011 Elton John Meets The Beach Boys

[@Joaodinho85]

Elton John performed Wouldn't be Nice with Brian Wilson in 2001 in an All Star Tribute to Brian Wilson. He also mentioned his adoration of Brian Wilson before they start to sing. You have got a new subscriber in me, so I hope you're still uploading new videos✌🏾

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for mentioning that performance, João! I should have mentioned it here. I'm still posting a new video every Thursday morning. Thanks for the great comments, João, and I hoping to hear more from you!

[@NeatStuffNearby]

Any pointers for where I might find that Caribou Records shirt? Looks awesome! Great video, it's always fun to go back through your episodes and see what I've missed.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for noticing the shirt, OP! It's a favorite of mine and was a birthday gift from my wife and son a few years ago. (They got it on eBay.) I'm not sure how easy it is to find one these days, though it seems like even the most obscure subjects are available on t-shirts on-line these days. Happy hunting and, if you have a chance, please let me know if you locate one! Thanks for the comments, OP!

[@petestaint8312]

Fantastic video! Thanks for posting. 👍

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks, PT!

[@jamiebrewstersmusicalheroe7156]

Fantastic Steve

[@danielrodgers6983]

12:40 mike love was not lead vocal on crocodile rock al Jardine was and I think it's a very fitting song for the beach boys to have covered.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

You're right, Daniel! It is Al, not Mike, on lead vocal. Sorry for the mistake and thanks for catching it! Much appreciated!

[@danielrodgers6983]

@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 since we're on the subject of AL Jardine "crumple car" is an awesome song Al has recorded. I'm not sure if he wrote it but the melody is sweet and the lyrics are timeless.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

@@danielrodgers6983 Thanks for mentioning that. I'm surprised "Crumple Car" hasn't seen official release. It makes me wonder what else there is in Al's "vaults!" Thanks, Daniel!

[@everythingandanything-xr1ls]

Billy Hinsche died yesterday (20/11/2021) he was so talented, brought so much to the BBs. So many members of the BBs now gone, so sad

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Very sad news indeed!

[@burlingtonbill1]

Here's something missed so far (and I WAS THERE!). From "The Beach Boys In Concert" book (Rusten & Stebbins): "SUNDAY, JULY 6. 1975 - Hughes Stadium, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, with Chicago. About 37,000 fans attended the closing show of the Beachago tour and, according to the 'Rocky Mountain Collegian,' were treated to 'almost four hours of familiar hits from the past, some present-day rock professionalism, and a good excuse to dot all day in the very warm sun.' The biggest surprise of the show was the guest appearance by Elton John, who was recording at Caribou Ranch and was invited to the concert by Jim Guercio. Elton joined the Beach Boys for 'Barbara Ann' and the big finale."

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Wow! Never knew about that! SO cool that you were there! I've got to believe, in 1975, the place must have exploded when Elton John came on stage! I SO envy you having seen it! Thanks for passing that along, bill!

[@BrianKruger]

As always, this channel is just great. I laughed out loud when you HAD to bring up Victim of Love. Also, and you can do with this as you would... but I was watching Cameron Crowe's documentary, "The Union" which is about the making of the Elton John-Leon Russel album (which is great) and there's Brian Wilson! He came in to do harmonies for "When Love is Dying". He's credited like this... Brian Wilson; backing vocals & BGV arrangement on "When Love Is Dying." The comments that Elton and TBone have about Wilson after he leaves the studio, are very sweet.

[@BrianKruger]

OH! And I found this too... It was a Brian Wilson tribute (I think) kzbin.info/www/bejne/rX6woHx_aLKMi68

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

I'll check out the documentary on "The Union." It's a great album and I'm sure the documentary is interesting in it's own, even without the Brian Wilson connection. You had to know "Victim of Love" was going to get a mention...Sometimes I think of that album and wake up screaming! As always, thanks for the support and the great comments!

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

@@BrianKruger Elton sounds good on that and even better on the clip of "God Only Knows" which seems to be part of the same concert. (I sometimes forget what a great vocalist he can be.) Understandably, he looks pretty uncomfortable on stage without a keyboard in front of him, especially when Brian is doing the vocals. Thanks for posting that! I really enjoyed it!

[@marcofalzone6469]

Elton had the laugh of the night in '88, when he said "thank fuck he didn't mention Me!" regarding Mike Love rant at the Hall of Fame dinner.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Great line! Thanks for passing that along, Marco!

[@LetsGoMetsGo33]

Bob Dylan made a similar remark that night.

[@marcofalzone6469]

It's really so tough to wrap my mind around Bob Dylan and Mike Love, working and making money in the same industry

[@LetsGoMetsGo33]

@@marcofalzone6469 lol. It's on YT; here's the quote: “I want to thank Mike Love for not mentioning me,” he said. Responding to ML's remaks, BD said- “I play a lot of dates every year, too. Peace, love and harmony is greatly important indeed, but so is forgiveness and we gotta have that too.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

@@marcofalzone6469 Good point! Popular music is a wild and varied "eco-system," I guess! Thanks, Marco!

[@mikeokeefe1824]

I was pretty sure Al Jardine sang Crocodile Rock. Al brought them a hit with Come Go with Me and California Dreaming, both covers. So I'm sure they figured they would go with Al for another cover hit with Crocodile Rock

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

You are absolutely right that it's Al singing "Crocodile Rock." I really blew it on that one! Thanks for catching it, Mike!

[@robertrinker2167]

Personally, I have always loved “Crocodile Rock”. Love the 50’s style vocal intertwining. The leads, however brief at times, showcases almost each member of group.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Good point about the leads! In retrospect, I feel like I might have been a little too hard on "Crocodile Rock." I think my main reaction is disappointment that they didn't choose a more interesting and unexpected Elton John song, rather than with the way "Crocodile Rock" turned out. Thanks for the thoughts and insights, Robert! Much appreciated!

[@joelgoldenberg1100]

The same book says media reports were wrong and overhyped about the audience not appreciating and leaving during Elton performing the entire Capt. Fantastic album during that 1975 concert, the few who left did so because the temperature had dipped 30 degrees between the Beach Boy and Elton sets.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

You know, I read that book when it first came out and, obviously, didn't retain much! That's very interesting information. I suppose Elton's interpretation of audience reaction might have had a lot to do with his apprehension about playing the new songs live. Thanks for the great info, Joel!

[@fredgien]

I love all the details you put in your videos.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks, fredgien! (The research is a big part of the fun for me.)

[@AnjuAndKafei]

Okay so you sent me down a rabbit hole with the Crocodile Rock cover that I’d never heard of... interesting.. Lots of missed potential for what they could have covered true and the music video is just baffling however there is a live version and Al sounds great as always. Haha, love learning these new things about a band I became obsessed with after my Beatle phase a decade ago

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for mentioning the live version! I wasn't aware of it and just checked it out. No doubt about Al's voice! Always excellent! Like you, I got obsessed with The Beach Boys after The Beatles. Since then, I've tried to keep up with both of them, which isn't easy...or cheap! Thanks for the comments, Virtueless!

[@minnixmusic]

Don’t know if it was mentioned below, but on Reg Strikes Back there is a song called Since God Invented Girls that has a reference to Brian Wilson, and Beach Boy style vocals.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

I don't remember it. I'll have to pull out my copy and give it a listen. Thanks!

[@minnixmusic]

@@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444 one of my favorites from that album.

[@rjpg]

Just found this channel and this episode convinced to subscribe....keep up the great work!

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for the kind words and welcome to the little group of Beach Boy fans here! (Be sure to check out the viewer comments on these videos. So much good information and some hilarious stuff too!) Hope we'll be hearing more from you, ow de!

[@sharonramone7186]

I am so glad that I found your channel! I can't say it enough. Elton was my fave solo act of the 70's. And you are so on target about Mike on "Crocodile Rock", It almost turned me off the song itself.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

As you might have guessed, I, too, loved Elton John in the 70s! "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was the second album that I bought, back in '74, that began building the collection I now have. That album, and Elton's other work in the 70s, went a long way toward giving me the love of recorded music I have today. Thanks for the comments, Sharon! Great to hear from you!

[@barkboingfloom]

Al sings lead on "Croc".

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

@@barkboingfloom I believe you're right! Thanks, Trenton!

[@skee19]

Blue Moves is a repeated listen to get actually a very good album. I agree with you the last of his great period

[@ManzaMediaTV]

I bet you are excited for Elton's appearance in the new Long Promised Road documentary coming next month!

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

I didn't know about it! I'm excited about it now! Thanks for letting me know, Manza!

[@joelgoldenberg1100]

According to the Captain Fantastic book, the Beach Boys requested a John-Taupin song, Chameleon was presented to them and they rejected it as too introspective.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Interesting! It's a shame they didn't record it. I can really imagine Carl singing lead with a nice vocal arrangement. It could have been great!

[@edwardmeradith2419]

Interesting video!

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks, Edward!

[@Johnnysunami]

Hey Steve, Just wanted to let you know that Elton introduced The Beach Boys into The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

You're right! I should have included that! It finally gets mentioned in episode 27, when I go back over some past videos. Good catch! Thanks for the comments, John!

[@barkboingfloom]

Gotta tell you that Alan (NOT MIKE) sings lead on Crocodile Rock. Plus Carl gets half a verse. And for all its faults the Two Rooms producer chose it to be the single from the album.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

You're right! That IS Alan on lead. Thanks for catching it, Trenton! Much appreciated!

[@preesi1403]

Where did you get that shirt?

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

My wife and son gave it to me for my birthday a couple of years ago. It's an "authentic original" that they found on eBay. (They really came through with a great gift that year!) Good eye on noticing it, Preesi, and, if you search eBay, I hope you find one!

[@preesi1403]

Blue Moves came out after he came out. AND Bernie was breaking up with Maxine. BUT most fans say its one of their faves and its one of mine too. I think him coming out tanked Blue Moves. Ppl were saying the men on the cover were all gay... Cant Roll My Eyes Hard Enough

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for the info and feedback, Preesi! I think you're right about Elton coming out being a part of tanking "Blue Moves." I remember Elton coming out being big news. Pretty much everybody said they didn't care but it seemed to me I saw a lot fewer Elton John albums in the hallway at high school and our local rock station seemed to quietly switch from playing Elton John to Billy Joel. (BTW, over the years, "Blue Moves" has become one of my favorites.) Thanks again for the comments, Preesi!

[@preesi1403]

Chamelon was written FOR the Beach Boys, they declined so he recorded it

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks, Preesi! It was definitely a missed opportunity for the Beach Boys. I'd have loved to hear Carl 's voice on "Chameleon."

[@MrDirtybear]

I see from the titles of video in the side bar that Elton John inducted The Beach Boys into the Rock and Roll hall of fame, there must have been many other public points of contact between them over the decades. The pity is how the name The Beach Boys reminds folks of them at their best, but so much of the time from the mid 70's on, for 45 years now, The Beach Boys fell into creative decline and into denial of their decline. Instead Mike Love leveraged huge audiences via increasingly crude and sloppy curations of their past glories. When Mike Love was being a populist Republican Party mouthpiece he publicly bad- mouthed Elton John for being out as gay, as if flamboyance were not part of Rock and Roll.

[@thebeachboysbasementwithst6444]

Thanks for the feedback, bb! I should have mentioned Elton's induction of the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Mike's "acceptance" speech that night seems to have overwhelmed all other memories of the event!) Coincidentally, I visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland for the first time last week. I'm going to show a short segment about it in the episode posting next week. They had a cool, if not very extensive Elton John display with a coat, stage jacket and top hat. The Beach Boys didn't fare as well. I only found one item; a sheet of handwritten lyrics. (More about that when episode 150 posts next Thursday!) Good to hear from you, bb, and thanks again for the comments!