Endless Summer Quarterly magazine would like to congratulate all of our recent winners: Alison Burke, Michael Campfield, Edward Cruce, Lucy Denning, Kelly Florentine, Rob Foss, Jeff Giovanniello, Paul Kuczynski, Randy LeMasters and Michael Ryan. Visit ESQ’s giveaway page HERE.

 

David,
Thank you for these amazing prizes! I’ve never won something quite as wonderful as this. I’ll be getting Brian Wilson’s autograph framed for display! It’s really special that ESQ offers these opportunities to the subscribers.

Alison Burke
Oviedo, FL

 

Hi David,
I wanted to write and let you know I received The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra last week! Thank you and ESQ for this wonderful surprise!

I like to say The Beach Boys and I were born the same year: 1961. I became keenly aware of them when Capitol’s Endless Summer was released. Hearing “Do It Again” blast over the PA system while playing basketball in high school is an indelible memory for me (truly feeling on top of the world)! Meeting the group on May 16, 1979 (sans Dennis) at Record Theater in Buffalo, NY, a  few hours before the concert that evening was a true thrill for a 17 year old fan. Aside from being great guys that afternoon, the show was superb and I talked a roadie into giving me Dennis’ drumsticks, Carl’s picks, and Brian’s half empty Perrier water bottle (all of which I still have today)! Driving home that night with the music blaring, head out the passenger window with a drumstick in each hand, had me on top of the world! I wore my L.A. tour shirt proudly to high school the next day! Throughout the years, the Boys have remained a strong part of the literal and figurative soundtrack of my life. For instance, in 2002 at the County Fair in Petaluma, CA., Bruce Johnston taking 45 minutes of his time to talk music with me and then, inviting me up on stage to take part the pre show warm up! Observing Mike Love carry the Winter Olympics Torch in Concord, CA., and having him pose for a picture with my daughter and me and then a few years later, sign the picture! In short, so much in my life can be told and/or related to music of The Beach Boys. It has always provided optimism and true self reflection for me in the best of times and not so good times.

David, I truly appreciate what you do for us fans via ESQ and other Beach Boy avenues!

Rob Foss
Sugar Land, TX

 

Dear David,
My wife Stacy and I are middle school teachers, so after “havin’ fun all summer long,” we needed some good vibrations at the end of a busy September back-to-school season. If you will allow me, after six hours of school, I got home for the day; I opened up the mailbox and there it was … hooray! My ESQ envelope! (My apologies, but I think anyone reading this knows the feeling.) Now, this envelope felt different; like bubble wrap. I recalled an email from ESQ, over the summer, informing us that a Brian Wilson ’88 solo album Special-Edition would be forthcoming. That’s what I thought this was. I placed the envelope aside. I would get to it on the weekend. I always save ESQ magazine for the weekend.

Two days later, another ESQ envelope arrived, which turned out to be the Fall 2018 issue. Onto my weekend pile it went, where now sat not one, but two ESQ packages. … I opened the first envelope, The Beach Boys with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra CD slipped out. Like all of us, I’ve loved The Beach Boys’ sound all my life. Inspired by them, I put a Beach Boys band together with my friends called The Stingrays. I play the organ, a little guitar, and we sang tight harmonies. We were not successful but we had fun, and recorded a few demos that I’m very proud of, one of which was “California Girls.”

I was even fortunate enough to thank them personally at various concert meet-and-greet situations over the last several years. Everyone is cool. Brian and David were very quiet, but gracious. I shook Mike’s hand, and he called me “brother.” Al and Bruce were impressed with the striped shirt I was wearing (Attached pic.) Al said, “I lost mine somehow, but Dennis gave me his.” The Beach Boys were talking to me, backstage at a show, about Dennis Wilson. How the heck did I get here?

I thank you for the Royal Philharmonic CD.  I hadn’t purchased it yet, because it was in such heavy rotation on SiriusXM all summer, and you are correct. Instant classic. My favorite moment is the intro to “Fun, Fun, Fun”; the string section mimicking the organ is interesting for sure, but when Carl’s re-mastered lead guitar comes in, it’s like hearing it for the first time. Carl is in the room.

I hear fresh nuance in the vocals across the whole album.  It’s just a killer re-master of the original material.  It’s why you have to get your hands on absolutely every edition of everything they ever rerelease.  Every remix unlocks new insight, new secrets, new beauty.  I have favorites naturally, and I love them all for their different aspects.

David, I thank you especially for what you do.  It is very important work; you are documenting American musical history.  The body of work you’ve assembled belongs in the Library of Congress.  I look forward to every communication, notification, text, email, and of course the publication itself. Having read almost everything in print about The Beach Boys, I still learn something new on every single page of ESQ. No bull, ain’t joshin’. Please keep up the great work.  You are truly Keepin’ the Summer Alive!

Much Love and Mercy,
Jeff Giovanniello
Staten Island, NY

 

David,
Thank you so much for the All Summer Long album signed by Mike Love. It is definitely a collectible item to treasure. I have been an ESQ subscriber for about 15 years and always look forward to the in-depth articles in each issue. Keep up the good work!

Kelly Florentine
Mentor, OH

 

If you subscribe to Endless Summer Quarterly magazine be sure to check out our giveaway page. We have lots of really cool collectibles!