Terry Melcher

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I don't know a whole lot about him. I know he was a friend of Bruce Johnston's back in the 60s. Were they in the same band? I also read that he has passed away. I am assuming in the last 20 years since he has songs on 'Summer in Paradise'. Any more basic and interesting facts on him would be appreciated.

[drummer083]

  Terry Melcher was a major producer in the 60s, working with bands like The Byrds, Paul Revere & the Raiders, etc., as well as releasing songs as a solo artist. He was great friends with both Bruce Johnston and Dennis Wilson. There's a ton of info online about Terry's life.

[PongHit]

His mother was Doris Day, he (or rather, his house) figures into the Manson/Dennis story, he introduced Brian to Van Dyke, & so on...

[Andrew G. Doe]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Melcher

Try that.

[Alex]

Passed away in '05. Produced Still Cruisin' and Summer in Paradise.

[Wirestone]

Produced some of Still Cruisin.' The title track, "Somewhere Near Japan," "Make it Big" and "Kokomo." Al produced "Island Girl," and BW is credited for "In My Car." And someone I can't recall for "Wipeout."

[mtaber]

Terry and Bruce Johnston also had Equinox Records in the early '70's, tried to get Brian back into recording for that label... formed a studio group called California or California Music, featuring a variety of different line-ups almost day-by-day... the idea was to get that good-time '60's feel back into the music... some of the people involved, if only for a moment, were Dean Torrance, Curt Becher, Bruce, Terry, Brian, Gloria Grinell (probably spelled wrong) and others.  Released a re-make of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" that had some Brian involvement.  Released one or two other singles, none of which charted.  A damned fine idea that never took off.

[Jason]

Actually, it was the B-side of the California Music single, Jamaica Farewell, that had Brian on it. He played organ.

[mtaber]

I thought Brian had some production credit for WDFFIL...
And I love their version of Jamaica Farewell...

[mtaber]

Anyway, back to Melcher... I've always enjoyed his self-titled solo album from around '73 or '74... not so much his next one, Royal Flush.  Both are worth having, if you can handle his voice.

[jimmyboy]

I think he produced "California Dreamin" also...and performed with Bruce Johnston as Bruce & Terry and had a hit single or two. I think he was in the Rip-Chords who had a chart hit also. I always dug the Dylan medley on his solo record.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Actually, it was the B-side of the California Music single, Jamaica Farewell, that had Brian on it. He played organ.

Wonderfully confusing:

Brian co-produced and sang bvs on "Why Do Fools...", released as by California Music in 1975

He played organ "California Music" (B side of "Jamaica Farewell"), also released as by California Music in 1976.

Difference is, CM 1 was a Terry Melcher Project while CM2 was helmed by Curt Becher, even though both were on RCA-Equinox. Essentially, same name but two different bands.

I think he produced "California Dreamin" also...and performed with Bruce Johnston as Bruce & Terry and had a hit single or two. I think he was in the Rip-Chords who had a chart hit also. I always dug the Dylan medley on his solo record.

And people wonder why I get pissy sometimes. All the info required is in the Wikipedia entry, the link to which I posted earlier.

[JimC1702]

Terry and Bruce Johnston put out this album together:


http://www.amazon.com/Best-Bruce-Terry/dp/B000009QRW

[Andrew G. Doe]

Outstanding compilation: get that, and the two Rip Chords CDs (and if you want to go the whole hog, the Rip Chords Best Of..., as it has two 'new' bonus tracks) and you've a collection of songs that stand up to anything Jan & Dean did.

This - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtDGXpfIoz8 - is a corker. Mike wrote this with Bruce, and also sings the bass vocal.

[oldsurferdude]

Outstanding compilation: get that, and the two Rip Chords CDs (and if you want to go the whole hog, the Rip Chords Best Of..., as it has two 'new' bonus tracks) and you've a collection of songs that stand up to anything Jan & Dean did.

This - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtDGXpfIoz8 - is a corker. Mike wrote this with Bruce, and also sings the bass vocal.

Gotta admit-its gorgeous-first listen as well.

[BJL]

At risk of courting controversy, Terry Melcher invented folk rock!!  When he kicked all the Byrds except McGuinn off Mr. Tambourine Man, replaced them with the wrecking crew, gave em that jangly british invasion meets west coast production, some beach boy like harmonies...Mr. Tambourine totally fits in sound wise with the kind of stuff Bruce and Terry were doing, in my opinion, around that time...and putting that sound to a folk song was one of the more important things that happened in the mid sixties in pop music. 

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Thanks everybody! I am surprised I never knew how much Terry Melcher influenced pop music. All I knew of him musically, was the collaborations with Mike Love in the late 80s early 90s. So my thoughts on him were not very positive. But hearing some of his songs and the fact he produced some Byrds changes my whole perspectiive on him!

I know I could have looked him up on Wikapedia, but who needs it when there is this message board!

[dogear]

Unfortunately there's no website dedicated to Terry's work as an artist and producer. There are over 80 45s he produced as well as numerous albums - some obscure stuff among the singles e.g. Jimmy Boyd's cover of the Bee Gees' "That's What I'll Give To You" (VJ 686/Feb 1965,when hardly anyone knew Barry Gibb!)) or The Osmonds "Mr. Sandman", which sounds like "I Get Around" (MGM K 132817/ Summer 1964)

[Magic Transistor Radio]

How bout somebody write a book on him!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Unfortunately there's no website dedicated to Terry's work as an artist and producer.

True, but there is... SpectroPop !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_3ZlgzFqz8&feature=related

[dogear]

Unfortunately there's no website dedicated to Terry's work as an artist and producer.

True, but there is... SpectroPop !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_3ZlgzFqz8&feature=related

OK, better than the Wikipedia entry, but unfortunately without a discography.
Anybody got these 45s for sale to complete my TM singles collection?
- Doris Day: Oo Wee Baby, Col. 43099
- The Rising Sons: Candy man, Col. 43534
- The Gentle Soul: 2:10 train, Epic 10448
- ??:??, Equinox 70002
- ??:??, Equinox 70003
- ??:??, Equinox 70007
- Michele: Would You Like to Go, ABC 11202

[Andrew G. Doe]

This is, to my best knowledge, the complete RCA-Equinox discography:

  9/74  NB  10120    California Music                            Don't Worry, Baby/Ten Years Harmony
11/74  BEL 1 0786  Bill House                                     Give Me A Break
  3/75  PB  10230    Barry Mann                                  Nothing Good Comes easy/Woman Woman Woman
  3/75  PB  10238    Terry Melcher & Bruce Johnston      Take It To Mexico/Rebecca
  8/75  NB  10363    California Music                            Why Do Fools Fall in Love/Don't Worry, Baby [A side produced by Brian Wilson]
10/75  NB  10404    Papa Doo Run Run                         Be True To Your School/Disney Girls [no Melcher involvement]
  3/76  NB  10572    California Music                            Jamaica Farewell/California Music
  4/76  NB  10587    Terry Melcher                               Fire in A Rainstorm/So Right Tonight
  4/76  BEL 1 0948  Terry Melcher                                Royal Flush

No idea where you got these -

Equinox 70002
Equinox 70003
Equinox 70007

- from.

[dogear]

This is, to my best knowledge, the complete RCA-Equinox discography:

  9/74  NB  10120    California Music                            Don't Worry, Baby/Ten Years Harmony
11/74  BEL 1 0786  Bill House                                     Give Me A Break
  3/75  PB  10230    Barry Mann                                  Nothing Good Comes easy/Woman Woman Woman
  3/75  PB  10238    Terry Melcher & Bruce Johnston      Take It To Mexico/Rebecca
  8/75  NB  10363    California Music                            Why Do Fools Fall in Love/Don't Worry, Baby [A side produced by Brian Wilson]
10/75  NB  10404    Papa Doo Run Run                         Be True To Your School/Disney Girls [no Melcher involvement]
  3/76  NB  10572    California Music                            Jamaica Farewell/California Music
  4/76  NB  10587    Terry Melcher                               Fire in A Rainstorm/So Right Tonight
  4/76  BEL 1 0948  Terry Melcher                                Royal Flush

No idea where you got these -

Equinox 70002
Equinox 70003
Equinox 70007

- from.

add these, then it's complete:
- PB 10104 Barry Mann: Nobody But You/Woman Woman Woman
- NB 10106 Bill House: Common Thief/Atlanta
- PB 10319 Barry Mann: I'm a Survivor/It Don't Seem Right

The Equinox 45s I was refering to are from 1968 and were only released in the US by Equinox (a white label with a yellow sun on top, they even came with an Equinox factory sleeve and were distributedby ABC Records), there were at least 8 singles:
- 70000 Grapefruit: Dear Delilah/Dead Boot
- 70001 The Illford Subway: The 3rd Prophecy/New Song
- 70002 ??
- 70003 ??
- 70004 Glad: See What you mean/Bedtime Story (prod by Eirik Wangberg)
- 70005 Grapefruit: Elevator/Yes
- 70006 Glad: Picking Up the Pieces/A New Tomorrow (prod by E.W.)
- 70007 ??
- 70008 Grapefruit: C'mon Marianne/Ain't It Good

1969/1970 further Equinox product was released on Dunhill, RCA , A&M and ABC with the notation " An  Equinox Production":
- Dunhill 4174 Goldrush: Somebody's Turning On The People/Feelin' Glad
- Dunhill 4178 Grapefruit This Little Man/Round Going Round
- ABC 11163 Glad: Johnny's Silver Ride/Love Needs The World (prod by E.W.)
- ABC 11199 Glad: No Ma, It Can't Be/ Let's play make Believe (prod by E.W.)
- ABC 11202 Michele: Would You Like To Go/White Linen (Prod. By Mike Deasy)
- A&M 1154 Camp Hilltop: Sunday/Lost and Found
- RCA  74-0241 Grapefruit: Thunder and Lightning/Blues in my head

all produced by Melcher

[Andrew G. Doe]

Oops, made a mistake - 10230 is not on RCA-Equinox, just RCA... as is 10319.

[Mike's Beard]

Can anybody tell me if the record he and Bruce made under the moniker "The Hotdoggers" worth shelling out for?