Thursday January 16, 1969
Memorial Arena, Victoria, B.C., Canada-with Joe Hicks and Tommy James and the Shondells (8:00 PM Show)
When the Beach Boys flew to Vancouver on January 16, 1969, University of British Columbia student Mike Quigley asked if they were concerned about their decline in popularity. Bruce replied, “Well, a lot of our concerts do okay, and I know we still get royalty checks…We’re just doing our thing and why should everyone dig us? Everybody can dig the Beatles, but why should everyone dig us? You know the Beach Boys image is kinda like a group Doris Day, you know what I mean? A lot of people stopped digging the Beach Boys, you know, and in their minds that image is probably still that Doris Day image and I think a lot of kids are going away from all that ‘clean’ thing because that’s what their parents are at.” Meanwhile, capacity crowds at their Pacific Northwest concerts showed that the band remained a viable concert draw.
For this short tour, an eight-piece orchestra, conducted by pianist John D’Andrea, accompanied the group. It consisted of saxophonist Roger Neumann, trumpeters Mike Price and Daryl Eaton, Saxophonist Earle Dumler, bassist Bob Boyack, guitarist Jeff Kaplan, and drummer Joe Lasky.
Soul singer Joe Hicks opened for the group on this tour. Hicks had recorded the singles “Soul Meetin” and “I Got to be Free” for the AGC company in 1968 and was on the rise. He continued to open for the Beach Boys throughout 1969 and caught the attention of Sly Stone, who produced a single for him later in the year. Tommy James and the Shondells were also on the bill, promoting their new single ‘Crimson and Clover,’ which would soon rocket to number one on the charts.
Despite heavy snow, over 4,000 fans attended the show in Victoria. Russell Freethy of the Victoria Daily Times praised the Beach Boys and wrote, “Dressed all in white, they flipped through their hits with an incredible precision and ease that delighted the crowd. The polish and professionalism of their stage appearance and their performance is welcome in this era of unconscious stage-struck statues.”
Friday January 17, 1969
Seattle Center Arena-with Joe Hicks and Tommy James and the Shondells (8:00 PM Show)
A capacity audience turned out for this appearance. Susan Schwartz of the Seattle Times, noted, “The Beach Boys really sing-they don’t shout or scream… Their beat and their harmony is precise. Their music is melodic. They don’t go in for feedback or fancy instrumental solos. Whatever it is they’ve got, ‘Help Me Rhonda,’ and ‘I Get Around,’ and ‘Barbara Ann,’ not to mention ‘Good Vibrations’ are still catchy songs…Nine years from now, maybe the Beach Boys will be working on their 40th record album as they’re on their 20th now.”
Saturday January 18, 1969
Agrodome, Vancouver, B.C., Canada-with Winters Green, Joe Hicks and Tommy James and the Shondells (8:00 PM Show)
Over 6,000 fans attended this show. Brian McLeod of The Province was unimpressed by the Beach Boys “totally inept 7-piece orchestra” but commented “these cats can sing…True they will not win any Met auditions as a chorale, but by the consistently nasal standards of rock, they are naturally resonant and more or less harmonic.” Indeed, Bob Smith of the Vancouver Sun picked the Beach Boy’s acapella performance of “Their Heart’s Were Full of Spring” as the highlight, declaring, “It was top flight harmonizing reminiscent of Mel Torme’s Meltones or the Hi-Lo’s, for example.”
Sunday January 19, 1969
Gymnasium, Eastern Montana College, Billings, MT-with Joe Hicks (8:15 PM Show)
The group made their first known appearance in Montana, before returning home to promote their new single “I Can Hear Music.” Ed McLuskie of The Retort commented, “Surprisingly enough, the Beach Boys played more of their current sounds than was expected. Every song exhibited excellence in vocal harmony and blend, an excellence well worth the study of any voice major. Only in one number did they blow it, and that was in their acapella number (Their Hearts Were Full of Spring) when they cracked up due to the drummer’s running on and off the stage. The balance between the Beach Boys and the brass backup was as nearly perfect as possible in a live performance.”
Friday February 7, 1969
Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX-with Rene and Rene, the Bob Seger System and Joe Hicks (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys flew to San Antonio on February 6 to begin a six-day Texas tour with opening acts Rene and Rene (who had a Spanish language hit with Lo Much que te Quiero (The More I Love You)) and Bob Seger, then on the charts with “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man.” Soul singer and Brother Records’ protégé Joe Hicks performed as well. The group again was accompanied by a small orchestra, including trumpeter Jimmy Valves. The photo was taken at the taping of the Beach Boys’ appearance on the NBC TV Kraft Music Hall, where they mimed to California Girls (a clip of this is included in the Endless Harmony documentary compiled by Alan Boyd) and their latest single I Can Hear Music. The appearance aired on February 19 but was taped prior to this tour.
Saturday February 8, 1969
Sam Houston Coliseum Music Hall, Houston, TX-with Rene and Rene, the Bob Seger System and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 7:00 and 9:30 PM)
Sunday February 9, 1969
State Fair Music Hall, Dallas, TX-with Rene and Rene, the Bob Seger System and Joe Hicks (3:00 PM Show) and Will Rogers Auditorium, Fort Worth, TX-with Rene and Rene, the Bob Seger System and Joe Hicks (7:30 PM Show)
The Beach Boys played shows in Fort Worth and Dallas on this busy day. Patti Dillingham of the Arlington News reviewed the Fort Worth show and noted, “The Boys filled their portion of the show with favorites like ‘Help Me Rhonda,’ ‘God Only Knows’, ‘Barbara Ann’ and ‘California Girls.’ They also previewed their newest ‘I Can Hear Music,’ which will be featured on the Kraft Music Hall on February 19. Good show with something for everyone.”
Monday February 10, 1969
Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, TX-with Rene and Rene, the Bob Seger System and Joe Hicks (7:30 PM Show)
About 2, 500 fans attended this concert. Carl announced from the stage that Dennis had flown home due to illness and would not appear. Either Dennis Dragon or Mike Kowalski filled in for the rest of the tour. Dean Thorpe of The Corpus Christi Caller Times noted, “Even lacking one member, the group turned in a performance the audience thoroughly enjoyed.” Thorpe interviewed the Beach Boys backstage. Al Jardine informed him that the group employed a staff of eighteen people to manage their activities. While stressing that they were in a strong financial state, Al admitted, “hits don’t come as easily as they did only a few years ago when members of the group were in their teens and could relate to their audience on an equal-age basis.” Carl noted that “California Girls” was still a very popular number in their stage act and that they played it on the NBC TV show Kraft Music Hall, which aired on February 19.
Tuesday February 11, 1969
Municipal Auditorium, Austin, TX-with The Wig (a local band), Rene and Rene, the Bob Seger System and Joe Hicks (7:30 PM Show)
Helene Schmidt of the Daily Texan reviewed the Beach Boys Austin concert and noted, “They still sound great and remain somewhat conservative in their dress and style. Old favorites like Sloop John B, California Girls, Help Me Rhonda and I Get Around were presented and brought back memories of the Golden Age of Surfing (1963-64). An acappela number ‘Beautiful as a Springtime Bell’ (Their Hearts Were Full of Spring) brought many undeserved hisses from the upper balcony but its’ not quite the Beach Boys home media, either.”
Wednesday February 12, 1969
Heart O’ Texas Coliseum, Waco, TX-with Rene and Rene, the Bob Seger System and Joe Hicks (7:30 PM Show)
This was the last night of the tour. The Beach Boys last album for Capitol Records had been released on February 10. It was titled 20/20 both because it was the band’s twentieth album on the label and because Brian was pictured inside the gatefold hiding behind an eye chart. Despite its grab bag quality, the album was another quality release. But though they made a number of TV appearances to promote it, 20/20 went nowhere, peaking at #68 on the Billboard LP charts. Meanwhile, the group returned to California to continue work on their next album (which ultimately became Sunflower). Dennis, who’d skipped out on part of the Texas tour, held a session for his Sunflower rocker “Got to Know the Woman” on February 13.
Thursday April 3, 1969
Alan B. Shepherd Civic Center “The Dome,” Virginia Beach, VA-with the Classics IV and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 7:30 and 9:30 PM)
This tour was supposed to begin in March, but Carl would not go on the road until after his wife Annie gave birth to their first child Jonah Wilson on March 22. Prior to this show, the group flew to Philadelphia on April 1 and taped an appearance on the Mike Douglas Show the next day, which aired on April 9, 1969. They sang “I Can Hear Music” and “Never Learn Not to Love” over taped backing tracks. During “Never Learn Not to Love” Dennis, dressed in an orange silk shirt, took center stage to sing. Few knew at the time that the song “Never Learn Not to Love” was actually composed by Dennis’ friend, and future convicted murderer Charles Manson. Dennis reworked the primitive composition into a beautifully rendered pop song, with a hip sixties vibe. He changed the lyrics, and also took the songwriting credit from Manson. The musicians on this tour included: Doug Dragon on piano/keyboards, Ed Carter (bass), Mike Kowalski (extra percussion) and a horn section (Joel Peskin, Steve Madaio, Al Smith, Roger Newman and Jimmy Valves on trumpet). The opening acts included the Jacksonville band, the Classics IV, who’d had big hits the previous two years with ‘Spooky’ and ‘Stormy’ and were again on the charts with ‘Traces.’
Friday April 4, 1969
All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL (afternoon) and Curtis Hixon Hall, Tampa, FL-with the Classics IV, Tommy Roe and Joe Hicks (8:30 PM Show)
Prior to the evening concert in Tampa, the Beach Boys played a free show for patients at All Children’s Hospital, which is shown in the accompanying photo. It was one of a number of benefits to aid Carl’s draft case. Brian explained to Bernard Barry of Disc & Music Echo, “It’s a kind of unofficial way of the group paying off our debt to the American government for allowing Carl to become a conscientious objector. A few concerts here and there is the alternative to him emptying some bed pans in some hospital to substitute for military service.”
About 7,000 fans turned out at Curtis Hixon Hall to see the Beach Boys, who added bubblegum pop star Tommy Roe (who had a big hit at the time with ‘Dizzy’) to the bill. The newspaper reviews of the concert illustrate the growing divide among rock fans over the Beach Boys “clean” image. Though he admitted that “the harmonics were interesting…and each slow number was a gem,” Dave Hawpe of the St. Petersburg Times disparagingly referred to the group as “an appallingly decent rock act” and proclaimed that despite the fact that they let their hair grow “one still gets the impression they would rather be back in the garage working on the Little Deuce Coupe.” He also stated, “the Beach Boys sound lacked the fullness that it boasts in recorded form.” Kay Donahue of the St. Petersburg Evening Independent countered that the group, “just keep getting better. Harmony is the Beach Boys biggest selling point. ‘Good Vibrations’ the symbol of their harmonic perfection sounded better than ever last night. The blended surf sound of ‘California Girls’ ‘Rhonda’ and ‘Do It Again’ was marvelous. Songs from the early days and from 20/20…filled their all too short hour on stage.”
Saturday April 5, 1969
Miami Beach Convention Hall, Miami, FL-with the Classics IV, the New Colony Six, Tommy Roe and Joe Hicks (8:30 PM Show)
A portion of the proceeds from this show benefitted the Heart Fund Charity. The photo shows the Beach Boys taping an appearance on the Mike Douglas Show on April 2.
Monday April 7, 1969
Peabody Auditorium, Daytona Beach, FL-with the Crazy Elephant, Shadows of Knight and Joe Hicks (8:30 PM Show)
The Beach Boys had the day off for Easter Sunday and took part in a fishing trip off Key West organized by their management. The tour started up again at Daytona the next day.
Tuesday April 8, 1969
Orange County Juvenile Detention Home, Orlando, FL (Afternoon) and Orlando Municipal Auditorium, Orlando, FL-with the New Colony Six, Tommy Roe and Joe Hicks (8:00 PM Show)
Prior to the evening show, the Beach Boys played for the inmates of the Orange County Juvenile Detention Home (see photograph). I was not aware of this appearance when I wrote my book.
Wednesday April 9, 1969
St. Vincent’s Hospital, Jacksonville, FL (Morning) and Hope Haven Children’s Hospital, Jacksonville, FL (2:30 PM Show) and Duval Medical Center, Jacksonville, FL (4:00 PM Show) and Civic Auditorium, Jacksonville, FL-with the New Colony Six, Tommy Roe and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 6:00 and 8:30 PM)
April 9 1969 was a very busy day for the Beach Boys. The group had become interested in the Heart Fund, a Jacksonville charity, during their previous visit to the city in 1968 and they agreed that a portion of their profits on this night would be given to it. Due to their curiosity, the Heart Fund even arranged for the group to watch an operation. The boys arrived in Jacksonville at 8:30 AM and traveled to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where they witnessed an open-heart surgery. Afterwards, the Beach Boys performed for the children’s ward in the hospital. They then traveled to Hope Haven Children’s Hospital where they gave another performance at 2:30 PM. Following that show they traveled to Duval Medical Center and played yet another free show for patients at 4 PM, before heading to the Civic Auditorium for their evening concerts. At 6 PM the group played a benefit for the disadvantaged children of the city, then performed a second show at 8:30 PM.
Thursday April 10, 1969
Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, GA-with Tommy Roe, the New Colony Six and Joe Hicks (8:00 PM Show)
This show was billed as “the show you’ve waited for” because the Beach Boys had been forced to cancel their appearance in Atlanta the previous year and fans had waited patiently for them to makeup the date. Jared Johnson of the Atlanta Constitution noted that they played to a half-empty auditorium, which he blamed on “the drivel they have been foisting on the music scene the past few years” but still praised their performance, especially ‘Their Hearts Were Full of Spring, which vividly displayed their talents to harmonize. Why on earth they rarely do any of this on their albums is a good question.” The photo, which was probably taken on this tour though not necessarily on this night, shows the Beach Boys with opening act The New Colony Six, who had some big hits at the time with “I Will Always Think About You” and “Things I’d Like to Say.”
Friday April 11, 1969
Sikeston Fieldhouse, Sikeston, MO-with the Yellow Payges, the Serfs, the New Colony Six and Joe Hicks (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys were originally scheduled to perform in Memphis but the show was canceled and they instead played in Sikeston, a town midway between Memphis and St. Louis. The local Jaycees sponsored the show, which was played on an elevated stage resting on three trailer truck beds. According to the Daily Standard, “The Beach Boys’ concert was a rousing success as teeny boppers of every size and description packed the Field House to the gills…’I Can Hear Music’ and ‘Barbara Ann’ brought immediate applause as did a few other numbers the Beach Boys presented. The audience responded well to their performance, but had been somewhat cold to the previous performers.”
Saturday April 12, 1969
Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN-with Tommy Roe, Joe Hicks, the Serfs and the Yellow Payges (8:00 PM Show)
Sunday April 13, 1969
McAlester High School, McAlester, OK (morning), Hissom Home for Retarded Children, Tulsa, OK-with Joe Hicks (morning), “Decency Rally” Fairgrounds Pavilion, Tulsa, OK-with the Spurlows (1:00 PM Show), McAlester State Prison, McAlester, OK-with Joe Hicks (Afternoon show) and Hissom Children’s Memorial Hospital, Sand Springs, OK-with Joe Hicks
This was another busy day for the Beach Boys. They had approached Lt Governor George Nigh of Oklahoma about setting up a prison concert for them in McAlester. In an attempt to aid Carl’s draft case, the Beach Boys played a number of prisons and hospitals during this period. Nigh was a McAlester native and asked the Beach Boys if they’d also consider playing at the local high school in his hometown (I was unaware of this High School performance when writing my book). The Beach Boys, minus most of their usual equipment and amps, gave a memorable ‘unplugged’ show for the students. James Beatty of the McAlester News noted that they opened with Do It Again and “the set list included ‘I Get Around’…The Beach Boys also performed a rollicking version of ‘California Girls.’ One of the performances high points proved to be a rendition of the band’s then new single ‘I Can Hear Music.’ It almost wasn’t included in the performance. With I Can Hear Music a radio hit at the time, some of the students began yelling for the band to perform the song almost as soon as they began playing… ‘I remember people shouting for it,’ student David Roth said, ‘Carl said ‘It’s too early in the morning to hit the high notes.’ As soon as the band played a couple of songs though, he had a change of heart and the band performed a resplendent version of ‘I Can Hear Music.’ ‘After they got warmed up, they did it and they did it really good,’ Roth recalled, ‘Carl had such a beautiful singing voice.’…Larry Jiles, a Hartshorne student, managed to attend the concert after learning the Beach Boys were going to play in McAlester… ‘They were the smoothest sounding band I’d ever heard in my life. I couldn’t believe how good they sounded with the small amplifiers they’d brought. It was amazing how smooth they sounded with that equipment.”
Nigh was also the state chairman of the Youth Decency Committee. Debbie Jackson of the Tulsa World notes, “The “youth decency” movement started after singer Jim Morrison was accused of indecent exposure and profanity during a Doors concert in Miami, Florida, on March 1, 1969…. After Morrison was charged, a group of Miami teens held a “Down with Obscenity” rally at the Orange Bowl, where they gave short speeches touting God, parents, patriotism, chastity and brotherhood.” The Beach Boys continued the day by appearing at a “Decency Rally” in Tulsa. It was hardly likely to aid their counter culture credentials as the purpose of the event was “to show that not all teen-agers support the protest movements popular with some youths today.” About 5,000 showed up for the concert, which began with performances by selected high school students. Most of the crowd was only interested in seeing the Beach Boys and lurked outside hoping to get a glimpse of their arrival. When they took the stage (shown in the photo), the youthful audience clapped along and rushed the stage at the end to get photos. There was a near riot by the kids when it was announced that the group’s performance was nearing its end. The Beach Boys quieted them down by performing an a cappella version of “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring.” According to the Tulsa World, “an estimated 1,000 youngsters left their seats after the Beach Boys finished their part of the show and clogged the path of the executive limousines which were to take… the Beach Boys to McAlester.”
Following the Tulsa show, the group accompanied Lt. Governor George Nigh to McAlester State Prison, where they performed for convicts in the prison yard. Bruce later joked with writer Richard Green that “Nobody left during the show. It was a captive audience! We did forty-five minutes then it started raining. The concert was in the open air and we were the first big group they’d had for fifteen years.” Dennis told Bernard Barry of Disc & Music Echo that the prison show “was a bit of a drag” because many of the inmates didn’t like the group and were unresponsive to the performance. Despite mixed feelings about the concert the Beach Boys performed at a number of prisons between 1969 and 1973. Following the Prison show, the Beach Boys traveled to the Hissom Children’s Memorial Hospital in Sand Springs, where they performed another free concert. They flew back to Los Angeles on April 14.
Friday April 18, 1969
Hawthorne High School Prom, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA-with Joe Hicks
The Beach Boys accepted an unusual request to play at the prom of the Wilson’s alma mater. It was more of a favor, as the school could hardly pay the large sums the group usually demanded. They apparently received just $900 for the concert. Nevertheless, they were enthusiastic about putting on a good show for the kids and added Joe Hicks to the bill for no extra cost. Despite requests, Brian did not join them.
It was a memorable night for many Hawthorne students who had heard stories of the famous Beach Boys attending their school but had never seen them in the flesh. According to Jack Lloyd, who traveled with Dick Duryea to the date, “We were all decked out in tuxedos for the evening. The Beach Boys played a full dance set; Joe Hicks sang, and the kids loved the show and dance. Duryea and I tried to go from backstage to the floor to talk to some of the kids but the chaperones wouldn’t let us, so no one got to mingle.”
Friday May 2, 1969
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK-with the Spiral Staircase and Joe Hicks (8:00 PM Show)
The Beach Boys took time out from recording to play a few Midwest shows. Carl’s brother-in-law Billy Hinsche joined them. Engineer Steve Desper and road manager Jack Lloyd, who left American Productions shortly afterwards, also accompanied the group, as did Steve Korthof and Jon Parks. The opening acts were Joe Hicks and the Sacramento rock band the Spiral Staircase, who had a hit with “More Today than Yesterday.” This first concert of the short tour proved memorable because Mike Love missed it. He’d traveled to India in late April to personally deliver a check to Maharishi from the Beach Boys. He told Richard Green of the New Music Express that “I got snowed up in Cashmere…for five days I was stuck in the snow and I missed my first ever Beach Boys concert. Who replaced me? I am irreplaceable didn’t you know?” Jack Lloyd recalled that the band “split the songs among the other guys. Billy Hinsche sang some but had trouble remembering the lyrics. Bruce and Carl sang some, and the audience didn’t seem to care. They sounded just fine.” The photo was taken by Jack Lloyd and shows Dennis at the rehearsal that afternoon.
Saturday May 3, 1969
Eppley Care Center, Omaha, NE (afternoon) and City Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE-with Joe Hicks and the Spiral Staircase (Two shows at 6:30 and 9:30 PM)
Mike Love flew into Omaha in time to take part in an hour-long benefit concert for 250 children from the Omaha Home for Boys, Girl’s Town, Immanuel Hospital, the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute and Ula-Halee Home for Girls at the Eppley Care Center. Due to the intimate size of the venue, the show was relaxed and low key. The group wore their street clothes rather than their customary white suits, as shown in the accompanying photo. Mike opted for a “royal blue Edwardian bell-bottom outfit” at the benefit. Following the show, the Beach Boys were made admirals in the Nebraska Navy in a small ceremony.
4,385 people attended the shows at the Music Hall in Omaha that night. According to Steve Jordon of the Omaha World Herald, “Recent talk about the group’s new versatility was borne out when they sang creditable versions of the Buffalo Springfield’s ‘Rock and Roll Woman’ and an older tune called ‘Riot in Cell Block No. 9.’ But their magic begins when they perform, live, older hits like ‘Help Me Rhonda,’ ‘Good Vibrations’ and ‘I Get Around.’ Their newest hit ‘I Can Hear Music’ has the same magic their fans never get tired of.”
Sunday May 4, 1969
Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children, St Louis, MO (3:00 PM Show) and Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO-with the Crazy Elephant, the Spiral Staircase and Joe Hicks (7:30 PM Show)
Once again, the Beach Boys played an afternoon benefit for the Crippled Children’s charity. John Brod Peters of the Globe Democrat reviewed the evening show at the Opera House. He noted, “The group performed many of its well-known selections for the appreciative audience although nothing comparatively new seemed to emerge. It seems to depend heavily on the protective acoustics of a recording studio, and doesn’t come across as strongly in person. The necessary reinforcement of a band does nothing to help.”
This tour took place in a period of great stress for the group, whose popularity seemed to be on the decline. Ellen Willis of the New Yorker succinctly summed up the group’s growing problems when she noted that the Beach Boys “have never really been accepted as serious, by the heads or even by themselves …Even though they had a hit record not long ago, it is hard to keep from thinking of them as relics.” The group recognized their predicament but had no idea to remedy it. Carl recalled, “we were used as a reference point as to what was lame about the time. It was nonsense, but people still associated us with cars and surfboards. When the hits stopped coming, we all felt a lot of pressure. It was back to the real world after the fairy tale.” Brian sporadically tried to lend a hand. He wrote and produced a single for the group with his father (credited as Reggie Dunbar) titled “Breakaway.” But, despite appearances on the Mike Douglas Show and elsewhere to promote it, the record charted at a disappointing number 63 in the Billboard charts.
“Breakaway” was the group’s last single for Capitol Records until 1989. In 1969 Capitol executives expressed some interest in re-signing the Beach Boys, but the band had grown disenchanted with the label and its reluctance to embrace their changing music. As Carl related to Rock magazine in 1970, “They were against Pet Sounds and all the albums that came after. They wanted us to stick with surfing and hot rod records, you know. But we said, well you know, we don’t want to do that. We’re doing other music now. But they really weren’t going for it. And so they had all these hundreds of people in their organization pushing another thing. People were bound to get the wrong impression about the group.” In April 1969 the band made the decision to formally terminate their relationship with Capitol, and simultaneously pursue a lawsuit against them, demanding back payments that they claimed they were owed. Capitol responded by deleting their back catalogue, thus cutting off the group’s record royalties and much of their income stream.
Friday May 30, 1969
Brighton Dome, Brighton, UK-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 6:15 and 8:45 PM)
The Beach Boys arrived in London early on Thursday May 29, accompanied by Dick Duryea, Steve Korthof, Mike’s brother Steve Love, business manager Nick Grillo, Steve Desper, bassist Ed Carter and pianist Daryl Dragon to begin their European tour. They also brought John D’Andrea with them and he took charge of the 8-piece horn section hired in the U.K. The opening acts were Joe Hicks and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Bruce later expressed regret that the Beach Boys had not toured with a more respected U.K. band, like Fairport Convention. He told the BBC “We shouldn’t have toured with the Raiders because it was a bubble gum kind of band, but we didn’t have any direction. Unfortunately, when you don’t have a manager, you don’t have good perspective…so, we were making our own decisions and a lot of them were really dumb.” Bruce’s comment about the Raiders mimicked the exact narrow-minded misperception that had befallen the Beach Boys. The Raiders equally long body of work was high quality and varied, with only a small fraction of it being anything close to bubblegum.
Upon their arrival in England, the group spent the day rehearsing and giving interviews. Filmmaker Vic Kettle accompanied them for the tour because the group was preparing a film to be shown on BBC TV. Kettle captured a great deal of footage in Brighton, including film of the group fooling around on dodgem cars and relaxing in a park. He also filmed portions of the opening shows at the Brighton Dome, including an energetic performance of Buffalo Springfield’s “Rock and Roll Woman.” Richard Green of New Musical Express was also there and wrote, “Opening with ‘I Can Hear Music,’ they included ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice,’ ‘California Girls,’ ‘Darlin,’ ‘I Get Around,’ ‘Cotton Fields,’ ‘Do It Again,’ ‘Breakaway,’ ‘Barbara Ann,’ ‘God Only Knows,’ a medley of their slow numbers and ‘Their Hearts Were Full of Spring,’ which they sang without instrumental backing and went down a storm…The Beach Boys delighted everyone and gave us as good a concert as I’ve seen for many a year.”
Saturday May 31, 1969
Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 6:45 and 9:15 PM)
The British music press was out in force for two sold out concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon. Dressed in their all-white suits, the group kicked off the show with high-energy renditions of “I Can Hear Music,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Darlin.” They then slowed things down with a medley of “The Warmth of the Sun (just the musical intro with no vocals)/Don’t Worry Baby/Please Let Me Wonder/ Surfer Girl/ In My Room” that was practically drowned out by screaming girls in the audience. Mike silenced them by screaming ‘SHADDAP’ into his microphone and they regained control with “I Get Around,” followed by “Cotton Fields” from 20/20. After performances of “Sloop John B” and “Do It Again” they played their new U.K. single ‘Breakaway’ as well as “Rock and Roll Woman” and “Barbara Ann.” Carl then performed “God Only Knows” and the full group sang “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring” a cappella. Bruce got his chance to shine with a solo piano rendition of “The Nearest Faraway Place.” The full band returned for closing number ‘Good Vibrations”, headed off stage, but returned for an encore of “Johnny B. Goode.”
David Hughes of Disc and Music Echo reported, “If the Beach Boys are really in Britain to make some quick money and get themselves in the black again…they’re certainly making sure they earn it! At the sedate Hammersmith Odeon on Saturday the world’s most popular active group turned an uncommonly apathetic first house audience into rousing cheers with 50 non-stop minutes taking in no less than 18 hit songs.” Royston Eldridge of Melody Maker commented, “The Beach Boys proved that they can produce on stage both intricate and simple songs without losing any of the control that most groups can only attain in the studio.” He especially singled out their performance of ‘Rock and Roll Woman’ for praise. “Carl Wilson, playing acoustic guitar, had a controlled yet powerful voice and the group’s harmonies are tremendous.”
Sunday June 1, 1969
De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (3:00 PM Show) and Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (8:15 PM Show)
The group flew to the Netherlands to play two concerts and tape a special TV show with Paul Revere and the Raiders. A reporter from the Leidsche Courant reviewed the afternoon show in Rotterdam and noted that the group “were handicapped by the bad acoustics of De Doelen…. The sound of the separate instruments melts together into one massive noise, in which the vocal parts totally drown. Such a handicap of course is devastating for the sound of the Beach Boys. After all they’re used to performing their songs with a second and third voice. A style that provokes admiration – especially the way the Beach Boys do it – but due to the bad acoustics in De Doelen in Rotterdam was totally ruined. Only the solo parts by Carl Wilson could be heard clearly now and then, but as soon as the others joined in, it became one big loud noise.”
Tuesday, June 3, 1969
Brussels, Belgium-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks
The TV show, De Raiders and De Beach Boys, was probably taped on June 2 in Amsterdam (see photo). Each group performed a mini concert for the cameras. The Beach Boys mimed to “Good Vibrations”, “Breakaway”, “I Can Hear Music” and “Cotton Fields.” Instead of wearing stage clothes, Bruce wore a black leather jacket, Mike wore a dark suit, Carl wore a blazer and t-shirt, Dennis wore a striped shirt and Al sported a tan coat and pants. The footage aired in July.
The group then returned to Brussels for a show, partially filmed for the TV show Vibrato (though it is still unclear to me if they played an actual concert or just taped a show for BRT TV). On June 4th they were in Bremen, Germany to tape appearances on the TV show Beat Club. They mimed to “Surfin USA” and “Breakaway.” The “Breakaway” clip aired on June 7, 1969 while the “Surfin USA” clip was broadcast on August 2, 1969. The footage is easily distinguishable from their 1968 appearances because of Mike’s long beard and “Maharishi” robes. Footage of the group eating in a restaurant and discussing the upcoming visit to Czechoslovakia that appeared in the 1985 American Band film was probably shot on this night.
Friday June 6, 1969
Birmingham Odeon, Birmingham, UK-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 6:30 and 9:00 PM)
The group returned to England on June 5. They were stopped at customs and spent several hours at the airport while officers searched their luggage and looked closely at all of the vitamins in the group’s possession. Valerie Mabb of Record Mirror attended the Birmingham show and reported, “The boys opened their set with ‘In My Room’ and after making light-hearted quips about their financial status they continued with ‘I Get Around,’ ‘Sloop John B,’ and ‘Do It Again,’ which displayed incredibly well balanced and perfectly re-produced harmonies. One of the highlights of the group’s act was their current release ‘Breakaway’ which must renew every fan’s faith in the Beach Boys’ musical talent.”
Saturday June 7, 1969
Liverpool Empire, Liverpool, UK-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 6:10 and 8:40 PM)
Sunday June 8, 1969
King Edward’s Nursing Home, Leeds, UK (afternoon) and Free Trade Hall, Manchester, UK-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 6:00 and 8:30 PM)
In the afternoon, the band visited the children’s ward at King Edward’s Nursing Home with BBC DJ Jimmy Savile and performed a free concert for 150 delighted nurses and patients (the blurry photo was taken at the show). The concert was filmed for Top of the Pops, though the footage is apparently lost. Jimmy Savile recalled on BBC Radio that Bruce had phoned from California to set up the show prior to the tour. Savile recalled, “I said what have you brought with you and they said ‘Nothing. We have three acoustic guitars and a set of drumsticks…With three acoustic, with the drummer sitting on a chair, playing on the top of a packing case…and with one microphone between…them…They gave us a session the like of which I could never even remember…They sang so good that they knocked themselves out. They sang for an hour and a quarter. They sang every song they knew, including ‘Good Vibrations’ because the nurses kept shouting (for it). Nobody was sitting down, everyone was standing up…It was too fantastic for words.”
Monday June 9, 1969
Glasgow Odeon, Glasgow, Scotland, UK-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 6:15 and 8:45 PM)
The photo was taken on the UK leg of the tour, after it was announced that the Beach Boys would be performing in Czechoslovakia the following week. Following these concerts, the group spent a few days relaxing. Mike spent his time at a TM center in Brighton. Carl and Dennis were spotted at London’s Revolution Club drinking champagne. Carl undoubtedly spent time with the South African rock group The Flame, for whom he was working to get visas to come to the States, as Brother Records artists.
Friday June 13, 1969
Jahrhunderthalle-Hööchst, Frankfurt, Germany-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (Two shows at 7:00 and 9:45 PM)
On June 12, Dick Duryea, the group’s road manager since 1965, collapsed due to complications from a blood clot and had to be rushed home. The Beach Boys were scheduled to fly to Frankfurt on Thursday morning but remained in London tending to business until later that night. Rumors that the Beach Boys were bankrupt almost ground the tour to a halt. . On May 27, 1969 Brian had held an impromptu press conference where he announced that the group was in deep financial trouble and were considering filing for bankruptcy. He told Disc, “We spent a heck of a lot of corporation money on Brother Records, our own company, and in boosting other recording artists who just didn’t make it, and didn’t have a single hit. When our records started to bomb out we looked around desperately for something to save ourselves. We had one hit, ‘I Can Hear Music’ but one isn’t enough to pay for our tremendous overheads…We all know that if we don’t watch it and do something drastic inside a few months we won’t have a penny in the bank.” Brian’s bombshell threatened to overshadow the tour and the Beach Boys’ management exercised damage control. Dick Duryea, told the U.K. press that Brian was “making a mountain out of a molehill and things are not nearly as bad as he says.” Nick Grillo also downplayed the group’s problems, telling reporter Bernard Barry that “the Beach Boys’ assets, if sold would add up to around five million dollars…bankruptcy is unlikely. We could always sell off assets to pay bills, but we don’t want to do so.” He also explained that Brian “gets nervous when the bills start coming in. The business end of this operation was always too much for him to handle. But we are putting things in order and paying off our debts.”
However, fearing that they might not get paid, the charter air company and the English musicians they were utilizing, demanded that they receive cash up front. As a result, the group was unable to leave for Germany until money was raised to pay everyone. They arrived in Frankfurt after midnight. On Friday morning they were interviewed for German TV and Bruce recorded an interview with Tony Prince of Radio Luxembourg. Ulrich Olshausen for the Franfurter Allgemeine Zeitung briefly reviewed the concerts that night and noted, “What the Beach Boys bring together with intricate and interesting written parts…not only in the recording studio, but also on the concert stage in the roar of their own guitars is impressive and can’t be replicated by others. Their lyrics are trivial…their music is clinically polished…But the sooner one tolerates pop music of the totally leisure-entertainment variety, the sooner one appreciates the musical and unsentimental way the Beach Boys deliver it.”
Saturday June 14, 1969
Deutschland Halle, West Berlin, Germany-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks
While in Berlin, the group and Nick Grillo met with Deutsche Grammophon about a recording contract, but the deal was never finalized. It’s been alleged that Brian opposed the Grammophon deal and had hosted his press conference to try and derail the plan. The photo was taken for the German Magazine Bravo.
Monday June 16, 1969
Olympia Theatre, Paris, France-with Paul Revere and the Raiders and Joe Hicks (9:00 PM Show)
A concert scheduled for June 15 in Munich was canceled, so the group flew to Paris on Sunday night. On Monday afternoon they taped a television appearance on the Midi Premiere show (see accompanying photo). Their show at the Olympia that night was filmed for Musicorama. It was their first show in Paris since 1966, as concerts scheduled in 1967 and 1968 were both canceled. It was also the last concert that they played with Paul Revere and the Raiders who returned to the U.S. due to TV commitments. The Olympia set list consisted of “Darlin’,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “California Girls” (introduced by Mike as “one of my favorite songs because I sing it”), “I Can Hear Music,” a medley of “Warmth of the Sun (only the introduction-no vocals)/Don’t Worry Baby (with duel lead by Al and Bruce)/Please Let Me Wonder (with Bruce on lead vocals)/Surfer Girl and In My Room,” “I Get Around,” “Sloop John B,” “Do It Again” (with Bruce on Tambourine and organ), “Breakaway,” “The Nearest Faraway Place (piano instrumental by Bruce),” “Cottonfields,” ‘Barbara Ann” (Introduced by Mike as “dedicated to everyone interested in improving Franco American relations.” The group then proceeded to sing the chorus as “Pom-Pom-Pom-Pom Pompidou”), “God Only Knows,” “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring,” “Good Vibrations” and “Johnny B. Goode.”
Tuesday June 17, 1969
Lucerna Music Hall, Prague, Czechoslovakia-with Saze, Atlantis and Blue Effect (Two shows)
The Beach Boys legendary visit to the Eastern Bloc began with two shows in Prague, which was just recovering from a Soviet crackdown due to their anti-Communist reform efforts. The Beach Boys were one of the first big groups to visit Prague, and the Czech people filled the streets to get a glimpse of the American icons. Over 6,000 fans that were unable to get tickets to the sold out concerts stood outside the venue to try to hear the group. The large crowds forced the police to bring reinforcements to maintain order and cope with traffic jams.
That night the group gave memorable performances in the intimate Lucerna Hall and received rapturous ovations. The reviewer from the Czech language Rude Pravo noted, “The Beach Boys themselves confirmed that they are one of those groups that possess a different sound on their studio recordings compared to when they appear on the stage. Whilst on record they excel vocally…on stage it is difficult to recognize the presence of the main lead voices under the domineering instrumental accompaniment, although, if we overlook the musical shortcomings then they created an incredible atmosphere…The whole evening was spiced up by the distinctive performance of singer Mike Love. I dare not say whether or not the Beach Boys failed to live up to expectations. Quite clearly though they demonstrated that no matter how good a recording it can never capture the atmosphere of their live performance, and no matter how brilliant the atmosphere of a live performance, it does not capture the musical standard which we are accustomed to on their records.”
According to Daryl Dragon, “the most interesting thing about Prague was that they didn’t have air conditioning in that country. And when I was sitting there playing the piano, the water and dew from all of the people and the sweat and everything made the piano like a big grease pit. I couldn’t even play the piano. It was all wet, all the keys. It was like somebody hosed it down. So that was really a weird sensation. I was thinking, ‘How many germs am I breathing right now?’ But the fans really appreciated the band. They really appreciated Americans.”
Wednesday June 18, 1969
Bratislava Lyre IV International Festival of Popular Song, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia-with the Tremeloes, John Rowles, Hana Zagarova, Josef Laufer and their Majesties, Marta Kubisova (11:30 PM Show)
The group played one show at this four-day music festival and song competition. Preceding them were many Czech and Slovak acts taking part in the actual competition. Czech TV filmed the show and the BBC aired some of the footage (though the footage is lost). The BBs were filmed performing I Get Around, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Breakaway, Sloop John B and Cotton Fields. In addition, Vic Kettle shot footage of the group at the Carlton Hotel. The photo was taken in Paris
Thursday June 19, 1969
Winter Stadium, Brno, Czechoslovakia-with Blue Effect, Progress Organization and Synkopy 61
This was the group’s last concert behind the iron curtain. Bruce Johnston recalled a few weeks later on The Mike Douglas Show that the communist government “wouldn’t allow us to take all of the income home. We had to spend half of the income we made there. So, in the remaining two or three hours we had in the country after we did all of our work, we had to run around and try to get rid of the money. Dennis bought about two suitcases.”
Friday June 20, 1969
Keimolan Juhannus Juhla, Vantaa, Finland-with Joe Hicks, Spede and Simo Show (6:00 PM) and Parola Midsummer Festival, Parola, Finland-with Joe Hicks, Irwin Goodman, Tapani Kansa, Eino Gron, Tapani Perttu and others (9:30 PM Show)
The group visited Finland for the second time. They were booked to play two concerts. The first took place at a venue outside Helsinki that was actually a rink used for auto racing. They were on the bill with an act that performed car stunts! The Beach Boys were four hours late for this appearance, as the authorities at the airport in Brno searched the band’s charter plane so closely for drugs that their departure was delayed. This concert was filmed by Finland TV2 and they aired a portion of the concert (8 songs out of the 14 performed) on the TV Show Tähtiä Yöttömässä Yössä on Dec 11, 1969. The songs shown on TV were: Help Me Rhonda, I Can Hear Music, I Get Around, Sloop John B, Do It Again, Cotton-fields, Barbara Ann and God Only Knows). Following that show, the Beach Boys raced to Parola in southern Finland to appear at a large “Midsummer Festival” on the beach. It was organized by singer Irwin Goodman and lyricist Vexi Salmi and the Beach Boys were promised 30,000 marks. However, Goodman was not happy about their tardiness, which led to a long delay for the audience.
More trouble developed once the band finally arrived around midnight, which prevented them taking the stage for another hour and a half. In his 1997 book Homma gääi, Jukka Järvelä wrote that: “The Beach Boys had received the first 15,000 marks in advance. But Irwin (Goodman) proposed that the performance be canceled and that the band not be paid the remaining 15,000 marks. Leo Heinonen, who brought the band to Finland, was present at Parola and of course he began to ask why the number one band’s entrance to the stage was still delayed. Vexi said that there are still negotiations to be had about the performance. Heinonen didn’t like this and threatened to march to the Beach Boys to tell them that the whole show has been cancelled. Vexi, on the other hand, threatened Irwin that he would go in front of the audience to announce that Irwin Goodman wouldn’t let the band play. Carl Wilson, who was the spokesman for the Beach Boys, got tired of the hassle and waiting and finally asked why the concert couldn’t start already. After receiving an update, he asked Heinonen who Irwin Gooman was, and got the answer that he was Finland’s most popular singer. Wilson unexpectedly suggested that Irwin Goodman be included in the American Band’s performance, which might make up for Goodman’s disappointment over them being late. However, nothing came of this idea-of a concert of such a super ensemble, because Irwin, upset by the situation, had already left the area. In the end, Vexi gave Wilson a packet with 15,000 marks and the gig that more than 10,000 people were waiting for started on a bright summer night.”
The Beach Boys took the stage around 1:30 in the morning. Markku Veijalainen, editor-in-chief of Intro magazine wrote, “In Comparison to the Beach Boys’ previous visit to Finland (in 1967), they have completely left out the string instruments (this time) and replaced them with a strong brass section. This has resulted in the music being stronger or should we say “more powerful” than last time. Carl Wilson and Al Jardine wore white suits, Bruce Johnston wore a leather jacket, Dennis Wilson wore old worn-out jeans, and Mike Love wore a strange full-length white robe. A little before the start of the show, the railing in front of the stage broke, causing quite a bit of confusion among the more than 10,000 spectators, and for a moment it seemed that the entire audience would collapse onto the stage. However, soldiers saved the situation by forming a thick chain between the audience and the stage. Then the situation calmed down and the Beach Boys were able to start. The repertoire of the Beach Boys group included old songs that had been heard before, but this should by no means be taken as a negative comment, because the familiar beach-like rhythms heard quite genuinely without the possibilities of a recording studio were, if possible, even better than on the record. I Get Around, Barbara Ann, Do It Again, Bluebirds over the Mountain, Cottonfields and Breakaway were songs that made the audience warm up after waiting for hours. The beautiful song God Only Knows and the excellent Good Vibrations formed a pleasant closure for the program and prepared the audience appropriately for Johnny B Goode. Then suddenly The Beach Boys show was over. The boys left in the waiting cars and the managers stayed there to argue about the money. Performing for the Beach Boys was an experience in itself, because they have hardly ever performed at 2 in the morning when the sun was shining. Performing for the public was also an experience. The Beach Boys proved that the talk of their superiority is not just a myth. They can do almost the same on stage as on their records and that’s a lot.” The setlist was: Help Me, Rhonda, I Can Hear Music, I Get Around, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, California Girls, Bluebirds over the Mountain, Cotton-fields, Sloop John B., Do It Again, Break Away, Barbara Ann, God Only Knows, Good Vibrations and Johnny B. Goode.
Sunday June 22, 1969
Finsbury Park Astoria, London, UK-with Rainbow People and Marmalade (Two shows at 6:00 and 8:30 PM)
The Beach Boys were tentatively scheduled to play at the Antwerp Pop Festival on June 21 but they dropped out and instead flew to London. The Beach Boys’ popularity in the U.K. led to the addition of these shows to satisfy demand. Since Paul Revere and the Raiders had flown home, Marmalade and Rainbow People were added to the bill. Mike Ledgerwood of Disc and Music Echo reported, “the Beach Boys certainly left us with some good vibrations. A full blooded, power packed bumper programme which included most of their big hits and Carl Wilson’s clever, if at times a tiny bit flat, rendering of ‘God Only Knows.’ …Musically they might not exactly reproduce their famous studio sounds, but they have a damned good try and the result is not disappointing.” Ledgerwood singled Bruce out for special praise for his solo piano performance of “The Nearest Faraway Place,” which “went down a storm.”
Following the shows, the group spent a few days in London. On June 23 Carl and Mike visited an editing studio on Oxford St. to have a look at footage shot by Vic Kettle of the tour. Dennis, Carl and Al most likely returned to the U.S. on June 24. Mike and Bruce remained in Europe a bit longer, appearing on Top of the Pops on June 25 to introduce the footage shot at Leeds. Bruce also spent some time working on a single for Graham Bonney. Mike spent most of his time at the Brighton Meditation Center and returned to the states on June 29.
Saturday July 19, 1969
Long Island Arena, Commack, NY-with the Box Tops, the New Colony 6 and the Buchanan Brothers (8 PM Show)
The group was in trouble and Brian was convinced to lend a hand. He wrote and produced a single for the group with his father (credited as Reggie Dunbar) called “Breakaway.” But, despite appearances on Mike Douglas and elsewhere to promote it, the record failed to chart in the U.S. As it turned out, “Breakaway” was the group’s last 45 for Capitol. They expressed some interest in re-signing the Beach Boys, but the band had grown disenchanted with the label and its reluctance to embrace their changing music. As Carl related to Rock Magazine in 1970, “They were against Pet Sounds and all the albums that came after. They wanted us to stick with surfing and hot rod records, you know. But we said, well you know, we don’t want to do that. We’re doing other music now. But they really weren’t going for it. And so they had all these hundreds of people in their organization pushing another thing. People were bound to get the wrong impression about the group.” In April 1969 the group made the decision to terminate their relationship with Capitol and launched a lawsuit against them, demanding back payments dating back to 1967, which they said they were owed. Capitol responded by deleting their back catalogue, thus cutting off the group’s record royalties.
Meanwhile, The BBs flew to Philadelphia on July 17 and taped two television appearances there the next day. They sang “Breakaway” on the syndicated Hy Lit Show. Lit was an influential radio personality, who’d emceed the group’s first Philly show. That footage is apparently gone, but their appearance on The Mike Douglas Show survives. Dressed in their white stage outfits the group sang live vocals over taped backing for “Breakaway” and Dennis’ composition “Celebrate the News.” They also gave an interview to Douglas about their recent European tour. An amusing moment on this show occurred when the group shared the couch with Mike Douglas and his guest co-host Kaye Stevens. While Stevens sang “Pennies from Heaven” she cajoled a reluctant Dennis into dancing with her.
Ed Carter (bass), Daryl Dragon (keyboards) and Dennis Dragon (percussion) were the backup musicians on these dates. The group also utilized a three piece-horn section. Dick Duryea accompanied the group, as did Steve Desper and Jon Parks. Parks main task up to now had been to keep an eye on Dennis and prevent him getting into too much trouble. But he now took Steve Korthof’s place as road manager. He commented, “Steve Korthof worked with The Beach Boys until about 1969 after the Czechoslovakia, Prague, tour (June 1969). That was a busy tour; I stayed back to set up the next tour. Nick Grillo went on the tour, so I had to become the business manager for a time to have a legal representative in the States during the tour. But the tour was too much for Steve, and he was fatigued. When he returned, he was ready to give up touring and the stress of the business. I took over his responsibilities along with my own and helped Dick Duryea. I also had responsibilities as the liaison with Capitol Records and for a time I was the contractor for all recording sessions. Diane Rovell, Marilyn Wilson’s sister, usually did the contracting and had it set up very well. When we were doing rhythm tracks, I’d make a call and they knew I wanted the Wrecking Crew. I had developed a financial program to take care of some past expenses that Nick wanted me to pursue. So, I joined the musician’s union and added contracting to my workload.”
Sunday July 20, 1969
Troy Armory, Troy, NY-with the Box Tops and the Buchanan Brothers
A fan that attended this show recalled, “It was the night that we landed on the moon and the show got interrupted in the middle of the slow song medley when the local DJ brought a black and white TV onto the stage and played the landing. The Beach Boys had to leave the stage and Al was pissed off and made an audible comment to that effect.” Following the show, the BBs drove to Hamilton Ontario, where they spent the night.
Monday July 21, 1969
Wentworth Curling Club, Hamilton, ON, Canada-with the Box Tops and the Buchanan Brothers (8 PM Show)
The Beach Boys were one of the first rock acts to play in Hamilton. Mayor Vic Copps came to greet them and presented them with special hats to commemorate their visit. In addition, Capitol Records Canada threw a press party for the group (in the accompanying photo Dick Duryea and Jon Parks are also present. Jon Parks stands behind Carl, while Duryea is on the far right next to Dennis). Carl gushed about being a new father, “Man it’s just the greatest thing.” Dennis took the opportunity to proclaim, “No one should be unhappy. It’s all in the mind. You haven’t got to let things get to you.” Asked about Vietnam, Dennis said, “That’s abstract. I won’t believe it till I see it…I’d like to go there and have a look around and see what it’s all about, but not to fight. I’m a conscientious objector.” Dennis also stated his continued support for the Maharishi’s teachings. “He’s got the answer you know. Meditation that’s the answer to all your problems… It’s got nothing to do with money. In business I’m a multi-millionaire, but I don’t have a place of my own in L.A. I live with my friends and sleep wherever I put my head down. I’ve got peace and happiness man.”
The Hamilton police were unprepared for the large crowds that turned out to see the Beach Boys. Cars were parked in no-parking zones near the venue and police threatened to ticket and tow the vehicles. Bruce Johnston had to personally call the police station to beg them not to. The Spectator reviewer Jerry Rogers praised the Box Tops, led by their dynamic singer Alex Chilton. About the Beach Boys, he stated, “While their total sound has become a bit familiar they still have a few surprises. Last night’s set-45 minutes of top 40 tunes like ‘Sloop John B,’ ‘Good Vibrations,’ ‘I Get Around’ and ‘Help Me Rhonda’-was a quick, almost effortless way for them to earn $8,500 that delighted the audience.”
Tuesday July 22, 1969
Manhattan College Summer Music Festival, Gaelic Park, New York, NY-with the Box Tops and Brooklyn Bridge (8:30 PM Show)
This concert was sponsored by Manhattan College and WOR-FM radio. It was opened by the Box Tops, and Brooklyn Bridge, a new group that had a hit with Jimmy Webb’s “The Worst That Could Happen.” Ellen Willis of the New Yorker noted that the audience was fairly subdued and suggested that the BBs were in trouble unless Brian got his act together. She also predicted (wrongly) that the Beach Boys “will probably never make it as a revival act.’ Despite these remarks, she noted, “they are still capable of putting on an exciting show. They played a good mixture of old and new stuff, from Help Me Rhonda to I Can Hear Music. I especially liked their brave live simulation of Good Vibrations, their arrangement of Cotton Fields…Barbara Ann (which always strikes me as a poignant rebuke to all musical phoniness), and the fact that they chose ‘Johnny B. Goode’ for an encore. Mike Love bantered with the audience, coaxing it out of its’ placidity. His humor was on the collegey side, but he got off some nice shots (when a portion of the crowd began chanting Little Deuce Coupe after Love had declined a request for the song on the group hadn’t done it in years, he cracked ‘Sounds like my mantra!’). By the end of the show, people were standing on their seats and clustering around the stage, shouting for more.” It was probably the next day that the Beach Boys taped their first appearance on The David Frost Show. Their appearance aired on August 8.
Wednesday July 23, 1969
Islip Hospital, Islip, NY
The Beach Boys traveled to Long Island to play one show for patients at Islip Hospital and then drove to Atlantic City, where they spent four nights at the La Fayette Hotel. The photo was taken in June in Europe.
Thursday, July 24 to Saturday July 26, 1969
Steel Pier, Atlantic City, NJ-with the Box Tops and Joe Hicks (three shows a day)
Fred Vail recalled a very embarrassing incident involving this engagement and a misprint poster. “Back in those days, when you signed a union contract, the leader would sign it. So (it read), ‘Carl Wilson and four musicians known as the Beach Boys.’ The union would have the leader sign it and the promoter sign it and the agent sign it. So, my guess is that the Steel Pier gave the contract to some secretary who was probably new on the job and told her to order posters like you always do for this act. So, I can just imagine the Beach Boys getting to the Steel Pier for the gig and Michael getting out of the car and just dying when he saw the poster! Because in huge letters it said ‘Carl Wilson’ and in smaller letters ‘and the Beach Boys.’ Love must have been having a hemorrhage when he saw that!”
Sunday July 27, 1969
Oakdale Musical Theatre, Wallingford, CT-with the Buchanan Brothers and the Box Tops (8:00 PM Show)
Monday July 28, 1969
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD-with the Buchanan Brothers, the Box Tops, the Fugitive Six and Bill Myers and the Younger Americans (8:00 PM Show)
This was a benefit concert for the March of Dimes. The set list stuck mainly to the hits with the exception of Bruce’s performance of “The Nearest Faraway Place” and an a cappella “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring.” Mark Abel of the Washington Star declared, “The best number of the evening was ‘Good Vibrations’ a brilliant and incredibly complex song that was brought off perfectly.” However, he criticized the group’s inability to carry off many of their studio masterpieces in a live setting, noting, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows” were “performed competently, but lacked the depth of the original arrangements, despite the fact that the group was augmented by six other instrumentalists. The failure to put over these and several other numbers to best advantage, points up the fact that the Beach Boys’ onstage instrumental work is sometimes inadequate for the material involved. The failure is one of imagination rather than technical ability and could be rectified by more skilful arranging.”
Tuesday, July 29 and Wednesday July 30, 1969
Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH-with the Buchanan Brothers, the Box Tops and the Spectras (One show each night at 830 PM)
Thursday, July 31, 1969
Irwin’s Winnipesaukee Gardens, Weir’s Beach, Laconia, NH-with the Buchanan Brother, the Box Tops and the Spectras
This was a popular lakeside venue founded in 1925, which catered to fans of Big Band Jazz. By the 1960s the times were changing and rock bands began to play. The venue closed in 1976.
Friday August 1, 1969
City of New York Entertainment Truck (afternoon) and Schaefer Music Festival, Wollman Rink, Central Park, NY-with Lonnie Mack (Two shows at 8:00 and 10:30 PM)
In the daytime, the BBs played for kids on the New York Entertainment Truck, which traveled to underprivileged areas to provide free music throughout the summer. Neil Young was scheduled to co-headline the two evening shows in the park, but he canceled and Lonnie Mack opened instead. One of the evening shows was recorded. The set list consisted of “Do It Again”, “Darlin”, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “Sloop John B”, “California Girls”, a medley of “Warmth of the Sun (instrumental)/Don’t Worry Baby/ Please Let Me Wonder /Surfer Girl/In My Room”, “I Can Hear Music”, “Breakaway”, “Cottonfields”, ‘Riot in Cell Block Number 9”, “God Only Knows”, “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring”, “Good Vibrations” and an encore of “Rock and Roll Woman.” The photo was taken the following night in Delaware by Jack Lloyd.
Saturday August 2, 1969
Delaware State Fair, Harrington, DE (Two shows at 7:30 and 9:00 PM)
Despite bad weather, the group attracted over 23,000 fans to the Fair. Former road manager Jack Lloyd took photos of the group onstage.
Sunday August 3, 1969
Lewisburg State Prison, Lewisburg, PA (2 PM Show)
The Buffalo Valley Jaycees had contacted the Beach Boys in January about obtaining complimentary LPs to be used at an inmate radio facility. The Beach Boys then offered to perform live for the prisoners on their summer tour. They traveled to Lewisburg on the night of August 2 and arrived at the prison at 11:30 AM, where they posed with the “Welcome Beach Boys” sign seen in the photo. The group ate lunch with selected prisoners, who got to ask them many questions about their career. The Sunbury Daily Item commented, “The group proceeded to the recreation yard for the show, which was witnessed by some 1200 inmates. Although the Boys had said they were bringing ‘a minimum of equipment’ they very adeptly produced studio quality sounds that filled the penitentiary grounds. Pete Gabriel of radio station WARM in Scranton emceed the show at the request of the Jaycees. After a 60-minute foot stomping, finger popping performance, the group returned to the dining room for refreshments before starting their journey home.”
The BBs than drove to Harrisburg, where they caught a flight to Detroit. From there they caught a connecting flight to LA, arriving at the airport at 150 AM on August 4. According to Jack Lloyd, after they returned to L.A., he took some of the Beach Boys to Las Vegas to see Elvis Presley perform at the International Hotel (it was his first Vegas engagement since 1956 and was the talk of the town). The increasingly reclusive Brian and his wife Marilyn were among the attendees.
Friday September 5 and Saturday September 6, 1969
Lagoon, Farmington, UT-with Paul Revere and the Raiders (One show at 9:00 PM Show each night)
The Beach Boys’ touring schedule was temporarily derailed by Carl’s draft case. It was not until early September that they were able to play a few dates. Regrettably, not a single photo of the Beach Boys performing at the Lagoon, where they performed almost every year from 1963 to 1970, has ever turned up. I would love to find some.
Sunday September 7, 1969
Bronco Football Stadium, Boise, ID-with Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Filmore West, Rick McClellan and the Crystal Ship of Ontario (7:00 PM Show)
About 6,500 fans attended this show. Paul Revere and the Raiders who were from Boise and were making their first appearance in their hometown since attaining stardom overshadowed the Beach Boys. The Idaho Statesman noted that, “with unique vigor, sophisticated corn and sufficient electronic amplification to be heard by anyone within blocks of the Bronco Stadium, both groups won a storm of whistles and applause from their fans, after playing over an hour each to satisfy the crowd.”
By this time, Dennis Wilson had belatedly realized that he’d connected with something evil when he befriended Charles Manson and his Family. His fears were amply confirmed when in the summer of 1969 the Tate-La Bianca murders horrified the world. Dennis was apparently threatened by Manson and became fearful for his family. Perhaps, for that reason, he chose to take his adopted son Scott on the road with him on this short tour. The two were photographed together backstage by the local newspaper.
Wednesday November 26, 1969
Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL (Two shows at 7:30 and 10:30)
The sessions for what ultimately became Sunflower would stretch into the spring of 1970. The group recognized that they needed to hit a home run this time and were not willing to rush it. As a result, however, they had little new product that fall. It was a slow and uneventful period for the band. They were still looking for a new record label in the States and were playing at smaller venues and attracting fewer fans to gigs. For their seventh Thanksgiving tour, Daryl Dragon (piano), Jack Conrad (bass) and Dennis Dragon (percussion) made up the backing band. By this time, longtime road manager Dick Duryea had parted company with the group and new manager Fred Vail, engineer Stephen Desper and road manager Jon Parks accompanied them on this tour. The Beach Boys taped a television appearance on The Dennis Wholey Show in Cincinnati prior to this concert. They performed Dennis’ as yet unreleased Sunflower opener “Slip on Through” before a live audience. The footage is probably lost but an audiotape survives.
Thursday November 27, 1969
Corn Palace, Mitchell, SD (3:00 PM Show), Sioux Falls Arena, Sioux Falls, SD-with the Apostles (7:00 PM Show) and Sioux City Auditorium, Sioux City, IA-with the Pilgrims (11:00 PM Show)
Poor record sales were beginning to affect bookings. Fred Vail recalled, “We were back to what we had been doing in 1963. We were playing in secondary markets where the kids seldom saw entertainment.” The group would remember this Thanksgiving Day as a bottoming out moment in their career. Bruce has often recounted his bleak memory of playing for 300 people in Mitchell at the Corn Palace. Daryl Dragon recalled, “Half a house showed up. That was so pathetic. I think I said, ‘You guys should just hang it up.’” Fred Vail commented more charitably, “It wasn’t an absolute disaster but I love to kid people and say, ‘There were more people on stage than in the audience.’ We had Thanksgiving dinner in Styrofoam to-go boxes. It was definitely one of the low points.”
The infamous Corn Palace concert was an afternoon affair and one of three concerts played that day. After eating their modest Thanksgiving meal, the group traveled to Sioux Falls for a 7 PM show and then moved on to nearby Sioux City, Iowa for a late night concert there.
Friday November 28, 1969
Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO-with the Underground Sunshine (8 PM Show)
Saturday November 29, 1969
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
In Edmonton Fred Vail witnessed a very disturbing incident involving Dennis. “Denny got a panicky call from (his ex-wife) Carole that (their son) Scotty was missing. And Dennis was really upset because we were like 2500 miles away and Carole’s just really upset because Scotty’s not there. He’s gone and she can’t find him. She’d already gone around the neighborhood and they lived in Benedict Canyon Drive, which was pretty isolated. So, something could have happened and nobody would know about it. So anyways we did the show and Denny is in a panic. He was saying, ‘I want to leave.’ And I was saying, ‘you won’t get a flight because it’s Saturday.’ So, he said, ‘Charter me a plane.’ And I had to break the news to Denny that we couldn’t afford to charter him a plane. So, I just said, ‘Let’s just give it a little more time. They’re probably doing everything they can down there. I think by that time the Sheriff’s Department had been called and all that stuff. We got back (to the hotel) and I was trying to get him on a red eye to Minneapolis-St Paul so that he could then catch a flight back to L.A. But as it turned out Carole had called and said ‘don’t worry we found him.’ It was just an innocent mistake; he was just at a friend’s house. The mother thought Carole knew he was at the friends so they didn’t call to say he was at the friends. It was just a big mess. So, we didn’t have to get Denny on a plane. But I am absolutely certain to this day that when Carole called and said Scotty was missing the first thing Dennis thought was that Charles Manson had taken him.”
The photo shows Dennis and Carl with engineer Steve Desper and road manager Jon Parks.
Sunday November 30, 1969
Winnipeg Auditorium, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada-with the Fifth and Eddy Laham (7:30 PM Show)
The group returned to Winnipeg for what turned out to be the last night of a dismal tour. This show was recorded and a low quality recording makes the rounds. The Winnipeg Free Press noted, “the Beach Boys came remarkably close to duplicating the marvelous sound they achieve on their recordings…Help Me Rhonda, California Girls…I Get Around, Sloop John B and I Can Hear Music were some of the familiar singles that the group performed on the Auditorium stage…Further variety was provided by a heavy rock number, Riot in Cell Block 11, which the group did in a splendid steamroller fashion. And just to show that they know where they came from, the Beach Boys finished the show with Johnny B. Goode.”
The Beach Boys were scheduled to play shows at the University of Duluth and the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks but they were canceled because Mike was ordered to appear in court in L.A. at 8:30 AM on December 1. Fred Vail told a reporter from the Dakota Student that “Mike Love has been ordered to appear in court for divorce proceedings and he can’t get out of it. We’ve gotten continuances before so Mike could make their engagements, but we couldn’t get another one.” The group promised both schools they would play make-up shows, but this did not happen. Fred Vail reveals that Mike’s divorce proceedings may not have been the real reason for the cancelations. “…I think they may have been canceled by the promoters because there wasn’t enough advance sales. And you never want to admit that your shows are being canceled for lack of fans.”
The group headed back to L.A., where a hellish media storm was brewing. Vail recalled, “When we got back on Monday to Los Angeles the story broke about Charles Manson and all hell broke loose. The D.A. called us up and they told me to field all the questions to the District Attorney because there is going to be a lot of press. They said, ‘you guys are the Beach Boys. You have millions of fans and there is going to be a lot of stuff in the papers about Denny’s connection to Manson. You may get threats. Lock the door.‘ That was the beginning of that whole thing.”
