The Smiley Smile Message Board

Beach Boy scholar and historian, Jim Murphy, recently posted a new entry to his “Becoming the Beach Boys” site entitled “Do You Love Me, Do You Surfer Girl?” which explores Brian’s relationship with Judy Bowles.

https://becomingthebeachboys.com/2020/08/02/do-you-love-me-do-you-surfer-girl/ (https://becomingthebeachboys.com/2020/08/02/do-you-love-me-do-you-surfer-girl/)

A good bit of this information has already been published in his book and the Winter, 2016 issue of ESQ but there is some additional information / better quality photos, etc.

Now if we can just convince Jim to publish Volume 2 of his book – one of the very best that I’ve ever read on the Beach Boys! Highly recommended.

This is interesting stuff.  Al Jardine has described their Hawthorne world as right out of 'American Graffiti,' and that seems accurate.

Right but obviously a bit different-these were small town America guys who did all that normal stuff but I didn’t know any fifteen year olds (like Carl) who drove to different towns and played to large crowds of strangers for pay-that’s not normal -that’s extraordinary or guys like Brian that were producing and arranging records when they were nineteen and not just goofing around and cruising the town

Great read.

"For a writing assignment, she once submitted a poem Brian wrote from a young girl’s perspective.  When she received it back, her teacher had written on it ‘Are you sure you wrote this?’ "

Did anyone ever get a hold of that poem?

Thanks for the heads-up!

I only started reading and came across this part:

An interesting footnote to the photo involves the one player not shown—Bob Levey, the son of legendary jazz drummer Stan Levey.  After his parents divorced, Levey moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Hawthorne in the late 1950s.  Levey pitched, played third base, and was a strong pinch hitter.  “Brian was a fabulous guy,” Levey recalled.  “Just a real good person.  He was always out there cracking jokes.”


Now on Wikipedia I found this about Steve:

After his tenure with the Stan Kenton Orchestra he moved to the West Coast in 1954, joining Howard Rumsey, Don Joham and the Lighthouse All-Stars, and was a major influence in West Coast jazz. Though "cool" jazz was common on the West Coast, Levey's crisp, melodic style continued to have more in common with bop than cool, and he inspired every group he ever played in. A right-handed person, Levey played the drums, as if left-handed. Levey has played on thousands of recordings, including those with musicians Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and with bands such as that of Quincy Jones, and Skitch Henderson and The Tonight Show Band.



So, I don't know if the timing fits or if they had any contact, but do you think that Dennis' style of playing was influenced by Levey, maybe through his son showing Dennis some stuff? Dennis did play like he was left-handed, too.

Stan Levey does play on “At My Window,” although that would likely be too late for him to show Dennis anything.

Playing the drums left handed is common among drummers who are self taught. The hi-hat is on the left, so it makes more sense for those who are new to the kit to play it with the left hand. Dennis always switched to right handed drumming when he used the ride, and all his fills lead with the right.

Didn't know that! Cool info





Ok, since I'm not a drummer, I wasn't aware of that. I heard that Dennis learned some drumming at school, so I thought there may have been a connection.

Can definitely confirm ...my daughter is also self taught and plays drums and guitar left handed