[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Woah! I met Brian at a book signing at the end of the Landy era - he was still in pretty bad shape. I was so flabbergasted to be near him that all I could manage was a mumbled "Thanks Brian, for everything". I wanted to ask him about the Survivors 45 he put out in '64, but I was too star-struck. To sing Beatles songs with Brian - too much!

I saw Darian on the DVD - he's one of the guys trying to teach Neal Young "Good Vibrations", wasn't he?

[tame]

I saw Darian on the DVD - he's one of the guys trying to teach Neal Young "Good Vibrations", wasn't he?

Yes! Him and Nick Walusko. Nick would sometimes be at Darian's house when I was there. Nick and Darian are great together at recreating that old sixties sound. Nick plays the guitar. When I first met Darian back around 1990 or '91, the Wondermints was composed of just Darian and Nick (With friends helping from time to time).

Here's how I met Darian: I was speaking to a Beach Boys fan named Les Chan on the phone and he told me that he knew another Beach Boys fan I might want to contact. He gave me Darian's phone number. I called Darian and we spoke a while. He asked me what the connection was (how I got his number), and then, over the phone, he played me this beautiful song he wrote titled Tracy Hyde (or is it Hide?) I was blown away.

I told him it reminded me of a John Lennonesque type thing---like Lennon's song "Number Nine Dream". Darian was real pleased with that compliment and told me that's the feel he was going for.

BTW, if anyone likes the "ethereal" sound of some Beatles songs like "Strawberry Fields", "I am a Walrus", etc., or Lennon's "Number Nine Dream", or the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds ("Let's Go Away For Awhile") and Smile album material, then go to Amazon.com and buy the Wondermints album with the song Tracy Hyde, You'll love it! (not to mention their other albums including their latest album, Mind If We Make Love To You)

Like I mentioned before, we got together at his house few times, plus we hooked up at a Beach Boys convention in Southern California (San Diego?). Darian and Nick also joined me and Hal Blaine, Jim MacDonald, Mike Noffsinger and others to play for me ex-girlfriend's birthday in some sweat shack rehearsal room.

We did some Beach Boys songs ("Please Let Me Wonder", etc.), Some Beatles songs ("Fixing a hole", "You're mother should know", " should have known Better", "Birthday"), and some other songs ("Johnny B Good").

Me and my friend Andy used to also go see the 'Mints play at different clubs around Southern Cal (including a rinky dink bar called The Irish Mist in Panarama City).

Hope I'm not going to long with this stuff, lol.