Photo by Howard Greenblatt
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.
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 . . .
Introducing Alan Jardine
Phil Miglioratti • www.PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com
·
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.
Al is doing a few more shows this month -- if any of these are in your area, you would do yourself well to check them out!
Saturday April 7
Rio Theatre
Santa Cruz, CA
Click here for ticket info
Sunday April 8
The Chapel
San Francisco, CA
Click here for ticket info
Thursday June 7
Egyptian Theatre
Park City, UT
Click here for ticket info
Friday June 8
Egyptian Theatre
Park City, UT
Click here for ticket info
Saturday June 9
Egyptian Theatre
Park City, UT
Click here for ticket info
Sunday June 10
Egyptian Theatre
Park City, UT
Click here for ticket info
Friday June 15
The Cave
Big Bear, CA
Click here for ticket info
Saturday June 16
Coach House
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Click here for ticket info
Phil (center) with Matt (L) and Al (R) Jardine
Let me start by saying this was my first time at the City Winery in Chicago. What a great place to see a
show. It feels like a throwback to the supper clubs of old. You can have dinner and cocktails (wine being
their specialty) right at your table. The wait staff was very attentive and always courteous. The sound and
acoustics in the club are also excellent. Now on to the performance.
The group consisted of Al Jardine, his son Matt and the fellow who produced the show, Jeff Alan Ross. He did an excellent job with video and photo montages, which I believe even surprised Al. I was expecting a show of Al’s solo cd so I was pleasantly surprised that the show was 99% Beach Boys songs.
Beach Boys songs are all about harmonies. Well,these three guys did an outstanding job. Al still sounds great. The unsung star for me of this show was
his son Matt Matt did an impeccable job of doing Brian Wilson and Carl Wilson’s vocal parts. He is what
made this show sound like a Beach Boys show.
Singing harmonies is one thing, but when you try and do
a complex song like “Good Vibrations,” it is much more difficult. These three guys with two instruments did an outstanding job. There was plenty of great storytelling and banter between the group and the audience. They performed a great selection of Beach Boys hits ... as many as you can in a two-hour show.
The one song they did from Al’s solo cd was a tribute to Glen Campbell. Again Matt did an excellent job of singing Glen’s part. It was a fun filled two-hour show.
Al and Matt were also very cordial after the show, signing autographs and taking pictures with the fans.
I would definitely go and see this show again and if it was at the City Winery, then all the better.
ART WALICKI
Art (R) and Al (L), after the show
Al is doing a few more shows this month -- if any of these are in your area, you would do yourself well to check them out!
Saturday April 7
Rio Theatre
Santa Cruz, CA
Click here for ticket info
Sunday April 8
The Chapel
San Francisco, CA
Click here for ticket info
Thursday June 7
Egyptian Theatre
Park City, UT
Click here for ticket info
Friday June 8
Egyptian Theatre
Park City, UT
Click here for ticket info
Saturday June 9
Egyptian Theatre
Park City, UT
Click here for ticket info
Sunday June 10
Egyptian Theatre
Park City, UT
Click here for ticket info
Friday June 15
The Cave
Big Bear, CA
Click here for ticket info
Saturday June 16
Coach House
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Click here for ticket info
