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T.A.M.I. Show: Restored Beach Boys Footage
East Coast Convention: ESQ Presents A "Pet Sounds Safari"
Brian Wilson: Companion DVD to That Lucky Old Sun
ESQ Private Engagement: Benefit featuring David Marks & Nelson Bragg
Jan Berry: Encomium In Memoriam Vol.1: Jan Berry of Jan & Dean (Review)
Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun
Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue, Bambu (Legacy Edition)
Jan & Dean: The Complete Liberty Singles - (Read the review)
The Beach Boys: U.S. Singles box set
Chris Farmer: California Dreamin'
T.A.M.I. Show - Teenage Awards Music International:
Restored Beach Boys Footage
The Beach Boys footage finally restored in its entirety to this Jan & Dean hosted theatrical release. Read David Beard's full review in the Spring edition of ESQ.
ESQ PRESENTS A "PET SOUNDS SAFARI" to benefit the Cornelius Animal Shelter
Highlights from the Sept. 11 & 12 event held at Midtown Sundries @ Lake Norman, Cornelius, NC and Homewood Suites in Davidson, NC:
All Photos © Daniel Coston Photgraphy, Gretchen Hale, and Buzzie Kelly
For more info. about the Cornelius Animal Shelter, go to: www.corneliusanimalshelter.com
BRIAN WILSON: COMPANION DVD to "That Lucky Old Sun"
Capitol/EMI will release a new Brian Wilson DVD entitled That Lucky Old Sun on January 27, 2009.
A companion to Wilson's critically-acclaimed That Lucky Old Sun album, released September 2 on CD, vinyl and digitally, the DVD features more than two and a half hours of content, including a full-length live performance of the album, a new feature-length documentary and additional behind-the-scenes footage from the album's recording sessions, and some of Wilson's recently filmed promotional performances and interviews.
The new That Lucky Old Sun DVD features a full-length performance of Wilson's latest album, filmed live at Capitol Studios on May 19, 2008 in 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Stereo audio, as well as a new feature-length film, Going Home, directed and edited by George Dougherty, which documents the making of the album and Wilson's return to his original record label, Capitol Records.
Bonus Materials include Audio Commentary and Recent High-Profile Promotional Interviews and Performances for Yahoo! Music, MySpace & "Black Cab Sessions"
BRIAN WILSON That Lucky Old Sun (DVD)
'That Lucky Old Sun' performance (Capitol Studios, Studio A: May 19, 2008)
Filmed performance of entire album by Brian Wilson and his band (5.1 Surround / 2.0 Stereo)
Visit Brianwilson.com for more information
ENDLESS SUMMER QUARTERLY PRESENTS A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC FEATURING DAVID MARKS: A private engagement for the benefit of the Cornelius Animal Shelter
For more info. about the Cornelius Animal Shelter, go to: www.corneliusanimalshelter.com
Photos © 2008 Daniel Coston
JAN BERRY - Encomium In Memoriam, Vol. 1:
Jan Berry of Jan & Dean
www.jananddean-janberry.com
This is NOT another Jan & Dean's greatest hits package. With 30 cuts, only 4 out of the 20 different songs could be considered hit singles. What you get is an authentic and, it seems to me, a love-prompted, tribute to Jan Berry. Encomium (formal expression of praise) In Memoriam is just that; affirmation and appreciation for the unheralded and mostly unheard work of Jan Berry the songwriter. "EIM" is the product of Cameron Michael Parkes' and Mark A. Moore's meticulous efforts to recreate the Jan Berry signature sound; his oboes and strings and orchestral approach to rock are all there as are some glorious background vocals. A more than fitting tribute; a more than satisfying listening experience.
This tribute shatters the myth that Jan Berry merely recorded Brian Wilson songs to score a few hits after Jan & Dean's early ballad or do-wop period had run out of gas. The scope and depth of the unreleased (and some not even bootlegged) tunes have never been heard by most listeners. Utilizing the original charts Jan used in the studio, the producers have done so much more than merely cover hits we've heard hundreds of times. They have produced a listening experience that chronicles Jan Berry's progress as a writer and producer. They take us from scenes of the surf and streets of summer to themes of love and hate, depression and drugs, psychedelic and spiritual enlightenment. They reveal a Jan Berry who both before (I was surprised at how much I enjoyed a new (to me) tune from Jan's early days, 1962's Ace of Hearts) and after his debilitating car accident, was thinking and creating good music. Too bad it has taken forty years for these songs to bless our ears.
Some have said Save for a Rainy Day was Dean Torence's SMiLE - If so, EIM certainly gives cause to believe the other partner in that duo, Jan Berry, was close to his masterpiece as well. Listening to this CD gets me wondering what might have happened had Jan had completed and Warner Brothers had released the Carnival of Sound album as originally scheduled for 1968. These full length, full sound, versions of Carnival of Sound and Fan Tan and Blowin' My Mind will bring joy to those who have only heard studio snippets. And hearing Jan struggle to speak a full sentence in a post-1966-accident interview on one of the bonus tracks reminded me of his courage to overcome (or at least never give into) his disabilities and helped me realize how much music we missed. This CD gives us some of his genius that he was unable to bring to satisfactory completion.
Encomium in Memoriam (I love new words - encomium; who ever heard of that before?) has also been called an all-star tribute and that is more than promotional hype. Where do I begin? Jill Gibson, THE Jill Gibson, Jan's former girlfriend and co-song-writer * and background voice on the original, takes lead on the beautiful ballad When It's Over ... Paul Johnson (Surfaris, Wipe Out ), puts a lead guitar on the instrumental "'B' Gas Rickshaw (Quasimoto) that surpasses the original ... Beach Boy David Marks steps in on lead guitar on Bat No. 1 ** ... P. F. Sloan, co-writer on the great Jan and Dan single I Found a Girl *** -- Vic Diaz of the Matadors (Move Out Little Mustang) -- Don Grady ("Yellow Balloon" are just a few of the special guests that help this project sound authentic Jan Berry. Complimenting those original team members, we also get contemporary fans like Probyn "Wondermint" Gregory, Tripsitter, and Alan Boyd ("Channel Surfin'").
Bonus tracks are usually more miss than hit but EIM gives us several gems. The a capella excerpt from The Anaheim, Azusa ... is a unique example of what a Jan & Dean with a Beach Boys' vocal would have sounded like. Hard to improve any J&D hit but this comes close. And who among us wouldn't give their right arm to have been in the studio for a J&D or BB recording session! The Audio Montage cuts do just that. Hearing Jan talk with Arnie as they get set to record, listening to him interact with Brian Wilson, and role play as a radio DJ broadcasting from KJAN - great musical history.
New products like this give me hope that the music of Jan Berry and Brian Wilson (and others in the surf, sand, and street genre) will be made more and more accessible, even when the original writers/singers have passed from the scene. New versions, like these, faithful to the original intent and executed with love will keep this music alive and fresh for generations to come. And seeing Vol. 1 on this tribute CD gives me hope for a second volume that I hope includesSpring Break from Jan's 1997 Second Wave release. And, while I'm at it, how about Ocean Park Angel and ...
Footnotes:
- * Jill also co-wrote It's As Easy as 1,2,3 which is included on this CD. Lisa Mychols' lead vocal gives this a fresh, even Sheryl Crow like, sunshine sound. Hitsville if released today. You wait and see...
- ** Bachian harpsichords from a section that never made it onto the totally ignored and, sadly, misunderstood, "Batman" album. Bat Np. 4 reveals the amazing music underneath the shtick comedy (which in itself was Monkees before their were Monkees).
- ***The volume always gets cranked up for I Found A Girl. This underrated single, much like The Little Girl I Once Knew for the Beach Boys, gave promise of a new direction and a strong new Jan Berry sound. Now that we are past Top 40 myopia, tunes like this can take their rightful place in the J&D canon of great music.
BRIAN WILSON: "That Lucky Old Sun"
Brian Wilson returns to Capitol Records to release his new musical opus "That Lucky Old Sun." Available on CD and Deluxe CD/DVD, Limited Edition Vinyl & Digital Download on September 2.
Visit Brianwilson.com to watch the new trailer for 'That Lucky Old Sun.'
DENNIS WILSON - Pacific Ocean Blue - Legacy Edition
[LIMITED EDITION]:
"The essence of man caught on tape with previously unreleased material. The end result is one of an enhanced and more complex understanding of Dennis Wilson; a deeply troubled soul with a musical gift rivaling that of his older brother Brian." - ENDLESS SUMMER QUARTERLY
Available June 17
"Everything that I am or will ever be is in the music. If you want to know me, just listen." - Dennis Wilson
- Deluxe Edition Two CD set of 33 tracks with Limited Edition First Run Collector's Packaging
- Dennis' second album Bambu
- Limited Edition deluxe packaging feature 50 page, full color book with two brand new essays & never-before-seen photos and memorabilia.
JAN & DEAN - The Complete Liberty Singles:
Available June 17 to Collector's Choice Music members - in stores August 26.
The most comprehensive Jan & Dean set ever
- Every A and B-side in its original mono mix
- Original picture sleeve art
- Full color 20 page booklet with rare pictures
- The rare Jan Berry single "The Universal Coward" / "I Can't Wait To Love You"
Review of "The Complete Liberty Singles" By Tom Martin
It is not often you find collections of hits by famous artists purposely re-mastered in Mono. The new Collector's Choice double cd set JAN & DEAN: THE COMPLETE LIBERTY SINGLES is the exception to the rule. In an age where stereo master tapes are remixed with longer endings. Unused vocals and instruments buried for years under mono compression are brought to the front, this collection is a reminder why the songs were hits in their original form.
It has been told that singer/producer Jan Berry was a perfectionist. He would go to great lengths to make the mono mixes sound perfect for broadcast to mono car radios in the 1960's. In order to review the double disc set with the proper mindset, I listened to all 42 songs in my car. The original 45 rpm mono mixes give these songs a punch never heard on compact disc. My car stereo will never be the same... mono was the winner here! For years these mixes have been lost and it is a shame. Berry was a big fan of echo effects in his early Do-Wop recordings. The mono versions on this set demonstrate how much echo Berry continued to use on the duo's biggest hits including, "Surf City," "The New Girl in School" and "Dead Man's Curve." The echo effect was lost on all of the stereo cd re-issues over the years.
The hit songs are all represented from, "Surf City," "Linda," "Drag City," "Dead Man's Curve," "Sidewalk Surfin," "I found a Girl" and "Batman." It also includes songs rarely documented on cd such as, "A Sunday Kind of Love," "Frosty the Snowman," "Popsicle," "The Submarine Races," and Berry's solo release "I Can't Wait to Love You." One pet-peeve of mine with previous stereo remixes was rectified on this collection. "Freeway Flier" has the original police siren and not the lame 1980's version of a police siren. Finally, I can rest in peace now that "Freeway Flier" is on cd in its original form.
If the music mix isn't enough of a draw for you, there is always the liner notes, which lists the chronology of the singles released and Berry's recording techniques during the Liberty years. The time the duo spent on the Liberty label was when Jan & Dean released the bulk of their most successful songs. For the novice, this gives a historical time line of Jan & Dean's career on record and each picture sleeve from the 45s for visual aid. The collection details Jan & Dean's first Liberty single to their last, a Jan Berry solo single and a proposed 45 release on the label. You might not want to listen to all of the 42 songs at one sitting in your car like I did, but all-in-all this collection is a winner.
The Beach Boys: U.S. Singles Collection - The Capitol Years (1962-1965). Available now.
This limited edition boxed set includes:
- 16 CD singles each with faithfully reproduced original single artwork
- The original 'A' and 'B'-sides, plus alternate versions from mono and stereo mixes to live recordings
- Eight previously unreleased mixes
- A 48-page hardbound photo book with sand finish
- Housed in a striking '60s hotrod and surfboard-inspired red and yellow box with wood inlay
Visit TheBeachBoys.com for a virtual box tour...
Available now.
A brand new 14-track collection from the Jan & Dean and Beach Boys Band member bass player. Includes: Mike Kowalski, Jeffrey Foskett and Adrian Baker.
Visit ChrisFarmermusic.com and Theocbeachband.com