Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" time, decided to spice up the structure of The Beach Boys by hiring third guitarist Blondie Chaplin, whose soulful singing brought a strong R&B element into the band's sound. Drummer and singer-songwriter Ricky Fataar also joined at this time, as Dennis Wilson had suffered a debilitating hand accident. Both South Africans, Blondie and Ricky were discovered by Carl while playing in seminal South African band the Flames in London, c. 1969. The album sees the Beach Boys entering a period of roots-based rock. Not long after the sessions began, Bruce Johnston had a falling out with manager Jack Rieley and
Passions 18-49 demographic, "Passions" usually ranked #7, ahead of CBS soaps "As the World Turns", and "Guiding Light". The highest ranking "Passions" ever achieved in the 18-49 demographic was 4th place in November 2002 and once again in January 2007. During its NBC run, "Passions" ran for 60 minutes every weekday (excluding some holidays). In the final NBC 2006-07 season, episodes were available online at NBC.com for free viewing and for purchase on iTunes. After the move to DirecTV, the schedule was shortened to four days a week (Monday through Thursday) plus weekend marathon encores, then later three days a week