list.co.uk/festival Pet Sounds | FESTIVAL MUSIC
P H O T O :
The Beach Boys (Al Jardine, second right)
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THE BOYS OF SUMMER
Brian Wilson is celebrating the Beach Boys seminal album Pet Sounds in concert with co-founder Al Jardine. Henry Northmore caught up with Jardine to chat about the making of one of the greatest albums of all time
T he Beach Boys cast a ray of sunshine over the 60s music scene. Formed at high school in Hawthorne, California, brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson teamed up with cousin Mike Love and childhood friend Al Jardine and went on to become
one of the most inl uential bands in pop history.
‘We started on a hope and a prayer,’ explains guitarist and co-founder Jardine, who also sang lead vocals on some of their biggest hits (including ‘Then I Kissed Her’, ‘I Know There’s an Answer’ and ‘Help Me, Rhonda’). ‘In fact I had to rent the instruments because we didn’t own any at the time, but when we sang together we knew we had a pretty good blend. We had no idea it would turn into 100–200 million records [some estimates put their sales as high as 350 million], it wasn’t supposed to last at all after that i rst record.’ The group were inspired by doo-wop, 50s girl groups,
Mel Tormé, the Ink Spots and even Roy Rogers. ‘It’s simple, it’s complicated and everything in between; it’s barbershop, jazz and folk, it’s pretty much everything, it’s hard to dei ne,’ says Jardine. ‘We created our own unique formula. Brian had this ability to articulate and hear harmonies that most people don’t hear, so that helps, and then you have the messengers, the Beach Boys, who delivered.’
They found their niche singing about summer holidays, beaches, parties and, of course, suri ng, with their early hits playing up to California clichés. Then 1966’s Pet Sounds changed everything. Chief songwriter Brian Wilson was reaching for something bigger and more complex – a trip into the psychedelic end of pop with multi-layered harmonies, found sounds and extensive use of the theremin. It’s a more personal album and a labour of love for Wilson. And it’s still considered by many to be one of the greatest albums of all time. >>
15–27 Aug 2018 THE LIST FESTIVAL 75