The Smiley Smile Message Board

We all know that once the Beach Boys got popular and started being a part of the 'hip' scene, each Beach Boy went off and made friends with someone that someway ended up being in Pop Culture just like the Beach Boys. For example: Brian was good friends with Paul Macca and Danny Hutton, Dennis was friends with pretty much everybody, etc. But during their spotlight, we never hear of Al ever being friends with anyone popular. I mean, he was really into  folk music so he was probably interested in the folk scene. How come we've never never seen him at any major folk events, or was never seen with another popular artist?

I'd figure he was a Dylan fan...

He was too busy being friends with Mike Love until his crazy personality problems put an end to it!

It always seemed to me that Al was always more of a "spend time with the family instead of hanging out with popular musicians" type of guy.  Especially as the drug use within the group became more of an issue, I think he just wanted to be a family man and not a rock star.  Can't really say I blame him either.

Maybe nobody famous wanted to hang around Al?   Or maybe Al isn't impressed by celebrity, and makes friends among "the little people."

Yeah, I've got to say that just because a person makes popular music, that doesn't mean s/he ought to be required to hang out with other well-known people. Nothing strange about it. In fact, there's something terribly normal about it.

GOOD friends?

I'm having a problem thinking of celebrities who might be friends with Mike also. And Dennis a little. I'm not gonna go the Charles Manson route. But, other than Karen Lamm-Wilson (an actress/model) and Christine McVie, what celebrities did Dennis hang with? 

Didnt Dennis beat-up Eric Burden and Jim Morrison?
Thats 2 famous rock stars right there

IIRC, Dennis hung out with Steve McQueen on occasion.

Al's a very private person, not the sort to intentionally hang out with a celebrity crowd. He moved to Big Sur to get away from the hubbub of L.A.; same reason Carl moved to Colorado.

Charles Lloyd was pretty famous in Jazz and he and Mike were friends. Mike probably was somewhat friendly with all those who were into TM. I guess Dennis' hung out with Melcher and he was pretty famous. He also knew Elliot Gouild but didn't like his and Karen's flirting. Brian didn't know McCartney well until recent years, but he probably moved in the celeb circles more then most. Al and Carl do seem more family minded and that is something to be admired.

Denny hung out with Fleetwood Mac at the height of their popularity, and at least once with Billy Preston! For rock stars though, these guys were pretty busy. They were ALWAYS touring and recording. I imagine Al was just happy to be at home those rare times when he could! BTW, does anyone know how Mike met all those wives of his?

Mail Order?  :o



Really, I kid.. I kid.  ;D

I thought I read somewhere that Mike's current wife was one of The Beach Boys' cheerleaders.

Also, does anybody know A) If Brian Wilson was ever present at a Beatles or Paul McCartney recording session, and, B) If Brian and Paul were in the studio together for the recording of "A Friend Like You"?

If you count attending the 1964 Hollywood Bowl Beatles concert that was eventually released as a live album, then Brian did attend a Beatles recording session!

I believe Brian flew to London to produce the McCartney vocal session for "A Friend Like You". In interviews Brian has talked of coaxing McCartney to do a better vocal (!) and related how McCartney recommended adding an acoustic guitar part to the track. I tend to think that Brian's lead vocal was recorded at a different time, however.

His first wife I think was a high school sweetheart, the second he met during the photo sessions for the Party album she was one of the girls there. The third though a TM  center I think and as said above the latest was a cheerleader.

1 - Francis: at school
2 - Suzanne: Party photo shoot
3 - Tamara: TM course
4 - Sue: no idea
5 - Kathy: also no idea
6 - Jacquelyne: one of the touring cheerleaders

COMMENT  I would hardly call Alan Jardine a hermit or an isolationist.  He choose to live in Big Sur on a large 100 acre+ ranch after living in the big city of LA for many years. It takes two hours of driving on a winding, mountain road along the Pacific Ocean in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world to get to Alan's house. There is no other way into his property. Big Sur is an isolated little community. Some big-name rock stars do live up there and see Alan once in a while. Alan also has his Red Barn studio there with (mostly) Jazz musicians recording on the weekends.  He also has music jam parties now and then.  Alan and his wife Maryann take care of his ranch, seven horses, five dogs, chickens, a cow, and his children of two grown men and two growing boys now in high school. Keeping up with constant growth of plantings on his ranch is a full-time job. Alan has ranchmen but likes to do some of the feeding himself. He gets up to Monterrey and Carmel about twice a week. I have gone to concerts with him there so I know he is in the local music mix. Now he's out with Brian. Hardly a recluse.   ~swd

RED BARN STUDIOS (photos show inside the studio and around his ranch with view of main house. His property extends to the Pacific Ocean beach shown.) >>> [ http://www.redbarnstudios.com/ ]

BIG SUR (Take your pick) >>> [ http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Big+Sur%2C+CA&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 ]   

Drifting off now, but Big Sur indeed is a great place to stay. We were there exactly a year ago during our roundtrip through California and stayed at a marvellous campground (www.ventanawildernesscampground.com (http://www.ventanawildernesscampground.com)). We should have stayed there longer than just a few days......

Didn't Dennis hang out with Neil Young too ?  Haven't seen any details about time-periods or other details though.

Found this on amazon .co.uk, a fan review of the Neil Young album "Back To The Beach". Can't say if it is true though.


Neil actually had first hand knowledge of Manson, he was introduced to him via Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys who the Springfield toured with. Young hung out a bit with Manson and even introduced him to Warner record executives.  

About Brian & Paul's "A Friend Like You", Brian remarked somewhere that it was incredible that Paul came in, recorded his vocals, added the guitar, and was gone in the length of 20 minutes.  I hate to say it, but I honestly think of it as a charity thing Paul did for Brian.  I mean think about it, Paul Macca hasn't really done a duet with ANYBODY, or at least a very short list of people.  I'm sure Macca fans know more about it, but all I can think of off the top of my head is

A -  He of course worked very closely with John Lennon
B -  He's done a few things with Ringo over the years
C -  He did 3 songs with Michael Jackson
D -  He worked closely with Elvis Costello
E -  He did "Ebony & Ivory" with Stevie Wonder
F  -  He did "A Friend Like You" with Brian

Isn't that pretty much the extent of it? 

I hate when people blame McCartney for the crappitude of "A Friend Like You". He was invited to record a duet with Brian and graciously agreed. I wish he would have been asked to add backing vocals for the title track, more specifically in the chorus.

I've never heard anyone blame McCartney for that particular piece of Brian's crap. But your second point there is a great idea: Paul would've sounded great doing those bg vox.

I think the problem with a friend like you is the lyrics are so sappy and whiney that it ruins the whole song.  I don't particuarly think anything's wrong with the production or the performances of either Brian or Paul.  The middle part with Brian singing background and Paul doing the "And I Dooooo" is pretty good. 

I agree, Ron. I wonder if the song would've been salvageable without Kalinich's terrible lyrics. Actually, when Brian sings clearly in that high tone of voice, he sounds quite good.

I might be rationalizing though. After 45 years as recording artists, when Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney hook up on a song, you do expect something better than "A Friend Like You". And maybe some commercial success. I didn't particularly care for "Ebony And Ivory" or "Say Say Say", but they were huge hits. Granted, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson had something to do with it...

Stephen ususally writes far better lyrics. A miss there.

I tell ya what - "A Friend Like You" may not be that good, but I find it a lot more interesting (and even less cloying) than "Ebony & Ivory" and "Say, Say, Say".

Anyone know if Kalinich is working on Lucky Old Sun.  Sorry, but I hope not - or if he is, I hope he's on better form.