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- [00:00]
A
Jokerman podcast is brought to you by Distrokid and their new direct to fan tool. Allowing any artist to sell merch. Distrokid Direct allows artists to create a merch store in minutes without any upfront costs or any technical skills or know how they'll take care of all the logistics and the nitty gritty. And as with distribution through Distrokid, they never take a cut of the proceeds. You, the artist, keep 100% of your earnings. Once again, that's Distrokid Direct. Open a store today@distrokid.com direct. Welcome back to Jokerman. I'm Ian. Very special treat for everyone out there in Jokerman land. Very special treat for Evan and I, Mr. Al Jardine, original beach boy himself, here today to honk down the gosh darn highway with us in honor of of the Love U premiere performance this evening. If you're listening to this, the day this episode comes out, Friday, Feb. 27 in Los Angeles, I will be there. Hope to see you as well. Let's get right to it. Here's Al. God, please, let's go on this way. Al Jardine, welcome to Jokerman.
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B
Oh, thanks. The joke's on you.
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A
It's. It may well be a lot lot to talk about here. I know we've only got a few moments of your time, so we'll try to get into it. But let you know, Evan and I, we've been spending the last two years of our lives talking about every single Beach Boys record from the very beginning, surfing safari right up until the very end. So we are so thrilled to get to talk to you and so thrilled about the show that you're gonna be playing in Los Angeles this Friday. One of our very favorite records of all time, the Beach Boys. Love you.
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C
I second that. It's a great honor. And yeah, we've been especially focused on the mid to late period records. That's kind of our thing. And so love you is kind of like a holy GR of ours. And it is literally a dream come true for this to be happening, for you to be out there with the Pet Sounds band playing, as I understand it, the world premiere debut of the entire album front to back in front of a live audience.
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A
It's the whole thing, right?
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B
Yeah, the whole darn thing. We've been doing almost the whole thing for last year. And so we thought, well, let's just do it. Let's do a premiere for the box set release which is primarily focused on the Love U album in its entirety. So we Thought, well, we should probably do it in its entirety.
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A
Do it justice. That's fantastic. We talked to Darian last year, a couple months ago, you know, Darian saw Naja, your band leader there, and he told us, you know, we're doing almost everything, but we weren't doing a couple songs. We love Mona, for instance, from Love U. And so he said, oh, we haven't been playing that one. So I'm so excited that we're gonna get to hear Mon Alive for I think, the first time.
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B
Yes, you will. Yeah. It'll be for the very first time. Everyone in the band takes a crack at the, at the lead. It's kind of, it's a shared thing because it's. Well, it's quite long.
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A
It sure is. Absolutely. And there's a lot of different types of songs, a lot of different types of sounds. What. I guess what. So obviously, you know, the box set came out recently. We got a groove. We talked to Howie and James about that too. It's a really thrilling time in. In Beach Bo Boys world, I guess. What is kind of what, what. What does that period of the band mean to you? Brian's time really back in the driver's seat doing what he was really interested in. Whether or not the record company was interested in it.
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B
Yeah, it was just. It was really a, a experimental time for, for the band to use technology in our, in the recording process vis a vis the synthesizers.
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A
Sure.
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B
All those, all the synth. It's really a synth based album with, with a few exceptions, minor exceptions, but. And very little production. Kind of. It's really a very. It's. It's almost like a demo is what it, the album feels like.
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A
Sure.
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B
And uh, it's not. No, no real tricky sound effects. It's more of a. Just experimenting with sound and, and, and, and Brian's compositions are extraordinary. Even though they sound simple, they're, they're really beautifully written and they're, they're really pleasant. It's a really, a nice atmosphere and some really, uh, spectacular melodies.
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A
Absolutely. There's a lot going on beneath the surface. Even if it's kind of simple on the uh, on the top level. I gotta ask, you have one of the star making turns on that album, Honkin down the Highway. What. Do you remember what you thought when you came into the studio and Brian was like, all right, Al, I got Honking down the highway for you. Go for it.
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B
Yeah, I love that one. I even have. It's even on my personal solo album post in California because I like it. That Much. And I don't recall the actual time that. The session itself, but it was the most joyous. Joyful. It was the most joyful part because the album's really kind of. It has modeling moments. You know, it's very, you know, soul. Soul searching. And yet we have this uplifting happy go. Lucky thing. That is so silly and wonderful. Yeah. That I thought, you know, this. This deserves another recording. And so I. I took it into my. Put it on my album and added a. A sex. A sax solo to fill in the void.
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A
There you go.
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B
He didn't. For some reason. I think he might have been in a hurry. I'm not sure. But there were a couple of things going on probably that day. And he forgot to include the. The solo.
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A
Oh, so there was a solo initially, you know, way back when. And then.
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B
Well, I. Yeah, I think there might. Might be. I don't know if they put that on the album or not, but they should have. But there. There was space for it.
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A
Sure.
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B
And I. I did hear one. One attempt. But I love this baritone sax solo on. You got to check if you like that one. Check out Postcard from California and. And that. And Richie Kanada sax solo. Richie Kanata was in the. Is in the 52nd street band with the.
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A
The Billy Joel Band.
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B
Yeah. And he played that baritone sack solo. It's a monster.
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A
Absolutely.
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B
Hey, buddy, you better slow down there. I clocked you at 140 with the top end.
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A
We're fans of Postcard from California. You're speaking our language here. We're. We're familiar with the whole thing.
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C
Yeah, I was just listening to it and I, I was wondering when that took place. When did that recording happen? Because Brian is on that recording. The re. Recording, as well as I understand.
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B
Yeah, yeah.
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C
And yeah, it comes right after Driving, which is another song featuring Brian. So you've got two. Two. You got driving straight into Honkin down the highway.
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B
Yeah, exactly. The little. Yeah, a little method thing. And his voice is so. I love his post. Falsetto voice. I just love his. His deeper tones, you know.
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A
Absolutely.
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B
Driving down the coast going. You know, the way he just. Just. He hits a note just like with. With impact, you know, and not. Not. He just goes right at it. And it really made the album for me. And I, I. Yeah, we had a great time that day. Just the way he enunciates. It's just terrific. Yeah, thanks.
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C
Anyway, yeah, there's something totally guileless about his delivery. It's just like. So, yeah, it's.
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B
There's.
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C
There's nothing extra. It's just. It's so pure.
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B
Pure. Yeah. And very few effects. I love you the same way. There's no reverb. I don't believe there's one ounce of reverb on the album. It's very dry.
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A
Very dry. Exactly.
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B
Yeah. Yeah. And it kind of hits you in a different way. More impactful.
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A
How has it felt? I got to wonder. You know, this album was always kind of forgotten by at least a lot of the Beach Boys public out there, you know, the main fans, but like the real hardcore Beach Boys fans, you know, of which Evan and I belong to. We've always loved this record and many others have as well. How has it felt to be up on stage in these rooms? Because I saw you at the Cerritos show last fall also, and it's just really unbelievable how thrilled the entire room was to be hearing these songs performed live, really, for the first time. How's that felt?
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B
Were you at the last Cerritos show?
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A
Yeah.
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B
I mean, this most recent one.
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A
Yeah. Where Weird Al came out and Eric Idle came out and Marilyn was in the audience. It was such a beautiful night.
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B
I know. That's what I. That's. That was my impression, too. It just built on itself. It kind of. The second section. Yeah. With Love you. Yeah. It began to build and it was really remarkable toward it. Well, of course, you can't beat that encore. I mean, that was unbelievable. Those. You'd think those songs would get worn out and. And. And forgotten, but they just get better with age. We're getting. We're getting off the track. But yeah, that. Yeah, Cerritos was. Was great. And. And what was the question exactly?
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A
Just how. How. How it feels to be celebrating this music in such a big room after so long.
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B
Oh, yeah.
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A
Just being kind of forgotten.
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B
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Well, it's. It's what we call a ding dong. That's just a British expression. Expression for a sing along. Everybody parties together and it's. In fact, I went to a dang
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C
long
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B
last night with Erica Idle again, All right. Where everybody sits around and they. They just play all the fair. Their favorite songs. But anyway, that's what it felt like. It's really. I don't know, it was. It felt like the good old days when. When we had a new product out, you know, a new album, and we. And people would enjoy it. This is 50 years old.
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A
Absolutely.
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B
And again, getting that same reaction. And we're going, holy mackerel. This. This is really terrific. And, you know, I just wish Brian could be here to share it with us on. On that. On the honking. On my version of Honking down the Highway. That thick vocal. He just sounds like a honk. Yeah, whatever that means.
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A
What do you. What do you think Brian would have to say? Obviously Brian, you know, left us last year. What do you think he would have to say if he knew that these album and this music was being performed live for so many people across the world?
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B
I don't know. I. I think well, towards the. The last several years, he would kind of sit there and listen. He would be more of a. What we call it, a producer. And he would sit and listen to the Matt sing. He did hear my voice. He. He really borrowed on all of us and then he. Our voices and then. But basically he. We were entertaining him is really what that all might amount to. He would just. He was just enjoying the music that he had written and. And it's really nice to be able to sit back and just enjoy it because it's a real stress making it at times. These decisions you have to make and who's going to sing what and what. Where do I put the. Where do I put the sacks? Do I use it or not? And pretty soon you're. You're so caught up in it, you can't appreciate your own music because you always remember the things you don't do that you could have done better. And I'm sure he had, but now he could just. Well, then he could just sit back and kick back and enjoy it. So.
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A
Yeah, presumably he's, you know, kicking back and enjoying it.
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B
Yeah.
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A
Up there. Up there with that luxury solar system. Exactly. In the summer. In the solar system. Exactly.
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B
Marilyn told me a great story about that. During the. The land years, he's. The doctor suggested he and Marilyn go to a nightclub, have a night class at. At the college, I guess. I don't know, UCLA maybe.
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A
Yeah.
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B
Yeah. And you know, and he decided he. He wanted to take an astronomy course.
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A
Wow.
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B
With Marilyn. And then that's when he came up with his. The Solar System song. And he played it for the professor of the class and he said, well, Brian, that's a very nice song, but it's probably not going to go anywhere. But it's a. I'm glad you. You enjoyed our class. Something like that. Because he didn't know who Brian was. It was a elective course.
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A
He didn't even know that that was Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys in his class.
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B
No, but the students did. The students are laughing like khakis. She Said because yeah, they all knew who he.
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C
Suddenly, this professor of astronomy is an expert on music.
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B
Didn't I agree? I know. I just learned that yesterday.
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C
Just goes to show that's the kind of decision making that put this album on the back burner in the first place. People who are completely unversed in this, in music, just being like, I don't know about this. Meanwhile, anybody who loves Brian just being like, of course this is perfect.
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B
Well, the benefit for me is I get to sing it, which is really fun because that's the best part. I love that. That I love those lyrics. I love the, the quirkiness and. And so I, I'm. I'm. I'm the benefactor now. And it's. It's really cool to be able to present that music.
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C
There you go.
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A
Solar System brings us wisdom easy as well.
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B
Yeah, it is so cool.
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C
There's so many ways in which the. The record has like so much range. It goes all into the universe and back again and it doesn't seem, you know, it feels so kind of at times childlike and quaint. But then you. I think, I imagine when you sing it, you kind of really can't avoid that. It has this depth.
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B
And we end the set. We're going to close with Airplane, which is a whole another level of earthly system. And. And my favorite part is the. Is the. Is the last thing we say is down. Down on the ground. And so you're. You've done all this. You're landing and you're getting off the plane and you're meeting the. And you're going to have a reunion with your. Your beautiful girlfriend.
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A
With your sweetie baby. That's right. That's what it's all about there.
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B
Yeah, it's. It's great.
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A
It is.
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B
It really is. Down. Down on the ground. And what. But the best is the. Is. Is the count. We think it's over. And all of a sudden. One, two, three.
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A
Yeah, the little boogie woogie bit at the end, that's the best.
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B
It's. It's a kicker. And then that's our. The final track.
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A
Man, that's gonna be so great.
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C
Perfect ending.
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A
We've already taken up a lot of your time here, so I don't want to keep you on. On hold for too long, but I gotta ask. I saw you. We saw you on Office Hours with our buddy Tim Heidecker the other day and it sounds. That was. That was quite. He's a real. He's a real character, Tim.
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B
Is he ever. Oh my gosh.
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A
But it sounded like you were telling him that there's going to be some. Even some adult child songs that you're playing at the show on Friday. Did I hear that correctly?
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B
We're working on it today.
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A
Working on it. Okay. We'll see.
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B
I don't know how that's going to happen, but if it can happen, Darion will make it happen.
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A
That's amazing. Well, listeners out there, you're just going to have to go to the show and see for yourself whether or not you get to hear it.
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B
We'll see.
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C
I do have just one. One question. I've been. That's been burning in my heart for many years now. What is your favorite vegetable? Ow.
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B
Carrots. Grape carrots.
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C
Carrots, yeah. Classic.
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A
You had that ready to go. Wow. That sounds like a question you've been asked many times. You got that answer? Just ready to deploy at a moment's notice.
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B
Well, broccoli's come up very short. Possibly it might be the most favorite, but right now it's carrots.
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A
Carrot, okay. Yeah, Sometimes your broccoli, man. Sometimes.
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C
Thank you for.
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B
Okay.
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A
All right. Well, we. We can leave it there. Al Jardine. Thank you so much. Honor the lifetime getting to speak to you here.
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B
Oh, thank you. Thank you. Well, let's go honking down the highway
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A
let's go honking down the highway I'll see you on Friday. Can't wait down, down on the ground can't wait to see her face thanks again to Al Jardine, original Beach Boy. We'll see you tonight in Los Angeles at the United Artists Theater for the world premiere of the Beach Boys, Love youe, some 49 years after the record was originally released, finally performed in full by Al Jardine and the fabulous Pet Sounds Band. We say this often in many different contexts, but I maybe mean it more now than I ever have before. Don't you dare miss it.
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B
Hurt me I can't win away I can't wait I can win I can't
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A
wait Let us see.