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
The Shags (Connecticut band) West Haven, Connecticut in the summer of 1963 by schoolmates Tom Violante (real name Tom Roberts) and Carl Augusto (real name Carl Donnel). Like most members of their generation, the future members of the Shags had grown up listening to rock & roll. Augusto, had played lead guitar (and sometimes sang) and another future member of the Shags, Johnny Tangredi, played drums in a local, mostly instrumental surf rock band called the Deltons. But, sensing the rapidly approaching British invasion, and now highly under its influence, Augusto and Violante wanted to form a new band that would reflect what they