The Beach Boys
Through discovering and learning about Charles Manson and The Family in 2013 I became interested in The Beach Boys and their music in about 2017.
In this blog on the Beach Boys I’ve included various different information on The Beach Boys which includes my own opinions and information which I found on the Internet. The information includes details on the band, information on the different members of the band, information on some members of the band’s father, information on The Beach Boy’s albums and photos of The Beach Boys through the years.
To begin with The Beach Boys first formed in 1961 and members from the Beach Boys from 1961 to 1983 included brothers Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson. Other members included Al Jardine who was Brian’s Wilson’s friend from High School and University, Mike Love who is Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson’s cousin, and Bruce Johnston who first joined the band for live performances in 1965, filling in for the group’s co-founder Brian Wilson who had quit touring in order to spend more time in the studio.
For several of the Beach Boys, alcoholism and debilitating drug use scarred this group more than any other 1960’s bands who did things in excess. Also, with this consumption of alcohol and drugs in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, this often had resulted in constant quarreling within the band.
The Beach Boys in 1973
The following is some background information which I found to be blog worthy, alarming or interested me on members from The Beach Boys. I’ve also included information on Murray Wilson who was the father of Beach Boy member’s Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson.
MURRAY WILSON
Murray Wilson who as well as being the father of Beach Boy members Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson was also The Beach Boy’s first manager between 1961-1964. In 1961 Murray organised a signing contract for The Beach Boys with Capital Records. Murray, apparently a domineering and manipulative man was extremely strict with The Beach Boys and made the band work hard which contributed to them achieving a tremendous amount from 1961-1964, which included the band producing numerous albums etc . In 1964 he was dismissed from The Beach Boys and in 1969 Murray sold off the Beach Boys publishing company Sea of Tunes for $700,000 (equivalent to $4.88 million in 2019).
Carl, Dennis and Brian Wilson were brought up in a family environment where their dad Murray used to frequently physically and emotionally abuse them in different ways. Brian talked about the abuse they suffered in “I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir”. “My dad was violent,” Brian writes. “He was cruel.” As children he says they were all on the receiving end of abuse — where Brian at the age of three was hit in the head by Murray with a 2×4 piece of wood, resulting in the permanent loss of nearly all of the hearing in his right ear.
The psychological abuse when they were children included where Murray would pull out his glass eye and make the boys stare into the empty, gaping hole. Murray followed them as their original manager and constantly berated them: They were losers, they were worthless, they were failures.
DENNIS WILSON (born 1947 – died 1983)
My favourite member of The Beach Boys is Dennis Wilson because he was very handsome, rebellious and boisterous.
Apparently Dennis had a combative nature, was the sex symbol of the Beach Boys, he could be rude and was the middle brother of the three Wilson boys.
Songs which I like of Dennis’s.
River Song (1977)
(from Dennis's 1977 solo "Pacific Blue" album).
You are so beautiful
INFORMATION REGARDING DENNIS’S ACTING CAREER
In 1971, Dennis starred alongside James Taylor and Warren Oates in the film Two-Lane Blacktop as “The Mechanic”. The film depicts “The Driver” (Taylor) and “The Mechanic” driving aimlessly across the United States in their 1955 Chevy, surviving on money earned from street racing.
Photos taken from the movie "Two-Lane Blacktop".
WHAT DENNIS GOT UP TO WITH THE BEACH BOYS IN 1978.
In 1978 there was a bad Beach Boy’s show in Perth in Australia where Dennis and Carl Wilson bought heroin before the show. The band were forced to apologize for the terrible show and fans demanded their money back.
A 1980 GOOD MORNING AMERICA, BEACH BOY’S INTERVIEW.
I like a Youtube video of an interview the Beach Boy’s did live on Good Morning America on December 5, 1980. The interview was to promote their upcoming 20th year anniversary as a band and was filmed early in the morning. In the interview it looks as though Dennis is really drunk and he does some really amusing things.
Photos taken from the 1980 Good Morning America interview with
The Beach Boys.
Video of the Good Morning America interview with The Beach Boys.
DIFFERENT INFORMATION REGARDING DENNIS’S PERSONAL OR LOVE LIFE HISTORY FROM 1971 TO 1983.
SONG BY DENNIS WILSON: FOREVER (1971)
PHOTOS OF DENNIS WILSON AND HIS SECOND EX-WIFE BARBARA CHARREN IN THE FOREVER MUSIC VIDEO
1978
Toward the end of 1978 Dennis began dating Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie.
In about 1979 Dennis moved into Christine’s house and in the same year he had a heart-shaped garden installed at her home. At a surprise birthday party at her house in 1980 Dennis hired a symphony orchestra to serenade her as he sang “You Are So Beautiful”.
Christine and Dennis considered recording an album together, and she dedicated a song on the last Fleetwood Mac LP, Mirage to him which was released in early 1982.
There were intense periods of time where drunk Dennis would storm through the house breaking anything within reach.
Dennis and Christine broke up in early 1982 and also in early 1982 Dennis had moved into a house in Venice Beach with his seventeen-year-old daughter Jennifer and some other friends. When he was living at Christine’s he was doing a lot of cocaine and drinking alcohol. By the time he had moved to Venice, he was carrying around a ready-mixed jug of alcohol which had progressed to a continual drink.
It was while Dennis was living in Venice Beach that he began an affair with his second cousin, Shawn Marie Love. Shawn Marie Love (b.1964-d.2003) was the illegitimate daughter of Mike Love from The Beach Boys. Mike Love denied for years that she was his daughter. Shawn, then sixteen first met Dennis when she showed up at Dennis’ house in Venice with a mutual friend. Soon they were living together
Dennis and Shawn were married in July 1983, nearly a year after their son Gage Dennis was born. By late 1983 there wasn’t much of a relationship left. Scrawled in crayon on the walls of their house at 6120 Trancas Canyon Road in Malibu were the phrases “No love” and “No respect.” The house was in shambles. Doors were broken. On one occasion, Shawn nearly drove her silver BMW into the front door. Less than a month before he died, Dennis smashed the windows of the same car with a baseball bat. Before his death in 1983 he was separated from Shawn and a divorce was in the works.
Dennis's fourth ex wife Shawn Marie Love(Wilson)
PHOTO IS SHAWN MARIE LOVE-WILSON WITH BABY GAGE WILSON.
DENNIS’S DEATH
Its incredibly sad that Dennis died at such a young age which was three weeks after his 39th birthday in 1983. He drowned at Marina Del Rey in California after drinking all day and then diving in the afternoon to recover ex-wife (Karen Lamm’s) belonging. Apparently three years earlier amidst their divorce he’d thrown his ex-wife Karen’s belongings overboard at the marina from his yacht.
BRIAN WILSON
Brian was the oldest brother of Carl and Dennis and was the neurotic producer-composer genius behind all of the great Beach Boys albums and singles.
In 1964, a week after first taking LSD in heavy doses Brian began to hear voices where some loved him and others promised to kill him. Later on, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, further on his diagnosis was changed to schizoaffective disorder and he was unable to take care of himself. The music for “California Girls” featured on The Beach Boy’s studio album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (1965) was written by Brian (who conceived the song during his first LSD trip) and other Beach Boy’ member Mike Love.
In 1964 due to I think the ongoing pressures of managing and producing The Beach Boy’s music and albums, Brian suffered a nervous breakdown. In the same year he also stopped touring with The Beach Boys, which led to more personal work such as The Beach Boy’s album Pet Sounds (1966) and the unfinished Smile album (1967).
From about late 1967 to early 1968, Brian didn’t contribute much to The Beach Boys’ albums etc and his mental health had greatly deteriorated. Adding to the deterioration of his mental health he also had regularly used cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, and psychedelics. From about late 1967 to over the next decade, he led a reclusive lifestyle and frequently consumed amphetamines, LSD, morphine and alcohol. I think that he used the different substances to cope with everything.
I like this video from 1976 which shows Brian in his bedroom where he is lying in bed in his house and John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd end up driving him to a beach. At the beach he is made to surf on his surfboard in his pjs and dressing gown.
Taken from that 1976 video featuring Brian,
John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd
Video where John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd take Brian Wilson
Surfing in 1976.
In 1982, Brian had ballooned to over 300 pounds, he wouldn’t bathe, would eat and then throw up his food, and if drugs were around he would use them. He was also non-productive.
From 1975–1976 and from 1982 to 1992, he was under the control of Svengali-like psychotherapist Dr. Eugene Landy who managed everything from his medications to his finances. He ripped Brian off where Brian paid him millions of dollars to be under his care and control.
Brian Wilson with Dr. Eugene Landy in 1976
CARL WILSON
Carl Wilson (1946-1998) was the youngest brother of band mates Brian and Dennis Wilson. He was known by many as the group’s heart, the one who grounded the rest of the band through all the chaos with surprising tranquility. He glued or held the band together.
After Brian’s retirement from touring in 1965 Carl became the musical director of the band onstage. In the early 1970’s he was the group’s de-facto leader and produced the bulk of the albums. After the 1973 Holland album, Carl’s leadership role diminished somewhat due to Brian’s brief public re-emergence and because of Carl’s own substance abuse problems.
Carl in the late 70s or early 80s.
Carl started smoking cigarettes at the age of 13 or 14 and was diagnosed with lung cancer after becoming ill at his vacation home in Hawaii in early 1997. Despite his illness, Carl continued to perform while undergoing chemotherapy. He played and sang throughout the Beach Boys’ entire summer tour, which ended in late 1997. During the performances, he sat on a stool but he stood while singing “God Only Knows”.
Carl died of lung cancer on February 6, 1998, aged 51, in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family just two months after the death of his mother Audree Wilson.
MIKE LOVE
Mike Love has been one of the band’s vocalists and lyricists for their entire career, contributing to each of their studio albums and serving as their front man for live performances.
During the late 1960’s and the proceeding years, Mike Love held a major leadership role in the band, was strongly anti-drug and was deeply into transcendental meditation.
In 1967, Mike became one of the many rock musicians who discovered the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, following the Beatles’ August 1967 public endorsement of his Transcendental Meditation technique. In December Mike and the rest of The Beach Boys attended a lecture by the Maharishi at a UNICEF Variety Gala in Paris and were moved by the simplicity and effectiveness of his meditation process as a means to obtaining inner peace. In January 1968, the Beach Boys attended the Maharishi’s public appearances in New York and Cambridge, Massachusetts after which Maharishi invited Mike to join The Beatles at his training seminar in Rishikesh in northern India. Mike stayed there from February 28 1968 to March 15 1968.
Many of Mike’s contributions to the group’s hits were not officially recognized until the 1990’s, when he successfully sued for writing credits on 35 Beach Boy songs, he still remains uncredited for 44 Beach Boy’ songs.
Mike Love has also sued Brian Wilson and Al Jardine in court on different occasions for different issues.
BRUCE JOHNSTON
The very first vocal recording Bruce Johnston ever made as one of The Beach Boys was on the “Summer Days & Summer Nights”(1965) album. Bruce recorded his voice on “California Girls” and that track became one of the most successful singles from the album (although for contractual reasons he would not be credited or photographed on a Beach Boys album cover until the 1967 Wild Honey album).
On and off from 1965 to 1979 Bruce Johnston was a member of The Beach Boys. He returned to The Beach Boys in 1979 at Brian Wilson’s request to appear on (and co-produce) the LA Light album.
Bruce Johnston in 1969
Ever Since 1979 Bruce has remained with The Beach Boys and was the only member to continue touring with Mike Love as The Beach Boys after the death of Carl Wilson in 1998.
AL JARDINE
Al Jardine was friends with Brian Wilson at Hawthorne High School and in 1961 at the University of El Camino College. It was at El Camino College that Al suggested to Brian that they form a band together. The Beach Boys formed in 1961 and it wasn’t until 1963 that Al fully joined the group.
Al Jardine took care of the band’s business issues.
Al Jardine in 1972
Following Carl Wilson’s death in 1998 Jardine left the touring version of The Beach Boys, leaving Mike Love as the only original member in the group playing live concerts.
In December 2011, Al, Bruce Johnston, David Marks, Brian Wilson and Mike Love reunited and commenced recording a new Beach Boys album titled “That’s Why God Made the Radio”, which was released on June 2012. From April – September 2012 they all took part in The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour.
BEACH BOY ALBUMS
The below is other information about different released and unreleased Beach Boy’s albums and some of the songs from those albums which I like. (The albums are stated in capital letters and are highlighted).
SURFER GIRL - released on September 16, 1963.
Mike Love’s writing credits for “Catch a Wave” and “Hawaii” were only awarded after a 1994 court case.
Songs which I like from the Surfer Girl album:
Surfer Girl
In My Room
Catch a Wave
PET SOUNDS - released on May 16, 1966
Pet Sounds was produced by Brian Wilson and is the album which The Beach Boys are best known for.
Mike Love of The Beach Boys is credited with naming the album Pet Sounds. However, he has also been reported as resisting the group’s new direction.
Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys has been credited by the Library of Congress as one of the original greatest supporters of the Pet Sounds album. He flew to London in May 1966 and played the album for John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Keith Moon who was a Beach Boy’s fan.
Photos regarding the making of Pet Sounds
(LEFT TO RIGHT; PHOTO 1: IN STUDIO RECORDING OF PET SOUNDS.
PHOTO 2: BRIAN WILSON MASTERING AUDIO FOR THE PET SOUNDS ALBUM. PHOTO 3: THE BEACH BOYS IN ONE OF THE STUDIO ROOMS).
Caroline, No
God Only Knows
SMILE - cancelled for release on May 1967
Smile was an album project which was produced by Brian and was recorded in 1966 and 1967 but was cancelled for release in May 1967. The Smile studio album was not reassembled and wasn’t released formally until 2011.
Van Dyke Parks provided the majority of Smile’s lyrics, thematic direction and he also participated in sessions as an instrumentalist.
Van Dyke Parks in about 1967
Songs from the Smile album which I like:
Vega-Tables
I really like the Beach Boys music video for Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow (1966) which is shown below:
Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow (1966)
From carrying out research on the Internet I discovered that Mrs O’Leary’s Cow originally used to be called “Fire” which was an unfinished instrumental written that was produced by Brian Wilson for the Smile album. When a rash of forest fires coincided with him writing “Fire” he started to believe his music was influencing real-world events. Brian shelved the track indefinitely, then claimed for many years to have destroyed its master tapes.
In 1967 Fire was revisited and re-recorded with a minimized arrangement, renamed “Fall Breaks and Back to Winter (W. Woodpecker Symphony)”, and then published for The Beach Boys’ 1967 album “Smiley Smile”. Under the title “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”, Brian completed “Fire” as a solo artist in 2004 for Brian Wilson Presents Smile.
SMILEY SMILE – released on September 18, 1967
As a result of the Smile album being cancelled The Beach Boys came up with the album Smiley Smile, which was quickly assembled nearly from scratch.
Smiley Smile was a simplified version of the album “Smile”. Smile was a much more elaborately constructed record. “Smiley Smile” was significantly stripped-down with a reproduced sound which was of a low quality.
Some of Smile’s songs (“Vegetables,” “Wonderful” and “Wind Chimes”) were reworked from the ground up. In the end, the experimental Smiley Smile numbers cut at Brian’s new home studio in 1967, didn’t have much to do with the abandoned album other than a similar title.
I like the following songs from the Smiley Smile album:
Wind Chimes
Heroes and Villains
20/20 - released on February 10,1969
Much of the album 20/20 consists of outtakes or recordings which weren’t used in the band’s earlier albums. Brian Wilson was absent during most of the album’s recording after admitting himself into a psychiatric hospital, requiring brothers Carl and Dennis to retrieve several outtakes he had recorded years earlier. While Brian does not appear on the front cover the inner gatefold of the original vinyl release features him alone, behind an eye examination chart.
20/20 was produced by Carl Wilson, where the production was credited to “The Beach Boys” or all the members of The Beach Boys.
I like the following songs from the 20/20 album:
- Do It Again.
- I Can Hear Music. “I Can Hear Music” was the first track which was solely produced by Carl Wilson.
- All I Want to Do.
- Cotton Fields. This 1969 version of Cotton Fields is Al Jardine of The beach Boys rewrite of Lead Belly’s Cotton Fields.
- Never Learn Not to Love. Dennis Wilson wrote “Never Learn Not to Love” which was an altered version of “Cease to Exist”, written by Charles Manson where in Dennis’s version he deviated from Manson’s structure. Manson exchanged his writing credit for a sum of cash and a motorcycle. He was incensed when he learned that Dennis had changed some of the original lyrics.
Charles MANSON in 1969
Charles Manson’s song "Cease to Exist".
The Beach Boys song "Never Learn Not to Love"
which was written by Beach Boy Dennis Wilson.
I Can Hear Music
Cotton Fields
SUNFLOWER - released August 31, 1970
Unlike their previous albums, Sunflower was composed entirely of original song writing contributions from every member of the band. Its recording sessions began in January 1969 and after some legal battles with Capitol Records completed in July 1970, by which time the group had signed with the Reprise record label.
I like the following song from the Sunflower album:
Fallin' in Love
SURF'S UP - released November 29, 1971
Al Jardine and Carl Wilson were involved in production duties for the Surf’s Up album
Songs I like from the Surf’s Up album:
Surf's Up
Long Promised Road
- Carl Wilson composed Long Promised Road and Feel Flows, with lyrics by the band’s then manager Jack Rieley. Carl considered “Long Promised Road” to be his first real song.
Feels Flows
HOLLAND - released on January 8, 1973
Car Wilson produced the Holland album where the production was nominally credited to “The Beach Boys” and was recorded in Baambrugge, Netherlands, in Holland. Beach Boy Bruce Johnston suggested that the group record their new album in France, but somehow it ended up being recorded in Holland.
I like the following songs from the Holland album:
Sail On, Sailor
The Trader
L.A. (LIGHT ALBUM) - released on March 19, 1979
Bruce Johnston co-produced the L.A (Light album). He returned to The Beach Boys in 1979 at Brian Wilson’s request to appear on (and co-produce) the album.
I like the following songs from the L.A (Light album)
- Lady Lynda. Lady Lynda (1978) was Al Jardine’s song for his first wife, which scored a Top Ten chart entry in the UK.
Lady Lynda
THAT'S WHY GOD MADE THE RADIO - released June 5, 2012
The album was produced by Brian Wilson, and was recorded to coincide with the band’s 50th anniversary. It was their first album to feature original material since Summer in Paradise in 1992, and was their first album since the 1998 death of co-founder Carl Wilson.
I like this song from the album:
That's Why God Made the Radio
THE BEACH BOYS THROUGH THE YEARS
1966
1967
1969
1973
1974
1977
1978
1980
1982 or 1983
1990s
2012- During The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary tour
Websites where I got some of my information for this blog from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20/20_(Beach_Boys_album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfer_Girl
https://www.thefix.com/brian-wilson-shares-regret-over-drug-use-new-memoir
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can%27t_Wait_Too_Long
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Wilson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Wilson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_(Beach_Boys_album)
https://www.grunge.com/117887/beach-boys-tragic-real-life-story/
Charles Manson and The Family 1968 to 1970
Charles Manson
I first became aware of Charles Manson and The Manson Family in 2013 when I watched a TV documentary about them which I can’t recall the name of. I’ve enjoyed watching Horror Movies since I’ve been a kid and I know some things about dysfunctional families, so the Manson Family really interested me. Don’t get me wrong, I totally don’t condone the Manson Family murders which occurred in late 1969, but I find some of what the Manson Family got up to from 1968 to 1970 minus the murders to be both very interesting and degrading towards people. The following is information which I found on the Internet minus the murders about what happened with the Manson Family from 1968 to 1970 when they were living at Dennis Wilson from the Beach Boys and at Spahn Ranch and what they were doing after the August 1969 murders. (I obtained the mostly true (I think?) information from various sources on the Internet) and included are some of my opinions.
Charles Manson and The Family lived with Dennis Wilson from the Beach Boys in early 1968. It’s interesting to note that the Family turned Denis’s home into a Party Palace and Denis’s home life was filled with sex, drugs, and the philosophical musings of Charles Manson. In addition, the Manson girls cooked and cleaned in his house.
The Family cost Dennis up to $100, 000 which was money spent on the parties held at his house, his clothes, food, penicillin shots for the Family’s persistent gonorrhoea and for when the Family totalled Denis’s $21,000 uninsured 275 GTB/6C / 1966 Ferrari and Mercedes. Regarding the totalled Ferrari The Family’s Steven Grogan, aka “Tufts Clem” and Charles Denton Watson, aka “Tex” borrowed Denis’s $21,000 uninsured 275 GTB/6C / 1966 Ferrari, took it for a joy ride and crashed it while driving on Santa Susanna Road in downtown LA. the car having rolled twice, only the trunk lid, the right rear fender and right door were not damaged. They managed to get out of the car thru the right window, the roof being crushed all the way to the steering wheel.
Denis Wilson’s 275 GTB/6C /1966 totalled Ferrari
In September 1968, Denis Wilson and The Beach Boys recorded a version of Charles Manson’s song “Cease to Exist,”, changing the title to “Never Learn Not to Love” and the song was released in December 1968. However, they did the opposite of everything Charles had asked them to do. They changed the music from its bluesy twang to a more refined pop sound, they changed the lyrics, they changed the title, and Dennis Wilson was credited as being the sole writer for “Never Learn Not To Love,” which infuriated Manson. According to Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks: “One day, Charles Manson brought a bullet out and showed it to Dennis, who asked, ‘What’s this?’ And Manson replied, ‘It’s a bullet. Every time you look at it, I want you to think how nice it is your kids are still safe.’ Well, Dennis grabbed Manson by the head and threw him to the ground and began pummelling him … I heard about it, but I wasn’t there.”
Denis Wilson in the forefront and Charles Manson in the background.
In my opinion, Spahn Ranch, the place where the Manson Family lived from 1968-1970 looks like it’d have been an exciting place to live in. The ranch owned by George Spahn, was a massive, dusty ranch with a Western themed movie set in San Fernando Valley, California. The ranch was built in 1947 and George Spahn bought it in 1953. The town set had been used in movies and TV shows (today, the ranch is a state park). A wildfire destroyed all of the Spahn Movie Ranch’s film sets and residential structures on September 26, 1970.
Spahn Ranch in 1969
George Spahn owner of Spahn Ranch
According to James Buddy Day, author of Hippie Cult Leader: The Last Words of Charles Manson it was Susan “Sadie” Atkins, one of those convicted in the August 9, 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, who discovered Spahn Ranch sometime in 1967.
Susan Atkins on Spahn Ranch
Also, according to Day “The Manson Family moved onto the ranch gradually, first staying at a nearby church, then squatting in the empty shacks along the riding trails from time to time,” he says.
One of the shacks which The Manson Family lived in, in 1969
Some of The Family slept in the saloon on the movie set, others slept in shacks behind the saloon, some in a trailer nearby, and two girls slept in the home of George Spahn, the 81-year-old owner of the movie ranch.
The inside and outside of Spahn Ranch in 1969
The ranch offered several scenic trails through the mountains and valleys that predominated the area. The remains of the stage coach trail built in 1861 still ran though the property and was bordered on its southside by a dry creek. There was also a corral located adjacent to the western town that was used for riding instructions.
The family did maintenance work and occasionally rented out horses there in return for being allowed to stay. While the Manson family were living at the ranch from 1968 to 1970, the ranch mostly made money by occasionally renting horse rides through the property.
Spahn Ranch horses.
Two members of the Charles Manson “family”, Pat, left and
Rocky hold three Appaloosa horses at the George C. Spahn
ranch where Manson and his followers once camped, shown in
March 1970. At the time only a few of the members remained
at the ranch where Manson had been on trial for in the
slaying of Sharon Tate and seven others.
On Spahn Ranch
While they were living at Spahn Rach girls from the Family did garbage runs which involved scavenging trips to the rear of Los Angeles supermarkets and restaurants, where they’d be in search of edible castoffs. I’m a meat eater so I’m not happy that meat was not a favoured item, even if obtainable. However, what was favoured by the Manson Family was Brown rice, salad, cooked vegetables, candy and ice cream .
Manson Girls (left to right) doing a garbage run Lynette
Fromme, Sandra Good, Mary Brunner and Ruth Ann Moorehouse
Interestingly whilst at Spahn Ranch. The Manson Family would frequently take LSD and have orgies. According to Diane Lake who was one of the Manson girls whose nickname was Snake stated that “Manson would orchestrate the orgies and use of drugs. “According to Lake, Manson planned the “love-ins” to minimize infighting between the predominantly female members” of the Family.
Diane Lake in 1969
Charles Manson and The Family would also have nightly bonfires outside Spahn Ranch. Apparently, Manson’s ravings were often delivered at these nightly bonfires accompanied by heavy drug use.
On August 16, 1969 Spahn Ranch was raided were the police sized and impounded vehicles which were mostly VW dune buggies, a couple of motorcycles and most importantly John Swartz’s 1959 Ford (registration plate GYY 435). The Ford had provided transportation for the Tate and La Bianca murders.
The Spahn Ranch Raid on August 16, 1969George Spahn during the Spahn raid on August 16, 1969.
The Ford that had provided transport for the Tate and La Bianca murders.
The Family participated in late afternoon sing songs. Some of The Manson Family recorded an album called The Family Jams which was recorded in 1970. The album was recorded as The Charles Manson (Tate-LaBianca Murder) murder trial was ongoing and was released in 1997.
In early 1970, the Manson Family got everyone together, including Bruce Davis (then wanted by the FBI), in the Spahn Ranch saloon, to record music for Robert Hendrickson’s MANSON film. This was the beginning of the Family Jams, but the original audio tapes remain buried in a vault.
Robert Hendrickson – Inside The Manson Gang (2007)
Most of the male vocals are sung by member Steve “Clem” Grogan. Other members appearing on the album are Sandra Good, Lynette Fromme, Catherine
“Gypsy” Share, Catherine “Cappy” Gillies, Nancy “Brenda” Pitman, and
Ruth Ann “Ouisch” Moorehouse.
I like these songs
It seems to me as though the girls living at Spahn Ranch were used as slaves as from conducting research on the Internet only the girls or women were sent out to panhandle and also according to Linda Kabastian, Family Member at Spahn Ranch in 1969 who stated during the Manson trial and who was the chief prosecution witness in the Tate-LaBianca murder case “The girls did everything and anything there was to do. They served the men, took care of the children, cooked and sewed, but always were on service for the men.”
Personally, I really don’t like having to kowtow to men, so that would have really irritated me if I had of lived with the Manson Family back then. However, I admire and like how the Manson Girls used to sew and cook as I’d like to become good at doing both of those which I’m ok at doing now.
Some of the Manson girls sewing a top for Charles Manson in 1969
Branching off from the Manson Family, I love how during the 60’s people didn’t rely on mobile phones like people do today. Due to this people in the 1960s must havespoken and communicated with each other a lot more than what they do today!!! I hate how people today are always on their mobile phone or on social media such as Facebook etc and don’t seem to talk to each face to face as much as what they did before they came
about.
Today’s (2019) mobile phone obsession.
Caves at Spahn Ranch
After the Tate – La Bianca murders in August 1969, The Manson Family fled to Death Valley in their green and white early fifties Chevrolet school bus, where the bus was driven somewhere near Barker Ranch. The interior was converted to living space with floor space to sleep and a wood burning stove. It would seem more than likely that the bus never made it to the ranch but was abandoned before traversing the jeep trail to the Barker Ranch.
Abandoned Charles Manson and The Family bus near
Barker Ranch in 1969
Bus near Barker Ranch in 1969
In 2004 the bus sat in a remote corner of Death Valley a few miles away from its last bus stop. Most of the glass had been broken and it had quite a few bullet holes, but it was still in fairly good shape. There were many old cars and trucks in Death Valley, Charlie’s bus was being one the best preserved and the most infamous of them all.
Photo taken in 2004 of abandoned The Family bus left near Barker Ranch in Death Valley in 1969.
Photo taken in 2004 of inside of Charles Manson and The Family bus left near Baker Ranch.
Well that’s all I have to say regarding this Manson Family blog, I hope you enjoyed reading it and looking at the old photos.
References used in this blog
http://www.maddlabs.com/adventureware/cmbus.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Wilson
https://people.howstuffworks.com/manson-family-murders-worked3.htm
http://jeffdroke.com/Spahn%20Ranch.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_Jams
https://rxstr.com/2013/11/27/spahn-ranch-raid-photos-the-vehicles-seized-and/
https://rxstr.com/2013/11/27/spahn-ranch-raid-photos-the-vehicles-seized-and/#jp-carousel-1336
Elvis Presley
From about 1978 to 1993 I’d acquired or listened to numerous Elvis Presley items. Some of those items included: 1. An Elvis movie soundtrack compiliation. 2. A video titled “This is Elvis“ . 3. A cassette tape titled “The Great Performances of ELVIS”. 4. A book titled ”Elvis and Me” and 5. A video titled “ELVIS 68′ comeback Special”.
When I was a kid, my parents used to own a record, which I can’t recall the title of!! This record contained songs from the movies Elvis had starred and sung in. The songs which I used to really enjoy listening to were “King Creole”, “G.I. Blues”, “Rock-A-Hula Baby”, “Follow That Dream”. I used to enjoy listening to them as they’d make me feel great and were really boppy.
In about 1989, I video tapped an Elvis movie/documentary on TV which was titled “This is Elvis” (1981). What I remember and which still stands out for me about the documentary is that 1. It contained real footage of Elvis’s first singing performances on TV in the 1950’s. Those are where he is singing the songs such as “Hound Dog” & “Don’t be cruel”. 2. It had footage of after Elvis’s divorce and where he is singing the song “You were always on my mind” in a music studio. 3. Scenes where Elvis is carrying out Karate moves in the early 1970’s. 4. However, the memory about this video which still sticks in my mind is a part where Elvis is singing live on stage to a big audience near the end of his life. He is up on stage where he is very overweight, is sweating and then he sings some wrong words to the song “Are You Lonesome Tonight”. In a part of the song he sings “And I am standing there… without any hair!” Then he mumbles some incomprehensible words. Back when I first tapped the documentary, I was a bit appalled by his weight but now I find it interesting watching him there on stage in the video.
Youtube video of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (1977)
In the early 1990’s, my brother bought me an Elvis cassette tape for Christmas. This tape was titled “The Great Performances of ELVIS”. The tape mostly has songs from the 1950’s and 1960’s. However, it has a few songs from the early 1970’s.
Cover picture of "The Great Performances of ELVIS" tape
Some of the songs on the tape include:
- My happiness
- That’s all right
- Shack, rattle & roll/flip flop & fly
- Heartbreak Hotel,
- Jailhouse rock
- King Creole
- Return to Sender
- Always on my mind
- American Trilogy
- Memories
The songs I like most from this tape and which I still own are “Always on my mind”, “American Trilogy” and “Memories”. Those songs are from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s and I just like them the most because they are just awesome and they make me feel good!
Youtube video of "Always on my mind"
In about 1989 or 1990, I bought a book titled “Elvis and Me”. This book is an autobiography by Elvis’s ex-wife Priscilla Presley about her life with Elvis.
Similar book cover to the "Elvis and Me" book which I once owned
I can’t remember much about the book but I do remember that in the past I had read it several times. Obviously, I did that because I found she had led a very interesting life with Elvis! However, I do remember a few things from the book. Firstly, is that Priscilla met Elvis in Germany, while Elvis was stationed there in the armed forces. Secondly, that Priscilla was given permission by her parents when she was fourteen to stay at Gracelands with Elvis’s parents, while she was doing her schooling nearby. I thought that was pretty cool and would have been very fun. Thirdly, I remember that Priscilla states in the book she had a lot of drugs either to keep her awake or to make her sleep. She was given these pills from Elvis so that she could keep up with a hectic life with him. Such as staying up all night, and then so she would be able to get up in the morning to go to school etc. Lastly I remembers that Priscilla states in the book that she was suspicious of Elvis having an affair with Ann-Margret before they were married in 1967.
I also recall that the book contained some very interesting photos of Elvis, Priscilla and their daughter Lisa-Marie. One of the great photos in it is of Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding in 1967 and Priscilla looks quite stunning with her black, long hair and gorgeous wedding dress.
Other photos I like in the book is a family photo of Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa Marie. Priscilla looks so beautiful in this photo with her long brown hair!. Lisa-Marie looks very cute too.
Also in the book, there is also a photo of some horses at Gracelands with Lisa-Marie and Priscilla in the background.
Photos from Elvis and Me
Elvis & Priscilla’s wedding day on May 1, 1967
On the day of Elvis and Priscilla’s Divorce in Jan 8, 1973
In about 1993, I received a video titled “ELVIS 68 comeback Special” for Christmas. This video contains Elvis and his band playing songs live to a studio audience.
The back of the video states “June 27 & 28, 1968, NBC TV Studios, Burbank California. Elvis is about to revitalise and reorientate his extraordinary career with his first appearance before a live audience since March 1961 and his first television appearance since March, 1960”.
Cover picture of "ELVIS 68 comeback Special" video
Personally, from watching this video, Elvis looks fabulous in his black leather clothes and black hair.
The set up of the concert also looks great with Elvis and his band sitting down on chairs and playing musical instruments. Elvis’s band does a superb job in the video playing their instruments and singing with Elvis. They sing well and help him along whenever he needed it.
Also, in the video the audience is mostly woman. The woman are ogling over Elvis and just can’t get enough of him. In one spot of the video, Elvis wipes some sweat off his head with a tissue and a bit of tissue is left on his face. Then a member of his band gives the tissue bit to one of the women in the audience and she just goes ballistic with excitement and puts it in her purse!!
Another area of the video, which shows just how much the women adored Elvis is where he sits down on some steps near his band and sings “Memories”. Then these women move up close to him and look up to him lovingly while he is singing the song. Man some women. Also girls are still like that today with rock stars. One rock star of such is Justin Beuber.
Youtube video of "Memories" (1968)
Then at the end of the live concert Elvis is singing and acting with people in a studio. Also coming with that are different scenes with various different backgrounds, props and items around. I didn’t find this part of the video very interesting. In my opinion it was quite boring as I didn’t like the whole set up of it and the way the girls were dressed etc.
I have not acquired any other items regarding Elvis since about 1993, as I became a huge fan of David Bowie from 1995 onwards and focused on him for years. Due to that, I will end it here.
Bye for now.
Frances
Janis Joplin
For my birthday last year, which was 2012, I received two music gift vouchers for a local music store. I received these gift vouchers from my brother and one of my lovely friends. I wanted to go out and buy some new music in DVD or CD form. However, I found it extremely difficult to find any music which I liked by any new or young band etc. I’d looked on youtube and a music store’s website, which contains previews of the top 40 singles or albums. I just found most of the music very teeny bopperish and boring.
I also tried to buy a Small Faces or Humble Pie DVD, however the store didn’t sell any, which I found very frustrating. So after about 7 weeks of looking for a music DVD or CD I decided to buy three Janis Joplin CDs. I can’t remember why I went and bought her CDs. I ended up getting her Pearl and a double CD set titled “The Essential JANIS JOPLIN”.
Cover photos of Janis Joplin's CD "The Essential JANIS JOPLIN" and the album "Pearl".
I haven’t listened to Pearl much since getting it as the double CD set of Janis’s “The Essential JANIS JOPLIN” includes all of the her music from Pearl. Since buying Janis’s double CD set I can’t stop listening to the music. I’m either always listening to it in my home or in my car. I find the music very inspirational as I can kind of relate to it. For example she had a hard time growing up at home and at school. I can relate to being bullied all the time by different people at school. It didn’t do much for my confidence or to make me just love people!! Also it appears as though she had tons of bad luck and sorrows with men, which at one stage I had. But now I have learnt my lessons!!
It appears to me as though Janis went through a lot of heartache with men which is portrayed through a lot of her music. I can see why she would have been attracted to The Blues music. Some of her songs regarding her heartache I think are portrayed through the songs: “Ball and Chain”, “Cry Baby” & “A Woman Left Lonely”. I just love the song “Ball and Chain” which Janis sings live in Germany back in 1969, her voice and persona is just terrific in the clip.
Ball & Chain
I love this live song with Janis titled “Cry Baby” as it just goes to show a woman who is there giving too much to a man who does what they want.
Cry Baby
I also read on the Internet that she had a lot of trouble with the people who she went to High School and University with, but she was a very smart lady who did well academically and with her art.
I like how from her songs she sung from the heart and how she felt about life at the time. I see that portrayed from many of her songs. I like how she wasn’t afriaid to let her emotions out in music. Some of those songs to name a few are: “Little Girl Blue”, “Tell Mama” & “Try”.
It was very sad for me personally that she died so young at the age of 27, as I feel she had much more singing and personal talent to show to the world.
The Rose movie and album (1979)
For about four years my mum has owned the album titled “The Rose”. Music contained from this album is from the movie of the same title. The movie is centred around Janis’s life and is played by Bette Midler. I have listened to the album serveral times and find the music very good and entertaining.
Cover photo of "The Rose" album
A part of a reason why I like the album is because it details entertaining words from Bette Middler where she has been signing live on stage. In a part of the album she states how when if your man comes home late one night and you can smell booze and a woman on him. What do you do? Do you open your legs and say……..or do you say pack your bags and get out of here?
I tried to hire “The Rose” movie DVD from my local video store but they don’t rent it out anymore. I find this really frustrating that music and video stores don’t seem to want to keep interesting DVDs or music from the 1960’s to 1980’s anymore. According to wikipdia on the Internet the movie “The Rose” is a “1979 American musical drama film which tells the story of a self-destructive 1960s rock star who struggles to cope with the constant pressures of her career and the demands of her ruthless business manager”.
That’s all from me today folks and I’ll add some more information to this post at a later date.
Small Faces and Steve Marriott
In 1990, I bought a record by the Small Faces called “Small Faces, Greatest Hits”. I can’t remember why I bought it! At the time I was 17 and was living in a caravan in my parent’s backyard. In the caravan I had an old record player and used to play that Small Faces record on it. Some of the songs on the record are: “The Universal”, “Song of a Baker”, “Here Comes the Nice”, “Red Balloon”, “Itchycoo Park”, “After Glow” and “All Or Nothing”. In my opinion, all of the songs on this record are superb and I still never get bored listening to it.
Small Faces – Greatest Hits Album Cover Picture
From about 2003 to 2009, I didn’t own a record/stereo player because my last player broke. At the end of 2009, my mum gave me her old record player, which came from the early 1980’s. So due to getting this, I got out all of my old records and cleaned them. One of the records I played again was my Small Faces album. I was and still am very much fond of this album. Such great songs!
In early 2010 I was watching a show on TV called “British Invasion: Small Faces”. On this show, I saw all of these archival music videos of the Small Faces, which I hadn’t seen before. Boy was I very impressed with them. I especially liked the videos: “Happydaystoytown”, “Song of a Baker”, “Tin Soldier”, an instrumental song called “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake” and “Here Comes the Nice”.
I was really impressed with each of these Small Faces videos because of Steve Marriott who was the lead singer/guitarist in the band. In all of these video clips Steve Marriott sings really well, is very talented at playing the guitar, is very good looking and wears trendy/hip clothes. I really love the video clip called “Happydaystoystown” because of the clothes Steve Marriott wears, the fab singing and the enigmatic moves of Steve Marriott and the rest of the band in the clip.
Small Faces – Happydaystoystown Video
I really love and enjoy the “Song of a Baker” video clip because Steve Marriott of the Small Faces in the clip does some excellent and awe inspiring guitar playing and singing. I also adore the clothes Steve Marriott wears in the Song of a Baker video.
Small Faces – Song Of A Baker Video- 1968
I adore the song and video called “Here comes the Nice” because the Small Faces dared to sing about something so controversial at the time, that being drugs. The song details the bands experiences with drugs in about 1967. From reading about the Steve Marriott from the Small Faces in Wikipedia on the Internet, I read that in the late 1960’s, Steve Marriott had taken the drugs Cannabis, speed and LSD.
Small Faces – Here Come The Nice Video
From my own point of view, I find the later Small Faces video clips ie 1967 – 1969 much more exciting and interesting than the earlier Small Faces clips ie 1965 – 1966. This is because in the later video clips 1967-1969 the band are wearing more interesting/hip clothes (ie not suits), they are not just playing to people in a small club, and lastly because they move around more and more enigmatically around the stage. In addition, the band members have longer hair, which I just love.
Small Faces in 1966
Small Faces in 1968
As I was so ecstatic about the Small Faces who I saw on TV in early 2010, I wanted to go and buy a Small Faces DVD at a music shop. Therefore, I went to a popular music shop about two days after seeing the Small Faces show on TV. Much to my dismay a shop assistant at this popular music store I went to told me that all of their Small Faces, Steve Marriott and Humble Pie DVD’s had been deleted both in Australia and overseas (Steve Marriott had also been the lead singer/ guitarist in Humble Pie). I was so disappointed in this! I was much excited about eventually having my own Small Faces, Steve Marriott or Humble Pie DVD.
In late 2012, I went to different music shops and they still didn’t sell Small Faces or Humble pie DVDs. If find this very sad as I think that these bands were in brilliant video clips back in the 1960’s & 1970’s.
Small Faces
Small Faces in 1968
Humble Pie
Steve Marriott in 1976
I have been reading about Steve Marriott of the Small Faces on wikipedia on the Internet. He imo lead quite an interesting life when he was alive. (He died in 1991 when a part of a 16th century house, which he lived in and was in at the time burnt down. He died of smoke inhalation).
The reason why I think this is because he was married three times, had three children from three different women and tried all of these different drugs in his life. This may not appeal to some but it seems interesting and exciting to me.
I have been told that the Steve Marriott of the Small Faces is an underrated singer/guitar player and I believe this too. This is because I don’t hear about them in the media, but I do hear and read about bands such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. These bands who in my opinion are much less talented than what the Small Faces or what Steve Marriott was!
Steve Marriott
As I wasn’t able to buy a Humble Pie or Small Faces DVD I went and bought a double Small Faces CD set in early 2010 titled “Small Faces, Ultimate Collection”.
Small Faces Ultimate Collection Front Cover
Since buying this double Small Faces CD set, I have listeneded to them numerous times. The singing on all of the songs is very impressive. Also the music and lyrics are very exciting, talented and upbeat.
I love most of the songs on this double CD set. N.b what also makes this Ultimate Collection so good is also due to some of the instrumental songs on the CD’s. One song is called “Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake”. This song is psychedelic and groovy.
Small Faces in 1968 or 1969
Ogdens Nut Gone Flake Video Picture
Ogdens Nut Gone Flake Video
Photo of Keith, Kim and Mandy Moon.
Lastly before I end, in the last year I came to know that Keith Moon of the Who’s ex wife Kim Moon married Ian Maclagan of the Small Faces in 1978. In addition, Kim Moon was dating Rod Stewart in the early 1960’s at the same time she was dating Keith Moon.
Another fact I discovered about the Small Faces is that Steve Marriott of the Small Faces married Jenny Rylance in 1968. Jenny Rylance an ex model also dated Rod Stewart in the 1960’s like ex-model Kim Moon dated Rod Stewart in the 1960’s! Interesting new information, I must say!
Well I think I have said enough about the Small Faces! Bye from me.
Blondie
I have liked Blondie’s music since I was four years old, which is the age where I received a Blondie cassette tape for my fourth birthday. I used to listen to that tape on a portable tape player, which was also given to me on my birthday. I remember taking that tape recorder/player with me everywhere from the ages of four to seven years. I used to also really enjoy that Blondie tape and had played it numerous times. Sorry, I can’t remember what the tape was called!! hehe and the tape had a photo on the cover with Debbie Harry’s hair in a bun. The songs I used to really like on the tape were “I’m a Gonna Love you to”, “Denis”, “I Know but I Don’t Know” and “Heart of Glass”. Also from the ages of 4-7 when I used to go to The Coast with my family and my parents would drive there, I’d listen to my Blondie and Abba cassette tapes. I also used to constantly listen to my Abba tape when I was a kid.
Photo of a portable tape recorder, similar
to the one I had years ago.
I re-started listening to Blondie’s music when I was in Year 10. In about 1993 I bought the Best of Blondie CD. Some of the songs on that CD are: “The Tide is High”, “In the Flesh”, “Sunday Girl”, “Picture This” and “Rip Her to Shreds”. What I also like about the CD is the cover as it shows Debbie Harry in a really nice white dress and there are great buildings in New York shown behind the band’s photo.
Cover Photo of The Best of Blondie
In about 202, I bought Blondie’s 1978 CD called Parallel lines. I bought it because it’s got some really great songs such as “Hanging on the Telephone”, “Sunday Girl”, “One Way or Another”, “11.59” and “I Know But I Don’t Know” etc.
Cover Photo of Parallel Lines
I also like a few of Blondie’s videos, which I have seen on Youtube and on a late night music show I used to watch called Rage. These videos are “Rapture” and “Heart of Glass”.
Youtube Video of Rapture
In 1998 Blondie reformed as a group and released a new album called “No Exit”. In the same year I bought a CD single from that album which is called “Maria”.
Cover Photos of "No Exit" and the CD Single "Maria"
In about 2004, I rented a DVD movie which starred Deborah Harry and was titled Life Without Me (2003). In the movie Deborah Harry acts as the mother of a lady who is dying of cancer. The reason why I hired this movie is because Scott Speedman was in it and I was/ am a fan of this very attractive American actor.
Photo of Scott Speedman
Photo of Deborah Harry in Life Without Me.
That’s it for today folks.
Frances
The Beatles
I remember that my Grandma and Pop bought The Beatle’s “red and blue” double albums for my parents back in Christmas 1978. The red album contains The Beatles greatest hits from 1962-1966 and the blue album contains The Beatle’s greatest hits from 1967-1970. For me 1978 and 1979 were the years in which I really enjoyed listening to those records. I remember really liking the song from the blue album titled “Here comes the Sun” (1969). At the ages of four and five I used to get my mum to play that song often and would listen to the song whenever I was outside in the backyard. Also when I was four and five I used to enjoy wearing long pretty dresses.
Cover photo of The Beatles Red Album
Cover photo of The Beatles blue album
I re-started my love of The Beatle’s music when I was in Year 10, which was in 1989. I remember in Year 11 that my brother bought me a cassette by The Beatles titled “The Beatles Remastered”, which contains The Beatles re-makes of songs by other artists. Some of the songs included on the cassette were called? I used to play that cassette on my stereo system when I was living in a caravan in my parents’ backyard. The songs I really dug from that cassette were “Long Tall Sally” and “Twist and Shout”!! I used to feel good and like dancing around to those songs. I also used to constantly listen to The Beatles, red and blue albums when I was living in the caravan. (Today those records are a bit scratched) oops.
Also in 1990 I bought a poster book of The Beatles. Back from 1990-1995, I had some of The Beatles posters hung up on the walls in my caravan. These posters were of The Beatles from the years 1963-1965. Here are few photos of The Beatles from 1963 to 1965.
The Beatles in 1963
The Beatles in 1964
The Beatles in 1965
When music CDs came out I bought the following Beatles CDs: “Rubber Soul” (1965), “Beatles for Sale” (1964), “Help” (1965), Revolver” (1966), “Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts club Band” (1967), and “Abbey Road” (1969).
What I like about The Beatles records is their change in music style throughout the years and the way they used to dress and style their hair. This meaning from the years 1964 – 1970. In my opinion their radical change and altering of music styles is what made them so appealing. Just from 1964 -1967, their change from straight to psychedelic. They changed the face of music and the way people write music. The Beatles made musicians want to and feel more comfortable about veering away from writing and performing conservatively.
The Beatles in 1963 vs The Beatles in 1967
Well if you would like to comment about my The Beatles blog feel free to do so. That’s all from me today. 23/10/2007
Last night, which was the 3rd of March 2013, I saw Paul McCartney and U2 playing live in concert on TV. The show came up unexpectedly during an ad break of a movie I’d been watching. According to Youtube the concert occurred on July 2 & 6, 2005. In addition, The live event was aired from London and was being performed as a Live 8 event. The money raised from the concert was to be given to the poor and suffering living in the world and half of the money was to go to Africa.
The song titled “Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band was sung by both Paul McCartney and Bono. I can say that Paul McCartney did a fine job with his great singing and dyed brown hair. Also on stage were some men dressed up in the 1960’s Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band regalia and they were playing mouth instruments! It was very exciting to watch.
There was a large audience watching the show in an outside arena and I saw a lady who I guess to be in her 60’s or 70’s at the front of the audience and there was also a young girl wearing a bikini with the British flag, standing next the elderly lady.
Youtube video of last night's performance!
The Who
I really hated all of my High School years (1986-1989) and that made me get turned off the current music at the time. (I went to a Catholic High School). My turning off the music began in 1989. Also in 1989, I remember that my sister or brother bought a record called “Who’s Better, Who’s Best” by The Who. I’d listened to this record and was really impressed by the music in it. Later on The Who’s music made me feel good and made me think less about how much I hated everyone and everything about my High School. So I finally started to feel better about life! Also with listening to The Who I used to wear a 60’s psychedelic dress, which is way too small for me now!
Photo of a 1960's Psychedelic dress
I really loved that record “Who’s Better, Who’s Best”! Not long after that I bought a video of the same title of the record. They have some great music clips in that video. My favourite music clips are “Who’s Better, Who’s Best” are: My Generation (1966), The Kids are Alright (1966), Happy Jack (1967), Pictures of Lily (1967), and Magic Bus (1968).
Cover photo of The Who's record: "Who's Better, Who's Best"
Video clip taken from "Who's Better, Who's Best" video titled "My Generation" (1967).
On TV back in 1989 or 1990 they aired a couple of old school rock festivals, which I had tapped. These were Woodstock (1969) and Monterey International Pop Festival (16th – 18th January 1967). In these festivals The Who play numerous of their hit songs. Those being “Summertime Blues”, “See Me, Feel Me” and “My Generation”. Back in 1989 and the early 1990’s I watched those tappings many times. Keith Moon was The Who’s drummer from 1963 – 1978 and from watching those tapped rock festivals, in my opinion his drumming was absolutely fantastic.
THE WHO at WOODSTOCK "SUMMERTIME BLUES" 1969
From all of these The Who music clips which I watched I thought that Keith Moon just rocked. His carefree, rebelious attitude and great drumming in them were a real turn on for me! My utter obsession for this man went for about five years! By the way, Keith Moon died in September 1978 from a overdose on alcohol prescribed drugs.
Photos of Keith Moon
Keith Moon smashing up a hotel room in the late 1970's
Also in about 1990, I bought a video called “The Kids Are Alright”. The Kids Are Alright is a rocumentary film, which includes live performances, promotional films, and interviews from 1965 to 1978. This film is widely hailed as one of the best rockumentaries ever created.
Photo of an interview segment with The Who taken from
the video The Kids are Alright. (1974 or 73)
Also for my 16th birthday, I received the records “Sell Out” and “A Quick One” from my parents. I can honestly say that their music videos and live performance footage are much better than their records! Oh an exception is the record I have which I bought in about 1990, which is called “Live at Leads” (1970). That record has some really superb drumming and guitar playing in it.
Record cover of Live At Leads
Video footage of the song Young Man Blues from Isle of Wright Festival
I really enjoy old 1964-1978 live video footage of The Who. This is mainly because of Keith Moon’s presence on the drums in them. He had a captivating and wild behaviour whilst playing those drums in most of the music clips. He was also extremely good at playing the drums. In addition, Keith Moon was acknowledged as being one of the best drummers in the world during the 1960’s and 70’s. I also really like the clothes he used to wear in the old live video clips.
Photos of The Who playing live in concert during the 1960's and 70's.
I also bought the record, called “Tommy” in either 1990 or 1991. Tommy surrounds the story of a handicapped child who is abused by family members and others and goes on to become a spiritual leader. Its story covers murder, trauma, bullying, child molestation, sex, drugs, illusion, delusion, altered consciousness, spiritual awakening, religion, charlatanism, success, super-stardom, faith, betrayal, rejection and pinball. The album chronicles the story of a boy who becomes deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing the murder of his father. Through his mastery of pinball, he is cured, elevated to prophet status and then turned on by his followers. Without his major senses, Tommy is left to feel everything through rhythms and vibrations. In later years I bought the movie Tommy.
The rock opera record was made into a movie In 1975. The director of the movie was Ken Russell and he released his film version of Tommy, starring the Who, Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, and Jack Nicholson. The film also featured appearances by Eric Clapton, Tina Turner and Elton John. The following is a scene from the Movie Tommy.
Then in Christmas 1990 I received a cassette tape from my brother of The Who’s called “Who’s Next” (1972). I really like the songs Behind Blue Eyes and Baba Oriely in this tape.
Photo of The Who in 1972 or 1973
Also back in 1989, 1990 and 1992 I bought different books and poster books about The Who. I used to live in a caravan in my parents back yard and had my Who posters stuck up on the walls there. I mainly had posters of Keith Moon stuck up. He was so cute!! Well, my utter obsession kind of ended in 1995 when I found another rock star to idolize about. That person is David Bowie!! I hope you have found my entry on The Who entertaining. Well I must go now. Bye for now Frances.
As an end note in 2007 Mike Myers was supposed to be staring in a movie about the life of Keith Moon. The movie is long overdue.
David Bowie
I first became really inspired and hooked on David Bowie’s music when I was driving through Sydney one night in July 1995. That was the night wh
en I heard Changes on the radio. Woe when I heard that song on my car radio I really liked it. Sure I had heard that song before, but for real that song damn well impressed me that night.
Not long after that night in Sydney I bought the CDs: Best of David Bowie one and two. I can tell you I have listened to those CDs over and over again many times! Then later on I bought the CDs: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973), Pin Ups (1973), Diamond Dogs (1974), Low (77), Hours (1999), Heathen (2002) etc.
Cover photo of Diamond Dogs
I also have the David Bowie records which my mum bought me for Christmas 1996: David Live (1974) and Let’s Dance (1983). Here is a photo from the David Bowie Live era. (1974).
Also in 1995 I bought the David Bowie video called: David Bowie: The Video Collection. Now that is a video, which I have probably watched over a thousand times. This video contains all of David Bowies video hits starting with Space Oddity (1972) to the re-make song of Fame, which was made into a video in 1990.
I really love David Bowie videos as they are just so way out there and different from your average music video. I love the weirdness of his videos. I can’t get enough of them. The videos I especially like are Space Oddity. In this video the lighting is in different read and green colours and then the camera goes around showing the studio, where the video was filmed. The video also pans around the studio and shows the switchboard controls. It also shows David Bowie playing the guitar whilst sitting down. The way they made the video is just so impressive.
Photo taken from Space Oddity video!
YouTube video of Space Oddity
Another video of David Bowies which I really like is Boys Keep Swinging (1979). In this video David Bowie is dressed up as x 3 different women doing backup vocals on a brightly lit up stage. David Bowie is also the lead male singer dressed up in a suit and then near the end of the video David Bowie dressed up as one of the back up singers walks down the catwalk which is situated in the middle of the stage and then takes off his wig and smears his makeup up on his cheek. The second dressed up lady, which is David Bowie in disguise does the same thing as what the first did. Then at the very end of the video David Bowie dressed up as an old lady character walks down the stage catwalk with her walking cane and waves. That video is so originally and cleverly made. Very impressive!
Video of Boys Keep Swinging
Next video I like is Look Back in Anger (1979). This video has David Bowie painting an angel in a small apartment. Then later on he looks in the mirror and his face increasingly gets more and more blotches on it. Then David Bowie ends up painting the mirror then his face. At the end of the video David Bowie hides under his bed. Love that video! Just love the weirdness of it, which I can’t get enough of.
Youtube video of Look Back in Anger
Last video I really like is Day in Day out (1987). This one shows a couple stealing books from a outside store in New York. Then another part shows the lady prostituting herself on the streets and then the police arrest her. Another part of the video the lady, her partner and their child are eating on the outside table of a diner and listening to a radio. Last part of video their house gets bulldozed and the police raid their house.
Youtube video of "Day in Day Out"
On my birthday in 2003, I received from my Auntie and Uncle a double DVD set of David Bowie’s music videos. These videos in the DVD are his video hits from 1972 – 2002. This DVD is really good as it includes extra video footage which I don’t have in my Video, David Bowie: The video Collection. The videos include 1970’s live on stage, concert footage ie Young Americans, Ziggy Stardust. Also there is videos from his Outside and Earthling CD’s.
Photo of David Bowie and Mick Ronson on Top of The Pops in 1972. Song being sung was Starman.
Video of song Starman from Top of The Pops in 1972
Also in 1995 and in later years I have managed to buy, watch or been given several in concert movies, and documentaries featuring David Bowie. The David Bowie movies are: Just a Giggolo, Ricochet (doc, music 1984), The Man Who fell to Earth (movie, 1975), Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture (1973).
Video cover of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie videos which I enjoy the most is Richochet. This documentary, music video is set in Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong, which is in South-East Asia. The video includes his travel experiences, DB in concert footage and a small story surrounding different Asians.
Another favourite DB movie video of mine is: The Man Who Fell to Earth (1975). It was David’s first major motion picture role. He stars as a visitor from space. His name in the movie is Thomas Jerome Newton and is an alien from a planet that is dying from a lack of water.
Photo of one of the main characters in the movie whose name is Mary Lou.
Youtube video snippet from The Man Who Fell to Earth
I went and saw David Bowie Live in concert in Sydney in 2004 with my sister. In order to see this concert my sisters boyfriend drove my sister and I to Sydney.
That concert was the best. He sung a lot of his newer music and I was thoroughly entertained with both his band, his singing and the stage set up. Here is one of the songs which I really got into at the concert. The name of the song is Slip Away.
Oh well, I think I have added a lot of information for all you to read and I will end now. Bye for now. Frances.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT DAVID BOWIE David Bowie – Tonight (Cassette tape)
On Christmas 1998, I received a cassette music tape titled “David Bowie – Tonight” from my brother. This tape was released in 1984 and contains some awesome music. Some of the songs on the tape include:
Side one
1.”Loving the Alien” (David Bowie) – 7:11
2.”Don’t Look Down” (Iggy Pop, James Williamson) – 4:11
3.”God Only Knows” (Brian Wilson, Tony Asher) – 3:08
4.”Tonight” (Bowie, Pop) (performed by David Bowie and Tina Turner) – 3:46
Side two
1.”Neighborhood Threat” (Bowie, Pop, Ricky Gardiner) – 3:12
2.”Blue Jean” (Bowie) – 3:11
3.”Tumble and Twirl” (Bowie, Pop) – 5:00
4.”I Keep Forgettin'” (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 2:34
5.”Dancing with the Big Boys” (Bowie, Pop, Carlos Alomar) (performed by David Bowie and Iggy Pop) 3:34
Cover photo of "Tonight"
The songs which I really like are “Loving the Alien” and “Blue Jean”. Loving the Alien is such a great song and in my opinion the video clip to go with it is very radical and interesting to listen to.
With the song “Blue Jean” I specifically remember taping it on a cassette tape player back in 1985. Also I would play it all the time and it was one of my favourite songs of that year. “Blue Jean” and the band “Duran Duran” used to really get me going!
"Serious Moonlight Tour ’83" booklet.
On my birthday in 1999, I received a second hand long and thin, soft covered booklet titled “Serious Moonlight Tour ’83”. First of all this booklet contains a vast range of information and photos to keep a Bowie fan entertained! Also all the information in the booklet is translated and shown in French and German.
Cover photo of "Serious Moonlight Tour ’83" booklet.
Firstly, the booklet contains highly favourable reviews on David Bowie’s acting career in both film and theatre, spanning from 1975 – 1983. Then there’s photos of the different movies and theatre shows David Bowie starred in to compliment the reviews. Some of the photos were taken from “Elephant Man” and “The Hunger”.
Secondly, there’s a review giving a descriptive and interesting account of how David’s music concert’s had progressed spanning the years 1972 – 1983. Then the review goes on to ad what he did to choreograph such spectacular stage shows. There is also a range of different photos of David in concert in 1973, 1974 & 1976.
Thirdly, the booklet contains information on how David’s music and style had changed from album to album. I.e. 1973-1983. Then with the review, there are photos of his different album covers form the 1970’s to the early 1980’s.
This booklet also contains a whole heap of information and photos regarding David’s “Let’s Dance” album and subsequent tour.
"Let’s Dance” album cover
Firstly, the author of the book gives a highly favourable review about the album. Then there are numerous photos taken from the album.
Secondly, there are some lyrics of songs from the album. These songs include “China Girl” and “Let’s Dance”. Also displayed near the lyrics of each of these songs are some interesting photos taken from the music videos.
A large section of the booklet contains photos of the 1983 Serious Moonlight tour of Australia and New Zealand. These photos are of:
- David Bowie on stage performing on the tour and during rehearsals.
- Photos of David Bowie’s band members playing on stage during the tour.
- Photos of the band members in sitting poses and their credential information next to their photos.
So if you’re a person who enjoys reading, looking at photos or who is a big fan of David Bowie then I would recommend this booklet.
"The Linguini Incident" – Video (1991)
Sometime in 1999, my mum gave me the video titled “The Linguini Incident”. This movie was released in 1991 and is basically about two woman by the names of Vivian (Rosanna Arquette) and Lucy ( Eszter Balint) and a man whose name is Monte (David Bowie) who all plan to rob a restaurant which they work in. Monte also wants to marry one of the women (Vivian) so that he can get his Green Card to stay in the United States.
Cover photo of "The Linguini Incident"
I won’t state anymore about the Linguini Incident just in case a person reading his blog decides to go and watch the movie.
In my opinion, it’s a very good movie with some great scenes and acting in it by Rosanne, Eszter and David. However, a downside to the movie are two gay men who star in the movie. I find there put on humour and jokes really irritating and the way they treat the waitresses in the movie is really demeaning and annoying!
"Bowie A Reality Tour" DVD
On my birthday in 2004, I received the DVD titled “Bowie A Reality Tour”. This DVD contains concert footage of David Bowie’s 2003 Reality Tour, which was filmed in Dublin, Ireland. (November, 2003).
Cover photo of DVD "Bowie A Reality Tour".
What I noticed first when I started to watch the concert DVD is that it had amazing and different coloured animated graphics of the band playing situated on stage, before the band actually went on stage.
Another great aspect of the concert is that it had really effective different coloured lights and spotlights, which were shone on both the audience and stage. I thought this gave the concert a spectacular look and feel about it.
I found it an effective tool that there was a big screen situated at the back of the stage, which displayed either coloured patterns, video footage or the band playing.
Photo taken from "The Reality tour"
Throughout the concert, the audience was very jumpy and happy, which I found to be a bit annoying at times. They all seemed to worship the ground David Bowie walked on. For example they’d cheer and carry on during and after each song he sang. Even the crap ones!
In addition, in my opinion David Bowie has an atrocious hairstyle in the concert as his fringe constantly covers one of his eyes, which I would find really irritating if it was me with that hairstyle.
I found the band members to be really groovy and radical and most of them were from a range of different nationalities. I also liked the way some of them dressed very radically. In addition, I was impressed that a few of the band members were bald. Those members included the drummer (Sterling Campbell), bass (GailAnn Dorsey) and keyboard players (Mike Garson)
Photos of "The Reality Tour" bald band members!
Gail Ann Dorsey
Sterling Campbell
Mike Garson
During the concert, David sings both his old and newer songs. I definitely liked two of the newer songs which he sang which were “Afraid” and “Hello Spaceboy”. I thought he did a spectacular and creative job at singing “Hello Spaceboy”. With the song “Afraid” I found the lyrics to be very interesting and he sang them very well! The following are the lyrics to this song:
"Afraid" lyrics
I wish I was smarter
I got so lost on the shore
I wish I was taller
Things really matter to me
But I put my face in tomorrow
I believe we’re not alone
I believe in Beatles
I believe my little soul has grown
And I’m still so afraid
Yes, I’m still so afraid
Yea, I’m still so afraid on my own
On my own
What made my life so wonderful?
What made me feel so bad?
I used to wake up the ocean
I used to walk on clouds
If I put faith in medication
If I can smile a crooked smile
If I can talk on television
If I can walk an empty mile
Then I won’t feel afraid
No, I won’t feel afraid
I won’t be Be afraid
Anymore
Anymore
Anymore
However, I found that most of the newer songs David sang to be very boring, slow and dreary. A song I disliked the most was where David sings a new version of the 1984 song “Loving the Alien”. David states before he sings the song. “Maybe this is the version it should of always been.” I thought is he kidding? I found the version annoyingly boring and slow.
As a summing up I found half of this DVD to be very entertaining and the other half to be very boring. Due to that, whenever I watch this DVD, I skip over half the songs as I don’t want to listen to them.
But I think that the good songs in the DVD make up for me wanting to actually go out and play it!
Glass Spider tour DVD
In 2012 my sister gave me the DVD titled “David Bowie – Glass Spider”. This DVD contains video footage of a concert which David Bowie sang and performed in, in the year 1987. The concert was tapped as part of a tour which David partook in which was called “The Glass Spider tour”. Also he embarked on the tour after he released the album “Never Let Me Down” and one of the songs on the album was titled “Glass Spider”. In addition, the concert was filmed at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on November 7 & 9, 1987.
On stage at the concert there is an extremely huge and tall glass spider which has very long, skinny legs. The whole spider is lit up with multicoloured lights. It also has flashing green long legs, a hot pink and red body, blue eyes and long golden fangs. Throughout the concert the spider keeps on changing the colour of its legs, body, eyes and fangs to any of the colours I’ve mentioned.
Photo of "The Glass Spider"
The stage is also fantastically set up with lights which keep on changing their colour to red, blue or green.
At the concert there are some amazing dancers dressed up in different costumes. Some are strangely dressed and others are dressed normally. Throughout the concert the male and female dancers either perform awesome dances, mimes or acting pieces.
Weirdly dressed male dancers in the DVD
Normally dressed female dancers in the DVD
At the beginning of the concert David Bowie slowly comes down and out of the mouth of the spider, which is very high up on the stage. He ends up coming down from a chair and is talking on a very old phone.
On about the second song David and one of the female dancers do a superb and very interesting acting/dance act to the song “Bang Bang”. That part of the concert really stood out for me as I found the woman to be a very good dancer. David also did a great job!
Youtube video of "Bang, Bang"
The Dancers also do fabulous dance moves to “Fame” and “Let’s Dance”.
There is a very impressive part in the concert where two female and male dancers do a great miming act to David singing “Loving the Alien”. Below is a YouTube video clip to the song which I am talking about.
YouTube video of Loving the Alien
While David is singing the song “Heroes” as some old historic Asian video footage is being played on a huge white screen at the back of the stage. I think this would have been a unique thing to of seen at a rock concert in 1987!
Near the end of the DVD, Charlie Saxton sings and plays the guitar with David who also plays the guitar and sings to the songs “I wanna be your dog” and “White Light, White Heat”. I found these performances to be not very exciting. Charlie and David singing the songs weren’t my favourite part of the DVD.
Overall I found I found this DVD to be very entertaining as I found the dancers and David Bowie to be very thrilling to watch.
4 March 2013
About seven weeks ago, which was in early January 2013 I stayed with my mum for two weeks. It was while I was staying with her that she was telling me she had recently seen David Bowie on the news and that he had just released a new single. So about three weeks ago, I eventually got around to seeing if David’s new single was on youtube. Then I finally got to find and listen to his song and I can tell you it’s not bad. It’s pretty interesting and the video’s alright too. The song is called “Where are we now”.
Where are we now
I also got to find out how the new single is doing in the charts. Well I read on the Internet three weeks ago that the single had made it into the top 10 in UK’s iTunes when it was first released, which was in early January 2013. Also, it reached the UK’s top ten singles chart in its first week of release. In addition, its the first time in over two decades that David’s music has made it into the charts. So David is doing quite well. Lastly, information I gathered from the Internet states that his new album will be released on March 8 in Australia.
That’s all from me today. Frances
Frances's Classic Rock 'n' Roll Weblog 