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David Marks was a member of The Beach Boys from early 1962 to late 1963. After leaving, he played with a number of different bands, most notably, The Marksmen, and went on to study music at the famous Berklee College in Boston in 1969.

Since then, he has performed live with his former group on a number of occasions, most recently with Mike Love's touring Beach Boys on a tour of England in 2008.

David Marks and The Beach Boys: Just Like Old Times

In 1971, a chance meeting, saw David reunite with the boys for one night only during a concert in Boston, which led to an invitation to come back into the fold on a full-time basis - an offer he subsequently declined.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGekKM2mTrA

"While I was in Boston, I became a private student of Dr. Avram David at the Boston Conservatory," remembers David. "One night I was at Symphony Hall hearing some of Dr. Davids work that I had transposed being performed, and as I was leaving I saw a poster for the upcoming Beach Boys show.

"I went to the show but they had a big band behind them. Dennis wasnt onstage and it didnt feel right to me, so I left halfway through. When I got to the lobby, I hear, 'Hey, David!' and it was Dennis in the lobby looking for girls.

"I was shocked that he recognised me in the crowd, but he did. He invited me backstage and they brought me out for a few songs. After that, I reconnected with them, especially Mike."

David Marks: Going Home

Suite 101: Why did you refuse the offer to rejoin them?

"Mike is the one who asked me back to the band. At that point, I was disillusioned with Boston and the cold, and another old friend, Mark Volman, had come through town with the Frank Zappa tour and he also encouraged me to come home.

"So I packed up my Porsche and drove back to LA. I played around with the idea of going back to the Beach Boys and I sat in at the Whiskey with them and went to a few sessions for the Surfs Up album.

"Carl wanted me to play bass but I had just spent two years intensely studying classical composition and jazz guitar and the last thing I wanted to do was play bass on Barbara Ann every night, so I said no. I got into the Blues instead."

David Marks: Session Work

After turning down the chance to become a Beach Boy for a second time, David immersed himself in session work, something he had previously started doing in the '60s. What were some of the most memorable sessions on which he played?

"Well, Brian Wilson obviously taught me a lot about music and production," he replies, "and my favourite session player to play with was Jim Keltner. As far as memorable, I guess I would say the first session I met my future writing partner, Buzz Clifford. I was brought in to play guitar on his See Your Way Clear album on Dot.

"He was sitting in the dark, singing beautifully and then hed yell 'F**K!' at the top of his lungs. When I asked the producer why it was dark, he said it was because Buzz needed to be naked. I thought to myself, 'What a nut,' but he turned out to be one of my life-long best friends."

Suite 101: Speaking of Brian Wilson, are you surprised he's still doing gigs today, judging by the personal problems hes had in the past? Do you ever see him?

"Part of me is surprised because he never liked touring, right from the beginning, but he seems to like it enough that he keeps doing it. We dont see each other that often because I live in New York, but he calls me every six months or so and if hes playing nearby, Ill go to one of his shows."

David Marks: Rejoining The Beach Boys

In 1997, with Carl Wilson dying of cancer, David Marks was again asked back to the fold. This time he accepted, though as before - but for entirely different reasons - his time with the group was relatively short-lived.

"There was some internal politics going on in the band that I was unaware of at the time," he explains. I told Mike when I came back that I would only stay as long as it was fun, and it was very fun for a while. I got to see the world, I met my wife and a great bunch of musicians that are still some of my closest friends.

"After two years or so, my health was suffering and I was run-down from travelling and drinking too much whiskey, so I took some time off to get my health under control and thats when I found out that I was dying from Hepatitis C and had about a year left on my liver.

"At that point, I dedicated myself 100% to getting sober and healthy. I have not had any alcohol in over 10 years and I participated in a year-long clinical trial and have been clear of the Hep C virus since 2004. I am now a spokesman for the cause and have worked on many awareness campaigns in the US and UK."

David Marks: The Forgotten Beach Boy

When The Beach Boys were inducted into The Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, David Marks was not invited - his short, but significant, tenure in the group had been largely forgotten.

Suite 101: Were you upset when you werent inducted with the others in 1988? Why do you think your contribution had been ignored?

"Well, thanks to The Lost Beach Boy (an authorised re-telling of the David Marks story by Dennis Wilson biographer, John Stebbins) that has been largely rectified. The Hall of Fame Museum was doing an exhibition on the early years of the Beach Boys at the same time my book was released in the US.

"They went to great efforts to make me feel welcome and part of the band. They flew me and my wife to Cleveland for the opening of the exhibit and I did a Q & A and book signing to a full audience - and they carry the book in the gift shop!"

The Beach Boys: Celebrating a Cultural Phenomenon

Suite 101: Do you think the surviving members of The Beach Boys might get back together next year to celebrate your 50th anniversary? Do you think it would be a good idea or should you leave things as they are?

"I dont know. There is all this talk and offers are being discussed, but I dont think anything is solid yet. The rooftop reunion a few years ago was great everyone got along and it was just like old times, so I dont see why that cant happen again."

Suite 101: Finally, why do you think The Beach Boys are still so universally loved? How does it feel knowing that you were a part of something so big?

"One of the things I gained after rejoining the Beach Boys was a new appreciation for how universal and timeless the music is.

"I purposely spent 30 years trying to avoid that music, so when I had to go back and learn all the songs I didnt play on, and refresh myself on my old parts, it occurred to me just how sophisticated these songs really are musically and just how genius it was of Brian to be able to make them sound commercial.

"It never ceases to amaze me to look out into the crowd and see five-year-olds, 70 years old and every age in between all singing along to Surfin USA. I do feel proud to have been a part of something that became bigger than how to learn guitar for beginner step by step all of us as individuals its a cultural phenomenon."