David Marks, credited on early Beach Boys records as David L. Marks (the "L" standing for "Lee"), was one of the legendary Californian surf rockers from early 1962 to late 1963 - finally quitting after an argument with the Wilson brothers' tyrannical father, Murray, who at that time, was also the group's manager.
Memorable First Encounter
A neighbour and close friend of the three Wilson boys, David had spent more time with Dennis and Carl growing up, as they were closer to him in age than Brian, What does he remember about the first time they met?
"The first time I met the Wilson brothers was the day I moved in across the street from them when I was seven years old," he replies. "Our street was the border between Hawthorne and Inglewood and when our moving truck pulled up, Dennis and Carl met us by throwing garbage and old car parts at us, screaming, 'Hawthorne rules, Inglewood sucks!' We instantly became friends."
David and the Wilson Brothers: Inseperable Friends
"Since I was an only child, I was always at their house. We’re all two years apart – I was seven, Carl was nine, Dennis was 11 and Brian was 13. Brian was like a big brother - he taught me how to throw a football. But we didn’t hang out much since he was already a teenager – not until the Beach Boys got started.
"At first, Dennis and I were inseparable, he always took me on adventures. One time we were hanging out at the Hawthorne airport and Dennis convinced some guy to take us for a ride in his plane. Carl and I got guitars around the same time and that bonded us. We’d spend every waking minute listening to records and picking out the guitar parts together."
David Marks: Musical Grounding
As well as jamming with Carl, the Wilson matriach, Audree, also played a significant role in nurturing the young musician's burgeoning talent.
"My first formal lessons came from Audree Wilson," explains David. "She taught all of us - Brian, Dennis and Carl - how to play boogie woogie on the piano. I was probably seven or eight. I also took up trumpet in the 4th Grade because my grandmother bought me one. I felt bad, but I didn’t like it.
"I got my first guitar when I was 10 years old. I went to a book club meeting with my mom and John Maus – who later became John Walker of the Walker Brothers – was playing at the intermission and as soon as I saw that Fender Stratocaster, I was hooked. My parents finally gave in and bought me a Sears Silvertone guitar for Christmas. I ended up playing that guitar on Your Summer Dream."
Suite 101: Who were your earliest musical influences?
"I grew up listening to my parents' Big Band records from the 1940s. By the time I was buying my own records, I was into surf music – Dick Dale, Dwayne Eddy and the Ventures, and of course Chuck Berry. I was also influenced a lot by BB King and Ray Charles."
The Beach Boys Come Calling
Although he didn't appear on The Beach Boys' first single, 1961's, Surfin' (the lineup for which was Brian, Mike, Dennis, Carl and Brian's friend from high school, Al Jardine), the 13-year-old David Marks was subsequently asked to become a full-time member - playing rhythm guitar and singing harmony - soon afterwards.
"I’d been playing and rehearsing with the guys for years, so when they went off and recorded Surfin’ without me, I was crushed," he confesses. "I even lied and told people at school I was on the record, even though I wasn’t.
"Al wanted a more traditional folk band and Brian wanted to go in a more rock 'n' roll direction, so Al opted to leave. That’s when Brian came over and asked my parents if I could be in the Beach Boys officially - that was February, 1962.
"We played a few shows and then things sort of fizzled out. That spring we went into the studio and recorded the demos for Surfin’ Safari and 409 - which got us the deal with Capitol Records and it took off after that."
David Marks: Life As a Beach Boy
"We worked hard," says David, looking back on those hazy days. "We were in the studio to all hours of the morning recording a tremendous amount of material in a short time – four albums in less than two years. We played three or four sets a night back then and then had to pack up and drive 300 miles to the next city and do it all again.
It was a lot of work for a kid. The flip side was the thrill of getting pushed up against a chain-link fence by thousands of screaming girls. Jon Stebbins tells a whole chapter of road stories in the book, The Lost Beach Boy (an authorised biography of David Marks), but life with Dennis Wilson was always an adventure."
Timeless Melodies
Suite 101: Of all the songs and albums you played on, which are your favourites and why? Which songs did you especially enjoy playing live?
"My favorite songs that I played on were Surfin’ USA because of the raw energy on that track, and also Our Car Club because I got to play with Hal Blaine for the first time. I love the funkiness of the track itself.
"Summertime Blues and Louie Louie were songs I sang lead on in the Beach Boys live shows in the '60s and they are still two of my favourites to play live - only I like to turn them into a seven-minute improvised jam when I do them with my band.
"I also enjoyed playing some of the more sophisticated songs that we did when I toured the UK with Mike’s band in 2008 – songs I wasn’t on."
Short but Sweet
David Marks' tenure with America's most famous '60s band lasted less than two years, but his valuable contribution to their early sound cannot be underestimated.
His excellent picking and undeniable chemistry with the group's other main guitarist, Carl, was a vital element in establishing a raw rock 'n' roll backing to the glorious melodies that Brian Wilson was starting to hear in his head. Sadly, it wasn't to last.
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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