Al Jardine On ‘A Postcard From California’ Reissue, ‘Help Me, Rhonda’ And ‘Sloop John B’
Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine celebrates the new reissue of his debut solo album A Portrait From … [+] California,’ now available on CD and for the first time on streaming services.
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
In 1965 and 1966, the recording sessions for the legendary Beach Boys album Pet Sounds featured country singer Glen Campbell, who contributed banjo and guitar as a member of the famous session group The Wrecking Crew shortly before striking out on his own.
Taking things full circle, Campbell also appeared on A Postcard From California, the 2010 debut solo album by Beach Boys co-founding singer and guitarist Al Jardine.
Newly reissued earlier this month, A Card Post From California is now available on CD as well as streaming services for the first time. The album features an incredible lineup of guests including David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Steve Miller, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and actor Alec Baldwin.
While not a Beach Boys song per se, “Don’t Fight the Sea” comes close, vocal contributions from Jardine and son Matt featured alongside those of Brian and Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston.
Al Jardine performs on stage at City Winery. Monday, August 29, 2022 in Chicago, IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
Featuring Beach Boys guitarist David Marks and former tour members Ed Carter and Bobby Figueroa, the album traces the history of California, with storytelling at the heart of 15 beautifully arranged tracks. The newly expanded reissue of the album also includes a reworked rendition of “Sloop John B”.
“I have a lot of songs. But this is what we wanted to release on its 10th anniversary. But we missed the anniversary because of COVID,” explained Jardine. “Sometimes it takes a little longer than you’d like – but maybe time has helped. Maybe the time is right for him, you know? It is optimistic. It is a very optimistic project. It’s a celebration of my life in California.”
I spoke with Al Jardine about taking lead vocals on “Help Me, Rhonda,” bringing Sloop John B to Brian Wilson, working with The Wrecking Crew, and the upbeat story at the heart of A Card Post From California. A transcript of our phone conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, follows below.
Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine poses backstage at City Winery. Monday, August 29, 2022 in Chicago, … [+] IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
“Help Me, Rhonda” was your second lead vocal on a Beach Boys song. How did Brian come to delegate to you about this?
AL JARDINE: Ha! My second major. This is funny. You’ve done your homework! Yeah, a little song called “Christmas Day” was my first. And I really, really had fun with that one.
But “Rhonda”… that was a task. We had two cases in it. We did an album version – or a demo version I would call it. Sometimes you just have to process it. And if it doesn’t quite work, then you get another angle – another shot at it. And I’d say the second one turned out pretty good – because it went to #1 for a long time.
Brian rearranged the bassline for example. It was just a rearrangement here and there that gave it an edge the first one didn’t have.
I remember standing in the control room during the mix. And Brian was fiddling with the fader controls. Normally, a record fades – ends. Well, he thought it would be really fun to delete it… and then pop it back up! And so it went in and out and in and out. I don’t think the radio liked it very much.
Al Jardine (left) and Matt Jardine (right) perform on stage with the band Endless Summer. Monday,… [+] August 29, 2022 at City Winery in Chicago, IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
Well, you mention that bass part. Seeing The Wrecking Crew working in the studio on something like that… What was it like working with them on a song like “Help Me, Rhonda” or something?
AJ: I wasn’t there for the tracking session. I did the vocal sessions. We did all the vocals—backings and leads—in the same evening. And it was a challenge. There was a lot going on in the control room, shall we say, between Brian and his father. So there was a lot of tension. It took a while to put it all together. But we finally made it. I think we made it.
Early on, we captured the hearts and minds of America with our little quintet. But then it went to the next level. And that’s where it belongs. You have to progress. But I am proud of what we did in the first years.
Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine poses backstage at City Winery. Monday, August 29, 2022 in Chicago, … [+] IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
I read that you brought the “Sloop John B” to Brian. That with your folklore background you knew that song…
AJ: Absolutely. Yes. For some reason that song resonates with me – and apparently with many other people over the past 100 years. It’s amazing, isn’t it?
I was just reading a background on it. In 1916 the lyrics were published by an Englishman who found the song – I don’t know how he found it – perhaps I should say translated. Who knows? No one knows who wrote it. But Brian and I fixed it in our own style. And that’s where it really… I think it’s one of the most memorable deals ever.
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Because it also helped set the tone for Pet Sounds with the dynamic players we had on it – The Wrecking Crew as you pointed out. And boy did they do a masterful job. All I did was tweak the chord changes a little bit and lay out the architecture for it, you know? And then Brian took it a step further and took it to an incredible point. But I am very proud of it.
It goes back a long time ago. His theme is going home. And it’s all about that – coming home. You always think, “Well, I want to go back home and see where I was born or where I lived and see if it’s changed or not.” And if you’re a sailor, you’ve been out there for years and all you’re probably thinking about is going home. It is continuous. I think it’s about finding your roots, right? It’s all about finding your roots.
Al Jardine performs on stage with his band Endless Summer. Monday, August 29, 2022 at City Winery in… [+] Chicago, IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
Glen Campbell worked as a member of The Wrecking Crew on “Help Me, Rhonda”, they both get it. And in Pet Sounds. He is also on a pair of songs on A Card Post From California. What was it like having him on the solo project?
AJ: He just walked in one day on his way to a show in Monterey and sang the choruses with me and the second verse just beautifully without any hesitation. He is just a consummate professional. We often think of him as a country bumpkin – but the country bumpkin can sing and play. And he was a great gentleman. He is a big boy. He was just amazing.
Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine (center) performs on stage with his band Endless Summer. Monday,… [+] August 29, 2022 at City Winery in Chicago, IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
A few songs on A Card Post From California have Beach Boys connections, right? Where does “Don’t fight the sea” originate from?
AJ: “Don’t Fight the Sea,” that was never a Beach Boys song. I wanted it to be – but it never matriculated for some reason. There’s always so much else going on with Brian and Mike that you rarely get a chance to finish all your material. So he just suffered for years – until I rediscovered him. And Brian offered to sing – finally sang a part on it, which was nice. And I took Mike there too to think about it. So it ended up with the Beach Boys – but it’s not a quoted Beach Boys song.
But everyone is into it – including Carl. I got Carl years ago in it. Carl sang the bridge. It really is a very haunting piece of music. It’s quite dramatic. I think it’s amazing.
Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine poses backstage before a performance by the Endless Summer Band. … [+] Monday, August 29, 2022 at City Winery in Chicago, IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
What about “Looking down the coast?” Where did this come from?
AJ: This is one of my favorites! It’s a descriptive piece of music with a bit of California history. It’s like a history lesson in a way. It’s a concept I came up with years ago. Originally, it was called the “California Coast”. The titles change but the music remains the same.
But I like the story part. I like the story about the Spanish and the conquistadors discovering the Monterey Peninsula and stuff like that. It is very dramatic with a beautiful flamenco guitar section embedded in it. It’s just wonderful. We had some great players in it.
Al Jardine (front) and son Matt Jardine (left) perform on stage with the band Endless Summer. … [+] Monday, August 29, 2022 at City Winery in Chicago, IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
Well, the extended Beach Boys Sounds of Summer collection came out this year, the SiriusXM channel returned all summer long. What’s it like to see the way your music continues to reach new generations, whether it’s through movies, documentaries, or anything else?
AJ: Jeez, yeah. It’s magical. The music is very exciting. We have all this great music that the younger generations haven’t even heard before. They may not know who the beach boys are. Millennials maybe. There are many generations that don’t know who we are now. So that’s kind of cool. It’s a breath of fresh air.
