BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
THIS MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE THE SECOND SUNDAY, JULY 13TH 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
NEXT MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE HELD THE SECOND SUNDAY, AUGUST 10TH AT 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
Bob Friedman educated us last month on some of the native Alabamians who played a role in the early group harmony sound. He shared much information on their lives, the group(s) they were in and the songs they recorded. We also learned that Bob, being a member of a singing group as well once shared the stage with Pookie Hudson & The Spaniels. WOW! That is something I know he relishes. Thanks Bob for a very informative and fun presentation.
This month we will be putting address labels and stamps on over 2000 postcards that will be sent out as advertising for our upcoming record show. We will need as much help as we can get so if you can drop by, please do. THERE WILL BE FOOD ALSO!! And if time permits we will have a little fun with some music as well.
BRC’S 40TH ANNUAL RECORD SHOW
We look forward to another successful show and as time goes on we will be asking for your help in making this type of project happen. Without your help and support, each year could be our last show. We are always looking for IT help, help at the door during the show and any ideas in advertising among other things that have to get done. Show dates and times are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, August 15-17. Friday, members only from 10AM – 2PM and the public from 2PM – 7PM. Saturday 9AM – 5PM and Sunday 10AM – 4PM.
REMEMBERING BRIAN WILSON & THE BEACH BOYS
One of the genius of 1960’s song writing, arranging and producing was Brian Wilson. Of course you know that name from the Beach Boys. Brian was born June 20, 1942 and passed away on June 11, 2025. He left behind quite a legacy as a founding member of Carl & The Passions then becoming The Pendeltones both leading to the name change we knew them as, The Beach Boys.
The Wilson brother, Brian, Carl and Dennis along with their cousin Mike Love and good friend Al Jardine were members of the three groups named above and would be the driving force behind the group that would introduce us to surfing, the love of cars and having and losing your girlfriend. I will say it this way. Elvis made guys want to get behind a mic and sing, Buddy Holly probably help the sale of guitars skyrocket and The Beach Boys put more people on surf boards and behind hot rods.
Brian loved the group harmony sound of The Four Freshmen. So that sound is what he wanted to have his group sound like when recording. The pop sound of singing groups of the 50’s would be used in the rock sound of The Beach Boys. And they did it for over 6 decades. As a member of The Beach Boys Brian would write, arrange, produce, play bass and keyboard and serve as co-lead singer. In 1962 he became the first pop musician to write, arrange, produce and perform his own material. He knew what he wanted and it was going to be his way even at age 20. In just 3-4 years he had written or co-wrote over two dozen Top 40 hits.
In 1964 Brian had a nervous breakdown and would stay home to write while the group would hit the road. He came up with many hits on his own and an LP that many musicians would call one of the best LP’s of all time. It was called Pet Sounds. One of the songs he wrote during this time would be ‘Good Vibrations’. To get the sound he wanted on this song he used four Hollywood studios and 30 musicians. He had over 90 hours of tape when he finished and tens of thousands of dollars invested making it the costliest and longest-to-record pop single of all time. I still remember when I heard that song for the first time. Lying in bed I had my clock radio on as usual and the DJ on WSGN-610 said he was going to play a song and wanted listeners to try and guess who it was. He played ‘Good Vibrations’ and I had no idea who it was. I guess if I had listened to the harmony rather than the interesting musical sounds I may have gotten it. I was surprised when the DJ announced it was The Beach Boys.
Brain was nominated for 9 Grammy Awards, winning 2. He is a member of The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. A member of The UK Music Hall Of Fame. Honored by The Songwriters Hall Of Fame, being inducted by Paul McCartney. Honored by The Kennedy Center Honors. Won a Golden Globe Award in 2015 for the song ‘One Kind Of Love’ which came from his 11th solo LP. Was given an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Northeastern University. The accolades go on for a while. Brain Wilson was a one-of-a-kind in the music business and I am glad he gave this guy so many fun times listening to the radio.
Here are some of the Beach Boys songs you may not have heard or may not have Heard lately:
‘SURFIN” ‘DO IT AGAIN’ ‘WILD HONEY’ ‘ROCK AND ROLL TO THE RESCUE’
COLLECTING AND PRESERVING BIRMINGHAM MUSIC HISTORY
Travis Morgan will be at our July meeting to mention his Birmingham Music Archive project. He met with us a year ago and wants to do so again to update us on what he is doing. If you have any items he is looking for or knows someone who might he would like to know. Travis is a local music historian and independent scholar working on a large-scale Birmingham area music preservation project. Travis and his team, who were present at last August’s record show and will be at our 2025 show, want to continue to foster a strong relationship with the BRC – as they know the BRC is rich with knowledge and appreciation of local music history. Travis runs the Birmingham Music Archive (BMA) and is building a relationship with a local public institution that will help keep local music history alive and well for generations to come. He’s spent the last 2+ years interviewing local music figures and collecting the highest resolution imagery (photos, flyers, posters, ephemera) and audio/video content for the purpose of longtime preservation that can be accessed by the public and used by folks performing research to help write books, produce music documentaries, produce podcasts and release record albums. Travis is looking to connect with folks in the BRC and in the community who possess considerable physical items that could be viewed and potentially scanned. Because so much of local music history remains in people’s closets, attics and basements, he hopes to ensure that local music history be saved for people of the future. He is looking for printed photos, posters of local venues and events, ephemera featuring local venues, about local recording studios, record stores, and other items that help tell Birmingham music history. When possible Travis has tracked down the original photo negative used in head shots, but that’s not always possible. He is also interested in locating reel to reel tapes (master tapes if possible) from older recording sessions that can be sorted and potentially digitized. In some cases, he has located great unreleased music and he hopes to help find ways that the music may be released. Travis has a background running record labels (Skybucket, Communicating Vessels), co-founding and curating Secret Stages Music Discovery Festival and managing national artists over the past two decades. He continues to explore local music preservation and has recently been awarded a grant from Alabama Folklife Association to research local music. In addition to the BMA, he’s currently helping produce Craig Legg’s A History of Birmingham Rock & Roll art exhibition as an art book for release this fall. His upcoming projects Lost Alabama and The Don Tinsley Anthology are in the works for release in 2026.
See ya,
Charlie