Category: Beach Boys

IT’S BEACH BOYS OVER BEATLES: U.K. READER POLL . . . DECEMBER 10, 1966

Motor City Radio Flashbacks logo (2015)From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1966

 

 

 

 

 

 

LONDON —  The Beach Boys, crowning the re-emergence of American artists in the British charts following the domination by British talent since 1963, by astonishingly beating the Beatles in the annual reader poll conducted by the 250,000 circulation U. K. consumer pop weekly, New Musical Express.

The Beach Boys toured the U.K., minus Brian Wilson, November,1966.
The Beach Boys toured the U.K.(minus Brian Wilson) November, 1966 (click on image for largest view)

In the world’s outstanding vocal group section of the poll, the Beach Boys out voted the Beatles and all other British groups. The results- based largely on a teenage consumer response — was probably influenced by the U. S. group’s chart top success with “Good Vibrations” at voting time, whereas the Beatles have not had a single release since early-August. In addition, the Beach Boys had just toured Britain, while the Beatles have not toured here once this year.

The sensational success of the Beach Boys, however, is being taken as a portent that the popularity of the top British groups of the last three years is past its peak. The Beatles’ failure to secure the top place in the world section was matched by the Rolling Stones conspicuous failure to capture a top placing, being beaten in the rhythm and blues group section by Spencer Davis.

But on the distaff side, the British girls for the first time took first, second and third places in the outstanding female singer section, with Dusty Springfield winning the title, followed by Cilla Black and Petula Clark. Elvis Presley beat Cliff Richards as both world’s outstanding musical personality and outstanding male singer. END

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Information and news source: Billboard; December 10, 1966

beach-boys-nme-poll-1966 (mcrfb2)

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THIS WEEK 50 YEARS AGO: THE HOTTEST HIT IN THE USA!

the-beach-boys-help-me-rhonda-1965-5

 NUMBER 1 IN AMERICA ’65 * The Beach Boys * WEEK OF 5/23 – 6/05/65

FOURTEEN WEEKS on the singles chart, “Help Me, Rhonda” by The Beach Boys peaked No. 01 (2 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100 for the weeks of May 23 through June 5, 1965. (source: Billboard).

 MCRFB Link: For the previous No. 1 record in the U.S.A. 1965 GO HERE.

Billboard logo

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TONIGHT! WKNR PRESENTS: BEACH BOYS IN CONCERT!

WKNR Presents The Beach Boys, May 23, 1965

WKNR PROMO * “Keener 13 – Now You Know What We’ve Got” * Beach Boys ’65

(Special thanks to John Freist for providing this WKNR audio source!)

MCRFB Note: Taken from a WKNR Bob Green aircheck — you’ll note, obviously, Bob Green voicing over on air with “open mike” in this classic, Beach Boys produced WKNR station promo from fifty years ago — 1965!

WKNR Keener 13 Bumper Sticker

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BEACH BOYS: HOT ROD TREND CATCHES ON . . . NOVEMBER 23, 1963

MarqueeTest-2From the MCRFB news archives: 1963

Beach Boys Move From Surf To New Street Rod Sound

 

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK — With three albums solid (and chart entries) and what looks like growing teenage acceptance, record companies are moving out of the surf and on to the track. There is a heavy emphasis of rock product that features gunning engines, peculiar jargon and rolling beat of what looks like the next big teenage fad — hot rod music.

Beach Boys Little Deuce Coupe Capitol LP

One of the first labels to leap from the crest of the surf wave on to the hot rod track was Capitol Records. The firm’s Beach Boys made the transition without grinding gears, roaring from a string of surf hits to their first behind the wheel and engine groove, “Little Deuce Coupe.” The LP has followed the smash single up the chart.

The Beach Boys 'Shutdown' LP, Capitol, 1963 (click image for larger view)
Capitol Records ‘Shutdown’ LP, featuring The Beach Boys, 1963 (click image for larger view)

“Shutdown” is another Capitol album that has ridden on the charts for some time, and has given the label an indication what the new swing was about. It contain various artists in hot rod garb. The label also has its West Coast surfing personality, Dick Dale, swinging in on the street rod popularity with his first hot rod LP.

Capitol is pushing hard with promotions behind the hot rod build. The label is supplying disc jockeys with a wide variety of material which includes sweatshirts carrying similar type drawings to those shown on the album covers.

The deejay kits also carry literature about hot rodding, including a pamphlet that explains the jargon and information regarding the organization of the National Hot Rod Association. In addition, deejays are being supplied with copies of the automotive publication, Hot Rod. In New York, the Capitol distributors are working closely with the hot rod club in Hempstead, and also with the Dick Clark Show. Still another part of the kit contains a sampler LP of hot rod music on the label. In addition to these LP’s, Capitol has two albums on the market that features the sounds of actual hot rodders in motion.

Hot Rod Magazine, issued March, 1963 (click image for larger view)
Hot Rod Magazine, issued March, 1963 (click image for larger view)

Regional breakout listing this week shows that the “Hot Rod City” LP on the Vault record label is coming in for a share of the action. This is another West Coast label making the transition from surf to road without a hitch. Vault is being distributed by Atco Records nationally and plans are in the works for special promotions with disk jockeys. Part of the national promotion being planned is a nationwide contest which would offer hot rod racing gear prizes to winners. These would be worked out with radio deejays on a regional basis.

A flood of singles product on a wide variety of labels has developed over the last month. Del Fi and a few other labels came roaring in with albums featuring the new motor sound. END.

(Information and news source: Billboard; November 23, 1963).

Th Beach Boys Capitol LP 1963 (b-side)
The Beach Boys ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ Capitol LP 1963 (b-side)

WKNR-AM — Bob Green Hot Rod Kits Giveaway — February, 1964

Addendum: In this MCRFB featured WKNR aircheck, Bob Green is heard promoting WKNR’s 200 Capitol Records ‘Hot Rod Kits’ giveaway at Korvette’s Department Store, located on Telegraph Rd., at W. Chicago. The date was February, 1964. (Click link for 6:05 audio).

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BEACH BOYS SET UP NEW LABEL… DECEMBER 31, 1966

From the MCRFB news archives:

Beach Boys Set Up Record Label; Wilson Seeks Distributors

 

 

 

 

The Beach Boys in 1966.

Los Angeles — Brother Records have been formed by the Beach Boys while domestic and foreign distributions for the new label currently are being sought. The group itself will not cut for their own company which falls under the umbrella Beach Boys Enterprises. They remain tied to Capitol Records. Brian Wilson will be executive producer for the teen-oriented company.

Over at Capitol Records, the west-coast group has just earned gold disk records for their recent single release, “Good Vibrations,” and for their Capitol LP’s, “Little Deuce Coupe,” and “Shut Down, Vol. II.” END.

 

(Information and news source: Billboard; December 31, 1966).

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BEACH BOYS QUIT ON CAPITOL… APRIL 12, 1969

From the MCRFB news archives:

BEACH BOYS SEVER TIES WITH CAPITOL; GROUP ON OWN RECORD LABEL

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES — The Beach Boys have filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Capitol Records for more than $2 million. Concurrent with the suit the Beach Boys have also severed their seven-year relationship with the recording giant and will record instead on their own record label, Brother Records.

The lawsuit arises from a 1967 audit of a Capitol Records book by the accounting firm of Prager and Fenton which revealed an alleged deficiency in royalty payment of at least $622, 618. 72, and demands payment of $1,418,827.92 in producers fees for Brian Wilson, a member of the Beach Boys group, who performed producer/production services at Capitol’s request.

The group has also initiated a conglomerate of business enterprises emanating from it’s Hollywood offices, including a recording company, a publishing firm, a travel agency, a business management company, a personal management company and a concert production firm. Direction of the various enterprises are divided by Nicholas Grillo and Dick Duryea, the latter acting as a production co-ordinator for the conglomerate.

The Beach Boys, were said to be all smiles after leaving Capitol Records, as pictured here in 1969. (Click on image for larger view).

Further, the new enterprise will take the Beach Boys beyond the confines of the recording business. Already operating under their Financial Concepts, Inc., is a Beach Boys-operated real estate syndicate and a cardiovascular clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, to be operated in conjunction with a group of prominent Florida physicians. But the primary concern of the new Beach Boys company will still be Brother Records, according to a spokesman for the group.

In addition to their new label, the Beach Boys own three music publishing companies as well as American Sound System, the company that leases their $250,000 sound system and American productions, which packages the Beach Boys and other artists’ concert tours.

Simultaneously they are in the process of building their own 16-track recording studio within their own office complex, which will form the basis for their new label, Brother Records.

All artists on Brother Records will participate in the company’s profits, predicated on a formula yet to be devised. Artist will be offered complete financial protection through Financial Concepts, Inc., a management company that will perform complete accounting services and offer financial and investment advise to any/all personnel connected with Brother Records.

Finally, the artists will have their personal appearances, fan clubs, and merchandising organized through American Productions, another Beach Boys subsidiary. END.

 

(Information and news source: Billboard; April 12, 1969).

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