[Rhodes22-list] The Beach Boys

[Steve Alm]

Rummy,

The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean were practically the same band.  They all
worked together on many projects.  Ex:  "Barbara Ann" is thought of as a BB
song but that's Jan Berry singing the original opening:  "Ba, Ba, Ba,...Ba
Ba-bar Ann..."   Can you listen to Surfer Girl, Little GTO or Good
Vibrations and NOT feel like you're sixteen and just got your license,
cruising Main Street in your '65 Mustang with your girlfriend?  Ain't that
what's it's all about?  C'mon now, let's give Surfer Girl another listen:
http://home.mn.rr.com/almhome/Surfergirl.mp3

Truthfully, I used to think of the BB as fluffy bubblegum stuff until I was
in this 5-pc. show band that did a lot of 4 and 5 part harmony.  We worked
up a big BB segment and I was stunned at how hard it was to sing those
parts.  Those boys were very well-schooled in formal, classic harmony, and
that was quite evident when we dug in and tried to learn their material note
for note.  I found renewed respect!  The vocal lines are blended so well
that it's hard to tell them apart.  By comparison, we put together the
entire Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, and pulled it off pretty well, but we
couldn't touch Good Vibrations.

By the time Brian Wilson became all messed up on drugs and various psych
problems, his cousin Dennis would come to him with a bag of hamburgers and
say, "Brian, do you want a hamburger?"  And Brian would mumble, "Uh huh."
Then Dennis would say, "Then write a song and you can have one."  After
Brian wrote a song, Dennis would say, "Brian, do you want another
hamburger?" ...  8-)  True story, or so I'm told.  Brian Wilson is
certifiably nuts and also a certifiable genius and IMO a national treasure.

I have tons of stories about these guys because we did numerous gigs with
both BB and J & D back when I was on the "nostalgia circuit." playing either
before or after them at those big outdoor fairs and festivals multi-band
venues.  Never played with the Four Tops (love 'em) but we played venues
with Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Turtles, Three Dog Night, Gary Puckett
and the Union Gap, The Association, Herman's Hermits, Freddy Cannon, Fats
Domino, The Buckinghams, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Mary Wilson, The
Imperials, The Dixie Cups, The Shirells, Mitch Rider, .......... 8-)

Slim Chance And The Gamblers  AKA  Cool Duty   8-)



On 1/27/05 4:46 PM, "R22RumRunner at aol.com" <R22RumRunner at aol.com> wrote:

> Beach boys. Sliimmy, they were bad when they were current and even worse
> now. Jan & Dean were the best. I also liked the four tops. :)
> Speaking of sunny weather. It looks like winter is going to deposit a ton  of
> ice on us Saturday, so if I'm away from the list for a while, it ain't
> because I'm out sailing. But, I've never tried it in an ice storm. How much
> rum  
> would it take to get me to go out sailing in an ice storm? Good question.
> Hmmm,  
> gonna have to think on that one for a while. What could happen?
> 
> Rummy
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