Dennis: Post Bambu-----1979-1983

[DonnaK]

I'm confused (what else is new?), I didn't know that Dennis and Shawn were together so early in '81. Thought he was still involved with C. McVie at that time.

Anyway, Karma is a bitch at times. What goes around, comes around....ask a couple of my ex's.!!One had a triple bypass at 42 and the other one is dead. Am waiting for the other shoe to drop on my ex-husband!!! I never wished any of them ill-will, but things happen in ways we'll never understand.

[Ed Roach]

I'm confused (what else is new?), I didn't know that Dennis and Shawn were together so early in '81. Thought he was still involved with C. McVie at that time.

Anyway, Karma is a bitch at times. What goes around, comes around....ask a couple of my ex's.!!One had a triple bypass at 42 and the other one is dead. Am waiting for the other shoe to drop on my ex-husband!!! I never wished any of them ill-will, but things happen in ways we'll never understand.

Well, there was always an overlap with Dennis, where relationships are concerned. 
He had a real hard time with saying goodbye, and loved to know he could/would always
be welcome back; (whether he was or not!)
However, I even have a real problem with this time period.  Things got real sketchy by the eighties...

As to your second comment, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole!  (Wish I knew the show "My Name is Earl"
better - even though I do watch it - as I'd love to quote Earl on Karma.  I even know Jason Lee, an old
skateboarder, who happens to be a very close friend of Stephen Kalinich!)
Anyhow, Karma sure is strange.  Can't understand why it's struck me at times, right in the middle
of my patiently waiting for it to strike her, or them!  Go figure...

[MBE]

Stan and Rocky

I bought the LP that serves as my avatar at Amoeba Records in Hollywood maybe five years ago, and it's in a clear plastic sleeve to which someone has drawn in a cartoon balloon pointing at Rocky's head that says, "I beat the merda out of Dennis Wilson."

What album is it?

[JeffRetro]

What album is it?

THE ROCK by Rocky Pamplin (ADC LS-4055, 1979), an album of predominantly tenth-rate watered down, ultra-tepid disco sung by Rocky in a fey, somwhat pitchy voice with a prominent lisp, with the final track being a sappy ballad.  My copy is autographed on the back by Gary Griffin, who is one of two people credited with the sub-Philadelphia string arrangements.  It also contains a cover of the Mike Love/Ron Altbach "classic" "Disco Symphony" on Side 2; the original had just appeared on Celebration's barely released third album DISCO CELEBRATION, also on ADC Records (LS-4052).

[letsmakeit31]

Ok, I have a question that is kind of Dennis related.  On the 1981(or 82?) Cocaine Sessions bootlegs, it's always listed as "Brian and Dennis". But Brian sings every song(at least what's bootlegged), and there is just one other voice on the tape besides Brian's, and it doesn't sound like Dennis. Are we really sure if he's on the tape that exists?

This has to be one of the saddest things ever laid down on tape   esp "Oh Lord"

[Bean Bag]

I've heard this before...but I forget why and what happened...so, why did Stan and Rocky beat up Dennis?

[hypehat]

I've heard this before...but I forget why and what happened...so, why did Stan and Rocky beat up Dennis?

In Carlin's book, it says that while they were in charge of Brian, they were drinking and got pissed off at Dennis giving Brian drugs and enabling him, so they went round his house, pretended to be cops so all of Dennys guests left, then beat him up. Pretty badly too - they broke his ribs....

It's disgusting really. The fact that no-one seemed to mind is also somewhat worrying

[The Heartical Don]

I've heard this before...but I forget why and what happened...so, why did Stan and Rocky beat up Dennis?

In Carlin's book, it says that while they were in charge of Brian, they were drinking and got pissed off at Dennis giving Brian drugs and enabling him, so they went round his house, pretended to be cops so all of Dennys guests left, then beat him up. Pretty badly too - they broke his ribs....

It's disgusting really. The fact that no-one seemed to mind is also somewhat worrying

They were some band, eh?

[Bean Bag]

That is sad.  And wasn't this wad, Rocky, doing Brian's wife? 

So what's Stan's story?  Some cousin he was.  What's he doing now?

[Dancing Bear]

The fact that no-one seemed to mind is also somewhat worrying

If Brian had OD'ed in 1981 we'd be complaining that Dennis was giving him drugs and enabling him and no one seemed to mind. Rough days.

[Jason]

Brian was overdosing plenty of times before 1981. There's the famous story, or at least it's assumed this stature, that Brian once had access to about $10,000 of cocaine and snorted a good portion of it and went into serious convulsions as a result.

[TdHabib]

I do remember from I think Gaines' "Heroes and Villains," that Dennis sued them for assault and won a paltry $300. He screamed out in court "Oh no, I got beat up for $300!" If I'm wrong with any of this, please let the experts correct me.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I do remember from I think Gaines' "Heroes and Villains," that Dennis sued them for assault and won a paltry $300. He screamed out in court "Oh no, I got beat up for $300!" If I'm wrong with any of this, please let the experts correct me.

You nailed it.

[TdHabib]

I do remember from I think Gaines' "Heroes and Villains," that Dennis sued them for assault and won a paltry $300. He screamed out in court "Oh no, I got beat up for $300!" If I'm wrong with any of this, please let the experts correct me.

You nailed it.

[bows right, bows left]

[Glenn Greenberg]

I've heard this before...but I forget why and what happened...so, why did Stan and Rocky beat up Dennis?

In Carlin's book, it says that while they were in charge of Brian, they were drinking and got pissed off at Dennis giving Brian drugs and enabling him, so they went round his house, pretended to be cops so all of Dennys guests left, then beat him up. Pretty badly too - they broke his ribs....

It's disgusting really. The fact that no-one seemed to mind is also somewhat worrying

They were some band, eh?

And I thought MY family was screwed up!

[Dancing Bear]

Brian was overdosing plenty of times before 1981. There's the famous story, or at least it's assumed this stature, that Brian once had access to about $10,000 of cocaine and snorted a good portion of it and went into serious convulsions as a result.

Ok, smart ass. Had he overdosed and died in 1981. 

[Alex]

I do remember from I think Gaines' "Heroes and Villains," that Dennis sued them for assault and won a paltry $300. He screamed out in court "Oh no, I got beat up for $300!" If I'm wrong with any of this, please let the experts correct me.

Damn, I need to get my hands on a copy of the Gaines book!!

[Jon Stebbins]

Brian was overdosing plenty of times before 1981. There's the famous story, or at least it's assumed this stature, that Brian once had access to about $10,000 of cocaine and snorted a good portion of it and went into serious convulsions as a result.

Ok, smart ass. Had he overdosed and died in 1981. 

I think its silly to demonize Dennis as if the drugs only flowed on one direction. Believe me they flowed both ways.

[the captain]

I do remember from I think Gaines' "Heroes and Villains," that Dennis sued them for assault and won a paltry $300. He screamed out in court "Oh no, I got beat up for $300!" If I'm wrong with any of this, please let the experts correct me.

Damn, I need to get my hands on a copy of the Gaines book!!

Shouldn't be tough to do: it's around. I see copies of it in used bookstores all the time, and I'd assume you can still get it on amazon, etc.

Gaines posted here for a (very) little while.

[Dancing Bear]

Brian was overdosing plenty of times before 1981. There's the famous story, or at least it's assumed this stature, that Brian once had access to about $10,000 of cocaine and snorted a good portion of it and went into serious convulsions as a result.

Ok, smart ass. Had he overdosed and died in 1981. 

I think its silly to demonize Dennis as if the drugs only flowed on one direction. Believe me they flowed both ways.

Hey, had Brian overdosed in the early eighties, except if anyone had forcefed drugs up his nose, the one to blame would be Brian. I was talking about how it was a complicated situation.

[MBE]

I don't see Brian or Dennis being worse then one another when it came to sharing drugs. I think its a dysfunctional situation, particularly knowing how concerned Dennis was about Brian's drug intake at one point. I guess what someone like Stan or Rocky didn't understand was that Dennis had become as ill as Brian.

[The Heartical Don]

Brian was overdosing plenty of times before 1981. There's the famous story, or at least it's assumed this stature, that Brian once had access to about $10,000 of cocaine and snorted a good portion of it and went into serious convulsions as a result.

Ok, smart ass. Had he overdosed and died in 1981. 

I think its silly to demonize Dennis as if the drugs only flowed on one direction. Believe me they flowed both ways.

Hey, had Brian overdosed in the early eighties, except if anyone had forcefed drugs up his nose, the one to blame would be Brian. I was talking about how it was a complicated situation.

Yes and no. Given the amounts that Brian was allegedly doing, he had lost every last inch of self-insight and capacity to say 'no'. He would not know how many lines he'd done any previous day, or on the day itself, for that matter. And if offered anything, he'd be unable to refuse, clear and simple. IMHO, Brian Wilson was drugs at that time.

[Jay]

If there's anything from the post '79 days its going to be bits, pieces, fragments...and probably really loosely performed.

You probably don't have much to go by, but was his singing voice completely gone by 81-82?....I know it was by 83.

His voice was gone after the beating he got on superbowl Sunday 1981.

Not exactly. I recently listened to the July 4th 1981 show in Washington, and Dennis does a fair bit of talking during Help Me Rhonda. It's a little distracting at times. He was trying to "pump up" the audience to sing and clap along. Anyway, he's in surprisingly good voice. I listened to it on good quality headphones. There is no sign of hoarseness, or "breaking up" in his voice. Compared to that cheerleading competition film, it sounds like two completely different people. I was quite shocked.

[MBE]

On the fifth though he is totally hoarse, I would have to hear the clip but that's really odd.

[Bean Bag]

I do remember from I think Gaines' "Heroes and Villains," that Dennis sued them for assault and won a paltry $300. He screamed out in court "Oh no, I got beat up for $300!" If I'm wrong with any of this, please let the experts correct me.

Damn, I need to get my hands on a copy of the Gaines book!!

Very entertaining read.  I keep my copy in the john.  I read a page or two while doing my business.  I don't know how true that stuff is...but man, is it hard to put down!!!!!!