Fact #188884
When:
Short story:
The Survivors record Pamela Jean and After The Game in Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA. Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys supervises the session, sings lead on the track and wrote the songs.
Full article:
Dave Nolan (The Survivors) : In early 1963 I moved into an apartment in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.
One day I had some musician friends over for a jam session, and a guy knocked on my door and said 'Hi, I live next door. Do you mind if I come in and listen to you guys for a while?' I invited him in, and we continued playing.
During a break he said, 'You guys are really good. Have you ever heard of the Beach Boys?'
Duh? It was 1963, so of course I said 'YES!'
His next words were 'I'm Brian Wilson.'
A few days later I met Brian's roommate, Bob Norberg, and then Rich Peterson, another of Brian's friends. I think I was 19 and Brian was 21 at the time.
We spent most the summer of '63 riding around with Brian in his car, and that occasionally meant going with the Beach Boys to Goldstar and Western recording studios.
On one session at Goldstar, Bob, Rich and I provided hand claps and other background sounds on 'Be True to Your School' (Capitol 5069), a Beach Boys hit. Brian also used the Honeys as cheerleaders on that track. Those three girls previously recorded Brian's 'Surfin' Down the Swanee River' (Capitol 4952) as themselves.
Then Brian wrote two songs especially for us, 'Wich Stand' — a real sandwich joint that we liked — and 'A Joy Ride Cruise.' We recorded 'Wich Stand' at Goldstar, with the legendary Hal Blaine on drums, but never went back to record 'A Joy Ride Cruise.'
At the time, Brian was enamored with Dion's style, and his hits 'Come Go With Me' and 'Donna the Prima Donna.' With Dion's sound in mind, he wrote 'Pamela Jean' for the four of us.
The Survivors were Brian, Bob, Rich and me.
It's easy to understand why so many thought this was just another record by the Beach Boys using a different name. Brian sang the lead, so it sounded just like many Beach Boys songs that featured him. Like their records, it was on Capitol, and the label says 'Pamela Jean' was written, arranged and produced by Brian Wilson.
The record came out in January 1964 (Capitol 5102), to only a modicum of attention on radio and TV in Southern California. That was just before we were swept away by the British Invasion.
It's unfortunate Capitol couldn't have issued it sooner because in 1964 nearly all of Capitol's promotional potential was understandably behind the Beatles.
Riding around in the car with Brian and having him come up with things like 'Little St. Nick' was amazing; to watch the man's mind work, to know he literally could think in four-part harmony and even tell you which part is yours. He would turn to you and say 'go like this,' then he'd do the part for you. Then he'd turn to the next guy and do the same thing for his part.
(Source : https://eu.courierpress.com/story/life/columnists/2017/02/09/mr-music-history-classic-pamela-jean/97644006/)
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One day I had some musician friends over for a jam session, and a guy knocked on my door and said 'Hi, I live next door. Do you mind if I come in and listen to you guys for a while?' I invited him in, and we continued playing.
During a break he said, 'You guys are really good. Have you ever heard of the Beach Boys?'
Duh? It was 1963, so of course I said 'YES!'
His next words were 'I'm Brian Wilson.'
A few days later I met Brian's roommate, Bob Norberg, and then Rich Peterson, another of Brian's friends. I think I was 19 and Brian was 21 at the time.
We spent most the summer of '63 riding around with Brian in his car, and that occasionally meant going with the Beach Boys to Goldstar and Western recording studios.
On one session at Goldstar, Bob, Rich and I provided hand claps and other background sounds on 'Be True to Your School' (Capitol 5069), a Beach Boys hit. Brian also used the Honeys as cheerleaders on that track. Those three girls previously recorded Brian's 'Surfin' Down the Swanee River' (Capitol 4952) as themselves.
Then Brian wrote two songs especially for us, 'Wich Stand' — a real sandwich joint that we liked — and 'A Joy Ride Cruise.' We recorded 'Wich Stand' at Goldstar, with the legendary Hal Blaine on drums, but never went back to record 'A Joy Ride Cruise.'
At the time, Brian was enamored with Dion's style, and his hits 'Come Go With Me' and 'Donna the Prima Donna.' With Dion's sound in mind, he wrote 'Pamela Jean' for the four of us.
The Survivors were Brian, Bob, Rich and me.
It's easy to understand why so many thought this was just another record by the Beach Boys using a different name. Brian sang the lead, so it sounded just like many Beach Boys songs that featured him. Like their records, it was on Capitol, and the label says 'Pamela Jean' was written, arranged and produced by Brian Wilson.
The record came out in January 1964 (Capitol 5102), to only a modicum of attention on radio and TV in Southern California. That was just before we were swept away by the British Invasion.
It's unfortunate Capitol couldn't have issued it sooner because in 1964 nearly all of Capitol's promotional potential was understandably behind the Beatles.
Riding around in the car with Brian and having him come up with things like 'Little St. Nick' was amazing; to watch the man's mind work, to know he literally could think in four-part harmony and even tell you which part is yours. He would turn to you and say 'go like this,' then he'd do the part for you. Then he'd turn to the next guy and do the same thing for his part.
(Source : https://eu.courierpress.com/story/life/columnists/2017/02/09/mr-music-history-classic-pamela-jean/97644006/)