The "The Pendletones Make It Big" Story

Carol's two Albums that hang in our living room.

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with an old friend (and I do mean old) about how much my wife, Carol, loved both the Beach Boys and The Beatles.  They were two of her favorite groups while she was in her teens.  I even framed two of her favorite albums; "Meet the Beatles" which was released in 1964 and "Surfer Girl" which was released in 1963.  Both still hang in a prominent spot in our home.  I was more of a Duane Eddy and Buddy Holly fan, but I also enjoyed the Beatles and Beach Boys.  And then, many years after we were married, The Beach Boys came to Lancaster Town Square in the center of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The date was June 27, 2000 and they performed in the 100 block of Queen Street.  

One of our ticket stubs that is stuck in the frame of the album.

General Admission was $20 per person.  By then the group had split and this part of the group, which won the right in a legal battle to the Beach Boys name, had Mike Love as the leader.  It was suggested that you could bring chairs to sit on the street, but we figured no one was going to remain seated, so we opted not to bring chairs.  The group drew quite a crowd and no one sat.  Well, we have seen various other Beach Boy type groups since then, but none can match the original Beach Boys.  My wife knows their history and I in turn have learned a bit about the group.  

The Pendletones with their woolen shirts.

The group was originally called the Pendle- tones, a pun on "Pendleton", a style of woolen shirt popular at the time.  It was formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961 when my wife was as young teenager.  The group at that time consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson; their cousin Mike Love and their friend Al Jardine.  They specialized in harmonic sounds and drew on the music of jazz, rock & roll and R&B to create their unique sound.  It was in 1958 that Brian (16), Dennis (13) and Carl (11) shared a bedroom in their home in Hawthorne, California.  Their father, Murry, played piano and enjoyed the harmony of the Four Freshmen.  Brian was the leading force in listening to songs and breaking down the harmony to teach his brothers this parts.  

The photograph on the album look familiar?

Brian received a reel-to-reel tape recorder for his 16th birthday and learned how to overdub, using his vocals and those of his brother Carl as well as his mom.  Brian played piano with Carl and 11 year-old neighbor David Marks playing the guitars they had received as Christmas gifts.  Brian altered his piano playing style and began to write songs.  Mike Love, the Wilson's cousin, was added to the mix.  Wasn't long before Brian, Love and two classmates at Hawthorne High School began performing at the school.  Then, Brian talked to another classmate, Al Jardine, and suggested that they team up with his cousin Mike and Carl and the Pendleton's was born.  Brother Dennis, the family surfer, suggested they write songs that celebrated the sport and lifestyle of surfing.  Brian finished his song titled "Surfin" and then wrote "Surfin' Safari" with Mike Love.  

Brian was the leading force in "The Beach Boys".

Their dad, Murry, who happened to also write songs, arranged for the group to meet publisher Hite Morgan and on September 15, 1961 the band recorded a demo of "Surfin".   On October 3rd a more professional recording was made in Hollywood.  Their father Murry took the demos to Herb Newman, owner of Candix Records and signed the group December 8.  A few weeks later the song was released, but the band found out their name had been changed to "The Beach Boys".  "Surfin" was a hit on the West Coast and then reached #75 on the national Billboard Hot 100 chart.  And, the rest is history as they say.  Carol's LP hanging in our living room is the third album by "The Beach Boys" and their second in 1963.  Brian Wilson was given full production credit for the album.  Last year "Surfer Girl" was ranked 193rd greatest album of the 1960s.  Today it still has a cherished place on the wall of our home.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.