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Author Topic: The Stephen Desper Thread  (Read 718580 times)
Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #450 on: February 21, 2006, 11:42:30 AM »

Anyhow, do you remember how much bass Daryl did contribute?
Daryl, Bruce, Brian, Al and Carl all play bass guitar. They're all good at it.  As to who did what, you never know.   ~swd 
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« Reply #451 on: February 21, 2006, 11:50:50 AM »

Steve, a few of us were discussing Daryl's bass contributions on Sunflower and Surf's Up.  He was trained as a srting bassist at one point in his life, High School or College, I don't remember.

Anyhow, do you remember how much bass Daryl did contribute?  I'm still trying to get a feel for who contributed what.

And on that subject, if you missed it, here is a cool pic thanks to Mark H:



aeijtzsche,
You think that Daryl's bass looks less like a Jazz and more like a Mustang?  Sorry to hijack.


Dan


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Joshilyn Hoisington
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« Reply #452 on: February 21, 2006, 11:57:34 AM »

Quote
aeijtzsche,
You think that Daryl's bass looks less like a Jazz and more like a Mustang?  Sorry to hijack.

I've been thinking about that, actually.  I don't know how big of a guy Daryl is, but he just dwarfs the neck of that bass.  If Steve or somebody who has met The Captain can confirm that he was a huge man, then it could be a P or J, but it could very well be a mustang.

Quote
Daryl, Bruce, Brian, Al and Carl all play bass guitar. They're all good at it.

I've always thought it kind of funny that the Beach Boys never really had a bassist.  They just kept using keyboardists who could play bass.  Brian, Bruce, and Daryl are all thought of as pianists, Carl and Al as guitarists...but they all left a deep bass-playing impression on me.  (I'm primarily a bassist, in case anybody's keeping track.

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As to who did what, you never know.

Much to my insomnia's delight.
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #453 on: February 22, 2006, 06:14:32 AM »

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I don't know how big of a guy Daryl is, but he just dwarfs the neck of that bass.  If Steve or somebody who has met The Captain can confirm that he was a huge man, then it could be a P or J, but it could very well be a mustang.

Daryl's build is of normal size -- like Carl or Bruce.  Consider that the BB bass lines are sometime a blend of bass guitar and keyboard. ~swd
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Joshilyn Hoisington
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« Reply #454 on: February 22, 2006, 12:34:47 PM »

I'd bet the bass is a Mustang then.

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Consider that the BB bass lines are sometime a blend of bass guitar and keyboard.

Stephen, not being a person of means, I've had to settle for this little digital "analog modeling" synthesizer.  It's really pretty functional, there are two oscillators that can be combined, both feature 6 different wave forms and have decent filtering functions.

My question is, do you have a favourite way of creating a nice bass sound with a synth?  You don't have to get into the super-technical, or answer at all for that matter...  but I really admire the tone of the Moog bass on Long Promised Road or Disney Girls, and would love to know how you went about getting those sounds.  I recall on the old board you mentioned that you spent at least a couple of hours getting the precise sound for Long Promised Road on the Moog, getting just the right overtones and solid fundamental.

On my little synth, I've found that I can get a nice deep tone with a standard sine wave, but it lacks any kind of punch.  If I add in something a little stonger, a sawtooth or square waveform, it gets too buzzy.

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« Reply #455 on: February 22, 2006, 12:36:53 PM »

Definitely love the sound of the moog on LPR...great question dude!

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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #456 on: February 23, 2006, 02:58:33 PM »

Someone once asked me if I knew how many seperate things a human could keep track of.  I said about five was the limit. 

You may find more of an answer in Zipf's Law which you can read about by clicking on the name. 

I came upon this relavent statement concerning dolphins. Zipf's Law was the key.
~swd

Laurance Doyle is an Astronomer with the SETI Institute  (part of interview)

"What have you discovered about dolphins?
There’s a linguistic rule called Zipf’s Law which enables us to identify if something is a language based on the distribution of the frequency of occurrences of different sounds, letters, or words. In the English language, a “space” is the most frequent character, then the letter “e,” then “t,” then “a,” then all the way to the “q,” which is the least frequent character. If it’s a language -- any language -- the plot will show a 45° slope. So, we recorded dolphins and found out that the dolphin whistle vocalizations are consistent with the linguistic distribution of humans. We’re not getting at meaning yet, but the consistency of the sounds proves that dolphins communicate through language. We also found that baby dolphins verbalize in the same way as human babies. Baby babbling starts out near a horizontal line. As babies start getting language specific, they drop hundreds of sounds and start repeating certain sounds over and over again. “Mama” sounds occur more than any other sounds in English at this point. This makes their plot move from a horizontal, past the 45°, closer to a vertical line. As they become adults, their sounds plot at 45 degrees. We found that dolphins produce the same evolution of their whistle communications systems (although faster because dolphins mature at about 12 months): baby dolphins babble; adolescent dolphins then start repeating the same whistles over and over more often; and adult dolphins produce frequencies of occurrence of whistles that match Zipf’s Law. Information theory also applies: when dolphins are young, they don’t transmit whistles in a complex fashion as the adult dolphins do; they use a lot of repetition too. But the more adult they become, the more information complexity is transmitted: they have more syntactical structure and are not using just a single whistle so much. So we ask ourselves why they have developed a “language.” One probable answer is for survival. So far, we haven’t been able to measure how complex their whistle communications can get. But there are people from the Canary Islands -- on Gomera Island -- who have a well developed whistle language, over 2000 years old, used to send messages over deep valleys. So now, we can compare human whistles to dolphin whistles. We’ve also worked with ground squirrels, squirrel monkeys, and want to work with elephants soon."

Full article at >>> http://www.biblewise.com/living/guest_month.htm 
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Joshilyn Hoisington
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« Reply #457 on: February 23, 2006, 03:19:52 PM »

I've always thought Dolphins are our intellectual superiors.
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #458 on: February 23, 2006, 05:21:45 PM »

I've always thought Dolphins are our intellectual superiors.
Some recearchers say they get board with us because they think faster than we do. Researchers speed up instructions given to Dolphins because their thinking speed is so much faster.  At any rate, we both like surfing music.  Smiley ~swd
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« Reply #459 on: February 23, 2006, 06:05:58 PM »

So long and thanks for all the fish!
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #460 on: February 23, 2006, 06:10:00 PM »

So long and thanks for all the fish!
Mike Love likes fish. ~swd
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« Reply #461 on: February 23, 2006, 06:16:19 PM »

haha... do you have any funny "food stories" about the band? Like, Brian ordering a ton of pizza and gorging on it, or something like that? We all know Brian loves steak and birthday cake...
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #462 on: February 23, 2006, 06:34:51 PM »

haha... do you have any funny "food stories" about the band? Like, Brian ordering a ton of pizza and gorging on it, or something like that? We all know Brian loves steak and birthday cake...
One night on tour in some mid-western part of the USA that, at that time in history did not like men with long hair, it was late after the performance and we could not get service at the local cafes.  So it was arranged that we got a large box of hambugers from the local McDonald's delivered to the band and crew "trapped" in a long and narrow dinning room in the motel we were staying at.  The room was about the length of three cars and about as narrow as a parking space.  There were several tables placed end to end and this box of at least a hundred hambugers was brought in.  It was late and everyone was stoked from the show's energy.  Dennis started it!  After everyone had their fill of meat, he throw the first buger and then we had an all-out food war!!  Buns, meat patties, pickels and lettice were thrown again and again from one end of the room to the other.  The French frys were like little pellets and the meat patties were the heavy artillery.  Lots of laughing and slipping on the spilled katchup followed.  I think the morning-after bill from the hotel was several hundred dollars for cleaning fees. I know my clothes were a mess . . .    ~swd
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« Reply #463 on: February 23, 2006, 06:37:18 PM »

Steve, there is a scene in the American Band video where Dennis is sitting in a plane (presumably flying into Europe for the 1969 tour).  He asks "Steve" to pass him a chocolate ball.  "Steve" throws it at his head.  This man is off camera unseen.  Any chance that's you...?
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #464 on: February 23, 2006, 06:49:46 PM »

Steve, there is a scene in the American Band video where Dennis is sitting in a plane (presumably flying into Europe for the 1969 tour).  He asks "Steve" to pass him a chocolate ball.  "Steve" throws it at his head.  This man is off camera unseen.  Any chance that's you...?
It could be.  Dennis and I were great friends and did stuff like that all the time.  When we were on tour and needed to rent cars to transport the many people around the area, if Dennis could rent a car for himself -- watch out !!  He would play bumper-cars with the rentals.  He would ram you in traffic, while waiting on a traffic light to change or something like that -- on the way to the concert hall.  Dennis and I were rather physical at times with each other -- that is -- not hitting or expressing madness, but rather playing around by throwing water or liquid onto each other in fun, or getting into snowball fights.  You know, grown up kid stuff.  ~swd
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« Reply #465 on: February 23, 2006, 06:51:27 PM »

Good stuff!
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« Reply #466 on: February 23, 2006, 08:45:15 PM »

Very cool story about the dolphins and Zipf's Law, Steve - thank you.  On top of everything else, you always have something interesting to teach us.  Thanks!
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« Reply #467 on: February 24, 2006, 06:16:10 AM »

Stephen.

I have an important question.

Why...for the sake of humanity...did you let the Beach Boys put 'Student Demostration Time' on Surf's Up? I mean I know they have the final say in their tracklisting, but couldnt you have 'accidentally' burned the master reel?

Thanks for your consideration in this matter
your friend
-J$
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« Reply #468 on: February 24, 2006, 07:11:06 AM »

Stephen.

I have an important question.

Why...for the sake of humanity...did you let the Beach Boys put 'Student Demostration Time' on Surf's Up? I mean I know they have the final say in their tracklisting, but couldnt you have 'accidentally' burned the master reel?

Stephen - thank you for NOT burning the master reel!!  This is a GREAT rocker, the likes of which the BBs didn't show very often.  I'm VERY glad for this proof that they could rock out!

Sincerely,
Susan
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« Reply #469 on: February 24, 2006, 07:30:26 AM »

Whoa whoa whoa!

The Beach Boys have produced PLENTY of awesome rockin music...SDT is NOT one of them! Smiley

But, alas, everyone has different taste Smiley

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« Reply #470 on: February 24, 2006, 07:44:53 AM »

Stephen.

I have an important question.

Why...for the sake of humanity...did you let the Beach Boys put 'Student Demostration Time' on Surf's Up? I mean I know they have the final say in their tracklisting, but couldnt you have 'accidentally' burned the master reel?

Stephen - thank you for NOT burning the master reel!!  This is a GREAT rocker, the likes of which the BBs didn't show very often.  I'm VERY glad for this proof that they could rock out!

Sincerely,
Susan

I agree totally !!!
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« Reply #471 on: February 24, 2006, 08:42:02 AM »

Stephen - thank you for NOT burning the master reel!!  This is a GREAT rocker, the likes of which the BBs didn't show very often.  I'm VERY glad for this proof that they could rock out!

I'm with my man amosario on this one.
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #472 on: February 24, 2006, 09:13:54 AM »

Stephen.

I have an important question.

Why...for the sake of humanity...did you let the Beach Boys put 'Student Demostration Time' on Surf's Up? I mean I know they have the final say in their tracklisting, but couldnt you have 'accidentally' burned the master reel?

Thanks for your consideration in this matter
your friend
-J$

I commented on this in my book.  The world was a different place then.  Vietnam war in full gear.  You think the body count is high now?  How about several thousand a week.  Passions were running high, for and against the war, but the stakes were much higher.  Protests happened everywhere, even at Beach Boy concerts.  Carl was tagged to go into the army. Students were being killed on their collage campus' for protesting (and by American soldiers). This is serious stuff!  Although the group's sentiment was anti-war, they did not take a political stand at their concerts.  However, many in the crowd did with signs and chants, even with the ever present armed police monitors.  Michael's song is about keeping your cool when you demonstrate as a student. Listen to the words.  When the record was released this song was very appropos.  Kent State was in the news. Tensions were high.
Michael was moved to make a verbal comment about what was happening at the moment, in this song.  And like the fashions of the day, time moves along and things change. Like bellbottom pants and long hair, the song seems, in the light of today, not to quite fit into our views of things, to be   There are no riots in the streets -- THERE IS NOT DRAFT and soldiers are not dying at a rate of hundred's per day. Beach Boy concerts are not being turned into political statements by their patrons.  Yet the song is part of that album, and always will be. At the time of release it made more sense, so take it in context. Look at old movies of the 40's and 50's. Do you discount their excellence because everyone is smoking in them?  Times change.  King Soloman (of the Bible) had many wives, yet we consider him a wise leader and ponder his words to this day. Customs change too. 
Student Demonstration Time was set in a collage campus assembly field surrounded by stately buildings. Michael took the part of a demonstration organizer giving a lecture to a crowd about "keeping cool" during riots.  You can hear the sirens in the background, and sometimes in your face, reminding us of how involved the issues were.  Michael felt that he could use his influence as a "rock personality" to temper the attitude of some of the youth toward uncivil behavor -- especially by performing the song at key times in concerts -- by delivering this message in a song. 

Rather than putting down the song or skipping over it when you play Surf's Up, try doing a little research into the period of the music.  Do a word search for Kent State and People's park. 
Maybe look at some old news reels.  Try to imagine the smell of tear gas at a rock concert or close your eyes when you listen to SDT and hear the shouting of fans going on all about you with a sense of danger that you could be caught up in a riot and beaten with a police club. Learn to appreciate the song for what it says and tries to do.  I don't thing a surf song or balled is the right medium to convay the thought that Mike had with this song.  I think if you consider the context more you will learn to actually like the song.
 ~swd        
« Last Edit: February 24, 2006, 09:19:16 AM by Stephen W. Desper » Logged
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« Reply #473 on: February 24, 2006, 09:17:58 AM »

Stephen, I have a question -- could you review the 1974-76 thread and make any comments you feel able to make without violating relationships?  Something to the effect of "yes, there was a split between Carl/Dennis vs Mike/Al earlier than 1977" would suffice.  I know that you probably can't say much if anything, but if tension existed I would think you would have seen it.
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« Reply #474 on: February 24, 2006, 09:20:44 AM »

Cool post, Stephen. My point has more to do with the music rather than the lyrics and message... Don't get me wrong, I think its fine and dandy that Mike wants to spread a little political love...I have nothing against it. I just cant stand that dreadful song (musically)...and so that you know, my original post was to take light hearted. I wasnt trying to be mean spirited or anything Wink

And yes, Ive listened to SDT a numerous amount of times, I just let it play now everytime I have Surf's Up on Smiley

take care
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