The Beach Boys and Van Halen

[Jason Penick]

Sort of a meaningless thread and the mods can feel free to move it to the "insignificant questions" thread if they see fit, but I was just curious if there are some stories out there about any interaction between the pride of Hawthorne High and the Pasadena party machine. Van Halen and the Beach Boys are my two favorite bands, and it does seem likely that their paths may have at least crossed at some point. However I've only come across a few connections of micro-importance.

Both got their start at Bill Gazzarri's Hollywood night club, but over a decade apart.

Carl apparently sang backgrounds on DLR's cover version of "California Girls".

According to an article in Forbes, Dave loved the Beach Boys growing up, so I'm guessing he must have at least seen them once or twice.


That's all I've got, but if there's any stories out there, I'd sure love to hear them. Incidentally, I always thought either "Dance the Night Away" or "Beautiful Girls" from Van Halen II would have made for very interesting Beach Boys cover choices. Dennis singing "Beautiful Girls" would have worked brilliantly for me.

Anybody??

[c-man]

No "apparently" about it: Carl sang back up on Roth's cover of "Californina Girls", along with Christopher Cross. I think the story goes Cross was asked by Ted Templeman to sing on it, and he invited Carl - who had nothing better to do that day, so he accepted! They reportedly had a blast. There was a rumor that Bruce made a cameo in the video as the guy holding up the boom mic toward the end, but he denied it.

David Lee (and Glen Campbell) gave the Boys an American Music Award in '88:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMDQh8Cxq58

There's also the story I read a few years back that David Lee Roth wanted the Boys to sing backup on his hit "Just Like Paradise", but only if he got a full-fledged effort from all of them, not some "half-assed effort", as he put it: meaning, he wanted Brian along with the rest of them, but the situation between the BW/Landy camp and the others at the time meant it wasn't going to happen without a lot of drama and stress, so he passed.

[bgas]

Sort of a meaningless thread and the mods can feel free to move it to the "insignificant questions" thread if they see fit, but I was just curious if there are some stories out there about any interaction between the pride of Hawthorne High and the Pasadena party machine. Van Halen and the Beach Boys are my two favorite bands, and it does seem likely that their paths may have at least crossed at some point. However I've only come across a few connections of micro-importance.

Both got their start at Bill Gazzarri's Hollywood night club, but over a decade apart.

Unless the dates are wrong on Wiki( 1967 club opening) how did the BBs get their start here?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazzarri%27s

[Lonely Summer]

DLR has often seemed to me like a hipper, stoned ML, with more hair.

[Jason Penick]

Unless the dates are wrong on Wiki( 1967 club opening) how did the BBs get their start here?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazzarri%27s.

Yeah, actually scratch that-- It must have been Pandora's Box I was thinking of for the Beach Boys, not Gazzarri's. However something about the date in that Wiki article seems amiss, unless Bobby Fuller came back from the dead to perform there in 1967.

[Jason Penick]

No "apparently" about it: Carl sang back up on Roth's cover of "Californina Girls", along with Christopher Cross. I think the story goes Cross was asked by Ted Templeman to sing on it, and he invited Carl - who had nothing better to do that day, so he accepted! They reportedly had a blast. There was a rumor that Bruce made a cameo in the video as the guy holding up the boom mic toward the end, but he denied it.

David Lee (and Glen Campbell) gave the Boys an American Music Award in '88:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMDQh8Cxq58

There's also the story I read a few years back that David Lee Roth wanted the Boys to sing backup on his hit "Just Like Paradise", but only if he got a full-fledged effort from all of them, not some "half-assed effort", as he put it: meaning, he wanted Brian along with the rest of them, but the situation between the BW/Landy camp and the others at the time meant it wasn't going to happen without a lot of drama and stress, so he passed.

Thanks, C-Man! Just the kind of stuff I was hoping for. Certainly there's no one more qualified to hold a boom mic than our own Bruce.

[joe_blow]

In DLR's book, Crazy From The Heat he mentions his love for The Beach Boys. He has said on more than one occasion that the early Van Halen albums has grains of sand on the covers or something of the sort.


"The Beach Boys" with David Lee Roth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei32FDTCPsM

I think Beautiful Girls has a Van Halen influence as did Just Like Paradise.

There are some pics on the net of Carl with DLR.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=david+lee+roth+carl+wilson&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI5NCZ0aipxwIViTmICh1XgQAM#imgrc=5WIrdHgh_sdJ8M%3A

Now if you were to play 3 degrees of separation with VH/BB I am sure the connections would be very many.

[Jason Penick]

DLR has often seemed to me like a hipper, stoned ML, with more hair.

I can totally see that. Both known more for their patter and antics on stage than for being great vocalists, though both are underrated when it comes to singing. Dave is like what you'd get when you cross Mike's "master of ceremonies" shtick with Dennis's libido and hard partying ways.

[Jason Penick]

In DLR's book, Crazy From The Heat he mentions his love for The Beach Boys. He has said on more than one occasion that the early Van Halen albums has grains of sand on the covers or something of the sort.


"The Beach Boys" with David Lee Roth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei32FDTCPsM

I think Beautiful Girls has a Van Halen influence as did Just Like Paradise.

There are some pics on the net of Carl with DLR.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=david+lee+roth+carl+wilson&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI5NCZ0aipxwIViTmICh1XgQAM#imgrc=5WIrdHgh_sdJ8M%3A

Now if you were to play 3 degrees of separation with VH/BB I am sure the connections would be very many.

Thank you! This is all great stuff. That video in particular-- man, it's kind of hard to watch but at the same time I had a huge dopey smile on my face all the way through it.

I agree that the three degrees of separation would be plentiful... Just offhand: Ted Templeman > Van Dyke Parks > Brian Wilson.

[bgas]

Unless the dates are wrong on Wiki( 1967 club opening) how did the BBs get their start here?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazzarri%27s.

Yeah, actually scratch that-- It must have been Pandora's Box I was thinking of for the Beach Boys, not Gazzarri's. However something about the date in that Wiki article seems amiss, unless Bobby Fuller came back from the dead to perform there in 1967.

You're  right! It appears  the opening date is wrong; here's Alison Martino's take:  http://martinostimemachine.blogspot.com/2009/09/gazzarris-was-originally-located-on-l.html

[Jason Penick]

You're  right! It appears  the opening date is wrong; here's Alison Martino's take:  http://martinostimemachine.blogspot.com/2009/09/gazzarris-was-originally-located-on-l.html

Oh, great! It's nice to know I'm not quite going senile yet. That blog you linked to is won won wonderful by the way. Did you watch the Hollywood a-Go Go video she posted with Sam Riddle? I love watching clips of all the old Hollywood rock 'n' roll tv shows from that era. Sam was still on KFWB back then which were the Beach Boys biggest supporters in Los Angeles, so without checking Jon and Ian's book, I'm guessing they did play their fair share of gigs at Gazzarri's.

[Watch a Cave]

So last night I was at a Van Halen show (which was excellent, Eddie was really on fire),  and it struck me how similar sounding their music could be to the BBs when those harmonies kicked in on certain songs.  It was very Beach Boys esque at times.

It got me thinking..  We know Eddie was influenced by Clapton and Page, but was he also into the Beach Boys?  Who arranges the 2 and 3 part harmonies in their songs?  Were they trying to imitate the Boys in this area?

[Beach Boy]

There was actually a thread about this started yesterday which makes me giggle a lot since these two bands are my favourites as well and I can hear the Beach Boys influence especially on the Roth led six pack.

[Uncle Jesse]

I believe it was probably Eddie arranging the voices.  Michael Anthony used to do the falsettos, so I wonder if anyone's covering them on the current tour

[c-man]

I believe it was probably Eddie arranging the voices.  Michael Anthony used to do the falsettos, so I wonder if anyone's covering them on the current tour

When I saw them in '08, it was Wolfgang singing those highs. Also saw 'em with Sammy in '88 and '04 (I actually prefer the Sammy-led VH - and yes, I know I'm in the minority there!).

[c-man]

One more connection: the David Lee Roth Band (minus Roth himself) backed Brian on the Sweet Insanity version of "Spirit Of Rock 'n' Roll".

[Beach Boy]

If I had to choose I'd take the classic line up but I truly believe that Ed needed Sammy to grow musically. I especially dig 5150 and OU812, really great summer feel, kind of like hard rock versions of the Beach Boys.    

That's what David Lee Roth said about Michael Anthony a couple of years ago:

And what we have at our fingertips is arguably one of the greatest high tenor voices ever – that was in Michael Anthony. In our tiny little corner of the universe, that voice is as identifiable as the high voice in Earth, Wind & Fire, as identifiable as the high voice in the Beach Boys. Van Halen is an indelicate house blend of both – that's intentionally.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/q-a-david-lee-roth-vents-about-van-halens-future-20130212?page=2

And then there was David's web show on youtube in which he talked about the Beach Boys influence and being a fan of them. It used to be on youtube but prior to the start of the 2015 tour all of his episodes were deleted.

[Ian]

I don't think they ever played there. The bbs weren't a club band by 1965

[joe_blow]

From Blabbermouth:

In a February 2013 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth spoke about the touchy subject of Anthony potentially replacing current bassist — and Eddie Van Halen's son — Wolfgang Van Halen. He said: "Ed has his own vision, I'm assuming. We haven't really been able to speak about it and it's a disappointment, just as not having a chance for a reunion of the original band. Clearly, vocals are every bit as much a component of success as a rhythm section or a guitar solo… What we have at our fingertips is arguably one of the greatest high tenor voices ever — that was in Michael Anthony. In our tiny little corner of the universe, that voice is as identifiable as the high voice in EARTH, WIND & FIRE, as identifiable as the high voice in the BEACH BOYS. VAN HALEN is an indelicate house blend of both — that's intentionally."

BTO openeed for Van Halen on the 5150 tour-Carl Wilson wrote with Randy Bachman

http://somethingelsereviews.com/2014/04/13/these-are-my-mentors-van-halens-david-lee-roth-heaps-praise-on-the-beach-boys/

http://www.feelnumb.com/2011/11/05/vote-best-band-of-brothers-sibling-members/

[Lonely Summer]

DLR has often seemed to me like a hipper, stoned ML, with more hair.

I can totally see that. Both known more for their patter and antics on stage than for being great vocalists, though both are underrated when it comes to singing. Dave is like what you'd get when you cross Mike's "master of ceremonies" shtick with Dennis's libido and hard partying ways.

That nails it!

[Moon Dawg]

DLR has often seemed to me like a hipper, stoned ML, with more hair.

  DLR more hair? Maybe once upon a time....

[joe_blow]

DLR has been bald for years.

[Jason Penick]

Surely with all the backyard parties and club gigs Van Halen played in their formative years, there must be a story of drunken Dennis stumbling through with a blonde on each arm and yelling something incoherent into the microphone?

[Sam_BFC]

They basically recycled Brian's hall of fame speech for that American Music Awards speech.

What is pretty funny is that Brian says "52 albums later" both times!

[sockittome]

I always thought either "Dance the Night Away" or "Beautiful Girls" from Van Halen II would have made for very interesting Beach Boys cover choices. Dennis singing "Beautiful Girls" would have worked brilliantly for me.

Anybody??

Imagine what the Beach Boys coulda done with a song like "Little Dreamer" off the debut album.  In some other universe I can hear maybe Carl doing the lead, and then when the rest of the Boys come in on the chorus bvs.....Wow!