Dino turns the tables on me as he takes my tape recorder and tries to “interview” me while we were in Hawaii!
In August 1967 The Beach Boys performed 2 concerts in Hawaii. The concert poster read “The Beach Boys, Lei’d In Hawaii.” Their opening acts were Paul Revere and the Raiders, and Dino, Desi and Billy. Tiger Beat fans were more into PR & R and DD & B, than the Beach Boys, so I was there to get great island photos of those 2 groups and report on their antics in Hawaii.
I know Beach Boy fans will find this hard to comprehend, but they were “old news” to me as I used to go to dances in high school at the Retail Clerk’s Union Hall in Buena Park, CA across from Knott’s Berry Farm (it was not yet a huge amusement park with rides, but more a nostalgic trip through an old western ghost town). I can remember spending many a Saturday night dancing to the music of the Beach Boys as this is the type of venues they played before becoming the huge success playing concert stadiums.
I was staying at the famous pink hotel, The Royal Hawaiian, on Waikiki. It was frustrating because the groups were staying elsewhere. No cell phones for many, many years to come. Trying to communicate our meeting times for photo sessions, backstage passes for the concerts and after hours activities had me taking the elevator down to the ground floor, walking out to the beach, swimming for ten minutes, then rushing back to my room to wait for the phone to ring or check with the front desk for messages. I wanted to enjoy the sun and fun of Hawaii, but I had a job to do.
The concerts were fabulous. Since I wasn’t shooting concert photos, I did get to enjoy the concerts from side stage and I loved seeing both groups perform. I had known Dino (Dean Martin, Jr.), Desi (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) and Billy (their friend from Beverly Hills high, Billy Hinsche) for about a year and a half by then, so we were very comfortable, friends, and they were just three years younger than me, so it was easy to “goof off” together. After the show Desi asked me if I’d like to cruise the island on a motorbike he’d rented. An offer I couldn’t refuse!
We had watched the entire Beach Boys’ show, so by this time it was around 11 pm. We took off with me grabbing tight around Desi’s waist, no helmets, my hair blowing wildly as Desi picked up speed. I had never ridden on a motorbike before, and it was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. We flew past palm trees and the ocean crashed into the shore as we headed north along the beach.
Then, the flash of blinking red lights and a blaring siren behind us!
Good times. . .Ann Moses reporting about “back in the day.”
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Loving this Ann! Keep ’em coming!
Ann–Thanks for sharing these stories with us! Details are great — like about having to wait by the phone for communications about scheduling photos and interviews — I tend to forget that sort of stuff…
Also, your photos are great! As the previous commenter said, “Keep ’em coming!”
Desi was my fave back then, so it is fun to read about you holding tight to him! Would love to read more and see more photos! Thanks!
A great story! They were going to release an album with the name Lei’d in Hawaii but never did; you can hear the tapes of the shows on You Tube.
Dear Ms.Moses,
I hope you are very well. I just read your book and LOVED it.
If I may,I’d like to ask(Please?):
Did it bring you down to hear ELVIS sing(the BeeGees song)”Words” in Las Vegas in 1969?
I realize the answer’s PROBABLY “No”,but I’d like to ask: Did you ever have occasion to visit the CBS Studio Center/Stage 3 “set” of “GUNSMOKE”?
There are “moments” in(the Monkees movie)”Head” which I enjoy. Do you feel the same way?
Did YOU ask ELVIS a question at the post-show Press Conference in Las Vegas in 1969 and,if so,what was it and what was ELVIS’ answer?
THANKS for your time,Ms.Moses. Happy August.
Respectfully, Randy Erdman
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