The Smiley Smile Message Board

I do. Had they stayed a few more years... Who knows what kind of great music would have been made.

or not.   probably would have detracted from the others. happy they moved on, else there'd have been no Rutles!  no one to do the Stones tours

I would have liked less from Blondie and Ricky.
Their contributions were the most boring of the bunch.

I love the Chaplin/Fataar era of the Beach Boys! Their songs were great, their contributions excellent, and they're a big reason why the early-70's was the BB's best live period!

I wish at least Blondie Chaplin would have stayed longer. As for Ricky, I like him. But he was only brought in because Dennis injured his hand. Once Denny could play his drums again, what could Ricky do?

Not really. I enjoy their contributions but never really wanted more.

 :-D A world without Rutles would be a sorry place indeed.

As would 1980s Australian pop music, many artists benefited from Ricky moving to Australia and playing on/producing an Antipodean hit or 2.

Blondie and Ricky added a lot to the live act, but, honestly, if their songs weren't part of CATP and Holland, I probably would never get them out to listen to them.

If Ricky would have hung out for another couple more years he could have continued to be their primary drummer as Dennis began his downward spiral. Instead, Bobby Figueroa (primarily their percussionist) sat in along with Mike Kawalski.

Blondie and Ricky definitely added a hipness and soul persona to the group. I enjoyed watching them on stage. Ricky Fataar rocked. And if you want to see what Blondie did, check out Youtube when he does Sail On Sailor and Wild Honey in the early 70's and recently. The guy plays a mean Les Paul too. One of the highlights of the MIC set for me is Wild Honey from '72. Just fantastic. There's a good reason why Keith and Ronnie wanted Blondie to play with them, other than the fact he could drink the entire Stones road crew under the table.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t_iPHOLdUo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reP5gImvF-c

I wish they'd stayed, 7 Beach Boys are better than 5 and anyone who's heard Blondie's S/T album knows he's still had some good songs in him by the mid 70s that the guys could have used.

If they'd stayed would 15 big ones still have happened. ..?

I never saw the and with B&R on board but as Mikie says, just listening to the BBs' performances at that time makes it clear that they were a major shot in the arms to their contemporary sound.

And if you want evidence of what a terrific drummer Rickie was, listen to Here She Comes on CATP. Incredible.

Yes. Definitely. I don't know how much sway, if any, they had in the band, but I think it's telling that the Beach Boys went from Holland to 15 Big Ones without them. That's a huge stylistic change. Back Home could have used some Blondie and Ricky, for sure.

Blondie and Ricky were certainly a very positive addition to the live band.

In the studio, less so. Their 2 songs on CATP do nothing for me and should have been omitted in my opinion. Leaving This Town is a little better. (I would have liked We Got Love to have been included on MiC however).

Could they have stopped something like 15 Big Ones happening? I guess if they had a vote they would have gone against it. But they were a part of the group for a considerable time after Holland was completed and couldn`t get a follow up album completed...

I can't imagine 15 big ones happening with Blondie and Ricky.

I would have loved to have had them on at least a couple more albums. But I don't know how they would have fit in on their later output as it was released. Their presence would have definitely created a different path. Can't imagine KTSA or the 85 album with them.

that's the thing! I don't believe it would've. Blondie and Ricky were full members with voting rights and they would easily trumph Mike, Al and Brian on what type of material to record (if Brian ever cared to vote). We would have all the usual contributions from this period (most of which ended up on Love You and LA Light) + some cool rockers from Blondie and Ricky perhaps. I think it was better to have such a musically talented man as Dennis upfront playing his keys and singing rather than drumming, which Ricky was better at imo.

and hey, anything but 15BO

One more album would've been nice, maybe late '73/early '74... Holland was so great, it all really gelled with that one. I'd have loved me a bit of Holland 2.

Blondie & Ricky's best BB-associated song never even made an album: Hard Times. Cracking tune!

.

Yep. Coupled with Dennis on POB form.

Maybe it'd have stayed as a Brian Loves You solo album...

Great musicians. I dig The Flame. But a patchwork of coolness, though. Seem dated and forceful, like any effort to seem what you are not. They needed more musicians, true, but opted for a group within the group instead of backup guys. I don't care for their vocals, and even less for their songwriting within a BB context. In a band with five great vocalists, theirs sound like guest appearances- not because of quality but because of opportunity. Their songs, I only listen to because they're on a BB album.

Perhaps if their role had been limited to the stage, I'd be on better terms with them.


For me, they are this to the BBs:

(http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110726010259/lossimpson/es/images/c/c6/Poochie_con_distinta_cammisa.png)

It worked though didn't it? I mean, I think it's safe to say that vast numbers of hardcore BB fans would name the Blondie/Ricky period as the group's highpoint as a live group and, you know, the BB's did become perceived as being more hip. Whether you agree with the motives or not, it worked.

Probably. I think the direction toward 15 Big Ones had less to do with Blondie and Ricky leaving and mostly to do with bringing Brian back in the easiest way possible, not to mention capitalizing on Endless Summer/Spirit Of America. I believe Ricky played on 15 Big Ones and maybe Keepin' The Summer Alive, so I guess he wasn't totally adverse to the retro sound.

I think the bigger question is what would Dennis have done on stage. They wouldn't have gone with two drummers. Would've Dennis continued alternating between standing at a microphone and playing the occasional piano?

I think they stayed for as long as it made sense. Their presence on Holland is part of what made that album great. I can't imagine them singing on Love You, though. Also, I remember reading an old mid-70s article from a music magazine where the author was very enthuasiastic about the BB being back to their core line-up of just the Wilson brothers and Mike and Al.

To answer the question at the top of the page: Absolutely.

Regarding what Dennis would have done if Ricky had remained, people seem to forget how many other instruments Ricky played on stage with the Boys: Guitar, flute, pedal steel, etc.  There are several songs on In Concert that Ricky doesn't drum on.  As great as the band was as a live band with Blondie and Ricky (and they most certainly were!), imagine how much BETTER they would be with Dennis alternating drums with Ricky, rather than Kowalski (whom I have no problem with during that period).

As for 15 Big Ones, I'm in the camp that doesn't think it would have happened.  I agree that it had more to do with Brian returning but I also agree it wouldn't have been as "necessary" for Brian TO return had the other guys remained.  A possible scenario would have been a retro record (this was still the time of American Graffiti, etc.) with Brian's covers, paired with more contemporary stuff.  Even if we still would have gotten a 15 Big Ones VERY similar to what we did, odds are it would have been edgier than what they ultimately released, just due to B&R's presence in the band and slight "influence" on Carl.  Who knows?  Maybe Brian would have had Blondie sing the lead on an old doo wop cover.

Either way, I wish they'd stayed.  More importantly, I wish the band had chosen ANY other person or firm to replace Rieley when they did.  :'(

THIS! That's what I don't get about the Ricky/Blondie/Holland?Rieley bashers. It's like, Hey this was the last time your favourite band was truly great! And you don't like it! Come on, 15 Big Ones, MIU, KTSA, the cheerleaders, Baywatch, SIP, and so on. Any alternative would have been better than the route they chose to take! It's because of 1976 onwards that the BB's still aren't taken as seriously as they should be by so many music fans and critics...

Blondie and Ricky were great backing musicians, but I could have done without their contributions to The Beach Boys as songwriters and lead singers. Their songs are boring and just like their voices they don't really "fit in".

Those songs almost sound like, let's say, The Beach Boys took a couple of songs from their opening act and tried to sell them as Beach Boys songs...

Oh, wait...  ::)

As songwriters, not so much. But Blondie could sing. Sail on Sailor! Nuff said.

Completely agreed.

I would've preferred a Carl or Dennis or even Al lead vocal. I always thought "Sail On Sailor" should've done better on the charts. Maybe it was the lyrics, but I wonder if a familiar Beach Boy voice would've helped the song more. Just a thought. Do I get attacked now?

I agree. Except for Love You, everything since Blondie and Ricky left was all downhill and over the hill.

.

As stated, as a live act in the Blondie/Rickey era the Beach Boys were unbuhleevable.  Best show i ever saw.  And these two guys brought a lot to that.

More than that though, recalling that time, it seemed the band was on a nice upsurge with Holland being (arguably) their strongest or at least most consistent and coherent album since Sunflower.  Certainly as a "band" (as opposed to "Brian") LP it is right up there.  And Leaving this Town is a real good track on it.  I think Holland sold fairly well and got a decent amount of FM airplay.  So the live shows were smokin', Pet Sounds was being acknowledged, albums getting better sales and notice, lots of good press then...nothing.  They had been releasing records regularly with an increasing profile then...nothing.  Blondie then Rickey leave the band, Endless Summer, touring jukebox (though mighty) and the next record is 15 (ugh) Big Ones and the Beach Boys all of a sudden come across as paunchy slightly creepy middle aged goofballs making music you mostly didn't want to hear again.  Not during the Blondie/Rickey era I tell you.

So even though I dig Love You and some of what followed,  I rue the missed opportunity to make more good music while they were still in the band.

Why not? Do not forget they sang on "Funky Pretty" & that's very similar to the new wave or whatever genre LY is. We heard Blondie on a BW tune, Sail on Sailor, now it would've been cool to have a full Ricky lead. Who cares if they fit the style or not? Just 1 "out there" record, then go on with your own direction (soul, blues rock).

Dennis

.

So... you think it's a good thing that the BB's don't get the respect they deserve amongst large numbers of music fans and critics? Fair enough.

.

I would definitely have liked to have Blondie & Ricky around for a longer stretch.  I'm not a big fan of "Holland" overall, but "Leaving This Town" is an exception and IMHO the best song on that album that isn't "Sail On Sailor."  I liked Blondie's vocals a lot, and I really enjoyed the live video of him doing "Wild Honey" with the band back then.  Would have been interesting to see how things would have turned out with them around.  I would loved to have heard an album sort of in the vein of WH with them.

he was originally gonna sing that song anyway right?

He gave a vocal take and then left. I doubt they kept it.

Mos def.  They made that BB sound even better.

No, not exasperating at all, although somewhat peculiar in clearly wanting to be exasperating. And 'I didn't realise they [the Beach Boys] were to be taken seriously' is rather a stupid comment. So exactly how are we supposed to approach, say, Pet Sounds? Ironically, giggling into our sleeves?

Anyway believe it or not, some people have the capacity to enjoy both: the good vibes/humour and the Ricky & Blondie period.

.

Or just put it on and stop over-thinking everything perhaps?

.

Exactly!

Well, man, you're the one talking about maturity in music, and how to approach listening to an album, and taking the music seriously...

.

I'm offering my opinion on the music's merits and my feelings about the music and the production history of the music. Doesn't mean that's what's swimming around in my head whenever i sit and listen to it. In fact, if I recall I basically summed up Holland as: 'Big Sur, California, Trader, Funky Pretty, Only With You - these are just brilliant songs'. i.e. forget about the doughy baps and just enjoy the delicious tasty burger therein :) (or rather Don't let an upside down boat on the cover put you off an album's music! - although personally it's in my top 5 fave BB album covers...)

If we were going to have a discussion re The Shining, I'd probably talk about the brilliance of the tracking shots, the camera angles, the year-long shooting, etc. Doesn't mean that's what I then sit thinking about when i watch the film, I just Watch The Film. But when you're having a debate/discussion it's obviously got to be different, otherwise we'd all be saying nothing more than I Like This or I Don't Like This.

Would you have liked more from Blondie & Ricky?

More of the same they did? No. I have no problem with people who praise them though. :hat Only thing they did I like is "Hard Times". I think Ricky was much better in The Rutles.

Yes, I would.

.

I don't have the liner notes in front of me, but my assumption is that Ricky tracked the original drums for the song in 1974, and that Dennis may have added some more in 1976. Just a guess though.

Roy Wood played drums during the 1974 sessions didn`t he?