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Post by AGD on Dec 28, 2023 1:16:10 GMT -5
Dennis Carl Wilson 12/4/44-12/28/83. Still seems and feels like yesterday.
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Post by lonelysummer on Dec 28, 2023 1:47:59 GMT -5
Dennis Carl Wilson 12/4/44-12/28/83. Still seems and feels like yesterday. and I still remember seeing it on the late night news after a friend and I had been watching Twilight Zone reruns on a local channel. |
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Post by John Manning on Dec 28, 2023 2:02:21 GMT -5
Still remember being met in Wood Lane by my then-girlfriend, on getting back from a trip to the Lake District, to be told one of The Beach Boys (she thought Brian) had died while I’d been away (no internet then, and no TV where we’d been staying).
Heartbreak when I got the papers and read the facts.
Just stumbled over this on YouTube… well worth watching, for memories of Dennis and to see Billy Hinsche MC’ing proceedings, along with a raft of other familiar and not-so-familiar faces.
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Post by AGD on Dec 28, 2023 3:05:59 GMT -5
It was a surreal day for me: I was woken early on the morning of the 29th by my radio alarm leading with the news (shocking and yet also not so), stumbled downstairs and told my parents (I was temporarily back home) "Dennis is dead"... which confused them as a close family friend also called Dennis had died on Boxing Day. I'd barely explained before the phone started ringing. The huge majority of the calls were from friends and fans, of course, but one was from the Sun, the leading UK red top tabloid of the day. How the hell they got my number I have no idea, but anyway I gave them a thumbnail bio of Dennis only to be told "yes, we've got all that, but tell us about him and Manson". I put the phone down.
There's little if anything I can add to what's already been said. Dennis was a force of nature, inquisitive to a fault and with hindsight, never destined to make old bones. In any other band he'd have been the main man in almost every respect: it was his misfortune to be Brian's brother, although he'd never have seen it that way. Oh that Pacific Ocean Blue had been the first, not the only. I recall buying it without knowing a single second of the music, and being literally blown away - Dennis did this? Of course, the signposts were there from as early as 1968 and "Little Bird" but somehow overlooked.
So many tracks to choose from, but I always come back to this magnificent slice of resigned desolation from someone who knew exactly what he was singing about: as Jon Stebbins noted, "the man was bleeding onto the tape". But let the man himself have the final word:
“Everything that I am or will ever be is in the music. If you want to know me, just listen.”
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Dec 28, 2023 3:46:24 GMT -5
I had moved back in with my parents in 1983 because of health issues. I had been out on a date and got home at 1 am. My Mom and Dad were both up. They said sit down and told me one of the Wilsons had passed away. They didn't catch which one. They didn't think about turning on CNN. I did right away and they were talking about Dennis. I felt relieved and incredibly sad. I hated thinking it might be Brian after he started getting better. But for Dennis, the impervious one to be gone was a shock.
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Dec 28, 2023 4:07:55 GMT -5
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Dec 28, 2023 4:08:48 GMT -5
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Post by jk on Dec 28, 2023 6:06:32 GMT -5
Unlike most of you, I don't recall learning this sad news at the time. (I do remember seeing a brief report of Carl's death in our national daily.)
It happened midway between "Rock And Roll Music" and "Kokomo" and The Beach Boys were simply not on my mind at the time.
AGD, thanks for the wonderful post. John, thanks for the video -- I shall watch it as soon as time allows...
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Departed
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2023 9:24:14 GMT -5
I had a portable Fostex X15 4 track cassette recorder. I loved it(!), despite all the track hiss from so much bouncing.
That day my wife and I had spent a few hours finishing the vocals for a song of mine called The Dominoes. We mixed it and listened to the mix over and over.
At the end of the evening we plopped on the couch to watch some TV and to decompress from the high of recording the new song. The 11 o'clock news came on and we heard. I went numb. Then I felt nauseated.
I think at that moment I basically felt, "The Beach Boys? I'm done." It was the end of the group I knew and loved. I would still have a lifelong interest in the band and Brian, but things were never the same for me. Their spirit had left the building.
My song wasn't about Dennis but on that day it became permanently connected to him. It became eerie.
This is part of its final chorus and chant fade:
The dominoes are tumbling
the dominoes are tumbling
toward you
where will you run to?
when can I hold you?
Baby, it's a wonderful life on the upside
it's a wonderful life on the outside
It's a wonderful life
's a wonderful life
a wonderful life
wonderful life
wonderful life...
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Post by filledeplage on Dec 28, 2023 10:25:26 GMT -5
Just the brothers...❤️
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Post by Mikie on Dec 28, 2023 14:30:12 GMT -5
I was driving home late in the afternoon from somewhere in San Jose and listening to the radio. The DJ cut in and announced that Dennis Wilson had died in an accident. I pulled to the side of the road and sat there for awhile and couldn’t believe it. A couple of hours later I turned on the TV news and they showed Dennis in a body bag on a stretcher being wheeled out of Marina Del Rey. I remember sitting there real sad and Les Chan called me on the phone and told me he was going to host a radio special about Dennis on K101 in S.F. that night. I remember calling Chris Duffy, publisher of the "Friends Of Dennis Wilson Fan Club" fanzine. A few days later, I had a New Years party at my house and in the corner of the room I had a small table with a shrine set up with the Pacific Ocean Blue album prominently displayed. I played the album over and over that night, and some, including my wife, thought I’d gone a little overboard, but the guests said they really liked the music. A week or two later, Chris showed me a letter that she’d just received in the mail in a post-marked envelope from L.A. dated a few days prior to Dennis’ death. The Dennis signature definitely looks authentic. She always thought it was Dennis' signature at the bottom and I believe it was too. The rest of the writing may not have been Dennis’ but was possibly dictated to Kris Cable or Colleen McGovern.  |
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Post by filledeplage on Dec 28, 2023 15:59:05 GMT -5
I was driving home late in the afternoon from somewhere in San Jose and listening to the radio. The DJ cut in and announced that Dennis Wilson had died in an accident. I pulled to the side of the road and sat there for awhile and couldn’t believe it. A couple of hours later I turned on the TV news and they showed Dennis in a body bag on a stretcher being wheeled out of Marina Del Rey. I remember sitting there real sad and Les Chan called me on the phone and told me he was going to host a radio special about Dennis on K101 in S.F. that night. I remember calling Chris Duffy, publisher of the "Friends Of Dennis Wilson Fan Club" fanzine. A few days later, I had a New Years party at my house and in the corner of the room I had a small table with a shrine set up with the Pacific Ocean Blue album prominently displayed. I played the album over and over that night, and some, including my wife, thought I’d gone a little overboard, but the guests said they really liked the music. A week or two later, Chris showed me a letter that she’d just received in the mail in a post-marked envelope from L.A. dated a few days prior to Dennis’ death. The Dennis signature definitely looks authentic. She always thought it was Dennis' signature at the bottom and I believe it was too. The rest of the writing may not have been Dennis’ but was possibly dictated to Kris Cable or Colleen McGovern. View AttachmentIt would be a tough signature to forge. I doubt he got an A in penmanship. It is still shocking after all this time. No, you did not go too far. It was as shocking as John Lennon's. |
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Dec 28, 2023 21:13:31 GMT -5
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Post by AGD on Dec 29, 2023 2:06:48 GMT -5
Last pic of Dennis that I'm aware of was taken on September 26th 1983, at the last gig he played in Pomona. It shows him autographing a ticket, which the owner has framed with the pic.
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Post by jay on Dec 29, 2023 5:37:43 GMT -5
I find it odd that I haven't seen or read any statements from the surviving members.
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Post by jay on Dec 29, 2023 18:14:40 GMT -5
Last pic of Dennis that I'm aware of was taken on September 26th 1983, at the last gig he played in Pomona. It shows him autographing a ticket, which the owner has framed with the pic. Is it available publicly to see? |
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Dec 29, 2023 18:21:09 GMT -5
Last pic of Dennis that I'm aware of was taken on September 26th 1983, at the last gig he played in Pomona. It shows him autographing a ticket, which the owner has framed with the pic. Is it available publicly to see? This is one that is supposedly from the that concert. |
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petsite
Author/Historian/ Researcher
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Post by petsite on Dec 29, 2023 18:24:10 GMT -5
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Post by AGD on Dec 29, 2023 18:28:54 GMT -5
Last pic of Dennis that I'm aware of was taken on September 26th 1983, at the last gig he played in Pomona. It shows him autographing a ticket, which the owner has framed with the pic. Is it available publicly to see? Sadly not. I only got to see it because I was asked to authenticate it. |
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Post by carllove on Dec 29, 2023 22:48:41 GMT -5
www.yahoo.com/entertainment/liked-living-edge-over-line-032122889.html?Anyone see this error filled piece of revised history on Yahoo today? “Drumbo”? Insinuating that James Guercio replacing Blondie Chaplin on bass was a good thing? From what I have read, The Beach Boys were never booed when they performed on the bill with The Grateful Dead. Still nice to see a mention of Dennis today on Yahoo.
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Post by filledeplage on Dec 30, 2023 0:29:12 GMT -5
www.yahoo.com/entertainment/liked-living-edge-over-line-032122889.html?Anyone see this error filled piece of revised history on Yahoo today? “Drumbo”? Insinuating that James Guercio replacing Blondie Chaplin on bass was a good thing? From what I have read, The Beach Boys were never booed when they performed on the bill with The Grateful Dead. Still nice to see a mention of Dennis today on Yahoo. Nice that there is some press on him but it is not the most accurate thing I have ever seen. And much discussion in the comments. They were not booed and college kids did not hassle them about the hits. They went nuts over them, after they played some of their more progressive 70s stuff. Thanks for posting the link. I do agree it is full of errors. |
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Post by AGD on Dec 30, 2023 1:18:09 GMT -5
www.yahoo.com/entertainment/liked-living-edge-over-line-032122889.html?Anyone see this error filled piece of revised history on Yahoo today? “Drumbo”? Insinuating that James Guercio replacing Blondie Chaplin on bass was a good thing? From what I have read, The Beach Boys were never booed when they performed on the bill with The Grateful Dead. Still nice to see a mention of Dennis today on Yahoo. The part that really got me shouting was saying Dennis surfaced three times waving but they thought he was just kidding, and that he hit his head on the bottom of The Emerald. I don't recall ever seeing the first thing (the last anyone saw of him alive was him swimming just below the surface), and according to those who found him he was curled up in the fetal position on the marina floor, as if he was just taking a rest. That's what I think happened down there: he was just tired, and took a rest. |
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Post by Micha on Dec 30, 2023 6:16:21 GMT -5
I find it odd that I haven't seen or read any statements from the surviving members. There's a press conference on the American band documentary. |
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Post by carllove on Dec 31, 2023 1:36:00 GMT -5
I find it odd that I haven't seen or read any statements from the surviving members. There's a press conference on the American band documentary. I think jay implied this year, since it was the 40th Anniversary of Dennis’ death. |
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Post by carllove on Dec 31, 2023 1:43:50 GMT -5
www.yahoo.com/entertainment/liked-living-edge-over-line-032122889.html?Anyone see this error filled piece of revised history on Yahoo today? “Drumbo”? Insinuating that James Guercio replacing Blondie Chaplin on bass was a good thing? From what I have read, The Beach Boys were never booed when they performed on the bill with The Grateful Dead. Still nice to see a mention of Dennis today on Yahoo. Nice that there is some press on him but it is not the most accurate thing I have ever seen. And much discussion in the comments. They were not booed and college kids did not hassle them about the hits. They went nuts over them, after they played some of their more progressive 70s stuff. Thanks for posting the link. I do agree it is full of errors. Some good comments, but also some sad comments disparaging Dennis and his talent and The Beach Boys in general. I put my two cents in, anyway. |
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