The name 'California Music'

[Jim V.]

So with the release of the new recording of "Add Some Music to Your Day" featuring Mike, Al, Bruce and Dave among others, we found out the project was going to be released under the 'California Music' moniker. I personally found this amusing as Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher had their own project in the '70s that released a few records under that exact name.*

Now only in the world of The Beach Boys would you have two highish profile projects end up coming out under the same group name, even including one participant (Bruce) who is up front and center in both projects. Is this of any importance? Of course it isn't. But I just found it amusing. I wonder if David Beard approached Bruce about the use of the name for this album project, and indeed for the name of the "group" credited with this new recorded of "Add Some Music." Not that I think Bruce has any say about the name California Music, or would he? I honestly don't know how that would work legally.

*A little backstory for those who don't know, Bruce and Terry apparently wanted "bring the fun back" to west coast music or something like that in the early '70s and so they went about overdubbing old Jan & Dean records and released those on the United Artists label. The plan then was to then move into original material, which Bruce and Terry ultimately did under the California Music name, though of course there were covers aplenty released under the name as well. You had Bruce (and a Gloria Grinel) doing "Don't Worry Baby" along with Johnston doing an original cut like "Ten Years Harmony." And the reason many of us on this board might be familiar with this band name would be Brian producing a cover of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" along with him playing organ on it's b-side "Jamaica Farewell" if my memory serves. Anyways, Brian's family terminated his involvement in the project, Bruce and Terry apparently lost interest or something and the project ended up continuing, headed by Curt Becher under the name California, releasing a few more records later in the '70s.

[Steve Latshaw]

<A little backstory for those who don't know, Bruce and Terry apparently wanted "bring the fun back" to west coast music or something like that in the early '70s and so they went about overdubbing old Jan & Dean records and released those on the United Artists label. >

A quick qualifier on this.  The first two singles for UA...  GONNA HUSTLE YOU/Summertime (1972) and SUMMER MEANS FUN/Gonna Hustle You (1973) were Dean Torrence projects through his deal with UA.  Bruce and Terry came in to record new BG vocals with Dean for GONNA HUSTLE YOU and SUMMER MEANS FUN. They were released under the name LEGENDARY MASKED SURFERS,

[Rocker]

<A little backstory for those who don't know, Bruce and Terry apparently wanted "bring the fun back" to west coast music or something like that in the early '70s and so they went about overdubbing old Jan & Dean records and released those on the United Artists label. >

A quick qualifier on this.  The first two singles for UA...  GONNA HUSTLE YOU/Summertime (1972) and SUMMER MEANS FUN/Gonna Hustle You (1973) were Dean Torrence projects through his deal with UA.  Bruce and Terry came in to record new BG vocals with Dean for GONNA HUSTLE YOU and SUMMER MEANS FUN. They were released under the name LEGENDARY MASKED SURFERS,

Yes, IIRC California Music recorded other material. A. o. a great version (imo) of "Why do fools fall in love". During one of those sessions that Brian collaborated with them, Brian went to one of Elvis' sessions and tried some Karate on him