| Al Jardine | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alan Charles Jardine |
| Born | September 3, 1942 |
| Origin | Lima, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock and roll |
| Occupations | Singer, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass, double bass, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, drums, saxophone, percussion |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | Capitol, Warner-Reprise, Columbia |
| Associated acts | The Beach Boys |
| Website | www.aljardine.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fender Stratocaster Vintage Fender Telecaster |
|
Alan Charles "Al" Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
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Jardine was born in Lima, Ohio. His family moved from Ohio to San Francisco, California, and later to Hawthorne, California. In high school, he met a fellow student, Brian Wilson, and played stand up bass on The Beach Boys' first recording, the 1961 song "Surfin'." Following his leaving the band in early 1962, he worked in the air industry in Los Angeles. He was replaced by David Marks. He rejoined the band in summer 1963 at the request of Brian Wilson and until October, he toured with and worked in the studio with David, until the latter left the band.
Jardine, a member of the band for over 35 years, was the band's rhythm guitarist and harmony vocalist, and sang lead on songs such as the number one hit "Help Me, Rhonda," as well as "Christmas Day," "Then I Kissed Her," "Cotton Fields," "Susie Cincinnati," "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)," "Peggy Sue," "Lady Lynda" and "Come Go With Me" and shared the lead with other members of the band on tracks including "Break Away" and "I Know There's an Answer." On the latter track producer Brian Wilson preferred Al's lead vocal to his own.
Beginning with the Friends album, Jardine also wrote or co-wrote a number of songs for the band, the most notable of which is probably "California Saga: California" from the Holland album, which charted in early 1973. Jardine's song "Lady Lynda" was one of the band's biggest hits outside the USA. After Jardine's divorce from his wife, the song was re-written and re-titled "Lady Liberty" in honor of the centennial of the Statue Of Liberty in 1986. During the Pet Sounds sessions, he was the one that suggested to Brian Wilson that the group record "Sloop John B."
He also shared production credits with Ron Altbach on 1978's M.I.U. Album. Two of the band's late-period hits ("Lady Lynda" and "Come Go with Me") were Jardine productions, as was his 1969 rewrite of Leadbelly's "Cotton Fields," which sold successfully in the UK but only reached #103 in the US. Its ex-US success replicated that of "Then I Kissed Her', both top 3 hits in many European countries and South Africa.
Al Jardine took the initiative for The Beach Boys to record a cover of The Mamas And The Papas' biggest hit, California Dreamin'. It became a big success in 1985, reaching #5 on the US charts and featured a musicvideo resulting in airplay on the new music TV channel MTV. The musicvideo featured the three surviving members of The Mamas And The Papas in cameo roles.
Jardine left the touring version of the Beach Boys in 1998 after Carl Wilson died of lung cancer, but remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation Brother Records. He tours with his Endless Summer Band, containing many of the stage musicians who toured with The Beach Boys, including Billy Hinsche of Dino, Desi and Billy, Ed Carter, Bobby Figueroa, and Jardine's son Matt Jardine, who sang with the Beach Boys during much of their later career. Despite rarely singing falsetto vocals since the early 1980s, recent videos show him in fine voice singing the lead and falsetto high parts on a live cover of Del Shannon's Runaway.
In the fall of 2006, Jardine joined the band of Brian Wilson for a short tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds.
In March 2008, Jardine settled a suit brought against him by Mike Love and the estate of Carl Wilson regarding use of the "Beach Boys" name. He had formed a band called Beach Boys Family & Friends featuring sons Matt and Adam Jardine, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Daryl Dragon, Billy Hinsche and others.[1]
In August 2010, the Red Hot Chili Peppers began rehearsing for their album I'm With You, which was released in 2011. They are using Jardine's home studio for their rehearsals.[2]
Jardine released his first full-length solo studio album, A Postcard from California, in June 2010. The album contains contributions from fellow Beach Boys Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Bruce Johnston, David Marks, and Mike Love – along with guest appearances from Neil Young, Steve Miller, Scott Mathews, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell (members of America), Alec Baldwin and Flea.[2]
The album was released digitally on June 29, 2010. The tracks are: