In the early 1970s, The Beach Boys were still best-known for their surfing and car songs - Surfin' USA, Little Deuce Coup and Surfer Girl , to name but three - that celebrated the joys of summer and the idyllic Californian lifestyle, and made them the closest rivals to The Beatles in the 1960s.
From 1970 to 1973, to the bewilderment of some long-time fans, The Beach Boys, mainly without the guidance of the troubled Brian Wilson, showcased an altogether more ambitious and experimental new direction, clearly evident on seminal albums such as 1970's Sunflower and 1971's, Surf's Up.
This period of great critical - though not commercial - acclaim, also highlighted the considerable musical talents of Brian's younger brothers, Dennis and Carl, who had previously been somewhat overshadowed by their older brother.
Adding to the Beach Boys Live Experience
The Beach Boys also seeked to bolster their line-up on tour, working with a range of talented artists, who helped make them one of the must-see live acts off the1970s.
Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar - two black South Africans - officially joined on bass/vocals and drums/vocals respectively in 1972, while a variety of supporting musicians, including bassist/guitarist, Ed Carter, guitarist, Billy Hinsche, drummer, Mike Kowalski, and percussionist/pianist/Hammond organ player, Carli Muñoz, also became an integral part of the band's live show.
Carli Muñoz: Joining The Beach Boys
"How I got to join The Beach Boys was simply fate," recalls Carli. "I was living in New York City and a friend, Jack Rieley, invited me to go to Los Angeles for a weekend. I didn’t want to go, but he twisted my arm and I went - I stayed for 16 years. That was in early 1969. I met the Beach Boys two different ways; I had the phone number of Ed Carter and Mike Kowalski, who had been touring with them for some time.
"Sally, the girlfriend of the drummer from my band in NY, The Living End, had also been the girlfriend of Ed Carter in the past, so when she knew I was going to LA, she asked me to say hello. The chemistry was immediate and we started to jam regularly at Mike’s house in Topanga Canyon. One day they asked me if I ‘d play percussion, because the Beach Boys needed a percussionist for their next tour. I said yes and went on my first tour with them.
"Meanwhile, and almost simultaneously, my travelling friend, Jack Rieley, got a job at the underground radio station KPFK in LA as program director. One of the first things he does is to arrange for a radio interview of the Beach Boys, which he conducted himself.
"During that interview the Beach Boys asked him to be their manager. He accepts. During his early personal and close relationship with them he asked me from time to time to accompany him to Brian’s house in Bel Air, where he had his studio and where he recorded Pet Sounds. There I met them all in various occasions and also did some recording at their studio.
"After doing several tours, later on in 1971, Carl calls me to hire me permanently, to play Hammond organ and piano with them. I left in 1981, after the group became sadly engulfed in irreconcilable internal conflicts.
"I grew very fond especially of Carl and Dennis Wilson. Unfortunately they both passed to the other side, but not without leaving me a gush of tender memories and a true testimony of the meaning of friendship and solidarity. It also left a huge gap in the band – it never was, and will never be, the same."
The Beach Boys' 50th Anniversary
In 2011, it will be 50 years since the release of The Beach Boys' first single, Surfin'. Does Carli think the surviving members, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnson will reunite to commemorate the occasion?
"I seriously doubt they will get together, although it could be a very profitable move," he replies. "I guess it could depend on their financial condition versus ego. I don’t think they should bother getting together. A big part of their essence is missing anyway. Most likely Mike Love will do his best to cap on the event."
Suite 101: If they did get back together, and asked you to tour with them, would you consider it?
"It is a possibility. I last saw Mike Love in Puerto Rico and we had a good time hanging out. Also, I have spoken to Al on the phone fairly recently, but I haven’t heard of any such plans."
Carli Muñoz: A Wealth of Memories
Whether Carli reunites with The Beach Boys or not, he already has enough beautiful memories of his time spent with "America's Band" to last a lifetime, and maybe that's the way it should stay.
Adrian Peel - Adrian is an English freelance writer and journalist currently living in Mexico. Over the past eight years, he has had articles, features ...
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