I had an opportunity speak with Al recently about the rerelease of A Postcard from California

Below is a link to the article on my website (becomingthebeachboys.com). I hope you enjoy it!

https://becomingthebeachboys.com/2022/12/26/al-jardines-a-postcard-from-california/

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Lewis for two episodes on his terrific The Beach Boys Basement youtube channel.

Here is a link to Part One. Part Two will drop next Thursday. If the spirit moves you, please leave a comment or question.

Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy it. And, yes, I was fully caffeinated. Just wind me up and  . . . .

Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoRAYI9YPEI

I recently posted THE BEACH BOYS' PERSONAL APPEARANCES, 1961-1963, on becomingthebeachboys.com, the companion website to my book Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963. There is also an accompanying story that sets it up for the novice, the curious, or the casual fan (you'll see the link).

The main entry includes a chronological listing of every known (so far) personal appearance the Beach Boys made between 1961 and 1963, and features images of the venues, tickets, handbills, posters, programs, stage photos, advertisements, autographed items, and other pertinent memorabilia, much of it from my personal collection. Click on the image to see it in a larger view.  The vast majority of these images did not make it into the book because of space restrictions and the financial realities of the publishing industry.  I am happy they have found a new home where they can be shared with fans and admirers of the band.  Labor of love does not begin to describe it.  I hope you enjoy it.  Let me know what you think.

Here's the link to THE BEACH BOYS' PERSONAL APPEARANCES, 1961-1963.

https://becomingthebeachboys.com/the-beach-boys-personal-appearances-1961-1963/

Russ Regan passed away May 27, 2018.

I spoke with Russ several times while I researched and wrote Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 (see Chapter 10 "Call Them the Beach Boys"-- Russ Reagan"). Russ was one of the kindest, most considerate, and most generous people I interviewed for the book.  He always made time to speak with me, never once asked me to call him another time.  He loved the idea and the concept of the book, and was extremely supportive of it being published.  He was so thrilled and proud of his role in the Beach Boys story, and just loved the guys and Audree and Murry, and their music.  Once Russ spoke with me for half an hour as he drove to some music-related appointment.  As most of you know, Russ was legendary in the music industry -- Elton John, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Diamond, Barry White, just to name a few. He had a great speaking voice, full of warmth and generosity and friendship.  I had wanted to include a photograph of Russ in my book, and I pressed him for a photograph of himself circa late 1950s or early 1960s.  I wanted to give readers a better sense of what Russ looked like at the time he met the Beach Boys, as I had done with Hite and Dorinda Morgan, the Dix brothers, Frank Hogan, Nick Venet, Gary Usher, Bill Angel, Joe Saraceno, Herb Newman, World Pacific studio, David McClellan, Vickie Kocher (Hale), Jodi Gable, and Judy Bowles. Unfortunately, an era-appropriate photo never materialized, and Internet photos did not meet the publisher's requirements.  I regret that very much.  If I have the opportunity to do a second edition, I will rectify that somehow and ensure a photograph of Russ is included.

Rest in peace Russ, and thank you for all your contributions to American popular music.

I have four (4) extra tickets to Al's solo show at the Ram's Head in Annapolis, MD.  If you are interested, please personal message me through the board. Thanks!

Ken Sharp’s long-awaited new book Dreamer: The Making of Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue is now available for pre-order.

The book is available in soft-cover for $35 plus shipping and in a very limited signed hardcover edition for $55 plus shipping. The book will only be available directly from Ken and you can order your copy by emailing him at sharpk@aol.com

From Ken: “40 years since its initial release, Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue, the first solo album by a member of the Beach Boys, is widely regarded as a cult masterpiece, a stark confessional vehicle of naked primal emotion and deep pain. Dreamer: The Making of Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue is the first book devoted to the creation of this seminal rock and roll classic.”

“Via extensive interviews conducted with many of the record’s main principals numbering songwriting collaborators, engineers, session musicians, record company personnel, management, fellow Beach Boys, friends, family, music writers and more, the 416-page book is structured as an oral history and chronicles the fascinating back story behind this extraordinary album. Decades on, the album is eliciting retroactive praise and accolades with the 2008 CD reissue selected by the likes of Rolling Stone, Mojo and Uncut as reissue of the year.”

Apart from being a great all-around guy and tremendously talented writer and singer-songwriter (check out his music on his website (www.ken-sharp.com), Ken is one of the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic Beach Boys fans I have ever met. I did not know Ken while I was researching and writing Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963. But I certainly knew of Ken. He was hard to miss. His name kept coming up time after time after time. In Goldmine, Record Collector, Rock Cellar. His superb rock journalism and insightful interviews with the Boys were consumed, re-consumed, cross-referenced, scribbled on index cards, scrawled across dry erase boards, appreciated, and generously quoted (and footnoted).

I recall thinking, “If I ever meet this guy Ken Sharp, I have got to thank him for these essential, ground-breaking interviews.” He always asked the right questions. Well, I think it was a week or two after Becoming was published when I got the first nibble of interest. The phone rang and it was Ken. He could not have been kinder or more enthusiastic about the book. Writing can be a lonely, solitary road, and you’re never quite sure if you have anything worthwhile. Ken was such a contagious shot of literary/music adrenalin, and we spoke for a long time about the Boys, the early days, and music. We finished speaking and arranged a time for a follow-up interview that appeared in Goldmine. When I hung up the phone, I remember feeling the first hint, after nine years, that maybe I had written something worth contributing to the Beach Boys story. It was a great, gratifying feeling. So, thank you, Ken. You may never fully know how much that meant to me.

And SOON . . .we will be reading and enjoying Ken’s Dreamer: The Making of Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue. What a terrific gift for every Beach Boys and Dennis Wilson fan. 416 pages dedicated to Dennis’ stunning debut. Make room on your bookshelf.

I worked on Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963, for eight years because my only goal was to get it right. At least as right as I could. During those eight years, nearly a day never went by when I did not consult Bellagio 10452. It is a monumental achievement and remains, through the painstaking care, dedication, and ongoing research of Beach Boys' historians, notably Andrew, Ian, Craig, and Alan, the premiere source of scholarly Beach Boys research on the web. Kudos to David and Lee for providing a home for this invaluable resource. I didn't care then, and I don't care now, that some people were offended by the site hosts. For the same reason I do not care about the human foibles of the individual band members and who may have or may not have, to borrow a phrase from one of the more inane myopic threads on this board, "damaged  the brand." It's about the music these guys created. I'm a glass half full kind of guy. And the glass of Beach Boys music is always overflowing.   

Adult Child
As Jon and Ian pointed out, if you continue the Day in the Life thread, please cross reference every entry with more reputable sources than Badham's beautifully-produced, but deeply flawed book. It has, of course, lots of good stuff, accurate stuff, but it is frustratingly flawed in its hundreds of errors and omissions.     

"Even when it comes to his father, Murray Wilson, who also happened to be the first manager of The Beach Boys and the man who deafened Wilson with his fist, Brian Wilson doesn’t mull over his misfortunes."

But in his book Brian writes, "When I was out playing in my neighborhood, between my house and another, a kid hit me in the head with a lead pipe.  His name was Seymour, I think, either his first or last.  The feeling was just shock at first, but the next day I realized I couldn't hear as well out of my right ear."   

 

Here's a link to an interview I did recently with Tony Basilio on The Tony Basilio Show in which we discuss Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963 (McFarland Books, 2015) and Becoming the Beach Boys: The Complete Hite & Dorinda Morgan Sessions (Omnivore Recordings, 2016).


https://bbbjmurphy.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/2016-07-08-tony-basilio-with-james-b-murphy-becoming-the-beach-boys.mp3

Becoming the Beach Boys: The Complete Hite & Dorinda Morgan Sessions are indeed the complete Hite and Dorinda Morgan sessions.  Every second of every tape. 

As Craig astutely pointed put, any appearance of "missing takes" is because they either never existed in the first place or they simply no longer exist -- erased, taped over, skipped. 

Becoming the Beach Boys: The Complete Hite & Dorinda Morgan Sessions is a beautiful 2 CD set -- a tri-fold digipack with a twenty-page booklet with color photographs.  I hope Beach Boys fans appreciate the diligence, perseverance, and creativity Brad Rosenberger and his team at Omnivore Recordings poured into this package.  As Mikie pointed out, referencing the Coda in my book (The Hite Morgan Tapes--Discovery, Illumination and Litigation) that examines the decades of litigation and legal entanglements ensnaring the tapes, suffice it to say that releasing this package was no easy task.  The tracks were remastered from the original tapes by Mark Linett, Alan Boyd weighed in with his unparalleled knowledge of the Beach Boys, and I had the honor to write the liner notes based on my book Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963.  These folks, myself included, of course, care deeply about preserving the Beach Boys' musical legacy.  And not just preserving it, but getting it right.  As right as anyone can in 2016.  That these historic recordings are being released in a physical format, given the changes and financial constraints in the music business, well, that just flirts with the miraculous. 

The extension of "Becoming" from the book to the CD set was a purposeful decision by Brad Rosenberger.  This is all of the band's earliest recordings, even as they called themselves the Pendletones, compiled, remastered, and sequenced thoughtfully into a musical and historical document detailing, through music and words, how five boys from California formed America's greatest band on the way to becoming the Beach Boys.     

"Here in these seminal recordings are the nascent Beach Boys, the premiere vocal group of American popular music, and this is where it all began."

. . . . the ever insightful Ken Sharp has interviewed Marilyn and Ginger about their days as the Honeys and working with Brian.

Here's the link:

http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2016/06/07/qa-interview-the-honeys-marilyn-willson-ginger-blake-beach-boys-brian-wilson/#sthash.pVfZiKba.dpbs

As one of her heroes was Robert Francis Kennedy, perhaps this insight from the Greek poet Aeschylus, which Bobby Kennedy admired, may bring some small measure of comfort.

"Even in our sleep, pain, which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes Wisdom from the awful grace of God."

Rest in Peace, Eva Lois Easton-Leaf.  And may God welcome you home, surrounding you in His eternal love.

I really enjoyed reading that.  He's such a sweet soul.  Thanks, Howie!

I consulted bellagio nearly every day while I was researching and writing Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963. 

It is, without question, the finest resource in the world for anyone interested in learning more about the band and the breadth of their incredible career. 

That Ian and Andrew continue to fine-tune and improve it, is truly a gift -- to everyone who loves the band, and to the Beach Boys and their unparalleled musical legacy.   

Thanks Rocker for sharing that link -- very cool to see the former Azusa Teen Club!

Thanks Smilin Ed H for the post!

 joe-blow, I hope you received the book, thanks for your support, I hope you enjoy it. 

Thanks for posting the ticket stub, Cam.  The ticket stub attributed to me is just something I came across on eBay, noticed the date, thought Hmm?, and shared it with Ian and Andrew. It is a different stub than yours -- it is for Section D, Row A, Seat 1 -- and not nearly as nice as yours as it is torn in a less desirable manner -- "--ACH BOYS" and the "American" is missing before "Productions." 

Good catch, Lee, on the "American Productions" and excellent idea about contacting Fred, one of the nicest, most generous guys in Beach Boys world. Would you like to contact Fred, Ian? If you cannot right now, let me know and I'd be happy to call him.  We are also both huge Marty Robbins fans, so I always enjoy talking with Fred.     

I've read this thread with great interest because, after spending eight years writing Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963, I imagine I am one of those who believes historical accuracy matters. In fact, it was the maddening lack of a cohesive narrative of their early history that prompted me to begin researching and writing the book. My Dad used to say, "If something was worth doing, it was worth doing right." History is like that. Now, grant it, this level of attention to detail in the pursuit of accuracy, may not be for everyone. It doesn't have to be. I've had friends and family, after reading my book, tell me, "Good Gawd, did I have to know about matrix and delta numbers, and dead wax?" Probably not. But they do play a role in the story.

But the main reason I have followed this thread is because I enjoy Ian's and Andrew's research and analytical discussion of new information. Although my book ended in 1963, my interest does not. The scope of their research is so vast, essentially the band's entire ongoing career, and I enjoy reading about their discovery of new facts shedding light on old myths. Especially the pivotal moment in the band's career being discussed presently. There is a real value in setting the record straight while these events are only fifty odd years in the past. And, long after the band, and those who documented their history, have danced off this Earth, the books will be all that is left for future generations to study as they enjoy the incredible musical catalog of the band we had the honor and privilege to see and hear in our lifetimes.

The guys themselves have said so many things over the years that invite gossipy speculation. So, if someone is intrigued by one of these juicy tidbits, so be it. Personally, I have no interest in their private lives. My life intersected with the Beach Boys through their music, which has brought me an inordinate amount of joy and happiness. I look at it like this -- They have their lives and I have mine. I wish them all the best, of course, and lives of happiness and fulfillment. Certainly they deserve that in exchange for all they have given the world. And whether they make new music or release archival material, I know and care so much about their history, and their body of work, that I will always enjoy hearing each new release.  

To borrow one of Dennis's song titles, the Beach Boys music has been my constant companion. And, for me, that's enough.  

Thanks Custom Machine!  I consulted Brad Elliott's Surf's Up! which lists July, but perhaps there was a later correction.  In either case, releasing the promo tape about seven months before the album certainly did not help sales of the LP and, unfortunately, did very little for the the lead-off single.

Chris -- I would imagine it was the standard promotional copy of the single and, to the best of my knowledge, since one has never surfaced, unlikely there was a promotional only picture sleeve.   

The letter from United Artists states, "There will be an album shortly, while the single, "Now That Everything's Been Said," from the LP is enclosed."  That lead-off single was released October 20, 1971, while the album did not come out until July 1972.  The tape was reportedly recorded early in the morning of October 9, 1971; begging the question as to exactly when was the tape and its contents sent to radio stations.  My guess would be late October or early November 1971 -- quite a bit of time before the album was released.

Thanks for posting the Spring album press kit.  I hadn't seen one of those.   

Thanks Alan for finding that and posting the link, and thanks Chis for sharing it originally. 

Was the original 20-page booklet also re-produced by Greg Shaw?  I imagine finding an original booklet, or a complete set of the tape, box, booklet, and letter (and, apparently, a copy of the "Now That Everything's Been Said") might be close to impossible to find without taking out a second mortgage.. 

A cool recent acquisition for me was an acetate of the withdrawn U.S. copy of the "School Days" 45 rpm on Caribou/Epic dated July 31, 1980.

But don't let him fool ya' . . . Chris gets most of the really cool stuff.  Holland from Germany, anyone?

I have one of these, but without what appears to be a booklet (with the BW & VDP quote on the cover) and I was unaware that it came with a letter, but that makes sense since it was a promo for radio stations.

I paid $148 in December 2012, but my copy is not in the relatively good condition as the one currently offered.  The hinge along one side of the box has also separated on my copy.  The back of my box has a large circular spot of water damage (someone apparently used it as a coaster for their 128 ounce beverage  ) and some slight resultant mold.  The front cover and photo are in pretty decent shape, as is the actual tape. I do wish I had the insert (booklet?) and promo letter, but . . . .    

I do not believe the seller will have anyone nibbling at it for $1,800, and any Best Offer would probably be considered offensively low. But is is definitely a rare piece of Beach Boys memorabilia and you do not see it offered very often. But it is not nearly as rare, imho, as the the stock and promo copies of "The Surfer Moon" by Bob & Sheri on Safari 101.  It would be interesting to know how many of those survived.

So, I'm sitting down with my first cup of coffee this dreary Maryland morning, perusing the Board, and my eye catches a post about In Concert. 

Well, that is my favorite period of the Boys' career (apart from, well, you know . . . ), so I click on and see the inquiry from The_Beach.  Great question!  Yeah, I'd like to know that, too.

I'm not sure if that information is available or where one would even begin to look for it.  Then, a short time later -- a mere 2 hours, 12.5 minutes, and 45 seconds, to be precise -- there's the answer.  Clear, concise, neatly presented, easy to print out, and opening the door to oh so many fantastic possibilities. 

And my very next thought is, "This Board is, quite frankly, amazing.  A fairly complicated question gets a thorough, authoritative response in about two hours. It's like having your very own Beach Boys History Hotline.  Where else could that happen?"

So, thank you C-Man for always raising the bar on this Board's potential and magic.

And thank you, Andrew, for the added bonus . . . two new favorite words . . . .fuckwittery and shitweasledom.  But the night is so young.   

         

"On April 21, the group taped an appearance on The Red Skelton Hour at CBS Television City in LA, performing “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “The Things We Did Last Summer.” Skelton was a jazz aficionado, but saw the appeal that rock ‘n’ roll performers held for a younger audience. This would be the Beach Boys’ first appearance on national television, but it would not air until September 24, the season opener for Skelton’s thirteenth year. It did little to promote “Surfin’ U.S.A.” which was long gone from the charts by then.

At a faux beach party setting without amplifiers or microphones, the guys lip synced their way through “Surfin’ U.S.A.” while a dozen older-looking “teens” in beach attire grooved to the music. Brian played his dark Fender Precision Bass, Marks his Sunburst Fender Stratocaster, and Carl his new Olympic White Fender Jaguar.

The Beach Boys’ national television debut is as memorable for the vintage performance as for the outfits the CBS wardrobe department selected for them. They were dressed identically in three-quarter length sleeved crew-neck shirts with dark, broad horizontal stripes, and three-quarter length white bell bottom pants known as clam diggers. “They looked like sailors,” recalled Jodi Gable. “I think somebody with the show made them wear those outfits. It wasn’t fashionable even then and I think they felt a little silly at the time.”

They looked awkward and self-conscious, a situation exacerbated by the outfits. Their stage moves had not changed much since their appearance on One Man’s Challenge at the Azusa Teen Club nine months earlier—a synchronized rocking back and forth inspired by The Stroll. Mike at least appeared like he was enjoying himself. But during the guitar solo, he stepped out in front to dance with a young woman, his moves resembling those of an injured rooster flailing about. For their second number, they gathered together without instruments, Brian and Mike sitting in front of the other three standing, and lip synced “The Things We Did Last Summer,” a Top Ten hit for Jo Stafford in 1946 and covered that year by Frank Sinatra. The guys would have known Shelley Fabares’s upbeat version from August 1962, which reached #46. The selection of songs was a shrewd move by Murry. “Surfin’ U.S.A.” hooked the kids while “The Things We Did Last Summer” showcased their beautiful vocals, appealing to an older demographic who remembered the Stafford and Sinatra versions.

“The Things We Did Last Summer” was recorded on the CBS soundstage with the house orchestra. The show’s detailed rehearsal schedule indicated Brian, Mike, and Dennis recorded their vocals from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., while Carl and David recorded their vocals 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. However, David remembered only Brian, Mike, and Carl singing on it, while he and Dennis goofed off somewhere.9 Sometime after the taping, an acetate was made at Hite Morgan’s Stereo Masters. Brian recalled they recorded the song for a movie soundtrack, but it was never used. It was finally released on the Good Vibrations box set in 1993. As part of its marketing campaign to promote the set, Capitol paired “The Things We Did Last Summer” with “Be True to Your School” as a jukebox only single."

from Becoming the Beach Boys Boys, 1961-1963 (McFarland 2015)

NB:  I would be remiss not to point out that End Notes in the actual book, which did not reproduce here, cite these sources: Jon Stebbins, Ian Rusten, David Leaf, and my interview with Jodi Gable.

http://www.popspotsnyc.com/beach_boys_pet_sounds/

57 bids from 8 bidders, one of whom has zero transactions, another just three.  Newbies.  Their inexperience tends to drive up the bidding.  Also, bidding and actually paying are two different things