...maybe they should consider changing their name to the Beach Men???
...they are kind of getting up there, you know...

image

David Marks looks happy...he looks like he'd be a cool grandpa.

-dp

Back in 2002 when I was playing bass in the X-Rays (before they morphed into the Surge), we opened for the later version of the Beach Boys - the only original guys were Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, who took Brian Wilson's place on the road in '67. Also, John Cowsill of The Cowsills was playing keyboards, and the drummer, whose name escapes me, had been associated with the band since 1968. The rest of the band were younger guys, but I have to tell ya', they sounded just like the Beach Boys I saw live on 2/14/67 in Murfreesboro, TN, maybe even better.

The venue in 2002 was the Intelos Amphitheater in Portsmouth, VA. The Beach Boys had played a show earlier in the day at Wolf Trap (Washington, D.C. area), and they were the most gracious guys you would ever want to meet. Totally without pretention. They came to our dressing room, and wanted to check out our gear...they were blown away by the 3 matching blond Dual Showmans and the white Jazzmasters/Jazz Bass. We played one of our best shows ever, but when they came on stage, it was clear who the REAL pros were. They put on incredible show.

Jack Booth
(aka WoodyJ)

The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005)
The Hula Hounds (1996-current)
The X-Rays (1997-2004)
The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012)
Various non-surf bands that actually made money (1978-1990)

About 4 or 5 years ago I got to see Brian Wilson on his "Pet Sounds" tour with the Wondermints as his back up band. Simply amazing. I don't think I would walk across the street to see whatever Mike Love's incarnation of the Beach Boys has been.

Spanky

I founded the Surfbards in 1966, at age 17, in flatland Midwest tin-can-strewn Chicago. I was smitten with the music of the BBs, although confused by their inconsistent persona, even back then.

Assuming that the Boys played live and sang 5-part harmony simultaneously (I found out later that year that they did not, when I attended my first of many BB concerts at the Arie Crown), I worked out the vocal and instrumental arrangements for about 30 of their songs and a couple of originals, and drilled the 'Bards--aged 14-17--until we had our stuff down pat.

The Surfbards lasted 18 months. We have a Yahoo! group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/1966surfbards

I went on to college, still a BB fan, though closeted in those late '60s days of protest and "relevance". I was studying design, and in a 4 am flash of inspiration I designed a "Boogie Woodie" kit car based upon the VW bug. I secured financing and went into business in 1975 manufacturing the cars--again in Chicago. The car was featured in over 100 magazines, a dozen books and two TV shows. I built 26 of them before closing the doors in late '77. I still own and drive #26. There are two Yahoo! groups devoted to the VW woodies: http://groups.yahoo.com/vwoodies and vwoodies2. Here is a link to a photo of mine: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/MY%20CARS/1woodie.jpg

The brochure for the car, which I designed, photographed and copywrote myself, carried a dedication to the Boys on its spine.

My first son was supposed to be named Brian (but his mother insisted on naming him after me...). My first daughter--now a consultant in International Finance living and working in Madrid)--was named "Andrea" after the Sunrays' second hit. My second daughter was named "Wendy" and sells real estate in suburban Chicago.

I have lived in Northern and Southern California since '79. When I moved from Chicago to Beverly Hills then, my first trip was a pilgrimage to Brian's Bellagio house.

I moved to Huntington Beach, and then to Newport Beach, in the '80s. I used to stop into Dick Dale's Surf Shop on Newport Boulevard on the peninsula, but didn't meet Dick until 1982 when I showed one of my Chevy Nomads at the Long Beach Custom Car Show. He kindly autographed one of his albums for me and we spent a couple of hours reminiscing. I still have a picture of the two of us posed with my Coral '66 Jazzmaster.

I met Brian for the first time in '89. He was very much out of it. He's getting much better as time goes by. For my 53rd birthday, my wife bough tickets to the premiere of the live version of Pet Sounds at the Hollywood Bowl. A memorable evening!

Now I live in the SF Bay area and play second guitar in another Surf band, North of Malibu. We're primarily instrumental, but vocals are being arranged...

Having a bit more money here in later life, I have been able to indulge my love of '60s guitars and now have a varied collection of Fenders, Gretsches and Rickenbackers. I am nuts for Jaguars, and have a CAR, an Antigua, and a '59 gold guard/burst replica Jazzmaster. Additionally, I have a couple of Duo-Sonics and a new CIJ burst Mustang. I also collect combo organs.

I never lost my love of that wonderful, innocent music, even if the innocence only existed for a flash.

I still, even in later life, can conjure up no love for Mike Love and his lapdog Alan Jardine. To think that two of the Wilson brothers are gone!

The Boys have influenced my life to an extraordinary degree!

Yeah, I've got a first edition of that one...it's the edition without the green type blurbs printed over the surfboard.

This IMO is the best bio of the group available. It doesn't whitewash things, and delves into the back stories, from Murry's abuse of the boys, to Mike Love's dalliances with women and neurosis about money, to Brian's lost years, in a goodly amount of detail.

The so-called "authorized" biographies, as well as Brian's own attempt at self-documentation, are pretty weak and slanted/laundered. The bio movies that have been attempted were pretty awful. What could you expect of the HBO one, with Mike as Executive Producer?

Also interesting in a tangential way, is Paul Quarrington's novel "Whale Music", which is a fantasy about a recluse composer and his relationship with his dead brother. The composer is a thinly-disguised Brian, and the brother Dennis.

There was a Canadian film made of the book, starring Maury Chaykin. Available on tape only, but worth the search.

anyjagisfine
I met Brian for the first time in '89. He was very much out of it. He's getting much better as time goes by.

Yeah, he was kind of out of it at the Luau by the Lake last summer, too, but he's shaped up to become a superlative webmaster for this site! God bless 'im!

GREGORY NICOLL, Southern Surf Syndicate Agent # 44

Hey, Brian, how's the surfin' in Iowa? LOL...

Baine wrote:

Saw the Beach Boys last night in Atlantic City and I have to say I was impressed. The band played something like 44 songs in two hour-long sets. They did all the hits from all the different eras and then some deep album tracks like "Don't Back Down."
I was expecting a group of old broken-down guys going through the motions, but they actually sounded better and seemed more into it then when I saw them in 82. They had 10 other musicians on stage with them, and I think the backup band - a combination of Brian and Mike's guys - really contribute to the tight harmonies and overall energy. The band even had some of the backup guys sing lead on some songs while they provide harmonies, which I thought was odd, but the crowd seemed not to mind.
Brian Wilson was there, looking uncomfortable, but not miserable, on stage. His voice definitely has changed. The only sad point of the show came when Brian came out from behind his piano near the end - he has trouble moving it seems - and was given a bass. The crowd really reacted, Brian was going to play his bass!! - but then it became pretty apparent that he really couldn't do much with it. Most of the time he seemed to be just standing there holding it while the others played around him.
David Marks was playing a blue jag and did the lead on all the surf and car songs. He sounded good, and of all the group he seemed to be having the best time.
Mike Love was low-key last night, singing his songs but not really doing much to engage the crowd. Last time I saw them, he was berating the audience for getting into the music more. So this time he was much better.

They looked and sounded pretty good on Jimmy Fallon the other night - time waits for no one but give them credit: for now at least, they're back.

guys.....please don't ruin this thread with a love/hate mike love thing....please

your mom is watching

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