A Postcard from California

A Postcard from California is the debut solo studio album by American musician and co-founder of the Beach Boys, Al Jardine. For the album, Jardine recruited several music icons including several former Beach Boys bandmates, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, and (posthumously, via archival recordings) Carl Wilson, as well as Glen Campbell, America, Steve Miller, Flea, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young. The album also contains several unreleased Beach Boys songs, including "Don't Fight the Sea", "Lookin' Down the Coast", "California Feelin'", and "And I Always Will." "Don't Fight the Sea" includes parts of a Beach Boys' recording (from the L.A. (Light Album) and Still Cruisin' sessions), while "Lookin' Down the Coast", "California Feelin'", and "And I Always Will" are re-recordings (the first two of these three from the L.A. (Light Album) sessions and the latter from the sessions for the band's self-titled album). "Tidepool Interlude" features a spoken word piece written by former Beach Boys collaborator Stephen Kalinich and performed by actor Alec Baldwin.

Jardine added "Waves of Love" as one of the bonus tracks on his 2012 reissue of the album. Intentionally or not, the digital and CD versions of the 2012 reissue contained entirely different versions of the song. The CD included a more laid-back, live soundcheck-sounding version, with Carl Wilson's lead buried among other voices, while the digital version contained a much more "produced" and punchy version in a different key and with Carl's lead brought to the fore. There is a third version of "Waves of Love" on the Japanese version. As of August 2022, the album is again available on digital streaming services, after having been unavailable for some time.

Musicians

 * Al Jardine – lead vocals, guitars (tracks 1, 3, 7, 9, 12, 14), backing vocals (tracks 2, 4, 7, 9, 10) , keyboards (track 4) , banjo (tracks 6, 7) , bass (tracks 6, 9, 15) , piano (track 7) , handclaps (track 8) , 12-string guitar (track 15) , harmonica (track 15)

• Ella Bacon – viola (tracks 1, 13)
 * Additional musicians

• Alec Baldwin – spoken word (track 5)

• Flea – bass (track 8)

• Peter Basil – cajon (track 12)

• Gerry Beckley – backing vocals (tracks 9, 10), lead vocals (track 10)

• Marandi Bostetter – violin (tracks 1, 13)

• Norton Buffalo – harmonica (track 8)

• Dewey Bunnell – lead vocals (tracks 9, 10), backing vocals (tracks 9, 10)

• Glen Campbell – lead vocals (tracks 1, 12)

• Richie Cannata – baritone sax (track 11)

• Ed Carter – guitars (track 4), bass (tracks 4, 14)

• David Crosby – lead vocals (tracks 6, 12), backing vocals (track 7)

• Larry Dvorskin – synth keys (track 14)

• Sally Dworsky – backing vocals (track 1)

• William Faulkner – Jalisco harp (tracks 3, 9)

• Bobby Figueroa – drums (track 4)

• Priscilla Fisher – violin (tracks 1, 13)

• Probyn Gregory – French horn (track 3)

• Stevie Heger – drums (tracks 1, 3, 7, 8–11, 13, 15), backing vocals (tracks 2, 10) , percussion (tracks 3, 5, 10, 13, 15) , cowbell (track 11) , "really big 'Queen style' vocals" (track 11)

• The Hillbillies – vocals (track 6)

• Adam Jardine – backing vocals (tracks 2, 7, 9, 11)

• Drew Jardine – backing vocals (track 7), 5-string banjo (track 15)

• Mary Ann Jardine – "really big 'Queen style' vocals" (track 11)

• Matt Jardine – backing vocals (tracks 2, 4, 8, 9, 11), handclaps (track 8) , lead vocals (tracks 14, 15)

• Bruce Johnston – backing vocals (track 4)

• Dan Knutson – guitars (track 14)

• Mike Kowalski – drums (track 14)

• Michael Lent – guitars (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7–9, 11, 13), acoustic guitar (track 5) , banjo (track 7) , mandolin (track 7) , lead guitar (track 10) , "really big 'Queen style' vocals" (track 11)

• Paul Logan – backing vocals (track 1), bass (tracks 1, 3, 7, 10, 11, 13) , "really big 'Queen style' vocals" (track 11)

• Mike Love – backing vocals (track 4)

• Gary Mallaber – drums (tracks 1, 8)

• David Marks – lead guitar (track 10)

• Scott Mathews – guitars (track 4), backing vocals (track 4)

• Mike Meros – keyboards (track 4), Hammond B-3 organ (track 14)

• Steve Miller – guitars (track 8), backing vocals (track 8)

• Johnnie Mirani – harmonica (tracks 2, 6, 10)

• Luana Pedota – backing vocals (track 1), percussion (tracks 1, 9) , accordion (track 9)

• Jeff Peters – handclaps (track 8)

• Barry Phillips – cello (tracks 1, 13)

• Shelley Phillips - oboe (track 1), English horn (track 13)

• Emily Poile – backing vocals (track 1)

• Steve Robertson – percussion (track 9)

• Scott Slaughter – piano (tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13), keyboards (tracks 1, 2, 7, 9) , backing vocals (tracks 2, 9, 10) , sound effects (track 3) , percussion (track 6) , Hammond B-3 organ (tracks 10, 12) , "really big 'Queen style' vocals" (track 11) , Mini Moog (track 11) , bell tree (track 11) , guitars (12)

• John Stamos – bongos (track 12)

• Stephen Stills – backing vocals (track 7)

• Brian Wilson – backing vocals (tracks 4, 10, 11), lead vocals (tracks 10, 11)

• Carl Wilson – lead vocals (tracks 4, 14), backing vocals (track 4)

• Neil Young – lead vocals (tracks 6, 7), backing vocals (tracks 6, 7)

Technical

 * Scott Slaughter & Barry Phillips – string arrangements (track 13)
 * Damien Rasmussen, Jeff Peters, Richard Bryant, Stevie Heger – engineers
 * Jeff Peters – mixing
 * Alan De Moss, Beau Floch, Chris Constable, Nels Jensen – mixing assistants
 * Joe Gastwirt – mastering
 * Drew Jardine, Lee Dempsey, Mary Ann Jardine, Rachael Short, Robbie Jardine, Tim Brown, Trisha Campo – photography
 * Al Jardine – sleeve notes
 * Kenta Hagiwara – liner notes
 * Mark London – art direction, package design
 * Alan Arellano – additional cover art