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I've put in my pre-order reservation.  To reserve your e-mail Paula Springer at: jpjcl@jps.net

More details at:    http://www.aljardine.com/     (see the "Postcard" link on the left)

Great news ! I expect much from a Jardine-Soloalbum.

What's it gonna be? New originals or recycled stuff?

Yeh Im interested to know that aswell. I really hope its originals. I really doubt that Alan could outdo a lot of his tracks on The Beach Boys albums. Just look at Bruce's remakes of his songs on his solo album, - "Deirdre" and "Disney Girls" - in my opinion they are nowhere near the originals. I also hope PT Cruiser isn't on the album. I dont hate it or anything just I wouldn't mind having 100% original material.

In typical Al Jardine fashion (meaning that there is always an element of bizarreness), for the first time in 45+ years in the music business, Al is releasing a new solo studio album, and he puts the announcement on a "link" on his website with absolutely no details about the album. OK.

I'm predicting at least three re-recordings - "Sloop John B", "California", and "Down Along The Coastline" or whatever it was called.

Maybe a remake of Lady Lynda with lyrics to fit his current wife?  :-D

Or rename it "Lady Linda" and devote the song to the late Linda McCartney.  If Mike and Brian can have a Beatle moment on their solo albums, why not Al?

So then is the album title a tribute to the McCartney produced Mary Hopkin album "Postcard"?

I think the actual title (sorry about my initial incomplete post) is ""Postcard from California"

As nice a guy as Al seems, I think this album will probably be pretty crappy. I've never been sold on a single Al song, except maybe the original SAW, and his apparent inability to have any genuinely new ideas, but I'm sure I'll still buy it...

He's a kindly geezer, but I don't have high hopes for his upcoming musical output.


I don't understand why "PT Cruiser" didnt' launch a tidal wave of copyright infringement lawsuits.

My goodness, if "My Sweet Lord" is "He's So Fine", "PT Cruiser" is 5 or more songs .


Wouldn't mind seeing him live......

if "California" off the ESQ  DennyBash CD is anything to go by this could be really good - hope it involves Matt and Adam as well.

I understand (from Paula Springer  (part of Al's management), who was kind enough to email me,)  that the final track list
is now being finalized.  She said she will email me with new information as soon as she has it.

I like these couple of sentences from Jardine's website...


 ;D

His songwriting abilities flourished? Did Websters redefine the word 'flourish' recently? And the one song they mention, he didn't even write...

Thats why it says "he produced, arranged, and performed"...

And I think his song writing did get a lot better. Helloooo Susie Cincinnatti!

So Jardine's crowning achievement was 'Cottonfields'?

I believe the intentions is to say that his first major production was Cottonfields, not just because its a 'great' track but because if the response it got here and mainly the UK.

I believe 'Cottonfields' hit # 5 in the UK

Lady Mary Ann?

We'd have to find another word to describe a female, just for alliteration's sake.

Madame Mary Ann, perhaps.

Al is a genius in covering other's material. How about a country version of "Mary Ann with the shaky hand"?

Didn't Brian (and Andy Paley?) record a song called "Marianne"? I know it's different spelling, but with Al's fondness for remakes, and Brian & Al spending some quality time on the road, well, maybe a collaboration...

Or he could just cover Foskett's song "Maryann" from his "Thru My Window" CD

No one probably bothered to listen to it...

New details from Al's website:

Al Jardine has announced the release of his first-ever solo studio album,and will be available through his official website aljardine.com. Jardine, who stopped performing with the band in 1998, has been working on the set, titled A Postcard From California, on and off over the last decade with the help of his two sons Matt and Adam Jardine, who are both also musicians.

 Jardine has said that the album will touch upon California's history, climate and energy problems as well as various ecological topics. Although there's been no release date set for the album, it is available for fans to send an email to be put on a list where they will be notified to pre-order on the aljardine.com.

Jardine says that he used one of the Beach Boys'legendary unreleased tracks as the springboard for the project: "I've put together kind of an anthology. After we had El Nino here, I kind of came up with some other songs and some tie-ins to (the Beach Boys'song) 'Lookin' Down The Coast,'and I was gonna change the title and call it 'California Coast'and then bring it up to date, and try to do more of it in Spanish. You know, because the Spanish language is so huge now. 'Cause California was discovered by the Spanish. You know, these carousing Spaniards, right (laughs)?"

Until now, Al Jardine is the only co-founding member of the Beach Boys to have never released a solo studio album.

Throughout the years, Jardine has written and produced most of the California-themed songs for Beach Boys albums, including the "California Saga" suite from the group's 1973 Holland album, and "Santa Ana Winds" which he co-wrote with Brian Wilson for the group's 1980 Keepin'The Summer Alive album. In 2002 Jardine released "California Energy Blues" as a bonus track on the Al Jardine Family

I'm glad Al is dusting off 'Looking Down the Coast'. It's a nice little song.

I LOVE that song.

I think it was let down by the synth-heavy 1978 production. When Bruce was invited to produce, unfortunately it was shelved. I'd take LDtC and Santa Ana Winds in place of Here Comes the Night discofied any time.

Another "huh?" moment from the world of Alan Jardine :police:

I don't mind the production. It's a nice song. It's a little goofy, but it's definately charming and has some great melodies.

Hope BW sings the opening lines again.

So what's up with Al's solo album?  Two weeks from his Vegas shows and no update on his website.  You'd think he'd want to sell some copies at the show....

Any info?

He's writing new material?   :-\

He has his own recording studio, all the money and spare time he needs and it's been 16 years since he last participated in recording an album with new material... No idea what's taking him so long...

Frankly even among diehard BB fans I don't think there is that much of an audience for an Al Jardine solo effort.  He best chance would have been mid to late 70s along with Dennis.  Al's a fabulous role player...not a solo artist obviously.

I could see Al cutting it as a folkie or country artist... was always surprised the BBs didn't jump on the country bandwagon in the late '70s really, maybe after MIU.

And there is scope these days for limited issue releases, to specialist nuts like us.  Look at how Brian's Roxy took off.

But who knows why Al's set ain't ready.  I for one am really looking forward to it.

Maybe the wave of BBs publicity about to be swollen by the reissue of POB might encourage him to speed up a tad!

They (Al's team) are in the process of shopping it around for distribution at this time.

From one of yesterdays court links...

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_8624670

Jardine said during a break in the settlement conference that he is finishing a new studio album, "A Postcard from California," featuring such contributing artists as Neil Young, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who plays both bass guitar and trumpet on the project.

Jardine also said he will be singing a blues-style version of "Help Me Rhonda" during three sold-out Steve Miller Band concerts in San Francisco next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

It won't be a million seller, but I think it could be somewhat successful... They could announce it as the first solo album by founding Beach Boys member Al Jardine, who sang lead on the hits "Help Me, Rhonda", "Then I Kissed Her" and "Lady Lynda"... And that it's the first album with new work by any Beach Boy other than Brian Wilson since 1992 and has guest appearances by Brian Wilson, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers... Sounds interesting enough to draw the attention of even some more casual fans (and of course the Neil Young/CSNY and Red Hot Chili Peppers completists), I think...

Cottonfields reached #5 and Lady Lynda reached #6. California also made the top 40. I think record buyers in the UK were more comfortable with Mr Nice Guy Al than the gradually disintegrating Wilsons in the 1970s. That doesn't include me of course.

In addition to "Neil Young, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers", the album is  also said to feature: Brian Wilson, Glen Campbell, Steve Miller, Norton Buffalo, David Marks and America's Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell.  I'm sure his two sons are on there as well.