petsite
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Post by petsite on Apr 17, 2021 18:14:26 GMT -5
I wanted to explain myself about my numerous mentions of the 1981-82 BB and the shut up and give us the money attitude.
When the group was touring with out Carl (and even with Carl in early 1981 such as in Houston), they were awful. Brian sounded worse singing DWB here in Houston than he did on July 5th only because he stayed in falsetto in Houston during the whole song. It was wince inducing. After Carl left, and especially after the July 5th show that everyone got to see, it was a sucker punch.
So here is where the "Shut Up And Just Give Us The Money" came from. I started calling around to people within the groups orbit and asked if changes were going to be made to the show. Um, why do changes need to be made. Because the guys are coming on stage, missing cues, arguing with each other, and singing god awful. Bob, they have been doing this since 1962, they know what they are doing etc etc etc. When I talked with Mike Love at the beginning of 1982, I asked if Brian was still singing DWB. He said yes. I said should he be with how he sounds? Mike said Brian sang the original, of course he should sing it now. In my warped mind back then, I almost thought that Mike was trying to embarrass Brian by making him sing it. But as we know, Brian would sing things badly on purpose.
Also at this time (read Ian's book) the group without Carl was racking and stacking dates, 4-5 in a weekend. They HAD to know how bad they would sound but pushed for that number of dates anyway. Don't know if it had anything to do with Mike needing money because he had to file for bankruptcy the following year, but they kept at it. The reviews were horrendous.
So here is the thing to me. You know you are doing a bad job. You refuse to do what it takes to turn it around. Instead of taking a break and fixing the problem, you actually push for more dates (Bruce Johnston said no rehearsals were ever necessary. We know these tunes by heart.). AND YOU CHARGE PEOPLE MONEY WHILE KNOWINGLY GIVING THEM A BAD PRODUCT. You come back to Houston in early 1982, you say you are going to do the song BE MY BABY from Mike's solo LP, tell the audience that you didn't practice ahead of time and "if you have to take a piss, now would be a good time".
Carl Wilson said it in Rolling Stone. He said the group sounded like shit and when you perform for people who paid good money to see you, you had better give it you all, and not just half-ass it and then pick up the money from the box office on the way out of the door.
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Apr 17, 2021 18:21:01 GMT -5
From the Smiley Smile message board back in 2013.
Re: The Beach Boys in 1981 - What were they thinking? « Reply #22 on: August 18, 2013, 07:25:26 PM » Ian, I told Jon that I had some stories about the guys in their stops here in Houston in the late '70s early '80s. I put one up here on this site. I will put it here again:
Reflections of their February 12, 1981 show - The Summit, Houston TX [w/ Randy Meisner & The Silverados]
I always feel like a broken record with this story. But it made a huge impact on me. I spent the first 30 mins in the lobby talking with Sterling Smith (one of their touring keyboardists). He was from Columbus Ohio and knew a friend of my brother's from the Columbus music scene. Al Jardine was friendly. Bruce was good. Dennis was Dennis. A good friend of mine who knoew Dennis told me how to act with him. If he challenges you (throwing the LP across the lobby), you just confront him back. Want to hear something so weird? I was so calm around these guys, like I knew them all my life. Bobby F. was nice too.
I remember Brian coming down in the glass elevator because my girlfriend pulled on my shirt and pointed "Is that him? My God Bob!"
I just shook my head and said hi. Brian ignored me cause he was too busy noticing Dennis being back. "Hey Bri, sign this guy's LP. He's alright." Then I handed Brian the lead sheet for Still I Dream Of It and it stopped him dead in his tracks. "Where did you get this??" I got it from BRI. Alan was like "What is it a lead sheet for? Still I Dream Of It? Man, great tune Bri!" I said you should release it (I had heard it by then from a dub of Adult Child). Brian shook his head and said no, the song sucked. He signed it and left for the bus....in 20 degree weather barefoot. Alan said "Not again...man."
I always got the feeling that Alan Jardine was a man with a broken heart when it came to the group.
Photos Of The Beach Boys, Feb 12, 1981, The Summit - Houston Texas
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Post by nts1drums on Apr 17, 2021 20:49:30 GMT -5
Wow. I don’t even know what to say. This was a great post. Thank you. It must’ve been pretty difficult to find!
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Apr 17, 2021 23:15:07 GMT -5
And it wasn't only me. Here is a tale from a former Capitol Rep.
Backstage in South Florida: The Beach Boys' Good Vibrations Turned Bad By Lee Zimmerman
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman shares stories of memorable rock 'n' roll encounters that took place in our local environs. This week: Witnessing a Beach Boys brouhaha.
The Beach Boys have always been a band wracked by contradictions. Although outwardly exuding vibes beaming with sunshine and harmony, inwardly they've been haunted by division, repression, and discord. The fights, feuds, and tension eventually tore them apart. I witnessed this unusual dichotomy for myself during the summer of 1982, when, working as a promotions representative for Capitol Records. I was touring with a rookie band named LeRoux that was opening for the Beach Boys for a lengthy tour -- thanks in large part to the success of their regional hit "Take a Ride on a Riverboat," a catchy little tune I still hum to this day.
The tour had stopped in Lakeland, and when I arrived backstage at the Civic Center before the show, it was already evident that trouble was brewing in the Beach Boys camp. Apparently Brian Wilson had wandered off and left the theater, leaving the band and their road crew wondering where he had gone. Unfortunately, Brian had never been the most stable individual when it came to touring; early in the group's career, he had to be taken off a plane after his fear of flying caused a public breakdown. Shortly thereafter, he begged off the road altogether, preferring to be ensconced in the studio, where he could focus on creating the band's albums.
Still, in 1976, the group's handlers launched a much-publicized "Brian Is Back" publicity campaign proclaiming the fact that the Beach Boys' musical mastermind was once again joining the fold after having agreed to go back on the road. Not surprisingly, the announcement was greeted with great enthusiasm by fans and critics alike. Apparently, though, something had once again gone askew at this particular stop. Fortunately, Brian returned a short time later and, his misstep forgiven, I watched as the musicians gathered in a group hug, all drawn together by a tug of camaraderie.
Still, that didn't end the difficulties that night -- or the drama. Once onstage, Dennis Wilson began acting erratically. Only an adequate drummer at best, he issued a blunt confession during the middle of "Help Me Rhonda" when he suddenly grabbed an overhead mic and abruptly announced "I'm a shitty drummer!" There wasn't even time for onlookers to gasp in agreement before he scooted out from behind his kit and clumsily attempted to situate himself on top of his brother Brian's piano. Stepping on the keyboard as Brian tried to soldier on, his foot struck a bum note that naturally impeded the performance before he successfully scaled the piano entirely. Once there, he began swaying precariously, not unlike a drunken sailor hoping to keep his balance during a fierce gale. The stage crew desperately ran out on stage and surrounded him, pleading with Dennis to alight before he had a chance to hurt himself. At first, he stubbornly refused, but eventually he was coaxed down, much to the roadies' relief and the audience's amusement.
That wasn't the end of Wilson's misadventures, however. Dennis would always take the spotlight at center stage for his solo rendition of "You Are So Beautiful," a schmaltzy Billy Preston ballad previously popularized by Joe Cocker. Sadly, Dennis' take on the tune gave Cocker no competition whatsoever. Croaking out the lyrics with little regard for the melody, he created a pretty pathetic display, looking and sounding like a man whose excesses had clearly caught up with him. To make matters worse, once he finished, he sank down to his hands and knees, turned his back to the crowd, and literally crawled offstage. Suffice it to say, it was a spectacle weirder than anything I'd ever witnessed before or have witnessed since.
A year later, Dennis died from drowning. Brian became increasingly estranged from his bandmates and eventually quit the band, leaving it to carry on the legacy alone. Carl Wilson, lead guitarist and the soulful lead singer of such timeless classics as "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" died after a valiant fight with brain and lung cancer in 1998. Consequently, I'll always have special memories of one of the final times they performed together, owing to both the music and the mayhem.
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Post by nts1drums on Apr 17, 2021 23:30:58 GMT -5
Oh wow. Dennis... I’m a huge Dennis fan (as one could tell from my threads) but one has to admit, it’s strange that they didn’t get any help sooner. Seeing as Dennis could barely talk at this point, they really should have pushed for getting him to the hospital, a therapist or something. But alas, this continued until Sept / Nov ‘83. Maybe he couldn’t help it? Who knows. It’s a big shame to think that if they pulled out help earlier that Dennis could’ve lived another couple decades or so. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I wonder what it would’ve been like if Dennis got help in ‘82. Were there attempts? What happened?
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Apr 18, 2021 0:00:46 GMT -5
I am going to say something that will probably bring me some shade, but that is ok. I could use some shade.
I believe like so many others that you can not truly help people unless they want your help. If they push you away, then there isn't much you can do. HOWEVER, I AM A HUGE proponent of "if you can make someone have to stand in a really uncomfortable position while they try to figure out what they want, then you do it. Here is what I mean.
When I found out what was done by Landy and the Beach Boys back in 1982 to force Brian into getting help, I was all for it. Forget if Landy was the right person (he wasn't) but I really like what he and the group did to force Brian out of his downward spiral. When I started to talk about it with other fans online starting in the 90s, there was a lot of anger over what I said. But I said then look what they did:
Brian, you don't want to get help? Cool. That is up to you. But, since you won't get help, here is where we part ways:
You are fired from the group and will no longer receive any form of payment. Your house is leased by BRI, so it is going up for sale and you will need to move. Also, all of the utilities are paid for by BRI so your lights and gas will be turned off as well leaving you in the dark and cold. You daily living expenses will be terminated which means all of your credit cards, accounts with stores, etc will be terminated. You no longer have funds to purchase food.
Let us know if you change your mind.
Now the heat I took was really weird. People thought that Brian should have been allowed to go on and not be FORCED to do something. They believed that the group owed it to Brian to keep paying, no matter what he did. I totally disagree. And it worked. We still have Brian. What I mean by that is not that Landy was a savoir, but if the guys hadn't dead stopped his lifestyle, he would have died by the end of 1982.
Then we come to Dennis. He was more aggressive so the group couldn't do the same thing with him. But from all I have heard, Carl and Jerry Schilling were planning on an intervention with Landy at the group's Big Bear retreat. At the same time, Guercio was asking for conservatorship over Dennis to force him to get help. Who know what would have happened, but it was a real shame when Dennis passed. Like a kick in the gut.
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Post by AGD on Apr 18, 2021 0:14:29 GMT -5
I am going to say something that will probably bring me some shade, but that is ok. I could use some shade.
I believe like so many others that you can not truly help people unless they want your help. If they push you away, then there isn't much you can do.
Exactly so. More than once I, and mutual friends, tried to help friends with substance abuse and relationship issues, and it's always been the same: they'll promise they'll give it up/leave, and maybe even do for a short while... and then carry right on. Comes a time when the only thing left to do is say "can't help you, Sundance" and walk away completely. Some of these friends are no longer with us. Could we have done more ? Short of locking them in a room, no, yet to some we'd not given our all. That maybe hurts more than the loss.
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Post by nts1drums on Apr 18, 2021 0:18:06 GMT -5
Indeed. I totally understand what you’re saying. Brian’s lifestyle really was getting the better of him. He was on more drugs and stuff than he ever was at that point, and he was pretty much unproductive. No wonder Carl recorded solo albums, I would too if I had two brothers and both were getting wasted and not really doing anything productive or useful. One often thinks that it’d be easy just to put them in their place, but considering that they had done this stuff for over a decade at this point, one could see that it would be much more difficult than what would have been planned. I really do feel bad for Carl in this situation. Being the youngest brother it’d be horrendous witnessing this happen and watch as no one else really does anything about it. Look at footage of Brian in ‘83 alongside Dennis. Whatever the hell Landy did worked, Brian is fully functional again, while Dennis looks worse than ever. It’s depressing, really.
EDIT: Response meant for Petsite
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Apr 18, 2021 0:20:47 GMT -5
I am going to say something that will probably bring me some shade, but that is ok. I could use some shade.
I believe like so many others that you can not truly help people unless they want your help. If they push you away, then there isn't much you can do.
Exactly so. More than once I, and mutual friends, tried to help friends with substance abuse and relationship issues, and it's always been the same: they'll promise they'll give it up/leave, and maybe even do for a short while... and then carry right on. Comes a time when the only thing left to do is say "can't help you, Sundance" and walk away completely. Some of these friends are no longer with us. Could we have done more ? Short of locking them in a room, no, yet to some we'd not given our all. That maybe hurts more than the loss. Andrew, amen sir, amen. So many have been lost. I will tell you one thing that has stuck with me about Dennis. Whether it is an accurate quote or not, I remember in Gaines' book when they take Dennis back to the hospital and beg the doctors to re admidt him. They cry out HE COULD DIE! The doctor answered back HE MAY HAVE TO! Fast forward 15 years and Robert Downey Jr. told almost the same story about himself with the treatment dr saying the same things to Downey's friends. It sent a chill down my spine.
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Post by AGD on Apr 18, 2021 5:47:50 GMT -5
Dr Thomas Noguchi.
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Post by E on Apr 18, 2021 6:55:17 GMT -5
Coroner to the stars...
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Post by sneakypete77 on May 5, 2021 7:21:09 GMT -5
I’ve told this story to a few of you on the board over the years but this seemed like perhaps the appropriate thread to include it here. It’s not something that gives me any pleasure to recount, but here goes.
Back in late August 1983 we flew from the UK to spend a couple of weeks in New York for Julia’s birthday. While there, we came across a record store in The Village which was advertising tickets for a Beach Boys show at the Garden State Art Center in New Jersey the following week. We bought lawn seat tickets, which sounded quaint until the guy behind the counter explained that we’d be sitting on the grass on the bank leading down to the stage area, and to be sure of a decent view it would be best to get there and claim our bit of real estate as soon as we could.
In fact we got there by train from Manhattan way too early and were stuck for several hours seeking shade in the 95F heat. Around 4pm there was a commotion over by the wire fence surrounding the grassed area so I ambled over to see what was going on. There were two girls, maybe late 20s/early 30s screaming and shouting, their tongues poking through the wire and being devoured by a dishevelled and completely incoherent Dennis. His pupils kept disappearing up into his eyelids and for most of the time all you could see were white eyeballs. I did consider getting a little closer if only to say ‘Hi’, but he was far too preoccupied playing tonsil billiards, and in any case by that time it felt a touch too voyeuristic just standing there watching so I began walking back. Just then Dennis disengaged himself and decided he wanted to climb the chain link fence. He made three attempts, falling on his arse each time until he just lay there laughing. By then two burly guys had walked up the bank and they scooped him up and carried him back down to the stage area.
That little episode didn’t bode well for the actual concert, and predictably when their scheduled 7.30 appearance rolled around they were a no-show. An announcement was made to the effect that the band had been delayed but their arrival was imminent. The same info was given at 8pm and again at 8.30pm, by which time a fair chunk of the crowd were getting impatient and some began slow handclaps and jeering. The Boys finally shuffled on stage a little after 9.15pm, no apologies or banter (and no Dennis, obviously) then commenced at least five minutes of tuning up and farting about until launching into the most tedious and drawn-out slow-mo intro to California Girls. When the vocals did eventually appear they were abysmally ragged and flat, and they were still only halfway through the song when we checked our watches and decided we had just enough time to get a cab back to Redbank station for our 10pm Manhattan train.
A few days later we dropped by the same record store and chatted to the guy there, who said he’d been told that the band had spent most of that day at their hotel having a lengthy argument about the set list and running order. Discovering later that Dennis had supposedly been in rehab in NY since late August but had clearly fallen off the wagon in spectacular fashion I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d also figured large in that day’s spat. It was only the second time I’d seen them live, but after their dazzling 1970 show in my local tiny nightclub where they were showcasing Sunflower, this was a truly dismal experience, a day to remember for just about every wrong reason going.
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Post by craigslowinski on May 5, 2021 7:34:41 GMT -5
No, it was someone else who said that...a doctor at the the rehab center. Noguchi, as pointed out, was a medical examiner (coroner). His involvement with Dennis would have been posthumous...
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Post by AGD on May 5, 2021 10:16:41 GMT -5
"Shut up and just give us your money" could reasonably be applied to Brian's management of late.
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Post by Mikie on May 5, 2021 13:45:28 GMT -5
No, it was someone else who said that...a doctor at the the rehab center. Noguchi, as pointed out, was a medical examiner (coroner). His involvement with Dennis would have been posthumous... Dr. Joe Takamine at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica?
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Post by AGD on May 5, 2021 14:58:25 GMT -5
No, it was someone else who said that...a doctor at the the rehab center. Noguchi, as pointed out, was a medical examiner (coroner). His involvement with Dennis would have been posthumous... Dr. Joe Takamine at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica? My bad - it was Dr. Michael Gales, at St. John's Hospital & Health Center, Santa Monica.
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petsite
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Post by petsite on May 5, 2021 16:05:49 GMT -5
I’ve told this story to a few of you on the board over the years but this seemed like perhaps the appropriate thread to include it here. It’s not something that gives me any pleasure to recount, but here goes. Back in late August 1983 we flew from the UK to spend a couple of weeks in New York for Julia’s birthday. While there, we came across a record store in The Village which was advertising tickets for a Beach Boys show at the Garden State Art Center in New Jersey the following week. We bought lawn seat tickets, which sounded quaint until the guy behind the counter explained that we’d be sitting on the grass on the bank leading down to the stage area, and to be sure of a decent view it would be best to get there and claim our bit of real estate as soon as we could. In fact we got there by train from Manhattan way too early and were stuck for several hours seeking shade in the 95F heat. Around 4pm there was a commotion over by the wire fence surrounding the grassed area so I ambled over to see what was going on. There were two girls, maybe late 20s/early 30s screaming and shouting, their tongues poking through the wire and being devoured by a dishevelled and completely incoherent Dennis. His pupils kept disappearing up into his eyelids and for most of the time all you could see were white eyeballs. I did consider getting a little closer if only to say ‘Hi’, but he was far too preoccupied playing tonsil billiards, and in any case by that time it felt a touch too voyeuristic just standing there watching so I began walking back. Just then Dennis disengaged himself and decided he wanted to climb the chain link fence. He made three attempts, falling on his arse each time until he just lay there laughing. By then two burly guys had walked up the bank and they scooped him up and carried him back down to the stage area. That little episode didn’t bode well for the actual concert, and predictably when their scheduled 7.30 appearance rolled around they were a no-show. An announcement was made to the effect that the band had been delayed but their arrival was imminent. The same info was given at 8pm and again at 8.30pm, by which time a fair chunk of the crowd were getting impatient and some began slow handclaps and jeering. The Boys finally shuffled on stage a little after 9.15pm, no apologies or banter (and no Dennis, obviously) then commenced at least five minutes of tuning up and farting about until launching into the most tedious and drawn-out slow-mo intro to California Girls. When the vocals did eventually appear they were abysmally ragged and flat, and they were still only halfway through the song when we checked our watches and decided we had just enough time to get a cab back to Redbank station for our 10pm Manhattan train. A few days later we dropped by the same record store and chatted to the guy there, who said he’d been told that the band had spent most of that day at their hotel having a lengthy argument about the set list and running order. Discovering later that Dennis had supposedly been in rehab in NY since late August but had clearly fallen off the wagon in spectacular fashion I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d also figured large in that day’s spat. It was only the second time I’d seen them live, but after their dazzling 1970 show in my local tiny nightclub where they were showcasing Sunflower, this was a truly dismal experience, a day to remember for just about every wrong reason going. Thanks for the story. There was so much crap happening back then. I saw the group in the fall of 1982 at the Houston Astrodome. Carl was back and they played a tight set. However, Brian was so overweight that two really big security guards lifted him up and put him on the stage. There was only like a ten stair walk up but Brian could not make it. And, he kept taking a comb out of his pocket and combing his hair. He must have done it at least 10 times as I remember. Ian has a photo of Carl snd Brian doing the sound check at the Dome in his book.
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petsite
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Post by petsite on May 5, 2021 16:15:27 GMT -5
Here are The Beach Boys coming back to Astrodome in 1983. I remember being there.
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petsite
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Post by petsite on May 5, 2021 16:22:15 GMT -5
Here is a video of the group at Jack Murphy Statdium in 1982 around the same time as their Houston show. You can see Brian close up and it really is bad.
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chewy
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Post by chewy on May 5, 2021 19:51:27 GMT -5
so you requested the lead sheet from BRI and they sent it to you? love your story and pics
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chewy
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Post by chewy on May 5, 2021 19:52:31 GMT -5
did carl rejoin for shows sometime '82 or was it 83?
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chewy
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Post by chewy on May 5, 2021 21:58:31 GMT -5
he was making out with them, between the fence?
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petsite
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Post by petsite on May 5, 2021 22:01:32 GMT -5
so you requested the lead sheet from BRI and they sent it to you? love your story and pics
I had several letters like this. Still I Dream Of It was from my first letter to BRI. Susan Gamble was so cool!
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petsite
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Post by petsite on May 5, 2021 22:07:52 GMT -5
did carl rejoin for shows sometime '82 or was it 83? May 1982. Carl played a weekend in April, said forget this noise, and left. The group then went to play their April 5, 1982 concert at The Chateau de Ville in Framingham, MA. It was one of their worse concerts ever. EVER.
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petsite
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Post by petsite on May 5, 2021 22:21:08 GMT -5
Here is something I may have posted a while ago, but it bears showing up again. It is a review of the Beach Boys July 18, 1981 show at the Greek Theatre in LA. You can read for yourself how Dennis and Brian acted. It was sad. Here is the punchline for me. Check out the concert review right above it. Billboard had to have done this on purpose.
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