The Smiley Smile Message Board

Hey everybody, long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm working on documenting some of the lesser known history on the BB connection with (former) Salt Lake City radio station KNAK.  I noticed that the Unsurpassed Masters, Vol. 12 (1965) boot contains a radio spot for KNAK.  This may be a dumb question, but please forgive a newbie:  Is there any way to legitimately purchase this particular track?

Not legitimately, no.  ;)

P.S. Welcome to the board!

maybe ask Clint Thomsen if he has a copy

I actually am Clint Thomsen.  And no, I don't have a copy:)

If anybody is interested, you can get a taste of what I'm working on at

http://bonnevillemariner.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/the-story-behind-those-beach-boys-photos-at-saltair/

I fully expect that this post contains inaccuracies (at least when it comes to Al/BB history).  I did the best I could, based on the info I had at the time.  I welcome corrections.

Hey Clint, do you know where I might obtain a copy of the Beach Boys promo 45 called "Salt Lake City/Amusement Parks U.S.A."? Do you have a copy or know anyone who does? I'm looking for one for my collection.

I know somebody who I'm pretty sure owns it, but I highly doubt he'd be willing to part with it.

But, but, that's old news! Let's see the dirt!! 

Working on it!

I was actually hesitant to post a link to that blog post here because I'm a Beach Boys novice and y'all are seasoned experts who probably heard the story before I was born.

The book in question is "The Beach Boys" by Byron Preiss, and there are photos from this same shoot reprinted there, in color. Definitely worth checking out!

As far as KNAK, there isn't much in the way of audio recordings and airchecks available, and I checked the aircheck lists on the surface. The only one that appeared multiple sources was from 1970, so I doubt they'd be using a mid-60's Beach Boys promo-jingle-bumper-ID recording at that time.

It looks like KNAK was following the "Boss Radio" format at least on a late 1966 survey I found: They were doing the "Boss 40" lists, which was taking the Drake-Chenault format of a "Boss 30" countdown list one further (Spinal Tap: This one goes to eleven...  ;D ). On the October '66 survey, Revolver was the #1 album, Pet Sounds #3, but remember that is only one week's chart.

So perhaps it's tougher to find an actual on-air use of the BB's jingle than usual, because once these stations switched to the "Boss Radio" format, if that's what KNAK did based on using the word Boss on the '66 survey, a lot of the station ID's switched over to the PAMS service to record their promos and bumpers. Perhaps the Beach Boys promo was for the station prior to them being called Boss Radio?

The best source for the jingle would seem to be SOT...short of a miracle find in someone's collection of old tapes, finding an actual mid 60's KNAK broadcast where the jingle was used on-air is beyond needle-in-a-haystack territory.  :)

Eventually you can buy one on Ebay, you just have to be willing to pay the price

You spelled Murry correctly, and that gets major props in my book - there's plenty folk here who can't do that.  :old

.

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All the kids dig the Lagoon there.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagoon_Amusement_Park

Not sure I follow.  What is significant about that date?

Lots of good stuff on my website about Saltair, by the way.  It was actually the Saltair angle that led me to the Beach Boys, and from that I've become obsessed with the band.  Always liked them, but it was this story that sparked my real love.

Another thing...

I first chanced upon the photos from the Saltair shoot a few years ago and seem to remember there being more/different shots than I've posted.  Does the Preiss book say who the photog was?  And are there more from that shoot somewhere?  I think the wooden bench/platform thing they're standing on in one of those pics was still kicking around at the site until a few years ago.  And those same pile-ons are still there today.

Hi Clint.

Just had a look in my copy. The last shot has 'Capitol' along the side so you may have to go through them. No photographer credit I can see.



edit.....Not the Preiss book, but the John Tobler book of 78.

I've seen those group shots in various publications over the years (in addition to the SOT release). Always thought the pictures were taken somewhere in Mexico. Also thought the guy in the middle was of Mexican or Spanish descent. Now we finally know his name - Bill Hesterman, who was a Deacon at the Morman church.

I'm guessing it's when the photo was taken ?  ;D

Yep, Saltair just outside of Salt Lake City.  Hesterman was actually a Mormon Bishop (deacon is a few steps below).  A Bishop actually leads a congregation of several hundred.  If he looks a bit uncomfortable in that photo, it might be because he skipped church to drive the Boys out for the photo shoot.  

And yes, the Preiss book does have at least two color photos that are not posted on the blog. One showing the Boys standing on a wooden beam, with 2 unknown guys lifting the beam in front of the vehicle, all in front of the decaying back deck area of that resort. The broken out windows in that shot make it look a bit haunted and creepy...

No specific photo credits are given, they list about 8 photographers in the index.

Clint-the photos first appeared in the British magazine Fabulous 208 in 1968.  The magazine sent a photographer to shoot them and the pics were done specifically for Fabulous 208.  The session took place in June 1968-the day after the BBs had appeared at the Lagoon-as will be detailed in my upcoming book with Jon Stebbins. (I should note that the appearance is not in Badman's book-as you can see on the gigs part of AGD's site-which I helped compile-the BBs made 12 appearances in the Salt Lake area from 63-70-though Badman was unaware of most of them)

Great info, Ian, but it raises a few questions.  The fact that a British mag shot these photos specifically for an issue implies that the shoot was planned prior to the day before it took place.  According to my sources, the initial Saturday trip wasn't planned, and it wasn't decided until at least Saturday night that the boys would go out the next day for a photo shoot at Saltair.  I suppose it's possible that the Fabulous photog was in SLC for a planned photo session somewhere else, but plans were changed Saturday night once Al told the guys about his day at Saltair.  Unless you have evidence to the contrary, I don't believe the photo shoot was originally planned for Saltair.


Well that clears up the date question I had!

Got it.  The photo doesn't appear in my browser, hence my confusion.  I only saw it when I checked the boards on my phone last night.

(http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n295/guitarfool2002/bbsaltlake1.jpg)

Sorry-the article suggests that it was Al's idea to go there-the photographer wanted to take some shots and Al directed them there as a cool location to take photos. Writer Cyril Maitland was with them.  The photos were taken on Sunday June 16 1968-day after they played the Lagoon. Too bad the photographer didn't take pics of them at the gig. I haven't ever seen any pics of the BBs at the Lagoon-though I guarantee numerous Utah fans took photos with their little cameras.  If the BBs were as popular as the Beatles-everyone who ever took a photo of them would be showing them off!! It's a shame.  Also too bad that the Salt Lake papers never reviewed BB shows in the 60s. I really am curious about what they played at the Sept 1970 Lagoon appearance-but Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune didn't review it-though they printed plenty of ads for the shows.

Something I have often wondered. For anyone with the Tobler book, any chance the picture of the band sitting on the bench surrounded by water is one for Coca cola? They are all holding a can towards the camera. What was the bands deal with them at the time, if any?


Al Jardine talks about the song they did for them (unreleased) on one of the podcasts. Could they be related?

What are they doing?

Nice.  Our stories jibe, then.  Love when that happens!


Not to be nit-picky, but Lagoon has never been called (officially or colloquially) "The Lagoon."  And I agree, it's too bad we don't have photos of the gig.  According to my sources, Al would have had been a bit muddy from the initial trip to Saltair earlier that afternoon.


Looks to me like they're digging out.  Hesterman is in the forefront wedging something under the tire and the guy in the khakis (the Fabulous writer, perhaps?) is doing the same thing on the other side.  The Boys are obviously not being of much help:)  That's dry alkali lake bed that can get very muddy in spots.  I certainly wouldn't have driven out there.  Not sure about the role of the large beam in all of this, although I can almost guarantee that it's sitting out there today exactly where they left it.

Thing is: While maybe it's never been called that in Utah, it's easy to fall that way based on the BBs song:   
>>They lyrics read: “There’s a park near the city, yeah. All the kids dig the Lagoon now. It’s full of all kinds of girls. And rides and we’ll be flyin’ there soon now.”  <<
When I listen It's always sounded to me like they're saying "the lagoon". What does everyone else hear?

I definitely hear "the Lagoon," but I always assumed the "the" was inserted for purposes of lyrical/rhythmic flow.

Exactly. Since most folks nowadays, all over the world, would find out about the place through the reference in this song, I think it fair to say that the lyric counts as a "colloquial reference". Nice photos and research work on this thread. Always been interested in Saltair through the usage in one of my favorite films, Carnival Of Souls.

Carnival of Souls is awesome.  Too bad the old structure burned down because it really was quite the place. 

I'll concede on the colloquial use of "the Lagoon" based on the lyric, but if you came to Utah and asked directions to "the Lagoon," you'd probably get some chuckles.

I can dig that. Being originally from LA, making fun of tourists acting cocky around their relatives and quoting things they saw in some movie, that's practically a sport.

That's weird, because there's even a website for the Lagoon (park). How can people up there not know what the "Lagoon" is?

http://www.lagoonpark.com/

Speaking of nitpicky. The story implies they got stuck on the Saturday when it was just Al at the location. Did they get stuck on the Sunday also? :lol

Well, I didn't mean to take the thread so far off in this direction, but to answer your question, people here are very aware of what Lagoon is.  It's like Utah's Knott's Berry Farm.  My point is that it is simply called "Lagoon" (or Lagoon Park).  Referring to it as "the Lagoon" here would be like me referring to Knott's Berry Farm as "The Knott's Berry Farm" or something.  Or like my mom saying she saw something in "the email" or that my brother has "the autism."  It works for the song lyric, and I don't fault people for thinking it's called "the Lagoon" based on that lyric.  It's not something that bugs me, really.  The park is simply not referred to that way-- officially, historically, colloquially (here), or otherwise.

This pic looks like they're stuck in the mud, not on the tracks where Al was stuck on Saturday

Sure!  In SLC it's "Lagoon"; everywhere else in the world it's thought of as "The Lagoon" ( get used to it. Blame the BBs)

The getting stuck incident I mention in the story happened on Saturday.  That was on the railroad tracks about 1 mile from the actual Saltair site.  Only Al was present with Bill Hesterman and his sons for that incident, which almost made them late for the gig.

During my conversations with the Hesterman boys, they didn't mention their dad and the rest of the Boys getting stuck on Sunday (although the picture implies such).  It would be very difficult not to get stuck in that area, though.

Ahhhh but Al was covered in mud at the Saturday gig!

(AGD's concern for detail is catching BTW)

I'm not surprised. What red- blooded male is going to admit to getting stuck twice in 2 days? :lol

The tracks they got stuck at on Saturday are flanked on both sides by muddy alkali.

Very high in carbonate salts my research tells me! ;D