Going into detail on this would take too much time, but I can say over the past 15 years I have had the privilege of hearing and seeing a great many things that were either unreleased and unbooted at the time, and/or still are. I guess getting to help sift through the POB and Bambu and other DW solo multi-tracks is a highlight for sure. But also, thanks to people like Ed Roach, Alan Boyd, David Marks, Howie Edelson, Tom Murphy, John Hanlon, James Guercio, Gregg Jakobson, Garby Leon, Carl B Wilson, Matt O Casey, Craig Slowinski, Klay, Klaas and many others I've gotten to hear and see some things I'd never have without them. So thanks, you know who you are.

Have you tried calling her, AGD? Might be more successful than creating threads online.

I'm sure she doesn't give two shits about the likes of AGD.  She's got far more significant people and projects to tend to.

Far more gullible people.

Belligerent ?

Where, exactly ?

If I were Carol Kaye I would find the following quite challenging and confrontational. It's belligerant in the sense that you come across somewhat like a prize fighter goading his opponent into the ring:

So, to settle this once and for all, I call on her to post this contract on her site - or here - and prove her claim, and prove me wrong

It strikes me that historical inaccuracy seems to be one of your biggest bugbears.

Well...yes. When one is an historian that tends to be the case.

Does one also value context too?

f*** yes. That's why I care deeply about setting the record straight regarding who really played on the records... precisely because it enhances context while loving the music.

Belligerent ?

Where, exactly ?

If I were Carol Kaye I would find the following quite challenging and confrontational. It's belligerant in the sense that you come across somewhat like a prize fighter goading his opponent into the ring:

So, to settle this once and for all, I call on her to post this contract on her site - or here - and prove her claim, and prove me wrong

It strikes me that historical inaccuracy seems to be one of your biggest bugbears.

Well...yes. When one is an historian that tends to be the case.

It would be one thing if Carol Kaye was just claiming "Surfing USA". But she is notorious for claiming to have played on records that she either didn't play on or work that ended up not being used ('Good Vibrations' being a good example. Unless my eyes deceive me, according to the GV session credits in the Smile box, none of her work ended up on the master recording.) Her early Motown claims are notorious and have been disproved by the master tapes with session chatter from the Funk Brothers preceding the released takes. She has also claimed such songs as Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" (Cut in Memphis with Mike Leech on bass), Del Shannon's "Runaway" (Bell Sound Studio in NYC w/Milt Hinton on bass) Dusty Springfield's "Son Of A Preacher Man" ( Memphis with Tommy Cogbill on bass - this one pisses me off the most because it's my favorite bass performance of all time.) "Last Train To Clarksville" by the Monkees (Larry Taylor on bass), the Doors' "Light My Fire" (Larry Knechtel on bass) and many more. She has been confronted with these discrepancies on more than one occasion and her sessionography may have been altered accordingly in the ensuing years (one would hope so). But at one time or another, she has claimed to have played on way too many songs that she wasn't on for her to be let off lightly.  Again, this isn't just about "Surfing USA."

Great post.

I don't get why this is a big deal to keep fighting an old lady.

I'm sorry that more people don't think it's a big deal. No matter how old, or how talented, or how crazy, or how whatever Carol is, her claim about SUSA disrespects and diminishes the Beach Boys as musicians on their own iconic hit record that was recorded a year before she played on her first Beach Boys session. She is essentially saying that on Surfin USA, the record that gave the Beach Boys their first massive hit, Carl is not playing the lead guitar, that I'm sure at 16 he worked very hard on and was very proud of, and David is not playing the rhythm that at 14 he performed brilliantly. She's taking credit AWAY from the people who made the music, and you'd be surprised at how many people buy her claim. I've had so many people tell me that it's her and Billy Strange on the record, as if I needed to be educated about it. Where do you think these people get that erroneous point of view from?  From her constant reminder to people that it's not the Beach Boys on that record even though it is. I'm happy AGD will call her out on it, not much upside for him, he'll get told he's on a fool's errand going after an old lady, and that no one cares, and that he's disrespecting a legend etc... The ONLY upside is that he's fighting for what is right and what is true.

It's A New Day was pitched by Dennis and Stan Shapiro for a Shampoo or Deodorant commercial. I doubt he ever thought of it as a potential Beach Boys song. And I think it may have been Blondie's first BB's related session.

Is it true that they were threatened with defenestration when they pitched it?

I think the amount of $$ Dennis asked for led to something like that.

I would think Dennis and Mike had some respect for each other's talent and so they collaborated with each other. And don't forget Dennis had Mike do the vocal on "All I Want to Do," even though it would have suited Dennis well, too. Af course, Dennis chose to handle the tag on that one.  

"Sound of Free" was released in Europe only, right? It's too bad it didn't come out in the U.S. (before Made in California). Obviously I'm a big fan of the song.

As for their personal relationships, I have to think that up until the airport tarmac blowup in 1977 that there were still good moments. The  Timothy White book describes a 1976 session where Brian (and presumably Timothy White) walked in on a very friendly conversation between Dennis, Mike and Stan. That's where Dennis said how much he loved "The Wiz" on Broadway.

If I'm not mistaken,  Dennis collaborated with Mike more than any other Beach Boy!

He collaborated with Carl more than any other Beach Boy. Dennis' co-writing credits with Carl include...Friends, When A Man Needs A Woman, It's About Time, Barnyard Blues, River Song, Rainbows...and some would add Holy Man. Wirestone is right that he also collaborated with Brian quite a bit, but in a different way.

Jon - by chance, is anything known about what Dennis' songwriting contributions were to the songs Friends and When A Man Needs A Woman? Wondering if its known if his contributions went beyond writing drum parts on those tunes.

I'd never heard that his co-credits on the Friends songs had to do with drum parts. With the song Friends i know he contributed to the vocal arrangement and I'd bet it was the buildup aaaaaahhhhhhh, but I have no specifics on either. It would be a great thing to learn about, but I've found that when you ask Al he doesn't remember, Brian might.

Mr. Stebbins, might I ask again for the location of that Jack Reilly quote that you mentioned? You made me curious.

I paraphrase in the Beach Boys FAQ book, but I'm blanking on the source at the moment. Maybe in the In Concert book files I will find it. It was def out there.

I own both books - which chapter in the FAQ?

The paraphrase is on page 125 but the actual quote is even more biting than that. I'm looking for it.

My mind is being blown by the Pom Pom Play Girl instrumental version and instrumental + backing vocals only version. So good. I didn't realize that Mike was on this track on sax until reading the liners. Was this the last time Mike played a sax on a BB song?

No...that's probably "Carl's Big Chance" (aka "Memphis Beach"), as pointed out in Issue 105 of ESQ. But he also plays it on "Louie Louie" and "Shut Down Part 2" from the same album.

I love to repeat the story about why Mike stopped playing the sax. When asked at some point Mike's reason was that the group's road manager Ron Swallow had lost the sax, and Mike never got another one. When I mentioned this to Ron Swallow during an interview back in 2008 he laughed really hard, said that's probably not true, and that Mike hated to practice playing it. Swallow then gave the great quote..."But if he want's to give me credit for ending his career as a sax player I'll gladly take it."

Has anyone heard It's A New Day?

I know this question was asked over a year ago, but I thought I'd throw in a little tidbit...

"It's A New Day" actually made its public debut on the fan-made tribute compilations Net Sounds IV around 2003 or 2004. It's pretty much the same story as "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" on that other album: the performers never actually heard the song at the time they recorded it; they were working off of sheet music, in this case provided by Adam Webb, who found it when he was researching his Dennis book. One of the performers is a known Dennis aficianado, so Webb contacted him, said "I have this sheet music for an unreleased Dennis song. I can't read music, and I'd like to know how this sounds. Can you record a demo of it for me?" And so these guys did so and, IMHO, it's way better than the Blondie-sung version. They did an amazing job of channeling Dennis.

It's A New Day was pitched by Dennis and Stan Shapiro for a Shampoo or Deodorant commercial. I doubt he ever thought of it as a potential Beach Boys song. And I think it may have been Blondie's first BB's related session.

Mr. Stebbins, might I ask again for the location of that Jack Reilly quote that you mentioned? You made me curious.

I paraphrase in the Beach Boys FAQ book, but I'm blanking on the source at the moment. Maybe in the In Concert book files I will find it. It was def out there.

I would think Dennis and Mike had some respect for each other's talent and so they collaborated with each other. And don't forget Dennis had Mike do the vocal on "All I Want to Do," even though it would have suited Dennis well, too. Af course, Dennis chose to handle the tag on that one.  

"Sound of Free" was released in Europe only, right? It's too bad it didn't come out in the U.S. (before Made in California). Obviously I'm a big fan of the song.

As for their personal relationships, I have to think that up until the airport tarmac blowup in 1977 that there were still good moments. The  Timothy White book describes a 1976 session where Brian (and presumably Timothy White) walked in on a very friendly conversation between Dennis, Mike and Stan. That's where Dennis said how much he loved "The Wiz" on Broadway.

If I'm not mistaken,  Dennis collaborated with Mike more than any other Beach Boy!

He collaborated with Carl more than any other Beach Boy. Dennis' co-writing credits with Carl include...Friends, When A Man Needs A Woman, It's About Time, Barnyard Blues, River Song, Rainbows...and some would add Holy Man. Wirestone is right that he also collaborated with Brian quite a bit, but in a different way.

Does anyone know if a multritrack recording of one of the live versions of Barbara or I've Got A Friend exists? If so, they could maybe fly the vocals of I've Got A Friend in on the studio backing track.

Regarding IGAF ...Nope. Just a mono radio broadcast of a live performance that is not great quality, and an even worse audience recording of another. That it as far as i know.

Hmm....okay, I know it's sacrilege to ask this, but...in the "Denny's Drums" session that's on KAEOS, is that indeed, indisputably 100% for sure Dennis on drums??? Doesn't sound like his style AT ALL. I'm convinced it's Dennis on the actual final album release (too many mistakes not to be!), but this just sounds too....jazzy, I guess.

Ask Stebbins - he's heard the original multi tracks. 

From my recollection there is audio evidence on the session tapes that Dennis is playing multiple takes, and no evidence that he is not playing others. The arrangement is evolving as the session continues along. C-Man's session credits concur with what I heard, that it's Dennis throughout. I know he studied this session in a more thorough way than I did. Regarding "jazzy"...Dennis stated back in that time that he was a fan of Louis Bellson. Perhaps he copped some riffs. I can imitate Jimi Hendrix on the guitar for about 10 seconds.

I much prefer the alternate mix with Dennis' single tracked vocal. The double tracking on the Today version lessens the immediacy and natural appeal of Dennis' voice IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Q8gMdFgfU

The template on Wikipedia divides the group by founders and alternating members, not 'core' members and 'not core' members.

That caveat must be Beach Boys specific, Ringo was not a founding member of the Beatles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:The_Beatles

Absolutely Bruce and Dave should be on the first line, bolded line, whatever. Not counting them as "core" members is a joke. Dave is on the monument because the Wilson family considers him a founder., as Brian once said to me..."he was there before there was a there"... and was in the band when they went from local garage band to the biggest rock band in America, he's on a bunch of their iconic hits. Bruce as stated above was on the classic Summer Days/Pet Sounds and Sunflower era releases, and his tenure with the band spans nearly everything other than the '61 through '64 stuff.  I think anyone who understands the Beach Boys knows there are seven "core" Beach Boys or in a way "original" Beach Boys. Blondie and Ricky were fantastic, and are the only other people that can be considered "official" Beach Boys, but I can see separating them from the other 7 due to the relatively limited scope and perhaps less than iconic result of their tenure. I mean i love Holland, but it doesn't have the historical weight of Surfin USA or Pet Sounds, which are both definitive in the history of rock music.

Matt's correct in that it is the same exact track as the 2008 version with Taylor Hawkins on lead vocal...only difference is Brian May and Roger Taylor remixed it, added huge Queen style harmonies, and some May guitar tracks. I've heard it a few times, it's definitely different. IMO it takes the song away from the laid back west-coast/Holland style vibe, and gives it more of a prog rock sheen. The Queen version, known as the  "London mix" wasn't ready in time to be added to the POB/Bambu Legacy edition CD set...and since then it's kind of languished, with some folks trying to find a place to release it, and others not sure if it's something Dennis would have liked. I think the 2008 version was so well-received despite many people's initial reservation about Hawkins singing on a Dennis track, it has settled into the canon of DW songs really comfortably, and is now accepted as a legitimate presentation of a great Dennis song. The Queen version might not fit in so seamlessly.

I have boot recording of "I've Got A Friend" where Mike introduces it as "one of the best songs I've ever heard in my life"

Sounds extremely resentful to me, huh?

I have interviews with Dennis' wives and closest friends who describe him as clean and sober during a time... in the '70's.

Like anything, one moment or one comment or one quote does not give you the full picture.

considering that Mike always seemed to resent Dennis' material

I'm not trying to start a new Brian fans vs. Mike fans debate here, but - did Mike always resent Dennis' material? I haven't observed that in any statement of Mike's or anybody else's, but maybe I just haven't paid close attention, I'm only human. Mike certainly did resent Dennis' drug use and certain onstage behavior!

There is a very pointed Jack Reiley quote about the level of resentment that Dennis faced from members of the band not named Wilson. Also a very direct Daryl Dragon quote. Al Jardine of course has made the same point many times, that Dennis was not appreciated. None that i can think of specifically call out Mike.

Happy Birthday Dennis. The music you gave us will always be loved by those who connect with it's deep beauty and spiritual purity.

Nice to see that eight of these tracks are sourced from the Beach Boys multi-track reels I had a hand in discovering back in 2008, and so cool that the fans will get to hear more of those session outtakes and awesome stereo versions. Also really stoked about C-Man's informative sessionography. Please use this to settle any arguments about who played on what.

For anyone who doesn't know the back story on the Shut Down Vol 2 tapes I sort of "found" back in 2009, here's a local article on the story... http://www.newtimesslo.com/cover/3164/the-reel-deal/

Jon - Didn't there end up being a little more to the story as to how the tapes went missing?  Were any of the other reels located?

I think, as Alan Boyd alludes to in the article, that back in '64 the Beach Boys might have discarded what were considered "work tapes" after they'd cut the master of each track and transferred it to a master reel. So the multi-tracks of the works in progress tracks weren't considered anything usable at that time, and therefore may have been discarded. But we'll never know, other than the guy (and his brother) that originally had them lived in the South Bay during the '60's, so proximity is key I guess. I heard a rumor about more tapes but can't confirm.

Nice to see that eight of these tracks are sourced from the Beach Boys multi-track reels I had a hand in discovering back in 2008, and so cool that the fans will get to hear more of those session outtakes and awesome stereo versions. Also really stoked about C-Man's informative sessionography. Please use this to settle any arguments about who played on what.

For anyone who doesn't know the back story on the Shut Down Vol 2 tapes I sort of "found" back in 2009, here's a local article on the story... http://www.newtimesslo.com/cover/3164/the-reel-deal/

Good Timing was tracked, at least basic tracks, earlier than the official album sessions, right?

The basic track was cut in the fall of '74 at Caribou with Brian (keyboard), Carl (guitar), Dennis (drums) and Jim Guercio (bass). Brian and Carl later overdubbed more keyboard and guitar most likely at Brother. A Carl lead vocal and Bruce harmony arrangement, plus Bruce keyboards were added in '78 to create the L.A. Light version. Thanks to C-Man and Jim Guercio for the info.