He has always been pro-ecology and felt that this was the right time to make a statement on behalf of National Marine Sanctuaries. “I had a vision for what the re-interpretation of the song should sound like, and this group delivered perfectly.”ĭon’t Fight the Sea was originally intended to be a Beach Boys song, but the dynamic never coalesced around the concept, so Jardine kept the song in the vault, holding onto it until the production of A Postcard from California. Neil Young shared lead vocals while David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Jardine’s sons Adam and Matt sang backgrounds. ![]() The project spanned almost 40 years, starting with Jardine writing California Saga for the Beach Boys in the ’70s “It’s just not the same without Carl (Wilson – lead guitarist and vocalist who died of lung cancer in 1998) and Dennis (Wilson – drummer who drowned in 1983), so this song was a work of love and Beach Boys family to me.” He related how Steve Miller was flying home to Utah and upon receiving Al’s call mid-flight diverted to California to record on the album. It was essential that everyone could deliver the very best possible interpretation of each song.” Then, I started calling the artists whose style I felt really fit. Speaking of A Postcard from California Jardine says, “I wrote several of these arrangements with specific collaborators in mind, such as Glen Campbell for California Dreamin’ and Steve Miller for Help Me, Rhonda. The concept began when the Beach Boys made a trip to Nashville in 1996 and covered some of their own songs with such brilliant artists as Willie Nelson ( Warmth of the Sun), Jimmy Buffett ( Kokomo and Fun, Fun Fun), Toby Keith ( Be True to Your School), Tammy Wynette ( In My Room), Sawyer Brown ( I Get Around), and Lorrie Morgan ( Don’t Worry Baby), as well as Christian singer Kathy Troccoli ( I Can Hear Music). You may wonder what gave Al Jardine the idea of collaborating with other artists on A Postcard from California. I would have also liked to have picked up the tempo just a little bit more.” If I had taken just a little more time, I could have brought in Carnie and Wendy Wilson (both daughters of Brian Wilson and founding members of the Wilson Phillips trio) to sing backgrounds to complete the fullness of the composition. He adds, “I was in a hurry to complete the project. His collaborators included a veritable who’s who of music at the time: Beach Boys bandmates Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young (three of the four from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) and Dewey Bunnell and Gary Beckley of America.Ĭomposers and performers are never satisfied with their work. In 2010, after the Beach Boys had gone their separate ways, Al Jardine collaborated with a number of high-profile artists in producing A Postcard from California as his first studio album. At the same time, their evolving musical tastes and skills motivated each other to greater achievement. It was a wrap!ĭuring the 1960s, when the Beach Boys and the Beatles were enjoying the peak of their careers, the two groups competed in concert and record sales. McCartney responded, “I normally get paid for this, but I’ll do it for you because we’re friends.” Then he delivered the line. With full conviction and confidence, Jardine said, “I need a better take. There was Paul McCartney, surrounded by fellow members of the Grammys audience as he delivered his line. Jardine asked the Beatles co-founder to deliver the line, “Don’t Fight the Sea” for the final scene of his video for the song of the same name. Such was the influence of founding Beach Boys member Al Jardine, when he visited with Paul McCartney briefly after the 2010 Grammys. You, too, would be quite influential if you asked Sir Paul McCartney to produce a one-line cameo video for your upcoming album and he gladly accommodated you.Īnd you would be even MORE influential if you said, “I need a better take. John describes the music style as “fun and dynamic with incredible harmonies.” ![]() ![]() 2 concert at Arlington Music Hall but, as a Beach Boys admirer, caught up with Al to discuss the re-release of his album, “Postcard from California” and the staying power of the Beach Boys. As a public relations consultant today, he notices the similarity of how a musical group’s music stands the test of time just as a successful business survives and thrives. His late father, Earle Fletcher, managed Top 40 radio station KXOL-1360 in Fort Worth at the time, so John had access to his own collection of Beach Boys music. Editor’s note: John Fletcher has been a Beach Boys fan ever since the band formed in 1961.
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