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      • Seattle’s Spanish Castle and Party Line — A Research Challenge
      • 1963 Fan Letter
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Al Jardine / Becoming the Beach Boys / Bob Barrows / Bob Flanigan / Bob Shane / Brian Wilson / Bruce Belland / Bruce Johnston / Dave Guard / Dave Shostac / Dean Torrence / Dennis Wilson / Dorinda Morgan / Ed Cobb / Fan Mail / Four Freshmen / Four Preps / Frank Werber / Gary WInfrey / Glen Larson / Hawthorne High School / Hite Morgan / Jan Berry / Judy Bowles / Kingston Trio / Lincoln Mayorga / Marvin Inabnett / Marvin Ingram / Mike Love / Murry Wilson / Nick Reynolds / Nick Venet / Percy Ivy / Phil Spector / Purple Onion / Ross Barbour / Sam Nelson / Sleepwalkers / Sloop John B. / Surfin' / Teen Beet / The Beach Boys / the Weavers / Tikis / Tom Dooley
December 26, 2022

Al Jardine’s A Postcard from California

Available Digitally for Streaming and Download; Rereleased on Compact Disc A Postcard from California, Al Jardine’s delightful debut solo...

by Jim Murphy
Comment 1
September 7, 2020

The Beach Boys’ Personal Appearances, 1961-1963

Jump to Appearances When the Beach Boys formed in late summer 1961, they were neither accomplished musicians nor a...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 10
August 2, 2020

Do You Love Me, Do You Surfer Girl?

One of the most enjoyable experiences in researching and writing Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963, was speaking with Judy...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 6
Herman Melville
August 1, 2019

Herman Melville’s Pet Sounds

What does Herman Melville have in common with Brian Wilson you ask?  Both were quirky, burly men who, at...

by Jim Murphy
Comment 1
July 18, 2016

Six Things You Didn’t Know

Posted by Jim’s alma mater Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

by Jim Murphy
Comments 2
July 18, 2016

The Beach Boys Beginnings Examined Through Book

Goldmine Magazine Interview by Ken Sharp All images courtesy of James B. Murphy From performing in school cafeterias to...

by Jim Murphy
Comment 1
July 17, 2016

The Beach Boys at Rainbow Gardens in 1962 – A Research Challenge

In the 1991 film JFK, Joe Pesci portrayed David Ferrie who famously describes President Kennedy’s assassination as “a mystery...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 0
November 14, 2015

Brian Wilson, Roger Christian, and Ice Cream Sundaes — A Research ...

One of the legendary stories of Brian Wilson’s early songwriting career is how he met occasionally with disc jockey...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 4
November 7, 2015

Catch a Wave: a Chat with Beach Boys Author James B. Murphy

Written by Ken Sharp November 6, 2015 From performing in school cafeterias to tearing it up on the stage...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 0
October 3, 2015

Presenting the Book to the Beach Boys

On August 20, 2015, my wife, Bernadette, and I saw the Beach Boys at Maryland Live Casino in Hanover,...

by Jim Murphy
Comment 1
October 3, 2015

CANDIX Enterprises Discography

CANDIX Enterprises, Incorporated, was formed August 26, 1960, by the four Dix Brothers—twins Richard and Robert, Sherman, and Albert,...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 0
September 24, 2015

Be True to Your School: the ’59 Cinderella Season

This article commemorates the 56th anniversary of the start of the 1959 football season for the Hawthorne High Cougars....

by Jim Murphy
Comments 6
September 19, 2015

Murry Promotes the Beach Boys in Sweden in ’62, Writes the Morgans

In late November to mid December 1962, Murry Wilson traveled to Europe for a trip combining promotional efforts on...

by Jim Murphy
Comment 1
September 13, 2015

Seattle’s Spanish Castle and Party Line — A Research Challenge

This is the first in a series of articles in which I will discuss researching Becoming the Beach Boys,...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 2
September 5, 2015

Russia Comes to LA and Hawthorne High

On September 8, 1959, 1,900 students trudged through the doors of Hawthorne High, including seventeen-year-old seniors Al Jardine and...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 0
September 3, 2015

Hawthorne’s Plaza Theater and The Tingler

Movies were a popular pastime for teenagers in the 1950s. And for parents, they were an unbeatable value. For...

by Jim Murphy
Comment 1
August 26, 2015

Capitol Tower Transforms LA Landscape

On Friday, April 6, 1956, fourteen years after its founding in 1942, Capitol Records celebrated the grand opening of...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 3
August 25, 2015

A Word About Podcasts

The website is my way of sharing research that didn’t make its way into the book and the experience...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 0
August 4, 2015

Dorinda & Hite Morgan Discography

Dorinda Morgan was a prolific songwriter. While this discography is a good beginning, it is likely not comprehensive. For...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 7
August 1, 2015

Surf Cinema and George Freeth, Jr., the Father of California Surfing

B ud Browne was the originator of the surf film genre and the first to make surf films for...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 5
July 21, 2015

Bruce Johnston

O n June 27, 1959, one year and eleven days after Alan Jardine and Brian Wilson graduated from Hawthorne...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 7
July 16, 2015

The Four Preps

T he Four Preps were a white vocal harmony group that recorded for Capitol Records from 1956 to 1967. ...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 0
July 15, 2015

The Kingston Trio

I n spring 1957, Frank Werber, was working as a publicist for the Purple Onion, the north-beach area of...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 0
July 15, 2015

The Tikis

In spring 1959, Gary Winfrey, Al Jardine, and Bob Barrow formed a folk music trio called the Tikis, inspired...

by Jim Murphy
Comment 1
July 15, 2015

The Four Freshmen

O n March 21, 1950, bandleader Stan Kenton, touring with his Innovations in Modern Music, was playing a jazz...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 2
July 13, 2015

1963 Fan Letter

By summer 1963, with “Surfin’ U.S.A.” scorching the charts, the Beach Boys began receiving more fan letters than Audree...

by Jim Murphy
Comments 0
June 28, 2015

Published: Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963

Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963, published June 9, 2015, by McFarland Books. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and McFarland Books

by Jim Murphy
Comments 4

Musical Influences

Do You Love Me, Do You Surfer Girl?

Published by Jim Murphy

One of the most enjoyable experiences in researching and writing Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963, was speaking with Judy Bowles, Brian Wilson’s first serious romantic relationship, to whom Brian...

August 2, 2020
Comments 6
Becoming the Beach Boys, Collecting, Feature Story, Hawthorne, Latest News, People Behind the Boys, Research

The Four Preps

Published by Jim Murphy

T he Four Preps were a white vocal harmony group that recorded for Capitol Records from 1956 to 1967.  Bruce Belland sang lead tenor, Glen Larson, baritone, Marvin Inabnett...

July 16, 2015
Comments 0
Four Preps, Influences, Latest News, Musical

The Kingston Trio

Published by Jim Murphy

I n spring 1957, Frank Werber, was working as a publicist for the Purple Onion, the north-beach area of San Francisco nightclub with a reputation of showcasing new talent...

July 15, 2015
Comments 0
Influences, Kingston Trio, Latest News, Musical

The Four Freshmen

Published by Jim Murphy

O n March 21, 1950, bandleader Stan Kenton, touring with his Innovations in Modern Music, was playing a jazz club in downtown Dayton, Ohio, when someone told him there...

July 15, 2015
Comments 2
Four Freshmen, Influences, Latest News, Musical

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Hi, I'm Jim Murphy, a veterinarian in Washington, D.C., with a passion for writing and for the music of the Beach Boys. Pet Sounds all around.

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© Jim Murphy and becomingthebeachboys.com, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jim Murphy and becomingthebeachboys.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Posts

  • Al Jardine’s A Postcard from California
  • The Beach Boys’ Personal Appearances, 1961-1963
  • Do You Love Me, Do You Surfer Girl?
  • Herman Melville’s Pet Sounds
  • Chronicling the Beach Boys
  • Six Things You Didn’t Know
  • The Beach Boys Beginnings Examined Through Book
  • The Beach Boys at Rainbow Gardens in 1962 – A Research Challenge
  • ARSC Journal Book Review
  • Brian Wilson, Roger Christian, and Ice Cream Sundaes — A Research Challenge
  • beachboys.com Book Review
  • Veterinarian Alumnus and Lifelong Beach Boys Fan Hears Pet Sounds
  • Catch a Wave: a Chat with Beach Boys Author James B. Murphy
  • Presenting the Book to the Beach Boys
  • CANDIX Enterprises Discography
  • Be True to Your School: the ’59 Cinderella Season
  • Endless Summer Quarterly Book Review
  • The Recoup Book Review
  • Murry Promotes the Beach Boys in Sweden in ’62, Writes the Morgans
  • Seattle’s Spanish Castle and Party Line — A Research Challenge
  • Library Journal Book Review
  • Russia Comes to LA and Hawthorne High
  • Hawthorne’s Plaza Theater and The Tingler
  • Capitol Tower Transforms LA Landscape
  • Capitol Hill Veterinarian Pens Book on Beach Boys
  • A Word About Podcasts
  • AXS Entertainment Book Review
  • Dorinda & Hite Morgan Discography
  • Surf Cinema and George Freeth, Jr., the Father of California Surfing
  • Bowie Veterinarian Is Fond of Pet Sounds
  • Bruce Johnston
  • The Four Preps
  • The Kingston Trio
  • The Tikis
  • The Four Freshmen
  • 1963 Fan Letter
  • Psychobabble Book Review, June 29, 2015
  • Published: Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963

Categories

  • Appearances
  • Articles
  • Becoming the Beach Boys
  • Collecting
  • Discographies
  • Dorinda & Hite Morgan
  • Feature Story
  • Four Freshmen
  • Four Preps
  • Hawthorne
  • Influences
  • Interviews
  • Kingston Trio
  • Latest News
  • Los Angeles
  • Musical
  • People Behind the Boys
  • Podcast
  • Published
  • Research
  • Reviews
  • Surfing

Archives

Quote from Story 1963 Fan Letter

“I don’t know anything about surfin’ but I hope it’ll stay around for a long time if it’ll continue to inspire music like yours, I mean it, its tops.”

15-year-old fan

Latest Feature Story

Al Jardine’s A Postcard from California

by Jim Murphy

Available Digitally for Streaming and Download; Rereleased on Compact Disc A Postcard from California, Al Jardine’s delightful debut solo album, was released digitally for streaming and download worldwide by Universal Music Group (UMG) September 2, 2022, and rereleased on compact disc December 9. This wider distribution will help bring this joyous, life-affirming music to new generations of music lovers. I spoke with Al recently about this re-launch of A Postcard from California. But first, a little background on the history of the album.  Postcard was recorded in Al’s Red Barn Studio. It was first released as a digital download in 2010 and contained a dozen tracks. A subsequent CD release in 2012 added three additional songs. A promotional Extended Play CD previewed four songs before the CD was released that spring. In Japan, Postcard was issued with two additional bonus tracks—an alternate version of “Waves of Love” and “Eternal Ballad,” a poem by Vietnamese spiritual teacher Ching Hai which Al set to music. Vinyl enthusiasts were treated to a thirteen-track release of Postcard on...

December 26, 2022
Comment 1
Becoming the Beach Boys, Feature Story, Interviews, Latest News

Book Reviews

December 21, 2015

ARSC Journal Book Review

November 14, 2015

beachboys.com Book Review

September 23, 2015

Endless Summer Quarterly Book Review

September 19, 2015

The Recoup Book Review

September 5, 2015

Library Journal Book Review

August 24, 2015

AXS Entertainment Book Review

July 5, 2015

Psychobabble Book Review, June 29, 2015

Articles and Interviews

December 26, 2022

Al Jardine’s A Postcard from California

July 18, 2016

Chronicling the Beach Boys

July 18, 2016

Six Things You Didn’t Know

July 18, 2016

The Beach Boys Beginnings Examined Through Book

November 7, 2015

Veterinarian Alumnus and Lifelong Beach Boys Fan Hears Pet...

November 7, 2015

Catch a Wave: a Chat with Beach Boys Author James B. ...

August 26, 2015

Capitol Hill Veterinarian Pens Book on Beach Boys

August 25, 2015

A Word About Podcasts

July 23, 2015

Bowie Veterinarian Is Fond of Pet Sounds

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