Al Jardine - Looking Down The Coast
In most bands, there is always the obvious shining star, the one who steers the band’s course through songwriting, production or vital decision-making. But that doesn’t make them a solo artist, that makes them a leader of a band. The band is still integral to their overall sound. Sting may have written a lot of their material, but it was The Police who audiences came to see. Amy Lee might’ve been the voice of Evanescence (and more), but their heavy sound was co-crafted with Ben Moody. Brian Wilson certainly assured the longevity of The Beach Boys, but the rest of the band each maintained it. And none was a more stable presence in The Beach Boys than guitarist, vocalist, producer and songwriter Al Jardine.
Image courtesy of Capitol Records
‘When you build up harmonies, lots of it is teaching people parts, but some of it is listening to the sounds they’re already making and building something out of that. Later on we added in one more singer and player, Al Jardine, who was a guy from the neighborhood who played guitar with a band called the Islanders and was deep into folk music. Al was also in a band called the Tikis back then, and he had already been making songs, sort of; in junior high he recorded a version of a Longfellow poem called “The Wreck of the Hesperus” with some of his own music, and also wrote a song called “Steam from the Washing Machine.” That was more of a teen song. And Al could also play stand-up bass.’ – Brian Wilson (Wilson, pp. 48-49, 2016)
Featuring in the original line-up of The Beach Boys along with Wilson Brothers Brian, Dennis, Carl and their cousin Mike Love, Al Jardine was the only non-family member. After leaving the band briefly to pursue studies in dentistry, guitarist David Marks took over both on tour and in the studio and even played alongside Al Jardine upon his return. Marks would exit the band in 1963, leaving the band as the original five-piece it began with.
Like the rest of the group, Al Jardine contributed to the vocal harmonies they became known for whilst Mike Love was the band’s principal vocalist for the bulk of their early material including singles “Surfin’ USA”, ‘I Get Around’ and ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’. Jardine’s first lead vocal would be on the band’s seventh album “The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album” on the Brian Wilson penned track ‘Christmas Day’. Though this was released in 1964, it would be in 1965 where Jardine would take on more lead vocal duties on tour due to Brian Wilson opting to remain at home to write more music. Newcomer Bruce Johnston would make the band’s last line-up alteration in the 1960’s, primarily to re-create the five piece on tour. It would also be in 1965 where Al Jardine would make his lead vocal debut on a single by The Beach Boys, and it was a big one.
‘Until “Help Me Rhonda”, Carl, Dennis and myself were happy to be just background singers. I had to learn how to become lead singer and Brian literally hand-walked me through the steps of taking command of a lead, because I had never done that before in a rock ‘n’ roll genre.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, p. 7, 2002)
Arguably the most famous song by The Beach Boys bearing lead vocals from Al Jardine is ‘Help Me, Rhonda’, first featured on the band’s ‘Today!’ album as ‘Help Me, Ronda’, and then remade as a single that was included on the ‘Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)’ album later that year. Jardine was conspicuous by his absence on the cover of the latter which featured just Mike, Brian, Carl and Dennis, as explained on the rear of the album cover:
‘Sorry I missed the boat on this album cover. That very day the pictures were taken I had to spend in bed with a flu bug instead of on a yacht with the photographer.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 1965)
Al would also sing lead vocals on The Beach Boys’ take on the Phil Spector produced ‘Then He Kissed Me’, originally recorded by The Crystals and released in 1963, though of course the gender roles are reversed for the Boys’ rendition. The band’s follow-up album ‘Beach Boys Party!’, their third of 1965 would feature more (and mostly) covers with Al sharing lead vocals on ‘I Should Have Known Better’ and ‘Tell Me Why’ by The Beatles, with a lead vocal take of Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’. Jardine spoke more about the band’s intense recording sessions after explaining his boating absence:
‘You know, recording sessions are a lot of fun. A lot of fun, that is, unless you’ve just come in off the road from a three week tour of ten states into the arms of our leader Brian. He sets up camp for us in Studio B and we have at it. Now I’m not saying it’s hard work or anything, but it is. I was once told a musician expends as much energy in half an hour as a lumberjack does in eight hours.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 1965)
As if making hit singles, releasing three albums and going on tour wasn’t enough, it would also be in 1965 when The Beach Boys would begin work on their classic record ‘Pet Sounds’. Though not yet featuring any Alan Jardine compositions, he would share lead vocals with Mike Love and Brian Wilson on ‘I Know There’s An Answer’. In concert, Jardine would sing ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ and ‘You Still Believe In Me’ in Brian’s place as evidenced on the ‘In Concert’ release from 1973. But a bigger contribution came in a suggestion from Al to Brian Wilson.
‘Brian was at the piano. I asked him if I could sit down and show him something. I laid out the chord pattern for “Sloop John B”. I said, “Remember this song?” I played it. He said, “I’m not a big fan of the Kingston Trio”. He wasn’t into folk music. But I didn’t give up on the idea. So what I did was to sit down and play it for him in the Beach Boys idiom. I figured if I gave it to him in the right light, he might end up believing in it. …I naturally assumed I would sing the lead, since I had brought in the arrangement…Brian and Mike ended up singing it. But I had a lot of fun bringing the idea to the band. It was very rewarding in every way but one; I was never given label credit for my contribution.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, pp. 25-26, 1996)
The lively ‘Sloop John B’ would become a live staple for the band, featuring on concert releases ‘Live In London’, recorded in 1968, the aforementioned ‘In Concert’ release of 1973, The Beach Boys’ Knebworth performance in 1980 and on their 2013 reunion compilation ‘Live – The 50th Anniversary Tour’.
‘These were complex harmonies and movements, and each night it was like going into battle to see if we could get it right, or the arrangement would overwhelm us. Brian heard all this stuff in his head and wanted it perfect. Every vocal part was handed out at the piano or in the control room by ear. Not a single note was ever written down.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, p. 8, 2011)
Though the band’s aborted ‘SMiLE’ album is largely viewed as Brian Wilson’s masterpiece, 2011’s release of ‘The Smile Sessions’ shows there were plenty of group vocals, and even some lead vocals from the entire band (bar Bruce Johnston, whose first lead vocal was still to come). Al’s lead appearances include the 1967 single ‘Heroes And Villains’ of which he would also sing Brian’s parts on tour, and ‘Vegetables’, which would be re-recorded for the Pet Sounds follow-up ‘Smiley Smile’.
1967 was another busy year for The Beach Boys with the SMiLE sessions continuing, Smiley Smile being recorded, more touring and performing commitments and the recording and release of ‘Wild Honey’. The latter is significant for featuring the first track written by the group that doesn’t feature a Brian Wilson songwriting credit. Besides Brian and Dennis Wilson, the entire group contributed to the writing of ‘How She Boogalooed It’, including Al Jardine. Though Wild Honey would be lacking in a Jardine vocal lead, it would be more than made up by his songwriting contributions to 1968’s ‘Friends’ album.
‘I wrote lots with Al, especially on Friends, where we did “Wake the World,” “Be Here in the Mornin’,” and “Passing By.” Mike, who had met the Maharishi in 1967 and then gone to Rishikesh to study with him at the same time as the Beatles and Donovan, started writing about those kinds of things in songs like “Anna Lee, the Healer” and “Transcendental Meditation.” In general, it seemed like we were turning a corner into something more adult.’ – Brian Wilson (Wilson, p. 151, 2016)
Of the twelve songs released on Friends, Al Jardine would co-write five of them, whilst sharing lead vocals on three tracks. A significant co-write with Brian Wilson on Friends was ‘Wake The World’, the first between the two of them. The lyric is simple and pleasant; ‘Wake the world with a brand new morning, say hello to another fine morning, wouldn't miss it for all of its glory. I'll be there when you're calling me.’ Certainly short on the album at one minute and thirty seconds, the band’s archive release by the same name would feature a slightly longer running alternate mix. When asked about Al’s favourite moment making the Friends album, he was positive about the era:
‘There really wasn’t one moment I can think of, just being together with the guys at Brian’s house made the whole experience worth it.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2021)
Brian Wilson with Al Jardine and 1970’s Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin would tour much of the material from Friends on their “Something Great From ‘68” outing in 2019 with 1960’s British band The Zombies. As well as performing Wake The World, other significant cuts from the album were played live including the title track and “Be Here In The Mornin’”. When The Beach Boys reformed in 2012 for their 50th Anniversary Tour, no songs from the Friends album would make the setlist.
‘Al called me one night and suggested that I cut an instrumental track for the song “Cottonfields” and he later showed me how it went. I think that this record is one of the best we’ve ever made. It was so righteous doin’ it. Al proved once again that he could handle a lead vocal with ease: he made it sound effortless.’ – Brian Wilson (Wilson, p. 21, 1990)
‘Cottonfields’ would be released in two versions, on the band’s 1969 album ’20/20’ and in a re-recorded single version released in 1970, which is presented here. Written by Huddie Ledbetter (better known by his stage name Lead Belly), Jardine would sing lead vocals on both versions. The single was notable for featuring pedal steel guitar, a rare tool in The Beach Boys instrument cupboard. The next few years would see the members of the band at their most equal in songwriting terms, beginning with 1970’s ‘Sunflower’.
Al Jardine would co-write three songs on Sunflower including the lively ‘It’s About Time’ with Dennis Wilson and Bob Burchman, which would be sung by Carl Wilson and Mike Love. A softer approach was taken for ‘Our Sweet Love’ written with Brian and Carl, the latter being the song’s vocalist. Finally, the intriguing ‘At My Window’ delved deeper into the songwriting partnership of Jardine and Brian Wilson, though curiously Al wouldn’t sing lead on any of these. The tranquility of the latter was carried by a vocal from Bruce Johnston. In an interview with Ken Sharp for Goldmine in July 2000, Al was asked about At My Window:
‘That was probably one of my first efforts at involving the other guys. Bruce was around quite a bit. I think he sang the lead on that. I have this dim recollection of writing it and Bruce singing it and Brian trying to speak French in it. It had a nice tone to it. We had an accordion player come in and play some beautiful things on it.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2000, accessed 28.01.21)
‘Al and Mike wrote “Don’t Go Near the Water,” which was a kind of anti-surf message. It told people that if they couldn’t treat the ocean with respect, they shouldn’t use it for recreation.’ – Brian Wilson (Wilson, p. 156, 2016)
The Beach Boys songwriting equilibrium would continue for their 1971 album ‘Surf’s Up’, named after the title track and unfinished SMiLE piece, of which Al Jardine would record a lead vocal for the final section. In terms of songwriting, Jardine would co-write three pieces. The opening track ‘Don’t Go Near The Water’, written with Mike Love, was an entirely different message than the one the band became known for in their earlier days. ‘Take A Load Off Your Feet’ was primarily a co-write between Jardine and high-school friend Gary Winfrey with assistance from Brian Wilson. This pairing (minus Wilson) also wrote ‘Lookin’ At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)’. These, plus songs like ‘Student Demonstration Time’ and ‘A Day In The Life Of A Tree’ made Surf’s Up the most socially and environmentally charged record The Beach Boys would ever make.
1972 saw a change in line-up within the band for ‘Carl & The Passions “So Tough”’. Bruce Johnston departed while the band took on Ricky Fataar on drums (as Dennis Wilson nursed a hand injury) and Blondie Chaplin came on board to play guitar. Both musicians were from the South African band The Flames, both would add vocals, and both would contribute songwriting to the band’s next two albums.
‘I also cowrote, with Al and Mike, “He Come Down,” which sounded like it was about the end of a drug trip but was really more of a gospel thing. That was for Carl and the Passions—So Tough. I love that tune. Mike’s lead is so soulful.’ – Brian Wilson (Wilson, p. 191, 2016)
And Brian is right – ‘He Come Down’ is a wonderfully soulful track, continuing the lyrical thread about Transcendental Meditation that began on the Friends album. Al, Mike and Carl would write the similarly themed ‘All This Is That’, the legacy of which would extend to being performed on the band’s 50th Anniversary Tour. Jardine would share lead vocals on both songs, and also production on the tracks with Carl Wilson.
‘Mike and Al put together something they called the California Saga, which connected two songs, “California” and “Big Sur,” with a poem by Robinson Jeffers. I didn’t know much about Jeffers except that he had died a few months before we wrote “Surfin’ Safari.” But his poem “Beaks of Eagles” was great. It said some of the same things about people that I said in “’Til I Die,” that individual people can change but people overall never really change, that history is so much bigger than us all. And Al’s lead vocal on “The Beaks of Eagles” might be my all-time favorite Al lead ever.’ – Brian Wilson (Wilson, p. 42, 2016)
The band would continue to record in the middle of 1972, which would make up the early 1973 release ‘Holland’. Jardine’s contributions mainly centred on the ‘California Saga’ trilogy that concluded the record’s first side of music. A rare Mike Love solo composition begins the piece with ‘Big Sur’, which is produced by Al and Carl and features gentle background hums from the rest of the group. As part one slows down, Big Sur segues into the second part of the saga - ‘The Beaks Of Eagles’. Produced solely by Jardine and with flute by Charles Lloyd, Mike and Al together intimately recite the poem of the same name by the aforementioned Robinson Jeffers, with sung parts by Al – but the finale would be the best part yet.
Al Jardine’s first solo write to appear on a Beach Boys record, ‘California Saga: California’ is joy personified in under three and a half minutes of music and lyrics. The bounce is similar to 1965’s ‘California Girls’ and features no less than four Beach Boy lead vocals in Mike, Brian, Carl and Al as well as less conventional band instruments - pedal steel, harmonica, accordion and banjo. When asked about his inspiration behind the track, Al had this to say:
‘Being overwhelmed by the natural beauty of Big Sur, the majestic California coastline and driving down Highway 1—it never gets old.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2021)
The band’s line-up would soon change again with Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin departing The Beach Boys and more prominence given to Brian Wilson, in an effort to take the band back to its roots. This was spurred on by the hit sales of their older material in compilations released by Capitol Records and their ever-increasing presence in the band’s live set.
‘Al and Mike noticed how well the two Capitol albums were doing—there was no way not to notice. They figured it was a sign we should capitalize on people’s love for our old music. Our record label, Brother Records, temporarily got the rights back to our old songs and put out a compilation of our own, Good Vibrations, on Reprise. That sold pretty well but not as well as the Capitol records. But Al and Mike weren’t just interested in rereleases. They wanted to make more music like “I Get Around” or “The Warmth of the Sun.”’ – Brian Wilson (Wilson, p. 74, 2016)
The majority of The Beach Boys’ twentieth studio album ’15 Big Ones’ was recorded in the first half of 1976 and released that summer, more than three and a half years since Holland was issued – an unprecedented gap for The Beach Boys at this time. Named so for their fifteen years in the business, and for featuring fifteen tracks (eight of which were covers), Jardine would sing lead on Brian Wilson’s ‘TM Song’. This song would contain an argumentative prelude by the rest of the band not dissimilar to ‘“Cassius” Love Vs. “Sonny” Wilson’ on ‘Shut Down Volume 2’ and ‘Our Favourite Recording Sessions’ from ‘All Summer Long’, both released in 1964. Ultimately the frosty atmosphere is thawed out by a little transcendental meditation.
‘The song was about a gal I met on the way to a show in Cincinnati. Again, trying to get everybody motivated to do something at Brian's house was always a goal. So I said, "Come on, let's cut this track. I've got an idea." So all the guys were just sitting around and waiting for something to do. It's nice to have a pool of musicians who can for that. The engineers were waiting, waiting on something to get done, so we did it. It was kind of a workshop on progress, that's really what these albums were.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2000, accessed 28.01.21)
Al Jardine’s only writing credit on 15 Big Ones came in the form of his solo composition ‘Susie Cincinnati’. The upbeat track begins with harmonica by Brian Wilson and features the whole group on backing vocals, including Bruce Johnston as the track was an older recording that dated back to the Sunflower sessions. Susie Cincinnati could be considered a part of The Beach Boys ‘car songs’ canon, since the song’s subject matter revolves around Susie being a cab driver.
‘We picked up an old song called “Good Time” that Al and I did back around the time of Sunflower. “Good Time” was just what it said it was, a light song about spending time with girlfriends…“Good Time” was originally on the album Marilyn did with her sister, in the group we called Spring, but with all the names of girlfriends changed to boyfriends: Betty was Eddie instead, and then later there was a girl named Penny that we had to change to a guy named O’Ryan.’ – Brian Wilson (Wilson, pp. 196-197, 2016)
On an album full of Brian Wilson originals, the Wilson and Jardine co-write of ‘Good Time’ might feel out of place, but when taken in the context with the rest of ‘The Beach Boys Love You’ record from 1977, it fits right in. Good Time is an upbeat track, like the Dennis Wilson sung ‘Mona’ or ‘Honkin’ Down The Highway’ with lead vocals by Jardine. However, this would be the last solely Brian Wilson produced Beach Boys album until 2012.
Consequently, the production reins passed to Al Jardine and Ron Altbach for 1978’s ‘M.I.U. Album’, M.I.U. standing for ‘Maharishi International University’. The scales are tipped in favour of Al, Mike and Brian for this record, with Carl and Dennis Wilson providing no songs of their own and singing very little. Al and Mike co-write ‘Kona Coast’, while the pair wrote ‘Pitter Patter’ with Brian. As well as singing leads on both, Jardine also performs vocals on three others – two covers in ‘Come Go With Me’ and the Buddy Holly classic ‘Peggy Sue’, and the Ron Altbach and Ed Tuleja penned ‘Winds Of Change’.
Jardine and Love’s Kona Coast is an uplifting ode to Hawaii not unlike their 1963 track named after the islands on their ‘Surfer Girl’ album. Pitter Patter is under no illusions on exactly what it is – a song about rain; ‘It looks like rain and it's been coming on for hours. It looks like rain, I hear the rumble of thunder showers.’ The simplicity is bold, showing you that songs can really be about anything you want if you’re holding the pen. However, this is no miserable song about rain. Pitter Patter refers to rain is a life-giving thing of beauty that should be treated as such.
‘Here’s something from the West Coast of California about a beautiful lady and a beautiful place called Big Sur. It’s about the rolling canyon hills and a lovely lady named Lynda. Ron Altbach had the musical idea to use the Bach melody and I had some lyrics. It took us about a year to work it out.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, p. 7, 2002)
The Beach Boys closed out the 1970’s with ‘L.A. (Light Album)’ which marked the return of Bruce Johnston to the band, where he has remained since. Here, he co-produces the record with The Beach Boys and James William Guercio. In stark contrast to the M.I.U. album, Jardine only contributes one song featuring his lead vocal, with one other lead on the disco remake of Wild Honey track ‘Here Comes The Night’. With some help from Johann Sebastian Bach, Jardine and Altbach penned ‘Lady Lynda’, a floating tribute to Al’s wife, though it must be mentioned the couple has since divorced and his above quote was voiced prior to this! Lynda Jardine’s Beach Boys legacy also extends to her co-writing part two of the California Saga – The Beaks Of Eagles. On a record that didn’t fare too well with critics, Lady Lynda would be a top ten single in the U.K., peaking at number 6 in the charts.
From the summer of 1979, The Beach Boys worked on what would be their first album of the 1980’s in “Keepin’ The Summer Alive”, produced by Bruce Johnston and featured a greater presence from Carl Wilson, but hardly any at all from brother Dennis. This would be the last album Dennis would make with The Beach Boys before passing away in 1983.
‘At the time the Santa Ana Winds didn't connotate anything particularly negative. I always thought of them as a harbinger of Indian summer, that late wonderful dry wind that comes off the desert. Unfortunately, it happens to make the environment perfect for forest fires. So it's kind of got a bad rap, not the song but the subject. I found it a very romantic subject, because to me growing up in Southern California, you get summer twice. It's such a natural force of nature. It really does clean the environment up. Just for a few days you can feel what it might have been like 100 years ago, 1,000 years ago. And also you get that offshore breeze which keeps the waves big for surfers. It's just magical.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2000, accessed 29.01.21)
Featuring just one cover in ‘School Days (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)’, originally by Chuck Berry, Al Jardine would take the lead vocal which was faithfully re-created at their Knebworth performance in 1980 (released in 2002). Also performed at Knebworth would be Brian and Al’s composition ‘Santa Ana Winds’. A rare performance that wasn’t quite up to standard, it hasn’t yet seen official release. According to the album’s 2000 re-release liner notes, Santa Ana Winds was originally part of a second trilogy celebrating California in its coastline and wildlife when recording commenced during the L.A. (Light Album) sessions, but it was re-edited for its inclusion on Keepin The Summer Alive. One of the other parts of the trilogy was entitled ‘Looking Down The Coast’, but more on that later…
The self-titled Beach Boys album, released in 1985, would see the Boys dive headfirst into synthesized production, headed up by Steve Levine whose most notable work includes the bulk of Culture Club’s recorded output. Speaking with Ken Sharp for Goldmine in the summer of 2000, Al describes the difficulty of working in a way the band hadn’t before:
‘That album was such a difficult project for us because it was the melding of certain forces. Unfortunately, Steve was so dedicated to computers that we weren't able to sing very much. It was like, "Okay, sing a verse or a chorus and I'll just put in all the 'oohs' in later. I'll multiply that ad infinitum." [laughs] We would say, "We can sing the whole thing, really Steve." And he would say, "No, it's better if I do it this way. Plus I can pitch correct it, and you guys will be perfect." But again a perfect-sounding record does not always make for a perfect result. I have to admit when we were working on the LA (Light Album) and we were working with Jim Guercio on the song "Good Timin'," a beauty. And Jim wanted us to quadruple-track our vocals. We were triple-tracking everything, which I thought was okay. But then when we got into quadrupling I thought, "I'm on the way to Monterey." [laughs] Jim is a great producer and he really does get a great sound. But as the engineer for Steve Levine, all he had to do was put as many voices on there as he wanted. But then you don't get the diversity of the part because it's the same part multiplied over your own part. The character's gone. We do fatten [vocals]. If you're flat or sharp even, it flattens the harmony vocals on the overdubs. It may not sound great by itself, but when you blend it all together it starts to sound really big.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2000, accessed 29.01.21)
By this time due to an abuse of power, and severely violating codes of ethics, Brian Wilson’s full-time psychotherapist Dr. Eugene Landy would appear as co-writer to all of Brian’s songs released in this era. Those works featured contributions to this album, his debut solo album, it’s unreleased follow-up ‘Sweet Insanity’, and even as a ghost-writer for his first autobiography ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’. Al explains his own contribution to one of Brian’s songs in this respect:
‘That was a Brian/Landy song and I changed some of Dr Landy’s lyrics—his original lyrics were terrible, that’s what inspired me to change them!’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2021)
The song he is referring is ‘Crack At Your Love’, which also featured both Al and Brian on lead vocals. A second co-write between this pair would yield ‘California Calling’, the opener to the album’s flip-side. The culmination of the instrumental bounce, lyrical content and Mike Love’s delivery instantly remind of me of “Surfin’ USA”, released more than twenty-two years previously. Drums on California Calling would be by Ringo Starr, and other guests on ‘The Beach Boys’ include Stevie Wonder and Gary Moore. As the band would never replace Dennis Wilson on drums permanently, most of the percussion work on this album was handled by Graham Broad, who would later go on to work with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters.
In a strange twist of fate, something happened to The Beach Boys in 1988 that nobody was expecting, or had expected of them for a very long time. They had a number one single in the U.S. with ‘Kokomo’, their first since ‘Good Vibrations’ in 1966, and their only number one single not written or produced by Brian Wilson. On the back of this, The Beach Boys put together a brand new album entitled “Still Cruisin’”, and new recordings included Al Jardine’s ‘Island Girl’.
‘My favorite Beach Boys island song is a little-known tune called "Island Girl." I love the intro. It was the last time that Carl, Brian and I sang an a cappella fugue together straight from the heart. We invented the parts right on the spot. I only had a half-hour with Brian. It was during the Gene Landy conservatorship period, and he gave me Brian for only a half-hour to do the song. [laughs] Talk about pressure. But it had great primal energy.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2000, accessed 29.01.21)
Produced by Al, Island Girl would be his last songwriting contribution to any new Beach Boys album. Laced with programmed parts and prominent vocals from Carl, Al and Mike, background vocals would be handled by members of The Beach Boys touring band who included long-time guitarist and vocalist Jeff Foskett, and Al’s son Matt who first featured on the front cover to 1970’s Sunflower album.
The band’s last album of original material for twenty years came in 1992 with ‘Summer In Paradise’. Largely a collaboration between Mike Love and producer Terry Melcher (and the only Beach Boys album not to feature Brian Wilson at all), the first edition released in the United States contained minimal vocal contributions from Al Jardine, though some re-recorded tracks for the U.K. edition did feature more work from him.
Despite proposals of new Beach Boys material being worked on in the mid-1990’s, this was ultimately shelved in favour of a new project which involved re-recording their classic hits with guest vocalists. The resulting album ‘Stars And Stripes Vol. 1’, released in 1996, maintained a country music theme and guests included Ricky Van Shelton (on Fun, Fun, Fun), Willie Nelson (singing The Warmth Of The Sun), and Eagles band member Timothy B. Schmit (performing Caroline, No). Produced in a collaboration with Brian Wilson and Joe Thomas, this would be Carl Wilson’s last album with The Beach Boys, who would pass away in 1998, aged 51. Contrary to the title of ‘Vol. 1’, there would be no further volumes.
After Carl Wilson’s passing, Brian launched his solo career proper and has continued to record and tour since. Al Jardine would also leave The Beach Boys and the turn of the millennium would see him touring with his and the Wilson children as ‘The Beach Boys, Family And Friends’. A live album featuring Beach Boys songs performed live at the MGM Grand in November 1999 was released in 2001. Mike Love and Bruce Johnston would continue to tour as The Beach Boys, occasionally with David Marks.
Al Jardine would join Brian Wilson on tour in 2006 for the 40th Anniversary of Pet Sounds. Al Jardine lead vocals on the tour included performances of ‘Then I Kissed Her’, ‘California Saga: California’ and ‘Help Me, Rhonda’. 2010 would see the release of Al Jardine’s first solo studio record in ‘A Postcard From California’. Amongst the original songs Al wrote for the album, an older unreleased track in the form of ‘Looking Down The Coast’ was re-recorded and included, marking its debut release over thirty years after it was first written.
As well as featuring special guests in Glen Campbell (who toured and recorded with The Beach Boys in 1965), vocalists David Crosby and Neil Young and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, the record succeeded in reuniting The Beach Boys (including the late Carl Wilson) on ‘Don’t Fight The Sea’. The song and video are a socially and environmentally conscious affair with Al showing his support for National Marine Sanctuaries. This re-grouping of The Beach Boys would preclude the band’s 2011 and 2012 50th anniversary reunion with a world tour and a new album entitled ‘That’s Why God Made The Radio’.
‘It was great hearing the Beach Boys’ voices together and just hearing Brian and Mike sing together again for the first time in years was very special.’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2021)
The Beach Boys line-up became a five piece with Al, Brian, Mike, Bruce and David Marks rejoining - his recording on the album would be his first new recorded parts on a Beach Boys record since ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ in 1963. Al featured in group vocals on the whole album, with prominent leads on the album’s title track, ‘Isn’t It Time’, and ‘From There To Back Again’, an excerpt of a suite of songs that closed out the record. The resulting tour would take the band around North America, Europe, Japan, Australia, and finished with two shows in London, which remains the last time this line-up of The Beach Boys performed together.
‘Al Jardine was on there. It was great to sing with him again. It brought me back to the good sound we used to have. Al’s best-known vocals in the old days were “Then I Kissed Her” and “Help Me, Rhonda,” but my favorite was the singing he did on Holland, on “The Beaks of Eagles.” …I sang a song called “Whatever Happened” with Al and his son Matt, and another one called “Sail Away” with Blondie Chaplin. …Al and Blondie sounded incredible on No Pier Pressure. Voices get older but they keep their spirit.’ - Brian Wilson (Wilson, p. 271, 2016)
Jardine would continue to perform with Brian Wilson’s band following the 2012 tour, with Al being invited to sing on new Brian Wilson music for his ‘No Pier Pressure’ album, released in 2015. As well as performing on ‘Whatever Happened’ with David Marks and ‘Sail Away’ with Blondie Chaplin, Al would sing with Brian on ‘Tell Me Why’ and enrich ‘The Right Time’ with an exceptional lead vocal.
In 2019, Al Jardine along with his son Matt and musician Jeff Alan Ross (and later Debbie Shair) would embark on a storytelling tour which would bring songs like ‘Santa Ana Winds’ and the title track from his solo album back into the live environment. Unfortunately these performances were cut short by the pandemic in early 2020. When asked if there was a song he would like to play that he hadn’t for a while, this was Al’s response:
‘“Looking Down The Coast” from my solo album A Postcard from California—I played it at the Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur in 2010 and would love to play it again with the full band. What an incredible group of musicians!’ – Al Jardine (Jardine, 2021)
And though live performances may be some time off still, rest assured that you’ll be hearing from Al Jardine sooner than you think. The body of work laid out here is a testament to the huge contribution Al Jardine made to The Beach Boys catalogue in songwriting, production and exceptional vocal performances both in the studio and on the road, which continues beyond and into his solo career. For now, I leave you with these poetic words from Santa Ana Winds:
‘I am the wind. Oh, desert wind, on my pilgrimage to the sea. I will prevail. I will not fail, to bring life into humanity. My song is creation, and rejuvenation, whispering the wisdom and its purity…’
Image courtesy of Mary Ann Jardine.
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References (uncredited quotes are published in this article for the first time):
Wilson, B., with Greenman, B. (2016) I Am Brian Wilson: The genius behind the Beach Boys, Hodder & Stoughton. Kindle Edition
Jardine, A. (2002) The Beach Boys – Good Timin: Live At Knebworth England 1980 liner notes, courtesy of Brother Records, Eagle Records
Jardine, A. (1965) Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) rear album notes, Capitol Records
Jardine, A. (1996) The Making Of Pet Sounds booklet included with ‘The Pet Sounds Sessions’, Capitol Records
Jardine, A. (2011) The Beach Boys Smile Sessions hardback book included with ‘The Smile Sessions’, Capitol Records
Wilson, B. (1990) Friends – 20/20 two-fer compilation liner notes, Capitol Records
Jardine, A., Sharp, K. (2000) Alan Jardine: A Beach Boy Still Riding The Waves, originally published in Goldmine, https://troun.tripod.com/al.html (accessed 28.01.21)
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Visit Al Jardine’s official website for more information about future touring and the latest news on his current musical projects.
Follow Al Jardine on Facebook @officialaljardine, on Instagram @aljardine409 and on Twitter @alanjardine.
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