Al Jardine

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Al Jardine
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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Born = birth date and age|1942|9|3
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Origin = Lima, Ohio, USA
Instrument = Vocals, Guitar, Bass
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Genre = Rock and roll
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Years_active = 1961 - Present
Label = Chess Records
Mercury Records
Atco Records
Associated_acts = The Beach Boys
URL = [http://www.aljardine.com AlJardine.com]
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments = Fender Stratocaster

Alan Charles "Al" Jardine (born September 3, 1942 in Lima, Ohio) is a founding member of The Beach Boys, their occasional lead vocalist, and one of their guitarists.

Jardine's 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'." It was long assumed that he quit soon after its release to attend college (pre-dental), but recent research has established that he attended college (in Michigan) in 1960/61, prior to the formation of The Beach Boys.Fact|date=August 2008 Following his leaving the band in early 1962, he worked in the air industry in Los Angeles. He was replaced by David Marks. Jardine returned to the band in 1963, first as a touring replacement for Wilson and as a session bassist, and later as a full-fledged member when Marks quit the band later that year.

Jardine sang lead on songs such as "Help Me, Rhonda," "Heroes and Villains," "," "Vegetables," "Then I Kissed Her," and "Transcendental Meditation," and shared the lead with other members of the band on tracks including "Break Away" and "I Know There's an Answer." Despite being the only non-family original band member, Jardine's falsetto was similar to Brian Wilson's and his voice was often substituted for Brian's in the studio and in concert.Fact|date=February 2007

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 "" from the "Holland" album, which charted in early 1973. Jardine's song "Lady Lynda", a rewrite of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", was one of the band's biggest hits outside the USA. 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.

Jardine left the touring version of the Beach Boys in 1998 after Carl Wilson died of lung cancer. Jardine remains a member of the Beach Boys corporation Brother Records and 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.

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. Jardine, Love, and Brian Wilson came together during the settlement talks and reportedly sang parts of "Help Me Rhonda" in the hallway.Fact|date=August 2008

Recently, and much to his fans delight, he has been putting finishing touches to, what promises to be, his first full-length solo studio album. Contributions from fellow Beach Boys Brian Wilson and David Marks, along with guest appearances from Steve Miller and Gerry Beckley & Dewey Bunnell (members of America) suggest that, finally, Jardine may be afforded the long-overdue 'solo' praise he deserves ...

Solo Discography

*California (single) (website download 1996 / Dennis Wilson Tribute CD 2004)
*Papa Loved Mama (with Matt Jardine) - single contribution to 1999 Garth Brooks Tribute CD
*Family & Friends: Live In Las Vegas (2001)
*PT Cruiser (single) (Limited Edition 2003)
*California Recall Blues (single) (website download 2003)
*Sloop John B: A Pirate's Tale (Book and CD single) (2005)
*Surf City Allstars: Live In Concert (2007) - guest appearance

ee also

*The Beach Boys
*Beach Boys Historic Landmark

External links

* [http://www.aljardine.com/ Al Jardine's Official Site]
* [http://BeachBoysBand.net/ Beach Boys Band (Mike Love & Bruce Johnston)]