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Author Topic: The Jon Stebbins Thread  (Read 139788 times)
Jon Stebbins
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« Reply #150 on: September 27, 2008, 12:24:31 PM »

Quick question:
For those who've heard early versions of Holy Man with Carl doing a draft vocal; is the melody similar to the Taylor Hawkins version?
I have heard the version with Carl's brief (non lyrical) vocal ...but it really isn't very revealing regarding melody. The melody is already inherent from Dennis' piano intro as well as the synth parts in the body of the song. Carl and Hawkins both instinctively followed that template. John and Gregg helped Taylor dial it in to a further point than Carl's vocal travels to.
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« Reply #151 on: December 04, 2008, 09:58:22 AM »

Hi Jon - I truly enjoyed reading your book.  I like your writing style. 

I have a million questions but I'll only ask a few:

(1)  I'm not quite sure I understand Dennis' relationship with Karen Lamm.   On one hand I've read that he was deeply in love with her and his decline is somewhat attributed to their breaking up.  But then I read elsewhere that while they were married, he woke up one morning and told her he wanted a divorce.  I also read some place that she signed for the divorce papers when they were delivered, and she was surprised that he had filed for divorce (and he signed "So sorry" at the bottom of the divorce papers.)   Also, do you have a picture we haven't seen yet of Karen in her later years that you can post?  I know you were fond of her and I think she was wise and special.     

(2)  Dennis would have been 64 years old today.  I have a large hypothetical question:  If Dennis were alive today, do you have an opinion on what he might be doing or might have done up until now??  (This is under the premise that he was able to get intervention and be healthy.) 

I miss him and Carl.   

Thank you.
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« Reply #152 on: December 04, 2008, 03:26:58 PM »

From what I've read,  Dennis' relationship with Karen was an extreme roller coaster. Some really high ups and some ugly shouty lows. I've always got the impression that Karen was his true love... then again he probably had 1000 true loves  Evil

Can't wait to read your book Jon. I'm waiting on the revised edition before I read it.
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« Reply #153 on: December 04, 2008, 05:29:34 PM »

Sorry to give such a minimal reply, but i'm packing for a trip and only have minute respond. As Dylz said Karen and Dennis had an extremely volatile relationship. I think the overriding element was passion. Love, hate and everything in between. there is no explaining why two meteors are attracted to each other...but when they collide it usually causes damage to both of them. Karen felt bad in her last days about the things she contributed to Dennis' downfall, and all the bridges she'd burned with his friends. She was good to me, that's for sure.

I just can't comprehend Dennis being around now. I don't think he had a snowball's chance in hell of making to old age, or middle age. He wouldn't be Dennis if he were around today, he'd have to have changed into something else. That doesn't mean it wouldn't have been a better, happier Dennis, maybe it would have been. But truthfully I think he was real lucky to make it to 39.
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« Reply #154 on: December 05, 2008, 06:44:41 AM »

Sorry to give such a minimal reply, but i'm packing for a trip and only have minute respond. As Dylz said Karen and Dennis had an extremely volatile relationship. I think the overriding element was passion. Love, hate and everything in between. there is no explaining why two meteors are attracted to each other...but when they collide it usually causes damage to both of them. Karen felt bad in her last days about the things she contributed to Dennis' downfall, and all the bridges she'd burned with his friends. She was good to me, that's for sure.

I just can't comprehend Dennis being around now. I don't think he had a snowball's chance in hell of making to old age, or middle age. He wouldn't be Dennis if he were around today, he'd have to have changed into something else. That doesn't mean it wouldn't have been a better, happier Dennis, maybe it would have been. But truthfully I think he was real lucky to make it to 39.

Sometimes I wish he would've at least stayed alive until '85. Or if he'd at least not dived into the water that fateful evening and had made it to Jimmy Guercio's place on New Year's '84, where Guercio and Carl were planning an intervention.
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« Reply #155 on: December 17, 2008, 07:31:04 PM »

Aloha Jon - any word about the reissue of "The Real Beach Boy"?
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« Reply #156 on: December 18, 2008, 10:06:59 AM »

Aloha Jon - any word about the reissue of "The Real Beach Boy"?
Thanks for your interest. The revised edition is progressing but the plan for a release this year has obviously been delayed. The main reasons are I've had some other projects pop up that I absolutely had to attend to, jobs help pay the bills, and the DW book in expanded form is still evolving to a point of closure. I'm committed to getting it right, and getting it out to the public as soon as its ready to go...I hope that will be soon. I will post all relevant updates here, and again thanks for showing interest.
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« Reply #157 on: December 18, 2008, 01:49:27 PM »

.
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« Reply #158 on: July 27, 2009, 06:30:40 PM »

Jon, while making a joke in another thread regarding your affinity for David and Dennis, a question occurred to me. I think you'd agree that the majority of your posts pretty strongly defend/praise David and Dennis, about both of whom you have written books. The question that occurred to me is this: was it a result of your research and writing that made your feelings about them so strong, or did strong feelings cause you to write about them? (And obviously, it might be different for each of them; they aren't lumped together.)

If, for example, you were to write a book about Mike Love, could we expect you to be in his corner? I know I'm usually a sarcastic f*cker, but this is a sincere question.
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« Reply #159 on: July 27, 2009, 07:36:14 PM »

Jon, while making a joke in another thread regarding your affinity for David and Dennis, a question occurred to me. I think you'd agree that the majority of your posts pretty strongly defend/praise David and Dennis, about both of whom you have written books. The question that occurred to me is this: was it a result of your research and writing that made your feelings about them so strong, or did strong feelings cause you to write about them? (And obviously, it might be different for each of them; they aren't lumped together.)

If, for example, you were to write a book about Mike Love, could we expect you to be in his corner? I know I'm usually a sarcastic Luther, but this is a sincere question.
Believe it or not, there were a few people who were close to Dennis who felt (back in 2000) upon that book's publication that it had "gone too far" in exposing the darker side of Dennis. According to one...I'd revealed, "too many of his secrets"...those are quotes I will never forget, and I really got slammed by a few pro-Dennis names you'd recognize. These people were in the minority as most of DW's family and friends were very thankful I'd written the book in the way I did. Subsequently many people(maybe you) think of the book as a hagriographic orgy of non-stop Dennis praise, but in the context of the book's release lets just say it took awhile for that opinion to really take hold. Now, to get to the core of your question, writing about Dennis definitely enhanced my respect for him as both a person and an artist. There were more positive things than I'd expected. There was more residual respect for him as a musician and a human being amongst those he'd worked and played with than i would have guessed. Originally I was expecting to be disappointed once the reality of who he really was had pounded into my brain through a couple years of hardcore research, but instead I liked  him more, I had more respect for him, and even became more interested in his life and work.

With David my view of him probably improved even more than it had with Dennis. I went in thinking David was much less than he is. I was completely naive about him as a musician. He's by far the most technically trained and evolved musician out of the BB's. Berklee School of Music, Boston Conservatory, classical training with Vincente Gomez, etc.. etc... He can write music, read music, score music, he is virtuoso on his instrument, his jazz and classical abilities are more than impressive. I thought he was a burn-out surf guitar guy that became a drug addict, but that was just a tiny part of who he is. And then i learned about all his heavy associations after the BB's(Warren Zevon, Leon Russell, Jim Keltner, Mike Curb, Delaney and Bonnie, T-Bone Burnett etc...etc...) I knew none of that. I was blown away by his story. I also had the pleasure of becoming friends with Dave, one of the most ego-less people I know. My kids love him, that's a great sign. So...on both counts my tendency to defend/praise Dave and Dennis is a result of writing and learning about them, and it really gets under my skin when people make assumptions that are off-base...like that David was just a lucky neighbor who had no influence on the BB's genesis or sound, or that he was Al's "fill-in". These often repeated nuggets bug me because they are so untrue, and in Dave's case once upon a time i was one of the guys repeating that kind of crap...(read what i say about him in my Dennis book).

I'd love to write a book about Mike, but he'd have to endorse me and give me carte-blanche. I think it would be an amazing book. It'll never happen. However, my position regarding Mike would definitely evolve, and probably in a positive direction. But maybe not. Just consider this...Mike was probably the villain of my Dennis Wilson book, along with Drugs and Murry...but in the Dave Marks book Mike is the guy who treated David the best out of all of them, and in a way he's a hero in that book.  So my presentation depends on who's story is being told. If I told your story you might be "sincere Luther" as opposed to "sarcastic Luther"...or maybe something in-between.
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« Reply #160 on: July 27, 2009, 07:42:45 PM »

Thanks, Jon, I appreciate the response. It wasn't so much your books' content that I was curious about--I wouldn't question one way or the other your published material on Dennis and David--but your subsequent posting, but I think you answered that as well.

Frankly, I believe (maybe incorrectly) that the more anyone really, truly digs into anyone, the more he finds that person's humanity and value. It's easy to come to a message board and disparage a Mike Love (or whomever), but not so easy to disparage your neighbor, your friend or your brother. You start taking things personally when someone else does, too, and that is how I take your posts sometimes. That's not a criticism.
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« Reply #161 on: July 27, 2009, 08:49:20 PM »

Jon, a quick question...You and many other experts on here have posted repeatedly that "Wouldn't it Be Nice to Live Again" deserves release and it one of Dennis' masterpieces. After hearing Adam's version I have to undoubtably agree. And yet it hasn't happened. My question to you is, can you elaborate about the reason it wasn't on "The Warmth of the Sun" or "Summer Love Songs" or any of the BB archival releases? (I can't imagine Brian or (more strongly) Al vetoing the song...unless they have bad memories of it or they don't think it's that good...which I don't think is the case...) And do you think it will get future release?

Also, is there any other Dennis track that hasn't been released that really deserves release? Anything to the caliber of "Cuddle Up" (perhaps my all-time favorite Dennis cut)?
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« Reply #162 on: July 27, 2009, 11:23:51 PM »

I'd love to write a book about Mike, but he'd have to endorse me and give me carte-blanche. I think it would be an amazing book. It'll never happen. However, my position regarding Mike would definitely evolve, and probably in a positive direction. But maybe not.
I was just thinking how I'd love for you to write a book about Mike. What makes you think he wouldn't let you? Or have you already tried?
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« Reply #163 on: July 28, 2009, 09:04:49 AM »



Frankly, I believe (maybe incorrectly) that the more anyone really, truly digs into anyone, the more he finds that person's humanity and value.
I assume there must be exceptions to this, but in general I'd agree. Humanity is really the key and I'm glad you put it that way.
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« Reply #164 on: July 28, 2009, 10:03:31 AM »

Jon, a quick question...You and many other experts on here have posted repeatedly that "Wouldn't it Be Nice to Live Again" deserves release and it one of Dennis' masterpieces. After hearing Adam's version I have to undoubtably agree. And yet it hasn't happened. My question to you is, can you elaborate about the reason it wasn't on "The Warmth of the Sun" or "Summer Love Songs" or any of the BB archival releases? (I can't imagine Brian or (more strongly) Al vetoing the song...unless they have bad memories of it or they don't think it's that good...which I don't think is the case...) And do you think it will get future release?

Also, is there any other Dennis track that hasn't been released that really deserves release? Anything to the caliber of "Cuddle Up" (perhaps my all-time favorite Dennis cut)?
How certain songs do or do not find release within the framework of BRI and Capitol/EMI is something I have no input into, and I've never been asked for my opinion.

I can say that Jim Guercio/Caribou, whom I have worked with and who do ask for my opinion, are interested in releasing "everything" regarding Dennis Wilson including his early '70's work and Capitol era work. I know they are sensitive to releasing this material in a way that reflects context and quality. They certainly proved that by doing a great job on the POB/Bambu package with Sony/Legacy. However, Caribou does not control the rights to DW's recordings that were cut in the pre-'75 period. That stuff is in the hands of BRI. If they had chosen to(and found a consensus and motivation within their corporate entity) they could have released any of it by now, and they still can...I know certain parties within BRI are hopeful. They could also license it to Caribou and let Jimmy put it out, or they could sit on it. I'm hoping for a really well thought out DW career retrospective that covers his entire career with plenty of unreleased gems. I can't imagine a better time for it than now.
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« Reply #165 on: July 28, 2009, 11:28:22 AM »

I'd love to write a book about Mike, but he'd have to endorse me and give me carte-blanche. I think it would be an amazing book. It'll never happen. However, my position regarding Mike would definitely evolve, and probably in a positive direction. But maybe not.
I was just thinking how I'd love for you to write a book about Mike. What makes you think he wouldn't let you? Or have you already tried?
David gave me complete freedom to write his story the way I wanted, in fact he encouraged me to be as honest as possible. All the dirty laundry was in play. Can you imagine Mike okaying that kind of approach? I can't. However, I do think a completely honest, no holds barred book about Mike would improve his reputation and earn him some respect. Love him, hate him or somewhere in between, Mike is a fascinating person with an epic history. He's seen more than practically any living American rock personality. I seriously doubt he'd ever allow that can of worms to be opened up all the way. But if he did, IMO it would be a fantastic read.
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« Reply #166 on: July 28, 2009, 04:19:31 PM »

I can't imagine a better time for it than now.
I can't either.
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« Reply #167 on: October 18, 2009, 01:55:12 PM »

Hi John, can you give us an update on the Dennis documentary for BBC4? The last thing I read was that it was slated for the summer but that's been and gone without the doc being shown and was wondering when we could expect to see it.

Regards,

Paulos
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« Reply #168 on: October 19, 2009, 09:46:43 AM »

Hi Paulos,
Once the final cut of the DW documentary was approved by BBC they decided to move it into the fall/winter schedule...which usually means more TV viewers than summer. So its not necessarily a bad thing. Anyway, the last I've heard is that its going to air in January on BBC4. If I receive an update or any different info I'll post it here.
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« Reply #169 on: October 19, 2009, 10:20:23 AM »

Jon, thank you for your prompt reply. I look forward to the doc and I am sure your input will make it all the better as I really enjoyed The Real Beach Boy.

I seriously have to wait till' January though? Oh well, just have to fill may days listening to POB and Bambu!

P.S. Are you able to give us any details on the doc such as how long it is, who was interviewed etc?
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Jon Stebbins
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« Reply #170 on: October 19, 2009, 05:06:19 PM »

Jon, thank you for your prompt reply. I look forward to the doc and I am sure your input will make it all the better as I really enjoyed The Real Beach Boy.

I seriously have to wait till' January though? Oh well, just have to fill may days listening to POB and Bambu!

P.S. Are you able to give us any details on the doc such as how long it is, who was interviewed etc?
Here's a link that gives some info...  http://www.thejonstebbins.com/dwdocumentary.html
Obviously it needs an update as the summer air-date given is wrong. But  the rest is correct, and there are also some still photos from some of the interview segments. This doc. is filled with Dennis' music and images.
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« Reply #171 on: October 22, 2009, 08:27:29 PM »

Jon, I may have asked this before.  But, what are the odds, in you opinion, of ever seeing a Carl Wilson bio?  Some great stuff there and I think there is so much below the surface, behind the scenes, the early years and the later years, that would make a fascinating, low key, yet powerful story.

The youngest Wilson brother, quietly taking the reins of the Beach boys while his older brothers deal with other issues and interests.  The strong, gentle baby brother.  His struggles with drugs and temptations.  His insistance on high quality BB performances.  The solo years and music, the return, his relationship with Dean Martin, his wives, Billy, and Dino.  His battle with Cancer.  And so much more on his relationships and influences within the band.



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« Reply #172 on: October 22, 2009, 09:02:14 PM »

Jon, I may have asked this before.  But, what are the odds, in you opinion, of ever seeing a Carl Wilson bio?  Some great stuff there and I think there is so much below the surface, behind the scenes, the early years and the later years, that would make a fascinating, low key, yet powerful story.

The youngest Wilson brother, quietly taking the reins of the Beach boys while his older brothers deal with other issues and interests.  The strong, gentle baby brother.  His struggles with drugs and temptations.  His insistance on high quality BB performances.  The solo years and music, the return, his relationship with Dean Martin, his wives, Billy, and Dino.  His battle with Cancer.  And so much more on his relationships and influences within the band.




That is a great idea! Out of the whole band, I think Carl is the most overlooked. Which is a shame, with everything that he did behind the scenes. I mean, the guy was just barely out of school and he had to basically "replace" his brother in the band that was going head to head with bands such as The Beatles. Being a kid just out of school is damn near impossible in itself.
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« Reply #173 on: June 02, 2010, 03:28:54 PM »

Jon, Can you stop looking down on the rest of us for just a bit, and post something here, truly worthy of your amazing greatness?
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« Reply #174 on: June 02, 2010, 05:24:26 PM »

Jon, Can you stop looking down on the rest of us for just a bit, and post something here, truly worthy of your amazing greatness?
I got nothing man. Maybe we should start a Chris Woods thread.
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