4.3 WORKSHEET 4

Now we will finish Worksheet 4, with the Beach Boys and instrumental groups.

THE BEACH BOYS

l-r:  Al Jardine, Mike Love, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson.

At a Beach Boys concert years ago, the announcer said that their music was the soundtrack of America.  If you were growing up in the 1960s, and did not live in California, your perception of what that state was like was partially colored by the Beach Boys music: surfing, cars, beaches, palm trees, pretty girls, dancing, etc. The Beach Boys story is complex and full of ironies, and one of them is that all these mental images of California came from the mind of Brian Wilson, who was the least real life beach boy of the group but was the musical force behind the group.

He was incredibly shy, an introvert,  and did not like surfing. He was also mentally ill, and that compounded with his later drug use, made his life a challenge. He was also a genius, with a musical sense and intuition far beyond his peers. There is a formula that is applicable to a few groups, where one member is so dominant, that the group would not exist without that person. So, in this case:

NO BRIAN WILSON = NO BEACH BOYS

They simply would not have existed without Brian. This will become obvious as we read on.

Watch this short clip about the Beach Boys:

HISTORY OF THE BEACH BOYS Links to an external site.

The Beach Boys consisted of three brothers, Brian, Dennis, and Carl, a cousin, Mike Love, and a high school friend, Al Jardine. The brother who personified the Beach Boy image, Dennis, actually did go surfing. It was Dennis who suggested to Brian that he write a song about surfing, and to the recording studio they went, recording a basic song called "Surfing." The song was a hit locally, and with dad Murray managing them, they secured a contract with Capital Records, and soon they were famous, following the hit, "Surfin' USA."  As we listen to the song for our journal, read the lyrics carefully, as they describe certain surfing spots up and down the California coastline. How many have you been to?

JOURNAL:

37. SURFIN' USA - THE BEACH BOYS Links to an external site.

Since Dennis was the adventurous one, his exploits often made for a song that Brian would create.

JOURNAL:

38. FUN, FUN, FUN - THE BEACH BOYS Links to an external site.

As Brian developed as a songwriter, arranger, and de facto producer, he reached new heights, with melodic songs and harmonies, and importantly, new sounds. This led to what is considered his masterpiece, and biggest hit, "Good Vibrations."  That song features several instruments, one of which was the theremin, a strange instrument invented in Russia. Here is the inventor!

LEON THEREMIN PLAYING HIS INVENTION Links to an external site.

Before "Good Vibrations," the theremin was used a lot in scary movies!

And here is Brian talking about where the song came from:

BRIAN WILSON TALKS ABOUT GOOD VIBRATIONS Links to an external site.

And here it is, for your JOURNAL:

39. GOOD VIBRATIONS - BEACH BOYS Links to an external site.

The Beatles at this time were releasing new groundbreaking albums, that expanded rock's possibilities. Brian would answer with his own visionary music, and soon a ping pong match of rivalry and influence sprang up. When the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" was released, Paul McCartney was so impressed, he called it "the greatest song ever written!" One reviewer said "Wilson's most affecting ballad, this poignant love song strikes a balance between the romantic and the spiritual. Whatever the inspiration, the result approaches transcendence."

JOURNAL:

40. GOD ONLY KNOWS - THE BEACH BOYS Links to an external site.

And it wasn't just Paul who was knocked out by the song. The great producer of the Beatles' music, George Martin, visited Brian's house and dissected the music of that song:

BRIAN WILSON AND GEORGE MARTIN IN THE STUDIO Links to an external site.

FOR FURTHER VIEWING:

BEACH BOYS DOCUMENTARY Links to an external site.

In 2014, there was a movie about Brian Wilson, that is available for rent/downloading. Recommended. Here is the trailer:

LOVE AND MERCY TRAILER Links to an external site.

Further insight:

WHY BRIAN WILSON IS A GENIUS Links to an external site.

INSTRUMENTAL GROUPS

You might be familiar with the term a capella, which means "singing without instruments." We are now going to listen to the opposite, "playing without singing." Like the dance craze of the time, there were many instrumental hits from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s.  

Note: Since instrumental songs have no lyrics, it might be very difficult entering the "theme," or the "C" in your journal. You can leave it blank, or if you get any impression from the music, you can write that in.

The first big R&R instrumental was Honky Tonk, by Bill Doggett. This song was covered by thousands of musicians, and is still played today!

JOURNAL:

41. HONKY TONK - BILL DOGGETT Links to an external site.

The most successful instrumental guitarist was Duane Eddy. He was known for his "twangy" guitar, where he would bend the low strings of the guitar, creating that particular sound. You can hear that on our next entry, "Rebel Rouser," a hit back then that was used later in the movie Forrest Gump.

JOURNAL:

42. REBEL ROUSER - DUANE EDDY Links to an external site.

The most influential instrumental group was the Ventures, a band from Tacoma, Washington. Their lineup inspired thousands of young musicians to start playing their own instruments.

Here is one of their big hits, "Walk, Don't Run."

JOURNAL:

43. WALK, DON'T RUN - THE VENTURES Links to an external site.

Many of the instrumental hits were "surf" orientated, which dovetailed into the music of the Beach Boys and other groups. One of the longest lasting of those hits was "Wipe Out," which brought the spotlight to the drummer. For many years, drummers were asked "Can you play 'Wipe Out?'"

JOURNAL:

44. WIPE OUT - THE SURFARIS Links to an external site.

And just for fun, watch this crazy surfer, being interviewed on TV! This guy is over the top, in some kind of surfing nirvana!

CRAZY SURFER Links to an external site.

If I had to vote for my all time favorite instrumental, it would be "Green Onions," by Booker T and the MGs. It has a cool vibe that is recognizable at the start. If you have seen the move Sandlot, you will probably recognize it too.

JOURNAL:

45. GREEN ONIONS - BOOK T & THE MGs Links to an external site.

That's it. See you on the next lesson!