(NOTE: all photos courtesy Jeff McEvoy)
Faithful fans of Forgotten Hits already know that I have been singing the praises of Al Jardine’s solo shows for YEARS now … as far as I’m concerned, he has been putting on the most faithful, authentic and realistic tribute to the music of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys for the past two decades.
So when word came down that after Brian's death, Al would be taking over the responsibility of fronting Brian Wilson’s incredible back-up band (now newly christened as The Pet Sounds Band) … and seeing the rather disgraceful representation that Mike Love (who owns the rights to The Beach Boys’ name) has been doing for several years now … I was thrilled … and couldn’t wait to see them.
And THEN, when I was told that I would have the opportunity to interview Al about it, naturally I jumped at the chance! (Very special thanks to Spud, Al’s Main Man, when it comes to this sort of thing!) This is ESPECIALLY timely since Al and the Band are performing here locally this weekend.
Just some quick background here, please … and I will do my very best not to sound like your typical “fan boy” … but the music of The Beach Boys has been a part of my life since the very first day they began creating and sharing it with us.
That being said, I have seen some variation of The Beach Boys, whether it be the full band or solo variations thereof, probably at least thirty times over the years. This includes solo shows by Al, Brian and Carl dating back to the mid-‘70’s.
For the past 27 years, I have published Forgotten Hits, an online oldies music newsletter and forum and for the past two decades I have often made mention about Al’s voice being the strongest when it came to representing the band’s music. Mike can barely eek out a whisper these days and even when he does, he seems to have real difficulty with staying in tune. And, despite all his genius, Brian didn’t even seem present at some of the concerts I’ve seen. But Al has consistently presented the music in strong voice and in an entertaining fashion, whether it be at a City Winery show with just his son, a Beach Boys Family and Friends tour with Wendy and Carnie Wilson, or as a member of Brian Wilson’s band. So the thought of seeing Al now FRONTING Brian Wilson’s band, newly christened as The Pet Sounds Band, is quite an exciting prospect for me.
Al Jardine and The Pet Sounds Band will be appearing here locally this weekend, first at The Arcada Theatre this Saturday (8/22) at 3 pm and then at The Des Plaines Theatre on Sunday (8/23) at 5 pm.
Tickets are still available for both shows and I hope some of you “locals” out there will join me for these concert events.
Going into this project, I wanted to steer my interview with Al down a slightly different path since nearly all of the interviews I read with him seem to focus on the same questions over and over again. My hope was that by going a little more in-depth, it might make it a bit more interesting not only for you, the reader, but for Al Jardine, too!
*****
KENT KOTAL / FORGOTTEN HITS: Losing Brian Wilson came as a huge blow to all of us … he impacted our lives in so many ways that I can’t even imagine what it must have been like performing alongside him for so many years. In the latter years, were you assuming more of the vocals on stage to better present his music in a live environment? Was it just a natural progression that you would take over the reigns after his passing?
AL JARDINE: Actually, it was my son Matt [Jardine] taking over Brian’s
vocal parts and he’s been doing that since The Beach Boys days! And yeah, you
could say it was a natural progression that I would take over the reigns
because I had Brian’s blessing to take his band back out on tour before he
passed.
kk: I can’t think of any assembly of musicians that have better portrayed Brian’s musical vision on stage than his current band. Every intricacy and delicacy are performed with precision and perfection down to the most complicated musical phrases. What does it feel like to step out on stage with these guys, knowing that without question they all have your back and will allow you to perform to the best of your ability each and every night?
AJ: When I step out on stage, I literally feel like I’m back in the
recording studio … but this time in front of a live audience. There’s a reason
why Brian said in the late 90’s that if he had the guys in the Wondermints
around in 1967, he would have taken SMiLE out on the road!
kk: Now that the tour has
resumed, can we expect any “surprise guests” along the way? Blondie
Chaplain performed numerous shows with you and Brian … and The Wilson Sisters
have been part of your “Friends And Family” shows for ages. Any surprises
we can look forward to?
AJ:
That is one of my fondest wishes, that we could bring everyone back on stage
again together. Thanks for the suggestion, we’ll just have to see and as far as
surprises go, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you (laughs). But so far,
we’ve had Weird Al, Eric Idle, Dewey Bunnell of America, David Marks, The Lemon
Twigs and Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, who sang a beautiful version of “Let’s Put
Our Hearts Together” at the United Theater LA show with our percussionist Jim
[Laspesa] from The Pet Sounds Band!
kk: What was the inspiration for including selections from the “Beach Boys Love You” album this time around? It has never really been considered a Beach Boys classic … and to showcase it alongside selections from a true masterpiece like “Pet Sounds” would almost seem to me to show even more so “Love You”’s weaknesses when contrast against a work that today is considered one of the finest recordings ever made.
AJ: I thought it was a great reason for putting Brian’s band back together and Darian Sahanaja told me that it would be a great success and that the fans would go crazy if they heard those songs live. I actually seduced Darian to learn and perform the Love You album because we talked about that for many years. Thank you, Darian!
[EDITOR’S NOTE: 2027 will mark the 50th
anniversary of this album’s original release … and last year a special Box Set (“We
Gotta Grove”: The Brother Years”) was released, highlighting not only the “Love
You” album but also “15 Big Ones” and the previously unreleased (but heavily
bootlegged) “Adult/Child” album. My
guess is these releases were also a factor in the decision to spotlight “Love
You” this time around. – kk]
kk: My personal favorite Beach Boys album is
“Sunflower,” which I have always felt has been highly underrated over the
years. For me, this was the moment that the rest of the band stepped
forward, acknowledging Brian’s limited capacity to participate, and said “We’re
going to make the best album we can, showcasing the entire band.” (I, for
one, would LOVE to see “Sunflower” performed in its entirety some day!)
AJ: I agree and that’s always a possibility. We should always be
planning a new setlist every year and looking ahead, we can do that in 2030 for
the 60th anniversary of Sunflower!
kk: Going back to “Pet Sounds” for a minute, I’ve always been under the impression that when you guys came back from tour, Brian had the whole album essentially recorded and ready to go and was just waiting to put your voices on it. In hindsight, he could have released what perhaps could have been the greatest solo album of all time and forever changed the course of history … but he wasn’t thinking that way at the time … his complete focus was on The Beach Boys and he used each of your voices as instruments to complete the sounds he heard in his head. These songs and this new direction must have been quite shocking to absorb at the time.
AJ: Shocking? Not really, we always expected Brian to write and produce great music for the next album. But he definitely took it to a whole new level with Pet Sounds!
kk: The Wondermints / Brian Wilson Band were able to resurrect the aborted “SMiLE” album in all its glory. What was it like for you, hearing this collected works brought to completion?
AJ: It sounded great and actually inspired ME to join Brian’s tour
in the mid-2000’s since he had this incredible band of musicians who know our
music inside out and perform it to such perfection.
kk: What
are some of your memories of the original sessions you did for this LP? At what point did you realize that Brian was
pulling the plug on this project? Did you see that as inevitable at the
time or did you feel the band should have kept working at it? (I remember
Carl making a comment that after “SMiLE” was shelved, the band had to scramble
to turn in a new album in time … and the ultimate result, “Smiley Smile,” was,
in his words, “a bunt instead of a home run.”
AJ: I knew Brian was pulling the plug on SMiLE when we built
our home studio in his house and stopped using the professional studios. I
don’t know if it was inevitable, but I love some of the songs that ended up on Smiley
Smile like “Vegetables,” “Little Pad” and the “Woody Woodpecker Symphony!”
kk: You have kept busy with new recordings.
Last year you released an EP called “Islands In The Sun.” (Fans can
listen here: https://www.aljardine.com/music
)
One of the tracks (“My Plane Leaves Tomorrow”) features guest appearances by Neil Young and Flea of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Your previous release (“A Postcard From California”) featured guest appearances by Stephen Stills, David Crosby and Neil Young, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America, Steve Miller and, as you described it, a Beach Boys reunion of sorts, featuring guest vocal appearances from Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston (plus David Marks on guitar) as well as one of the last studio recordings of Carl Wilson.
It's great to see that you're still writing and recording
new material ... and are able to utilize some pretty credible sidemen!
AJ: Not
sure if there was a question there but thank you, Kent. “My Plane Leaves
Tomorrow” really stands out now because of what’s currently going on in the
Middle East. Neil Young and Flea really came through with some emotional parts,
on vocals and trumpet respectively, and we plan on releasing the Islands In
The Sun EP with extra tracks on CD and vinyl for Record Store Day.
kk: Oh, and before, I forget, Spud (who helped to set up this interview for us) told me to be sure to ask about your new version of “Ding Dang” … what’s the scoop? And where can we hear it???
AJ: I asked Brian if we could finish the song and he didn’t really
care so I decided we would rearrange it live on stage by adding a new verse for
the audience. And time permitting, you’ll hear it in Des Plaines on Sunday
August 23rd!
kk: Finally, as far back as the
early-to-mid ‘70’s … some 50+ years ago … Brian was saying that his vision
included creating a new younger, more exciting version of The Beach Boys to
take over the reigns once the band decided to retire. In this fashion,
they could keep the music fresh and alive for new generations to come.
(In fact, between all The Beach Boys’ offspring, a second and maybe even third
generation of Beach Boys could have been constructed over the passing years
just from family members and offspring alone!) Your sons Matt and Adam
have been involved with your music for years now. How do you foresee
keeping this music alive for another 50 or 60 years? Obviously, it’s
still vital … the houses are packed wherever it’s performed … can you foresee a
time when what is essentially “the family business” can be passed down for
future generations to enjoy? It’s a shame there has been so much bad
blood spilled over the years between the original members … is the “new generation”
enough of a tight knit bunch that they could pull off such a resurrection for
the good of the franchise?
AJ: I’ll
hand the reigns over to Matt [Jardine] and he has a son so maybe we can keep it
going into the 22nd century!
kk: Thanks, Al … I look forward to seeing you at The Des Plaines Theatre in August … maybe we can visit a little bit backstage before or after the show. (kk)
(NOTE: all photos courtesy Jeff McEvoy)
kk
Kent Kotal
Forgotten Hits
UPCOMING SHOWS:
SAT, Aug 22
The Arcada Theatre - St Charles, IL
SUN, Aug 23
Des Plaines Theatre - Des Plaines, IL
SAT, AUG 29
L.B. Day Amphitheatre - Oregon State
Fair - Salem, OR
SAT, Sept 5
Pangle Pavilion at the Greater Lima
Region Park & Amphitheater - Lima, OH
MON, Sept 7
Woodstock Fair - South Woodstock, CT
FRI, Sept 18
Boom Days – FREE SHOW - Fort
Payne, AL
SUN, Sept 20
The Auditorium - Eureka Springs, AR
SAT, Oct 10
Poway Center for the Performing Arts - Poway,
CA
SUN, Oct 11
Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
- Cerritos, CA
THU, Oct 22
The Soraya - Ca State University - Northridge,
CA
SAT, Oct 24
Bankhead Theater - Livermore, CA
