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2012-04-30 13:26:31

Dr. Demento Meets the Beach Boys

New to the streaming shows at www.drdemento.com is an unreleased hour-long interview with the Beach Boys, which I conducted in July 1973 while working for Warner Bros. Records (my day job for most of the 1970s). This was a few months after the release of the Beach Boys' "Holland" album.

This is not a comedy program. Instead I'm in my earlier persona as a rock 'n roll historian and commentator, which is how I was known before the Dr. Demento Show really took off (which was just about to happen at the time of this interview; the show went national eleven months later).

In the 1970s, Warner Bros. periodically produced hour-long radio specials, each one presenting a conversation with a Warner Bros. artist and tracks from their albums. This was intended to be part of that series. (Many of them were pressed up on LP's with red labels, which sometimes show up on eBay). For reasons unknown, this one was never released. A tape copy of the interview has survived, however, along with notes showing which songs were to be inserted and where.

Our official historian/archivist Jeff Morris has reconstructed the program, and we're happy to make it available for the first time anywhere.

The interview features Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, and Ricky Fataar. (Fataar was only with the group for a short time, so this is a rare opportunity to hear him).

The Beach Boys discuss the origins of the group, "Pet Sounds" and their other great albums, and the unresolved status of Brian Wilson, who had ceased performing with the group but was still considered a member. They talk about their decision to relocate back to the USA after "Holland," the new studios they were building, the live album they were working on (which would be released at the end of the year,) and their individual projects. Mike Love describes a song he was working on, quoting some of the lyrics (as it turned out the song was never released). There's also a discussion of the "Smile" album in which the group categorically denies the story, widely believed at the time, that Brian Wilson had destroyed the master tapes. That would undoubtedly have made some news if the interview had been broadcast in 1973.

After the hour-long finished program, you can hear some more very interesting conversation that was trimmed from the original interview due to time limitations. The Beach Boys discuss artists they've worked with. Among them are Daryl Dragon and Toni (Shears) Tennille, who would become well known a couple of years later as The Captain and Tennille. Also discussed are such things as the making of the Beach Boys Party album, the group's work with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and advanced stereophonic recording techniques.

Previous Replies:
2012-04-30 18:13:19 From: Kevin J Beach Boys and such Here goes the Doctor again, educating us, watch out! Thanks for Being PhD. Demento!