Bruce Johnston Productions" the label states "Produced by Bruce Johnston"
(Hi Jason, nice to know that you're still around)

Thanks Dogear, good to see you too.

The title track to Geno Washington's album with Curt, "That's Why Hollywood Loves Me", is a straight (or gay?) jam. Definitely one of the best things Curt was involved with in his later years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRAgbw0N0Io

Straight ! He said "straight" !! 

Quick, call the Thought Nazis !!  Man's a rampant homophobe !!!!

Just to be sure, I checked the LP labels; they also have "Produced by Curt Becher for Bruce Johnston Productions". So with Curt gone, I suppose the only one that can define the mystery here is Hysterical Johnston.

Definitely better than the disco HCTN anyway....

The discrepancy in the label and sleeve credits would be just the sort of Boettcherological mystery that Dawn Eden spent years untangling, past the point where lesser students of things Curt would just give up.

 And I somehow have the feeling that, while AGD is no doubt correct that no documented session with Geno and the BBs together exists, Dawn might be able to answer the question of whether he dropped by a rehearsal...say, for the disco HCTN....and somehow ended up rockin' with 'em on What'd I Say or whatever, which may be how the story that there was a session arose.  Thing is, I gather from her blog that she'll be busy with her religious studies and duties until early January...so I may check with her then. This really should be followed up....either with her or with asking Hist via BBB's board.

I don't think it's much of a mystery honestly. If you listen to the track you'll hear the same kind of vocal harmony overdubs and flourishes that dominate the Curt-produced California Music stuff, which was done under the auspices of Equinox (Terry Melcher and Bruce's label). If you listen to the very early California Music product, Bruce and Terry are driving the train ("Don't Worry Baby" or "I Can Hear Music" for example), but eventually they passed the reigns over to Curt who produced the preponderance of the Cal Music product with help from Joe Chemay, Mike Meros, et. al. The Geno Washington LP has way more in common with the Curt produced music than what Bruce or Terry were laying down. Ditto "Here Comes the Night".

So I would guess that Geno brought in the songs, cut them with some heavy vocal assistance from Curt (both in arrangements and singing-- I hear his voice on there) and probably utilizing guys like Meros and Chemay on the tracks, while Bruce was functioning in more of an executive producer role. Not to say Bruce had no creative input, maybe even lent his voice, but Curt was the straw stirring the drink here, aka the "producer".

You guys are going to have to explain this one to me. When did the proper, civil and politically correct AGD become a gay basher? Inquiring minds want to know!

Have a read:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14160.1225.html


You couldn't make it up...

He said 'I prefer my something-or-other straight' and some poster misunderstood and thought he was being homophobic; said poster  apologized for the misunderstanding, but people around here still find it hilariously funny to reference it.

Consider it a board meme.