Past Interviews

Written By: Stomp

Two Bands Of Brothers –

in conversation with John Cowsill –
AGD talks with The Beach Boys drummer..

Here’s a trivia question – who’s been the drummer in not one but two ‘family’ bands ? John Cowsill, that’s who. The stellar improvement in the sound of the touring Beach Boys is due in no small part to his taking the drum stool vacated by Mike Kowalski, but he’s not merely a great musician (and singer – check out his renditions of “Darlin’” & “Sail On, Sailor”), he’s also a truly all-round nice guy. This summer past, he took time out between shows to respond to the following inquisition, for which I thank him. If the touring BB are in your area, go see them – these days they are outstanding. AGD: Let’s paint in a little background: The Beach Boys are thought of as a ‘family’ band, but The Cowsills leave them standing – five brothers, mom & baby sister in the band, dad managing and the remaining brother as road manager. What was that like – you were like, 8 or 9… and why the drums ?

Cowsill: It was abnormally normal. I just loved the drums. I sat down and was just able to play. When you’re young you can do anything. And we did. It actually started with four of us: Bill, Bob, Barry and myself. Mom and Susan were added after our first MGM release. Before that, it was a no nonsense rock/R&B band playing Beatles, Beach Boys, Stones, tons of Motown and a slew of British invasion bands. It was late 63. I was 7 years old playing college frat parties and wine cellars. 1964 we signed with our first record company Joda Records, which was Johnny Nash’s Label – he was so cool. After that fizzled we ended up at Mercury/Philips 1965. There we met a man named Shelby Singleton. He was head of A&R. It was 180 degrees the opposite direction. He saw us and went “Awe, how cute” and proceeded to hand us material that was absolutely belittling. “I love my Siamese cat/because she’s not very fat”. Or “Don’t put your feet in the lemonade, we’re running out of water/Go soak your car in some ginger ale, though it may get sticky sorta”. Blah Blah.

But there was someone watching us and approached my Dad and said, “Let’s get out of here”. That man was Artie Kornfeld. He took us in the studio with his own money and we recorded what would be our first MGM release. He and Steve Duboff wrote our first hit “The Rain The Park And Other Things”.

Q: Four Top 40 singles, two of which went to #2, a top 20 live album – so why are The Cowsills essentially a footnote to rock history ? A lot of bands in the R&R Hall Of Fame don’t have those stats.

A: Who knows… We weren’t heavy enough I guess or cool enough. There still
are a lot of politics involved in “The Business”. Screw ’em.

Q: Do you ever watch yourself – in The Cowsills – on YouTube ?

A: I have seen one or two…excruciatingly painful at times to watch one’s self.

Q: Is it true that Bill was asked by Brian to join The Beach Boys in the early 1970s ?

A: As far as I know it was actually Carl who asked… Billy and Brian hung out for a while… doing “things” together and who knows what else… One day Billy went to the house and a new person answered the door and uninvited Billy… it was Dr. Landy… probably a good idea.

Q: So, why no Cowsills box ? 🙂

A: It would probably fit in a lunch sack… I haven’t seen many sack sets. J

Q: It all pretty much ended for The Cowsills after 1972 – what did you do then ?

A: Well, Bill, Bob, Barry and myself reformed and had a single out on London Records called “Covered Wagon”. We toured a little and then just went our ways. It’s a very foggy period. Too bad none of us kept a journal. I moved back east and played with a band called Grease The Cat for a year. Then I got a call from my brother Paul who was doing sound for Helen Reddy at the time. He just got a deal on Capitol Records along with my brother Bill. So I flew back out to California to join them. The band, Bridey Murphy, now consisted of Bill, Paul, Barry, Waddy Wachtel, myself and Lindsey Buckingham (for all about twenty minutes)… It was absolutely insane. Bill was out of control…alcohol, drugs…well hell, we all were but the rest of us weren’t gonzo like Bill…so we had to force him out. Waddy ended up producing the project. Well, we were recording at Keith Olson’s studio (he was also engineering) and we were putting on background vocals. We see Billy walk in the booth: he grabs the 24-track two-
inch tape off of the machine and starts running around the booth stuffing it in his mouth…end of project. John Carter at Capitol got wind of it and poof ! I believe there is a song about it written by Jackson (Brown) and Warren (Zevon) called “Billy Ate The Tape”

Q: Cocaine Drain. It’s out now, sort of – thoughts ?

A: Didn’t know you knew about that one. You’re good. That was mid 70’s to early 80’s. We were Chuck Plotkin’s pet project. He produced all of the Bruce Springsteen, Orleans, Bob Dylan, Bette Midler, Tommy Tutone albums. He was mixing Bruce’s Darkness On The Edge Of Town when we met him. Jackson Brown introduced us to him. Any way the Cocaine Drain album was a five-year project, “to boldly go where no man has gone before”…recorded at Clover Studios. I got to play with Buzzy Feiton, Billy Pane, Ernie Watts, and a cast of incredible musicians along with my incredibly talented siblings… I think it was hard for The Cowsills during this period. You must remember, we weren’t cool. We were literally called “The Secrets”. As soon as someone found out it was us, they said “no thanks” so blah blah blah…so you can find this unreleased gem on iTunes. Also you might as well pick up Global.

Q: How did the invite to join Mike & Bruce come about ? Was there any contact before that ?

A: After I left the previous scene I went up to Santa Barbara where my mom was living (long retired from the business.) She had emphysema pretty bad. So I just needed to get out of LA and clean up my act. My brother Barry was up there and he introduced me to Jeff Foskett and Randell Kirsch. I fell in love with these guys. They were so much fun and made you feel great to be around them… and they didn’t do drugs. So I started playing with them in Santa Barbara. 1979-80…Jeff lived on the Mesa at The Love Foundation. He just got the Beach Boy gig I think. Well he introduced me to Mike again. I first met Mike and the Beach Boys in 1966 opening for them at Yankee Stadium. The Bill was: Ray Charles, The McCoys, The Byrds, The Gentry’s, Stevie Wonder, there’s more just can’t remember. So anyway I ended up recording a demo with Mike, Jeff, Randell, and my brother Barry. (I also met Jeff Peters during this period.) Well it wasn’t long before I was invited to play with Mike on some Mike and Dean (Jan and Dean) gigs. Spring break stuff… so that’s the contact-before section. After several gigs I was not asked back out…due to my mischievous behaviour that I shall not get into here. Dean asked me if I wanted to play with him and Jan, so I jumped on that one for six years. Then quit in 1986 – the “silent” years…

Flash forward to 1998. I get a call at midnight from Chris Farmer. I hadn’t spoken to Chris since I left Jan and Dean, so naturally I assumed he wanted something. That something was to drive to the airport and get on a plane to Minneapolis. Mike Kowalski was having some inner ear problem and had to get off the plane, so I filled in for a small string of gigs on drums. While on that trip Adrian Baker asked if I could sub for him on a few dates, New Year’s being one of them. I said I would do it if I didn’t have to play any leads on guitar. So… I did a week for Adrian, and that was that. Then just about a year and some months later, Phil Bardowell asked if I could sub for him in Europe while he worked on his solo project. (I had no idea they were simultaneously hiring Scott Totten, thank God.) Again, I said I would do it if I didn’t have to play lead, and he said Adrian would do them.

So, I am practicing my ass off for a month trying to learn Phil’s guitar and vocal parts (and mind you, I’m not a genius on guitar), I get a call from Farmer about a week before we go out and he says “Are you ready”? I said as long as I’m not playing lead guitar I’m good to go. He said “Oh didn’t anybody call you? You’re playing piano.” I said “Really?” So I was in a mild panic. They send me a copy of the show with Timmy’s piano parts. I had no idea Mike Meros was leaving the band. So I’m thinking to myself, “what a daunting task to be sure”. Then “LIGHT BULB”!!! So I called Billy Hinsche…my hero. My good friend to this day. Man, he sent me everything and even offered to meet with me and go over the parts. So I do the summer in Europe and by the end of the run, Phil has decided to not return and I was hired. TA DA!!!!!

Extract from Beach Boys Britain Newsletter Vol 10 No 4

Chris White Interviews Peter Lacey…


Firstly, can you give us a thumbnail sketch of  how, and when, you started making music?

My first memory of making music is sitting on my friend Colin’s doorstep at six singing early Beatletunes. Around then I can remember asking, in a state
of wide-eyed wonder, how it was they played instruments and sang at the same time?. So, in a nutshell I spent the lion’s share of my childhood and teens doing just that. Even going to school was an excuse to talk music and play with my peers! – I even played drums in the
English teacher’s modern jazz combo. Not very well, I might add.

You write in many different styles,
incorporating pop, folk and jazz; who do you draw ideas from?

I think the ‘eclecticism’ of my writing is a result of playing in all sorts of musical areas, so for instance, at 14 I played in church on a Sunday and in a heavy rock band in the church hall on Saturdays.Stevie & Peter Lacey
Much later I worked professionally in the house band at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne where jazz was the standard fare whilst playing drums and mandolin in a Ceilidh Band.  But, pop has been my overiding passion and I consider my record collection to be my greatest teacher. Predominant in that education are The Beatles and The Beach Boys. What is constantly startling about Brian’s
music is its inimitability, packed full of often quirky harmonic interest. I was playing ‘God Only Knows’ on
the piano yesterday and its just astonishing that the majority of the chords have displaced bass notes, ie,
not the traditional root notes. Safe to say Brian was on his own in 1966 exploring uncharted waters in pop. So, I just like to think that in some small way such
influences find there way into my own music. The Beach Boys music holds great sway over me, and the influence is apparent because for some reason it comes most naturally to me to work in that creative sphere.

Do you like being a erformer/showman or are  you happier locked away writing and recording?

I’m not that interested in performing, and I feel terrible saying it, principally because since people began playing music it could only last as long as it
was played. Recording changes that and provides a space to capture a song rendering it more like a painting that you can return to looking at as and when
you wish. I’m lucky to have a fairly furtive musical imagination and have the means to express that at my little home studio on a daily basis. That’s what I’m into Chris, – keeping a musical diary!. I’m also not
that interested in Image which is of huge importance in pop. I’m into music for music sake.

You are also quite prolific – no sooner do I review one album than you tell me there is another in the pipeline. Do you
just  churn them out naturally, or is it a hard slog sometimes?

It’s never a slog Chris. I used to worry about it. John Lennon once said he wrote songs to justify his existence. I’ve become easy going about the process as a glorious hobby.

What is your motivation for producing music – do  you write for yourself or your fans?

Principally for myself, but since Beam! in 2000 I havebuilt a small fan base and I’m inspired by the fact that people buy the albums. It’s a pleasurable obligation, but I’d be writing anyway…
Stevie & Peter Lacey
You have friends join you for recording but you  tend to write mostly by yourself – do you like working on your own, or do
you  prefer a writing partner, a sounding board?

It’s good to have friends round to play, adding their talents helps me to appreciate the songs more,- the danger being when you make all the decisions it can become too subjective. That said I like to think I’m a good editor on my creative judgements. Hope so. I have colaborated with others, most recently with David Beard, Editor of ESQ for the Carl Wilson Tribute CD. It’s an easy and enjoyable process, Dave provided thewords and I fashioned a tune for it. But as I said earlier, the making of a musical diary is my ideal. There’s something deliciously claustrophobic about retreating into a pair of headphones!.

Who is your audience and what sort of feedback do  you receive?

I’ve no idea. Seriously though, I think there’s something quite abstract about broadcasting music in the sense that you know the music is being listened to
because the sales figures are there to prove it, but who and where is something of a mystery. That said, I get lots of feedback from the members of my yahoo
group and its generally positive. And there are many good folk out there like your good self Chris who champion my efforts!. Of course if I was gigging the
material I’m sure I’d have a greater sense of an audience, which returns us to the way in which music was always made…

What do you consider to be your artistic highpoint – or have you not
got there yet?

I can’t make objective statements about my own stuff,I think the journey is the thing and the arrival has yet to happen. I just want to write quality songs, that’s where success and satisfaction lies.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 9 No 3

Peter’s album’s are available from Pink Hedgehog Records.

An Interview with Nelson Bragg By Laurie Biagini

I recently had the opportunity and privilege of interviewing Nelson Bragg. In addition to his work with Brian Wilson’s band, Nelson has been performing and recording with many bands and artists including The Now People, The Quarter After, The Mello Cads, Cosmo Topper, Cloud Eleven, The Mockers, Carolyn Edwards, Jeff Merchant, The Tyde, Stew, Pugwash, The Anny Celsi Band, and Kevin Kane, just to name a few. You may know him for his roles as drummer-percussionist and singer, but he also is an accomplished songwriter, recording artist, producer and arranger. Since the launch of his solo album “Day Into Night” in 2006, the album has proven to be a great success, earning numerous well-deserved positive reviews and extensive radio airplay around the world. We talked about the album, his influences, experiences, songwriting and musical inspiration. We also got a sneak preview of the projects that he has been working on lately, and of things to come.

LB: How did you get started in music? Do you remember your first performance in front of a live audience?

NB: It was the lead in the Spring musical, 1975. I was Charlie Brown in “Your A Good Man Charlie Brown” at the Middle-school in Rockport, Ma. It was 8th grade. I got the part because I had the highest male voice in my school. That situation still exists today I think… That show has stratospheric vocals for the lead. I was not very popular back then so the role suited me quite well; I was very believable. The excitement came after the shows were over and I was a hit. I knew this was the direction my life would take, entertaining people somehow.
nelson
LB: Who would you say are your main musical influences?

NB: In regards to drumming I’d have to say Ringo Star, Hal Blaine and Kieth Moon. Everything I’ve ever done has them in the drumming somewhere. As far as songwriting, singing and arranging is concerned, Lot’s of “alphabet” bands: Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey of The Db’s, David Crosby, C,S & N, George Harrison, REM, Canada’s “The Grapes Of Wrath”, and XTC. Melodic folky pop influences.

LB: From your website, I see that you have gained a wide range of experience from the different bands you have played in. What are some of the most valuable things you have learned from your experience?

NB: I became a better drummer playing with The Quarter After and The Mockers. I learned to listen and play on my feet from my tenure with Stew and Heidi Rhodewald, I got great studio experience working with Rick Gelego and Cloud Eleven and working on the massive undertaking that was The Now People album, taught me a lot about instrument and vocal arranging. The touring and studio experience with Brian Wilson, as you can imagine, has been gigantic.


LB: Which band was the most fun?

NB: Every band was fun in their own way. Some bands were a great party, some bands were a lesson in discipline, others were awesome because of the traveling we did, and some bands, I’d say all of them, were great simply because of the people involved. The Mello Cads for instance, was a group of guys that just were out for a laugh and it was so great. I’ve worked with the best people. Obviously my experiences with Brian Wilson Band took all of these elements to a much higher intensity.

LB: If you could put together the ideal band, who would be in it?

NB: Probyn (Gregory), Scott (Bennett), Nicky (Walusko), Darian (Sahanaja) and myself.

LB: Who are some of your favorite artists out there that would make your recommended listening list?

NB: People should own “Mavericks” by Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey (just re-issued last month w/6 bonus tracks!) Canada’s: The Grapes Of Wrath albums: “Now and Again” and “These Days”, “Mood Patterns” by the young Australian group: Belles Will Ring, (check their myspace) and Paul Steele, a little genius out of Brighton. His “April and I” and “Moon Rocks” CD’s are out of this world, simply incredible. He’s 20 years old. There is hope for music after all!

LB: From the tours, many fans have said how gracious and friendly you are. I’m sure the meet and greets are a very enjoyable part of your touring experience. Does it ever get overwhelming?

NB: No, not really. I love the people. But It can be stressful when I have 5 real old friends in the audience and I need to take care of them as well as talk to strangers whom I really want to talk to AND there is some rock luminary standing there that I’m a fan of and want to talk to him/her but as is the case for all the members of the band, we get pulled in a few different directions. Generally, I get away with it.

LB: You are such a gifted songwriter. Have you always written and composed music throughout your life, or did your journey into songwriting begin more recently?

NB: I started writing in the late 70’s. I’ve written about 150 songs over the years, 30 of them are any good at all to be honest. It wasn’t until about 2003 that I decided to record for real however. The time was right on many levels, though I had recorded my songs written for bands over the years including Big Noise and Bad Sneakers in the 80’s, Farmhouse and Flat Black in the 90’s. The solo stuff was written at those times but never taken seriously till these last 10 years, though I have newer songs written fairly recently too.

LB: When writing a new song, what usually comes to you first – words or music?

NB: A melody first, then chords, then lyrics then the arrangement.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 9 No 4

David Marks Answers A Half Dozen Questions on Dennis Wilson  Interview by Val

 

VJH: What do you think of the new release?

David: I’m glad that it’s finally released because it’s good and Dennis deserves recognition for his true talents. He was remembered as a rebel, but he was also a really talented artist and people should know that, too.

VJH: Do you have any special memories of Dennis when he was working on these songs?

David: No, I wasn’t in touch with Dennis when he was working on these songs. A couple of years ago Carole, who was his first wife, she told me Dennis was trying to find me around then. So who knows, I’d like to think it was because he wanted me to play on it, but we didn’t find each other so I don’t know. My memories of Dennis’ talents were when we were kids and he would sit at the piano and woo all the young girls after the shows. They’d all scream, “Lookthe drummers playing the piano!” I was really jealous at the time, but looking back I can see how he was already developing as an artist. VJH: Did you feel

that people recognised Dennis’ talent at the time?

David: No, I don’t think the general public had an idea. I don’t know about his immediate circle around him at the time he was writing and recording those songs, I wasn’t around – hopefully they recognized it. But as far as everyone else, I believe his musicianship was underrated.

VJH: Do you think, knowing Dennis as you did, that he may have gone off and been a solo artist, maybe leaving the Beach Boys?

David: I think he would have enjoyed success as a solo artist if it had happened at the time. But it didn’t work out that way. If he hadn’t died, he probably be doing something like a more successful version of what I’m doing – writing and recording our own stuff but without really breaking into the mainstream like Brian, and still being connected to The Beach Boys in some way, too. He loved being a Beach Boy. When I talked to Audree after he died, she said he loved being a Beach Boy but he couldn’t resist the temptations that went along with that. But I don’t think he could deny what was in him that he needed to get out musically either.

VJH: What was Dennis’ greatest achivement?

David: His musical endeavours – the way he was able to just pick up the drums out of the air and play them, the way he taught himself how to play Beethoven when he was a kid. And the way he was with people. There wasn’t one person he couldn’t charm.

VJH: Do you have a favourite Dennis song?

David: You & I

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 1

Chris Farmer speaks…

 what’s been happening to Chris since his departure from the Beach Boy’s

This interview took place in March 2008 when I caught up with Chris to find out his future plans, after leaving the group.

Chris, thank you for taking the time to talk to Beach Boys Britain. I know our readers would like to know a lot more about you and how you have come this far so may I first ask, were your influences based in harmony pop and is this where you began your musical journey?

CF:    Val, first of all, I want to thank you and all the BBB members for beingso supportive over the years.  A lot of kind words were sent my way and I appreciate it very much.  Growing up in a musical home (my father was an amateur singer, my grandfather a professional jazz trombonist) I had many, many musical influences.  Records were on the phonograph all day long; Broadway musical soundtracks like My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, South Pacific; vocal artists like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, The Four Freshman.  Choral and pop music was heard from Ray Conniff, The Henry Mann Singers, Lawrence Welk.  Dixieland instrumental music, New Orleans style.  Grandpa, who had retired from playing with The Detroit Symphony Orchestra and now worked at a music store, would visit on Sundays and bring new instruments for us kids to try out – I loved the ukelele and started playing chords early on at age 4.  Piano lessons followed, then guitar, trumpet, and voice lessons.  But, I have to say, I had an “musical epiphany” when I first heard The Beach Boys music. It was 1974, and a greatest hits compilation was released in the US called “Endless Summer”. It included songs like The Warmth of The Sun and Wendy that showcased the groups intricate harmonies.  At age fourteen, I didn’t know the difference between a new release and a greatest hits package and thought The Beach Boys were a new group. Their music sent me “through the roof” and I needed to hear more.  I bought the live album that was released around that time, and realized that the group had been around since the early ’60’s.

VJH: What was it like working with The Beach Boys?

CF: I played with The Beach Boys from late in 1995 thru October of 2007 and looking back over that period of time I have had some incredible moments, both exhilarating and embarassing.  Very fond memories include the tour we did in 1990’s with the group, Chicago. We played all the best arenas across North America, and I was able to arrange to get to the venue early to hear that awesome group. Ok, how about a couple of Carl stories? Carl, one of the most gracious men you could ever meet, not a mean bone in his body, at times could appear cutting and terse, especially during rehearsals.  If you didn’t have your parts down, he would instantly know and take you to task, by giving you what we affectionately called “the stink eye”. One day, while rehearsing “Darlin'”, he asked me to play the bass part alone. I got halfway though the opening chorus, when he stopped me.  “Wrong!”, he shouted.  In front of the entire band and with a look of exasperation on his face, he proceeded to play the bass part on his guitar the way it was supposed to be played.  I thought he would stop halfway through the song, since the chorus and verses repeat, but he continued to play through the entire song, while I proceeded to melt into the floor. I knew I had let the group down, but most importantly, I had let Carl down.  Needless to say, I never “fudged” through another song again, knowing that Carl would always be listening…

Fast forward a few years when another rehearsal took place, this time after Carl has had his first round of treatments to battle his cancer. I had been singing his vocal parts in his absence, and had asked him if he was “full strength” in the voice dept. or would he like me to “shadow” his parts for a little longer (that’s a Beach Boys term for a support player doubling a principle’s vocal part in order to strengthen it for the house mix).  He turned to me and said, “Farmer you sound great, I think it’ll be me shadowing you.” Coming from the great Carl Wilson, that’s the best compliment I’ve ever received in my musical career, or ever will, for that matter.

VJH: You have travelled the world with The Beach Boys. Any favourite and unforgettable memories you’d care to share with us?

CF: I love playing live music (as opposed to being in the studio), and I

love traveling. How could I not enjoy the ride of my life with a group like The Beach Boys? China (Beijing and the Great Wall), India (New Delhi and the Taj Mahal), Australia, (Surfers Paradise to Sydney to Perth and all points in between) Japan, (Okinawa to Sapporo), all over The Continent numerous times (Rhine cruises, German castles, to the old Eastern Bloc), but especially Brighton, the Cotswolds, and Stonehenge (that’s for you Brits)! 
It has been an amazing experience for myself and especially my family.  They have accompanied me on most of the group’s journeys.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 1

Behind the Sun
conversation with Scott Bennett
by Andrew G. Doe

 

Given its somewhat convoluted genesis and evolution, That Lucky Old Sun surprised many long-term BB/BW observers by being several orders of magnitude better than any of us had any right to hope. In early January I flew to the US and was fortunate enough to catch up with Brian’s prime collaborator on the project, Scott Bennett for a conversation that shone some light in previously murky corners and expanded upon existing assumptions. My thanks to Scott for agreeing to do this, and for his extensive and illuminating responses.

Andrew: OK, it’s summer 2006, and Brian calls saying he wants to do some recording at your place – did this come out of the blue or did you have an inkling And what was your immediate reaction ?

Scott: Totally out of the blue. I had tried to write with him years ago at David Leaf’s suggestion, but he just said, “that’s good, you should finish it” then asked if I wanted to go to the deli. I was thrilled that he called. I knew it would only work if it was his idea.

Andrew: Given that there was no major touring happening in ’06, did you feel Brian was just recording to keep himself occupied, or was there a larger purpose ?
Scott: I think he was bored at first, but then as we got going, he got revved up and was doing not only good work, but a lot of it.

Andrew: How did the sessions develop – how many days a week, and did Brian come with a set plan, or was there a degree of doing it on the fly ? What was a typical session like ? Scott: As many days as I could do. I was scoring ”Zoey 101” for Nickelodeon at the time and found myself turning Brian away lots of times. He always had a plan for the day. On some occasions I would steer us away from too many cover songs to focus more on new ones. He would ask me to scroll through some keyboard sounds, usually settling on a detuned double piano, and we’d pick a tempo and he’d play something down. Sometimes I’d help with a chord or two, but he mostly had finished ideas. Then, he’d do a quick vocal and double it, and depending on his patience level we might add harmonies together: I’d add drums, bass guitars or percussion, and he’d split with a pretty full demo. On less patient days, he’d leave after his lead vocal and tell me to mess around with layers and he’d check out what I came up with the next day. ‘Mexican Girl” was like that. I did flamenco guitar and percussion and handclaps and had Probyn play some mariachi trumpets. Brian flipped out the next day, and I think I earned his respect as a collaborator. My friend Brett Simons was in the neighborhood and happened to have his acoustic bass with him. I told him to come over to play on a Brian demo. He didn’t know Brian was there, which made him nervous, but he did great, and Brian was cool with him.

Andrew: Was it a straight music-Wilson/words-Bennett split, or was there a degree of overlap ?
Scott: It was mostly words and arrangement help on my part except for “Midnight”.

Andrew: How did the Carole King connection come to pass ?

Scott: “Good Kind Of Love” was one of the first songs he came in with. It knocked me out with it’s great old school vibe and before I could say to him that I liked the Brill Building vibe, he said, ”this one reminds me of Carol King, I think I’ll call her tomorrow and see if she’ll sing on it with me”. I was like, “sure”. So, he calls me to say she’s coming on Friday and he wants to cut a version of “I’m Into Something Good” for a duet as well. He showed up with Tommy Morgan who played harmonica and bass harmonica on Pet Sounds to play on “Something Good” and “Going Home”. He was great, and then the next day I had the king and queen of American pop in the 60’s singing in my small bedroom studio, shortly followed by Brian bringing Danny Hutton from Three Dog Night around to sing on a couple tunes. It was a trip, as Brian would say.

Andrew: How long did the sessions last, and was their curtailment in any way due to the upcoming Pet Sounds 40th anniversary shows ?

Scott: They started with a three month burst, and then a few months revising lyrics and arrangements, then Brian and I felt we could use some fresh ears to help string the piece together, and who better than Darian, who did such a great job on BWPS ? The last step was getting Paul Mertens to really do proper string and horn arrangements. They both added so much to the final album. Darian came up with the idea of having “Been Too Long” bridge the mood gap between “Oxygen” and “Midnight” and it saved the end flow, and Paul’s orchestral additions were just beautiful. When we were mixing, Mike Corcoran (who was in my LA band with Brett Simons) and I loved listening to just the strings and horns. I hope to do some mixes of band, orchestra and vocals etc. down the road.

Andrew: Now it’s early 2007 – I’ve been told by a reliable source that Brian’s first attempt for the South Bank Centre commission lasted under ten minutes, had little if anything to do with TLOS and wasn’t received at all well by the “management”. Were you aware of this in any way ?

Scott: No, but I was aware of a minimum length when we were putting it together, and by the time we were doing that, we had too much material.

Andrew: When did Brian get back to you with the notion of using some of the 2006 demos for TLOS, and how much extra recording was done to get the tracks into a usable form ? How many of the demos were used from ’06 ?
Scott: We had a bunch of fun songs, some covers etc. when Brian asked if I thought we could use some of the material for this project. I said, “absolutely, but we’ll need some ballads and some artier, heavier stuff”. He agreed, and we came up with “Midnight”, “Southern California”, “Forever My Surfer Girl”, and he and Van Dyke did a few songs.
“Angels In Love” and “Isn’t It Just Like Me And You” didn’t make the cut, but “Live Let Live” with it’s eco-friendly message fit into the California vibe.

Andrew: How did you feel about Van Dyke coming on board for the narratives and the one song ? Were any of your lyrics a concious attempt to emulate his renowned wordplay ?

Scott: I wish we had more involvement from Van Dyke. I’ve been a wordplay fan since I first started writing. I’m a big Elvis Costello fan, and I love when a lyric has several meanings. for that matter, I love when a lyric can be interpreted however the listener wants. That said, I would have been even more cryptic and clever on this album, but I wanted it to be appropriate for Brian at 65 years old

Andrew: “Midnight” is just staggeringly beautiful, probably the best new work Brian has done since the early 70s – what was your role in creating such a gem ? Scott: We traded seats at the piano until we had a cool intro-outro, verse pre-chorus, chorus and bridge. We knew it was special and spiritual, and after Brian showed me his lyric ideas for “Oxygen”, I knew it would be OK to write the introspective words that this song needed. Also, we had a lot of catchy, upbeat songs, and if we were to make a balanced album we needed a couple heavy, emotional ballads.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 2

Scott Totten
The New Musical Director for The Touring Beach Boys
talks with Val Johnson-Howe

VJH: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Scott.  I know the members of Beach Boys Britain would love to know more about the person who has turned the current Beach Boys shows around.  Those of us who have been at the 2008 shows were delighted with the sound. So, please tell us, how did Scott Totten arrive at- where he is now?

Thank you!  The positive response on the boards and from fans who really know the music has been the greatest reward this past year.  My bandmates are an incredible group of musicians and singers.  We worked very hard last year in preparing for the UK tour.   And it was so inspiring to see Mike pick out all those amazing songs, he’s really proud of the library of music that he and the guys made.  Bruce has always been so generous with his great ears, great memories and great advice.   And what a thrill it was to have David with us, I’ve told him that when he’s onstage with us, I close my eyes and I feel like I’m living inside the record.
Scott Totten As for my “arrival”-do you mean how did I get in the band?  It’s one of those funny stories.  I had just got off the road with a show and was kind of returning to Los Angeles after living on the East Coast for 15 years.  A guitar player friend of mine, Ross Bolton, left me a message on his way out of town that the Beach Boys were looking for a guitar player.   Now just 3 weeks earlier my wife and I had seen Brian and his amazing band at the Hollywood Bowl, and on our way out after the show I said “that’s my dream job!”.

Ross didn’t give me any phone number to call, or contact name and being as he was traveling, I couldn’t get back in touch with him to find anything out.  So I called Capitol Records in Hollywood.  Of course you can’t actually get a human on the phone so I pushed #3 for catalog and then picked one of the extensions by random and left some lady a message.  I was shocked when she called me back the next day and gave me Eliott Lott’s fax number.  A few days later I got a call asking me for a CD with my guitar playing and some singing.

Now you have to remember I thought they were looking for a guitar player, but it turns out they were looking for a falsetto singer!!!!!!  I was asked to sub for Adrian during Christmas 2000.  I’m sure it was painful for everyone.  But then when Phil Bardowell needed to sub out  a show, Mike told him to call me, this was Feb 2001, and  then again in April.  At that time Phil said he wanted to take some time off to record a solo album.   While we were in Europe, Phil called again and said he wanted to pursue his music permanently.  So it’s been 8 years – I think I got the gig, I mean no one has ever told me to stop showing up!

Feb 2001, and  then again in April.  At that time Phil said he wanted to take some time off to record a solo album.   While we were in Europe, Phil called again and said he wanted to pursue his music permanently.  So it’s been 8 years – I think I got the gig, I mean no one has ever told me to stop showing up!

VJH: am not sure people know very much about your history, so maybe you’d like to tell us?

I’m a Southern California boy.  I was actually born on the same day that the Beach Boys first album came out.  At first I was pre-law when I started college but switched over to music.  Then I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston.  Later,  I moved to NYC and did the “original band” thing (which for most of us means working really hard for 2 years for no money, and then just when you are getting noticed the band breaks up), as well as playing on TV commercials and theme songs, a few albums and lots of “subbing” (“depping” in the West End) on Broadway shows.  In 1993 I was hired to play guitar 1 on The Who’s Tommy.  I was also a musical advisor on the London production. I also toured with other shows as well, such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.  The last show I toured with was Rent, for nearly 3 years.  I’ve been pretty much on the road since 1993!

VJH: What are your musical influences – and why?

I listened to rock and pop from an early age, of course the Beatles and Beach Boys are ingrained in my DNA.  I grew up in So. Cal, so the Beach Boys were always a steady diet.  I remember being a teenager and holding that big album cover to ENDLESS SUMMER and looking at all the crazy drawings, listening to the beauty and pain in “Wendy” and “Let Him Run Wild”.  Aching for someone that didn’t want you.

Jimi Hendrix is my all-time favorite guitar player.  He never ceases to amaze I am not sure people know very much about your history, so maybe you’d like to tell us?

I’m a Southern California boy.  I was actually born on the same day that the Beach Boys first album came out.  At first I was pre-law when I started college but switched over to music.  Then I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston.  Later,  I moved to NYC and did the “original band” thing (which for most of us means working really hard for 2 years for no money, and then just when you are getting noticed the band breaks up), as well as playing on TV commercials and theme songs, a few albums and lots of “subbing” (“depping” in the West End) on Broadway shows.  In 1993 I was hired to play guitar 1 on The Who’s Tommy.  I was also a musical advisor on the London production. I also toured with other shows as well, such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.  The last show I toured with was Rent, for nearly 3 years.  I’ve been pretty much on the road since 1993!

VJH: What are your musical influences – and why?

I listened to rock and pop from an early age, of course the Beatles and Beach Boys are ingrained in my DNA.  I grew up in So. Cal, so the Beach Boys were always a steady diet.  I remember being a teenager and holding that big album cover to ENDLESS SUMMER and looking at all the crazy drawings, listening to the beauty and pain in “Wendy” and “Let Him Run Wild”.  Aching for someone that didn’t want you.

Jimi Hendrix is my all-time favorite guitar player.  He never ceases to amaze me, even to this day.  And I have almost as many Hendrix boots as Beach Boys!

Bacharach, Motown, Blues, Jazz and too much to mention, the list is nearly endless.

When I was a kid I listened to KHJ in Los Angeles…and they would play a Supremes song, then Three Dog Night, then The Doors, then The Archies.  It wasn’t as segmented as things are today.

At college I studied jazz harmony and also traditional composition, so I was exposed to lots of great music from Pachelbel to Miles.

VJH: When did you first realise that you wanted to become a musician and was there one particular turning point?

I played clarinet in grade school, but that didn’t impress the girls.  I started playing guitar when I was in high school, but that didn’t impress the girls either.  So I was going to become a lawyer (I can be very argumentative, just ask Cowsill), but I was taking music classes at the same time.  I found that the music classes were rather easy for me, whereas the law classes were a bit boring.  My music teachers encouraged me to apply to Berklee.

VJH: Are there any favourite places that you have visited and also favourite places where you have played?

The most musically satisfying shows I have done with the band were in the UK.  Not only the 04 and 08 tours, but back on 2000 when we opened for the Quo – when we played Liverpool the crowd was so enthusiastic and loud, I thought that must have been what it was like to be in the Beatles.

Of course anytime we play Hawaii is a highlight.  Biarritz was amazing.  I have been to so many great places with the Beach Boys that I never would have seen, it’s incredible!

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 2

BOB LIZIK – THE BASS PLAYER WHO MADE US ALL SMiLE –
Bob talks to Val Johnson-Howe…

VJH: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Bob. We are very honoured!   I’d like to start by asking about the life and times of Bob Lizik.  Where did you grow up, did you come from a musical family and what musical influences did you have at the time?

Here are some extracts from previous Beach Boys Britain Newsletters

For the full interview’s and lots more that we have set up, why not join us

 

Two Bands Of Brothers –
in conversation with John Cowsill –
AGD talks with The Beach Boys drummer..

Here’s a trivia question – who’s been the drummer in not one but two ‘family’ bands ? John Cowsill, that’s who. The stellar improvement in the sound of the touring Beach Boys is due in no small part to his taking the drum stool vacated by Mike Kowalski, but he’s not merely a great musician (and singer – check out his renditions of “Darlin’” & “Sail On, Sailor”), he’s also a truly all-round nice guy. This summer past, he took time out between shows to respond to the following inquisition, for which I thank him. If the touring BB are in your area, go see them – these days they are outstanding. AGD: Let’s paint in a little background: The Beach Boys are thought of as a ‘family’ band, but The Cowsills leave them standing – five brothers, mom & baby sister in the band, dad managing and the remaining brother as road manager. What was that like – you were like, 8 or 9… and why the drums ?

Cowsill: It was abnormally normal. I just loved the drums. I sat down and was just able to play. When you’re young you can do anything. And we did. It actually started with four of us: Bill, Bob, Barry and myself. Mom and Susan were added after our first MGM release. Before that, it was a no nonsense rock/R&B band playing Beatles, Beach Boys, Stones, tons of Motown and a slew of British invasion bands. It was late 63. I was 7 years old playing college frat parties and wine cellars. 1964 we signed with our first record company Joda Records, which was Johnny Nash’s Label – he was so cool. After that fizzled we ended up at Mercury/Philips 1965. There we met a man named Shelby Singleton. He was head of A&R. It was 180 degrees the opposite direction. He saw us and went “Awe, how cute” and proceeded to hand us material that was absolutely belittling. “I love my Siamese cat/because she’s not very fat”. Or “Don’t put your feet in the lemonade, we’re running out of water/Go soak your car in some ginger ale, though it may get sticky sorta”. Blah Blah.

But there was someone watching us and approached my Dad and said, “Let’s get out of here”. That man was Artie Kornfeld. He took us in the studio with his own money and we recorded what would be our first MGM release. He and Steve Duboff wrote our first hit “The Rain The Park And Other Things”.

Q: Four Top 40 singles, two of which went to #2, a top 20 live album – so why are The Cowsills essentially a footnote to rock history ? A lot of bands in the R&R Hall Of Fame don’t have those stats.

A: Who knows… We weren’t heavy enough I guess or cool enough. There still
are a lot of politics involved in “The Business”. Screw ’em.

Q: Do you ever watch yourself – in The Cowsills – on YouTube ?

A: I have seen one or two…excruciatingly painful at times to watch one’s self.

Q: Is it true that Bill was asked by Brian to join The Beach Boys in the early 1970s ?

A: As far as I know it was actually Carl who asked… Billy and Brian hung out for a while… doing “things” together and who knows what else… One day Billy went to the house and a new person answered the door and uninvited Billy… it was Dr. Landy… probably a good idea.

Q: So, why no Cowsills box ? 🙂

A: It would probably fit in a lunch sack… I haven’t seen many sack sets. J

Q: It all pretty much ended for The Cowsills after 1972 – what did you do then ?

A: Well, Bill, Bob, Barry and myself reformed and had a single out on London Records called “Covered Wagon”. We toured a little and then just went our ways. It’s a very foggy period. Too bad none of us kept a journal. I moved back east and played with a band called Grease The Cat for a year. Then I got a call from my brother Paul who was doing sound for Helen Reddy at the time. He just got a deal on Capitol Records along with my brother Bill. So I flew back out to California to join them. The band, Bridey Murphy, now consisted of Bill, Paul, Barry, Waddy Wachtel, myself and Lindsey Buckingham (for all about twenty minutes)… It was absolutely insane. Bill was out of control…alcohol, drugs…well hell, we all were but the rest of us weren’t gonzo like Bill…so we had to force him out. Waddy ended up producing the project. Well, we were recording at Keith Olson’s studio (he was also engineering) and we were putting on background vocals. We see Billy walk in the booth: he grabs the 24-track two-
inch tape off of the machine and starts running around the booth stuffing it in his mouth…end of project. John Carter at Capitol got wind of it and poof ! I believe there is a song about it written by Jackson (Brown) and Warren (Zevon) called “Billy Ate The Tape”

Q: Cocaine Drain. It’s out now, sort of – thoughts ?

A: Didn’t know you knew about that one. You’re good. That was mid 70’s to early 80’s. We were Chuck Plotkin’s pet project. He produced all of the Bruce Springsteen, Orleans, Bob Dylan, Bette Midler, Tommy Tutone albums. He was mixing Bruce’s Darkness On The Edge Of Town when we met him. Jackson Brown introduced us to him. Any way the Cocaine Drain album was a five-year project, “to boldly go where no man has gone before”…recorded at Clover Studios. I got to play with Buzzy Feiton, Billy Pane, Ernie Watts, and a cast of incredible musicians along with my incredibly talented siblings… I think it was hard for The Cowsills during this period. You must remember, we weren’t cool. We were literally called “The Secrets”. As soon as someone found out it was us, they said “no thanks” so blah blah blah…so you can find this unreleased gem on iTunes. Also you might as well pick up Global.

Q: How did the invite to join Mike & Bruce come about ? Was there any contact before that ?

A: After I left the previous scene I went up to Santa Barbara where my mom was living (long retired from the business.) She had emphysema pretty bad. So I just needed to get out of LA and clean up my act. My brother Barry was up there and he introduced me to Jeff Foskett and Randell Kirsch. I fell in love with these guys. They were so much fun and made you feel great to be around them… and they didn’t do drugs. So I started playing with them in Santa Barbara. 1979-80…Jeff lived on the Mesa at The Love Foundation. He just got the Beach Boy gig I think. Well he introduced me to Mike again. I first met Mike and the Beach Boys in 1966 opening for them at Yankee Stadium. The Bill was: Ray Charles, The McCoys, The Byrds, The Gentry’s, Stevie Wonder, there’s more just can’t remember. So anyway I ended up recording a demo with Mike, Jeff, Randell, and my brother Barry. (I also met Jeff Peters during this period.) Well it wasn’t long before I was invited to play with Mike on some Mike and Dean (Jan and Dean) gigs. Spring break stuff… so that’s the contact-before section. After several gigs I was not asked back out…due to my mischievous behaviour that I shall not get into here. Dean asked me if I wanted to play with him and Jan, so I jumped on that one for six years. Then quit in 1986 – the “silent” years…

Flash forward to 1998. I get a call at midnight from Chris Farmer. I hadn’t spoken to Chris since I left Jan and Dean, so naturally I assumed he wanted something. That something was to drive to the airport and get on a plane to Minneapolis. Mike Kowalski was having some inner ear problem and had to get off the plane, so I filled in for a small string of gigs on drums. While on that trip Adrian Baker asked if I could sub for him on a few dates, New Year’s being one of them. I said I would do it if I didn’t have to play any leads on guitar. So… I did a week for Adrian, and that was that. Then just about a year and some months later, Phil Bardowell asked if I could sub for him in Europe while he worked on his solo project. (I had no idea they were simultaneously hiring Scott Totten, thank God.) Again, I said I would do it if I didn’t have to play lead, and he said Adrian would do them.

So, I am practicing my ass off for a month trying to learn Phil’s guitar and vocal parts (and mind you, I’m not a genius on guitar), I get a call from Farmer about a week before we go out and he says “Are you ready”? I said as long as I’m not playing lead guitar I’m good to go. He said “Oh didn’t anybody call you? You’re playing piano.” I said “Really?” So I was in a mild panic. They send me a copy of the show with Timmy’s piano parts. I had no idea Mike Meros was leaving the band. So I’m thinking to myself, “what a daunting task to be sure”. Then “LIGHT BULB”!!! So I called Billy Hinsche…my hero. My good friend to this day. Man, he sent me everything and even offered to meet with me and go over the parts. So I do the summer in Europe and by the end of the run, Phil has decided to not return and I was hired. TA DA!!!!!

Extract from Beach Boys Britain Newsletter Vol 10 No 4

Chris White Interviews Peter Lacey…

Firstly, can you give us a thumbnail sketch of  how, and when, you started making music?

My first memory of making music is sitting on my friend Colin’s doorstep at six singing early Beatletunes. Around then I can remember asking, in a state
of wide-eyed wonder, how it was they played instruments and sang at the same time?. So, in a nutshell I spent the lion’s share of my childhood and teens doing just that. Even going to school was an excuse to talk music and play with my peers! – I even played drums in the
English teacher’s modern jazz combo. Not very well, I might add.

You write in many different styles,
incorporating pop, folk and jazz; who do you draw ideas from?

I think the ‘eclecticism’ of my writing is a result of playing in all sorts of musical areas, so for instance, at 14 I played in church on a Sunday and in a heavy rock band in the church hall on Saturdays.
Much later I worked professionally in the house band at The Grand Hotel Eastbourne where jazz was the standard fare whilst playing drums and mandolin in a Ceilidh Band.  But, pop has been my overiding passion and I consider my record collection to be my greatest teacher. Predominant in that education are The Beatles and The Beach Boys. What is constantly startling about Brian’s
music is its inimitability, packed full of often quirky harmonic interest. I was playing ‘God Only Knows’ on
the piano yesterday and its just astonishing that the majority of the chords have displaced bass notes, ie,
not the traditional root notes. Safe to say Brian was on his own in 1966 exploring uncharted waters in pop. So, I just like to think that in some small way such
influences find there way into my own music. The Beach Boys music holds great sway over me, and the influence is apparent because for some reason it comes most naturally to me to work in that creative sphere.

Do you like being a erformer/showman or are  you happier locked away writing and recording?

I’m not that interested in performing, and I feel terrible saying it, principally because since people began playing music it could only last as long as it
was played. Recording changes that and provides a space to capture a song rendering it more like a painting that you can return to looking at as and when
you wish. I’m lucky to have a fairly furtive musical imagination and have the means to express that at my little home studio on a daily basis. That’s what I’m into Chris, – keeping a musical diary!. I’m also not
that interested in Image which is of huge importance in pop. I’m into music for music sake.

You are also quite prolific – no sooner do I review one album than you tell me there is another in the pipeline. Do you
just  churn them out naturally, or is it a hard slog sometimes?

It’s never a slog Chris. I used to worry about it. John Lennon once said he wrote songs to justify his existence. I’ve become easy going about the process as a glorious hobby.

What is your motivation for producing music – do  you write for yourself or your fans?

Principally for myself, but since Beam! in 2000 I havebuilt a small fan base and I’m inspired by the fact that people buy the albums. It’s a pleasurable obligation, but I’d be writing anyway…

You have friends join you for recording but you  tend to write mostly by yourself – do you like working on your own, or do
you  prefer a writing partner, a sounding board?

It’s good to have friends round to play, adding their talents helps me to appreciate the songs more,- the danger being when you make all the decisions it can become too subjective. That said I like to think I’m a good editor on my creative judgements. Hope so. I have colaborated with others, most recently with David Beard, Editor of ESQ for the Carl Wilson Tribute CD. It’s an easy and enjoyable process, Dave provided thewords and I fashioned a tune for it. But as I said earlier, the making of a musical diary is my ideal. There’s something deliciously claustrophobic about retreating into a pair of headphones!.

Who is your audience and what sort of feedback do  you receive?

I’ve no idea. Seriously though, I think there’s something quite abstract about broadcasting music in the sense that you know the music is being listened to
because the sales figures are there to prove it, but who and where is something of a mystery. That said, I get lots of feedback from the members of my yahoo
group and its generally positive. And there are many good folk out there like your good self Chris who champion my efforts!. Of course if I was gigging the
material I’m sure I’d have a greater sense of an audience, which returns us to the way in which music was always made…

What do you consider to be your artistic highpoint – or have you not
got there yet?

I can’t make objective statements about my own stuff,I think the journey is the thing and the arrival has yet to happen. I just want to write quality songs, that’s where success and satisfaction lies.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 9 No 3

Peter’s album’s are available from Pink Hedgehog Records.

 

An Interview with Nelson Bragg By Laurie Biagini

I recently had the opportunity and privilege of interviewing Nelson Bragg. In addition to his work with Brian Wilson’s band, Nelson has been performing and recording with many bands and artists including The Now People, The Quarter After, The Mello Cads, Cosmo Topper, Cloud Eleven, The Mockers, Carolyn Edwards, Jeff Merchant, The Tyde, Stew, Pugwash, The Anny Celsi Band, and Kevin Kane, just to name a few. You may know him for his roles as drummer-percussionist and singer, but he also is an accomplished songwriter, recording artist, producer and arranger. Since the launch of his solo album “Day Into Night” in 2006, the album has proven to be a great success, earning numerous well-deserved positive reviews and extensive radio airplay around the world. We talked about the album, his influences, experiences, songwriting and musical inspiration. We also got a sneak preview of the projects that he has been working on lately, and of things to come.

LB: How did you get started in music? Do you remember your first performance in front of a live audience?

NB: It was the lead in the Spring musical, 1975. I was Charlie Brown in “Your A Good Man Charlie Brown” at the Middle-school in Rockport, Ma. It was 8th grade. I got the part because I had the highest male voice in my school. That situation still exists today I think… That show has stratospheric vocals for the lead. I was not very popular back then so the role suited me quite well; I was very believable. The excitement came after the shows were over and I was a hit. I knew this was the direction my life would take, entertaining people somehow.

LB: Who would you say are your main musical influences?

NB: In regards to drumming I’d have to say Ringo Star, Hal Blaine and Kieth Moon. Everything I’ve ever done has them in the drumming somewhere. As far as songwriting, singing and arranging is concerned, Lot’s of “alphabet” bands: Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey of The Db’s, David Crosby, C,S & N, George Harrison, REM, Canada’s “The Grapes Of Wrath”, and XTC. Melodic folky pop influences.

LB: From your website, I see that you have gained a wide range of experience from the different bands you have played in. What are some of the most valuable things you have learned from your experience?

NB: I became a better drummer playing with The Quarter After and The Mockers. I learned to listen and play on my feet from my tenure with Stew and Heidi Rhodewald, I got great studio experience working with Rick Gelego and Cloud Eleven and working on the massive undertaking that was The Now People album, taught me a lot about instrument and vocal arranging. The touring and studio experience with Brian Wilson, as you can imagine, has been gigantic.


LB: Which band was the most fun?

NB: Every band was fun in their own way. Some bands were a great party, some bands were a lesson in discipline, others were awesome because of the traveling we did, and some bands, I’d say all of them, were great simply because of the people involved. The Mello Cads for instance, was a group of guys that just were out for a laugh and it was so great. I’ve worked with the best people. Obviously my experiences with Brian Wilson Band took all of these elements to a much higher intensity.

LB: If you could put together the ideal band, who would be in it?

NB: Probyn (Gregory), Scott (Bennett), Nicky (Walusko), Darian (Sahanaja) and myself.

LB: Who are some of your favorite artists out there that would make your recommended listening list?

NB: People should own “Mavericks” by Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey (just re-issued last month w/6 bonus tracks!) Canada’s: The Grapes Of Wrath albums: “Now and Again” and “These Days”, “Mood Patterns” by the young Australian group: Belles Will Ring, (check their myspace) and Paul Steele, a little genius out of Brighton. His “April and I” and “Moon Rocks” CD’s are out of this world, simply incredible. He’s 20 years old. There is hope for music after all!

LB: From the tours, many fans have said how gracious and friendly you are. I’m sure the meet and greets are a very enjoyable part of your touring experience. Does it ever get overwhelming?

NB: No, not really. I love the people. But It can be stressful when I have 5 real old friends in the audience and I need to take care of them as well as talk to strangers whom I really want to talk to AND there is some rock luminary standing there that I’m a fan of and want to talk to him/her but as is the case for all the members of the band, we get pulled in a few different directions. Generally, I get away with it.

LB: You are such a gifted songwriter. Have you always written and composed music throughout your life, or did your journey into songwriting begin more recently?

NB: I started writing in the late 70’s. I’ve written about 150 songs over the years, 30 of them are any good at all to be honest. It wasn’t until about 2003 that I decided to record for real however. The time was right on many levels, though I had recorded my songs written for bands over the years including Big Noise and Bad Sneakers in the 80’s, Farmhouse and Flat Black in the 90’s. The solo stuff was written at those times but never taken seriously till these last 10 years, though I have newer songs written fairly recently too.

LB: When writing a new song, what usually comes to you first – words or music?

NB: A melody first, then chords, then lyrics then the arrangement.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 9 No 4

David Marks Answers A Half Dozen Questions on Dennis Wilson  Interview by Val

 

VJH: What do you think of the new release?

David: I’m glad that it’s finally released because it’s good and Dennis deserves recognition for his true talents. He was remembered as a rebel, but he was also a really talented artist and people should know that, too.

VJH: Do you have any special memories of Dennis when he was working on these songs?

David: No, I wasn’t in touch with Dennis when he was working on these songs. A couple of years ago Carole, who was his first wife, she told me Dennis was trying to find me around then. So who knows, I’d like to think it was because he wanted me to play on it, but we didn’t find each other so I don’t know. My memories of Dennis’ talents were when we were kids and he would sit at the piano and woo all the young girls after the shows. They’d all scream, “Lookthe drummers playing the piano!” I was really jealous at the time, but looking back I can see how he was already developing as an artist. VJH: Did you feel

that people recognised Dennis’ talent at the time?

David: No, I don’t think the general public had an idea. I don’t know about his immediate circle around him at the time he was writing and recording those songs, I wasn’t around – hopefully they recognized it. But as far as everyone else, I believe his musicianship was underrated.

VJH: Do you think, knowing Dennis as you did, that he may have gone off and been a solo artist, maybe leaving the Beach Boys?

David: I think he would have enjoyed success as a solo artist if it had happened at the time. But it didn’t work out that way. If he hadn’t died, he probably be doing something like a more successful version of what I’m doing – writing and recording our own stuff but without really breaking into the mainstream like Brian, and still being connected to The Beach Boys in some way, too. He loved being a Beach Boy. When I talked to Audree after he died, she said he loved being a Beach Boy but he couldn’t resist the temptations that went along with that. But I don’t think he could deny what was in him that he needed to get out musically either.

VJH: What was Dennis’ greatest achivement?

David: His musical endeavours – the way he was able to just pick up the drums out of the air and play them, the way he taught himself how to play Beethoven when he was a kid. And the way he was with people. There wasn’t one person he couldn’t charm.

VJH: Do you have a favourite Dennis song?

David: You & I

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 1

Chris Farmer speaks…

 what’s been happening to Chris since his departure from the Beach Boy’s

This interview took place in March 2008 when I caught up with Chris to find out his future plans, after leaving the group.

Chris, thank you for taking the time to talk to Beach Boys Britain. I know our readers would like to know a lot more about you and how you have come this far so may I first ask, were your influences based in harmony pop and is this where you began your musical journey?

CF:    Val, first of all, I want to thank you and all the BBB members for beingso supportive over the years.  A lot of kind words were sent my way and I appreciate it very much.  Growing up in a musical home (my father was an amateur singer, my grandfather a professional jazz trombonist) I had many, many musical influences.  Records were on the phonograph all day long; Broadway musical soundtracks like My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, South Pacific; vocal artists like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, The Four Freshman.  Choral and pop music was heard from Ray Conniff, The Henry Mann Singers, Lawrence Welk.  Dixieland instrumental music, New Orleans style.  Grandpa, who had retired from playing with The Detroit Symphony Orchestra and now worked at a music store, would visit on Sundays and bring new instruments for us kids to try out – I loved the ukelele and started playing chords early on at age 4.  Piano lessons followed, then guitar, trumpet, and voice lessons.  But, I have to say, I had an “musical epiphany” when I first heard The Beach Boys music. It was 1974, and a greatest hits compilation was released in the US called “Endless Summer”. It included songs like The Warmth of The Sun and Wendy that showcased the groups intricate harmonies.  At age fourteen, I didn’t know the difference between a new release and a greatest hits package and thought The Beach Boys were a new group. Their music sent me “through the roof” and I needed to hear more.  I bought the live album that was released around that time, and realized that the group had been around since the early ’60’s.

VJH: What was it like working with The Beach Boys?

CF: I played with The Beach Boys from late in 1995 thru October of 2007 and looking back over that period of time I have had some incredible moments, both exhilarating and embarassing.  Very fond memories include the tour we did in 1990’s with the group, Chicago. We played all the best arenas across North America, and I was able to arrange to get to the venue early to hear that awesome group. Ok, how about a couple of Carl stories? Carl, one of the most gracious men you could ever meet, not a mean bone in his body, at times could appear cutting and terse, especially during rehearsals.  If you didn’t have your parts down, he would instantly know and take you to task, by giving you what we affectionately called “the stink eye”. One day, while rehearsing “Darlin'”, he asked me to play the bass part alone. I got halfway though the opening chorus, when he stopped me.  “Wrong!”, he shouted.  In front of the entire band and with a look of exasperation on his face, he proceeded to play the bass part on his guitar the way it was supposed to be played.  I thought he would stop halfway through the song, since the chorus and verses repeat, but he continued to play through the entire song, while I proceeded to melt into the floor. I knew I had let the group down, but most importantly, I had let Carl down.  Needless to say, I never “fudged” through another song again, knowing that Carl would always be listening…

Fast forward a few years when another rehearsal took place, this time after Carl has had his first round of treatments to battle his cancer. I had been singing his vocal parts in his absence, and had asked him if he was “full strength” in the voice dept. or would he like me to “shadow” his parts for a little longer (that’s a Beach Boys term for a support player doubling a principle’s vocal part in order to strengthen it for the house mix).  He turned to me and said, “Farmer you sound great, I think it’ll be me shadowing you.” Coming from the great Carl Wilson, that’s the best compliment I’ve ever received in my musical career, or ever will, for that matter.

VJH: You have travelled the world with The Beach Boys. Any favourite and unforgettable memories you’d care to share with us?

CF: I love playing live music (as opposed to being in the studio), and I

love traveling. How could I not enjoy the ride of my life with a group like The Beach Boys? China (Beijing and the Great Wall), India (New Delhi and the Taj Mahal), Australia, (Surfers Paradise to Sydney to Perth and all points in between) Japan, (Okinawa to Sapporo), all over The Continent numerous times (Rhine cruises, German castles, to the old Eastern Bloc), but especially Brighton, the Cotswolds, and Stonehenge (that’s for you Brits)! 
It has been an amazing experience for myself and especially my family.  They have accompanied me on most of the group’s journeys.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 1

Behind the Sun
conversation with Scott Bennett
by Andrew G. Doe

 

Given its somewhat convoluted genesis and evolution, That Lucky Old Sun surprised many long-term BB/BW observers by being several orders of magnitude better than any of us had any right to hope. In early January I flew to the US and was fortunate enough to catch up with Brian’s prime collaborator on the project, Scott Bennett for a conversation that shone some light in previously murky corners and expanded upon existing assumptions. My thanks to Scott for agreeing to do this, and for his extensive and illuminating responses.

Andrew: OK, it’s summer 2006, and Brian calls saying he wants to do some recording at your place – did this come out of the blue or did you have an inkling And what was your immediate reaction ?

Scott: Totally out of the blue. I had tried to write with him years ago at David Leaf’s suggestion, but he just said, “that’s good, you should finish it” then asked if I wanted to go to the deli. I was thrilled that he called. I knew it would only work if it was his idea.

Andrew: Given that there was no major touring happening in ’06, did you feel Brian was just recording to keep himself occupied, or was there a larger purpose ?
Scott: I think he was bored at first, but then as we got going, he got revved up and was doing not only good work, but a lot of it.

Andrew: How did the sessions develop – how many days a week, and did Brian come with a set plan, or was there a degree of doing it on the fly ? What was a typical session like ? Scott: As many days as I could do. I was scoring ”Zoey 101” for Nickelodeon at the time and found myself turning Brian away lots of times. He always had a plan for the day. On some occasions I would steer us away from too many cover songs to focus more on new ones. He would ask me to scroll through some keyboard sounds, usually settling on a detuned double piano, and we’d pick a tempo and he’d play something down. Sometimes I’d help with a chord or two, but he mostly had finished ideas. Then, he’d do a quick vocal and double it, and depending on his patience level we might add harmonies together: I’d add drums, bass guitars or percussion, and he’d split with a pretty full demo. On less patient days, he’d leave after his lead vocal and tell me to mess around with layers and he’d check out what I came up with the next day. ‘Mexican Girl” was like that. I did flamenco guitar and percussion and handclaps and had Probyn play some mariachi trumpets. Brian flipped out the next day, and I think I earned his respect as a collaborator. My friend Brett Simons was in the neighborhood and happened to have his acoustic bass with him. I told him to come over to play on a Brian demo. He didn’t know Brian was there, which made him nervous, but he did great, and Brian was cool with him.

Andrew: Was it a straight music-Wilson/words-Bennett split, or was there a degree of overlap ?
Scott: It was mostly words and arrangement help on my part except for “Midnight”.

Andrew: How did the Carole King connection come to pass ?

Scott: “Good Kind Of Love” was one of the first songs he came in with. It knocked me out with it’s great old school vibe and before I could say to him that I liked the Brill Building vibe, he said, ”this one reminds me of Carol King, I think I’ll call her tomorrow and see if she’ll sing on it with me”. I was like, “sure”. So, he calls me to say she’s coming on Friday and he wants to cut a version of “I’m Into Something Good” for a duet as well. He showed up with Tommy Morgan who played harmonica and bass harmonica on Pet Sounds to play on “Something Good” and “Going Home”. He was great, and then the next day I had the king and queen of American pop in the 60’s singing in my small bedroom studio, shortly followed by Brian bringing Danny Hutton from Three Dog Night around to sing on a couple tunes. It was a trip, as Brian would say.

Andrew: How long did the sessions last, and was their curtailment in any way due to the upcoming Pet Sounds 40th anniversary shows ?

Scott: They started with a three month burst, and then a few months revising lyrics and arrangements, then Brian and I felt we could use some fresh ears to help string the piece together, and who better than Darian, who did such a great job on BWPS ? The last step was getting Paul Mertens to really do proper string and horn arrangements. They both added so much to the final album. Darian came up with the idea of having “Been Too Long” bridge the mood gap between “Oxygen” and “Midnight” and it saved the end flow, and Paul’s orchestral additions were just beautiful. When we were mixing, Mike Corcoran (who was in my LA band with Brett Simons) and I loved listening to just the strings and horns. I hope to do some mixes of band, orchestra and vocals etc. down the road.

Andrew: Now it’s early 2007 – I’ve been told by a reliable source that Brian’s first attempt for the South Bank Centre commission lasted under ten minutes, had little if anything to do with TLOS and wasn’t received at all well by the “management”. Were you aware of this in any way ?

Scott: No, but I was aware of a minimum length when we were putting it together, and by the time we were doing that, we had too much material.

Andrew: When did Brian get back to you with the notion of using some of the 2006 demos for TLOS, and how much extra recording was done to get the tracks into a usable form ? How many of the demos were used from ’06 ?
Scott: We had a bunch of fun songs, some covers etc. when Brian asked if I thought we could use some of the material for this project. I said, “absolutely, but we’ll need some ballads and some artier, heavier stuff”. He agreed, and we came up with “Midnight”, “Southern California”, “Forever My Surfer Girl”, and he and Van Dyke did a few songs.
“Angels In Love” and “Isn’t It Just Like Me And You” didn’t make the cut, but “Live Let Live” with it’s eco-friendly message fit into the California vibe.

Andrew: How did you feel about Van Dyke coming on board for the narratives and the one song ? Were any of your lyrics a concious attempt to emulate his renowned wordplay ? 

Scott: I wish we had more involvement from Van Dyke. I’ve been a wordplay fan since I first started writing. I’m a big Elvis Costello fan, and I love when a lyric has several meanings. for that matter, I love when a lyric can be interpreted however the listener wants. That said, I would have been even more cryptic and clever on this album, but I wanted it to be appropriate for Brian at 65 years old

Andrew: “Midnight” is just staggeringly beautiful, probably the best new work Brian has done since the early 70s – what was your role in creating such a gem ? Scott: We traded seats at the piano until we had a cool intro-outro, verse pre-chorus, chorus and bridge. We knew it was special and spiritual, and after Brian showed me his lyric ideas for “Oxygen”, I knew it would be OK to write the introspective words that this song needed. Also, we had a lot of catchy, upbeat songs, and if we were to make a balanced album we needed a couple heavy, emotional ballads.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 2

Scott Totten
The New Musical Director for The Touring Beach Boys
talks with Val Johnson-Howe

 

VJH: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Scott.  I know the members of Beach Boys Britain would love to know more about the person who has turned the current Beach Boys shows around.  Those of us who have been at the 2008 shows were delighted with the sound. So, please tell us, how did Scott Totten arrive at- where he is now?

Thank you!  The positive response on the boards and from fans who really know the music has been the greatest reward this past year.  My bandmates are an incredible group of musicians and singers.  We worked very hard last year in preparing for the UK tour.   And it was so inspiring to see Mike pick out all those amazing songs, he’s really proud of the library of music that he and the guys made.  Bruce has always been so generous with his great ears, great memories and great advice.   And what a thrill it was to have David with us, I’ve told him that when he’s onstage with us, I close my eyes and I feel like I’m living inside the record.
As for my “arrival”-do you mean how did I get in the band?  It’s one of those funny stories.  I had just got off the road with a show and was kind of returning to Los Angeles after living on the East Coast for 15 years.  A guitar player friend of mine, Ross Bolton, left me a message on his way out of town that the Beach Boys were looking for a guitar player.

Now just 3 weeks earlier my wife and I had seen Brian and his amazing band at the Hollywood Bowl, and on our way out after the show I said “that’s my dream job!”.

Ross didn’t give me any phone number to call, or contact name and being as he was traveling, I couldn’t get back in touch with him to find anything out.  So I called Capitol Records in Hollywood.  Of course you can’t actually get a human on the phone so I pushed #3 for catalog and then picked one of the extensions by random and left some lady a message.  I was shocked when she called me back the next day and gave me Eliott Lott’s fax number.  A few days later I got a call asking me for a CD with my guitar playing and some singing.

Now you have to remember I thought they were looking for a guitar player, but it turns out they were looking for a falsetto singer!!!!!!  I was asked to sub for Adrian during Christmas 2000.  I’m sure it was painful for everyone.  But then when Phil Bardowell needed to sub out  a show, Mike told him to call me, this was Feb 2001, and  then again in April.  At that time Phil said he wanted to take some time off to record a solo album.   While we were in Europe, Phil called again and said he wanted to pursue his music permanently.  So it’s been 8 years – I think I got the gig, I mean no one has ever told me to stop showing up!

Feb 2001, and  then again in April.  At that time Phil said he wanted to take some time off to record a solo album.   While we were in Europe, Phil called again and said he wanted to pursue his music permanently.  So it’s been 8 years – I think I got the gig, I mean no one has ever told me to stop showing up!

VJH: am not sure people know very much about your history, so maybe you’d like to tell us?

I’m a Southern California boy.  I was actually born on the same day that the Beach Boys first album came out.  At first I was pre-law when I started college but switched over to music.  Then I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston.  Later,  I moved to NYC and did the “original band” thing (which for most of us means working really hard for 2 years for no money, and then just when you are getting noticed the band breaks up), as well as playing on TV commercials and theme songs, a few albums and lots of “subbing” (“depping” in the West End) on Broadway shows.  In 1993 I was hired to play guitar 1 on The Who’s Tommy.  I was also a musical advisor on the London production. I also toured with other shows as well, such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.  The last show I toured with was Rent, for nearly 3 years.  I’ve been pretty much on the road since 1993!

VJH: What are your musical influences – and why?

I listened to rock and pop from an early age, of course the Beatles and Beach Boys are ingrained in my DNA.  I grew up in So. Cal, so the Beach Boys were always a steady diet.  I remember being a teenager and holding that big album cover to ENDLESS SUMMER and looking at all the crazy drawings, listening to the beauty and pain in “Wendy” and “Let Him Run Wild”.  Aching for someone that didn’t want you.

Jimi Hendrix is my all-time favorite guitar player.  He never ceases to amaze I am not sure people know very much about your history, so maybe you’d like to tell us?

I’m a Southern California boy.  I was actually born on the same day that the Beach Boys first album came out.  At first I was pre-law when I started college but switched over to music.  Then I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston.  Later,  I moved to NYC and did the “original band” thing (which for most of us means working really hard for 2 years for no money, and then just when you are getting noticed the band breaks up), as well as playing on TV commercials and theme songs, a few albums and lots of “subbing” (“depping” in the West End) on Broadway shows.  In 1993 I was hired to play guitar 1 on The Who’s Tommy.  I was also a musical advisor on the London production. I also toured with other shows as well, such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.  The last show I toured with was Rent, for nearly 3 years.  I’ve been pretty much on the road since 1993!

VJH: What are your musical influences – and why?

I listened to rock and pop from an early age, of course the Beatles and Beach Boys are ingrained in my DNA.  I grew up in So. Cal, so the Beach Boys were always a steady diet.  I remember being a teenager and holding that big album cover to ENDLESS SUMMER and looking at all the crazy drawings, listening to the beauty and pain in “Wendy” and “Let Him Run Wild”.  Aching for someone that didn’t want you.

Jimi Hendrix is my all-time favorite guitar player.  He never ceases to amaze me, even to this day.  And I have almost as many Hendrix boots as Beach Boys!

Bacharach, Motown, Blues, Jazz and too much to mention, the list is nearly endless.

When I was a kid I listened to KHJ in Los Angeles…and they would play a Supremes song, then Three Dog Night, then The Doors, then The Archies.  It wasn’t as segmented as things are today.

At college I studied jazz harmony and also traditional composition, so I was exposed to lots of great music from Pachelbel to Miles.

VJH: When did you first realise that you wanted to become a musician and was there one particular turning point?

I played clarinet in grade school, but that didn’t impress the girls.  I started playing guitar when I was in high school, but that didn’t impress the girls either.  So I was going to become a lawyer (I can be very argumentative, just ask Cowsill), but I was taking music classes at the same time.  I found that the music classes were rather easy for me, whereas the law classes were a bit boring.  My music teachers encouraged me to apply to Berklee.

VJH: Are there any favourite places that you have visited and also favourite places where you have played?

The most musically satisfying shows I have done with the band were in the UK.  Not only the 04 and 08 tours, but back on 2000 when we opened for the Quo – when we played Liverpool the crowd was so enthusiastic and loud, I thought that must have been what it was like to be in the Beatles.

Of course anytime we play Hawaii is a highlight.  Biarritz was amazing.  I have been to so many great places with the Beach Boys that I never would have seen, it’s incredible!

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 2

 

BOB LIZIK – THE BASS PLAYER WHO MADE US ALL SMiLE –
Bob talks to Val Johnson-Howe…

VJH: Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Bob. We are very honoured!   I’d like to start by asking about the life and times of Bob Lizik.  Where did you grow up, did you come from a musical family and what musical influences did you have at the time?

BOB: Thanks for asking. I grew up in Chicago, on the southwest side. It was a blue collar neighborhood  called Bridgeport. Mostly factory workers. My mother and father owned a grocery store, and we lived in the house behind the store.
My mother’s side of the family was very musical. Several uncles, and cousins played instruments, and my brother played trumpet. When I was about 6 years old, I wanted to play an instrument, so my parents got me an accordion, and I started taking lessons. When I was about 13, I wanted to be in a band, and there was no need for an accordion player.They needed a bass player, so I started playing bass.
I don’t really know what my influences were at that time. As a kid, I listened to a lot of big bands, because that’s what was around the house. As a teenager I was listening to the rock stations, and really liked rhythm and blues.

VJH: What attracted you to playing bass – and why? (I remember that you took the time, during one of the conversations we had backstage, to explain to me about your five string bass and making the music “authentic”, which I found fascinating!). 

BOB: Well, I think I answered part of the question in my first answer. The band needed a bass player, so I became a bass player. I really got into it. My teacher at the time, ( he was also my accordion teacher), helped me a great deal. He exposed me to all different bass players, and styles. He got me excited about bass.

VJH: Who are your musical “heroes” and why? Also, who was your greatest teacher? 

BOB: Musical heroes huh? I guess James Jamerson would be high on the list. Probably because without knowing who he was a  the time, I was greatly influenced by his style of playing. Back then, they didn’t list the musicians on the album credits. So you didn’t know who was on one track or another. The same goes for Carol Kaye. I didn’t know all the tracks she was on until years later. My greatest teacher was the one that taught me accordion, and bass. His name was Harry Grebb, and he had the biggest influence on me being a musician. By the way, his son Marty was the keyboard player in the Buckinghams, and went on to work with Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, and several other artists.
VJH: What was your very first job as a musician? Have you ever had any other jobs and what were they?

BOB: My first job was playing at a wedding when I was 12. I played accordion in the band. I feel sorry for whoever’s wedding that was. When I started playing bass, we did all the local school dances, and parties. I had 2 other jobs. After high school I wanted to go to music school, but my parents didn’t want me to. So I went to a business college for 1 semester and  quit. I got a job in the mail room at Borg and  Warner . I worked there for a couple of years and went to music school in Chicago.
My second job was as a runner at the Chicago Board of Trade. I was a junior in college, and I had just gotten married, so I needed something. I worked there for a year.

VJH: How familiar were you with the music of Brian Wilson, before you joined the Brian Wilson band?

BOB: I knew the early Beach Boy hits. Probably the first 4 or 5 albums. I wasn’t that familiar with things after that.

VJH: What was it like to be on tour with Brian Wilson – what were the lows and the highs?
BOB: It was great. Brian’s a blast, and the band is fabulous. There were not that many lows. The lows were more personal things. The highs, let’s see playing for the Queens Anniversary, Carnegie Hall, Glastonbury, Pet Sounds and Smile at RFH. There’s a lot of highs.

VJH: Did you all socialise very much as a band (I am thinking of Taylor’s comments on stage, the times you were introducing one another and she would say that you were all like one big, happy family?)  and were you closer to some band members than others?

BOB: Taylor’s comments were spot on. The band really was like a family. I love and respect every single member. Best band in the world,period. Sometimes we’d hang in a big group, and other times we’d be

in smaller groups. I think I was close to Taylor, and of course Jim. I’d hand with Taylor an Ky, our tour manager, a lot.

VJH: Do you have a particular favourite Brian Wilson song?

BOB: Probably “Warmth of the Sun”. I have a lot of songs I love. God Only Knows, Don’t Worry Baby , Surf’s Up, the list goes on and on. But Warmth of the Sun goes back to my younger days, and brings back some good memories. VJH: Would you say that the first night of SMiLE (the very first performance of SMIiLE, Febraury 2004) was one of the scariest gigs and can you tell me about your feelings on that night?
BOB: I wouldn’t say it was one of the scariest gigs we ever did. The build up, and the anticipation was at a extremely high level, but it wasn’t scary. I remember we were all hoping that Brian would be alright.  I felt confident that it would be well received. From the opening of Our Prayer, I knew it would be great.  It was especially rewarding to see Brian’s reaction at the end. It was like a big weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

VJH: What are your thoughts on Brian Wilson?  Was he
someone you could call a friend?
BOB: I love Brian.  He’s a great guy, and the world is a better place because of his music. I was very lucky to be part of  the band for so long, and participate in playing such wonderful music. I certainly would call him a friend, and I hope he considers me a friend.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 3

 

 

 
BOB: Thanks for asking. I grew up in Chicago, on the southwest side. It was a blue collar neighborhood  called Bridgeport. Mostly factory workers. My mother and father owned a grocery store, and we lived in the house behind the store.
My mother’s side of the family was very musical. Several uncles, and cousins played instruments, and my brother played trumpet. When I was about 6 years old, I wanted to play an instrument, so my parents got me an accordion, and I started taking lessons. When I was about 13, I wanted to be in a band, and there was no need for an accordion player.They needed a bass player, so I started playing bass.
I don’t really know what my influences were at that time. As a kid, I listened to a lot of big bands, because that’s what was around the house. As a teenager I was listening to the rock stations, and really liked rhythm and blues.

VJH: What attracted you to playing bass – and why? (I remember that you took the time, during one of the conversations we had backstage, to explain to me about your five string bass and making the music “authentic”, which I found fascinating!). 

BOB: Well, I think I answered part of the question in my first answer. The band needed a bass player, so I became a bass player. I really got into it. My teacher at the time, ( he was also my accordion teacher), helped me a great deal. He exposed me to all different bass players, and styles. He got me excited about bass.

VJH: Who are your musical “heroes” and why? Also, who was your greatest teacher?

BOB: Musical heroes huh? I guess James Jamerson would be high on the list. Probably because without knowing who he was a  the time, I was greatly influenced by his style of playing. Back then, they didn’t list the musicians on the album credits. So you didn’t know who was on one track or another. The same goes for Carol Kaye. I didn’t know all the tracks she was on until years later. My greatest teacher was the one that taught me accordion, and bass. His name was Harry Grebb, and he had the biggest influence on me being a musician. By the way, his son Marty was the keyboard player in the Buckinghams, and went on to work with Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, and several other artists.
VJH: What was your very first job as a musician? Have you ever had any other jobs and what were they?

BOB: My first job was playing at a wedding when I was 12. I played accordion in the band. I feel sorry for whoever’s wedding that was. When I started playing bass, we did all the local school dances, and parties. I had 2 other jobs. After high school I wanted to go to music school, but my parents didn’t want me to. So I went to a business college for 1 semester and  quit. I got a job in the mail room at Borg and  Warner . I worked there for a couple of years and went to music school in Chicago.
My second job was as a runner at the Chicago Board of Trade. I was a junior in college, and I had just gotten married, so I needed something. I worked there for a year.

VJH: How familiar were you with the music of Brian Wilson, before you joined the Brian Wilson band?

BOB: I knew the early Beach Boy hits. Probably the first 4 or 5 albums. I wasn’t that familiar with things after that.

VJH: What was it like to be on tour with Brian Wilson – what were the lows and the highs?
BOB: It was great. Brian’s a blast, and the band is fabulous. There were not that many lows. The lows were more personal things. The highs, let’s see playing for the Queens Anniversary, Carnegie Hall, Glastonbury, Pet Sounds and Smile at RFH. There’s a lot of highs.

VJH: Did you all socialise very much as a band (I am thinking of Taylor’s comments on stage, the times you were introducing one another and she would say that you were all like one big, happy family?)  and were you closer to some band members than others?

BOB: Taylor’s comments were spot on. The band really was like a family. I love and respect every single member. Best band in the world,period. Sometimes we’d hang in a big group, and other times we’d be

in smaller groups. I think I was close to Taylor, and of course Jim. I’d hand with Taylor an Ky, our tour manager, a lot.

VJH: Do you have a particular favourite Brian Wilson song?

BOB: Probably “Warmth of the Sun”. I have a lot of songs I love. God Only Knows, Don’t Worry Baby , Surf’s Up, the list goes on and on. But Warmth of the Sun goes back to my younger days, and brings back some good memories. VJH: Would you say that the first night of SMiLE (the very first performance of SMIiLE, Febraury 2004) was one of the scariest gigs and can you tell me about your feelings on that night?
BOB: I wouldn’t say it was one of the scariest gigs we ever did. The build up, and the anticipation was at a extremely high level, but it wasn’t scary. I remember we were all hoping that Brian would be alright.  I felt confident that it would be well received. From the opening of Our Prayer, I knew it would be great.  It was especially rewarding to see Brian’s reaction at the end. It was like a big weight had been lifted from his shoulders.


VJH: What are your thoughts on Brian Wilson?  Was he
someone you could call a friend?
BOB: I love Brian.  He’s a great guy, and the world is a better place because of his music. I was very lucky to be part of  the band for so long, and participate in playing such wonderful music. I certainly would call him a friend, and I hope he considers me a friend.

Interview Extract from Beach Boys Britain Issue Vol 10 No 3