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Author Topic: Heroes And Villains released 45 years ago today  (Read 19388 times)
rn57
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« on: July 31, 2012, 07:34:23 PM »

Figure that's worth commemorating with a thread. BTW, who drew the sleeve? Doesn't look like a Frank Holmes opus to me.
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« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2012, 07:38:25 PM »

The beginning of the end. They should have recorded a song called "Good To My Baby Again: Gooder To My Baby" instead.
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« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2012, 08:27:11 PM »

The beginning of the end. They should have recorded a song called "Good To My Baby Again: Gooder To My Baby" instead.

Ballad of Ole'r Betsy/ Shut Down, Part 3 could've been the biggest hit single of '67
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rn57
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« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2012, 08:44:52 PM »

Or "Republicans And Villains" for that matter.

I do on occasion wonder what would have come after GV if Brian had not found himself sitting with Van Dyke at Terry's, and Mike had somehow ended up in the lyricist's chair for the next album after PS.  GV in its earlier stages was pretty soulful and hard-driving, a bit like Wild Honey. Would we have seen something similar to WH emerge at the end of '66 instead of the end of '67?

 In a way that would have made the guys even further ahead of their time.  I've seen the occasional article that pointed out that in doing WH the BBs prefigured the whole back-to-basics thing in rock before "Lady Madonna" and John Wesley Harding. (In terms of released material, since the Basement Tapes were recorded just before WH though unreleased then.)

But then that would mean no Smile....and if such an album had hit big, maybe no Summer of Love.  Or maybe there would have been one in a somewhat different, um, context....
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-clVODEVy0U
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« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2012, 10:33:01 PM »

The "official" release date is misleading, unless release means when actual copies were put on the store shelves: Shades of official release dates in modern times being shattered by internet leaks and uploads (Hello TWGMTR, 2012...), it's more a case of the record actually being available to buy in the shops on a specific day, though it was on certain top-40 radio stations for several weeks.

AM station KHJ in LA had the Heroes single listed as a Hitbound (new entry on the chart that week) on their survey for the week of July 12 '67. This was soon after Brian and his caravan of BB's and friends showed up unannounced with the fresh pressing of the new Heroes single, found Tom Maule working his shift at the station, and then found that Maule would not play the record on air until he called his boss Ron Jacobs. This was in the week leading up to that week of July 12th.

Then there is a tape of KHJ DJ Bobby Tripp recorded sometime between July 17-19 where he gives a lukewarm review of the new single.

Several stations in Boston, Chicago, and other cities had the single listed on their surveys as Hitbound for the last week in July, again pre-dating the official release and showing the record had gotten out to the various markets prior to it actually being available to buy.

Looking back on it all, yes Tom Maule gets some blame for the rejection incident, but if you saturate your strongest home market station with a record *3 weeks* - give or take - prior to the release, wouldn't people after three weeks be a bit too familiar with it to want to rush out and buy it? Again, this is only KHJ in LA, Brian's home station, and the other markets and cities didn't get that "KHJ Exclusive" for another few weeks. And some cities wouldn't catch on to the record until late August/early September, basically it didn't chart at all for several weeks even after the official release.

It's fascinating to tie all the loose ends together and get a bigger picture happening around the history and dates. I see a release date for a certain record and assume that was the first time anyone had heard it, especially in terms of that era and how things were done. But that wasn't the case, and with Heroes the hip listeners in LA had been hearing Heroes in rotation since the second week of July '67.

Would a birthday cake be in order?  Grin
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« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2012, 11:55:27 PM »

Even in its stripped back Smiley form, it still remains one of the greatest singles (and songs) of their career...
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« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2012, 12:29:57 AM »

I'm spinning the In Concert version and goshdarn, it rocks so hard Rock!
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« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2012, 06:22:14 AM »

I find "Heroes and Villains" to be good, not great. It's probably the muddiness in the production that bothers me more than the song itself. It's pretty far down on my list.

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« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2012, 07:40:35 AM »

I find "Heroes and Villains" to be good, not great. It's probably the muddiness in the production that bothers me more than the song itself. It's pretty far down on my list.



Then you must not like Pet Sounds, Today, or Wild Honey that much. All muddy in production.

It's sad that these three albums are not great now. LOL
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« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2012, 09:53:10 AM »

I'm gonna be honest...I think Brian's high point, production-wise, was probably "Heroes And Villains". It was an insanely huge hit like "Good Vibrations", but it was definitely a hit, clocking in at number 12 on Billboard. And that's nothing to be ashamed of.  And I know many don't agree, but I think that the Smiley Smile version of the song is probably the best. It was more compact than the "cantina" version, and honestly I think it benefits from it. Its still a crazy song and it deserves more attention.

I do wish however that they woulda done a version of "Heroes And Villains" that includes "I'm In Great Shape" and "Barnyard". I know that there wasn't anything like that in the vault besides the demo for Humble Harve, but I think there is a enough historical precedent that Mark and Alan shoulda tried it.
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« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2012, 12:03:26 PM »


AM station KHJ in LA had the Heroes single listed as a Hitbound (new entry on the chart that week) on their survey for the week of July 12 '67. This was soon after Brian and his caravan of BB's and friends showed up unannounced with the fresh pressing of the new Heroes single, found Tom Maule working his shift at the station, and then found that Maule would not play the record on air until he called his boss Ron Jacobs. This was in the week leading up to that week of July 12th.


Over a year ago (circa May - June 2011) there was a thread concerning the story of the night in July 1967 when Brian and company took an acetate of Heroes and Villains to LA radio station KHJ, offering a worldwide premiere and exclusive, only to be told by the dj that he couldn't play anything that was not not the playlist.

Back then I contacted KHJ's 1956-69 program director, Ron Jacobs, for his comments on the story, and was surprised to find that he had no knowledge of it.  I paraphrased some of his comments in a post back then, and promised to post his detailed comments "soon" which I never did.

So now, with Ron Jacob's permission to post his emails, for those interested in the story, here are Ron Jacob's comments (in yellow) concerning the incident.

From: Ron Jacobs
Subject:    Re: KHJ July 1967
Date:    May 27, 2011 7:47:39 PM PDT
To: Rob Shepherd

On May 27, 2011, at 2:33 PM, Rob Shepherd wrote:

Hello Ron -

Aloha, Rob.

I've got a couple of questions regarding 93/KHJ in July '67 which I hope you might be able to answer.  With the forthcoming release of The Beach Boys Smile Sessions there has been a renewed focus on the events surrounding Brian Wilson's activities as they pertain to those legendary recordings.  The story has long been told how Wilson and a caravan of friends took a seven inch acetate of The Beach Boys new single Heroes and Villains to KHJ, offering a worldwide premiere exclusive, only to have the dj on duty tell him, "Sorry, I can't play anything that's not on the playlist."  Wilson was crestfallen, but, as the story goes, a few of Wilson's friends protested, the jock then made a phone call, presumably to you, and was told something like, "Put it on the air, you idiot!"  As Brian Wilson was heading home, he finally did hear Heroes and Villains being played on KHJ, but was depressed and dejected about the reception his offering of new music had received.

Well, Brian wasn't the straightest bamboo in the jungle. I first met him in 1962 when his miserable father booked the guys to play for free on the roof of our station in minor league Fresno.  They"headlined" the AKMAFAF (Annual Kmake McKinley Avenue Festival of Arts and Flowers).  I'll just leave THAT there and try to help you with your stuff.

I have never heard anything of this story.  Which does not mean that it didn't happen, either as passed on, or, like most "great" stories, hyped by each generation perpetuating it.  I do remember the guys, maybe Brian, maybe one of the other more aggressive and social ones, jogging down from the Capitol Tower with something I put on as soon as I could whisper "KHJ Exclusive," which would be transferred on to cart and popped on the air with no way anyone could dub it without our audio watermark.  (Which is where the name of our company Watermark came from, BTW).  

If the story is true, the jock did the right thing. It was the kind of thing I would do to f*** up a competitive station, hoping the jock would just spin the acetate after a big buildup and then on would come a stream of screamed filth that would make any gangsta rap sound mild.  I should write about the covert operations we inflicted on our opposition.  Everything short of chopping down a tower, which even I though could being on horrible consequences if we were caught.  


The participants telling this story never named the jock, but it's been widely presumed it was Tom Maule, as he held the 9 to midnight shift on Tuesday night, July 11, which is the presumed date this incident occurred.  If it was Maule, he would have been only four weeks into his dream job of working at KHJ, and could have taken the "don't play anything not on the playlist" edict way too seriously.

Great research, man.  But Maule, whose bachelor party in Fresno was one of the wildest ever, for 1963 and was a great, hardworking guy, ain't reading this e-mail (or then again ... ?) but I am copying Johnny Williams and anyone who was there at the time, or who know more stuff about KHJ than I do since they were hard core listeners some of whom I've been friends for decades through various mutual interests other than just KHJ.  

But, the participants recalling the story also mention that the incident occurred around midnight, with the possibility of arriving at KHJ after midnight.  If so, the jock would have been Johnny Williams, unless this happened on a Sunday night, in which case Tom Maule was working an 8 pm to 2 am Sunday shift.

The people "recalling the story" claim to be "participants." WHO might they be?  Did you hear this from "them," read it somewhere, see on TV, etc.?

Obviously, Brian Wilson or someone in his party should have first called the station, advising KHJ that he was bringing the new Beach Boys record over for a worldwide exclusive premiere.

Not simple at that hour. Switchboard shut down.  Jock not to handle any incoming calls to switchboard for KHJ radio or TV.  No Boss Phone Girls at that hour.  Only way to contact via phone would be on listener request line, which, unfortunately, could be ignored by the Boss Jock on duty for a long time ... even though they were to deal with it when they had time between sets.

Anyone actually getting into the AM studio would have had to get past the guard shack.  And those guys had heard every b.s. story ever used to try to hustle scammers inside.


 A time would have been scheduled (Steele or Harv's show would have been perfect), the premiere could have been hyped, and he would have been greeted with open arms.

No. When we got something by Beatles, Stones, Supremes, etc. and it was truly world exclusive we would not f*** around like that, sorry.  The day I received the first US copy of Sgt. Pepper on 7-inch tape in the men's john at Nickodells in a wrinkled brown bag, like a drug deal, I put it on the reel-to-reel machine in my office, killed the light and listened straight through, and while straight.  As an album it blew me away like nothing before or since.  

I took the tape to the engineer on duty, maybe Dexter Young, and he carted up the title track, which was a must, and the one that killed me and became the #1 song on the HRR: A DAY IN THE LIFE.  We had to do this, my whisper, the dubbing to cart, while the engineer, whomever it was, was running the board for whoever was on.  That's how committed the engineers had become (except for Dexter, Bill Mouzis, Ed Dela Pina and a few others were with us enthusiastically on Day One), from being totally cynical and suspicious of us to being proud to be with the top station in LA, one that was being copied everywhere, everyone wondering how we did this or that.

But instead Wilson relied on the advice of his astrologer, a woman named Genevelyn, who advised him that later that night was the perfect time to take the new single to KHJ for a worldwide premiere.

Oh, I'm sure Smiley  Urban mythology is far out!

On the KHJ Boss 30 survey "Premiered July 12, 1967" Heroes and Villains is listed as a Boss Hitbound.  If the Tuesday night, July 11 date that this incident supposedly occurred is correct, it means that you or someone from KHJ would have had to call the printers early the next morning (Wed. July 12) and make a change on the Boss Hitbounds, adding Heroes and Villains, as Michael Hagerty told me that the Boss 30 was compiled and sent to the printers on Tuesdays, and premiered on KHJ Wed nites at 6.

Good theory based on available facts.  But I cannot recall EVER calling the printers.  But perhaps someone in Betty Breneman's music library did.  But it sounds a bit too complex for us to worry about or deal with.

So here's where I'm hoping KHJ's program director can help shed some light on this legendary incident.  Was Tom Maule the dj who told Brian Wilson he couldn't play the Beach Boys new record because it wasn't on the playlist, or could it have been Johnny Williams?  

Dunno, see above.

Do you recall Maule (or Williams) calling you about playing the record?

Nope, but that means nothing since my brain is warped by drugs, rock'n'roll and old, old age.

Would Tues July 11 around midnight work as the night this occurred, requiring a call to the printer on the morning of Wed July 12 to add Heroes and Villains as a Boss Hitbound for the survey dated that day?

Whew!  Like I said, I've heard none of this, at least thatI can recall from FORTY-FOUR years ago, mon.

Any recollections you have would be truly appreciated!

OK.  Hope that helps.  AND IF ANYONE RECEIVING THIS, PLEASE EMAIL ROB DIRECTLY AND COPY ME IF YOU PLEASE.  

(Note:  Ron’s email was cc’d to 26 other people, asking for recollections and/or comments.)

I truly appreciated your caring for KHJ that much and for so long.  Means much to me.

Thanks again, Ron, for any info you can provide concerning Brian Wilson's unannounced midnight hour visit to KHJ back in 1967!

Aloha,
Rob Shepherd

Note:  Of the 26 people CC’d on Ron Jacob’s email, three people responded.

One person stated that he had heard this story only one other time a number of years ago while working at KRLA and chalked it up to urban legend.
 
KHJ nighttime jock Johnny Williams replied that the record was not delivered to him, and doesn’t recall when the first spin of the record was, but he does remember playing it, with Ron Jacob’s whispered “KHJ exclusive” over the track.  He also stated that if Brian Wilson or anyone else dropped by the station and said he had a new record he wanted KHJ to play, he would not have gotten past the security gate.  He stated there was just no entry to the station after business hours without the prior approval of management.

Ken Levine stated that Brian had done the same thing (show up at a radio station with the Beach Boys’ new single for an exclusive premiere) at another station, but the difference was that the dj was Roger Christian at KFWB, his collaborator on a lot of songs, and KFWB’s music policy was not as strict.  

Ken then contacted David Leaf who stated that he did not have any first hand research on this story, although as far as he could recall this story was first told by the late Terry Melcher in the Rolling Stone cover story circa November 1971, but it might have been part of Jules Siegel’s piece intended for the Saturday Evening Post that was instead published in Cheetah in 1967.

He added that perhaps Danny Hutton or Bruce Johnston might be able to shed some light on the story.

He then added that he’d be seeing Brian in a couple of weeks and can ask him if he remembers, but he never got back to Ken with any recollections of the story from Brian.  

Leaf closed with: “But it's such a good story...don't we want to just keep printing the legend? Smiley

From: Ron Jacobs
Subject:    Re: KHJ July 1967 - Rolling Stone article from 1971
Date:    May 30, 2011 9:42:35 PM PDT
To: Rob Shepherd

Hey Rob,

What the hell do you do with your time when you are not pursuing the facts of this matter? …  I tend to use what little remains of my focus on important events, not dribble trivia in the scheme of things like see, I am more concerned about learning the real truth about the murder of Jack Kennedy before I die or where the hell did Jimmy Hoffa end up or how the Rams football team will perform in what is shaping up to be the sloppiest, unpredictable season, even more so than the last time there was a work stoppage.

Anyway, man, I must reciprocate your diligence, though when I scratch below the surface of this Great Mystery it is amusing because most folks, even 45 years later, want to know about stuff that REALLY DID happen.  And the fantasies about those that did pump up the moment that females are involved, not a bunch of galoy young white boys, know what I mean?

On May 28, 2011, at 9:17 PM, Rob Shepherd wrote:

The incident was also recalled by Beach Boy Al Jardine in a July 2000 article in Goldmine, and by Jardine and engineer Stephen Desper in a recorded 2003 conference call.  

I would not put Al past going along with any story with a happy ending.

There is one major Beach Boys biography, The Nearest Faraway Place by Timothy White (former Billboard editor), 1994, that does not mention the incident.  

Uh, does this prompt a Jon Stewart-like comment? Hamlet by Wm. Shakespeare does not mention the night I nailed Mary Ann Taylor, either.

Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile by Dominic Priore, 1995 (Priore is writing the text for the book included in the Deluxe version of the soon to be released Smile Sessions), contains a reprint of a KHJ survey with a drawing of Tom Maule on the front.

There were several jock drawing series. (I have one complete mint set up for sale.)

 A cartoon caption has been added to have Maule saying:  "Astrological moment?!?!  It says here in my rule book that I can't play anything that isn't on the playlist..."

Great, perpetual web tribute to Tom, who didn't have a malicious bone in his body.

Peter Ames Carlin's book (2006) specifically names Maule as the jock, but the others just say "the dj".

It was really, "The deejay on the grassy knoll."

Here's the text of the Rolling Stone article, with the info provided by Terry Melcher, the late son of Doris Day, member of Bruce and Terry, producer of The Byrds, Paul Revere and the Raiders, etc:

I've known Terry since the 1950s.  I even played his mother's hits when I first started.  Very nice, bright guy, who produced this for us, my words, Brian's music, of course.

Terry was present for the public debut of "Heroes and Villains."

"Brian was holding on to this single, like: 'All right world - I've got it,' and waiting for the right time.  He felt it was important to wait for the right time.  It was a good record.  This woman, I guess she was an astrologer - of sorts - she came by Brian's house.  She said to him, 'Brian - the time is right.'  He was waiting for the word from this woman to release the record, I guess."

"So he said, 'All right.'  He called the whole group.  It was like: 'OK. Look. Here it is.'  A small disc, you know.  Seven inches.  [An acetate.]  It was very solemn, very important.  Weighty.  A heavy situation.  It was all, 'Brace yourself - for the big one.'  All the group had these limos.  And there was a caravan of these Rolls Royces taking the record to KHJ.  He was going to give the station an exclusive, just give it to them without telling Capitol."

"We got to the gate of KHJ.  The guard wouldn't let us in."

"A little talking a little hubbub, a little bullsh*t.  The guard was finally intimidated enough by four or five Rolls Royce limousines to finally open the gate.”

Bullsh*t, there was hardly room back there for two dozen cars, all occupied by night shift TV workers.

[One published account says the guard called his superiors.  This same account says they left Brian's house around 11 PM.  Another account says they arrived shortly before midnight.]  We got in the building, got to the disc jockey who was presiding over the turntable.  It was pretty late, probably around midnight.  Brian said, 'Hi, I'm Brian Wilson, here's the new Beach Boys single.  I'd like to give you and KHJ an exclusive on it.'  And this asshole turned around and he said: 'Can't play anything that's not on the playlist.'  

WHOMEVER WROTE THIS IS THE ASSHOLE. If anyone actually did get inside, the jock, presumably Maule or Williams, could never be the assholes these guys turned into when the BB were hotsh*t big-timers.

And Brian almost fainted.  It was all over.  He'd been holding this record, waiting for the right time.  He'd had astrologers figuring out the correct moment.  It really killed him."

"Finally they played it, after a few calls to the program director or someone who screamed, 'Put it on, you idiot!'”

Total bullsh*t.  I would never call a jock an idiot when he was on the air, only later.

“But the damage to Brian had already been done."  [In the account published in Brian Wilson's autobiography, he says he finally heard the song on KHJ as his Rolls Royce was driving out the KHJ gates.]

f*** biographies, auto and otherwise.  

So, Ron, that's the first published account of the story (hitting the newsstands close to 40 years ago, and five years after the

A L L E G E D

incident took place).  The forthcoming release of The Beach Boys "Smile Sessions" has resulted in a renewed interest in the events surrounding the music created for that album, which had officially been junked a couple of months before this incident.  Heroes and Villains had originally been slated for the Smile album, but was reworked, shortened, and released as a single on July 24.  The song appeared on the album Smiley Smile in Sept. 67.

And when the album came out maybe my wife listened to it, but I had much more important things to do. Aloha and good luck.

RJ


From: Ron Jacobs
Subject:    Re: Backdoor Waikiki book
Date:    July 20, 2011 8:33:17 PM PDT
To: Rob Shepherd

Hi Rob,

I will insert my comments below re. the ridiculous "legend" of the B'Boys and KHJ.  


On Jul 13, 2011, at 1:02 PM, Rob Shepherd wrote:

Hello Ron,

A follow-up question on our earlier discussion of Brain Wilson and company taking an acetate of Heroes and Villains late one night in July '67 and being told by the dj, presumably Tom Maule, that it couldn't be played because it wasn't on the playlist.  

Just for the record, I can only assume Maule was the Boss Jock on duty at that time and on that date.  Whatever program logs, etc. have long since been destroyed.  I'm sure that the new owners dumped that material, if KHJ itself did not, since they were only required to be kept for several years.  And, sadly, Tom is not here to help us out, as you know.

The RADIO section [at KHJ AM, FM, & TV] is not connected to any exterior doors.  It required going through some long hallways to get to any of the exits.  Besides, all doors would be locked at the end of business hours and the only way into the building would be through the REAR entrance, which was directly into the TV operations and studio area. So, IF one could get past the guard(s) at the only vehicular entrance (on Melrose) and IF one could find a spot for car(s) it would still require getting past TV personnel, who were very alert to unauthorized entry by anyone.

Is it possible that Wilson and company were actually speaking to the engineer, who would have had to have been the person to place the record on a turntable and play it, when they were told it couldn't be played because it wasn't on the playlist?

No.  IF someone could make it to the engineer on duty, the only way they might get something unauthorized played was if someone put a gun to their head!  And AGAIN, it would not have been a "record on a turntable" since all songs were initially transferred to tape cartridges, for a variety of reasons.  I DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THIS EVENT, based on the versions and suppositions you've suggested, COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

You would be amazed at the stories I receive from all manner of people from all over asking about things they "heard" second, third or fourth-hand.  Or just rumors/legends that have been revised and built up over the years.

I am working on my fourth book, co-writing with my friend who was the Rams equipment manager for close to 30 years. And I am as loyal to and as nuts about that team as you are about the B'Boys.  Believe me, so many things I thought were true (from my POV as a fan/groupie or from press reports) have turned out to be total bullsh*t or gross exaggerations.  

Based on EVERYTHING I KNOW about broadcast (and print) journalism, there is NO WAY any respectable reporter or entity would go with your hypothetical "story" based on all you have told me.  In the first place, there are contradictions in what you have passed on to me.  And, I WAS in charge of what went on the air at KHJ during the time of these
alleged events.  IF they had happened there is NO WAY I WOULD NOT HAVE HEARD OF IT, and that is if no one checked with me in advance.  Sorry, but the RECORDS were not the most important priority when it came to attracting and holding an audience (this is obvious the more one reads my KHJ book) and NO jock would have jeopardized his JOB over what, to us, was "just another record."  The list I mentioned to BILLBOARD of some of our recent exclusives includes hits as big or bigger than B'Boys stuff.  

It would be much simpler for me to say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah it happened...that way..." than spend the time I have providing you with the many facts that make your story possibly interesting to hard core B'Boy fans but with NO FACTUAL INCONTROVERTIBLE evidence that this "event" happened I just can't do that. Plus, there have to be tons of anecdotes more interesting than this myth, even if it did happen.  

My LAST WORD on all this after-hours airplay of this B'Boy record is: "I have absolutely no knowledge of such a thing happening. The people I checked with (and my own personal records) have ZERO knowledge of such a thing happening. And as anyone who
worked at KHJ during my time there (and what should be obvious to anyone reading my jock memos) we had RULES that were rigidly enforced."  That is my OFFICIAL position and final comment on ANY of this, OK?

Me ke aloha pumehana,

RJ
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« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2012, 12:39:33 PM »


What the hell do you do with your time when you are not pursuing the facts of this matter? …  I tend to use what little remains of my focus on important events, not dribble trivia in the scheme of things like see, I am more concerned about learning the real truth about the murder of Jack Kennedy before I die or where the hell did Jimmy Hoffa end up or how the Rams football team will perform in what is shaping up to be the sloppiest, unpredictable season, even more so than the last time there was a work stoppage.

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« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2012, 06:36:17 PM »

Then you must not like Pet Sounds, Today, or Wild Honey that much. All muddy in production.

It's sad that these three albums are not great now. LOL

I actually don't find those anywhere near as murky as "Heroes and Villains" and I don't have great hearing. Pet Sounds sparkles to me, Today a little less so, and Wild Honey sounds like it was made in somebody's living room or garage.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2012, 06:39:10 PM by JRM » Logged

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« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2012, 07:02:02 PM »

"Heroes" is weird in that I've heard what, six or seven different edits and mixes of the '66 and '67 recordings? And mix-wise, none of them even begin to sound like what I think it should sound like. Was it just somehow not that well recorded, and the sources that Brian and later Mark etc. had to work with just weren't gonna make it happen? I say "What I think it should sound like", but I know a lot of other people have expressed similar complaints: that it's too muddy, that the snare sounds like it was recorded in a different city, that the high end is kind of out of control (applies mainly to more recent stereo mixes).

Did Brian just create a song so frigging complex and layered that a good mix isn't quite possible? The BWPS mix is pretty decent, but it's obviously not the same recording and, to me, is one of the few performances on BWPS that are lacking in comparison to the original (although still good, obviously). Was it a matter of Brian's arrangement being too complex for the technology at the time, perhaps, and the track limitations of the day still being a factor when creating mixes today?
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« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2012, 12:21:30 AM »


AM station KHJ in LA had the Heroes single listed as a Hitbound (new entry on the chart that week) on their survey for the week of July 12 '67. This was soon after Brian and his caravan of BB's and friends showed up unannounced with the fresh pressing of the new Heroes single, found Tom Maule working his shift at the station, and then found that Maule would not play the record on air until he called his boss Ron Jacobs. This was in the week leading up to that week of July 12th.


Over a year ago (circa May - June 2011) there was a thread concerning the story of the night in July 1967 when Brian and company took an acetate of Heroes and Villains to LA radio station KHJ, offering a worldwide premiere and exclusive, only to be told by the dj that he couldn't play anything that was not not the playlist.

Back then I contacted KHJ's 1956-69 program director, Ron Jacobs, for his comments on the story, and was surprised to find that he had no knowledge of it.  I paraphrased some of his comments in a post back then, and promised to post his detailed comments "soon" which I never did.

So now, with Ron Jacob's permission to post his emails, for those interested in the story, here are Ron Jacob's comments (in yellow) concerning the incident.

This is incredible information. Despite the lack of response to it so far (and that is disappointing considering what's been posted here...), I have to thank Rob, "Custom Machine" for doing this! I was also involved in that first thread, and most of it was speculation based on firsthand accounts which were supposedly accurate re-tellings of what happened that night from those who were there. Now we have Ron Jacobs basically calling bullshit on the whole scenario as told and re-told by several sources.

I got hooked on this whole thing after hearing a Bobby Tripp aircheck from July 17-19 1967, then posted about it including transcribing what Tripp said on the old Smile Shop (Bobby Tripp, BTW, has been dead for about 44 years, and Tom Maule, Robert W., Real Don Steele, et al...many if not most of those cats are gone, and Jacobs remains the primary source of info since he was head coach of that team). At that time it was pretty much universally accepted among those who followed the story that it was Tom Maule at the mic that night - if he wasn't named, it was assumed by putting together the facts about which DJs worked which shifts and what day it happened.

Now all of the information from Ron Jacobs...I was curious and wanted to contact Jacobs for several years, and this is what he says about it...basically it calls the whole story about the caravan to KHJ a complete load of crap, it never *could* have happened the way it was told because the station wasn't available or open as we all I think assumed it had to be for a caravan to pull in and a Beach Boys entourage marches in with a new record.

How do we feel about this? Rob, honestly, do you think the old story has no merit at all as Ron Jacobs responded to the questions? KBLA as a rock station was gone as of June '67, KRLA was fading fast to KHJ and hanging on in summer '67 after getting destroyed by KHJ...could after all these years people just have assumed it was KHJ when it really could have been KRLA that got the visit?

If it were KRLA, that could radically change the accepted story.

I want to say again, maybe a different way: What Ron Jacobs said in reply to very specific, very direct questions was basically the whole story is false and those who told it were mistaken. This is huge. On one hand, the information relayed by Rob, that he's looked into, the info I looked up, checked, asked, etc. for years about this, plus all the accounts...it's very, very specific information. Jacobs at the same time says some insider information about how things worked which only someone like him would know, the everyday mundane show-up-at-work routine things like how the front gate worked which no one outside that station would ever know. And, most important...he was "The Boss" at Boss Radio. If anyone were called that night by a DJ saying Brian Wilson was standing here with his new exclusive single, it was Ron fucking Jacobs getting that call.

Ron Jacobs says it never happened.

Damn. I'm exhausted. Was it KRLA, then?  Shocked
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« Reply #15 on: August 02, 2012, 03:42:23 AM »

It was also Hitbound on KELO Souix Fall SD on their survey for the week ending July 15 1967. Maybe our 11th date is too late? Didn't the July aircheck say it was a KHJ exclusive?

Later: When did Maule start at KHJ?
« Last Edit: August 02, 2012, 05:50:28 AM by Cam Mott » Logged

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« Reply #16 on: August 02, 2012, 08:21:28 AM »

It was also Hitbound on KELO Souix Fall SD on their survey for the week ending July 15 1967. Maybe our 11th date is too late? Didn't the July aircheck say it was a KHJ exclusive?

Later: When did Maule start at KHJ?

Cam, I'm glad to see you posting in this thread, and am curious to hear what you think because you've looked into the facts of this radio visit in the past, if I recall.

About Tom Maule: His first days on KHJ doing his regular evening shift started in mid-June 1967. The survey sheet from June 21, 1967 is the first of those to advertise the "all new" Tom Maule show, 9-to-midnight weekdays. One of the speculations I had - and others too I'm sure, is that since Maule was literally just hired a few weeks ago, he'd want to play "by the book" because he had been on the job less than a month at the time we assume this incident of Brian and Heroes took place on his shift. That was the speculation that if Brian had shown up on another DJ's shift, say a guy he knew personally from Martoni's or some hipster party or events or whatever, the record may have been played.

But Jacobs makes some pretty airtight points which throw the entire story out the window.

About the aircheck: Frustration of frustrations, the Bobby Tripp aircheck I heard is "scoped", which means you get only a few seconds of music at the front and back of each record, while preserving all the DJ patter, copy, and some advertisements. The only reference Tripp makes is that the record is a "Boss Hitbound" that week, and that aircheck dates to July 17-19. You don't get to hear whether Jacobs did his "KHJ Exclusive" whisper over the record, which is unfortunate, but since the disc was literally hot off the press and I'm still assuming no one had it (more research necessary...), I'd say the "exclusive" tag was there because that's how they tagged the records which they only they had as advance copies.

If The Sioux City station was a Drake-Chenault station which was implementing the "Boss Radio" format and programming like Ron Jacobs in LA, then it would actually make sense that they'd have it as a hitbound that early, if it got sent their way. It's still several weeks before many markets got it at all.

How do you feel about Jacobs' comments? It's rewriting and/or correcting a story we all assumed was true for years!
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« Reply #17 on: August 02, 2012, 12:19:38 PM »

The surveys before and after do show it as the "Boss 13 + 20 from KELO."

I don't know anything more then anybody else knows. Where is the original story, the story as a quote from an eyewitness?

Jacobs admits he is operating from a suspect memory. His scepticism seems warranted according to his presumably more reliable memory of the routines and rules and building layout etc.. It could all be true I suppose but I'm wondering if there weren't some one-off circumstances and some confusion and mixing of story and story about story. You know something like it all happened but it wasn't played that very night, it was played a day/days later after being vetted and voiced over etc..
We need to collect all the stories and sources. Didn't we do that already before?
« Last Edit: August 02, 2012, 12:21:39 PM by Cam Mott » Logged

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« Reply #18 on: August 02, 2012, 03:32:57 PM »

Really glad that Guitarfool2002 mentioned the story of Heroes and Villains at KHJ in this thread, since that caused me to recall that around a year ago I had summarized some of Ron Jacobs' first email comments concerning the incident under discussion and was planning to post more comments when I received them, but never got around to doing so.

In answer to Cam’s question, Tom Maule started at KHJ on Monday, June 12, 1967, about a month before our story takes place.

Jacobs is one of the most legendary programmers in radio history, but he initially states that he may not recall the story since "my brain is warped by drugs, rock'n'roll and old, old age."  (He's also quite an entertaining writer.  I especially enjoyed his old column in Hawaii magazine.)  But when he sent emails to 26 people asking for comments and found no one who could corroborate the story, coupled with details in the story that seemed highly implausible to him, he doubted the veracity of the whole thing.

I just went back and reread Al Jardine's 2000 interview in Goldmine magazine (dated July 28, 2000), and his account is quite different from the traditional account which originated with Terry Melcher in Rolling Stone in 1971, an account that has been retold a number of times over the years in a various books.  

Al states, "Actually, Brian was so excited, more excited than the rest of us, about the way Heroes and Villains, the single, had come out.  We went down to a radio station, I think it was KRLA, and burst in on the jock and played the record.  Brian wanted to be the first person to play it for L.A., for the whole city to hear it, and it just didn't have any punch.  There was on sonic value in it.  The song was great, but the sonic value was bad."  So in Al's story, he was uncertain of the station, but thought it was KRLA, and they all burst in and the jock played the record!  

(KFWB was the big top 40 station in LA starting in 1958.  KRLA went top 40 in the early 60s and soon overtook KFWB in the ratings, although both stations remained very popular.  KHJ went top 40 in April 1965 with the arrival of consultant Bill Drake who hired Ron Jacobs as program director, with their "Boss Radio" format instantly zooming to number one.  It should be noted that in past interviews various members of the Beach Boys, when referring to an LA top 40 radio stations, have often exhibited uncertainty or disagreement as to which radio station it was.)

I'll post more comments about all this later, but for now I'm wondering if Stephen Desper is reading this and what recollections he may have.  In one of the emails to Ron Jacobs last year I stated that the incident was also recalled Al Jardine and engineer Stephen Desper in a recorded 2003 conference call, but I can't seem to locate any info on that call.  Stephen, if you are reading this, can you tell us what you recall?  Was that the time a bunch of gardening equipment had to be removed from Brian's car so people could fit in to drive to KHJ?

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« Reply #19 on: August 02, 2012, 03:48:36 PM »

It's a great song and a great record and it was an underwhelming, and exasperatingly long overdue, follow up to GV.

Problems were many, but the reason it didn't sell was because big Brian forgot one little thing - 60's teenagers didn't buy Beach Boy records simply on the strength of the amazing vocals.

The release version is muddy and the instruments are not crisp or tight.

OK, fine...One can always argue that Brian WANTED it that way. But I'll wager he also wanted a hit.

He could have had a hit IF he'd used a Fender Bass (hey, Carol, treble up!) instead of the sluggish string bass, and mixed the drums up slightly.

Some crunchy guitar would have helped too, in my view.

But don't say "Sure Mr. Farm, but that would have made it a different song."Count up all the different versions and mixes that have surfaces over the decades. They're ALL different.

It's a boss song, but the big boy blew it, production wise.
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« Reply #20 on: August 02, 2012, 03:55:32 PM »

I thought I read something where Al mentioned KRLA...thanks for the confirmation! I think through all the years this might have been something which was overlooked, that fact that perhaps it was not KHJ but actually another station - in this case, the only other station playing that kind of music in LA in July 1967, KRLA! And even poor KRLA was getting their collective ass kicked by Jacobs and KHJ.

Thanks again, Custom Machine for that tidbit of info! I knew I wasn't dreaming it.

On the issue of Jacobs, let's compare ideas for a minute: He is so specific about the operational details of KHJ "after hours", and he of all surviving people would know since he was one of the main guys running that station. If Jacobs specifically says there was no way such a group like Brian's could have gotten into the station and into the DJ booth at that time of night completely unannounced and without previous planning, we need to believe him.

Ron Jacobs' ass was on the line - let's say the other stations were out to sabotage him, as he says he wouldn't be against doing to them, by putting a disc filled with profanity and nonsense on the air as a secret, "exclusive" premiere from a certain star who shows up unannounced holding a reel or a record and asking to play it without auditioning it.

Thinking more about that aspect, he's obviously right: It most likely would never be allowed to happen especially if no one was at the station except for the on0air DJ and perhaps an engineer, guards, and maybe a switchboard person...Jacobs would know, he dealt with these issues every week. How many fans would try anything to get into that station? The security had to be somewhat tight.

Once again I'll say the more I read and re-read what Jacobs said, the accepted version of the story no longer seems as factual as we may have assumed for all this time.

And I wonder how Tom Maule became the scapegoat all these years, apart from the obvious digs he received in LLVS.



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« Reply #21 on: August 02, 2012, 03:58:57 PM »

David Leaf's comment seems tantamount to "why let the truth get in the way of a good story. Shame...
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« Reply #22 on: August 02, 2012, 05:07:01 PM »

Having the wrong station would makes the most sense probably.

KRLA does not show any sign of H&V on the July 8 survey. Their next survey would be the 15th. I haven't found the 15th through August 1 surveys. H&V is not on their August 8 survey either. KRLA does not seem to have an HB catagory but maybe I haven't seen enough surveys. Maybe KRLA Beat pub would have something.

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« Reply #23 on: August 02, 2012, 05:22:19 PM »

Here is the July 15th iss of KRLA Beat:

http://krlabeat.sakionline.net/issue/15july67.pdf

Anybody want to plow through it? Seems like KRLA was heavily involved with Monterey and Derek Taylor which seems promising for it being a Brian target.
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« Reply #24 on: August 02, 2012, 05:25:05 PM »

David Leaf's comment seems tantamount to "why let the truth get in the way of a good story. Shame...

"Why let the truth get in the way of a good story?" seems to be Mr.Leaf's philosophy toward everything.
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