"That's Why God Made The Radio" Single!

[Jaspy]

I want to point out that this TWGMTR-revelation was posted on March 31, so it doesn't count as April Fools joke!

[The Shift]

Okay my enthusiasm is revived! Gangster links didn't do Old' Blue Eyes any harm, and it wouldn't be The Beach Boys if they didn't go out with a blast of  controversy!

[Dunderhead]

I wish this album was just an extended 30 minute version of "I'm Broke".

[vintagemusic]

I want to point out that this TWGMTR-revelation was posted on March 31, so it doesn't count as April Fools joke!

It's not a joke on my part. I linked the article to Anthony Scotti, in his own words. It's common
knowledge Scotti Brothers records was mobbed up, and the primary songwriter of Eye of the Tiger
and That's why God Made The Radio, is a protoge or was mentored by these people, for many years.

This is not uncommon, yes Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, many people their whole careers were enmeshed
with the original mob, it's not like those Italian singers had a choice. Yes they did well, regardless of
perhaps because of their mob connections.

Certainly many stories circulated around Hollywood with MCA Universal, Capitol, Film Studios, Vegas, the
night clubs, on the sunset strip, and in New York City.

The Beach Boys, I would hope, are in a position of strength, where these mellow surfers, creative singers
and songwriters, don't have to rely on mob connected songwriters, managers, or producers to find songs
go on tour or get their album happening.

These are some bad, very bad people. I'm sorry the Beach Boys didn't learn their lesson after the Manson
Family debacle, and do business with more above board sorts. Plenty of good songs around, that come with
a cleaner provenance than the old time Scotti Brother crowd.

It won't prevent me from enjoying the album. But how very sad, that in this day and age, they fell in with such
a crowd. Who knows, maybe they have to do a certain number of Joe Thomas inspired songs, just like John Lennon
had to do some Morris Levy songs to stay in one piece.

It's just sickening,  it shows decisions are not being made purely on artistic grounds, they have some rough partners.
I'm sure there are plenty of would be writers with plenty of demo's to send in, like the old days, if they needed a song.
This may be a good song, or maybe it's part of paying their bill to these people.

OK 30 days to go.


Did they get Van Dyke Parks to write some words? nah, they went with fringes of the mafia instead, ah I see.

[The Heartical Don]

Since I am a real sleuth, I did my homework. This is the songwriting team behind That's Why God Made The Radio:

[Iron Horse-Apples]

My wife has her soap operas, I have this board.

[stack-o-tracks]

People are reading too deep into nothing. The band has always worked with outside collaborators. Some sketchier than others, but sketchy folks nonetheless. I doubt these alleged mobsters were gonna break Brian's knuckles with a pair of pliers if the band didn't work with them.

I heard that in the mid-60s they worked with some pretentious goofy fool who took drugs with Brian. Now THAT is the kind of influence that is unneeded.

It's not like it's gonna be their first hit single written by somebody outside the band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grj7sjQ0_p4

[hypehat]

"DON'T f*** WITH THE FORMULA!"

[Rocker]

At this point we only know that Joe Thomas and others wrote a demo of TWGMTR. Maybe later Brian & Mike have added the bridge or completed the song.
I'm thinking of Kokomo being a Phillips/McKenzie 1984 song and then mutated to the completed 1988 tune we all know and love.
Saving distances with TWGMTR I hope...

Exactly. If Brian wrote a bridge, maybe that's the best thing of the song and everybody will go "hooray, Brian's back". So calm down until we have the song to listen to. I's more or less the same as with "Soul searchin'" to which Brian only added a part. And that one is a great song.

The Beach Boys want and need a hit in this anniversary celebration. Imagine at the end of the year the reunion is over and you don't have nothing to show because the only single they released did bomb out. At the end it's not the tour but the succes of the album/single that counts IMO. I'd be very happy if Brian and Mike would come up with something that eventually becomes a big hit but if they don't have the material (yet) than they have to take another song that might do that
And I'm happy that it's a new song they'll release and not Do It Again

[SMiLE Brian]

Mob links, now I have heard everything...

[vintagemusic]

People are reading too deep into nothing. The band has always worked with outside collaborators. Some sketchier than others, but sketchy folks nonetheless. I doubt these alleged mobsters were gonna break Brian's knuckles with a pair of pliers if the band didn't work with them.

I heard that in the mid-60s they worked with some pretentious goofy fool who took drugs with Brian. Now THAT is the kind of influence that is unneeded.

It's not like it's gonna be their first hit single written by somebody outside the band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grj7sjQ0_p4

No Hypehat, it is not much ado about nothing. These people are a part of the mafia, and the Beach Boys are choosing to use
a song, (the single) or perhaps multiple songs, from these people.

This is significant. However, it is hardly unusual in the music business, this case is somewhat extreme in that, many qualified people
with no connection to the mob so far as I know were available for songwriting or production help. Van Dyke Parks, Russ Titleman, Phil Ramone
Rick Rubin, Jack Douglas, or whoever, just using those people as examples.

They could have gotten a song off of Neil Diamond, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Jackie Deshannon, Tom Petty, Jeff  Lynne,Jackson brown
Cat Stevens, Don Mclean, Van Dyke Parks, Leo Sayer, Van Morrison, Don Mclean, Adam Marsland, Jewell, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams

Or a gazzillion other people, if they needed a song, but its significant they found an outside tune to be a hit, from some people with a deep
and long history with the mob people.

No one would really argue it was no big deal the Beach Boys used a Charlie Manson song on the b side of a single, That's grotesque

The Beach Boys, have a reputation going back to the sixties, where they don't outright steal songs, but they put their name on songs mostly
created by other people, and many people got offers to write with one beach boy or another, and usually not much credit dribbles down.
some not too much.

Richie Podolor told me he walked away from one of those types of offers, a guy named Stan made an offer to me like that in the eighties from their crowd,     
What Makes   "that's why God made the radio" different, is the people involved have historic ties to the mafia.

But you're right there is plenty to talk about besides that, but no reason to sweep it under the rug or minimize it, it is what it is, and it kind of
confirms my feelings, about this "who the hell is this Joe Thomas guy, now I know. Kind of the reincarnation of Don Kirshner or something. that
guy Anthony Scotti, if you read that link, he says he is the son of Lucky Luciano! and he is proud of it, he says his father (Luciano) saved the United
States, he also says there is no such thing as the mob. no foolin that's what the guy said.


This may tarnish the album somewhat, and call into question the judgement of some of these decision making people around the Beach
Boys, but still it is their fiftieth, and by God, they are doing a new album, that supposedly sounds like Beach Boys circa 1965, I'd say that
trumps even the mob,though I wonder how the PBS crowd will react to this mob connection with the Beach Boys



 

[SMiLE Brian]

Why ?

$

Or perhaps

$

+

….._\____________________,,__
…./ `–│││││││││———————-_]
…/_==o ____________________
…..),—.(_(__) /
….// (\) ),——
…//___//
../`—-’ / …
./____ / … .

TWGMTR is an offer the BBs cannot refuse....

[vintagemusic]

I think that is part of Brian Wilson's talent, taking a 3/4 written song, and making it his own
adding a bridge or whatever.

Paul McCartney added the Woke up got out of bed, to a basically complete Lennon song,  that
was great already, and just raised it to another level.

I have a co writer once in awhile, who writes just the bridge or embellishes 15% of the song, and
makes it twice as good.

That's a talent to take a raw song, write a bridge or verse or whatever it might be, and elevate it.

George Harrison after five years out of the studio, used the very obscure Rudy Clark song "got my mind
set on you" with a new totally different arrangement, the song skyrocketed to number one, restoring Mr
Harrison to the "A" list overnight.

Harry Nilsson wrote a lot of hit songs, One is the loneliest number for Three Dog Night, but his breakout hit
as an artist was written by Pete Ham "Cant Live if living is without you....



Sometimes reaching out for one or two outside songs, is a good idea, and finding one you can add a part to
is a legitimate method.. Hell Wilson finished a hundred year old, half done Gershwin tune recently, did he not?

[vintagemusic]

Since I am a real sleuth, I did my homework. This is the songwriting team behind That's Why God Made The Radio:

I wouldn't be surprised if Gene Landy, was friendly with some of those people. If I ever meet his son Evan again
I'll ask him,

[The Heartical Don]

*ssshhh... the Beach Boys need a new hit... you know whom to contact here, Don?*

[Paulos]

You're the only person upset about this whole mob thing, here's an idea: get over it and stop boring everyone.

[Runaways]

well now i'm gonna hate this song dang it.  i just want them to hype something else up please.  i wonder how old this tune is anyway.  at least 2009 i think

[The Heartical Don]

You're the only person upset about this whole mob thing, here's an idea: get over it and stop boring everyone.

Hope you aren't addressing me here, Paulos. I'm just poking fun at the whole matter... 

[Autotune]

Soulful ol man sunshine is moslty a Rick Henn composition/production/arrangement. That doesn't seem to bother people on this board.

[Paulos]

You're the only person upset about this whole mob thing, here's an idea: get over it and stop boring everyone.

Hope you aren't addressing me here, Paulos. I'm just poking fun at the whole matter... 

Not you Don, responding to Vintagemusic's rambling, no offence intended and your post was funny!

[Paulos]

Soulful ol man sunshine is moslty a Rick Henn composition/production/arrangement. That doesn't seem to bother people on this board.

That's it, I'm never listening to that song ever again as it isn't a genuine Brian production. Also, I heard that Rick Henn once ate out at a pizzeria that a mob guy had once been in.

[the captain]

Other than being a disappointment from a "perfect ending to the story" kind of perspective....

And Summer In Paradise was? 

Haha, obviously not. And that's kind of my point. I understand that people are disappointed, but I think it is largely because everyone has been hoping that this would be the perfect ending after all these years of lawsuits, bad albums, multiple touring acts, etc. Finally, it seemed that what was too good to be true might indeed be true: everyone coming together and putting together something great. Storybook. And so when reality creeps in, it's unfortunate.

[The Heartical Don]

Soulful ol man sunshine is moslty a Rick Henn composition/production/arrangement. That doesn't seem to bother people on this board.

Spot on. And no one ever, IIRC, found 'Breakaway' so-so for the co-writing by one Reggie Dunbar.

[The Heartical Don]

You're the only person upset about this whole mob thing, here's an idea: get over it and stop boring everyone.

Hope you aren't addressing me here, Paulos. I'm just poking fun at the whole matter... 

Not you Don, responding to Vintagemusic's rambling, no offence intended and your post was funny!

Really appreciated, and no need to say sorry. It was just that some posts were between Vintagemusic's piece and yours, I guess.

[SBonilla]

People are reading too deep into nothing. The band has always worked with outside collaborators. Some sketchier than others, but sketchy folks nonetheless. I doubt these alleged mobsters were gonna break Brian's knuckles with a pair of pliers if the band didn't work with them.

I heard that in the mid-60s they worked with some pretentious goofy fool who took drugs with Brian. Now THAT is the kind of influence that is unneeded.

It's not like it's gonna be their first hit single written by somebody outside the band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grj7sjQ0_p4

No Hypehat, it is not much ado about nothing. These people are a part of the mafia, and the Beach Boys are choosing to use
a song, (the single) or perhaps multiple songs, from these people.

This is significant. However, it is hardly unusual in the music business, this case is somewhat extreme in that, many qualified people
with no connection to the mob so far as I know were available for songwriting or production help. Van Dyke Parks, Russ Titleman, Phil Ramone
Rick Rubin, Jack Douglas, or whoever, just using those people as examples.

They could have gotten a song off of Neil Diamond, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Jackie Deshannon, Tom Petty, Jeff  Lynne,Jackson brown
Cat Stevens, Don Mclean, Van Dyke Parks, Leo Sayer, Van Morrison, Don Mclean, Adam Marsland, Jewell, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams

Or a gazzillion other people, if they needed a song, but its significant they found an outside tune to be a hit, from some people with a deep
and long history with the mob people.

No one would really argue it was no big deal the Beach Boys used a Charlie Manson song on the b side of a single, That's grotesque

The Beach Boys, have a reputation going back to the sixties, where they don't outright steal songs, but they put their name on songs mostly
created by other people, and many people got offers to write with one beach boy or another, and usually not much credit dribbles down.
some not too much.

Richie Podolor told me he walked away from one of those types of offers, a guy named Stan made an offer to me like that in the eighties from their crowd,     
What Makes   "that's why God made the radio" different, is the people involved have historic ties to the mafia.

But you're right there is plenty to talk about besides that, but no reason to sweep it under the rug or minimize it, it is what it is, and it kind of
confirms my feelings, about this "who the hell is this Joe Thomas guy, now I know. Kind of the reincarnation of Don Kirshner or something. that
guy Anthony Scotti, if you read that link, he says he is the son of Lucky Luciano! and he is proud of it, he says his father (Luciano) saved the United
States, he also says there is no such thing as the mob. no foolin that's what the guy said.


This may tarnish the album somewhat, and call into question the judgement of some of these decision making people around the Beach
Boys, but still it is their fiftieth, and by God, they are doing a new album, that supposedly sounds like Beach Boys circa 1965, I'd say that
trumps even the mob,though I wonder how the PBS crowd will react to this mob connection with the Beach Boys



 

The record business was one bunch of guys runinning the record and publishing companies and another bunch of guys running promotion and distribution. There was, of course, some cross pollination. So, what?