This Week in BB history-January 22 to February 4

Jan 25 1962-The BBs played at the Presbyterian Church in Hawthorne. The next day they appeared at the Hawthorne HS Senior Breakfast-with Chris Montez and the Mellow Teens. Feb 3 1962-the BBs probably appeared on the local Dance Party TV Show broadcast on KRLA TV out of Long Beach Municipal Auditorium-with the Belairs, Four Cal Quettes, Don Julian and the Meadowlarks, Vince Howard and Johnny Burnette. The footage is long vanished.

Circa Jan 29, 1963-The BBs made their first appearance outside California at a ZBT Frat Party in Tucson, AZ. The next day they played at the Navajo Nation Fairgrounds in Window Rock, AZ. They were back in LA on Jan 31 to tape parts of the Surfin’ USA album-they worked on Farmers Daughter, Lana, Surfin USA and Shut Down. Feb 2 1963-the BB appeared at the March of Dimes Benefit at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, CA-with Jan and Dean, Dick Dale, the Rivingtons, the Chantays, the Rumblers, the Hollywood Tornadoes, Nino Tempo, April Stevens, Dick and Dee Dee, Eddie Hodges and others.

January 22, 1964 The BBs played at Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia with headliner Roy Orbison. The next day they were at the Town Hall in Hobart, Tasmania. They then returned to Sydney to tape an appearance on the Surf Sound TV show on January 24 and then flew to Wellington, NZ, from where they caught a short flight to Invercargill. The BBs played at the Civic Theatre in Invercargill, NZ on Jan 25, 1964. They seemed to have enjoyed it well enough. The Stones played there in 1965 and Mick was less then impressed. He called it “The end of the earth” and complained, “There are 28 rooms in this hotel and only two baths between everybody. The last meal you can get is supper and that finishes at 7 PM.”

The BBs then spent three nights in Christchurch, NZ. The Christchurch Press panned most of the acts on the bill, suggesting that only Roy Orbison had real stage presence. However, it threw some faint praise at Mike, noting, “He danced and jigged in stocking feet, and achieved some strange contortions in an offbeat number called ‘Monster Mash.’ No doubt the audience wondered what the submerged words were, because the guitars drowned out every one. It may have been just as well, because the group hit a high proportion of wrong notes when they tried to harmonize a slow song about Graduation Day.” On January 29, 1964 the BBs played the Town Hall in Wellington and then appeared in Hamilton, New Zealand on January 30, 1964. The tour ended with five shows at the Town Hall in Auckland on January 31 and February 1. The Auckland Star enthused that “musically, the Beach Boys provided the best material of the night with some surprisingly smooth harmony, particularly in the tuneful ‘Graduation Day.’” The BBs flew home on February 2 and the next day the “Fun, Fun, Fun” single was released

Jan 27 1965-The BBs appeared at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR with Brian, making his first appearance since his Houston breakdown. The Beach Boys performed the concert dressed in yellow KISN cotton sweatshirts. Glen C was back in place of Brian when the BBs appeared in Vancouver on January 29, which marked the first app in Canada. The Vancouver Sun reported, “hysterical fans attempted to climb on stage at the Forum where a Hollywood group called the Beach Boys was performing. Five police officers holding barricades against the pressing crowd lost their uniform hats to youths who snatched them off their heads.” They played in Seattle on Jan 30 1965 with Jan and Dean, The Viceroys, the Sonics, The Astronauts, Sir Raleigh and the Coupons, Jimmy Hannah, Terry Black and the Dynamics.

Jan 22 1966-Brian worked on the track for Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Track), while the BBs appeared at Nenkin Hall in Tokyo on January 23. They concluded the tour with an added show at Ota-Taikukan (Ota Gymnasium) near the airport but it only attracted about twenty people due to bad promotion. Dennis remarked in Hit Parader, “Tokyo is like Las Vegas. Expensive and cold.” Jan 24 1966-Brian worked on the track for You Still Believe In Me. The next day Mike Love, Dick Duryea and Bruce Johnston held a press conference in Hong Kong at the Mandarin Hotel-where they were vacationing before their Hawaii shows. During their stay in the city, they went to see the Searchers, who were performing there. Bruce told a reporter, “When we walked into the club the announcer recognized us and we had to stand up and take a bow.” Dennis, Al and Carl had skipped the Hong Kong visit. January 29, 1966 the BBs played the HIC Arena, in Honolulu with Jackie Lee, Lou Christie, The Mop Tops, The Undertakers, Frankie Samuels and the Kinfolk. January 31 1966-Brian worked on Caroline No. The BBs returned home soon after and Carl married Annie Hinsche on February 3

Jan 23 1967-The BBs worked on the track for Surfs Up but the tape is apparently lost. Jan 25 Brian produced Teeter Totter Love for Jasper Daily.
Jan 27 1967-the BBs worked on Heroes and Villains at Columbia. They also were there on Jan 31 and Feb 3 1967 but the tapes of those sessions are lost.

January 22 1968 the Maharishi visited Massachusetts and Mike and possibly other BBs attended this lecture. Jan 25-Dennis’s Untitled #1 track was recorded (released in 2018). Feb 1 1968 the BBs played at Everett Community College in Everett, WA on Feb 1 and then at the Seattle Center Arena on Feb 2. Ed Baker of the Seattle Times reported that they “The Beach Boys gave generously. The numbers were short and plentiful. Screams of recognition greeted each opening bar. With the Arena’s amplification system revved up to about 10,000 decibels, the lyrics were unintelligible to the uninitiated but the Beach Boys’ faithful following seemed to get every message loud and clear.” The BBs then played the Agrodome, Vancouver, BC on Feb 3 and the Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR on Feb 4 1968. I have found no evidence that the Buffalo Springfield were also on this tour-though books (including my own) listed them as present. They were not present in Vancouver for sure. The BBs also played at St Martin’s College in Lacey, WA with The Smiling Castle and the Lemon Pipers on Feb 4.

Jan 24, 27 and 29 1969 the BBs (or at least some of them) were at Sunset Sound working on “San Miguel.” Jan 26 1970-The BBs worked on Tears In the Morning (Overdubs on Nov 18 1969 recording), Our Sweet Love (String Overdubs on Nov 1969 recording), Lady (Overdubs on Dec 1969 recording) and Take a load off Your Feet (Overdubbing Session). The next two days saw mixing sessions at Capitol for the Live in London Tapes. On Jan 28 1970-Bruce was at Valentine Studios, recording a piano overdub on Tears in the Morning

Jan 29 1970- Carl seemed to have ended his draft case. He was given 3 years probation and fined 4,000 dollars-plus ordered to work two years as institutional helper for the county department of hospitals. However this was not the ultimate end to his legal problems, which dragged on until Sept 1971.
Feb 2 1970-a session took place for Susie Cincinnati, which was mixed the next day

Jan 31 1972-While Al and Mike were studying TM in Majorca, Brian, Carl, Ricky Fataar, Doug Dillard, Billy Hinsche and Tandyn Almer are all listed on an AFM for “Beatrice from Baltimore” (working title of You Need A Mess of Help). Circa January 1973-Brian traveled to Fort Dodge, Iowa with David Sandler and Spring to record tracks for their album.

Jan-Feb 1974 Mike attended a five-week TM course in Belgium. Meanwhile on January 30 1974 Bruce Johnston arranged to have Brian, Danny Hutton, Gerry Beckley and Dusty Springfield come to Caribou to record backing vocals for Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me- for Elton John. The session apparently didn’t go well and after Elton departed on tour for Japan, Bruce instead got Carl, Toni Tennille and Daryl Dragon to re-record them.

Jan 30, 1976-Brian produced a session for Palisades Park and the next day he worked on Blueberry Hill. Feb 3 1976- Dennis was arrested for having a loaded weapon in his car-he tells cops he took it from a distraught girlfriend (Karen Lamm?). Jan 24, 25 1977-The BBs were scheduled to appear at NBC Arena in Hawaii but canceled-allegedly due to Mike having a hepatitis outbreak but probably because he went to Switzerland to take a six-month TM Course. Feb 3 1977-Brian guested on Eric Carmen’s recording of “She Did It” with Bruce Johnston at Brother Records. It was Carl’s 11th wedding anniversary so he didn’t join them.

Jan 30, 31 1978-Dennis worked on Baby Blue at Brother. On Feb 3 1978 strings were added to it and he also worked on Wild Situation. Feb 3 1978- Dead Man’s Curve aired on CBS TV with apps by Mike and Bruce (a photo from a December 9, 1977 paper shows them on the set-so probably filmed before then-Mike signed a contract on Nov 30, 1977 that states that his work on the film had begun on Nov 3, 1977). Jan 23 and 24 1979-overdubs were added to Dennis’s Love Surrounds Me to get it ready for release on LA Light.

Jan 22 1980-The BBs were at Daryl Dragon’s Rumbo studios to work on Goin On, Sunshine and Oh Darling. Sessions continued on January 25 and 26 and work was done on the track keeping the Summer Alive on January 28. On Jan 29 1980-Dennis and Christine McVie were scheduled to appear at an event at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion-but they probably didn’t perform-I’ve certainly never head anything else about it. Jan 30 1980-The BBs, minus Dennis, taped the mini-Concert for the Going Platinum TV special at KTTV in Hollywood. Sessions then continued at Rumbo on January 31. On February 1 strings were added to Santa Ana Winds and work was done on Some of Your Love. Sessions continued the next three days on various titles.

Jan 25, 1981-A date that must live in infamy-Dennis received a horrendous beating on Superbowl Sunday at the hands of a recent poster to these boards and Mike’s brother Stan. Jan 31 1981-The BBs performed at the All Arabian Horse Show, Scottsdale, AZ-no doubt this was at Al’s behest. He had become involved in training horses. Jan 27 1982-Carl was at Cherokee Studios working on his second LP. He recorded “Time” and the next day worked on “Opus II.” That same day Mike spoke at UCLA’s Grand Ballroom about the benefits of TM. Jan 29 1982-at Cherokee Studios-Carl
Worked on “She’s Mine” and “Goin’ Down.” Feb 1 1982- Carl worked on It’s Too Early to Tell and Givin’ You Up. The next day a session was held for Rockin’ All Over the World and Youngblood and on February 3 1982 Carl worked on “If I Could Talk to Love” and “One More Night Alone.”

Feb 4 1984-The BBs, including Brian, contributed to Julio Inglesias’ “The Air That I Breathe” at Melrose Studios-produced by Richard Perry. Jan 31-Feb 7 1985-The BBs were on the road. They played at Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton-with KD Laing (31) and the Olympic Saddle Dome in Calgary-with America on Feb 1. David Lee Roth had a huge hit at the time with California Girls and prior to performing “California Girls,” Mike joked, “Anybody seen David Lee Roth around here? I’m looking for that sucker. He ripped off ‘California Girls,’ if you know what I mean? I told the other guys in the group I’m going to get a fright wig and do ‘Jump’ during our show.’” The next day the BBs played at Utah State University in Logan, UT and then at Colorado State U in Ft Collins on Feb 3 with America. Finally they played four nights at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe (4-7).

Jan 27-29 1986-The BBs were again at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and then played the Civic Center in Hartford, CT on January 31. The reviewer commented that Carl “sang a ballad dedicated to Dennis Wilson titled Heaven. With his kind, comforting and unaffected voice, it was sentimental, but not too sweet. Mike Love was in his best form in ages, offering lead vocals that were focused and crafted. However, Bruce Johnston’s vocals were not so fine, killing an otherwise maimed song, a new number called ‘She Believes in Love Again.’” The BBs then played Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario on Feb 1, 1986 and Kellogg Center, Battle Creek, MI on February 2, 1986 with Flash Kahan.

Jan 22 1987-Brian appeared at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in NY-He performs the Drifters hit On Broadway and is then offered a contract by Sire Records (While Brian was there-the BBs practiced for the Super Bowl Pre Game Show at Orange Coast College) Jan 23 1987-the BBs played at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, AZ. Jan 24 1987-“Super Night at the Super Bowl” CBS TV-hosted by Patrick Duffy-the BBs performed a terrible version of “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena”-with Brian-just god awful. Jan 25 1987-the BBs played live at the pre-super Bowl show in Pasadena. The next day they played a private show for the Ford motor Company at the Universal-Sheraton-with Brian

January 29 1987-Brian and Gary Usher worked on “All Over Me” and “Magic”. That same day the BBs started a Midwest tour at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, WI. The reviewer was unimpressed and noted, “the material carried the show. There are local bands that do Beach Boys tunes better then this troupe. Love handled most of the lead vocals but much of the time he was simply reciting the correct words. Carl’s rendering of God Only Knows, a great ballad by any standards, paled compared to Bowie’s recent version. Jardine’s lead vocal on Sloop John B wasn’t his best move of the night either.” Sounds like an off night! The next day they were in, Toledo, OH (30-2 shows), then the Embassy Theater, Fort Wayne, IN (31-2 shows) and the Memorial War Arena, Johnstown, PA (Feb 3), followed by the Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY (4-with Joan Jett).

Jan 23 1988-The BBs played two shows at Caesars’ Palace, Atlantic City, NJ. Jan 25 1988-American Music Awards, shrine Auditorium-BBS get Award of Merit (with Mike in a hard-hat in case he was “attacked” for his crazy speech at the Hall of Fame on January 20. They rehearsed for the event on January 24 and appeared on Jan 25. Jan 24, 1989-The BBs played the Spectrum in Philadelphia with Chicago. Brian had as solo spot and sang Surfer Girl, Love and Mercy, Melt Away and Walking the Line. The next day at the Centrum in Worcester, MA Brian again played a solo set. The Boston Globe reviewer called Brian’s performance “transcendent” and commented, “Love and Mercy and Melt Away found him singing better then he has for many years and the songs held up as innocent gems in the classic Beach Boys mode.” This pattern was repeated at the Nassau Coliseum on January 27 1989. The Daily News reported that “The Beach Boys rolled but Chicago wiped out” and again praised Brian’s set.. Think I’ll stop here.

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