This day in BB History-May 10-20
May 11, 2019 13:57:32 GMT -5
Mikie, John Manning, and 6 more like this
Post by ian on May 11, 2019 13:57:32 GMT -5
May 11 1962-The BBs played at the Community Fair at El Camino Community College. The next day they probably played at the Harris Store “Campus Deb Jamboree” in San Bernardino. May 17, 1963-The BBs played at Santa Fe Springs High School HS. The next day they played a car show near LA.
May 11 1964-The I Get Around single was released in the U.S. and would soon shoot to number one. To promote it the BBs appeared on the CBS TV Red Skelton Show for the second time on May 12 1964-they mimed to I Get Around and In My Room. This appearance was taped in April and the two clips are seen in the American Band documentary from 1985. On May 14 1964 the BBs played in Houston and then headed to Dallas to appear at the SMU Coliseum the next day. On May 16 they appeared at the Municipal Auditorium in San Antonio, TX. None of these shows were reviewed-indeed the Houston papers completely ignored the event.
May 18 1964-The BBs were also finishing up the All Summer Long LP and worked on We’ll Run Away, Do You Remember and possibly Drive In. The next day they worked on Girls On the Beach. The fact that the song was still being tinkered with on May 19 has always made me suspicious of Keith Badman’s claim in his book that the BBs filmed their scenes for the movie of the same name in April (especially as they mime to that very song). In preparation for my own book, I wrote to the film company and they told me that the filming records for that film no longer exist-so the real date might remain unknown forever.
May 12, 1965-The BBs played the Virginia Beach Dome with the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Swinging Machine. Glen Campbell was still playing bass on this tour, as I assume Bruce Johnston was tying up loose ends before becoming Brian’s permanent replacement. The next day at the concert in Springfield, MA Glen was quizzed about where Brian was and replied, Brian writes and arranges all our songs and in addition, he manages recording sessions, acts as a public relations man and works 15 or 16 hours a day. Add to this public appearances and one show stands and it’s no wonder he became sick.” The BBs played the Boston Arena on May 14 and then Glen played his last show as a temporary BB at the New Haven Arena on May 15. The group headed to New York to appear on the May 16, 1965 Ed Sullivan Show, where they were scheduled to perform “Help Me Rhonda” and a version of “Graduation Day.” According to Carl’s best friend Ron Swallow, the Beach Boys were joined by Brian, and took part in rehearsals at the CBS studio but were informed by the producer at the last minute that they would have to be rescheduled because the show was running long. They did not appear on the show again until 1968. On May 19 1965 the BBs played in Canton with Bruce on bass. Glen Campbell was now listed as a support act, as were Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs. That same bill played in Toledo the next night.
May 10, 1966-The BBs made their first appearance at Notre Dame University. The next night they played at Ball State University with The Caravans, the Chieftones and Sir Douglas Quintet. The Muncie Evening Press reported, “Mike Love proved to be a capable, likable emcee, with a sense of humor…The performance was interspersed with laughter: Dennis complained of having a dry throat, so he was brought a soothing drink, and once, when they were unable to get the speakers to work, their ‘sound man’ came on stage to discover that the speakers were only unplugged.” Meanwhile Brian held the very first session for Heroes and Villains back in LA. It was apparently more of a demo session and Brian appears to have taped over this session-as the tape is no longer in existence. The next day the BBs played in Lansing, MI with Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs and then in Fort Wayne, IN on May 13, 1966. The tour ended at the Milwaukee Arena, with the Chieftones and The Sir Douglas Quintet on May 14. A show in Terre Haute for May 15 was canceled allegedly because “Dennis was sick.”
May 10 1967-The BBs completed their UK tour with two shows at the ABC Theater in Edinburgh. The BBs then headed to Sweden and appeared at Grona Lund Amusement Park in Stockholm on May 12 and then at Messuhalli in Helsinki, Finland the next night. The Beach Boys were scheduled to play in Holland on May 14 but were unable to obtain work permits necessary to perform and the show was canceled. While in the Netherlands, the group taped a television interview for the VARA TV show Fanclub with Judith Bosch. During the interview, Carl commented that problems with work permits had also led to the cancelation of a concert in Paris. As a result, the group was left with time on their hands. The BBs spent the afternoon of the 15th in Paris and then visited Madrid, Spain on May 16 before heading on to Germany. The BBs played in Cologne on May 17 with the Beat Stones, the Barking Dog, the Twangy Gang, the Small Faces, the Smoke and David Garrick. It was a pretty rowdy crowd for a BBs gig and security repeatedly had to stop stage invasions. The tour ended in Berlin on May 19, 1967 and then the BBs all headed home, except Bruce who spent time in Ibiza and then the UK, which was fine as he seems to have skipped the Smiley Smile sessions in June anyways.
May 17, 1968-The BBs appeared on the Merv Griffin TV Show with Don Rickles, Kaye Stevens, Pat O’Brien and Moms Mabley. The footage probably exists but has never been booted. May 10 1970 the BBs were in the midst of their residency at the Silver Spade Room at the Chevron Hotel in Sydney, Australia, which ended on May 13. As I relate in my book, the BBs had to be talked into doing this engagement by then manager Fred Vail. To quote Fred, “They said, ‘we don’t want to be a lounge act. We don’t want to be a Vegas act. We don’t want to be an oldies act.’ And I said, ‘you’re not. You’re still big stars in Australia. You have always been big there. This is a premiere room and they’re paying us great money.’ They were taking care of the per-diem and the rooms. I said, ‘you guys will make money if you do that gig.’ And they finally agreed to do it.”
Bizarrely, the BBs had invited Murry to join the tour (or he invited himself). I have a long and bombastic interview with him from this tour-which I quote in the book. One bit “I have to give them a pep talk occasionally. Yesterday I let them have it for 40 minutes. I don’t stand any guff-none of that big star stuff washes with me. I let them know they have to work for a living just like everybody else…that’s where my boys are so good. They’re still normal-they haven’t let all this star stuff go to their heads. Plenty of people in show business are mixed up with drugs and girls, but I’ve warned them well off all that.” Somewhat, wishful thinking on his part perhaps… May 14 1970-The BBs played The Tommy Leonetti TV Show in Sydney-they performed Barbara Ann, I Get Around and Graduation Day.
May 11 1971-The BBs played at the Manley Field House, in Syracuse, NY-without Dennis, who had to record voice-overs for Two Lane Blacktop. This show was a benefit concert to aid the Berrigan Brothers Defense Fund-which of course was designed by Jack Rieley to promote the BBs anti-war-pro Hippie stance. There is a great tape of this show-which was really good.
May 10 1972 the BBs appeared at the Concert Hall in Luxembourg for Radio Luxembourg. The NME reported, “Dennis Wilson’s move from drums to front-line vocals has strengthened the Beach Boys’ already tight vocal textures. Dennis also played a solo piano-accompanied piece of his own composition-unrecorded as yet-called ‘A Friend of Mine’ which was really moving and received some of the warmest applause of the night.” The next night they played at the MartiniHal in Groningen, Netherlands.
A performance in Brussels on May 12 was canceled but the BBs played the Sports Paleis in Rotterdam on May 13 1972. A Dutch reviewer commented, “Blondie clearly is an inspiration, an advocate of the harder line in the music...A sublime bass and solo guitarist, hard and to the point voice-wise. The fusion ‘Wonderbill’– Wonderful (from Smiley Smile) and a Fataar-Chaplin composition – worked on all fronts. Carl sang beautifully, all evening by the way. Wilson-cousin Mike Love is stable and in good voice.”
On May 15, 1972 the BBs flew to London to film the The Old Grey Whistle Test TV Show -Live singing You Need A Mess of Help over a backing track. The UK tour began the next day at the City Hall in Newcastle.
On May 18 1972 they played the Kinetic Circus in Birmingham The NME reported that the BBs, “proved their strength beyond a doubt. With steaming zest they zipped through such goodies as ‘Heroes and Villains’, ‘God Only Knows’, and ‘Do It Again.’ The sound was rich, fat and satisfying, with Carl, Al and Blondie laying down thick, gutty guitar sounds over back up musicians, Dragon Brothers. Their vocal blends were delivered in all their fullness, falsettos, et al.” The next night they appeared at the Kings Hall in Manchester and then two shows at the old Liverpool Empire on May 20 1972. At the May 19 1972 show Mike, perhaps surprisingly to some, stated to a reporter that he enjoyed “doing the old songs plenty, but I also like doing the new ones. I don’t think there are enough new songs in the show. We’re recording a double album in Holland this summer, so I think then we’ll get a lot of new material rehearsed and ready for the stage.” Also interesting to note that Holland was envisioned as a double.
May 11 1973 the BBs played at SUNY Delhi in support of the Holland album. The next night they were at SUNY Binghamton. A nice photo of this show is in Mark Dillon’s book. They played Colby College inWaterville, ME on May 13. A reviewer noted, “The response to the second set was a constant standing ovation. Of course the urge to dance and jump into the music was augmented when the Beach Boys performed their out now hit ‘Sail on Sailor.’ ‘Sloop John B’ was another rousing number, followed by ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice.’…The Beach Boys finished ‘Good Vibrations’ and went off stage only to return for more. Surprise, surprise, the group did requests and ‘California Girls’ another one of their great songs of the late fifties and early sixties. A couple of other numbers and the group’s performance was complete-a truly tremendous performance indeed!” The BBs were at Massachusetts State College in Framingham, MA on May 14. And then played Fort Meade military base in Laurel, Maryland on May 17 and the Dillon Gym at Princeton University on May 18. They were at Boston College on May 19 and concluded the tour at Ohio State University with Argent on May 20, 1973. The reviewer sounded a familiar refrain, though one that was not always pleasing to the BBs, “Music from the Beach Boys Holland album pleased the crowd but it was the music from the 60s that released them from the present and propelled them back to the summer sun of the 60s…Starting with ‘Surfin’ USA,’ dedicated by Dennis to those who had attempted ‘the art of surfing, all my brothers,’ each oldie doubled and redoubled the force of that wave they began riding in 1962.”
May 11, 1974 the BBs played Miami University in Oxford, OH. This was the tour partially filmed in black and white by Billy Hinsche. They played Toledo, OH on May 12 and the College of Wooster, Ohio on May 13. They were at Western Illinois University on May 14 and appeared in Kansas City with Henry Gross on May 15. The reviewer of the Southern Illinois University concert on May 16 noted that the concert was “unbelievably fantastic...Two encores to such greats as ‘Barbara Ann’ and ‘Good Vibrations’ and others had people standing in aisles and chairs for the final 45 minutes. The first part of the two-hour concert had the Beach Boys playing some of their more recent tunes that didn’t quite hit it off as well with the good-sized crowd. But once the nostalgia started, the Arena was filled with clapping hand and singing right along.” On May 17 the BBs were in Louisville with Earl Scruggs and then played Michigan State University on May 18. Roger McGuinn was playing nearby and joined the BBs for three songs-including his own song ‘Draggin’. On May 19 the BBs appeared at Joliet Memorial Stadium-while there they posed for a photo shoot with Ricky seen in many books-Hinsche has footage of it in his film. The BBs were scheduled to play the Indianapolis Fairgrounds on May 20, 1974 but it was canceled
May 1975 the Beachago tour was in full swing. On May 17 the tour played Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and the next day they played the Arena, in St Louis. A reviewer noted, “The two bands complement each other. The Beach Boys basically concentrate on vocals and tight harmony. Chicago, which has a number of hits such as ‘Saturday in the Park’ and ‘Harry Truman’ that are vocals, are mostly inclined toward brass dominated instrumentals…so the end result was that of a band supporting vocalists, the number of which ranged from one to 12 depending on the song.”
May 12, 1978-The BBs played at the University of New Mexico with Carl’s foot in a cast. The reviewer noted that the band took awhile to get comfortable but that by the end of the concert “Mike Love became really enthused instead of mock enthused. Brian began to bounce in his loose blue outfit. Dennis banged his drums with abandon. Carl in a foot cast smiled wryly. Even Al Jardine came alive on his classic ‘Help Me Rhonda.’” The next day the BBs played at Folsom Stadium in Boulder with Firefall, Bob Welch and Journey. On May 14 1978 they were at the University of Northern Iowa. The reviewer was disappointed by the modern BBs but noted that, “Mike Love, who seems to be the most coherent of the five, attempts to fill the gaps in the show and cover the Wilsons’ indifference with clowning.”
May 18 1978-Dennis held a session for ‘It’s Not Too Late’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’ at Brother Studios.
May 11 1979-The BBs played in Binghamton, NY with Ian Mathews on the LA Light tour. The reviewer noted that, “they gave a smooth, effortless performance” but noted that the new material, such as Lady Lynda and Sumahama, “lack the joy of life they bring to their California sound.” The next night they played the Pittsburgh Civic Arena and then were in Rochester, NY on May 13 and the Nassau Coliseum on May 14. They were in Springfield, MA on May 15 and then Buffalo on May 16. A reviewer of the Syracuse show with Iron Horse on May 17 noted it, “could have taken place in 1975 or 1970 or 1965-which is just fine with Beach Boys devotees. Very little has changed as far as the group's live performances go. Mike Love is still a ringleader extraordinaire, Carl Wilson's vocals are still as sweet as ever, and brother Dennis Wilson remains the group's enfant terrible... Best of the new material was "Angel Come Home," in spite of Dennis Wilson's mumbled, raspy vocals (a la Joe Cocker).” The BBs then headed to Augusta, Glen Falls and Providence, RI (May 20). The Providence paper noted, “Making last night's show special, even while adding a bit of tension, was the presence of songwriter-producer-guiding light Brian Wilson...Still reluctant to sing leads, (at one point Mike Love told the sound man that Brian would begin 'Wouldn't It Be Nice.' The song began. Brian did not.) The oldest Wilson delighted his fans by singing 'Sloop John B.' Also noteworthy was the return of on-again, off-again Beach Boy Bruce Johnston to active duty. Johnston pleased much of the audience and appalled a few others when he sang 'I Write the Songs' a ballad he composed for Barry Manilow.”
May 15, 1981-The BBs toured without Carl and played at Anaheim Stadium after a Surfs Soccer game. The Orange County Register noted that they “turned in a generally mediocre performance. Those harmonies aren’t so easy to achieve anymore and cracked, off-key renditions of ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ and ‘God Only Knows’ were particular low-points Friday night.” The next night they were at the Santa Barbara County Bowl and then hit the Concord Pavilion on May 17 1981. With Carl absent, Brian took a more active role but Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported he was not up to the challenge: “The eldest Wilson grinned a lot. Sang very little and badly, played inaudible cling-cling-cling on piano and obliviously performed yoga neck-rolls. Vocalist Mike Love explained that Wilson suffered from a sore throat, but neglected to mention that the condition has apparently lasted almost ten years now.”
May 14, 1982-The BBs played at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa, Texas. They then appeared in San Antonio, TX on May 15 and at Buccaneer Stadium in Corpus Christi, TX on May 16, 1982. May 12, 1984- The BBs were at Laguna Seca Raceway, Near Monterey, CA-with Eddie and the Tide and the Greg Kihn Band. I have photos from this show in my book. They were at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, CA on May 13. Think I’ll stop there
May 11 1964-The I Get Around single was released in the U.S. and would soon shoot to number one. To promote it the BBs appeared on the CBS TV Red Skelton Show for the second time on May 12 1964-they mimed to I Get Around and In My Room. This appearance was taped in April and the two clips are seen in the American Band documentary from 1985. On May 14 1964 the BBs played in Houston and then headed to Dallas to appear at the SMU Coliseum the next day. On May 16 they appeared at the Municipal Auditorium in San Antonio, TX. None of these shows were reviewed-indeed the Houston papers completely ignored the event.
May 18 1964-The BBs were also finishing up the All Summer Long LP and worked on We’ll Run Away, Do You Remember and possibly Drive In. The next day they worked on Girls On the Beach. The fact that the song was still being tinkered with on May 19 has always made me suspicious of Keith Badman’s claim in his book that the BBs filmed their scenes for the movie of the same name in April (especially as they mime to that very song). In preparation for my own book, I wrote to the film company and they told me that the filming records for that film no longer exist-so the real date might remain unknown forever.
May 12, 1965-The BBs played the Virginia Beach Dome with the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Swinging Machine. Glen Campbell was still playing bass on this tour, as I assume Bruce Johnston was tying up loose ends before becoming Brian’s permanent replacement. The next day at the concert in Springfield, MA Glen was quizzed about where Brian was and replied, Brian writes and arranges all our songs and in addition, he manages recording sessions, acts as a public relations man and works 15 or 16 hours a day. Add to this public appearances and one show stands and it’s no wonder he became sick.” The BBs played the Boston Arena on May 14 and then Glen played his last show as a temporary BB at the New Haven Arena on May 15. The group headed to New York to appear on the May 16, 1965 Ed Sullivan Show, where they were scheduled to perform “Help Me Rhonda” and a version of “Graduation Day.” According to Carl’s best friend Ron Swallow, the Beach Boys were joined by Brian, and took part in rehearsals at the CBS studio but were informed by the producer at the last minute that they would have to be rescheduled because the show was running long. They did not appear on the show again until 1968. On May 19 1965 the BBs played in Canton with Bruce on bass. Glen Campbell was now listed as a support act, as were Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs. That same bill played in Toledo the next night.
May 10, 1966-The BBs made their first appearance at Notre Dame University. The next night they played at Ball State University with The Caravans, the Chieftones and Sir Douglas Quintet. The Muncie Evening Press reported, “Mike Love proved to be a capable, likable emcee, with a sense of humor…The performance was interspersed with laughter: Dennis complained of having a dry throat, so he was brought a soothing drink, and once, when they were unable to get the speakers to work, their ‘sound man’ came on stage to discover that the speakers were only unplugged.” Meanwhile Brian held the very first session for Heroes and Villains back in LA. It was apparently more of a demo session and Brian appears to have taped over this session-as the tape is no longer in existence. The next day the BBs played in Lansing, MI with Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs and then in Fort Wayne, IN on May 13, 1966. The tour ended at the Milwaukee Arena, with the Chieftones and The Sir Douglas Quintet on May 14. A show in Terre Haute for May 15 was canceled allegedly because “Dennis was sick.”
May 10 1967-The BBs completed their UK tour with two shows at the ABC Theater in Edinburgh. The BBs then headed to Sweden and appeared at Grona Lund Amusement Park in Stockholm on May 12 and then at Messuhalli in Helsinki, Finland the next night. The Beach Boys were scheduled to play in Holland on May 14 but were unable to obtain work permits necessary to perform and the show was canceled. While in the Netherlands, the group taped a television interview for the VARA TV show Fanclub with Judith Bosch. During the interview, Carl commented that problems with work permits had also led to the cancelation of a concert in Paris. As a result, the group was left with time on their hands. The BBs spent the afternoon of the 15th in Paris and then visited Madrid, Spain on May 16 before heading on to Germany. The BBs played in Cologne on May 17 with the Beat Stones, the Barking Dog, the Twangy Gang, the Small Faces, the Smoke and David Garrick. It was a pretty rowdy crowd for a BBs gig and security repeatedly had to stop stage invasions. The tour ended in Berlin on May 19, 1967 and then the BBs all headed home, except Bruce who spent time in Ibiza and then the UK, which was fine as he seems to have skipped the Smiley Smile sessions in June anyways.
May 17, 1968-The BBs appeared on the Merv Griffin TV Show with Don Rickles, Kaye Stevens, Pat O’Brien and Moms Mabley. The footage probably exists but has never been booted. May 10 1970 the BBs were in the midst of their residency at the Silver Spade Room at the Chevron Hotel in Sydney, Australia, which ended on May 13. As I relate in my book, the BBs had to be talked into doing this engagement by then manager Fred Vail. To quote Fred, “They said, ‘we don’t want to be a lounge act. We don’t want to be a Vegas act. We don’t want to be an oldies act.’ And I said, ‘you’re not. You’re still big stars in Australia. You have always been big there. This is a premiere room and they’re paying us great money.’ They were taking care of the per-diem and the rooms. I said, ‘you guys will make money if you do that gig.’ And they finally agreed to do it.”
Bizarrely, the BBs had invited Murry to join the tour (or he invited himself). I have a long and bombastic interview with him from this tour-which I quote in the book. One bit “I have to give them a pep talk occasionally. Yesterday I let them have it for 40 minutes. I don’t stand any guff-none of that big star stuff washes with me. I let them know they have to work for a living just like everybody else…that’s where my boys are so good. They’re still normal-they haven’t let all this star stuff go to their heads. Plenty of people in show business are mixed up with drugs and girls, but I’ve warned them well off all that.” Somewhat, wishful thinking on his part perhaps… May 14 1970-The BBs played The Tommy Leonetti TV Show in Sydney-they performed Barbara Ann, I Get Around and Graduation Day.
May 11 1971-The BBs played at the Manley Field House, in Syracuse, NY-without Dennis, who had to record voice-overs for Two Lane Blacktop. This show was a benefit concert to aid the Berrigan Brothers Defense Fund-which of course was designed by Jack Rieley to promote the BBs anti-war-pro Hippie stance. There is a great tape of this show-which was really good.
May 10 1972 the BBs appeared at the Concert Hall in Luxembourg for Radio Luxembourg. The NME reported, “Dennis Wilson’s move from drums to front-line vocals has strengthened the Beach Boys’ already tight vocal textures. Dennis also played a solo piano-accompanied piece of his own composition-unrecorded as yet-called ‘A Friend of Mine’ which was really moving and received some of the warmest applause of the night.” The next night they played at the MartiniHal in Groningen, Netherlands.
A performance in Brussels on May 12 was canceled but the BBs played the Sports Paleis in Rotterdam on May 13 1972. A Dutch reviewer commented, “Blondie clearly is an inspiration, an advocate of the harder line in the music...A sublime bass and solo guitarist, hard and to the point voice-wise. The fusion ‘Wonderbill’– Wonderful (from Smiley Smile) and a Fataar-Chaplin composition – worked on all fronts. Carl sang beautifully, all evening by the way. Wilson-cousin Mike Love is stable and in good voice.”
On May 15, 1972 the BBs flew to London to film the The Old Grey Whistle Test TV Show -Live singing You Need A Mess of Help over a backing track. The UK tour began the next day at the City Hall in Newcastle.
On May 18 1972 they played the Kinetic Circus in Birmingham The NME reported that the BBs, “proved their strength beyond a doubt. With steaming zest they zipped through such goodies as ‘Heroes and Villains’, ‘God Only Knows’, and ‘Do It Again.’ The sound was rich, fat and satisfying, with Carl, Al and Blondie laying down thick, gutty guitar sounds over back up musicians, Dragon Brothers. Their vocal blends were delivered in all their fullness, falsettos, et al.” The next night they appeared at the Kings Hall in Manchester and then two shows at the old Liverpool Empire on May 20 1972. At the May 19 1972 show Mike, perhaps surprisingly to some, stated to a reporter that he enjoyed “doing the old songs plenty, but I also like doing the new ones. I don’t think there are enough new songs in the show. We’re recording a double album in Holland this summer, so I think then we’ll get a lot of new material rehearsed and ready for the stage.” Also interesting to note that Holland was envisioned as a double.
May 11 1973 the BBs played at SUNY Delhi in support of the Holland album. The next night they were at SUNY Binghamton. A nice photo of this show is in Mark Dillon’s book. They played Colby College inWaterville, ME on May 13. A reviewer noted, “The response to the second set was a constant standing ovation. Of course the urge to dance and jump into the music was augmented when the Beach Boys performed their out now hit ‘Sail on Sailor.’ ‘Sloop John B’ was another rousing number, followed by ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice.’…The Beach Boys finished ‘Good Vibrations’ and went off stage only to return for more. Surprise, surprise, the group did requests and ‘California Girls’ another one of their great songs of the late fifties and early sixties. A couple of other numbers and the group’s performance was complete-a truly tremendous performance indeed!” The BBs were at Massachusetts State College in Framingham, MA on May 14. And then played Fort Meade military base in Laurel, Maryland on May 17 and the Dillon Gym at Princeton University on May 18. They were at Boston College on May 19 and concluded the tour at Ohio State University with Argent on May 20, 1973. The reviewer sounded a familiar refrain, though one that was not always pleasing to the BBs, “Music from the Beach Boys Holland album pleased the crowd but it was the music from the 60s that released them from the present and propelled them back to the summer sun of the 60s…Starting with ‘Surfin’ USA,’ dedicated by Dennis to those who had attempted ‘the art of surfing, all my brothers,’ each oldie doubled and redoubled the force of that wave they began riding in 1962.”
May 11, 1974 the BBs played Miami University in Oxford, OH. This was the tour partially filmed in black and white by Billy Hinsche. They played Toledo, OH on May 12 and the College of Wooster, Ohio on May 13. They were at Western Illinois University on May 14 and appeared in Kansas City with Henry Gross on May 15. The reviewer of the Southern Illinois University concert on May 16 noted that the concert was “unbelievably fantastic...Two encores to such greats as ‘Barbara Ann’ and ‘Good Vibrations’ and others had people standing in aisles and chairs for the final 45 minutes. The first part of the two-hour concert had the Beach Boys playing some of their more recent tunes that didn’t quite hit it off as well with the good-sized crowd. But once the nostalgia started, the Arena was filled with clapping hand and singing right along.” On May 17 the BBs were in Louisville with Earl Scruggs and then played Michigan State University on May 18. Roger McGuinn was playing nearby and joined the BBs for three songs-including his own song ‘Draggin’. On May 19 the BBs appeared at Joliet Memorial Stadium-while there they posed for a photo shoot with Ricky seen in many books-Hinsche has footage of it in his film. The BBs were scheduled to play the Indianapolis Fairgrounds on May 20, 1974 but it was canceled
May 1975 the Beachago tour was in full swing. On May 17 the tour played Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and the next day they played the Arena, in St Louis. A reviewer noted, “The two bands complement each other. The Beach Boys basically concentrate on vocals and tight harmony. Chicago, which has a number of hits such as ‘Saturday in the Park’ and ‘Harry Truman’ that are vocals, are mostly inclined toward brass dominated instrumentals…so the end result was that of a band supporting vocalists, the number of which ranged from one to 12 depending on the song.”
May 12, 1978-The BBs played at the University of New Mexico with Carl’s foot in a cast. The reviewer noted that the band took awhile to get comfortable but that by the end of the concert “Mike Love became really enthused instead of mock enthused. Brian began to bounce in his loose blue outfit. Dennis banged his drums with abandon. Carl in a foot cast smiled wryly. Even Al Jardine came alive on his classic ‘Help Me Rhonda.’” The next day the BBs played at Folsom Stadium in Boulder with Firefall, Bob Welch and Journey. On May 14 1978 they were at the University of Northern Iowa. The reviewer was disappointed by the modern BBs but noted that, “Mike Love, who seems to be the most coherent of the five, attempts to fill the gaps in the show and cover the Wilsons’ indifference with clowning.”
May 18 1978-Dennis held a session for ‘It’s Not Too Late’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’ at Brother Studios.
May 11 1979-The BBs played in Binghamton, NY with Ian Mathews on the LA Light tour. The reviewer noted that, “they gave a smooth, effortless performance” but noted that the new material, such as Lady Lynda and Sumahama, “lack the joy of life they bring to their California sound.” The next night they played the Pittsburgh Civic Arena and then were in Rochester, NY on May 13 and the Nassau Coliseum on May 14. They were in Springfield, MA on May 15 and then Buffalo on May 16. A reviewer of the Syracuse show with Iron Horse on May 17 noted it, “could have taken place in 1975 or 1970 or 1965-which is just fine with Beach Boys devotees. Very little has changed as far as the group's live performances go. Mike Love is still a ringleader extraordinaire, Carl Wilson's vocals are still as sweet as ever, and brother Dennis Wilson remains the group's enfant terrible... Best of the new material was "Angel Come Home," in spite of Dennis Wilson's mumbled, raspy vocals (a la Joe Cocker).” The BBs then headed to Augusta, Glen Falls and Providence, RI (May 20). The Providence paper noted, “Making last night's show special, even while adding a bit of tension, was the presence of songwriter-producer-guiding light Brian Wilson...Still reluctant to sing leads, (at one point Mike Love told the sound man that Brian would begin 'Wouldn't It Be Nice.' The song began. Brian did not.) The oldest Wilson delighted his fans by singing 'Sloop John B.' Also noteworthy was the return of on-again, off-again Beach Boy Bruce Johnston to active duty. Johnston pleased much of the audience and appalled a few others when he sang 'I Write the Songs' a ballad he composed for Barry Manilow.”
May 15, 1981-The BBs toured without Carl and played at Anaheim Stadium after a Surfs Soccer game. The Orange County Register noted that they “turned in a generally mediocre performance. Those harmonies aren’t so easy to achieve anymore and cracked, off-key renditions of ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ and ‘God Only Knows’ were particular low-points Friday night.” The next night they were at the Santa Barbara County Bowl and then hit the Concord Pavilion on May 17 1981. With Carl absent, Brian took a more active role but Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported he was not up to the challenge: “The eldest Wilson grinned a lot. Sang very little and badly, played inaudible cling-cling-cling on piano and obliviously performed yoga neck-rolls. Vocalist Mike Love explained that Wilson suffered from a sore throat, but neglected to mention that the condition has apparently lasted almost ten years now.”
May 14, 1982-The BBs played at the Ector County Coliseum in Odessa, Texas. They then appeared in San Antonio, TX on May 15 and at Buccaneer Stadium in Corpus Christi, TX on May 16, 1982. May 12, 1984- The BBs were at Laguna Seca Raceway, Near Monterey, CA-with Eddie and the Tide and the Greg Kihn Band. I have photos from this show in my book. They were at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, CA on May 13. Think I’ll stop there
