This was that magical time between the years of about 1969-73 when the Beach Boys captured the college/hippy and even underground audience at that time. The 1974 super success of the endless summer album essentially put an end to the progressive/relevant Beach Boys.
Blondie Chaplain - the only guy who can take a song Carl originally sang on and make it his own - I love this performance - this was the Beach Boys most amazing live period and what they did in the studio is just as magical!
This was a summer TV special early 70's, called "Good Vibrations from London". There is another TV summer special called "Good Vibrations from Central Park" the year before Blondie & Ricky joined the band. Yeah Dennis hurt his hand, Ricky Fattar was the main drummer.
I was at the concert this is recorded from... June 3rd 1972 Crystal Palace Garden Party. Keith Moon compered and the bill also featured Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, Melanie and Sha Na Na (not a bad lineup for £1.25 ticket). Elton joined the Beach Boys on piano for a few songs, and I remember him dancing a knees-up with Moon and the BBs.
I know people who consider their post-Top 40's material (Endless Summer, etc.) to be their mowst artistic efforts. Certainly the band evolved. They couldn't conitnue to do 'Sisie Cheerleader' songs forever. AS for me, I really LOVE about 99% of ALL their stuff.
@vrkurosawa Love You from 1977 was pretty different, I would consider it the only exception to the downward trend caused by the Endless Summer compilation in 1974...
The whole greatest hit packages (Endless Summer, Spirit of America) took the wind out of the updated sound that Carl was trying with Blondie and Ricky. Can't really hate or blame Mike. I mean, classic fans were wanting the classic stuff and Mike was willing to give it to him, but I think if the group would have pushed on with the So Tough and Holland-like material, I think fans would have been won over. I appreciate your thoughts Peterp21
@alexandertarangerkin Let me add one last point. I think in the 70s Brian became an albatross around the band's neck. On the one hand, they needed him for the record execs to be happy, since the contracts always seemed to demand Brian produce and/or write at least x% of the songs. On the other hand, BW was in no condition to be in the studio but because they needed him (and also wanted to appease him) they put out anything he produced, without any sort of filter.
Mike actually having to work for his cut here instead of standing around like an asshat. I love it. Too bad they boys didn't continue with this more rock-orientated direction. This was the last BB lineup that was trying to do something new IMO. The rest of the 70's was an erratic mess although the late shows with Brian from Knebworth were better.
@catney11 She is right at the beginning, just after Elton sticks his face into the camera. She is on Elton's left and then ducks behind him and walks toward John. :)
I agree. I think the lineup with Blondie Chaplin and Rikki Fataar gave the band a fresh approach (although it didn't show on the charts here in the US, but did overseas). Unfortunately, Mike balked and insisted they should keep doing the old stuff. The label putting out the greatest hits packages over the newer material didn't help. What might have been
Endless Summer, & Spirit of America were issued by Capital in '74 & '75. At that time, the Beach Boys were on Warner/Reprise since 1970. This was Capital doing what Capital did a lot of back in the 70's, constant repackages and reissues of their library. The result snuck up on the band (if I'm not mistaken, the band didn't even know it was coming out, and Capital rushed it to market so fast that they did not include the 45 hit version of Help Me Rhonda (it's the slower album version) with a greatest hits double album package going to No 1. Soon, the clamor for the oldies drowned out the new stuff. That's why the whole "Brian is Back" campaign started. They needed the creator of all that great music back creating. Unfortunately, none of what those albums, from 15 Big Ones, to 1985's The Beach Boys, did much to keep them a relevant band. Yes, they had hits with Rock and Roll Music, It's OK, and a minor hit with Good Timin', but other than Kokomo in '88, nothing was getting played.
Ricky Fataar on Drums, with Dennis Dragon on percussion. Yes Dennis had severed a tendon in his wrist making it impossible to play drums. Ed Carter on Lead Guitar, Carl on Keyboards, Daryl Dragon on organ and I think I saw a glimpse of Toni Tennile in there as well. I know she was at this concert singing back up. The Boys made Elton John look like an amateur during this concert.
yes that is dennis at 2;07, he had shorter hair in the early to mid 1970s. and you mean darryl dragon the keyboardist/pianist who is seen briefly at 1:53. the guy with the dreads is someone completely different, whose name i dont know
@gittahfiend That's when they were Beach Boys. Before they joined The Beach Boys, they weren't very well-known. Flame only had one album out and it wasn't a hit. Nothing wrong with that, everyone is obscure before they get their break. Blondie and Ricky's break was joining The Beach Boys "Sail On Sailor" wasn't their last hit, though. Even if you ignore "Rock and Roll Music" as a cover and "Kokomo" for some reason, "Good Timing" and "Getcha Back" still charted higher.
I think Mike is just a good performer. I just saw them live and he put on a great show. He started "Be True to Your School" by holding the first note and going down on one knee. Al and David then helped him up and they played some creaking metal noises. They then kicked into the song.
Pretty sure it's Dennis Dragon on drums (Daryl's brother), but it definitely isn't Dennis Wilson. DW couldn't play drums at that time because of hand injury, but I think you can see him behind Mike at around 2:07=)
Great points! Post-67 but esp. post-73 BW became both a blessing and a curse. The execs wanted BW heavily involved and that probably helped them get better contracts when shopping to new labels. At the same time, BW was not putting out much good material nor in a right state of mind to even allow him to have a final say on band direction. But the BBs had to give him that level of input or piss off the label. So after the double disaster of 15BO and Love You was over and lost.
@Chrisdrumz They were in the band for three albums, co-wrote with the other members (and might have written on their own, I don't remember) and Blondie sang lead on a single. If they had just wanted to enhance their image, they would have gotten someone with a higher profile, rather than making a couple of obscure South African musicians so prominent. The closest comparison I can think of is Gram Parsons, and Chaplin and Fataar were in the BBs longer than Parsons was in The Byrds.
The stage manager was in fact steve love. mike's brother, who had a problem having a black guy in the band and kept hasseling blondie,forcing him to quit.
@alexandertarangerkin I would say Love You hastened that downward trend. In all honesty the comeback wasn't going to last long unless they put out some really good, relevant to the times, hit songs. 15 Big Ones was awful, a bad pseudo retro album. But it charted high due to the publicity. But once that initital wave was over, they had to produce. And they put out Brian's bizarre, schizo-retro Love You. It should have never seen the light of day. It finished them off.
@alexandertarangerkin I will forever stick to my opinion that if Brian Wilson's name wasn't attached to Love You, it would be absolutely shit on, and deservedly so. It might have had a chance at being a good album if they had taken time to work on it, and maybe had Mike or someone else go in and work on the lyrics. As the album stands, it sounds like a demo that they just decided to put out because they needed product. It killed the comeback along with 15BO.
@gittahfiend Oh I didn't know it was Steve Love. If that's true about the African american thing, that's terrible. Blondie was whiter in skin complexion than most people and he was/IS very talented. Adding a black guy was actually a SMART thing too. the group had been dissed for being bubble-gum white boy music for too long Great lead on SOS too
@peterp21 Their comeback was ruined by letting Brian rejoin, Carl should've kept the reins and continued on Holland (and perhaps allowed Brian some songs). Instead they wanted to market 'Brian's Back' but he only wanted to work on oldies, he didnt even produce 15BO which if remixed would prob sound a whole lot better. That is when the Beach Boys started sucking out, it only went to #5 because it was their first studio album after ES. After people heard it they were put off.
@gittahfiend Yeah! They were an important part of the group in that era. And were great musicians, too. But saying Blondie could outsing them all?? Hmmm... maybe you exaggerate just i tiny bit in your quest to prove your point. His and the other guys voices are completely different in style for one thing.
İn my opinion,this was an awful era for The Beach Boys...Al,Carl,Dennis and Mike were standing there as hired musicians and some few men called Chaplin,Faatar etc.were stealing the show under the name The Beach Boys....tragic...Their best era was 60' when they were just five men singing and playing their own instruments....
@BlackMonk66 Yes he and Ricky were,but were they REALLY? It was just a publicity stunt mostly to try to enhance the BB image. If they were so important to the band they would've been there longer than they were.
@Chrisdrumz They WERE important to the band chris.not ony did ricky sub for dennis when he hurt his hand, BUT HE COULD PLAY RINGS AROUND HIM AS WELL.And Blondie could OUTSING THEM ALL.and was a more accomplished writer/ guitarist than al or Carl I really wish you guys would cool the racist shit.
Gotta disagree with the opinion re: the direction change. Don't blame Mike, blame the whole band along with the 50s/60sa nostalgia kick. The band was struggling commercially for a long time and capitalized on the renewed interest. Believe me, the interest was only abot the pre-1967 stuff, the US was not giving a shit about the new stuff. The misfire was 15 Big Ones followed by the disastrous Love You. By 1977 they were even worse off than before.
that is awful,beach boys worst stuff with this kid,& when there singing to,there best days were already behind them at this point,but lets not forget the movie coctail & kokomo lol
This was that magical time between the years of about 1969-73 when the Beach Boys captured the college/hippy and even underground audience at that time.
The 1974 super success of the endless summer album essentially put an end to the progressive/relevant Beach Boys.
Blondie Chaplain - the only guy who can take a song Carl originally sang on and make it his own - I love this performance - this was the Beach Boys most amazing live period and what they did in the studio is just as magical!
Mike really makes this .......wish the world could be like him
Amazing! Elton rocks. The Beach Boys Rock! WOOOAAAAA!!!!
This was a summer TV special early 70's, called "Good Vibrations from London". There is another TV summer special called "Good Vibrations from Central Park" the year before Blondie & Ricky joined the band. Yeah Dennis hurt his hand, Ricky Fattar was the main drummer.
Rare indeed! SO glad Carl sang lead on the album... Looks like Carl on keyboards; Dennis on drums.
{Rare Beach Boys Video Channel - Click BB45s}
I was at the concert this is recorded from... June 3rd 1972 Crystal Palace Garden Party. Keith Moon compered and the bill also featured Joe Cocker, Richie Havens, Melanie and Sha Na Na (not a bad lineup for £1.25 ticket). Elton joined the Beach Boys on piano for a few songs, and I remember him dancing a knees-up with Moon and the BBs.
I was there too. Pissed down all day but it was still great.
Great video! Great vocal by Blondie, too. Thanks for posting.
Interesting seeing the actual Beach Boys being sidemen in their own band.
I know people who consider their post-Top 40's material (Endless Summer, etc.) to be their mowst artistic efforts. Certainly the band evolved. They couldn't conitnue to do 'Sisie Cheerleader' songs forever. AS for me, I really LOVE about 99% of ALL their stuff.
@vrkurosawa
Love You from 1977 was pretty different, I would consider it the only exception to the downward trend caused by the Endless Summer compilation in 1974...
The whole greatest hit packages (Endless Summer, Spirit of America) took the wind out of the updated sound that Carl was trying with Blondie and Ricky. Can't really hate or blame Mike. I mean, classic fans were wanting the classic stuff and Mike was willing to give it to him, but I think if the group would have pushed on with the So Tough and Holland-like material, I think fans would have been won over. I appreciate your thoughts Peterp21
Awesome!! Dennis Dragon on drums!!
i ove the intro!!!!
@alexandertarangerkin Let me add one last point. I think in the 70s Brian became an albatross around the band's neck. On the one hand, they needed him for the record execs to be happy, since the contracts always seemed to demand Brian produce and/or write at least x% of the songs. On the other hand, BW was in no condition to be in the studio but because they needed him (and also wanted to appease him) they put out anything he produced, without any sort of filter.
Amen, My Carl is the BEST!
My Glove
Mike actually having to work for his cut here instead of standing around like an asshat. I love it. Too bad they boys didn't continue with this more rock-orientated direction. This was the last BB lineup that was trying to do something new IMO. The rest of the 70's was an erratic mess although the late shows with Brian from Knebworth were better.
@catney11
She is right at the beginning, just after Elton sticks his face into the camera. She is on Elton's left and then ducks behind him and walks toward John. :)
I agree. I think the lineup with Blondie Chaplin and Rikki Fataar gave the band a fresh approach (although it didn't show on the charts here in the US, but did overseas). Unfortunately, Mike balked and insisted they should keep doing the old stuff. The label putting out the greatest hits packages over the newer material didn't help. What might have been
Endless Summer, & Spirit of America were issued by Capital in '74 & '75. At that time, the Beach Boys were on Warner/Reprise since 1970. This was Capital doing what Capital did a lot of back in the 70's, constant repackages and reissues of their library. The result snuck up on the band (if I'm not mistaken, the band didn't even know it was coming out, and Capital rushed it to market so fast that they did not include the 45 hit version of Help Me Rhonda (it's the slower album version) with a greatest hits double album package going to No 1. Soon, the clamor for the oldies drowned out the new stuff. That's why the whole "Brian is Back" campaign started. They needed the creator of all that great music back creating. Unfortunately, none of what those albums, from 15 Big Ones, to 1985's The Beach Boys, did much to keep them a relevant band. Yes, they had hits with Rock and Roll Music, It's OK, and a minor hit with Good Timin', but other than Kokomo in '88, nothing was getting played.
Ricky Fataar on Drums, with Dennis Dragon on percussion. Yes Dennis had severed a tendon in his wrist making it impossible to play drums. Ed Carter on Lead Guitar, Carl on Keyboards, Daryl Dragon on organ and I think I saw a glimpse of Toni Tennile in there as well. I know she was at this concert singing back up. The Boys made Elton John look like an amateur during this concert.
weezadam, I don't mean Darryl. I mean Dennis Dragon, his brother. That's the dread man.
no it's either al or mike. brian wasn't touring with them anymore at this point (this is either 72 or 73)
yes that is dennis at 2;07, he had shorter hair in the early to mid 1970s. and you mean darryl dragon the keyboardist/pianist who is seen briefly at 1:53. the guy with the dreads is someone completely different, whose name i dont know
@gittahfiend That's when they were Beach Boys. Before they joined The Beach Boys, they weren't very well-known. Flame only had one album out and it wasn't a hit. Nothing wrong with that, everyone is obscure before they get their break. Blondie and Ricky's break was joining The Beach Boys
"Sail On Sailor" wasn't their last hit, though. Even if you ignore "Rock and Roll Music" as a cover and "Kokomo" for some reason, "Good Timing" and "Getcha Back" still charted higher.
@vrkurosawa
the 'Love You' album is pretty innovative, but in a different way ^^
I read that Blondie had an argument with a stage manager ( ???) a nd quit. ricky stayed on for some time after that.
No, actually,blondie and ricky were MEMBERS of the band at that time
so it was only fair that they got a turn at the mike.
Dennis Dragon (with dreadlocks) and Ricky Fataar both are playing drums. If that's Dennis W. at 2:07, he must've just had a haircut
Dennis Wilson did have short hair for a time in the 70s
I think Mike is just a good performer. I just saw them live and he put on a great show. He started "Be True to Your School" by holding the first note and going down on one knee. Al and David then helped him up and they played some creaking metal noises. They then kicked into the song.
Pretty sure it's Dennis Dragon on drums (Daryl's brother), but it definitely isn't Dennis Wilson. DW couldn't play drums at that time because of hand injury, but I think you can see him behind Mike at around 2:07=)
@whereisyourhouse Dennis was doing percussion
Great points! Post-67 but esp. post-73 BW became both a blessing and a curse. The execs wanted BW heavily involved and that probably helped them get better contracts when shopping to new labels. At the same time, BW was not putting out much good material nor in a right state of mind to even allow him to have a final say on band direction. But the BBs had to give him that level of input or piss off the label. So after the double disaster of 15BO and Love You was over and lost.
@anazgnos I'm pretty sure that IS Dennis on percussion. Not Dennis Wilson, but Dennis Dragon, Daryl's brother. Look him up. Can't mistake that hair.
@bookkeeper57 check out the background vocals on " Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me "
@Chrisdrumz They were in the band for three albums, co-wrote with the other members (and might have written on their own, I don't remember) and Blondie sang lead on a single. If they had just wanted to enhance their image, they would have gotten someone with a higher profile, rather than making a couple of obscure South African musicians so prominent.
The closest comparison I can think of is Gram Parsons, and Chaplin and Fataar were in the BBs longer than Parsons was in The Byrds.
@BeachBoysGuy1
I agree.
The stage manager was in fact steve love.
mike's brother, who had a problem having a black guy in the band and kept hasseling blondie,forcing him to quit.
@Chrisdrumz Blondie Chaplin was an actual Beach Boy during this period.
I think it's Ricky Fataar on drums. :)
@vrkurosawa "having to work for his cut"? puh-leez.
@BlackMonk66 They weren't hardly "obscure"they made the beach boy HAPPEN! and helped give them their last real HIT "sail on sailor"
@anazgnos As i look closer yes you are right.
@abata15 yeah I've been trying to look for those performances from the same concert for a while now. is it up?
@nyrichiek The guy doing percussion behind Blonde isn't Dennis.
@catney11
close. It was John & Yoko.
When the clip first starts is that Lennon in the background?.
@alexandertarangerkin I would say Love You hastened that downward trend. In all honesty the comeback wasn't going to last long unless they put out some really good, relevant to the times, hit songs. 15 Big Ones was awful, a bad pseudo retro album. But it charted high due to the publicity. But once that initital wave was over, they had to produce. And they put out Brian's bizarre, schizo-retro Love You. It should have never seen the light of day. It finished them off.
was that brian playing the theremin??
@alexandertarangerkin I will forever stick to my opinion that if Brian Wilson's name wasn't attached to Love You, it would be absolutely shit on, and deservedly so. It might have had a chance at being a good album if they had taken time to work on it, and maybe had Mike or someone else go in and work on the lyrics. As the album stands, it sounds like a demo that they just decided to put out because they needed product. It killed the comeback along with 15BO.
Blondie looks like he's 14.
God this vid is so awesome Blondie Chaplin is the man...he makes this song sound so easy to sing (it's not)
@Okiemom50 I don't see Yoko
@gittahfiend Oh I didn't know it was Steve Love. If that's true about the African american thing, that's terrible. Blondie was whiter in skin complexion than most people and he was/IS very talented. Adding a black guy was actually a SMART thing too. the group had been dissed for being bubble-gum white boy music for too long Great lead on SOS too
@peterp21
Their comeback was ruined by letting Brian rejoin, Carl should've kept the reins and continued on Holland (and perhaps allowed Brian some songs). Instead they wanted to market 'Brian's Back' but he only wanted to work on oldies, he didnt even produce 15BO which if remixed would prob sound a whole lot better. That is when the Beach Boys started sucking out, it only went to #5 because it was their first studio album after ES. After people heard it they were put off.
0:01 - 0:05 Who is that in the backround looks like Sean Lennon is it John?
i thought Carl sang this one
you mean prat love
Blondie Chaplin
@SkunkDroppings - nice. Your name is oddly apporpriate.
@gittahfiend Yeah! They were an important part of the group in that era. And were great musicians, too. But saying Blondie could outsing them all?? Hmmm... maybe you exaggerate just i tiny bit in your quest to prove your point. His and the other guys voices are completely different in style for one thing.
wtf....where is carl
so you mean,i'm going to make comments under your permission ??
Who is that? It's not the Beach Boys an/or Elton John.
at the time,Blondie was the best vocalist in the band.What are you on?
No, I dis agree Chaplin and fataar,especiallyblondie chaplin made the beach boys HAPPEN during this period .
İn my opinion,this was an awful era for The Beach Boys...Al,Carl,Dennis and Mike were standing there as hired musicians and some few men called Chaplin,Faatar etc.were stealing the show under the name The Beach Boys....tragic...Their best era was 60' when they were just five men singing and playing their own instruments....
@BlackMonk66 Yes he and Ricky were,but were they REALLY? It was just a publicity stunt mostly to try to enhance the BB image. If they were so important to the band they would've been there longer than they were.
@Chrisdrumz They WERE important to the band chris.not ony did ricky sub for dennis when he hurt his hand, BUT HE COULD PLAY RINGS AROUND HIM AS WELL.And Blondie could OUTSING THEM ALL.and was a more accomplished writer/ guitarist than al or Carl I really wish you guys would cool the racist shit.
Gotta disagree with the opinion re: the direction change. Don't blame Mike, blame the whole band along with the 50s/60sa nostalgia kick. The band was struggling commercially for a long time and capitalized on the renewed interest. Believe me, the interest was only abot the pre-1967 stuff, the US was not giving a shit about the new stuff. The misfire was 15 Big Ones followed by the disastrous Love You. By 1977 they were even worse off than before.
that is awful,beach boys worst stuff with this kid,& when there singing to,there best days were already behind them at this point,but lets not forget the movie coctail & kokomo lol