Would Dennis have been a good frontman?

[WWDWD?]

Dennis fronting his own band on a Pacific Ocean Blue tour would've worked. Even if he just stood there and sang into the mic (like when he would do "You are so beautiful") or singing from behind the piano - that woulda been a spectacle. He wouldn't have been a camp or showy front man (like love, jagger or mercury), I think crowds would have accepted him on the basis of just being a strong presence.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Dennis fronting his own band on a Pacific Ocean Blue tour would've worked. Even if he just stood there and sang into the mic (like when he would do "You are so beautiful") or singing from behind the piano - that woulda been a spectacle. He wouldn't have been a camp or showy front man (like love, jagger or mercury), I think crowds would have accepted him on the basis of just being a strong presence.

Anytime I hear "Constant Companion"  (Not everyone's favorite, I know, I know) ... I get this insane mental flash of Dennis performing it on American Bandstand! I can see it clear as day: he's in a short sleeved shirt and while pants and is behind the keyboard with this big band with horns and such.... This hallucination is so vivid I almost believe I've seen it and that it's real.....

So, yeah: I agree completely that Dennis could more than carry a show as a guy singing lead from behind a keyboard/piano

[bossaroo]

I've often fantasized about Dennis stepping into more of a lead role.

It's hard to compete with an existing frontman like Mike Love, but what if Mike had left the band in the late 6os for whatever reason? Would Dennis have gravitated to Mike's spot? I'd like to think so.

Dennis had such charisma and he could really charm an audience. I don't think the ability to prance was necessary in Dennis' case. Mike's dancing was always somewhat corny and awkward anyway, combined with the endless pantomiming of lyrics. Mike just never had that Dennis Wilson coolness or sex appeal. But who does?

it's easy to say Dennis was too unfocused or alcoholic to take a lead role. but it's possible that being relegated to the drums and a background role in the band contributed to these behaviors. If Dennis had ever been given the opportunity to share the reins and help steer the band without Mike in the picture, he very well could have.

we'll never know.

[bluesno1fann]

I'd seriously hate to admit it, but Mike was the perfect frontman for the Beach Boys.

This forum has helped me greatly appreciate Mike and his contributions. Before I joined up here, I was one of the many Mike bashers. I would have said Dennis should have been the frontman instead of Mike. Now, I've come to realize I was wrong.

Agreed with Jon Stebbins BTW

[GoogaMooga]

My one regret is I never saw Dennis live on stage, he was the most Beach Boy of the Beach Boys, and could have handled a good number of ballads and of course DYWD.  I don't care if he didn't move about, one of the best frontmen in recent times was Liam Gallagher for Oasis, he just stood still in front of the mic stand, with his arms behind his back and sang his heart out! It would have worked for Dennis, too, the most charismatic of the boys, and the main attraction for the girl fans.

[retrokid67]

he needed the confidence first, if he had that then of course he would! but maybe it's a good thing that he didn't because he would draw even more attention away from the others (especially in the early 60s)  I personally thought he sang Help Me Rhonda better than Al did (but that's just me  )  I hope that soon his live version of In the Back of My Mind would surface, that would be interesting to hear in his gruff 70s voice

[bluesno1fann]

he needed the confidence first, if he had that then of course he would! but maybe it's a good thing that he didn't because he would draw even more attention away from the others (especially in the early 60s)  I personally thought he sang Help Me Rhonda better than Al did (but that's just me  )  I hope that soon his live version of In the Back of My Mind would surface, that would be interesting to hear in his gruff 70s voice

Agreed with HMR. As soon as I heard the MIC live version with Denny on lead vocals, I knew it was the definitive version. I like Al's version, but Denny's blows him away!

[halblaineisgood]

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[retrokid67]

he needed the confidence first, if he had that then of course he would! but maybe it's a good thing that he didn't because he would draw even more attention away from the others (especially in the early 60s)  I personally thought he sang Help Me Rhonda better than Al did (but that's just me  )  I hope that soon his live version of In the Back of My Mind would surface, that would be interesting to hear in his gruff 70s voice

Agreed with HMR. As soon as I heard the MIC live version with Denny on lead vocals, I knew it was the definitive version. I like Al's version, but Denny's blows him away!

The Carnegie Hall and the 1974 versions of him singing it are even better imo 

[tpesky]

Because I don't think he blows the lyrics on those....

[Ed Roach]

Have to admit, I sit on both sides of this fence.  I actually lived through his insecurities about this with him, and watched as he would sometimes need to really get 'out there' before stepping out front on Rhonda or Beautiful.  But then there is also this type of evidence, from way back, that shows what might have been:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I0v2bVX8j4&feature=kp

[metal flake paint]

It's a pity that the footage of Dennis singing lead on two of his songs and talking about the movie he recently starred in no longer exists It would have been great to see him taking centre stage.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Dennis might have not been a good fit for frontman of The Beach Boys, but I can easily see him as a fantastic "solo" artist. More of a guy behind a piano/keyboard. Like, a much much cooler Michael MacDonald.

[Jon Stebbins]

It's a pity that the footage of Dennis singing lead on two of his songs and talking about the movie he recently starred in no longer exists It would have been great to see him taking centre stage.

I agree. Still shot from that appearance on page 150 of the Beach Boys In Concert book and Dennis looks fantastic.

[guitarfool2002]

I think it worked perfectly as it did to have Dennis be a featured vocalist, because it was a spotlight in the show that made it different from the norm and gave the audiences something unique. I compare it to those Stones albums where there would be a track that Keith sang lead instead of Mick, and those tracks stood out from the rest for a lot of fans because it wasn't the norm, and you almost looked forward to hearing the "Keith track" whereas they might get lost in the album if Keith had done more leads. I actually borrowed that line of thinking from an old review of a Public Enemy album where they spotlighted the fact that Flavor Flav had taken the lead on 911 Is A Joke, and it made the track stand out on the album. Strange comparison, but it holds up.

And just like Keith eventually did in the 80's, we had an opportunity to hear Dennis as a solo artist singing all the leads, although unlike Keith he never did anything like a full tour. So the fans who would wait for the Dennis track on an album or those spotlight segments of the live shows where he's step out in front got a full dose of what they wanted.

I don't think Dennis would have been a good BB's frontman any more than I think Keith Richards could have fronted the Stones any better than the guy they already had playing that role, and if they did it would have changed the dynamic of what became a highlight of the shows when they did step out for a lead.

[RangeRoverA1]

Agreed with HMR. As soon as I heard the MIC live version with Denny on lead vocals, I knew it was the definitive version. I like Al's version, but Denny's blows him away!

Sorry, but this is complete rubbish. His version is never gonna be the definitive. Al is an already established singer of Help Me. R(h)onda. Was & will. You should've used another word.

[Lonely Summer]

I think it worked perfectly as it did to have Dennis be a featured vocalist, because it was a spotlight in the show that made it different from the norm and gave the audiences something unique. I compare it to those Stones albums where there would be a track that Keith sang lead instead of Mick, and those tracks stood out from the rest for a lot of fans because it wasn't the norm, and you almost looked forward to hearing the "Keith track" whereas they might get lost in the album if Keith had done more leads. I actually borrowed that line of thinking from an old review of a Public Enemy album where they spotlighted the fact that Flavor Flav had taken the lead on 911 Is A Joke, and it made the track stand out on the album. Strange comparison, but it holds up.

And just like Keith eventually did in the 80's, we had an opportunity to hear Dennis as a solo artist singing all the leads, although unlike Keith he never did anything like a full tour. So the fans who would wait for the Dennis track on an album or those spotlight segments of the live shows where he's step out in front got a full dose of what they wanted.

I don't think Dennis would have been a good BB's frontman any more than I think Keith Richards could have fronted the Stones any better than the guy they already had playing that role, and if they did it would have changed the dynamic of what became a highlight of the shows when they did step out for a lead.

Substitute "keith Richards" with "Dave Davies" and I would agree

[Jim Rockford]

Agreed with HMR. As soon as I heard the MIC live version with Denny on lead vocals, I knew it was the definitive version. I like Al's version, but Denny's blows him away!

Sorry, but this is complete rubbish. His version is never gonna be the definitive. Al is an already established singer of Help Me. R(h)onda. Was & will. You should've used another word.

Why be so serious?

[bluesno1fann]

Agreed with HMR. As soon as I heard the MIC live version with Denny on lead vocals, I knew it was the definitive version. I like Al's version, but Denny's blows him away!

Sorry, but this is complete rubbish. His version is never gonna be the definitive. Al is an already established singer of Help Me. R(h)onda. Was & will. You should've used another word.

It's all subjective, but I like the MIC live version over any other. It has the blues arrangement of the In Concert version (which I prefer over the pop version, which is still great in it's own right), and I simply much prefer Dennis's vocals on this over Al's.

[Amy B.]

Being a frontman requires a certain combination of qualities beyond just singing lead. If you watch a video of Freddie Mercury (who many consider to have been the definitive frontman), you see it. It's the ability to hold an audience with the right amounts of charisma, charm, humor, pacing (knowing when to talk to the audience) and energy. With Freddie gone, there are only two members of Queen left (their bassist quit after Freddie died) and both of them know they can't be frontman, so they bring on someone else to take the role--currently Adam Lambert.

I think someone can be an extremely talented musician and singer and even have a lot of charm, but they still might not have "it"--the frontman formula.

[RangeRoverA1]

It's all subjective, but I like the MIC live version over any other. It has the blues arrangement of the In Concert version (which I prefer over the pop version, which is still great in it's own right), and I simply much prefer Dennis's vocals on this over Al's.

Gotcha, but you still shouldn't call it "definitive", that's what I had issue with. It's a fact that Al's version skyrocketed the charts & it's the song that people identify him with, his "curse" if you will. Having differing taste is fine, but give the guy credit where it's due, without blindly going for Dennis.

[zachrwolfe]

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[bluesno1fann]

It's all subjective, but I like the MIC live version over any other. It has the blues arrangement of the In Concert version (which I prefer over the pop version, which is still great in it's own right), and I simply much prefer Dennis's vocals on this over Al's.

Gotcha, but you still shouldn't call it "definitive", that's what I had issue with. It's a fact that Al's version skyrocketed the charts & it's the song that people identify him with, his "curse" if you will. Having differing taste is fine, but give the guy credit where it's due, without blindly going for Dennis.

That's because it was given to Al first. And in the early 70's they let both Carl and Dennis sing lead. I just think Dennis did the best out of them (Though I haven't heard the Carl version). It's no disrespect to Al, though he has plenty of other signature songs

[retrokid67]

It's all subjective, but I like the MIC live version over any other. It has the blues arrangement of the In Concert version (which I prefer over the pop version, which is still great in it's own right), and I simply much prefer Dennis's vocals on this over Al's.

Gotcha, but you still shouldn't call it "definitive", that's what I had issue with. It's a fact that Al's version skyrocketed the charts & it's the song that people identify him with, his "curse" if you will. Having differing taste is fine, but give the guy credit where it's due, without blindly going for Dennis.

That's because it was given to Al first. And in the early 70's they let both Carl and Dennis sing lead. I just think Dennis did the best out of them (Though I haven't heard the Carl version). It's no disrespect to Al, though he has plenty of other signature songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjfuO--8hto
Carl and Elton John

[bluesno1fann]

It's all subjective, but I like the MIC live version over any other. It has the blues arrangement of the In Concert version (which I prefer over the pop version, which is still great in it's own right), and I simply much prefer Dennis's vocals on this over Al's.

Gotcha, but you still shouldn't call it "definitive", that's what I had issue with. It's a fact that Al's version skyrocketed the charts & it's the song that people identify him with, his "curse" if you will. Having differing taste is fine, but give the guy credit where it's due, without blindly going for Dennis.

That's because it was given to Al first. And in the early 70's they let both Carl and Dennis sing lead. I just think Dennis did the best out of them (Though I haven't heard the Carl version). It's no disrespect to Al, though he has plenty of other signature songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjfuO--8hto
Carl and Elton John

Thanks, will check it out soon!