The Smiley Smile Message Board

A new 60 minute documentary film on the life of Dennis Wilson has been created for the BBC4 Legends series. The film titled Dennis Wilson – The Real Beach Boy will premiere in the UK on Friday, February 26th at 9 p.m.. The documentary features previously unseen footage and rare archival materials. New interview segments with David Marks, Al Jardine, Blondie Chaplin, Michael Wilson, Carl B. Wilson, Gregg Jakobson, Ed Roach, John Hanlon, Jeffrey Foskett, Tom Murphy, Ron Swallow, Jo Ann Marks, Taylor Hawkins, Mike Kowalski, Jon Stebbins and others give the film a fresh perspective on Dennis’ life and legacy. The documentary is produced by Lime Pictures of Liverpool in association with Dusty Slider films and BBC Wales. Matt O’Casey is credited as director and co-producer, executive producers are Tony Wood and Paul Bullock, Jon Stebbins is the film’s U.S. producer, and Howie Edelson is program consultant. The documentary is narrated by noted British DJ Mark Radcliffe who is also a drummer and a longtime fan of Dennis Wilson.

FINALLY!!!!!! Yes!!!! Thanks Jon for giving us the head's up on this........now if we can only get it over in the states!!!!!!!!! Am sure this doc will be fantastic !!!!!!

Jon; Are you aware of  any plan to make this available on DVD, so the rest of the world will be able to see it?

This is great news, I cannot wait to see this documentary and there is no way I'm going out that Friday. Roll on Feb 26th!

Well ALRIGHT!!! That happens to be my 36th birthday. Thank you god(S).

I promise you all -- it's really going to be worth the wait. For once Dennis' story gets to be told -- not just Brian's or the band's. Dennis is finally showcased as an individual artist, with a completely different support system and cast of characters than the Beach Boys. It's pretty awesome. Everybody contributed their best on this. Jakobson -- when has this guy EVER talked??? John Hanlon pulling up tracks in the studio -- and that's not to mention the fact that Dennis' MUSIC is all throughout this. Mix that with Ed Roach's memories and INSANE archives and you get to see Dennis -- not a shriveled mess in '83 -- but alive. Dave Marks in Hawthorne... Tom Murphy... Carl B. & Michael Wilson... BLONDIE!!! When has any of this happened in a documentary before???

I don't suppose there is any chance that we will hear a snippet of Wouldn't It Be Nice (To Live Again) in the doc?

Congrats, Jon and Howie!  I'm sure it will be awesome.

Thanks Craig -- you're gonna dig it a lot.

Paulos  -- sorry, no such luck. But the music used, and WHERE it is used, is really spot on and satisfying. Matt did an admirable job on that. 

So, will this eventually wind up as PBS pledge-drive fare in the U.S.? I figure that's our best chance of seeing it here, unless BBC America picks it up...

What happens regarding international distribution or DVD rights is undetermined at this point. We're focusing on this BBC premiere, and then hopefully Matt will get it entered into some film festivals in the UK as well. After that it all comes down to additional clearances and rights and negotiations and boring stuff like that...but the hope is that it will live beyond this UK premiere and eventually will be seen more widely.

Jon, why wasn't this documentary premiered in the states first???? Afterall, he DID live here and the BB were the "American Band".......

Yeah, the Brits are pretty spoiled when it comes to getting BB stuff first.

A British director pitched the project for years, and finally managed to secure the financial backing from two British production companies and BBC television, who also committed to premiering the film a part of BBC 4's Legends series.

As crazy as it sounds, despite the long wait for a hard air date, I think having the production based out of the UK ultimately served Dennis in the long run. Not to dismiss the fine U.S.-based Rock documentarians doing great work, but having the doc being made with British "backing" ensured a certain artistic bent that I doubt a U.S. station would permit with the all-consuming "bottom line."

As we've all seen over the years in regards to Dennis, his poor decisions and downfall have taken precedence in the coverage above his work.  While THE REAL BEACH BOY in no way whitewashes his shortcomings/failures, for the first time a team has gathered to explain why he's worthy of such a project. Hopefully this doc will go that one step further to making people equate "Thoughts Of You" with Dennis Wilson more so than with "Tex" Watson.

Reason for that - we tend not to holler for "Barbara Ann" or "Kokomo" in the middle of, say, "'Til I Die".

That said, if the Gershwin project premieres anywhere except NYC, I'll be utterly amazed.

Well, on behalf of all Americans, I apologize for the disrespectful morons who don't actually bother to educate themselves on the full scope of the BBs catalog.

Here's a preview about the documentary taken from onthebox.com

Legends - Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy

Dennis Wilson, the drummer in the Beach Boys, was the real Beach Boy. In a band of geeks who sang about surfing, cars and girls, Dennis was the only one who surfed, the one who drove hot rod cars in competition and the one who got all the girls. This documentary tells the story of Dennis's life and music, with unseen archive footage and original interviews.

Band of geeks? Charming description, I am really getting excited now, less than two weeks to go!

Hell yeah!! Fri 26th the whole world is going to be put on hold while I watch this program. For once it doesn't suck to live in the U.K.

  Didn't suck at all.
I liked the UK when I visited.  Hope to visit again.

SMiLE (bwps) was there first.   BB fans in the USA take note of the very special Brit appreciation of our band.   

And hanging in England is cool..  The Beatles used to live there as I recall.

Nice place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there!!!  Seriously our Government are forehead slappingly stupid.

Oh the irony...  :P

"Dennis was the only one who surfed".  The only Wilson who surfed,  surely?

I've read that both Bruce and Mike also surfed although not as frequently as Dennis did. Hmmmm... saying that ,shut your eyes and try to picture what Mike must have looked like on a surf board.  :lol

The statement "Dennis is the only member of the Beach Boys who is actually a surfer" first surfaces in 1962 press for the band. It continues in the '63/'64/'65 period in most band articles and bios. Brian, Al, Carl and David have all stated multiple times in vintage and later press that "Dennis was the only real surfer" in the band. Later Mike has claimed that he also did some surfing. Bruce still surfs apparently. I think this myth or non-myth regarding Dennis generates from the "cult" of surfing, and not the actual act of surfing. I think all of the Beach Boys at least tried it, and a couple of them did it enough to say they surfed or surf. However, There was a loosely knit group of surfers around Southern California in the early '60's to the '70's, some legends like Mickey Dora and Corky Carroll, others just neighborhood guys who are nameless. But there was a clique, a cult, a gang of people who were known as surfers and who accepted each other. Starting even before the BB's Dennis knew those guys, surfed with some of them, socialized with most of them...and was accepted by them. He was the only one of the orig. Beach Boys who came from, or ran with, the "cult" they were singing about. The "Surfers" as an entity. There were "jocks", "greasers", ho-dads" etc... Dennis was a "surfer". Dennis was the only "surfer" in the orig. Beach Boys. Brian wasn't, Carl wasn't, Al wasn't, David wasn't, Mike might have surfed but he wasn't a part of this social sphere other than as an observer, Bruce came to the party later, and i don't know what his history with the cult of So. Cal surfers was. But its well documented Dennis was right in the middle of it...Dennis was going to the same parties, same beaches, dating the same girls, hanging with the same cliques that are mythologized in song. He came from the culture of the surfer. BTW we have snippets of early footage in the new doc., probably shot in '62, of DW with his longboard, waxing it, and doing a little wave riding.

Yeah...you guys sided with a mentally handicapped person and a dude who nicknames snowstorms. Apt description.  :lol

For you brits. Wilson night at the beeb!

http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1040101&c=1

BBC Four is to devote a night’s programming to the Beach Boys later this month.

Friday February 26 will see the channel air a documentary on the life of Dennis Wilson, entitled Legends: Dennis Wilson, followed by Pet Sounds: Brian Wilson Live In London, a concert film in which the former Beach Boy plays the band’s classic 1966 Pet Sounds album from start to finish.

The night finishes with Imagine – Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson’s Smile, in which Alan Yentob examines the band’s legendary lost album, Smile.

Legends kicks off proceedings at 9pm.

Maybe Jon or Howie can whet our appetites further - does the "rare archival materials..." include any music we might not have heard before?

This is not a film loaded with things hardcore fans will freak out about because they are so rare etc... It is a very mainstream look at the life of Dennis, remember this is the first proper documentary devoted solely to him. When I say proper I mean it is filled with his images, both still and moving footage of him, and filled with his music. I think there are pieces of at least 20 DW songs throughout the course of this film...and another 10 or so Brian/BB's songs tossed in there too. For the hardcore DW fans there aren't that many things you won't already have seen somewhere, or heard somewhere, but if you pay close attention there are definitely some previously unseen things, and a few previously unheard things too. However, the prev. unheard snippets are mostly different mixes, or no vocal mixes of prev. released material, and it is presented subtly so most people probably won't even realize they are hearing unreleased material or mixes, but they are there. There is also some previously unseen moving footage that pops up here and there, thanks to Ed Roach and thanks to the BBC archives. But IMO the most important thing about this film is that its an hour of Dennis, a fully produced doc. on his life, with tons of great music and great footage, and its all about Dennis. If this sees a DVD release there's a good chance we'll be expanding the film and adding in some more rarities to make purchasing it more attractive to the consumer.

I'm so pumped for this, a long overdue Beach Boys night  :thumbsup

Gonna watch it with some friends  :drunks

Here's an early review of the show, from RadioTimes:

Friday 26 February
9:00pm - 10:00pm
BBC4

A fresh telling of the familiar fable about the rapid ascent and pained descent of a rock star - you might not know the Dennis Wilson version, but it's as tragic and intriguing as any. This film also offers a new angle on the Beach Boys, by only discussing Brian Wilson's wobbly genius in terms of how it affected his brother. One of rock's first sexy drummers, Dennis brought a rugged cool to a band otherwise staffed by portly fusspots. But before his own soulful, salty voice could fully emerge, he'd been dragged down by the Manson family, booze, commercial pressure and some poorly chosen wives. His one great LP was 1977's hairy, funky, murky Pacific Ocean Blue. Here, fans can enjoy seeing the gospel choir that elevates the classic track River Song; the rest can marvel at how they came this far in life without hearing it.

http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=47&programmeId=111229696&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details_fullpage.jsp

Many thanks indeed for that Jon - this sounds beyond superb, and the kind of production that Dennis's legacy and memory truly deserve. My appetite is well and truly whetted!

Mark Radcliffe is a fantastic DJ, very funny and entertaining and with great taste in music. It's sure to be a good doc. Have read some very positive reviews in the better-quality british press.

Just because I'm a complete saddo, I've set the Sky + to record it in advance and on the programme description it says Part 1 of Beach Boys Night. Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds Live is on afterwards as are some other programmes!  ;D

I might not be venturing to the pub on Friday night....

Less than 24 hours to go now guys and girls, I can't wait!  :dennis :h5

Dan Addington has generously reviewed the new Dennis documentary.

Legends: Dennis Wilson, The Real Beach Boy
Lime Pictures - BBC
 
In the summer of 2008, Something akin to a musical miracle took place – the Re-issue of Pacific Ocean Blue, Dennis Wilson’s 1977 masterpiece, in a deluxe edition featuring never-before-heard cuts from his unreleased follow up. While this lavish production was a fitting tribute to his musical legacy, Dennis’ life has never received a full biographical film treatment before. Any film about the history of the Beach Boys has inevitably focused on Brian Wilson’s story, and compelling as it is, it is just one of the rich life stories that emerged from that legendary band.
 
But with the release of Dennis’ music as a thematic backdrop, the BBC has taken it upon itself to be the first to explore the life story of Dennis Wilson on film, and they have produced an honorable and powerful work. This documentary reveals the life of a complex and captivating American rock icon, laying the foundation for a deeper appreciation of his music. Those unfamiliar with the story of Dennis Wilson will meet the Beach Boys’ drummer who later became the band’s leading composer and the first group member to release a solo album. Those who know the story and love the music will be thrilled by new footage, new photos, new revelations, and most of all, a respectful, honest, intelligent assessment of Dennis’ life, and the influence he has had, both on those who knew him intimately, and on the music world.
 
The documentary begins, fittingly, with the sound of waves. A bearded Dennis Wilson circa 1977 steps into the frame. ” Hi. My name is Dennis Wilson. I make rock and roll records.” And we are immediately off into act one, which explores the Southern California hothouse that shaped the young Wilson.
 
The producers mercifully spare us from the tedious amounts of surf/sand/bikini stock footage, getting the obligatory shots out of the way quickly and getting us into the story first-hand, through the warm, inviting narration of founding Beach Boy member (and first to leave the group) David Marks. Marks proves to be a truly articulate Beach Boy, and serves as our guide through not only the recollections of those early years, but literally though their neighborhood. (or one very close by – Marks quickly explains how the site of their actual childhood homes rests under the banks of dirt that support the freeway later built through their hometown of Hawthorne, a suburb of LA. “Can’t go home…nothin’ there…pile of dirt” he states with a wry, ironic lilt in his voice.
 
Through Marks, we are introduced to his mother Joanne Marks who has one of the best cameos of the film, getting irritated on screen after all these years as she listens to her son recount the episodes of physical abuse meted out on him and Dennis by the Wilson patriarch, Murry Wilson. The tales of manhandling under taskmaster Murry establish the theme of dysfunction that is a recurring motif in any story of the Wilson brothers. But it’s clear through the stories that Marks recalls that Dennis, even at that young age, didn’t make it easy on himself.
“There was always something happening with Dennis and the Police” says Marks.
 
By this time the viewer is completely into the story. Not three minutes into the film, and we are already hearing new material presented in a fresh, personal, and very intimate way. This becomes a clear template for the film, as we are invited into the story by old friends, former touring band members, collaborators, sons(!), and those in the inner circle of Dennis life. In addition to Marks, Beach Boys Al Jardine and Brian Wilson himself (from earlier interviews) make appearances.
 
The saving grace of this documentary is its focus on the music. With all the sensational fodder offered by the common narrative of Dennis’ life, it is a pleasure to see and hear Wilson’s music discussed with such intelligence and passion.
 
Biographer (and co-producer on the film) Jon Stebbins sets the tone early on as he elegantly and enthusiastically considers the ingredients that made the Beach Boys signature early sound so effective and culturally significant. Making the point that it was Dennis that authored and shaped that now-immediately recognizable surf beat, Stebbins gets off one of the best lines in the film, describing Dennis’ unmistakable drumming style as the “Starting Pistol of the Sixties”.
 
As the history of the band unfolds, one of the supreme ironies of Dennis life becomes apparent. As the band begins to decline, and his brother and band leader Brian retreats further and further into himself, Dennis begins to blossom as a creative force to be reckoned with in the band. The film takes us on a trip from the innocent early years of the 60s into the more complex times of the late 60s and early 70s, and we are confronted with that troubling moment in Dennis life – his association with Charles Manson. Close friends Gregg Jakobson and Ed Roach are our guides through this second act, and we hear what it was like to be around Dennis and his circle of friends directly from their own mouths. Thankfully, the producers resist the obvious temptation, and don’t get bogged down in Manson stories – they keep their eyes on the music, and crisp narration from Stebbins and Jakobson keeps the story on track. Ed Roach’s enthusiasm is infectious as he vividly recalls Dennis’ blossoming creativity, and the music continues to take center stage as we meet Beach Boys recording engineer and friend John Hanlon.  Hanlon becomes a key player in the narrative, as he reveals the process of recording with Dennis – efforts that soon lead to his first and only released solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue. Hanlon takes us into the studio for what will be one of the most thrilling passages of the film for Dennis Wilson fans. As Hanlon works the boards, and we hear the swelling sounds of Dennis’ compositions, we feel privileged to hear him discuss the process of recording with Dennis so intimately, and we share in his joy and amazement as he tries to explain what it was like to work on those tapes again in 2008, and to hear songs again that he hadn’t heard in over 30 years.
 
This is the greatest success of this film: The emotional power of the music itself begins to supplant the attention usually focused on the circumstances of Dennis life and death. This emotional content becomes almost palpable as his sons Michael and Carl B. talk intimately about re-discovering their father’s music, and mining the emotional depths of the work as adults, and artists in their own right.
 
As this final chapter ebbs to a close, we become witnesses - through the eyes of those who knew him best - to the heartbreaking dissolution of Dennis’ life in his last years: the loss of his loves, his studio, his beloved boat, his voice, his self control. While some may see this decline as the train wreck one can’t look away from, those who have heard the music created at the end of his music-making period can’t help but feel a profound longing for what might have been.
 
Friends Marks, Jakobson, and Roach betray this heartbreak and sense of loss as they recall Wilson’s final days. As we walk with Ed Roach to the boat slip where Dennis died, having been so skillfully escorted through the story of his life, we participate in that same sense of loss.
 
But the story doesn’t end there. The triumphant tale of the completion of the tracks for Dennis’ unreleased follow up, Bambu, is the real end of this story, and one that can, at long last, be told. It is to this film’s credit that we are left with a feeling of joy, knowing that the musical legacy of Dennis Wilson has finally been given its due, and is now a documented part of musical history.
 
Dan Addington

Thanks for that Jon, my appetie has been whetted further!

Great review!
I'm waiting this on youtube. I wanna see it!
But if this documentary wiil be released, I'll buy it.

Great review!  When do I get to buy this on DVD?  (And, hopefully as well, see it in the US on tv.)  Was is done in 16 x 9?

That was freakin awesome

yea, it's 16:9 ratio

It's just finished.

Outstanding. The use of music is brilliant, in parts it's almost impossible to watch, new images & footage... just wonderful.  Without question one of the two/three best documentaries I've seen covering our Boys.

Say it again - outstanding.  :bow :bow :bow  :dennis

Addington's review just brought a tear!

Honestly

a GOOD tear, btw

ha! thanks

Oh sweet BBC, PLEASE let the US see this docu. Hell, I will PAY for it, just let it air in the US. Anywhere, anytime. I might even support putting it onto the Youtube. But PLEASE don't let the UK people be the only ones to see this.

Great review Dan!

You'll love it. Oddly, it being just an hour works in favor. There's no padding, no waffle.

A very big thank you to all who made this happen, it was superbly done and had me welling up in places, closing out with Holy Man was very apt.

Well i was SO lucky to have seen a preview of this a few weeks ago and was sworn to secrecy (god knows how i kept it secret) , I am so glad that so many of us have now seen it 'its superb' , and the thing for me and all the other lifers out there , 'we know , or have met all the people involved' blimey the Beach Boys Family and Friends (Fans) lives forever !!!!!!!!!
So so many new photos and vid footage , what more do we want WELL Mr Ed Roach (Open your vaults Sir before we are all gone)........
Great Great Stuff, watching the repeat (Hope all non UK fans can get it on BBC replay or whatever its called via the Net)......

Still smiling (and crying)

Sorry meant to point out to all involved in the production of the DOC (Jon, David,Ed et all who post / read on here)

We are all proud of you guys , and thank you

Lovely work :-)

Yeah, despite not being in Britain I was just able to watch it and thought it was excellent. Although it was obviously very positive in its depiction, it wasn't 100% unbalanced and didn't really attempt to villify anyone. Focused a lot on the music which is how it should be and left me wanting to listen again to much of Dennis' work.

How were you able to watch it???

You guys are killing me, lol!!! I've been cringing all day knowing it was on and I can't see it :ahh But hearing how amazing it is (loved the review Dan!) makes up for it (almost ;)). I'm looking forward to seeing it more than ever! Truly a blessed day for a Beach Boy fan, no matter where you are :angel:

Wow, just finished watching. What a treat. Watching the recording of River song with the gospel choir bought a tear to my eye, and I found it overall a very emotive documentary, I guess largely down to Dennis' music. Great footage too.

Thanks to those who post here who were involved in the making of it. Fascinating stuff.

I need to see it!!!!!

That was great!

BBC iPlayer is available in the UK:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r0t24/Legends_Dennis_Wilson_The_Real_Beach_Boy/ (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r0t24/Legends_Dennis_Wilson_The_Real_Beach_Boy/)

It is available to download but only for members to that particular site unfortunately.

I don't think you'll find any BBC material from the last 15 years that isn't 16:9.

I caught the last half. Poignant, heart-wrenching while also being a celebration of Dennis' talents. Have the whole thing recorded and will watch it when my busy life allows.

wow...just got this and finished watching it. very well done......

So pleased that everyone seems to have enjoyed the show so much!  But I'm also surprised that The River Song footage is new to so many, as bits & pieces of it have been used in just about every documentary ever done on The Boys.  There are some out take parts of it in this show that had never been seen before, though.  (Amazingly, I'd never transfered the outtake footage in all of these years - and there is a lot of it!  Offered to do it for Sony, when Bambu was released, but they didn't want to spend the $$$.  Bless the BBC; they didn't flinch about the cost).
The original promo film was done to introduce Dennis at a CBS industry convention that year.  He gave me about 24 hours notice that filming the choir would be the way to go.  I slapped together a small crew, filmed the entire recording session, and the next day Dennis & I went out on the beach alone and I filmed him introducing himself to the exec's.  That's the footage that opens this show.  I also filmed he & Karen taking off from LAX the next day, for the ending - you know, "You've got to run away, you've got to run away..."  The film was such a hit that Dennis became the highlight of the convention, introduced by Walter Yetnikoff.  He was going to use that slot to introduce the signing of the Jackson Five, but Dennis bumped them, and they became the speech before Yetnikoff!

 

Still smiling & crying myself...  I'm a great believer in longevity, Rob, but hang in there - obviously, the vaults are opening...

That really was a fantastic film. I didn't expect it to be so emotional - I didn't expect to get so emotional myself as I've heard the story so many times before, but the last ten minutes or so really got me.
I love Dennis's music.  That's all I can say really.
Nice one the BBC.

It was a very fine documentary which I think gave a fair and balanced account of Dennis's life. It was a little disappointing but not surprising that many of the leading players in his life, those that are still around of course, were not directly involved in the film.

However the main contributors, including David Marks, Ed Roach,Jon Stebbins and the rest  must stand up and take a bow for making this happen. Jim Guercio's tears near the end almost got me going as well!

The music was of course brilliant

Thanks guys

 8)

Awesome to see sales for the album have shot up on amazon, POB is at 41  :)

Bill -- those tears belonged to Gregg Jakobson.

I had thought maybe in the midst of my own tears I'd missed Guercio!

Seriously how about a nod to Howie here - quite a few of the best moments of the show
came at the suggestions of our Creative Consultant,  Howie Edelson!   
My deepest, heartfelt gratitude, my brother!

Whoops, yes it was indeed Gregg, sorry. Must have been the emotion of it all!

Of course Ed, you're right to mention Howie Edelson, great work behind the scenes.

I'll be watching again.

 :-[

Hey Mr Roach,

It was great to see you on there and here some of the crazy stories - e.g. Dennis burning the pool house down. Must have been a crazy time.

There was a lot of great footage that looked like it must have come from the POB promo film you mention - Dennis and Karen Lamm at the airport, Karen driving in an open top car. Beautioful stuff. How long was this promo film, and will it be possible to ever see it in its entirety?

I was tearing up myself at that part, nothing to be ashamed of! Although many of us never knew or met Dennis, I feel that through the music and the recolletions of those who did know him, I do know Dennis...and he was a  beautiful person. I could listen to POB for a million years without getting bored, again thanks to all that were involved.

Much love Eddie.

H.

One thing that deserves mention - not once in the whole 60 minutes did I mutter to myself "nope, that's wrong": there may have been opinions that some would debate, but no factual errors to my knowledge. Impressive.

FWIW -- I met Dennis one time.  It was July of 1965 and this took place at the airport in Tulsa.  I had just turned 16 and had my license.

There was a concert that night (a Saturday); I went to the airport for the purpose of meeting the band.  After 85 minutes of checking arrivals from places they might be coming from...there they were!    Five or so minutes early from a flight in Kansas City  They were, collectively, walking towards me as I was going to their gate.

Needless to say, I bleeping freaked.  I was 16 but felt like an 11 year old girl reading Tiger Beat.  I composed myself to some degree and went to the main lobby/rent-a-car area following the band.  No Murry, no road trip manager.  Five guys (Bruce, not Glen Campbell).  They had a pre-arranged station wagon (white as it turned out) waiting for them from Avis.  After finally getting up the nerve to say something to somebody I learned they was booked into a medium sized motel about two miles from where I lived.  About 11 miles from the airport.

They had no idea where it was so it ended up that they followed me down I-44 from the airport to there motel.

The point of me writing all of this is that Dennis drove the white station wagon the entire trip.  EVERYIME I looked in my rearview mirror I saw one image.  This, to me, was the most memorable part of the experience...

Cross your arms in front of you.  With you right hand at the 10:00 position and your left hand at 2:00 slouch over and drive a car for about a dozen miles.  That's what Dennis did.  It really stuck out in my mind but that's what he did.

That's my Dennis story for this Lifetime.  I'll write again when I come back as someone, or something, else.

Great documentary.  I loved the footage of Dennis in the studio but also that of David Marks and Stebbins and Marks and his mother. Is it in the Wouldn't It Be Nice documentary that Al says something along the lines of; "We didn't know how good Dennis was at the time"?  Would've been nice to include that.

I wonder who was interviewed who didn't make it to the final cut?

Great job one and all.

I did notice towards the beginning it stated that after BW went to bed it was Dennis to took over leadership of the band - not strictly accurate? Wasn't Carl who played a major role in guiding the BBs through their studio enterprises and, presumably, live gigs etc?

I'd call that more a difference of opinion. Depending who you speak to, Brian went to bed in 1971, 1972, 1973... or not at all ! Were I writing that script, I might have rephrased it as "on the withdrawl of Brian from active participation in the band, Dennis emerged as the major creative force".  Something like that.

Would you have let Dennis be in charge of guiding the Beach Boys activities?  :-D

If I were Carl, Mike, Al, Bruce, Ricky, Blondie, David, Murry, Billy Hinsche, Ed Carter, et al., I certainly wouldn't have!  ;D

What songs were in the doc?

I watched this avidly on Friday night and have the programme taped to watch again in my own time. A great documentary which will hopefully bring Dennis Wilson's music to the attention of even more people. I got the impression of a vivid character, exciting and unpredictable, but also very challenging to work with. That clip of the Beach Boys sitting on the couch on Morning America (was that the show?) with Dennis hungover and out of it made me feel a great deal of sympathy for Mike Love and the rest. Actually, I thought it was Carl who looked most uncomfortable! I guess Dennis was too head-strong a character for there to be the kind of intervention that ultimately saved Brian from self-destruction. I thought the most heart-breaking clip of Dennis was of him croaking "You are so beautiful" at the 1983 4th July concert. Still, the message of the film was not to dwell on the tragic end of Dennis's life, but to celebrate and enjoy the powerful and beautiful music he made (and I type this listening to Bambu).

Yeah, I thought the same thing.

I watched it and to be honest at the beginning I was quite dissapointed but then the docu won over me and I loved the last 20 minutes especially. It was really sad to watch it though.

BTW I found one mistake: At the 4th of july concert in 1983 the Beach Boys didn't do YASB. The footage was from another gig, I think august '83. But the documentary really made me want to get the Real Beach Boy book.

This was very well done.  Filmed beautifully...the part where Dennis talks about Brian's mental illness and says "I would go daily to  his house and beg what can I do to  help you?" was very touching.  So many great moments in the film.  A MUST see. I was very moved by this film.  Congrats on a job well done.  After years of listening to Dennis' music, strangely with this film, it casts it in a fresh new light for me.

Matt really had an unenviable job in cutting this thing down to size. Some of the interviews ran for well over an hour -- and literally, each one was just as fascinating, informative, hysterical and heartbreaking as the the next. With what we got during the interview sessions, coupled with Ed's archive -- I believe -- Matt could easily add another two hours to the doc and wholly cover new ground. I think one of the reasons why the interviews work is that unlike other talking heads in rock docs, these people weren't just involved in one specific avenue of the subject's life. With Dennis you were in full on; his life, his art, his career. I've never worked on a project where it was a true labor of love for everyone involved.

Sorry if this has been asked already, but as Brian asked to participate? Any reason given as to why he declined?

And were Al's interviews newly recorded? There were a couple of comments from him about the early years but it's a shame that there were none from any of the BBs about the later years.

Brian, unfortunately, was out of town on vacation during the entire L.A. shoot.

I was a little surprised that there were no inetrviews with Mike and Bruce, is there any reason for this?

As far as the BBC doc goes, the plan was to talk to people who've mainly remained out of the spotlight in major documentaries. This was made with a decidedly "DW" rather than "BB" spin.

Speaking for myself, in my personal interviews with Mike, we have discussed Dennis and Mike is clearly not comfortable talking about him for personal, rather than political reasons. From what I can gather, it's not through malice, or hatred, but but out of real frustration and grief -- and also because let's face it, he knows that anything he says publically about Dennis -- due to their history and what's known about their relationship -- it will be poured over, and ultimately analyzed in a fashion that will undoubtedly make him look bad. In my interviews we've discussed his collaborations on "Sound Of Free," "Only With You," and "Pacific Ocean Blues" and the vibe changes immediately. He's seems really pained talking about him. That clip that Boyd got of him from 'Endless Harmony' is the real deal. That's his bottom line about Dennis.

Just managed to watch the doc on iPlayer.   Absolutely stunning – top dollar.

Man, many congrats to Jon and Howie and Ed and David and Alan and all those who hand a hand (or more) therein.

By far the best Beach Boys related doc I've seen. Heartbreaking really... how Dennis and his condition seem to have unwittingly put a distance between himself and those who would have been there for him. He seems to have made it so hard for them.  I'd read about it and heard about it before, but this really brought home how far he fell, and how unreachable he was in the end.

What also came across to me was what a sound bunch of good people were around him.

Ed -  you're the man! Loved the anecdotes. And that was the first time I'd seen your mush -  nice to put an image to the name, and get a feel for the character.

(Would love to see something of this high quality in time for the BBs 50th anniversary)

Is there any way for us to watch it here in the states?  Will it be on BBC America?

Thanks,
Matt

There are discussions underway regarding home DVD rights, world broadcasts etc... But this is at an early stage and the hurdles are many, rights issues, clearances etc... In a perfect world we'll do an expanded version for the next wave of release...but as i said its early stages, nothing concrete, but we're trying. Regarding who is in the film and who is not, we made a decision early on to try and put some DW friendly faces on the screen that haven't been in other documentaries, or have had very limited exposure, that's why we emphasized Dave Marks, Jo Anne Marks, John Hanlon, Gregg Jakobson, Ed Roach, Tom Murphy, Ron Swallow, Carl and Michael(his sons)...these people all had unique and intimate perspectives that have not been mined, of course there are others we could have used and would have been good, but its a 60 minute film. We didn't want a BB's spin, although more Brian would have been great. But we really wanted 50% or more of this film to be about DW the solo artist. One disappointment is that we wanted both Carole and Barbara to appear, each initially showed interest, but each of them ultimately declined for different reasons. Barbara did call me mid-production and thanked me for pursuing this and for the effort we were making to raise Dennis' profile. Another disappointment is that we wanted to add Jim Guercio to the mix of new interviews but time restraints nixed that, although Jimmy was extremely supportive and allowed us to use some alternate mixes and approved John Hanlon using the actual multi-tracks for some of his scenes. Perhaps an expanded version could include more of this aspect as some of what didn't make the final edit showed John pulling up more of the POB/Bambu tracks and demonstrating various elements of the tracks. All in all with a limited budget and time constraints, as Howie said this was a labor of love, and i think it does a good job of telling Dennis' story in a heartfelt way.

Watched the whole shebang today.

Very impressed. I came away, I think, with a better idea of *who* Dennis Wilson was....the good and the bad. Nothing was glossed over nor was he deified. A proper documentary with moments that made my eyes well. The music and archive footage always seemed appropriately placed. It might have been nice to have had an up to date interview with Brian or perhaps Mike Love but their opinions came through nonetheless.

I found the doc balanced, especially when trying to reconcile Dennis' support for Brian's artistic direction Vs Mike's more financially stable aspirations.

And if AGD says there are no factual innacuracies...then I bow to the expert. I am certainly no expert!

The wife watched it with me, she's a casual Beach Boys listener rather than a fan...likes the surf songs for sure. She enjoyed it too...so a doc with broad appeal.

Understatement of the month!

"Still, the message of the film was not to dwell on the tragic end of Dennis's life, but to celebrate and enjoy the powerful and beautiful music he made (and I type this listening to Bambu)."

I love that thought.  Jon Stebbin's book "The Real Beach Boy" was too close to the truth to me.  I liked Dennis less after reading it.

But I always return...

I guess 'intrigued' would be a good term to describe how I feel about Dennis.  I can't quite figure him out but I would want him as a friend!

No mistake. I believe that the footage was from the July 4th show on the beach at Atlantic City, NJ.

Don't back down, Jon...

I don't want to go too much OT but I do believe it isn't, check Eric's site. 

http://members.tripod.com/~fun_fun_fun/8-3-83.html  It might be this gig.


BTW What I forgot to mention what I really liked about the BBC doc is the flair of California too, impressive footage.

Hi
Just wanted to say "thanks" to everyone here involved in this doc, for sharing this with the world! It was great.

I know it was about Dennis, but I think it's perhaps the first programme - with the possible exception of the other BBC special on 'Pet Sounds' - to actually begin to explain why people like the Beach Boys so much. The part on the beach where Jon briefly identifies the Beach Boys sound - that comes closer than I have yet heard in explaining why I like the band, why they are important to rock'n'roll, and why Dennis was so important to their development.

Anything to improve? Well, other than the fact I always consider "Little Bird" to be Dennis' breakthrough song - and it didn't feature - there really wasn't much else I could ask for. Left me with a sense of lingering melancholy and heartfelt appreciation.

Carl

I am in Holland. What is the easiest way to see the thing ASAP?

Having recently watched the Forever documentary, I thought Mike's response to the question asked by Billy Hinsche "If Dennis were to come back, what would you say to him?" was the best of all those given. "Welcome back" - simple and moving. I don't blame Mike for not contributing to Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy. I think it was a sensitive decision.

The obvious emotion felt by those who contributed to this programme was one of its strongest points in my opinion. That Dennis and his music can still inspire this feeling is a tribute to the man and his talent. That it can be put across so well is a tribute to all those involved.

What period was he talking about? Mid-seventies? Early eighties?

I think Dennis was talking in the mid-70s if I remember correctly. So he was probably talking about Brian before the 'Brian's Back' campaign.

Not having see the docu yet, but based just on the quote above, I would say this is from an interview with Pete Fornatale on WNEW-FM, New York City, November 1976.  Dennis said something like, "Forget recording...it got to Brian's health", as well as the above quote.

After 5 days of my computer being knackered I can finally post my thoughts and feelings on this super documentary. FANTASTIC JOB TO ALL INVOLVED! Got to say it again TOP JOB! It made me miss a man I'd never met and whom died when I was still in nappies. It gave me the chance to put faces to names I'd read about for the past few years concerning the big man. (Jon Stebbins, you looked nothing like I imagined you would!). It made me wish that someone at the time would've grabbed Dennis and shook him and screamed "WAKE UP!" It made me want to put on POB for the 100th time. It gave me about a zillionth of the sense of redemption , gratification and pure joy his sons and friends must have felt to see both POB and Bambu get a decent release for the first time in 30 years. Would dearly love to see Carl get similar treatment in the future.

All his friends & family did, repeatedly. Nothing worked. This is Dennis Wilson we're talking about, remember.

Really well done, guys. Can't wait for the DVD with all the expanded interviews (fingers crossed).
     I have a question about one of the photos shown twice early in the film; Denny is playing drums and looking at the camera but the guy playing bass, and the other guys around him, look like they're from the Hondells or some Gary Usher 'band'. Anyone?

That is one of David's photos. The best he can remember, one of the other band's on the bill must've been down a drummer and Dennis filled in at the last minute...but he has no idea what band.

I've never heard this confirmed, but there was going to be a January 1984 intervention, right?

I've read somewhere or other that there were talks for Dennis to enter Landys 24 hour program as well in Jan '84.  Hmmmmmmnnn...  It would have been more like the 24 minute program because Dennis had NEVER obeyed orders from anyone ever. I think he would have had Landy and his surf nazies weeping in a corner in no time at all from sheer frustration!!!

It's hard to imagine Dennis as a perfectly sober, earnest man of age 42 or so. Let's face it: he was a multiple drug abuser, on a large scale for every type of habit. He must have lived in some sort of inner haze for most of his life; almost always guys like him get less and less out of the habits, but just can't kick them. Result: brief periods of euphoria (after just having scored and ingested), followed by long spells of depression and tiredness.

I recall a quote, somewhere, stating that Dennis was completely used up in his last year, not looking all to human anymore. I fear that detoxing wouldn't have been successful in his case; I'd guess that he simply lacked conviction, motivation to get all clean.

Whew!  This is a lot to digest/comment on here.  I've been trying to grab time to respond to Andrew since yesterday:
For myself, I can't begin to tell you the number of times I either bitch-slapped him or cradled him while he sobbed, trying to convince him to snap out of it.  The pain, wherever it emanated from, just became too unbearable for him.
Funny enough, (and we can't discuss Dennis without a certain amount of levity, can we?), this is almost exactly what his words were, regarding Landy getting involved with him!
While I've lived these years felling the same way, (and he swore to me all that last year he'd never see 40), I then step back and look at Brian!  There were those that doubted Brian would even make it out of the 1960's, and look at him now!  Not to compare their individual problems, but it could have been conceivable...
And finally, yes, he was somewhat an empty vessel, especially right there near the end.  You might be recalling Barbara's quote from "Endless Harmony", one of the saddest and most profound statements about him.

Sorry Ed, but I didn't say anything you said I did: a quoting error.

Jeez, you're right, and I apologize.  I was trying to get too fancy, or complicated or something, answering those things in one shot, and I obviously screwed up somehow.
That quote about Landy came from mike's beard; the one about not making it to 42 came from The Heartical Don.
You did, however, bring up the January '84 intervention.  This was something discussed by Tom Hullett with Carl, Jerry Schilling & Jim Guercio, I believe.

  First off ,GREAT documentary!  
From what I've read , it seems as if Dennis hit the ground running at full speed from birth. Had he never been famous ,I think the out come would have been the same, he would have self destructed at some point.   And the things he did, by any other person, would be unforgivable by most of us  (and yet we do for Dennis). I sure wouldn't want him dating my daughter...ha.   It's hard /impossible for people to help guys like Dennis. Only God knows what's going on in their heads and only he can help..  As a fan you don't have all the pieces. You get just get snippets of someones life. Family and friends get it the whole picture day by day.   You can tell it wasn't pretty, everyone interviewed had to hold back tears after 27 years.  
 

Thanks Carrie. It's really great knowing you (and David) keep your eyes on this board and willingly help out us nerds. I really enjoyed David's guide through the early years of Dennis (and the BBs) life and hope to see more of him in the future. He seems like a pretty funny guy.

Sorry if this has been asked, but does anyone know when the next repeat is on, I gotta record it next time so I can watch it whenever I want.

I believe it will repeat on BBC4 this coming Saturday night.

Yes this Sat unless the Beeb has one of it's "in a change to the advertised program" moments! On that subject does anybody know why the Brian/Smile documentary that was initially due to follow was pulled?

Awesome, don't mind it if I sky+ it  ;D

Hope this isn't a real silly question:

What is the background music in the first 10 or so mins of the doc ? (excluding Surfin and Surfin Safari of course)

Cheers
Sam

PS Great doc watched it a second time this evening :)

Well there's some of Be With Me(no vocals)...and there's two Link Wray songs, Rumble and Ace of Spades.

Finally got to see this.  Unbelievable, it is great!  I hope I can buy it here in the states soon.

is it on any US channels? how'd you see it?

By some miracle I just finished watchng this. Yeah, it's just as good as everyone has said. Just an additional note that it's easily the most emotional BB docu I've seen in some time. My god, the talent this man had and the charisma. I thank everyone involved for letting me get to know him a little better.

It made me laugh. It made me cry. That was wonderful! Thank you so much for all of you involved in this documentary. Dennis is one of my idols.

For those who haven't seen this great doc it's available (worldwide i think) to watch on BBC iplayer.

I thought it was a fantastic doc, very well balanced - he was painted as neither saint nor sinner; just as a very talented and kind, but damaged man.
I completely agreed with the comment made in the film re if Brian had done River Song everyone would've been screaming its praise. Very accurate indeed! It remains light years ahead of anything Brian (or any other member) was doing at the time - and that goes for everything on Love You.

The doc also reminded me of something that always bothers me - whenever Brian talks about SMiLE or Pet Sounds, he always says, the Beach Boys hated it, they didn't support me, they said it was too weird etc etc. He never ever bothers to mention that, in fact, both Carl and in particular Dennis were always supportive of everything he did during this period. There's mountains of evidence to support this, yet Brian never bothers to mention that his brothers did in fact support him - he just slings em in with the rest of the group. I'm sure it's not intentional - we all know Brian is a damn good guy - but it'd be nice if he'd not generalise so much, and in doing so sideline his brothers.
(I know, before anyone says it, that Brian's Brian, he doesn't know what he's saying half the time, and so on).

I got my copy of this in the mail on Monday.  I 'love?' the line, early on, where tha narrator says "...after Brian lost his mind...".

I agree with everything I've read about this.  It's a great hour spent!

How can I see this?

This is soooooo depressing  :-\

yeah i wish i could too. the bbc iplayer is UK only

The last time I checked, Dennis Wilson and the BBs were frome the United States. And yet the UK gets all the good stuff. You have been torchering us since the British invasion! Ok, maybe the British invasion wasn't torcher.

awesome.

i wish we could have heard more from dennis though

Don't know how long this will last, and you can credit Lars Sørensen for posting this on Blue Bamboo, but if you haven't gotten to see it yet:  http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTU2MzkxMjAw.html   


Mar 17th, 2010 - 8:29 AM  QuoteReply Re: Review of BBC doc. Part 2

Chineese version of youtube is helpful, if you havent seen the documentary here it is:

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTU2MzkxMjAw.html


enjoy

Thanks for the link Ed!
Thanks to all involved.  A fitting tribute.

Incredibly sad and beautiful.

My money is ready to be spent on a special edition north american dvd release with plenty of extras!!!  I'll buy several.

A DVD released in tandem with a definitive collection of Denny's work, both released and unreleased, would just about be the best thing ever. Hopefully the overwhelmingly postive reviews coming from everyone who has seen the documentary will make Capitol/Warners/Guercio, or whoever the hell it is that owns Denny's music, sit up and realise that there is indeed a market for Dennis Wilson material, although the the Pacific Ocean Blue/Bambu release should have done that on it's own really.

Come to think of it, maybe thats why Fallin' In Love was included on Summer Love Songs and Capitol were belatedly trying to cash in on the interest in Denny's music?

Thank you very much for the link.

A great documentary...thank you for the link! I will definitely be purchasing (several copies, probably) if/when it is available in the U.S.

Awesome! It is just so sad what the Beach Boys could have been. But money gets in the way of good art. I guess the same could be said about most bands and performers.

Hey, thanks to all involved in making this link available. The documentary is poignant, accurate and moving.
The segments with Gregg Jakobsen, Ed Roach and the last quote from Dennis' son are especially powerful.
Please Lord, let the buzz around Dennis continue to swell (no pun intended) and create sufficient momentum for further archival projects to be authorized. There is so much more to be heard!

Thanks for sharing this!

This has to be among the best music documentaries I've ever seen, genuinely touching and tasteful.

I just finished watching the documentary and can't believe how much it got to me near the end.  A big thanks to all of you who made it possible.

Still gets to me every time I watch it; I love how he edited all of our memories of the last days together.  Also the way each of us still get so choked up, all these years later... 

Watched this for the first time yesterday. Fantastic!!!

Thanks Jon, Ed, Dave (Carrie), regulars here (plus any others) for your heartfelt contributions.

Had to laugh had Blondie. His mannerisms are so Keith Richards after touring with him IMO. :lol

Does anyone know what snippet of music was playing when they were talking about Fleetwood Mac?

Just watched this again after some time.....still gets me......thanks to all who made it possible. Beautifully done in memory to Dennis.....couldn't have asked for more.

As I type this, as luck would have it, I am on the 7th floor of a hotel over looking Marina Del Rey. I have been in the area many times since he drowned here and have never really thought of it as anything else but as the place he lived!

I'll raise a cold one to him for us all.  :beer

Amazing...my girlfriend & I had just decided to watch this today (her first viewing).

Dying to know what she thought, C-Man; and what did you think of it?

Just a heads up - This is back on iplayer for us in the UK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r0t24/Legends_Dennis_Wilson_The_Real_Beach_Boy/

I didn't watch it again last night but when I've watched this documentary before it's brought tears to my eyes. It's such a powerful and interesting piece.