Everybody Had an Ocean: Music and Mayhem in 1960s Los AngelesLos Angeles in the 1960s gave the world some of the greatest music in rock 'n' roll history: "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas, "Mr. Tambourine Man" by the Byrds, and "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys, a song that magnificently summarized the joy and beauty of the era in three-and-a-half minutes. But there was a dark flip side to the fun fun fun of the music, a nexus between naïve young musicians and the fringe elements that exploited the decade's peace-love-and-flowers ethos, all fueled by sex, drugs, and overnight success. One surf music superstar unwittingly subsidized the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr. The transplanted Texas singer Bobby Fuller might have been murdered by the Mob in what is still an unsolved case. And after hearing Charlie Manson sing, Neil Young recommended him to the president of Warner Bros. Records. Manson's ultimate rejection by the music industry likely led to the infamous murders that shocked a nation. Everybody Had an Ocean chronicles the migration of the rock 'n' roll business to Southern California and how the artists flourished there. The cast of characters is astonishing—Brian and Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, eccentric producer Phil Spector, Cass Elliot, Sam Cooke, Ike and Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, and scores of others—and their stories form a modern epic of the battles between innocence and cynicism and joy and terror. You'll never hear that beautiful music in quite the same way. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - lauriebrown54 - LibraryThingile this book covers the Los Angeles music scene of the 60s, the backbone of the book is the story of the Beach Boys. Beginning with their early teen days of using music to keep their brutal, abusive ... Read full review
Everybody Had an Ocean: Music and Mayhem in 1960s Los Angeles
User Review - Book VerdictThe opening vignette detailing Beach Boy Dennis Wilson's initial encounter with Charles Manson sets the tone for McKeen's (journalism, Boston Univ.; Mile Marker Zero, Too Old To Die Young) latest ... Read full review
Contents
The Second Jesus | |
Everybody Had an Ocean | |
Sacred and Profane | |
The Door Flies Open | |
The Loners | |
The Teenage Symphony to | |
Captive on a Carousel | |
Peace Love and Flowers | |
The Dread | |
Summers Gone | |
Acknowledgments | |
The Beautiful Future | |
The Ransom of Junior Sinatra | |
From All Over the World | |
Notes | |
Bibliography | |
Other editions - View all
Everybody Had an Ocean: Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, and Murder in Los Angeles William McKeen No preview available - 2017 |
Common terms and phrases
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Everybody Had an Ocean: Music and Mayhem in 1960s Los Angeles |
| Author | William McKeen |
| Publisher | Chicago Review Press, 2017 |
| ISBN | 1613734948, 9781613734940 |
| Length | 288 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / United States / 20th Century Music / Genres & Styles / Rock |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |