Priore Book

[mikeyj]

After just finishing Dumb Angel, I have been reading Domenic Priore's SMiLE book (story of Brians lost masterpiece) and have come across a few things that I have never read anywhere else or heard anywhere else (mind you I havent read many books on the band as Im not the keenest of readers but when I do read a book now after becoming a fan it is usually only one about the band). Im not very far in the book as yet as I usually only read it on the train. Anyway I was wondering if someone could give me a bit more detail on these facts that it talked about in the book:

*Page 18 - The Beach Boys were "named after a group of Waikiki surfing teachers and tourist entertainers"?
*Page 18 - In early '62, the boys participated in the making of a short-film titled One Man's Challenge.. and they recorded instrumental surf versions of Midnight Sun, Lonesome Town etc..?

 I think Ive read somewhere before about something to do with One Mans Challenge but Is this true about them recording these instrumentals and if so are they available to hear anywhere?

*Page 23 - he claims that on the Surfer Girl album there is the presence of The Survivors on many of the vocal parts?

[Ebb and Flow]

On the first part, the name "Beach Boys" comes from the Waikiki Beachboys, who were a fixture of Hawaii during the 30's.  I'm sure you've heard of Duke Kahanamoku, otherwise known as "the King of Surfing"?  He was a Beachboy.  Here's a link about them (towards the bottom of the page):

http://www.geocities.com/~ukulele/history.html

"Surfing teachers and tourist entertainers" is a pretty good description, but a few were pretty serious musicians.

I don't know about "One Man's Challenge", but on the third part, I've heard (on this board) that the statement Priore makes about The Survivors singing on Surfer Girl isn't accurate.

[mikeyj]

On the first part, the name "Beach Boys" comes from the Waikiki Beachboys, who were a fixture of Hawaii during the 30's.  I'm sure you've heard of Duke Kahanamoku, otherwise known as "the King of Surfing"?  He was a Beachboy.  Here's a link about them (towards the bottom of the page):

http://www.geocities.com/~ukulele/history.html

"Surfing teachers and tourist entertainers" is a pretty good description, but a few were pretty serious musicians.

I don't know about "One Man's Challenge", but on the third part, I've heard (on this board) that the comment Priore makes about The Survivors singing on Surfer Girl isn't accurate.

Thanks Ebb and Flow. Appreciate it. I didnt think that info about Surfer Girl sounded right. In regards to the naming of The Beach Boys, if what Ive read is correct the guy who named them The Beach Boys was Russ Regan. And couldn't it just be co-incidence that he named the band that I mean I know there may be no way to definately know but isn't it possible that he just thought out of nowhere... hmm these guys sing about the Surf etc.. why dont I call them The Beach Boys.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The name "Beach Boys" had already appeared on record labels before "Surfin'" was written, much less recorded, so when Regan & Saraceno were brainstorming to come up with any beach-related name that wasn't 'The Surfers', putting together "Beach" and "Boys" was probably inevitable. Personally, I wish they'd run with The Woodies. 

[MBE]

I think Priore is a great researcher and obviously very knowledgable on the Surf and Smile era's. I don't agree with his view on the other Beach Boys role in the destruction of Smile, but he was correct in taking them to task for what they were in the eighties. This book wasn't up to his usuall standard  in my eyes. Too many errors and opinions stated as fact. Of course the opinions were fine in the volumes of the DAG because they weren't strict biography but this book is a different category and should have been approached as thus.   

I don't think The Beach Boys did the instrumental music because the film credits state another band did . I haven't read the Dave Marks book yet, but he may back up what Domenic says.

I think the DAG 4 goes into the Hawaiian Beach Boys. I am not certain but the Russ Regen story rings more true.

[Jon Stebbins]

I like Domenic's stuff myself but in this case he's wrong on the latter two points. The Survivors are definitely NOT on Surfer Girl this has been disproved time and time again. Just listen to the session, those voices are Brian, Carl, Mike and Dennis, no one else...and the Wilsons and Dave Marks are the only people on the instrumental track. There may be Survivors on an earlier demo but not on the hit version...no way.

The instrumentals in the One Man's Challenge film are not by the BB's. The only BB's music in that movie is Surfin' Safari.

[pixletwin]

One thing I picked up on from this book that I had never read anywhere else are the allegations that the Beatles were allowed to listen to SMiLE at Armen Steiner's which only increased Brian's paranoia about the loyalty of the people around him.

I wonder if it is true.

[John]

Is this the book where he "counts" the [ahem] eight Pet Sounds vocals that aren't by Brian? I lost all interest in reading it that early.

[Fun Is In]

I was very disapointed in this book- it went from my place to the used book store quickly.
Too many questionable assertions and half-backed conclusions.

Some of the early 60s general LA life trivia was interesting, but there was way too much of it.

[Andrew G. Doe]

One thing I picked up on from this book that I had never read anywhere else are the allegations that the Beatles were allowed to listen to SMiLE at Armen Steiner's which only increased Brian's paranoia about the loyalty of the people around him.

I wonder if it is true.

As we say in England, "complete bollocks" -  a few minutes surfing the relevant Beatles and BB sites would have shown anyone that no-one was in the right place at the right time until Pepper was being mixed. Van Dyke, the original source for this claim, later said that the two albums were similar because they both featured sound effects.    This is what happens when you take a source at face value.

[pixletwin]

As we say in England, "complete bollocks" -  a few minutes surfing the relevant Beatles and BB sites would have shown anyone that no-one was in the right place at the right time until Pepper was being mixed. Van Dyke, the original source for this claim, later said that the two albums were similar because they both featured sound effects.    This is what happens when you take a source at face value.

  Thanks Andrew. I think you're right: complete bullocks. 

[Bill Tobelman]

While folks are right about the idea that the Beatles got a SMiLE preview is wrong, they can still get the feeling, at least from Van Dyke's  quote, that Brian & Van Dyke were in competition with the Beatles and that they took it very seriously.

Priore's book is good for a few things. The Frank Holmes stuff at the end of the book is good stuff and the Van Dyke Parks interview stuff is also very good. Also the quotes from the "Inside Pop" tv show are good.

But Domenic's own view of SMiLE seems to be the one we get too often. And this is presented as the truth.

So what if "I wanna Be Around/ Friday Night" was to follow "Fire." Then what? What does it all mean?

Anyway, Reum & Hanes gave the book 5 stars on Amazon.com so you know it has got to be the truth.

[MBE]

There are those who think Van Dyke is a factual soruce. I don't. I like hearing him talk, he is droll but ever since his tirade against Mike in Mojo I don't think he is credable. Also though I dislike the movie AAF he shouldn't have gotten so bent out of shape about it. They don't make him look bad to me. In fact it is quite funny and true to life as far as I can see.

[Chris Brown]

There are those who think Van Dyke is a factual soruce. I don't. I like hearing him talk, he is droll but ever since his tirade against Mike in Mojo I don't think he is credable. Also though I dislike the movie AAF he shouldn't have gotten so bent out of shape about it. They don't make him look bad to me. In fact it is quite funny and true to life as far as I can see.

I don't think his entire problem with the American Family movie was how it portrayed him...I think he was offended by the misrepresentation of history in general.  Things like showing Brian as a drugged out wacko during Pet Sounds/Smile, or Mike having to show Brian what the hook to Good Vibrations was.

[MBE]

Well on those points I agree with him, but I still don't think he should of done what he did to Mike who has praised him during a number of interviews.

[mikeyj]

Well on those points I agree with him, but I still don't think he should of done what he did to Mike who has praised him during a number of interviews.

I dont ever recall Mike praising him. I mean sure he said in the Endless Harmony documentary "Van Dyke is a very nice person" but to me it didn't seem he was sincere when he said it. Of course they may be other things he has said but Ive never seen anything that praises him.

[MBE]

Check out his interview with Mojo, check out his interview with Goldmine for two examples. Heard him say it several times around the the time Van Dyke played some sessions in the early 90's

[mikeyj]

Check out his interview with Mojo, check out his interview with Goldmine for two examples. Heard him say it several times around the the time Van Dyke played some sessions in the early 90's

Well I dont have many articles out of magazines so I wouldnt know about any of them. But even then its still unclear whether he is being sincere. Im not saying he is definately not  sincere but to me in the Endless Harmony documentary he doesnt seem sincere when hes saying it so why would he be sincere in those interviews you mentioned (of course you cant judge whether hes being sincere or not from a bit of ink on a paper) but im still unsure whether Mike really likes Van Dyke.

[Dancing Bear]

Check out his interview with Mojo, check out his interview with Goldmine for two examples. Heard him say it several times around the the time Van Dyke played some sessions in the early 90's

Well I dont have many articles out of magazines so I wouldnt know about any of them. But even then its still unclear whether he is being sincere.

Hmm, then there's only one thing we can do:

[mikeyj]

Hmm, then there's only one thing we can do:

 

[MBE]

That's a funny picture.

 Well I don't think Mike would praise him if he didn't want to and why would he have had him working with the group again? My point really was more about who was a gentleman in public. I don't know if anything said for publication is 100 percent true. I was as shocked as anyone when I read the nice quotes on Van Dyke. Mike does say clearly though that he while he likes Parks and his work, he perfers straight forward lyrics.

[mikeyj]

That's a funny picture.

 Well I don't think Mike would praise him if he didn't want to and why would he have had him working with the group again? My point really was more about who was a gentleman in public. I don't know if anything said for publication is 100 percent true. I was as shocked as anyone when I read the nice quotes on Van Dyke. Mike does say clearly though that he while he likes Parks and his work, he perfers straight forward lyrics.

Yeah you're probably right about being a gentleman in public. Still Id never even heard about the Van Dyke Parks criticism of Mike before and since I havent seen it I cant really comment on it. I was just saying that Mike didnt seem sincere, and I spose he couldve been, but you are right atleast he was atleast polite because by the sounds of it Van Dyke wasn't

[MBE]

Van Dyke basically raked Mike over the coals. Saying John Lennon hated him (which doesn't seem to be the case). Putting him down as a man. Just nasty stuff. As much as Mike has been a jerk at times, he has also pointed out good things about people, even about his rival Dennis and especally about Brian. It's just that I think that despite anything Mike has done or is said to have done he never trashed Van Dyke the man and so I though Parks was really out of line. You can find the comments on line, I don't remember where exactly but google "Van Dyke Parks Mojo" and you should find them.

[Wilsonista]

Mike's comments about Parks in EH have the ring of "I like him, BUT.......". Van, I think had every right to be upset at his portrayal in the miniseries.  Especially since there are newbies who will (and have) taken every thing in that film as gospel.  He was lumped in with the drug-fueled crazies in that film and that, I think has done more harm to his rep than his own "bitterness" about that portrayal.

[MBE]

Sorry to disagree with you Rob Mac but Parks wasn't really shown to be doing anything bad. He was part of that crowd. He said he stayed away from drugs mostly OK fine. He was part of that circle though. The movie did make his writing look silly but he refused to let them use his real stuff. Alan Boyd had to write something to put in there. If he wanted to address the movie fine.  I think he did when it came out and that was also very unprofessional from what I recall. Mike didn't write the movie. He even stated there were moments he wasn't uncomfortable with. He gave it approval but he didn't have final say. Again this isn't about who did what, it's about how he expressed his views that I find over the line. If Mike Love said hey I hate the guy, then he had the right. Otherwise no, not in the way he did it.