The Smiley Smile Message Board

Corrections and additions welcomed as always.

cheers!

Just a thought, I know that Brian did a boatload of demo sessions on new material in 1983, is there any time frame on those and will items like that be added in the future?

If we can get some approximate dates, sure. But right now, "1983" is the best we can do.

While the July 4, 1983 Atlantic City gig was not the last date Dennis played, I've heard that it was the last time all five "core members" played together live.  Did any of the later concert dates include Dennis, Brian, Carl, Mike and Al?

Yep...the Pier 44 gigs in NYC, as well as Costa Mesa, Napa, and perhaps some of the others inbetween.  Carl's statement in the "American Band" docu "It was the last 4th of July gig with the original Beach Boys" was taken by many to mean it was the last gig PERIOD that all of them were at...much like the statement used to promote the Knebworth (1980) gig when it was released on video ("The lsat time all six Beach Boys played together in the UK") was interpreted by some as meaning the same.  People need to LISTEN...

If you're talking about "Black Widow", "In The Nightime", and such, those were Late 1983 (sorry, don't have exact dates) at Lucky Dog Studio in Venice.  There's a great description of Brian's session there in the 8/26/88 issue of BAM.  Although the date is given there as "Late 1984", it's clear from the description of the session that it was actually the previous year, since by late '84 Brian had already demoed lots of stuff and was recording the Steve Levine album with the other guys.  But there were evidently also demo sessions that Brian and Carl held with Gary Mallaber, and those would have been APART from these Lucky Dog sessions, which were just Brian, the engineer, and a drum machine.

Maybe you could quote that description (hint, hint)...

Sure thing...


Aug. 26 '88 issue of BAM (article by Jerry McCulley): 
 
It was Landy who pushed Wilson to record a solo album, and in late 1984 (sic) Landy sent Wilson off to a tiny $15-an-hour demo studio in Venice.  Wayne Erwin, the studio's owner and a veteran L.A. session musician, recalls the strange circumstances surrounding Wilson's visits.  "I got a call from Dr. Landy's office.  'We want to book an afternoon for Brian Wilson to come in and do some taping.'  I said that's fine with me, but I thought it was a put-on.  I said, 'Well are you sure you're calling the right Dog?  'Cause there's another studio down here in Venice called Mad Dog that's at least 24-track.  We're just a little garage setup, strictly demo-city.'  She said, 'That's exactly what we're looking for, so that Brian can come in on this own without all the pressures of working with all these people around him.'
 
So they booked a couple of days later, and I was sitting out there on the porch.  I didn't even know if anybody was gonna show up.  I was sitting out there reading and I see this bearded fella coming tentatively around the corner and he's carrying a DX-7 in a case.  It was just him.  And I thought, 'sh*t, it is Brian Wilson, carrying a synthesizer without even a roadie.'  I thought, well, this is pretty weird.
 
"About two hours into the session it was just so obvious to me that, OK, now this is a whole little experiment where they sent Brian out on his own, carrying his own little keyboard to do his thing.  It was very wacky.  And then halfway though the session Landy came in with a helper."  However, Erwin says Landy's usual ritual during the sessions was to park his car a few feet outside the studio's walls, and call Brian via his car phone to issue instructions or check on Brian's progress.
 
Overall, Erwin has fond memories of the experience.  "When he first started doing his vocal, I didn't have any modern digital reverb.  My reverb was an old spring reverb, the kind they used before they had digital at all.  Definitely low-tech all the way.  He was doing his vocals just dry in the headphones, and then I threw that spring reverb on there, and he stopped and said, 'Aw, that's beautiful.  That's the way it used to sound.'  There were a couple of times that were really touching."

I've wondered for years what the exact date was of my first Beach Boys show in Saratoga Springs. I now see it was June 19th of '83. I was a few weeks away from my sixth birthday. I remember nothing, except for Bruce singing "Disney Girls". That's a title a kid can pick up on. Is there any more info about the show? I can't remember if Denny or Brian were there. I seem to recall my mother saying the next day that the crazy guy wasn't there, so I doubt Brian was present. Any chance of Denny being there? I would like to think I got to see him in person. I probably didn't. Setlists? Anything?

I don't have a review of that show-yet...but I can probably get one without too much trouble...I'll let you know

I didn't see the Seattle show on there from May. The video of it goes around trading circles. Or so I hear.... :p

The person who posted it says the show was May 22 but that clashes with newspaper reviews which place the BBs in Arizona on that day-so I have to check it out- maybe they flew there later that day-but I have a feeling it was a different date than the one listed

I never knew the date myself, just that it was May. Seems like a Friday or Saturday night gig considering how many people are there.

I always thought that the setup of that Seattle show was weird. The group is dead center in what looks like a huge football field, and the audience is real far away. Does anybody know where the show took place? When a few songs were posted on YouTube, a lot of people were saying that it was at the Seattle Kingdom. That can't be right though, because the Kingdom was an indoor stadium.

On Eric's set list archive website, c-man is quoted as saying this about the September 26th show: "One of the last shows Dennis played (they played the same venue the next day, and reportedly Dennis was so disruptive with his drunken shenanigans that they had to shorten the show. Reportedly, he never played with them again).

I was wondering if c-man(or anybody who happens to know) could elaborate on what supposedly happened at the show the next day. I read somewhere that Dennis would throw stuff at the band from backstage untill they let him play. Is that what he did at the show on the 27th? I've just never heard of the band actually canceling a show because of "bad behavior". Even at the 1978 show where Carl fell down drunk, they simply forced him offstage, and continued without him.

I don't know really what happened but I can imagine that he could no longer play a full set. I don't think that would have been a problem unless he wouldn't get off the drum stool and was going too slow. Considering how productive he was in the seventies, what really hits home to me about Dennis really declining is how little music he was writing in his last years.

There've been conflicting reports about the Sept. 26 & 27 shows, even some doubt as to there actually being a show on the 27th.  Ian, have you found reviews for these gigs?  At this point, all I know for sure is there are photos from the gig on the 26th that show the band playing without Dennis (Mike K and Bobby F both on drums), photos of Dennis drumming with Mike K, photos of Dennis drumming with Bobby F, and photos of Dennis stage-front, singing with Billy H, singing with Carl, and doing the line dance with the others during "Barbara Ann" (he and Mike Love are looking right at each other in that one).  This implies Dennis was absent for the first part of the gig, but joined the show later.  Dennis looks terrible in these shots. 

There's also a tape from one of the nights, and Carl introduces Dennis right before "Warmth Of The Sun", saying "That's our drummer, Dennis Wilson, joining us now". 

The report of them cutting the show short because of Dennis' drunken antics comes from a guy who was at the show...it appeared in an issue of the "Dennymania" fanzine in '84.  I'll dig for it when I get the chance.  I figured Dennis was so rowdy and distruptive that rather than cause a scene in front of the audience by having the roadies or security guards haul him off, Carl decided it would be easier to just shorten the show by a song or two. 

There definitely was a show on the 27th - a Beach Boys Stomp reader wrote a review, but he said Dennis wasn't there, something which has been somewhat disproved by photos taken that night. It was long thought that the 26th was the last time Dennis played with the band at all (one song during the encore, "Fun x 3"), but if Carl introduced him prior to "TWOTS", then it has to be the 2nd night, unless they moved the song from 8th on the setlist to the encore. That or the tape isn't from the Pomona shows.

Was that Saratoga show at SPAC? Just curious since I live just a couple hours away from there.
Unfortunately, there's no setlist info for a Saratoga, NY show in 1983 on Eric's site (http://members.tripod.com/~fun_fun_fun/set80s.html).

Yes, it was at SPAC.

Is there any chance you could post a few of those pictures?

I wonder if those are the last photos of Dennis period.

Hmmm...then I wonder if the photos are really from the 27th and not th 26th as the seller on eBay said...from the photos, Dennis is definetly present for several songs, but not the entire show.

I'd really like to...but the seller made it a condition of the sale that they not be reproduced anywhere, including the internet.  :(
So I have to honor that.

This really pisses me off...was the June 11, 1983 Lake Lanier (Georgia) show really one of only three shows that month with no Brian?  Or is that partly from my information earlier?  In other words, is Brian's appearance confirmed when there's no asterisk, or just his non-presence confirmed when there is?

I went up there in great hopes of seeing Brian, but by the time I left I knew that Dennis had been the historic presence.  I've posted about this often, but since it's under discussion, and at risk of being repetitive, here it is again: Dennis was OUT OF IT in Lake Lanier, and the only song I really remember him playing drums on was the opener- "California Girls".  He was just thrashing the drums and caused them to finish much faster than they started.  The whole band seemed strained. After that he pretty much just stumbled around the stage, and croaked out "You Are So Beautiful". His presence was really disruptive, but it was fascinating, and as I've posted before, I told my girlfriend that he wouldn't live out the year. I knew I was seeing the end of an era.

Mike did his "Back In The U.S.S.R." story before they did the song, but at that point he wasn't yet claiming to have co-written the song.

Still got my stub right here by my desk.

I only know when Brian or Dennis was absent when a reviewer mentions it.  Not every show was reviewed and I don't have every review that was done.  Also not every reviewer gave that much detail.  So I can't really say with accuracy every show that Dennis and Brian played or didn't-so just a rough guide to that.  One troubling thing- I do have a long review of the 83 Syracuse show and the reviewer states that Dennis was recovering from a recent surgery and wasn't there.  Other (important in BB circles) people, however, swear that this was Dennis's last regular show -so I guess the reviewer was wrong...

Yes, there was a review (an apparently more accurate one) in ESQ some years back by a fan who was at that show, and a picture the fan took was published, with Dennis clearly in it.  From what I've heard, Denny was in rehab in upstate New York at the time, and was allowed to play with the band at this show. 

From what I've gathered, Dennis and Brian were both absent from all the June '82 shows, Dennis was absent from all of the Sept. '82 shows until they returned to California, Dennis was present at most of the '83 shows until mid-August, and Brian was absent from most '83 shows except the really "high profile" ones.  Also of note, Brian, Dennis and Mike were all absent from the 6/18/83 Cleveland show (but I'd bet my bottom dollar they weren't together...unless Brian was so concerned about Mike's strepp throat that he persuaded his doctor (Landy) to make a house call and take him along, while Dennis and Shawn coincidentally showed up in the hope that a sip from Dennis' jug might cure Mike and he'd be so grateful he'd admit she was his daughter...)
 >:D

Seems like '82 and '83 were spent waiting for Dennis and Brian to die... remember all my phone conversations with Derek Bill and others wondering if either would live out the year... truly a sad time.
Didn't see any concerts that year, and didn't want to. 

When Dennis was "fired" for the last time(August 1983?), was he out of the band for good that time? Or was it just going to be untill he cleaned up his act again?

Undoubtedly if he'd cleaned up, they would have let him back in.  I'm sure by that point they'd pretty much had it, but he was family and one of the founding members, so I'm sure they wouldn't let him go permanately.  Right after he died, there was a report in Variety which stated that despite the estrangement from the band at the time of his death, he was scheduled to be on their early '84 tour. 

I was at the June '83 Washington DC show and was amazed how animated Brian was- he was playing piano forcefully, grabbing tambourines and walking out front to harmonize, generally showing a lot of energy in his newly slimmed down state.  Dennis played drums the for almost the whole show, and during one encore number grabbed Brian and started waltzing around the stage with him, the whole band was smiling. They entered the stadium each in a classic car which drove around the edge of the field with waving band members.  They were doing tie in concerts with baseball and soccer games that tour, and the "Tank McNamara" comic strip featured a spoof on a baseball game going into the 15th inning, and the announcer broadcasting the new outfield were the Wilson Brothers.  I remember that as one of their better shows in the '80's.

Too bad the clip of the group doing Runaway at one of these shows isn't on youtube anymore. Both Brian and Dennis seemed to be in great spirits, with Bruce Johnston being flabbergasted at Brian even doing some dancing on stage. His appearance must've seemed like a major miracle to those around him.

When exactly was the press conference announcing that Dennis died? I'm talking about the clip that was in the Endless Harmony/American Band documentaries.

I think it was a couple of days or so after his death.  When he died, it was all over the news.  The conference was to announce that the Boys were going to be carrying on, but would be cancelling some shows in early '84 for a period of mourning. 

I remember seeing the press conference on MTV.

Was there more of that press conference that was broadcast on TV, or just the same clip we've all seen?

So what would happen if you did post them? Does the seller get to take them back?

Are there any available 1983 concert pictures of Dennis that CAN be posted here?

Well, I guess the seller could sue him.

I have on DVD a news broadcast from around 1993, talking about the Good Vibrations box set. Near the end, there is a brief film clip of Dennis sitting in a red convertable. Judging my Dennis's appearence, I'd assume that it comes from 1983. Does anybody have any information on it?

If he has a beard and no shirt, it's probably San Diego May '83.  If he has no beard and a shirt, it's probably Seattle May '83.

Or I could get banned from eBay for violating the terms & conditions of a sale.

To reply to some earlier discussions- I checked the Seattle Times and the BBs were indeed at the Kingdome in Seattle on May 22 1983 after a Mariners baseball game. All six members were there and that is the show that can be found on Youtube.  The review -with photos-is in the May 23 Seattle Times.  Turns out the Arizona app was on May 21 (it was a two day fest-but BBs only played first day).  Carl was back in Seattle a month later (June 22) for a solo show at Parkers-to support his 2nd album.  This is all updated and correct now at Bellagio.  We also found and added a few more assorted shows to 1968, 1980, 1981, 1982 as well... I found a nice story about the BBs Feb 20 1982 app at BYU in Provo.  Being a Mormon institution, smoking is a big no-no, but BW ignored all the angry glares and chain smoked a few packs on stage anyways.  Exact quote "Other members of the BBs group tried to get Wilson to stop smoking during the concert and even took his cigarettes away from him.  But...the piano player found more cigarettes during a break and continued smoking in front of the 17,000 students" Amusing

Hi Ian. Whats the link to the youtube Kingdome show?

Wow...was there any backlash afterwards?

well....The story made the Deseret News and the school was not happy about it-the band issued an apology

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FegOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U4MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6567,6747095&dq=beach+boys+smoking

I believed this appearance is mentioned in Brian's "autobiography". 

Oh wow... can't say I blame them.

God bless Brian Wilson. Sticking it to the Man Up Above.

Unfortunately-like many clips that were up before-the Seattle 83 clips appear to no longer be available on Youtube.  Filming looks professionally done-rather than by a fan...but not sure about who filmed it-is it possible that the American Band documentary folks were filming it?

I am pretty confused about that Seattle Kingdome show now. I am a huge hardcore fan of The Who. I have a dvd of them taken at a concert in 1982 at what is called the Kingdome. Now, this show has been talked about in books, and it is common knowledge among who fans and "experts" that this 1982 show was at the Seattle Kingdome. The problem is, the "Kingdome" that The Who played was an indoor building, and looks nothing like the football field that The Beach Boys played. I'm not saying you're wrong Ian, but obviously there is a big discrepency about this issue. Where there two different Seattle Kingdome's?

Jay -- It is the same Kingdome regardless of how it looks in the Who video and how it looks in the BB video.  It could be how the two different shows were shot that gives them a different appearance.  But I'm absolutely positive the May, 1983 Seattle show was at the Kingdome.  I have the full show on DVD.

The arena was the site of both the Mariners and the Seahawks.  It was an indoor, air-pressure inflated building much like the Metrodome in Minneapolis or the old Hoosier Dome (I think it was called) in Indianapolis.  I've never seen the Who video so I can't make any comparisons personally.  Your assurance (Kingdome) is good enough for me.

In my dvd of The Who at the Kingdome, Pete Townshend sarcastically calls the building a "fishtank". I'm not sure what that means....

I have a good friend named Galen that was at the Provo Utah show..His 1st BB show..School was not amused by BW antics..!

I have both Stones shows at the Kingdome from 1981 and it is the same stadium like the one the Beach Boys played.