THE BEACH BOYS LOST CONCERT COMPLETELY RESTORED WITH THE BEATLES FIRST AMERICAN CONCERT CLOSED CIRCUIT BROADCAST

THE BEACH BOYS LOST CONCERT COMPLETELY RESTORED WITH THE BEATLES FIRST AMERICAN CONCERT CLOSED CIRCUIT BROADCAST

In an Endless Summer Quarterly exclusive, Alan Boyd, director of the documentary Endless Harmony: The Beach Boys Story, provided ESQ with the news of the premiere of The Beatles First American Concert Closed Circuit Broadcast Featuring The Beach Boys and Lesley Gore.  The film also includes the original Roger Christian introduction of The Beach Boys and Gore.

DJ Roger Christian introducing The Beach Boys

The film will make its debut at 7:30pm at The American Cinematheque Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028 on February 11, 2011.


The phenomenon known as “Beatlemania” arrived on American shores from Great Britain when the Beatles landed at New York’s Kennedy airport for their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, February 9th, 1964.  On February 11th, the group performed their first American concert at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C.  This historic event was videotaped for a national closed circuit theatre audience, and packaged with pre-taped live sets by the Beach Boys and Lesley Gore for a 90-minute big screen spectacular.


This historic presentation, straight from the original broadcast master two-inch quad videotapes, has been unseen in its entirety since March 1964. Host Domenic Priore (author of Riot on Sunset Strip: Rock ’n’ Roll’s Last Stand in Hollywood) will be joined by rock ’n’ roll visual archivist Ron Furmanek and Boyd in bringing this unique program back to the big screen again after 47 years, the way it was intended to be.

The performance captured at this event is the longest set that would ever be filmed of the Beatles in concert, and easily transmits far more raw energy and attitude than would be present at later Shea Stadium, Australia, Japan or Germany tapings.  John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all seem to be on stun from the attention and thrill of taking America by storm and becoming the entertainment phenomenon of the century.  The recently-discovered master video tapes of this performance are a vast improvement over the fuzzy kinescopes that were a favorite of the underground movie house circuit during the ’70s; in those, the encore of “Twist and Shout” was cut off at the middle, and, the closing rave-up “Long Tall Sally” has not been screened anywhere since 1964.  The entire performance is presented here in stunning, first-generation picture quality.

The Beatles

The Beach Boys and Lesley Gore

The Beach Boys and Lesley Gore segments were videotaped at the NBC Television Studios in Burbank, California (the same studio that later hosted Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special, Laugh-In and the Johnny Carson shows).  The sound quality on these segments is a perfect reproduction, and showcases The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine and Mike Love) in their performance prime.

This will be the first time the ENTIRE production has been seen in full since the two days it was screened as a nationwide closed-circuit theater event (the same system more commonly used for live sporting events).  Nowhere will you be able to see The Beatles in a more riveting, rock-solid performance, with the audio and video quality clear as a bell, blasting through theater speakers on The Egyptian Theater's giant screen. Our test screenings left us bedazzled, feeling as though we had just seen The Beatles in person... it’s that good.

Hosts Domenic Priore, Ron Furmanek and Alan Boyd will be joined by special guests TBA.

Rockin’ The Mistletoe — Various Artists

Review By David M. Beard

When November and December roll around we reach for our favorite holiday music CD.  Usually it’s a collection by one group or a compilation collecting the very best the season has to offer.  Rockin’ The Mistletoe does the latter in fine order, but its challenge is that it is a collection of relative unknown recordings and recording artists.  For this reviewer it is always a welcome surprise when a new release captures the nuances of the season and this compilation draws the listener in fine yuletide fashion.

Brian Wilson’s lyrical collaborator Scott Bennett continues to impress on his own and his “Getting Ready For Christmas” is reason enough to pick up this collection with its McCartneyesque rolling piano. Stockholm Strings’ Van Dyke Parksian “Christmas Song For My Darling” plucks along perfectly; James Carter Cathcart’s “Christmas Morning” is the very thing that Christmas dreams are made of; Rob Bonfilglio’s “Warm, Lovin' Christmastime” is engaging and Taylor Mills’ “New Year’s Eve” is stunning.

Rockin’ The Mistletoe’s strongest attribute is that the variety of music captures all the quirkiness, sentimentality, love, hope and joy that the holiday season encompasses.  Pick it up today!

Wilson Phillips — Exclusive interview with Carnie Wilson

Christmas In Harmony

Sony Masterworks

With the release of Wilson Phillips’ Christmas in Harmony CD Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips have returned to their original pop form. Carnie Wilson took time out of her busy schedule to discuss the new release.

          

David Beard: What inspired this release?

Carnie Wilson: Christmas in Harmony came about when Sony Masterworks called us wanting a Christmas CD.  The three of us were actually talking about recording a Christmas CD at my home for this year anyway.  Funny it worked out like that.  It's great have a major label behind us!!  We're grateful.

DB: What are your favorite Christmas memories?

CW: My favorite Christmas memories have always been the same thing: the classic Christmas songs by The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand and the feeling that all those songs evoke during the holidays.  I love the families getting together and opening presents and eating the amazing food!!!!!  Now, with our children in our lives... Christmas is at a WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF LOVE AND APPRECIATION!!!!!

DB: What do you hope the listener feels form this new release?

CW: I hope the listener feels great and can sing along as they listen to our renditions.  I hope they listen to it year after year and decorate a tree, cook some food, sit with loved ones and just appreciate being alive and together.  It's like a gift to them!!

DB: What is the highlight on the new Christmas album for you? 

CW: I really love every song and each one has a special meaning to me, but the highlight of our CD would have to be my Dad's [Brian Wilson] song “Our Prayer” and my husband's [Rob Bonfiglio] song “Warm Lovin' Christmastime.” [*Note: Bonfiglio performs his renditiontrack also appears on SideB Music’s new holiday compilation Rockin’ The Mistletoe.]  “Our Prayer” is bone chilling and probably the most beautiful vocal piece I have ever heard in my life.  I have listened to it since I was a little girl.  It truly takes my breath away.  Dad told me he thought it was "better than the Beach Boys". I laughed and said, “No Dad, it's  just OUR version.”  He then told me that Bach inspired him to write that. I almost wet my pants!!!! I am his daughter, but I am a fan too. He blows my mind.  Rob's song is my favorite mix on the record.  Catchy, spirited and just has a great feeling.  He's so talented.  I'm so happy we recorded it!!!

DB: Whose decision was it to record "Our Prayer" for this collection?

CW: The funny thing is I can't remember if it was Wendy's or my idea to record Our Prayer! I didn't have the faintest idea of how we were gonna tackle those parts (other than Dad doing it with us). Dad was on the road when we were in the studio  and I asked  my husband Rob to figure out the parts and help give us direction. He studied it for literally 10 minutes in his studio and put scratch vocals of the entire song. He then made a click track for the specific changing of tempos himself and guided us in the studio, giving us our parts. It was the single most challenging thing I have ever had to sing. The vocals were so intricate, and I had to sing the BASS notes. I must say I am very proud of myself. I don't know how I got that low... angels were there with me. Maybe Carl. XOXO

DB: What can fans anticipate from Wilson Phillips in 2011?

CW: Wendy, Chynna and I are committed to recording more records forever!!! We are touring as well. It's just a balancing act for us all between our 9 children!!!!! More to Come in 2011.... definitely touring dates in the USA and possibly overseas. Our next CD?  Well.... we might be starting a new album with our magnificent producer Glen Ballard in January.  We got the bug with him BIG TIME after reuniting for this Christmas CD!!!!

DB: Are there any guest vocal appearances on this collection?

CW: There are no guest vocal appearances on this CD.... just the three of us.  Maybe the next one!!!  Thank you to our fans, for always listening and buying our records. We do it for you!!!!!

The collection is also available digitally via iTunes and Amazon.com

The Malibooz — Queens' English

By David M. Beard

The new 14-track collection Queens’ English encompasses all the variety of 1960s British Pop with an array of guest stars to sweeten the listening experience. Joining the group are Spencer Davis, Chad (Stuart) & Jeremy (Clyde), David Carr (The Fortunes, The Ventures), Tony Hicks (The Hollies), The Quarrymen, Richard Moore (The Troggs), Mark Griffiths (The Shadows), Nokie Edwards (The Ventures), Ian Whitcomb and Andrew Loog Oldham.

All told, the hybrid of influential sounds here range from The Byrds, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Boyce & Hart, The Archies and The Clash.

Standout tracks include: “Hey Love,” “London Underground” (sounding like a stepchild to Paul McCartney’s  “Don’t Let It Bring You Down”), “It’s A Bit of Awright,” the Beatles-like “Bitter Grey” (a “Strawberry Fields”/“Penny Lane”/“Flying” mash-up), “Dit Dididit,” “Do” and the melodic “Good Tonight” that fill out the collection with pure pop enjoyment.

The closing track, a surf instrumental titled, “Venture Into the Shadows,” is a nod to The Ventures’ Nokie Edwards and The Shadows’ Mark Griffiths, who share the guitar spotlight on the recording. Queens’ English is a strong tribute to the ’60s British Invasion, and yet another notch in The Malibooz’ eclectic musical belt.

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin

By David M. Beard

There was 2004’s majestic Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, then 2008’s colorful That Lucky Old Sun – both evocative collections in Wilson’s catalogue. Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin is an album that is something else altogether; in touching Gershwin’s venerable catalogue, Wilson has taken his own unique approach to composing and has actually made Gershwin his own. The result? Wilson’s career-defining best.  

In addition to his role in the band as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Paul Von Mertens assisted Wilson with song selection as well as arrangements and orchestrations. When I asked Mertens about the album, he submitted, “Many of these songs are so familiar that they’ve been played beyond the point of boredom. They’ve been played into the ground and sort of lost their spark. I’ll give you one example: ‘Summertime’; almost nobody sings the melody correctly the way it was originally written. They take away some of the interesting chromaticism that’s in the melody that Gershwin wrote and turn it into a Blues song. What Brian did was – with almost all these songs – return faithfully to the original melody, which is kind of a big deal because a lot of people have been singing and playing these songs incorrectly and the casual (loungy) versions of these songs have become the norm. Hearing the songs done correctly is kind of a revelation. I know that it sounds like good music done well. It’s Brian and Gershwin done with a lot of care.”

The attention to detail in the arrangements of “Summertime,” “Our Love Is Here To Stay” and “I Loves You Porgy” (sung from the original female perspective), and the wonderfully unexpected adaptations of “’S Wonderful,” “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’,” “I Got Rhythm” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” make Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin a brilliant assemblage of fully realized songs that are as good as anything available in music today. When asked about his reimagining of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” Brian said, “Well, ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ was like (begins scat singing) – I took it from ‘Little Deuce Coupe.’  I wanted it to have that ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ kind of Beach Boy feeling.”

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the song selection is the full realization of two previously incomplete Gershwin recordings, “The Like in I Love You” and “Nothing But Love.” The Gershwin Estate had someone take all this music that was in written form and record very basic piano performances of the songs, so Brian listened to solo piano recordings that were just realizations of the chords and melody of the fragments. Band member Scott Bennett returned to the role of lyricist (That Lucky Old Sun) on the two songs, but the two tracks came together very differently. Mertens explains, “For ‘The Like in I Love You’ I used a piano improvisation that I recorded while Brian was noodling around after soundcheck on the piano. I was kind of following him around while we were on tour with his knowledge and permission, because he liked to play piano after dinner (and before the gig) up on the stage. I said, ‘Would it be okay if I just record some of the stuff that you do, and if you have any Gershwinny [sic] ideas we’ll take ’em down?’ Brian said, ‘Okay.’ That vocal intro is something that he was playing on the piano and I transcribed it and suggested that it might make a good intro for this Gershwin song that he chose; it was in the key of E-flat. I wrote a chart for the Gershwin song with just the chord changes, the band recorded a basic rhythm track and then Brian sang a new melody for it. We tracked the parts that Brian liked and then he created a new melody for it.”

“Nothing But Love” was also from a piano rendition, but went through a different process. Mertens expains, “That was one of the songs that Brian had selected based on the solo piano version of it. Darian (Sahanaja) recorded a waltz-time version instrumental demo of that song and had Brian listen to it and we recorded it. Brian created a new melody in Darian’s waltz-time version of it and somehow it was just not making it and Brian started to feel strongly that the fact that it was a waltz was getting in the way for him. He said, ‘I don’t do waltzes… It’s not workin’.’ We had a lovely song so we decided to: 1) lower the key, and take it down a step; 2) If it’s hard to sing in three let’s just rock it. ‘Nothing But Love’ was really the only song that didn’t come to life almost instantly. It wasn’t until we did it as a rock song that suddenly everyone’s eyes lit up and we were like… ‘Okay, this is gonna work!’”

Of the 14-track album Wilson says, “If you take it one by one, each song has a different personality and a different texture and different rhythm, and different sound. And each lead, how you have to handle the lead, the way you really feel it – and the way you think George would have liked to have heard it… I squared it away until it sounded like Brian Wilson and Gershwin together.”

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin brings together the sounds of The Beach Boys, George and Ira Gershwin, Jazz, R&B – all the great music that came out of Tin Pan Alley.  This collection is for the fan, but it’s also for the uninitiated. There is something for everyone to appreciate… including Brian Wilson.  For under the “Special Thanks” in the album’s liner notes Wilson wrote: To George and Ira Gershwin for creating music that inspired a young boy from Hawthorne, California to follow a dream. It's one thing to touch something. Brian has a firm grasp of his dream. 

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