Al Jardine Concert Review
Al Jardine Concert • April 2, 2018 • City Winery, Chicago
Phil Miglioratti • phil@prayforsurf.net • PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com
THANKS! Kent, for the opportunity to attend the Al Jardine concert and submit a review to you for Forgotten Hits. It was also special in that my daughter (whom I’ve dragged to BB concerts all her life) was visiting and attended with me. MUCH fun.
This life-long (69 last November!) Beach Boys fan got to see / hear the band’s least known and most underrated original member. Mike was tall and pranced. Brian was, well, a genius. Carl had the best voice in rock. Dennis: sex symbol. David is also less known but left the group before they became globally famous. Alan? Not tall, played rhythm (not lead or bass) guitar, and stayed out of trouble.
So, this tour, for many Beach Boys fans, is an introduction to Alan Jardine.
My personal introduction . . .
Alan graciously met me for breakfast (an unknown-to-him fan) after their 1966 Chicago concert ... I’m sure I was so star struck I forgot to pay for his meal as a way of thanking him for his time and their great music. [No recollection of how I knew his contact info?!?]
Our Beach Boys fan club received recognition from WCFL radio, even though the club membership was only me and another fanatic (we called the station so often the DJs thought we had scores of members, which got us backstage passes) which may have connected us to Beach Boys manager Steve Korthoff, who twice provided us with complimentary tickets to their concerts. Surprisingly a year or two later, he gave me a set of five Beach Boys worn-in-concert shirts that I shared with other club members. Mine has the initials A. J. on the label and a laundry imprint (“KORT”) on the inside back collar.
Surprisingly a year or two later, he gave me a set of
five Beach Boys worn-in-concert shirts that I shared with other club members.
Mine has the initials A. J. on the label and a laundry imprint (“KORT”) on the
inside back collar.
Alan has only recently begun to receive the acclaim due him for his role in the
Beach Boys across the decades. He penned several very good songs, gave the
Beach Boys several timely singles, and provided his signature vocals (which he
maintains to this day) on more singles and deep cuts than most realize.Undervalued?
It is near unbelievable the photo shoot for “Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)”
went on while he was sick in bed (can you imagine a Beatles album with John,
Paul, George, and no Ringo?). On “Beach Boys Concert” [1964] his guitar lick,
as Mike introduced each member of the band one-by-one, was mixed out in the
released version; no sound). No respect. But for many, this tour is helping
fans reimagine Al Jardine.
A more formal introduction . . .
·
Instrumental (pun intended) in the rehearsals
that led to the recording of the Beach Boys first hit “Surfin’” on Candix
Records [1961]
·
First lead vocal was “Christmas Day” on the Beach Boys’
Christmas album [1964]
·
Sang lead on “Help Me Ronda” (Beach Boys’ Today album)
and the revved-up #1 hit remake “Help Me Rhonda” (Summer Days (and Summer
Nights!!) album [1965]
·
Stunning lead vocal on “Then I Kissed Her” (also on
Summer Days) [1965]
·
Collaborated with Brian Wilson on shimmering “Sloop
John B” adaptation of the folk tune “Wreck of the John B” [1966]
·
Brought us “Cotton Fields,” the better-produced,
single-version of the “Cottonfields” album cut on the Beach Boys final Capitol
album, 20/20 [1969]
·
Co-wrote with Mike Love “Don’t Go Near The Water,” an
early Beach Boys save-our-environment message song [1971]
·
Co-wrote with Brian Wilson and Mike Love the
gospel-style, gospel-message “He Come Down” (on Carl and the Passions – “So
Tough” album) [1972]
·
Wrote two-thirds of the “California Saga” (“The Beaks
of Eagles and “California”) for the band’s Holland album [1973]
·
Wrote “Susie Cincinnati,” a 70’s version of a car song
(a grown-up “Little Deuce Coupe”?) [1978]
·
His love of doo-wop resulted in the Beach Boys cover of
The Del-Vikings’ “Come Go With Me” on their M.I.U. album [1978]
·
He toured as ‘Beach Boys Family and Friends’ ... sued
by Brother Records ... released Live in Las Vegas with Al Jardine,
Family & Friends, a recreation of Beach Boys songs [2001]
·
A Postcard From California was
Jardine’s first solo album [2010]
·
Alan has toured with Brian Wilson on the Pet Sounds
Tour and reunited with the Beach Boys for their 50th Anniversary
Reunion Tour
The songs (set list) . . .Surfin’,
Surfin Safari, Surfer Girl, Don’t Worry Baby, I Get Around / Little Deuce
Couple medley, Californai Girls, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, Looking At
Tomorrow, Vega Tables, Heroes & Villains, California, Postcard from
California, and encores Surfin USA, Barbara Ann, Help Me Rhonda
The slides . . .Al’s team did an excellent job of showing while he was
telling (stories and songs) the story of the Beach Boys. Photos took us from
the 60’s through the many phases of their career. Photos; most of which I had
seen before. But this time, with Al alone on stage, his face, not surprisingly,
leapt out of each group shot. About 2/3 of the way through the concert, a
slight revision of the Murry Wison album came to mind: “The Many Face of Alan
Jardine.” This two dimensional character sprung to life. Singing hard onstage -
Serious concentration in the studio - Silly hats (somehow fashionable at the
time) - Smiles and laughter. Never an expendable or replaceable member of
“America’s most popular band” (AL told us the Maharishi asked this question to
the Beatles; you know their answer).
The stories . . .Al reminisced, recounted, rambled, but I loved every
minute of it. Whether you were hearing these stories for the first time, or,
like me had read them dozens of times (with as many versions!), hearing them
live from one who lived in those moments was a wonder-filled experience.
·
Audio clip from 1961 home recording (around the time of
“Surfin’” rehearsals): “This is the voice of Dennis Wilson... (followed by
their home address)”
·
Al’s rambling story of their Labor Day weekend jam that
led to the Candix recording session
·
“Surfer Girl:” Brian’s failing grade in music class for
songwriting was finally changed to an “A” this year
·
Al lit-up when explaining how Carl plugged his new 12
string guitar directly into the sound board in the studio for the intro of
“California Girls”
·
He sang some of the lyrics he wrote for his children’s
book, a pirate-make-over of “Sloop John B”
·
Insider stories of how Brian would always run his ideas
by brother Carl before presenting them to the group ... which caused Al to
learn how to play piano ... which enabled him to introduce Brian to what became
the Beach Boys version of Sloop John B
·
The “blue collar / Bessie Smith blues” background on
“Looking At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)”
·
Why they had the recording studio floor and walls
covered in plastic while recording “Vega Tables”
·
“If anyone has pictures of this, let us know” said Al’s
manager / keyboardist after Al recounted the Beatles knocking on his hotel door
after they played a UNICEF gig in Paris (“We had to follow a performance by the
Red Army Choir ... with the Beatles sitting in the front row ... not too
intimidating!”)
·
A tender spotlight on Glen Campbell and how he asked Al
to switch guitars (bass / rhythm) so he could concentrate on the replicating
Brian’s vocals onstage
Al rambled and needed some redirecting from his son
Matt. It was wonderful.
Somehow we (my daughter, myself AND Kent Kotal!) became
the front of the after-show
autograph line – My opportunity to say “thank
you” to someone who, especially after tonight,
feels like a friend.
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