The legendary Labor Day weekend, 1961

[Custom Machine]

The band's first bio, written by Murry himself, credits David with having been there from the start...even including him as part of the Surfin' sessions.

Carrie Ann, is the BBs first bio, written by Murry, available for reading somewhere?

[adamghost]

Yes, this is minutiae but we live in a world that plays fast and loose with facts on a daily basis.  We need our wonks to keep things in balance, and set the record straight.  Small things have big implications that we don't always see at first.  And anyway, it's fun.

I understand all that. It's a given. And as Guitarfool so aptly put it, it's a fun way to pass the time and avoid work. I'm just not sure you guys are gonna conclude anything on this. Most of the Wilsons are gone, and there's conflicting memories by other parties who are still alive, understandably because it was almost 50 years ago. Plus, as AGD astutely points out, "$80, $150, $300, $500, $800 - take your pick!"

Hey, did Murry really have a heart attack and die on the toilet?

I think the fact that multiple people have chimed in with the same hypotheses independently that cover the facts is something.  And it may be that with that hypothesis in hand, we'll get some confirmation.

[c-man]

Like the chronology of events leading up to the Kennedy assassination and when the "Warmth of The Sun" was actually written and exactly where the Beach Boys were at the time?  

Did that a few years ago, can't recall where - upshot was, they were on tour so the tale of going to the office wasn't kosher. Or even halal, to avoid offending the PC morons.  

Hmm, now this sounds like the start (or rebirth) of ANOTHER thread, but I took a quick look at Bellagio, and realized a few dates were out of order:
 November   6 - session: I Do [RCA]
  8 - Drag City/Schlock Rod, Part One Jan & Dean single released (Liberty)
14 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve  [15]
15 - Wallich's Music City, South Bay Center, Los Angeles CA* [grand opening]
22 - Dick Clark's American Bandstand Celebrity Party ABC TV [w/Frankie Avalon,
        Annette, Jan & Dean, Dick Dale, Wayne Newton, Dick & Dee Dee, Trini
        Lopez, Johnny Mathis, Connie francis, The Challengers & Donna Loren
22 - Memorial Auditorium,  Marysville CA
16 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve
17 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve
23 - Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento CA [cancelled]

Curioiusly, they cancelled November 23rd's show, but not November 22nd's (JFK was killed around Noon on the 22nd).  Since the gigs concerned were in California, I still think this timeline could fit the conventional story.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Like the chronology of events leading up to the Kennedy assassination and when the "Warmth of The Sun" was actually written and exactly where the Beach Boys were at the time?  

Did that a few years ago, can't recall where - upshot was, they were on tour so the tale of going to the office wasn't kosher. Or even halal, to avoid offending the PC morons.  

Hmm, now this sounds like the start (or rebirth) of ANOTHER thread, but I took a quick look at Bellagio, and realized a few dates were out of order:
 November   6 - session: I Do [RCA]
  8 - Drag City/Schlock Rod, Part One Jan & Dean single released (Liberty)
14 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve  [15]
15 - Wallich's Music City, South Bay Center, Los Angeles CA* [grand opening]
22 - Dick Clark's American Bandstand Celebrity Party ABC TV [w/Frankie Avalon,
        Annette, Jan & Dean, Dick Dale, Wayne Newton, Dick & Dee Dee, Trini
        Lopez, Johnny Mathis, Connie francis, The Challengers & Donna Loren
22 - Memorial Auditorium,  Marysville CA
16 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve
17 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve
23 - Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento CA [cancelled]

Curioiusly, they cancelled November 23rd's show, but not November 22nd's (JFK was killed around Noon on the 22nd).  Since the gigs concerned were in California, I still think this timeline could fit the conventional story.

Crap - how'd I manage to do that ? 

Thanks for pointing it out.

[bgas]

Like the chronology of events leading up to the Kennedy assassination and when the "Warmth of The Sun" was actually written and exactly where the Beach Boys were at the time?  

Did that a few years ago, can't recall where - upshot was, they were on tour so the tale of going to the office wasn't kosher. Or even halal, to avoid offending the PC morons.  

Hmm, now this sounds like the start (or rebirth) of ANOTHER thread, but I took a quick look at Bellagio, and realized a few dates were out of order:
 November   6 - session: I Do [RCA]
  8 - Drag City/Schlock Rod, Part One Jan & Dean single released (Liberty)
14 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve  [15]
15 - Wallich's Music City, South Bay Center, Los Angeles CA* [grand opening]
22 - Dick Clark's American Bandstand Celebrity Party ABC TV [w/Frankie Avalon,
        Annette, Jan & Dean, Dick Dale, Wayne Newton, Dick & Dee Dee, Trini
        Lopez, Johnny Mathis, Connie francis, The Challengers & Donna Loren
22 - Memorial Auditorium,  Marysville CA
16 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve
17 - Jan & Dean session: Dead Man's Curve
23 - Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento CA [cancelled]

Curioiusly, they cancelled November 23rd's show, but not November 22nd's (JFK was killed around Noon on the 22nd).  Since the gigs concerned were in California, I still think this timeline could fit the conventional story.

Crap - how'd I manage to do that ? 

Thanks for pointing it out.

At least you fixed it quick! 
I was on that page, by the way. Looking at the ABC party.  weird how those dates moved right before my eyes

[Andrew G. Doe]

The joy of having a simple, idiot-proof website-making widget: it might not look flash, but you can change stuff real fast. 'Course, being an idiot in these matters helps.

[bgas]

Let's muddy the waters some more:  An interview  w/Carl,1982:
>>In the fall of 1961, my dad and mom went down to Mexico City on a business trip. They left us with $80 for food, spending money and emergencies. As soon as they left, we all got into Brian's car and went down to this music store on Hawthorne Avenue and rented some instruments. Alan's mom rented us a big acoustic bass, an amplifier, a couple guitars. I already had a guitar, a Kay that my dad had got me in Los Angeles. Alan had wanted to start a folk group, so he had been in touch with my dad's publisher, Hite and Dorinda Morgan. So we took our rented instruments down to the Morgans' home studio where they made their demos. In one afternoon, we recorded four songs: a song by the Morgans' son Bruce, one of Alan's folk numbers, one of Brian's Four Freshmen tunes and a song that Brian and Mike had made up called "Surfin'." I played guitar, Alan played upright bass, and Brian played snare drum with a pencil. In fact, he took his shirt off and put it over the drum because it was too loud. Mike was on one microphone and everyone else was on another mic. We sounded so shitty at first; we were so shaky and lame. After all, I was just 14 and a sophomore in high school << 

http://www.guitar.com/articles/fun-fun-fun-carl-wilsons-life-beach-boy

[Mikie]

In the fall of 1961, my dad and mom went down to Mexico City on a business trip. They left us with $80 for food, spending money and emergencies. As soon as they left, we all got into Brian's car and went down to this music store on Hawthorne Avenue and rented some instruments. Alan's mom rented us a big acoustic bass, an amplifier, a couple guitars.

If this is true, Carl had a good memory in '82. Again, the Mexico City business trip, 80 bucks for food, and Al's Mom footing 300 bucks for an acoustic bass, an amp, and a couple of guitars. That all seems to fit.

[Mikie]

So we took our rented instruments down to the Morgans' home studio where they made their demos. In one afternoon, we recorded four songs.

The story changes a little bit here, or is a little out of sequence. They took the instruments and recorded four songs. This is different than taking the instruments back to the Wilson's and practicing and playing three songs, then when Murry & Audree come home, the guys play the songs for them and Murry loves it. They didn't record the song demos at Hite Morgan's studio without Murry knowing about it or being in attendance, did they? Carl made it sound like they did this when the parents were in Mexico City. And all in one long weekend? Something seems out of sequence here, or Carl's jumping forward a little bit. Or maybe not....

[Carrie Marks]

Circus Magaizine (10/26/76 ) Surfer Boy: The Dennis Wilson Interview by SCott Cohen

<<My parents went to Europe and left us each 100 dollars for food and I bought the worst set of drums you could possibly buy. My Mom had to beg the guys to let me play. I couldn't even play the drums right-Brian had to show me how on that song.>>

[guitarfool2002]

Well this just keeps getting more interesting by the hour! 

300 bucks for a full compliment of instruments and amps - that *does* make a little more sense but it's still a ton of money in those days.

Dennis is on the record with his version, Carl is on record with his, how about Brian?

Regarding Dennis' version - So he did buy a poor-quality set of drums, but was he that bad of a time-keeping drummer at that time that Brian had to tap a pencil on a can instead? Yet Dennis says Brian taught him the beat, suggesting he played it.

?

[guitarfool2002]

Audree Wilson, Rolling Stone 11/4/76:

Q: So when did your sons start to record?

A: My husband was in the machinery business, big lathes from England, and the people from whom he imported them were here to visit us. And we took them to Mexico City. When we left, the refrigerator was completely stocked and we gave the boys enough money to buy whatever else they needed. We came back and here they had gone out and rented a bass, a big standup, as tall as Al for sure, and drums and a microphone. They had used every bit of their food money. And they said "We want to play something for you." They were very excited about it, and I thought the song was darling - never dreaming anything would happen.

Q: And that song was Surfin?

A: Right

[Andrew G. Doe]

Audree Wilson, Rolling Stone 11/4/76:

Q: So when did your sons start to record?

A: My husband was in the machinery business, big lathes from England, and the people from whom he imported them were here to visit us. And we took them to Mexico City. When we left, the refrigerator was completely stocked and we gave the boys enough money to buy whatever else they needed. We came back and here they had gone out and rented a bass, a big standup, as tall as Al for sure, and drums and a microphone. They had used every bit of their food money. And they said "We want to play something for you." They were very excited about it, and I thought the song was darling - never dreaming anything would happen.

Q: And that song was Surfin?

A: Right

Interesting, as Barry Haven & his wife were then living in the US and about to move to California. Also, Denny's recollection suggests that Audree knew about 'the band' before the trip.

Dennis is on the record with his version, Carl is on record with his, how about Brian?

OK... the record, such as it is, is Brian's 1991 pseudobiography, so with that colossal caveat:

"My folks were going to Mexico City for a three day weekend with one of my dad's business associates from England... the refrigerator was stocked, and my dad slipped me some extra cash, $150, in case we ran low on food... With Al adding another $300, a loan from his mom, we rented a stand-up bass, a drum set, an electric guitar (why ?), amps and a couple of microphones."

[Andrew G. Doe]

Granted "Lavender" had already been released by The Calvanes, but unless Brian chose that to cover by chance, the assumption must be that it was given to the band to cover after the initial audition.

Annnnnnnnnddd... that's what happens when you don't stick to the rules. Because someone who's research abilities I rate highly stated that The Calvanes had released "Lavender", I took it as read. Wrong: they recorded it, but Deck - Hite Morgan's label - never released it, so that proves to my satisfaction that the Morgans gave it to the band (along with "Luau") to rehearse with "Surfin'". No way Brian heard it anywhere else.

[Carrie Marks]

Granted "Lavender" had already been released by The Calvanes, but unless Brian chose that to cover by chance, the assumption must be that it was given to the band to cover after the initial audition.

Annnnnnnnnddd... that's what happens when you don't stick to the rules. Because someone who's research abilities I rate highly stated that The Calvanes had released "Lavender", I took it as read. Wrong: they recorded it, but Deck - Hite Morgan's label - never released it, so that proves to my satisfaction that the Morgans gave it to the band (along with "Luau") to rehearse with "Surfin'". No way Brian heard it anywhere else.

Crediting me for the wrong stuff now, Andrew? Thanks! 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Granted "Lavender" had already been released by The Calvanes, but unless Brian chose that to cover by chance, the assumption must be that it was given to the band to cover after the initial audition.

Annnnnnnnnddd... that's what happens when you don't stick to the rules. Because someone who's research abilities I rate highly stated that The Calvanes had released "Lavender", I took it as read. Wrong: they recorded it, but Deck - Hite Morgan's label - never released it, so that proves to my satisfaction that the Morgans gave it to the band (along with "Luau") to rehearse with "Surfin'". No way Brian heard it anywhere else.

Crediting me for the wrong stuff now, Andrew? Thanks!  

Dammit. I seem to be doing things wrong that a) can't be done and b) I don't recall doing. Maybe I should be a politician...

Carrie is of course entirely correct. The initial error was mine.

Of course, that's 'initial error' as in 'deciding to get mixed up with The Beach Boys in the first place'.  

[Zander]

Audree Wilson, Rolling Stone 11/4/76:

Q: So when did your sons start to record?

A: My husband was in the machinery business, big lathes from England, and the people from whom he imported them were here to visit us. And we took them to Mexico City. When we left, the refrigerator was completely stocked and we gave the boys enough money to buy whatever else they needed. We came back and here they had gone out and rented a bass, a big standup, as tall as Al for sure, and drums and a microphone. They had used every bit of their food money. And they said "We want to play something for you." They were very excited about it, and I thought the song was darling - never dreaming anything would happen.

Q: And that song was Surfin?

A: Right

Interesting, as Barry Haven & his wife were then living in the US and about to move to California. Also, Denny's recollection suggests that Audree knew about 'the band' before the trip.

Dennis is on the record with his version, Carl is on record with his, how about Brian?

OK... the record, such as it is, is Brian's 1991 pseudobiography, so with that colossal caveat:

"My folks were going to Mexico City for a three day weekend with one of my dad's business associates from England... the refrigerator was stocked, and my dad slipped me some extra cash, $150, in case we ran low on food... With Al adding another $300, a loan from his mom, we rented a stand-up bass, a drum set, an electric guitar (why ?), amps and a couple of microphones."

Here's Brian's own version of events from the Imagination DVD

"The band started back in October 1961, when my parents left the country and $100 for the food money and they went to Mexico for 3 days and whilst they were there we got together and went to a music store and rented a bass, guitar and drums and brought them back to the house and we wrote a song the first day we were together then my Dad got back and said "What did ya spend the money on?". We said "instruments" and he said "What did you do that for?" and we played the songfor him and he cheered up"

[Andrew G. Doe]

Here's Brian's own version of events from the Imagination DVD

"The band started back in October 1961, when my parents left the country and $100 for the food money and they went to Mexico for 3 days and whilst they were there we got together and went to a music store and rented a bass, guitar and drums and brought them back to the house and we wrote a song the first day we were together then my Dad got back and said "What did ya spend the money on?". We said "instruments" and he said "What did you do that for?" and we played the song for him and he cheered up"

Swiss cheese. 

[Zander]

Here's Brian's own version of events from the Imagination DVD

"The band started back in October 1961, when my parents left the country and $100 for the food money and they went to Mexico for 3 days and whilst they were there we got together and went to a music store and rented a bass, guitar and drums and brought them back to the house and we wrote a song the first day we were together then my Dad got back and said "What did ya spend the money on?". We said "instruments" and he said "What did you do that for?" and we played the song for him and he cheered up"

Swiss cheese.  

A good reference point for this question maybe  Alan Boyd - he will have arranged all the interviews for Endless Harmony where Al, Brian & Carl discuss the formation fo the group. Maybe there was something in the outtakes that may enlighten us all? According to Carl "We had a big party and lotta people showed - I don't how they knew to come but there was a lotta people there". Was this while Murry and Audree were away in Mexico / England? Who attended?

[Andrew G. Doe]

OK, thinking out loud here, and on the fly too.

Let's start with a 100% established, concrete date - Saturday September 15th 1961, when Brian, Carl, Dennis, Mike & Alan recorded demos of "Surfin'", "Luau" & "Lavender" in Hite Morgan's home studio.

Bearing in mind that the Morgans had known that Brian & co. were working up some new material to play them for some time (not to mention had also given them two songs to perform), that is since the initial Pendletons audition, and were eager to hear it, I find it odd that the guys waited nearly two weeks after the alleged Labor Day rehearsal weekend to get back to them. Which inclines me to place the rehearsal weekend a week later, September 8th/9th: assuming the guys were back to school/college, the following weekend would be the first time they were all free. So, in my mind anyway, goodbye Labor Day myth - been nice knowing ya, I'll call sometime.

Which of course also impacts on the timing of said first Pendletons audition for the Morgans (not that we have a firm date for it anyway - a mere detail). Now, recalling Murry's comment to Dorinda that he & Audree were off to Mexico City and could they 'do something' with Brian, maybe the audition at which Dennis told the Morgans that Brian & Mike had written a song about surfing (to the considerable surprise of Brian & Mike) did take place over the Labor Day weekend.

All the preceding naturally suggests that Murry & Audree were absent for two consecutive weekends, in Mexico City and, according to Jo Ann, England, and yes, that's something of a problem. I'm wondering if maybe Jo Ann either misheard or misunderstood that Murry & Audree were going away with their English friends as M&A were going to England... and if it wasn't for Dennis stating more than once that his folks went to Europe, I'd probably settle for that. But however deficient Dennis' geographical knowledge might have been, I doubt even he'd confuse Central America with Europe. Plus, as previously stated, the Marks clan has excellent recall.

Hm.  Think I've just reasoned myself into a corner. Anyone got a fresh can of bright ideas ? 'Cause I'm clean out.  

[guitarfool2002]

I just wanted to add something about the Morgans in relation to scheduling:

Were the Morgans running a studio out of their house which could be booked by any musicians and paid by the hour or by the day, or was it a demo studio which was there primarily so they could demo songs for their publishing company? The description is "home studio" which is vague. Because if it were a commercial studio available to book, that might explain why there was the time in between the boys pulling their act together and actually getting to play and/or demo the song.

And it might also be a bit of irony for Brian considering his apparent major problems in booking studio time during Smile, which led him to his own home studio! 

[Andrew G. Doe]

I just wanted to add something about the Morgans in relation to scheduling:

Were the Morgans running a studio out of their house which could be booked by any musicians and paid by the hour or by the day, or was it a demo studio which was there primarily so they could demo songs for their publishing company? The description is "home studio" which is vague. Because if it were a commercial studio available to book, that might explain why there was the time in between the boys pulling their act together and actually getting to play and/or demo the song.

And it might also be a bit of irony for Brian considering his apparent major problems in booking studio time during Smile, which led him to his own home studio! 

The home studio was in their front room - they had a professional Ampex recorder, but I gather it was only used for demo purposes for their own roster of artists (remember,they ran the Deck Records label) as the room itself wasn't soundproofed. For their master recordings, they used professional studios like World-Pacific (also frequently referred to as Keen Studio)

[Zander]

Quoted from the Nearest Faraway Place (Pages 140-141)

"They drove to Wallichs' Music City in Hollywood and picked up...

Carbon Microphones
Guitars
Drums
Amplifiers
A Saxophone (for Carl) - he's taken lessons from Fred Morgan (Hawthorne High School Music Teacher)
A stand up bass for Al

The $150 dollars they set aside for rental didn't cover the fee so Viriginia Jardine agreed to cover the rest of the fee, arriving in time to sign the guarantors slip. 

I'd suggest reading those pages as they are most informative...

[Andrew G. Doe]

Quoted from the Nearest Faraway Place (Pages 140-141)

"They drove to Wallichs' Music City in Hollywood and picked up...

Carbon Microphones
Guitars
Drums
Amplifiers
A Saxophone (for Carl) - he's taken lessons from Fred Morgan (Hawthorne High School Music Teacher)
A stand up bass for Al

The $150 dollars they set aside for rental didn't cover the fee so Viriginia Jardine agreed to cover the rest of the fee, arriving in time to sign the guarantors slip. 

I'd suggest reading those pages as they are most informative...

Those items I've highlighted - sorry, they don't fly. Carl had his own guitar, and if he was going to play that - which he did - why rent a totally different instrument that doesn't even show on the tracks they eventually recorded (not that it was needed anyway, which was as well as he wasn't very good at it) ?

Also, with Alan's mom's contribution, the rental totals $450 - still excessive.

[Zander]

Quoted from Heroes & Villains (Page 55)

The two couples (Murry & Audree, Barry Haven & his wife) walked in the door to find the den full of equipment including amplifiers and microphones. "We saw all this stuff" Audree said "They had used all of the grocery money. They had borrowed some from Mike love (we'll assume she made a mistake there) and they rented the mikes and the bass. I'm not sure about the drums - I think they bought them"