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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 13, 2022 11:02:27 GMT
I just wanted to relay how I perceived "the state of The Beach Boys" in Eastern/Central Pennsylvania in 1974-76 when I first became a fan.
The record bins were full of all kind of comps. Obviously the most popular were Endless Summer and Spirit Of America from Capitol, and Reprise countered with Good Vibrations - Best Of The Beach Boys (B.E.'s avatar ). Reprise also came out with these odd pairings of Smiley Smile/Friends and Wild Honey/20/20 (with those beige album covers with the girl standing in front of the palm tree). All of the early Capitol albums were out of print, including Sunflower. You could find Surf's Up, CATP (with Pet Sounds), Holland, and In Concert. Then, Capitol started releasing the original albums with different album titles and some tracks deleted! Very strange. So, personally, I was scrambling around looking for various albums, mostly comps, trying to fill in the gaps. There was the odd single popping up in the 45/singles bin, but they were usually reissued greatest hits that appeared on the comps.
As far as the radio was concerned, I heard very little Beach Boys. This was before the "oldies stations" sprung up on FM radio. On FM radio, the only song I remember hearing was "Sail On, Sailor". The early (1962-66) Beach Boys popped up occasionally, but as I remember it, it was mostly Pet Sounds' "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Sloop John B". I don't remember hearing stuff like "Heroes And Villains", "Darlin'", and "Do It Again". So, basically, despite the resurgence in the group's popularity in many ways, I don't think radio jumped on the proverbial bandwagon. Not until 1976.
By 1976, things started to change. "Rock & Roll Music" was played significantly in my geographic area. Actually, I heard "It's OK", too. And, more of the oldies started to make their way onto AM radio, though FM still was silent. TV was interesting. I used to scour the TV Guide each week for possible TV appearances. It seemed like every couple of weeks there was some appearance. And, there were the magazines. Obviously, this was pre-internet, so I had to scour the local magazine stores for anything Beach Boys. The band had cover stories on Rolling Stone (Brian basically) and People Magazine, but various other rock & roll magazines had little tidbits on the group, too. And, lastly, the books. David Leaf's book came out in 1978, but when I was a newbie, the only book I could find (and I borrowed it from the same buddy who picked me up for school with the Endless Summer 8 Track) was Ken Barnes' The Beach Boys: A Biography In Words And Pictures.
It was a very exciting time, and that time frame 1974-1980 - discovering all things Beach Boys - was one of, if not the most exciting and fulfilling "musical journeys" I ever experienced.
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sockit
The Surfer Moon
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Post by sockit on May 13, 2022 23:04:25 GMT
Yes, the radio, from 1961 onwards, with my first hearing of the Boys in mid '63 followed by myriad hearings initially on French radio and later the off-shore "pirate" stations. jk, what were your impressions on those earliest hearings? I notice the common denominator among most of us is that we got our very first taste of the Beach Boys via the radio, whether it be in the early 1960s when the songs were brand new, or ten years later riding the wave of Endless Summer and subsequent comps. As I stated in my recollection, I thought the BBs songs I heard on the airwaves were current in the mid-70s, or at least remakes of vintage songs. Linda Ronstadt was churning out remakes such as "When Will I Be Loved", "Heatwave", "You're No Good", "That'll Be the Day", etc. James Taylor had a pretty big hit with the remake "How Sweet it is". And some groups were putting out new songs that had a vintage feel. "Sister Golden Hair" by America comes to mind. There were several others. So, what I'm asking (and please chime in, anyone else who heard the Boys in the 60s) what was it like to hear this fresh new group as their career was on the launch pad?
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Post by jk on May 14, 2022 10:01:13 GMT
So, what I'm asking (and please chime in, anyone else who heard the Boys in the 60s) what was it like to hear this fresh new group as their career was on the launch pad? Well, as I said, the part of "Surfin' U.S.A." that I know struck me at the time was the slightly unsettling sound of the line "Everybody’s gone surfin'" -- unsettling, because I'd never heard a voice sound like that before and I didn't know why! The next big jolt I recall as if it were yesterday was my first hearing, on the radio, of "I Get Around". It did things that no-one else was doing at the time (or since, come to that) and it was clear to a teenage jk that here was a force to be reckoned with. Not that I had the vaguest idea at the time of who was doing what -- indeed, I had to wait until the Concert album to become acquainted with the name "Al Jardine"! Other magical radio moments included hearing "Little Deuce Coupe" on my favourite French programme (and being floored by the minor chord on "coupe" in the chorus) and hearing half of "Don't Worry, Baby" fading in and out on Radio Luxembourg (they only ever played half of each song). Was this The Four Seasons? Nah, Frankie Valli never sounded like this -- this was special. There was even a magical TV moment when they played (possibly with footage from the film) "Lonely Sea". They didn't mention the Boys but I somehow knew it was them -- I think I must have heard "In My Room" before then and was already familiar with their more spiritual side. And then, of course, there was "Good Vibrations" -- this is what I had to say at EH last year: Picture this. It's an October evening and you've just arrived home by bus after another less than enthralling day's work. You've eaten and then you retire upstairs to your room because you know your favourite radio station is about to premiere a very special new single on the UK airwaves. You turn off the light and settle down. What you hear conjures up visions of precious stones glowing in dark colours (there is no Internet or MTV to influence what you see in your mind's eye). The song you hear exceeds your wildest dreams -- it is called "Good Vibrations".
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sockit
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 234
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Post by sockit on May 14, 2022 16:36:00 GMT
So, what I'm asking (and please chime in, anyone else who heard the Boys in the 60s) what was it like to hear this fresh new group as their career was on the launch pad? Picture this. It's an October evening and you've just arrived home by bus after another less than enthralling day's work. You've eaten and then you retire upstairs to your room because you know your favourite radio station is about to premiere a very special new single on the UK airwaves. You turn off the light and settle down. What you hear conjures up visions of precious stones glowing in dark colours (there is no Internet or MTV to influence what you see in your mind's eye). The song you hear exceeds your wildest dreams -- it is called "Good Vibrations". That right there is particularly what I was after! That must have been an amazingly surreal moment! I wish my first moment with Good Vibrations was hearing it properly in its entirety. I first heard it on the Sunkist commercials. California Girls was used in a shampoo commercial, and I believe Fun Fun Fun was used in a camera commercial, (Polaroid, I think). These commercials were a mixed blessing for me. They exposed me to these great songs that I was not around for when they were originally released, but at the same time it gave them sort of a "novelty" aspect. In other words, I didn't take them seriously, at least not until I started collecting the tapes and CDs a decade later.
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Post by Kapitan on May 14, 2022 16:59:40 GMT
I wish my first moment with Good Vibrations was hearing it properly in its entirety. I first heard it on the Sunkist commercials. California Girls was used in a shampoo commercial, and I believe Fun Fun Fun was used in a camera commercial, (Polaroid, I think). These commercials were a mixed blessing for me. They exposed me to these great songs that I was not around for when they were originally released, but at the same time it gave them sort of a "novelty" aspect. In other words, I didn't take them seriously, at least not until I started collecting the tapes and CDs a decade later. I feel similarly, even though with a lot of the songs I did hear them on record ( Endless Summer) first. "Good Vibrations," though, almost certainly my first exposure was Sunkist. As my couple decades of posts show, that left a mark... It wasn't a progressive masterpiece to me, it was a cheesy soda commercial. I don't think I liked the song until circa 1999-2000ish, which seems absurd in hindsight. But speaking of advertisements, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression."
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sockit
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 234
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Post by sockit on May 14, 2022 23:48:53 GMT
I wish my first moment with Good Vibrations was hearing it properly in its entirety. I first heard it on the Sunkist commercials. California Girls was used in a shampoo commercial, and I believe Fun Fun Fun was used in a camera commercial, (Polaroid, I think). These commercials were a mixed blessing for me. They exposed me to these great songs that I was not around for when they were originally released, but at the same time it gave them sort of a "novelty" aspect. In other words, I didn't take them seriously, at least not until I started collecting the tapes and CDs a decade later. I feel similarly, even though with a lot of the songs I did hear them on record ( Endless Summer) first. "Good Vibrations," though, almost certainly my first exposure was Sunkist. As my couple decades of posts show, that left a mark... It wasn't a progressive masterpiece to me, it was a cheesy soda commercial. I don't think I liked the song until circa 1999-2000ish, which seems absurd in hindsight. But speaking of advertisements, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." My second round with "Good Vibrations" was in 1980 when the medley was all over the radio, which for me continued the "novelty" aspect of the music. Not only did I become familiar with only the first opening lines of GV, but the whole medley thing was kind of silly to me. My sister and I would goof off and sing along to the medley whenever it played on her car radio (she would chauffer me around in her 1967 VW bug; I didn't have my license yet). I finally got to hear and appreciate GV in its complete and original glory when I started hearing it on oldies radio (along with a number of other BBs tunes) in 1985 or so. GV has been my all-time favorite song since.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2022 5:57:18 GMT
I wish my first moment with Good Vibrations was hearing it properly in its entirety. I first heard it on the Sunkist commercials. California Girls was used in a shampoo commercial, and I believe Fun Fun Fun was used in a camera commercial, (Polaroid, I think). These commercials were a mixed blessing for me. They exposed me to these great songs that I was not around for when they were originally released, but at the same time it gave them sort of a "novelty" aspect. In other words, I didn't take them seriously, at least not until I started collecting the tapes and CDs a decade later. Close !
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Post by jk on May 16, 2022 14:34:24 GMT
Moving on, the past week having flown by. Well... What was your first BB or BB-related concert?I hope you all have more to say than I do! I have seen exactly two such shows: the first was Brian and band at Kenwood House on 28 June 2008 and the second was Mike, Bruce and company at Nieuwe Luxor in Rotterdam on 5 June 2017. I thought the R'dam show was excellent -- it requires no further comment from me. As for Brian's London performance, it's quite extensively documented in this thread... thebeachboystoday.proboards.com/thread/588/brians-kenwood-house-concert…so I refer you to that. I realize that show isn't regarded as Brian's best, but it allowed me to see one of my idols in the flesh and I thought it was great!
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Post by kds on May 16, 2022 15:14:21 GMT
June 15, 2012 - The Beach Boys - 50th Anniversary Tour - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD.
Apologies to those who've heard this story before.
Prior to this mid June Friday night, I was a casual Beach Boys fan. On summer weekends, I'd play some tracks from the comps I had. But, that was about it. But, by 2012, I did recognize that this is a legendary act, and if I were ever going to see them live, this was the time, since all the primary survivors were on board. Very late on Thursday, June 14, I purchased a lawn ticket.
On Friday, June 15, after work, I drove to Columbia. I picked up my ticket at the Will Call window, and went into the venue.
The lawn was pretty crowded, but I staked out what I thought was a good spot. Then, the band took the stage right at 8pm to the sounds of Do It Again. Jeff Foskett introduced the band like the PA announcer at a basketball game.
To my chagrin, my spot wasn't so great after all. There was a pillar that blocked my sight of Brian's piano. So, I had to move up.
The most amazing thing about that night was the sheer number of songs. They played a 48 song setlist. I was fully expecting a 90-105 minute run though of hits. But, they played a bunch of tracks that, at least at the time, I wasn't overly familiar with - This Whole World, Kiss Me Baby, Please Let Me Wonder, All This is That, It's OK, etc. I actually had a couple of them on my two comps, but just never paid attention to them.
Now, I can't say exactly why, but for me, the most memorable part of the show was when Brian sang Sail On Sailor, a song that I'd really come to love in the preceding three years. Maybe it was because I really wasn't expecting to hear it, but I was damn near euphoric when they played it.
I was buzzing when I walked off the lawn that night, a night that had actually gotten a little chilly for mid June. From that moment on, the summer of 2012, was a Beach Boys summer. I played my two comps even more, and wound up slowly buying some of the two fers that summer, and eventually even TWGMTR by mid August.
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Post by Kapitan on May 16, 2022 17:15:25 GMT
I often say that my favorite holiday is the NBA Draft day, and so the fact that I skipped watching it on TV on June 27, 2001, ought to tell you something. It’s like skipping your family Christmas celebration. But that was the night of my first Brian Wilson concert, which was also my first Beach Boys-related concert. It was a part of the Paul Simon tour, and it took place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. My fandom had me still very much in the Pet Sounds through Holland period: I tried to find hints of Brian’s genius in the earlier music and residue of it in the later music, but my mistake was using Pet Sounds and Smile as touchstones for that genius. Anything else wasn’t genius, but corny, or by rote, or under duress. That put a strange spin on my opinions of the time—or at least it’s strange to me now. I was much more sure of myself and my opinions in those days, as I suppose is true of a lot of people. (We know everything as teens and twenty-somethings, don’t we?) Having literally no friends who liked the Beach Boys at all, I went to this show alone. It is the only concert I’ve ever attended solo, which felt odd. It made me feel a little anxious, as I’d never attended a show there before and so even doing things like finding parking felt a little unfamiliar. (I can get anxious over going to unfamiliar places.) But I figured it all out and took my seat—main floor (it’s a hockey arena, quite large), center, maybe 15-20 rows back? The band was the one we see in the Pet Sounds Live DVD, and they began the show just like they did on the Live at the Roxy CD: “The Little Girl I Once Knew.” Right there, I was overwhelmed. Such great vocal harmonies in a live rock show, I’d never heard anything like them. I was awash in joy to a degree that’s difficult to talk about without sounding silly or sentimental. And speaking of sentiment, the third song was one I’d never liked before, always dismissing it as one of those corny early songs: “Don’t Worry Baby.” As I recall it, Brian sang most of the lead, but was at least doubled if not replaced by Jeff Foskett on the higher parts. That said, I can’t remember exactly how that was split up. However, point being, by midway through the song, with that wall of voices, I realized I was silently crying! This was a song I hadn’t even liked before, and suddenly I almost felt like God was giving me a hug or something. I’ve never felt anything like it before or since, at a concert or otherwise. The rest of the show was more or less what you’d have expected. It was heavy on Pet Sounds and mid-60s hits, though they also did at least “Our Prayer” and “Heroes and Villains.” I could have sworn they did “Surf’s Up,” though the setlist that is published doesn’t list it. I remember loving how animated Scott Bennett and Taylor Mills were throughout, how happy Darian Sahanaja looked. I marveled at all their voices, especially Jeff’s. I remember watching Brian for signs of trouble: was he OK up there? (He seemed just fine, a little awkward but no problem. I’ve seen him both better and worse since.) He did the cigarette lighter joke. All in all, it was a truly wonderful experience, a very good show and a literally life-changing one for my: from then on, I heard the brilliance of those earlier songs that I’d always written off as corny fruits of an Evil Mike Love Regime. The show was so good that I almost left after Wilson, but before Paul Simon. I mean, I really like Paul Simon—I think his Graceland is better than any Beach Boys-related album other than Pet Sounds, and Bridge Over Troubled Water is no slouch, either—but I remember thinking nothing was going to top what I had just been a part of. (That’s how it felt, too: not like something I’d seen or heard, but been a part of. Even if my part was pretty easy compared to the musicians’ parts!) I stayed, and Simon's show was also really spectacular ... though not as meaningful or perfect as Wilson's was for me. That was my first time seeing Brian. Two and a half years later I went to Glasgow to see Smile, which I saw again that fall in Minneapolis. And I’ve seen him probably another half dozen times since, as well as Al once. www.setlist.fm/setlist/brian-wilson/2001/xcel-energy-center-st-paul-mn-7bde8a64.html
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 16, 2022 17:33:07 GMT
And speaking of sentiment, the third song was one I’d never liked before, always dismissing it as one of those corny early songs: “Don’t Worry Baby.” As I recall it, Brian sang most of the lead, but was at least doubled if not replaced by Jeff Foskett on the higher parts. That said, I can’t remember exactly how that was split up. However, point being, by midway through the song, with that wall of voices, I realized I was silently crying! This was a song I hadn’t even liked before, and suddenly I almost felt like God was giving me a hug or something. I’ve never felt anything like it before or since, at a concert or otherwise.
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Emdeeh
Pacific Coast Highway
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Post by Emdeeh on May 16, 2022 19:18:33 GMT
My first BB show was April 10, 1965 at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis, a multi-artist show with the BBs as headliners. Brian was absent, and it was Bruce’s second show with the group. I don’t remember much about the show musically, just that I was so happy to see them! Link to the show on Ian’s site: www.beachboysgigs.com/1965-3/#april
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Post by jk on May 16, 2022 21:51:42 GMT
My first BB show was April 10, 1965 at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis, a multi-artist show with the BBs as headliners. Brian was absent, and it was Bruce’s second show with the group. I don’t remember much about the show musically, just that I was so happy to see them! Link to the show on Ian’s site: www.beachboysgigs.com/1965-3/#aprilWow, Em, so you saw the "Wooly Bully" man too! I'm guessing Sam the Sham was still climbing the charts at the time. I see his signature song was kept from the US top spot by... "Help Me, Rhonda"!
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 16, 2022 23:53:16 GMT
I keep referencing my high school buddy who used to pick me up for school in 1974-75 with his Endless Summer 8 Track playing in the car. He also loaned me the Ken Barnes' book which helped to educate me when I was a newbie. And, he played a huge part in my first Beach Boys' concert. My buddy first asked me to go to a Beach Boys' concert in 1977 (with Heart opening!) and for a reason I still don't comprehend - I declined . Then he asked me again in 1978 and this time I enthusiastically said "Yes!" The place was the Spectrum in Philadelphia, and the date was June 20th. Ring a bell? It was fate.
Another high school friend joined us, so the three of us - this time with a Beach Boys' greatest hits cassette (furnished by me ) - headed down the PA Turnpike to Philadelphia. I really couldn't even tell you where our seats were located, because as soon as we entered The Spectrum, my buddy said "Follow me." He was a veteran of concerts at The Spectrum and he knew his way around. We walked up this ramp and down that ramp. We walked through places where there was nobody to be found. All of a sudden we were down on the floor of The Spectrum, about ten yards from the stage. There was a prevalent smell of marijuana and beer. There were very large beach balls being batted all over the arena. I happened to see some writing on them, and it wasn't what I expected at a Beach Boys' concert. In black magic marker was written "Good Vibrators", "Little Douche Coupe", "Fu--, Fu--, Fu--", and other...song titles. We weren't in Kansas anymore.
The opening act was the Randy Bachman-led group, Ironhorse, and they rocked. However, the highlight of their set were the couple of Bachman-Turner Overdrive songs that they performed. After Ironhorse's set, and about a half an hour later, the lights were turned off and "God Only Knows" by The London Symphony Orchestra started to play. It was soft at the beginning, but it got louder and louder. You could see some silhouettes walking onto the darkened stage and standing at the microphones. "God Only Knows" continued to blast from the speakers. It was very dramatic and breath-taking. The music continued to play and play, and finally the announcer said, "Would you please welcome, from Southern California, The Beach Boys! The lights went on, and Brian Wilson was standing in front of me with a brown Fender bass strapped on, next to him was Alan Jardine, next to him was Michael E. Love, next to him was Carl Wilson, and on drums was Dennis Wilson. Wow! I can't describe the feeling. I couldn't believe what I was experiencing. Ed Carter was on bass, Charles Loyd was on sax and flute, Bobby Figueroa was there, I think Carli Munoz was on keyboards, and they had these three guys playing brass instruments who they called "The Hornettes". The stage was cool; it had that "sailboat effect" with the lights.
I could go on and on but I'll try to stick to the highlights (and lowlights). It was basically a rock show. It was loud and they rocked the place. I couldn't take my eyes off Brian. He looked great, slimmed down, and wearing an Adidas warmup suit. He played the bass for most of the concert, maybe moving over to the grand piano or electric piano for a song or two. He looked completely normal. When I wasn't watching Brian I was focused on Dennis. Dennis was very physical, pounding the drums and sweating profusely. Mike was still in his "prancing phase" and he was all over the place. If there was one Beach Boy who stood out, or was the star of the show, it was easily Mike Love.
They played mostly a greatest hits set. There were a few 15 Big One's remnants; "Back Home" was a highlight. They played "Peggy Sue" and Mike introduced it as their next single. They played a rockin' version of "Lady Lynda". "Be True To Your School" was a standout. Then, about midway through the concert, Brian and Dennis abruptly left the stage, and Mike went into a mini-Celebration set featuring Charles Lloyd. Mike taught the audience a song (well, the lyrics) to "Country Pie", and they also performed "Almost Summer" and "Cruisin'". I have to admit that it was pretty good. Then, Brian and Dennis returned and they started the home stretch. They did a good version of "Heroes And Villains" with Dennis on piano. "Help Me, Rhonda" rocked thanks to Bobby Figueroa's drumming. As soon as Bobby started playing, you could immediately hear how superior he was to Dennis as a drummer. Everybody sang "Happy Birthday" to Brian. When the guys came back on stage for the encores, there was a special guest accompanying them - Karen Lamm-Wilson. Of course she looked stunning and she stood at a microphone and sang background vocals for the encores. The place was going nuts.
Lowlights? Not one in particular, but just one overall. While I think the lead vocals were mostly good, the background vocals were, well, terrible. Ragged might be a better word. Brian didn't sing much and Dennis didn't sing at all. So, if Mike was singing lead, that basically left just Carl, Al, and Bobby Figueroa to carry the harmonies. Ed Carter was also contributing backgrounds. Same if Carl or Al were singing leads. It was very noticeable. I think the musicianship was satisfactory. I tried to focus on Brian's bass playing but it was not distinguishable. I just remember walking to the car after the show and on the ride home and being a little disappointed in the singing.
But...BUT...don't misunderstand. While I might have been a little critical of the performance, it was unequivocally the most exciting concert experience of my life. It wasn't the best concert I ever attended, just the most thrilling, emotional, and mind-blowing Beach Boys' concert I ever saw, and I've seen them (including solo Brian shows) about 35-40 times. One of my dreams came true that night. I got to see Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine - The Beach Boys - live in concert.
These are some photos of the concert - 6/20/78:
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Post by Kapitan on May 17, 2022 0:24:12 GMT
Sheriff John Stone, that's a great story you have to tell! The specifics you share add so much color to it.
Speaking of specifics, I wonder if you remember anything about the following. Because the story of course is that Brian wouldn't be a participant in "Heroes and Villains." (Such as his absence in the Knebworth H&V.) I gathered from your recap that he was there for "Heroes and Villains"? If so, what was his part in it? Bass or keyboards, did he sing anything, etc?
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