This week in BB History June 1-12
Jun 3, 2019 10:37:03 GMT -5
John Manning, Cam Mott, and 2 more like this
Post by ian on Jun 3, 2019 10:37:03 GMT -5
On June 2 1962 the BBs played at the Azusa Teen Club for the first time. They’d shoot their earliest surviving film footage there two months later. Two days later the BBs first Capitol single-Surfin Safari/409 was released. June 7 1963 the BBs provided entertainment at a number of graduation parties for Bakersfield teens. The next day they appeared in Palmdale. Four days later they allegedly played their first show in Houston. The Marks’ family Tour Diary records the show as taking place on June 12 (but some other dates in the diary were slightly off) and David has stated that they backed up Jimmy Reed. I have yet to find any other evidence of this appearance but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen-as Houston newspapers ignored rock concerts (other then the Beatles) at this time. That being said, David also told people that the BBs backed Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls at the Bakersfield gigs and this appears to be incorrect. Thus-Dave’s memory, like most of us, may not be perfect. I don’t necessarily doubt that the BBs backed these artists but the dates remain sketchy. Peter Guralnick wrote a comprehensive book on Sam Cooke, but it doesn’t clarify the matter.
June 1 1964 two singles produced by BW were released to little response: The Gary Usher single “Sacramento” and the Sharon Marie single “Thinkin’ About You Baby.” June 12 1964 the BBs played at a Hawthorne HS Senior Breakfast before flying to Utah to play two nights at the Lagoon. I am always on the lookout for pics of the BBs at the Lagoon-you’d think that some would surface as the BBs played there every year between 1963 and 1970 (except 1967) and sometimes multiple times. But I’ve never seen one and the Utah papers never reviewed a single one of those shows.
June 1 1965 Brian held a session for “Summer Means New Love”. Three days later vocals were recorded for California Girls and Let Him Run Wild. On June 7 the classic BW produced Glen Campbell single “Guess I’m Dumb” was released. This song deserved better acclaim but went nowhere. A BW demo of this would be a major find-but probably doesn’t exist. June 2 1966 the BBs worked on “Inspiration”, which we now was sections of Good Vibrations. June 7 1966 the BBs appeared in Greenville SC and played for about 4,200 people. The reviewer noted that, “the song that brought the greatest response was Dennis Wilson’s solo ‘Do You Wanna Dance’. Mike Love, sporting a beard and golfer’s cap, did most of the lead singing. One number done in his best style was ‘Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow.’” The next night they played in Knoxville and then headed to NYC, where they appeared at Yankee Stadium on June 10 with a great bill-Ray Charles, the Byrds, Stevie Wonder and other big acts. Incredibly, there was only on a small turnout. The tour ended the next night in New Haven.
June 3 1967 the Smiley Smile sessions officially began, minus Bruce who was still in Europe and absented himself even on his return. In the next two weeks sessions were held for Vegetables, With Me Tonight, Cool-Cool Water, Heroes and Villains and Good News. The following June 1968 found the BBs back in the studio-recording music that we’ve recently had the good fortune to hear-including Well You Knew I Knew, Ol’ Man River, Do It Again and Sail Plane Song.
June 2 1969-While on tour in the Netherlands, the BBs taped the Raiders and Beach Boys TV Show in Amsterdam-footage of this is on Youtube. The BBs mimed to Good Vibrations, Breakaway, I Can Hear Music and Cotton Fields They then played in Brussels on June 3 (I am still searching for more info on this show) and taped their first appearance on the German TV show Beat Club in Bremen on June 4. They mimed to Breakaway and Surfin USA with Mike in his Maharishi robes. The BBs then returned to the UK to play dates in Birmingham and Liverpool. Valerie Mabb of Record Mirror attended the Birmingham show and reported, “The boys opened their set with ‘In My Room’ and after making light-hearted quips about their financial status they continued with ‘I Get Around,’ ‘Sloop John B,’ and ‘Do It Again,’ which displayed incredibly well balanced and perfectly re-produced harmonies. One of the highlights of the group’s act was their current release ‘Breakaway’ which must renew every fan’s faith in the Beach Boys’ musical talent.”
The now infamous Jimmy Saville accompanied them to Leeds Nursing home to play a special show there on June 8, 1968 prior to their evening gig in Manchester. They were in Glasgow on June 9 and then back to Germany to appear in Frankfurt on June 13. While the Glasgow Evening Times couldn’t be bothered to send a reporter to the gig-they did report that while a cocktail fete was being held for the BBs at their hotel, some gents took the opportunity to rob the hotel of £300!
June 3 1971 the BBs were working on the Surf’s Up LP and a session was held for Bruce’s Disney Girls. June 3 1972 the BBs played the famous show at the Crystal Palace, which was televised as Good Vibrations from London, on NBC TV in the U.S. Also on the bill were David Blue, Joe Cocker, Melanie, Richie Havens and Sha-Na-Na. An inebriated Keith Moon, who came onstage during the BBs set, acted as Compere. The TV special showed the BBs performing ‘Do It Again’, ‘Wild Honey’, and ‘Help Me Rhonda.’ During the latter number, Elton John played piano. The acts performed a full rehearsal on June 2, which was apparently wonderful. If you’ve seen the show you know that the actual taping was marred by near constant rain. The BBs weren’t happy with their performance but I think it was pretty good! Blondie’s Wild Honey is great to have captured on film. The BBs then headed to Holland to settle in there and start recording. But on June 7 they taped the Eddie Ready Go TV Show.
June 4 1973 Murray died in Los Angeles. Neither Dennis nor Brian attended the funeral but Brian did fly to NY with Dianne Rovell to promote American Spring’s single “Shyin Away”. Pete Fornatelle interviewed him on WNEW. He was really trying to get Spring some airplay and said “I’ll eat my hat, if I had a hat, if that record doesn’t get some action.” Asked if he was working, he said no “not lately, I’ve been promoting more then working. I’m not really a promotion man but I mean promoting-trying to get something happening with these records…It’s so hard for new artists to get going.” He downplayed the BBs. When Fornatelle asked if he was excited about how well the BBs were being received by audiences, Brian threw cold water on it: “Our Beach Boys records aren’t moving like they used to and so this is why I’ve gone to Spring. I’ve tried something new. Because I feel that there is a new kind of thing happening with Spring. My wife sings great I think, Marilyn.” Asked why he wasn’t as involved in the BBs he said, “To try to get into something new so that the guys can carry the ball for awhile. I want to see a new project bust open. I want to see new artists make it.” Brian seemed to be suggesting that he was done with the BBs so Dianne was quick to cover for him and say that he was still involved with the group.
June 8 1974 the BBs appeared on the Day on the Green in Oakland with the Dead, Commander Cody and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. A nice color photo by Ed Roach is in my book. The BBs were second billed and were forty-five minutes late coming out. I discuss in the book that Bill Graham was furious! Pete Cowan of the Oakland Tribune reported, “Love and Carl Wilson did most of the lead vocals, with Al Jardine and Dennis Wilson helping out on backup. No longer the group’s drummer, Dennis played keyboards at times. For an encore they did ‘California Girls’ and ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ which seemed to be their motto from the start.” Two days later the BBs held a session for Ding/Dang, which would show up on Love You of course.
June 1-5 and 7, 1975 the Beachago Tour played six nights in Chicago. The Tribune reporter argued that, “the Beach Boys opening set had an energy about it that Chicago’s never quite achieved.” The only negative note was that Dennis “seemed to have opted mainly for Tequila and plenty of it before and during the show. His occasional vocal solo numbers had a sort of stupor about them reminiscent of Dean Martin.” The big finale included both groups jamming on Wishing You Were Here, Saturday In The Park, California Girls, Fun-Fun-Fun and Feeling Stronger Every Day.
June 3 1977 the BBs held a session for Shortening Bread, which of course ended up on LA Light in 1979. June 2 1978 Mike was on a tour with Celebration and appeared at Ford Field in Dearborn, MI. They played Great America in Chicago the next night and then were in Cleveland on June 4. The reviewer noted that, “Fans were up on their feet, dancing in the aisles for 409, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down, Fun, Fun, Fun, Surfin USA and Barbara Ann.” In an interview Mike was very high on the still unreleased MIU, which was then called Winds of Change, he said it was “the best since Pet Sounds”.
June 4-10 1979 the BBs played Universal Amphitheater in LA. The LA Times said the opening show “was an adequate exposition of Beach Boys music- nothing more and nothing less.” The reviewer felt the BBs were just going through the motions most of the show and “Fared best when they cranked up and rocked out (as on Help Me Rhonda)…. But the oldies were thoroughly celebrative and the Pet Sounds songs retain their evocative air of aching and uncertainty, even if presented without special urgency.” Unfortunately things got ugly on June 8 when a drunk and enraged Dennis attacked Mike on stage. Jon Stebbins, who was there, recounts the story in our book. Dennis was suspended from the band and things were never really the same again.
June 2 1980 the BBs, with Dennis back in the band, played the opening date of their European tour. The concert in Oslo was their first in Norway. Norwegian journalist Lars Keilhau reported, “it was not their best performance, but being the first date of the European tour, it was not to be expected.” The next day the BBs revisited Grona Lund Amusement Park, where they’d last played in 1967. The reviewer was mainly interested in Brian and noted, “Brian mostly sat there smoking, half asleep in his own world instead of playing the piano. At times he played along in the wrong key and sometimes even the wrong song. His brothers tried with no success to wake him up with noise and shouts. It’s a disgrace both to the audience and Brian himself to drag him along on tours as long as he is obviously ill.” The following night they played outdoors at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and then headed to England to play two nights at Wembley Arena, which were witnessed by one Andrew Doe, who, after noting that the crowd was mainly fixated on Brian, noted, “It was a great joy to see Dennis. Even more so as he was evidently enjoying himself, looking a little wasted but happy. Carl, considering he was suffering from a nasty dose of food poisoning, was nevertheless congenial Carl. Bruce was nicely unobtrusive. Al was Al; Mike was Mike, though slightly subdued on the first night.” The group then headed to Paris for a concert and then to The Hague in Holland for one more show. I have heard conflicting reports as to whether they hung out in Europe or flew back to the States between that show and Knebworth.
June 1 1981-The Carl-less BBs played in Providence. This was probably the nadir of the original BBs-under rehearsed and really missing Carl. Brian just wasn’t in the vocal or physical shape required to carry the load-but was forced to contribute more. The reviewer noted, “Brian Wilson put the sun behind the clouds with his incredibly hackneyed, atonal vocals on Don’t Worry Baby. Brian’s vocals remained well out of tune, even for him, the rest of the night, except when the malaise was briefly interrupted in Surfin USA late in the show.” The review of the Rochester show the next night wasn’t any better: “Those famous and intricate Beach Boy harmonies were missed more than they were made and some of the lead vocals were thin or downright flat.” The BBs then played a four-day residency at Westbury Music Fair. As I noted in my book, British guitarist Adrian Baker sat in with them for the first time. A big BBs fan, he recorded a medley called “Beach Boys Gold” with his band Gidea Park. DJ Roger Scott of Capitol Radio interviewed the BBs that spring and played them a “Happy Birthday Brian Wilson” recording Baker made. The group was impressed and invited him onstage at Westbury.
June 2-12 1982-The BBs were on tour with only one Wilson (Carl) on the tour. Malcolm Jones of the Greensboro Daily News summed up this tour pretty well: “It was lovely to hear such beautiful songs as ‘God Only Knows’ done with deep and impressive sincerity. It was downright fun to hear just plain excellent rock and roll in such songs as ‘Do It Again.’…But still, the medleys of old hits came and went a little quick for my taste-if a song is worth doing, it’s worth doing with relish. Too many tunes got no more than a tip of the hat.”
June 1983-The BBs were again on tour-this time with 2 or even 3 Wilsons sometimes present. They were certainly all there together for a show at RFK Stadium on June 12. The reviewer noted, “A healthier, livelier Brian Wilson...contributed more to the show than he had in the past. Drummer Dennis Wilson gave the music a kick it had been lacking. Carl Wilson led the tightly packed harmony vocals, which once again sounded well rehearsed and accordingly gorgeous.” Then there was a visit to the White House-making up for the famous James Watt debacle. President Reagan thanked the band for coming and then made fun of the fact that their appearance on the Mall had been canceled by quipping, "We were looking forward to seeing them on the 4th of July. I'm glad they got here earlier."
Think I’ll stop there.
June 1 1964 two singles produced by BW were released to little response: The Gary Usher single “Sacramento” and the Sharon Marie single “Thinkin’ About You Baby.” June 12 1964 the BBs played at a Hawthorne HS Senior Breakfast before flying to Utah to play two nights at the Lagoon. I am always on the lookout for pics of the BBs at the Lagoon-you’d think that some would surface as the BBs played there every year between 1963 and 1970 (except 1967) and sometimes multiple times. But I’ve never seen one and the Utah papers never reviewed a single one of those shows.
June 1 1965 Brian held a session for “Summer Means New Love”. Three days later vocals were recorded for California Girls and Let Him Run Wild. On June 7 the classic BW produced Glen Campbell single “Guess I’m Dumb” was released. This song deserved better acclaim but went nowhere. A BW demo of this would be a major find-but probably doesn’t exist. June 2 1966 the BBs worked on “Inspiration”, which we now was sections of Good Vibrations. June 7 1966 the BBs appeared in Greenville SC and played for about 4,200 people. The reviewer noted that, “the song that brought the greatest response was Dennis Wilson’s solo ‘Do You Wanna Dance’. Mike Love, sporting a beard and golfer’s cap, did most of the lead singing. One number done in his best style was ‘Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow.’” The next night they played in Knoxville and then headed to NYC, where they appeared at Yankee Stadium on June 10 with a great bill-Ray Charles, the Byrds, Stevie Wonder and other big acts. Incredibly, there was only on a small turnout. The tour ended the next night in New Haven.
June 3 1967 the Smiley Smile sessions officially began, minus Bruce who was still in Europe and absented himself even on his return. In the next two weeks sessions were held for Vegetables, With Me Tonight, Cool-Cool Water, Heroes and Villains and Good News. The following June 1968 found the BBs back in the studio-recording music that we’ve recently had the good fortune to hear-including Well You Knew I Knew, Ol’ Man River, Do It Again and Sail Plane Song.
June 2 1969-While on tour in the Netherlands, the BBs taped the Raiders and Beach Boys TV Show in Amsterdam-footage of this is on Youtube. The BBs mimed to Good Vibrations, Breakaway, I Can Hear Music and Cotton Fields They then played in Brussels on June 3 (I am still searching for more info on this show) and taped their first appearance on the German TV show Beat Club in Bremen on June 4. They mimed to Breakaway and Surfin USA with Mike in his Maharishi robes. The BBs then returned to the UK to play dates in Birmingham and Liverpool. Valerie Mabb of Record Mirror attended the Birmingham show and reported, “The boys opened their set with ‘In My Room’ and after making light-hearted quips about their financial status they continued with ‘I Get Around,’ ‘Sloop John B,’ and ‘Do It Again,’ which displayed incredibly well balanced and perfectly re-produced harmonies. One of the highlights of the group’s act was their current release ‘Breakaway’ which must renew every fan’s faith in the Beach Boys’ musical talent.”
The now infamous Jimmy Saville accompanied them to Leeds Nursing home to play a special show there on June 8, 1968 prior to their evening gig in Manchester. They were in Glasgow on June 9 and then back to Germany to appear in Frankfurt on June 13. While the Glasgow Evening Times couldn’t be bothered to send a reporter to the gig-they did report that while a cocktail fete was being held for the BBs at their hotel, some gents took the opportunity to rob the hotel of £300!
June 3 1971 the BBs were working on the Surf’s Up LP and a session was held for Bruce’s Disney Girls. June 3 1972 the BBs played the famous show at the Crystal Palace, which was televised as Good Vibrations from London, on NBC TV in the U.S. Also on the bill were David Blue, Joe Cocker, Melanie, Richie Havens and Sha-Na-Na. An inebriated Keith Moon, who came onstage during the BBs set, acted as Compere. The TV special showed the BBs performing ‘Do It Again’, ‘Wild Honey’, and ‘Help Me Rhonda.’ During the latter number, Elton John played piano. The acts performed a full rehearsal on June 2, which was apparently wonderful. If you’ve seen the show you know that the actual taping was marred by near constant rain. The BBs weren’t happy with their performance but I think it was pretty good! Blondie’s Wild Honey is great to have captured on film. The BBs then headed to Holland to settle in there and start recording. But on June 7 they taped the Eddie Ready Go TV Show.
June 4 1973 Murray died in Los Angeles. Neither Dennis nor Brian attended the funeral but Brian did fly to NY with Dianne Rovell to promote American Spring’s single “Shyin Away”. Pete Fornatelle interviewed him on WNEW. He was really trying to get Spring some airplay and said “I’ll eat my hat, if I had a hat, if that record doesn’t get some action.” Asked if he was working, he said no “not lately, I’ve been promoting more then working. I’m not really a promotion man but I mean promoting-trying to get something happening with these records…It’s so hard for new artists to get going.” He downplayed the BBs. When Fornatelle asked if he was excited about how well the BBs were being received by audiences, Brian threw cold water on it: “Our Beach Boys records aren’t moving like they used to and so this is why I’ve gone to Spring. I’ve tried something new. Because I feel that there is a new kind of thing happening with Spring. My wife sings great I think, Marilyn.” Asked why he wasn’t as involved in the BBs he said, “To try to get into something new so that the guys can carry the ball for awhile. I want to see a new project bust open. I want to see new artists make it.” Brian seemed to be suggesting that he was done with the BBs so Dianne was quick to cover for him and say that he was still involved with the group.
June 8 1974 the BBs appeared on the Day on the Green in Oakland with the Dead, Commander Cody and the New Riders of the Purple Sage. A nice color photo by Ed Roach is in my book. The BBs were second billed and were forty-five minutes late coming out. I discuss in the book that Bill Graham was furious! Pete Cowan of the Oakland Tribune reported, “Love and Carl Wilson did most of the lead vocals, with Al Jardine and Dennis Wilson helping out on backup. No longer the group’s drummer, Dennis played keyboards at times. For an encore they did ‘California Girls’ and ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ which seemed to be their motto from the start.” Two days later the BBs held a session for Ding/Dang, which would show up on Love You of course.
June 1-5 and 7, 1975 the Beachago Tour played six nights in Chicago. The Tribune reporter argued that, “the Beach Boys opening set had an energy about it that Chicago’s never quite achieved.” The only negative note was that Dennis “seemed to have opted mainly for Tequila and plenty of it before and during the show. His occasional vocal solo numbers had a sort of stupor about them reminiscent of Dean Martin.” The big finale included both groups jamming on Wishing You Were Here, Saturday In The Park, California Girls, Fun-Fun-Fun and Feeling Stronger Every Day.
June 3 1977 the BBs held a session for Shortening Bread, which of course ended up on LA Light in 1979. June 2 1978 Mike was on a tour with Celebration and appeared at Ford Field in Dearborn, MI. They played Great America in Chicago the next night and then were in Cleveland on June 4. The reviewer noted that, “Fans were up on their feet, dancing in the aisles for 409, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down, Fun, Fun, Fun, Surfin USA and Barbara Ann.” In an interview Mike was very high on the still unreleased MIU, which was then called Winds of Change, he said it was “the best since Pet Sounds”.
June 4-10 1979 the BBs played Universal Amphitheater in LA. The LA Times said the opening show “was an adequate exposition of Beach Boys music- nothing more and nothing less.” The reviewer felt the BBs were just going through the motions most of the show and “Fared best when they cranked up and rocked out (as on Help Me Rhonda)…. But the oldies were thoroughly celebrative and the Pet Sounds songs retain their evocative air of aching and uncertainty, even if presented without special urgency.” Unfortunately things got ugly on June 8 when a drunk and enraged Dennis attacked Mike on stage. Jon Stebbins, who was there, recounts the story in our book. Dennis was suspended from the band and things were never really the same again.
June 2 1980 the BBs, with Dennis back in the band, played the opening date of their European tour. The concert in Oslo was their first in Norway. Norwegian journalist Lars Keilhau reported, “it was not their best performance, but being the first date of the European tour, it was not to be expected.” The next day the BBs revisited Grona Lund Amusement Park, where they’d last played in 1967. The reviewer was mainly interested in Brian and noted, “Brian mostly sat there smoking, half asleep in his own world instead of playing the piano. At times he played along in the wrong key and sometimes even the wrong song. His brothers tried with no success to wake him up with noise and shouts. It’s a disgrace both to the audience and Brian himself to drag him along on tours as long as he is obviously ill.” The following night they played outdoors at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and then headed to England to play two nights at Wembley Arena, which were witnessed by one Andrew Doe, who, after noting that the crowd was mainly fixated on Brian, noted, “It was a great joy to see Dennis. Even more so as he was evidently enjoying himself, looking a little wasted but happy. Carl, considering he was suffering from a nasty dose of food poisoning, was nevertheless congenial Carl. Bruce was nicely unobtrusive. Al was Al; Mike was Mike, though slightly subdued on the first night.” The group then headed to Paris for a concert and then to The Hague in Holland for one more show. I have heard conflicting reports as to whether they hung out in Europe or flew back to the States between that show and Knebworth.
June 1 1981-The Carl-less BBs played in Providence. This was probably the nadir of the original BBs-under rehearsed and really missing Carl. Brian just wasn’t in the vocal or physical shape required to carry the load-but was forced to contribute more. The reviewer noted, “Brian Wilson put the sun behind the clouds with his incredibly hackneyed, atonal vocals on Don’t Worry Baby. Brian’s vocals remained well out of tune, even for him, the rest of the night, except when the malaise was briefly interrupted in Surfin USA late in the show.” The review of the Rochester show the next night wasn’t any better: “Those famous and intricate Beach Boy harmonies were missed more than they were made and some of the lead vocals were thin or downright flat.” The BBs then played a four-day residency at Westbury Music Fair. As I noted in my book, British guitarist Adrian Baker sat in with them for the first time. A big BBs fan, he recorded a medley called “Beach Boys Gold” with his band Gidea Park. DJ Roger Scott of Capitol Radio interviewed the BBs that spring and played them a “Happy Birthday Brian Wilson” recording Baker made. The group was impressed and invited him onstage at Westbury.
June 2-12 1982-The BBs were on tour with only one Wilson (Carl) on the tour. Malcolm Jones of the Greensboro Daily News summed up this tour pretty well: “It was lovely to hear such beautiful songs as ‘God Only Knows’ done with deep and impressive sincerity. It was downright fun to hear just plain excellent rock and roll in such songs as ‘Do It Again.’…But still, the medleys of old hits came and went a little quick for my taste-if a song is worth doing, it’s worth doing with relish. Too many tunes got no more than a tip of the hat.”
June 1983-The BBs were again on tour-this time with 2 or even 3 Wilsons sometimes present. They were certainly all there together for a show at RFK Stadium on June 12. The reviewer noted, “A healthier, livelier Brian Wilson...contributed more to the show than he had in the past. Drummer Dennis Wilson gave the music a kick it had been lacking. Carl Wilson led the tightly packed harmony vocals, which once again sounded well rehearsed and accordingly gorgeous.” Then there was a visit to the White House-making up for the famous James Watt debacle. President Reagan thanked the band for coming and then made fun of the fact that their appearance on the Mall had been canceled by quipping, "We were looking forward to seeing them on the 4th of July. I'm glad they got here earlier."
Think I’ll stop there.
