Reactions To Bill Holdship's article "Heroes And Villains"
The following letters were sent to Music Editor Bill Holdship, L.A. New Times, in response to his article Heroes And Villains, first published in the L.A. New Times on the 6th April 2000.
Author: Brian at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 10:41 AM
...for setting the record straight. Excellent article on Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks.
Brian Battles
Editor/Designer BreakAway with Brian Wilson newsletter.
Subject: Brian Wilson article
Author: ... at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 11:32 AM
I want to thank Bill Holdship for his obvious scholarship on the article about Brian Wilson. I have watched with disgust the past few years as Mike Love tries to rewrite history in his own image. Nobody is going to remember the Beach Boys because of the lyrics to "Fun, Fun, Fun"; their legacy will be a result of Brian Wilson's incredible gift for melody, harmony, counterpoint and taking the human voice where it had never gone before. The recent TV movie made Brian look like a puppet--from the age of 19 onward--who somehow accidentally made some great records thanks to creative studio musicians and cousin Mike's great ideas. What a farce! Brian Wilson crafted the most unique pop music of the 20th Century. Mike Love? He built the largest hat collection in the Northern Hemisphere.
Mike Robertson
Austin, Texas
Subject: Beach Boys Revisionism
Author: "Nadia Brenner" at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 1:44 PM
I absolutely loved the Heroes and Villains article written by Bill Holdship. I related to it personally because I am the author of a brand new book on Dennis Wilson that deals with many of the same issues that are touched on in Bill's piece. The seemingly vindictive Mike Love that has upset so many with his constant annoying stance recieves his just due in my book. I am glad to have intellingent people like Van Dyke Parks and Mr. Holdship sharing a similar point of view in such an articulate way. Kudos to New Times for printing this article. Brian Wilson and his brothers are important historical figures that should be treated with dignity and balance. My book titled "Dennis Wilson - The Real Beach Boy" www.ecw.ca/press will be in the stores next week. There is a book launch party next weekend in Santa Monica and we would love to have New Times there to cover it. Below is the press release for the affair.
Thanks,
Jon Stebbins
Come help us celebrate the release of the new book "Dennis Wilson - The Real Beach Boy" www.ecw.ca/press at Chez Jay 1657 Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica on Sunday, April 16th starting at 1 p.m. Signed copies of the book will be available from author Jon Stebbins who will be joined by friends and family of Dennis Wilson. The day will include Beach Boys music, video and undoubtedly many wild stories about Dennis and his brothers. Chez Jay is a perfectly preserved slice of original beach culture still happily funky while everything around it becomes slick and modern. This was Dennis Wilson's favorite bar/restaurant and is certainly an appropriate place to celebrate the memory of a true beach culture icon. Lets all raise a glass and remember Dennis Wilson - The Real Beach Boy.
Here's the latest buzz about the book.
I LOVED it! The writing is top notch and the essence of Dennis Wilson comes shining through. A wonderful book on Dennis that captures the man, not the myth. Dennis is smiling somewhere because of this." Ken Sharp - The Rock Report
"A fascinating book. There is something in it for every Beach Boy fan." Lee Dempsey - Endless Summer Quarterly
"Possibly the best book ever written on The Beach Boys." Chuck Harter - Pop Historian
Subject: BW Roxy article/VDP interview
Author: "Sean Macreavy" at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 10:46 AM
Wonderful, wonderful stuff!
Thanks so much,
Sean
Subject: Van Dyke
Author:... at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 6:08 PM
Loved the article on Mr. Van Dyke!! I knew the movie was a joke as most BB fans did,it's just too bad others don't. It really burns me that Brian was betrayed so retarded....I would like to know Van 's opinon on finishing "Smile"......Great article!
Subject: Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks interview
Author: "Mike!" at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 3:13 PM
Dear Bill Holdship,
Your lengthy piece is simply wonderful and ranks among the finest journalism re Brian Wilson I have seen in 35 years since the Saturday Evening Post's Jules Siegel profiled Brian and Van Dyke in his seminal "Goodbye Surfing, Hello God!" in Cheetah! In 1967. As a longtime Brian Wilson purist, I want to say Thank You! for going to the considerable difficulty of getting the whole story and committing it to print. I wish this story was a front page feature in every paper in America.
Sincerely,
Mike!
Mike Malone
[...]
Subject: Van Dyke Parks interview
Author: Rick Mannor at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 10:32 AM
Thanks for having the guts to print the truth.
Rick
Subject: Beach Boys story
Author: "Brian Sandford" at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 6:10 PM
Every person who doesn't know the real story of the Beach Boys and watched that woefully misleading series should be required to read Bill Holdship's story. It was written and researched well; this praise comes from a fellow journalist (a copy editor at Florida's St. Petersburg Times) who recognizes how important it was to get Van Dyke Parks' take on the movie. Frankly, I'd been certain Parks would decline to comment on the movie, but he did, and it made for a great story! As an editor, my only change would have been to move the words "Mike Love" and "jerk" into the lede. But then again, perhaps this big-time Beach Boys fan is a bit biased.
Brian Sandford
Subject: From Carol Kaye
Author: Carol Kaye at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 3:02 PM
Van Dyke Parkes is correct, that was not Brian, and that was not Van Dyke either in the movie - a scene that made me walk out of the room....I've posted many times since the movie and just had to stop watching after that Van Dyke part and the "musician" who took Brian to drugs, how untrue can it get?!
None of those awful studio scenes happened at all! I loved working for the very confident and wonderful Brian Wilson, he was an excellent producer and was totally the opposite of the way he was portrayed in the movie, Van Dyke too, how terrible of this movie to be so slanderous.
And....another thing, I never saw Murry so idiotic either in the studios, and am playing bass on the Rip Chord things too. Granted, I'm sure child abuse must have happened, but Brian was very quiet and never talked about that, and was always a total professional in the stuidios when we cut Calif. Girls, Help Me Rhonda, Good Vibrations, the Pet Sounds lp, Heroes & Villains and other Smile lp cuts, and the Fire Sessions.... so what if he wanted to wear a fire-engine hat!
No, I never recorded at his house, but heard about the "sand-box", can't a guy enjoy recording differently then a white-walled sterile studio? Total trash, but the studio musician scenes were good I tho't (outside of the spoken slander) for the music quality, tho' I never saw Phil Spector like that either.
Carol Kaye
http://www.carolkaye.com/ Thank God someone has the guts to print the truth! Thank-you for your article. PS. It was NOT a "musician" who apparently turned Brian onto drugs...why are musicians conveniently portrayed this way? Don't other professionals use drugs?
Subject: (no subject)
Author: ... at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 9:29 PM
Thank for letting fans here the other side of the story and clarifying many errors.
Thankyou,thankyou, thankyou! I 'm so glad Van Dyke and your mag have attempted to set the record straight about "jerk" mike love. And we thought Murry was bad. It's just too bad you can't get this article on network TV. Stamos should be ashamed.
Karl Alsnauer
San Francisco, Ca.
Author: Ric Reynolds at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 8:18 PM
I think this article (Heroes and Villains, 4/6/00) should be read out loud on ABC if/when they ever decide to run that abortion again.
Bill Holdship, you did your homework, digging deep for candid interviews and responses to dispel many myths. I simply do not know what Mr. Love gains by perpetuating his distorted version of the Band's history, other than a false sense of security and self esteem. It is apparent he feels the need to be applauded for his accomplishments, no matter how minimal they were. Brian, on the other hand, is happy to touch people with his music. For Love it's all about the money. For Brian, it's all about the music.
One part of the ABC movie was spot on: Mike did pump gas for a living before the band formed and, if the the Beach Boys never existed, I'm sure he wouldstill be doing the same thing.
At least the history according to Mike could have shown Denny pounding the hell out of Charles Manson. I'd pay to see that.
Thanks again, Bill, for a terrific well researched, well thought-out article.
Ric Reynolds
Member, the Pet Sounds Mailing List (PSML)
Author: ... at Internet; Date: 4/6/2000 7:14 PM
Hello,
I am a huge fan of Brian Wilson's and I wanted to write and thank you for a great article. It was great to hear what Brian had to say and also what Van Dyke, who I greatly admire, had to say too. I loved the quote about John Lennon thinking Mike was "a jerk." Classic to the nail. Thanks, Kevin