Brian and Curt Boettcher

[matt-zeus]

I think this also includes the Dave Edmunds 'Londons a lonely town' somewhere - its great!!!!!!!!!!

[Jason Penick]

I think this also includes the Dave Edmunds 'Londons a lonely town' somewhere - its great!!!!!!!!!!

Totally!  I meant to include that, but overlooked it amidst all the other stuff I mentioned.

[NimrodsSon]

I haven't seen much in the way of reviews for Mike's solo album, but after seeing that it was produced entirely by Curt Boettcher, I'm sure it just HAS to be at the very least pretty good. Is it worth getting?

[Smilin Ed H]

His unreleased first effort is better, as is his 'new' one.  The Boettcher one is awful, including production and vocal arrangements.

[Wirestone]

This is a great topic that I'm going to revive for kicks.

I just picked up the Curt "California Music" CD from Poptones that was released a few years ago (they also did the Gary Usher "Symphonic Tribute" to Brian release). Brian is credited as one of the list of the producers inside (along with Usher, Melcher and Johnston).

But I'm only aware of him working on the WDFFIL cover (which oddly isn't on the release) and Jamaica Farewell. Did he actually have a hand in anything else that's on the CD?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Not to my knowledge. Plays organ on one track, but AFAIK that's his sole contribution.

[phirnis]

I think this also includes the Dave Edmunds 'Londons a lonely town' somewhere - its great!!!!!!!!!!

To my ears this is the single most successfull attempt at reproducing the classic Beach Boys sound. It reminds me of I Can Hear Music in particular and it is probably just as good (or at least it's very close).

[shelter]

I don't like Boettcher's voice or his solo album that much.

[Pablo.]

While I am on the subject of Curt Boettcher, can anyone give me some suggestions on what albums he did that I should check out?  At this point I have the great Sagittarius albums "Present Tense" and "Blue Marble".  I also have a 3 disc Millenium collection and the "California Music" album.  Anything else I should try to find?  Thanks!

Check the first Association ablum

[brucejohnstonfan]

I really love Curt Boettcher. The Sagittarius albums, as well as the Millenium album are both absolutely incredible. His solo album "There's an Innocent Face" is pretty good as well.

[Aegir]

I like Sagittarius's In My Room better than the Beach Boys version.

[shadownoze]

I have the 45 version of California Music's 'Don't Worry Baby' and have always thought it was a great updating of that song. Another guy who seems to have been part of the California Music collective was a guitarist/singer named Bill House. Bruce Johnston produced an album for him which I believe was part of the Equinox label deal. I no longer have the album, but it did feature a pretty good song called 'Common Thief' which later re-surfaced on one of the two David Cassidy albums which Bruce produced. Bill House was all over those records, too. And I'm no Cassidy fan, but there are some really nice tracks on those two records which nobody ever seems to acknowledge.
Oh, and 'Ten Years of Harmony' is much better than 'Endless Harmony.' The emotional distance provided by Bruce being out of the BBs at the time gave it much greater poignance than the BBs singing their own praises.

[dogear]

Common Thief/Atlanta was even released as a 45 (RCA Equinox NB 10106), produced by Bruce and Terry. Bill House could be called a member of Equinox' Wrecking Crew along with John Hobbs, Jimmy Seiter, Stan House (his brother) and Curtis Stone. They played on most of the Equinox productions.

[Yorick]

Haha i was really surprised when i read this thread to see an old post of mine declaring Curt as fucking sh*t. In the meantime I've learned that he was a real genius. Eternity's Children with Mrs. Bluebird, The Millenium's Begin album, The Association, Sagittarius and all, it's unbelievably good! I take back what I said, even though I still dislike his cover!

[Beach Head]

Another guy who seems to have been part of the California Music collective was a guitarist/singer named Bill House. Bruce Johnston produced an album for him which I believe was part of the Equinox label deal. I no longer have the album, but it did feature a pretty good song called 'Common Thief' which later re-surfaced on one of the two David Cassidy albums which Bruce produced. Bill House was all over those records, too.

Bill House could be called a member of Equinox' Wrecking Crew along with John Hobbs, Jimmy Seiter, Stan House (his brother) and Curtis Stone. They played on most of the Equinox productions.

The first of the various Equinox albums was Barry Mann's great Survivor, which was released on RCA, but had production credited to "Bruce Johnston & Barry Mann/Equinox Records, Inc."

On Survivor, Bill House and company are listed as "The Roadhouse Band" -- the five named by dogear plus Kenny Hinkle (one of the singers on the California Music version of "Don't Worry Baby") on guitar.  The Roadhouse Band, along with Bruce and Terry, is credited as appearing "through the courtesy of Equinon Records, Inc."

Interestingly, the credits on the Barry Mann album read like a Who's Who of Beach Boys-connected musicians -- session players Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Larry Knechtel, Ray Pohlman, Lyle Ritz, Steve Douglas, Jay Migliori, Dick Hyde and Igor Horoshevsky; plus Beach Boys band members Mike Kowalski, Ed Carter, Daryl Dragon, Toni Tennille and Joel Peskin; not to mention former Beach Boys Bruce Johnston and Blondie Chaplin.

[dogear]

The Equinox story ist kind of mysterious.
I think Terry founded the company in 68. It was an independent label then , about 8 45s were released - the first being Grapefruit's Dear Delilah (Equinox 70000), the last again Grapefruit with C'mon Marianne (Equinox 70008), this first bunch was destributed by ABC.
Then Equinox became a sublabel of Dunhill (e.g Goldrush: Somebody's turning on the people Dunhill 4174, the label just said An Equinox Production). As a production company they released stuff  on several labels between 69 and 72 (Columbia, RCA, ABC, A&M). About 74 Bruce joined and they had a deal with RCA, who released their productions of Barry Mann, Terry, Papa..., Bill House Jack Jones, CM etc.
Another Curt Boettcher connection: Michelle (O'Malley's) Saturn Rings album on ABC was an Equinox Production. In 1976 the company seems to have folded.
Anybody out there knows what Equinox 70002, 70003, 70007 were - still missing in my collection.

[shadownoze]

Ah, your mention of Jack Jones triggered some memories I haven't had for a few decades. He recorded Disney Girls with lots of Bruce involvement and did what I think is still a gorgeous solo rendition of God Only Knows that I'd love to have in digital form. Don't suppose that ever came out, though, did it? I also remember giving a listen to Terry Melcher's solo album...didn't hear much to make me hang on to it, tho Flo & Eddie did a nice version of 'Rebecca' which Melcher had first recorded. It's amazing to look back and see the inter-connected threads among so many of these guys; reminds me of those intricate family trees that Pete Frane used to draw. He could make a pretty big one from a "California Music" theme...'cuz Flo & Eddie, of course, did backing vocals for David Cassidy's recording of Darlin' which was produced by Bruce...and Carl Wilson was on there, too, singing harmony vocals on I Write the Songs (before Manilow, before Captain & Tennille).
We are all connected...in the circle of life (cue music).

[dogear]

true, Melcher solo albums sound a bit depressive, but on the other hand there are great songs on them. Just compare Jackson Browne's original of "These Days" to Melcher's version backed by Doris Day - leaves me speechless. "Rebecca"  -  one of my faves (both versions). Everything Mark and Howie did is worth picking up!! My, why did they stop recording.