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I always knew that Dennis Wilson was the drummer for his brother's band, The Beach Boys, and was shocked to notice that session musicians were brought into the studio to record drum tracks - Dennis was not used for songs like Sloop John B., Wouldn't It Be Nice, and California Girls, to name a few. Hal Blaine performed on drums.
What, didn't Brian Wilson like his brother's drumming? It seems to me that The Beach Boys were marketed as a "family group" (with little brother Carl in there, too, doing backing vocals), but it was just a facade. It must have made Dennis feel like sh*t, knowing he wasn't a part of the hits that played on the radio.
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(side-question)
In 1975, Beach Boy Bruce Johnston wrote "I Write The Songs", which became a #1 hit for Barry Manilow. It would have been a real pretty song if The Beach Boys had recorded it...it might have rejuvinated their stalled career, so why on Earth didn't Johnston try and record it with the band?
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Tim Tucker
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
I think by the mid '60s, Brian Wilson's musical ambitions were outstripping the musicianship of the Beach Boys, so he had to bring in studio musicians for his recordings. Also, Brian wasn't touring, so he was back in LA in the studio creating while the rest of the band played concerts.
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
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Originally Posted by Tim Tucker
I think by the mid '60s, Brian Wilson's musical ambitions were outstripping the musicianship of the Beach Boys, so he had to bring in studio musicians for his recordings. Also, Brian wasn't touring, so he was back in LA in the studio creating while the rest of the band played concerts.
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Especially at that time, 2 out of 3 of those are all "Pet Sounds" session numbers. The session outtakes to those are amazing to hear, I recommend the 4 disc boxset.
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
Even though it goes without saying, I'm going to say it anyway. Pet Sounds on DVD-A is also incredible.
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
It's amazing what trouble I can get into just browsing these threads.
I've decided I need more versions of, "Surfer Girl".
Jan & Dean, who probably recorded it first, are already in the collection.
There's a version by Shelby Lynne on a DVD.
Got to have that since I already own all her CDs.
It's a full life.
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
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Originally Posted by Henry Gale
I've decided I need more versions of, "Surfer Girl".
Jan & Dean, who probably recorded it first, are already in the collection.
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I doubt it, since it was a Brian Wilson original. The only song that Brian gave away (much to his father Murry's chagrin) was
Surf City in 1963, which went to No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
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Originally Posted by buttmunker
I doubt it, since it was a Brian Wilson original. The only song that Brian gave away (much to his father Murry's chagrin) was Surf City in 1963, which went to No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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Yeah, that was sloppy and I just made it up, which is why I threw in the word "probably".
But, who did Brian give
Surf City to???
Jan & Dean, and Dean wrote some of those lyrics.
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
Its amazing that, of all the Wilsons, Brian is the one that is still alive. Brian was the first to have severe problems - not just with drugs, but with his mental health, yet his brother Dennis died in 1983 in a drowning accident (there's not much that was revealed about that one), and his brother Carl died of cancer in the 1990's (too much smoking).
Al Jardaine, Mike Love, and Brian Wilson remain. However, Brian Wilson still will not join his cousin Mike Love when he tours as The Beach Boys. Brian remains solo, despite the fact that he is The Beach Boys. Ah, well...
"The power of love will keep you home at night" -Huey Lewis & The News
"I give in to sin because you have to make this life liveable" -Depeche Mode
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
The problem I have with that album is that Dennis himself has panned it, saying essentially it was not that good, but that his later album would be ten times better.
I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I think I will have to read some reviews by customers of that album to be sure it is worthy of a listen.
"The power of love will keep you home at night" -Huey Lewis & The News
"I give in to sin because you have to make this life liveable" -Depeche Mode
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Re: THE BEACH BOYS - Dennis Wilson not used as drummer on studio recordings!
I heard a song with Dennis on vocals - a Beach Boy song from the old days: a cover of Do You Wanna Dance, and while the vocal was interesting from the perspective that it was Dennis himself singing, I thought it was sub-par compared to Mike Love or even Carl or Brian himself.
"The power of love will keep you home at night" -Huey Lewis & The News
"I give in to sin because you have to make this life liveable" -Depeche Mode
