In Brian Wilson's Childhood

[Jason Penick]

Well, the Four Freshmen, of course!

Funny thing...the best-known Freshmen track is their version of "It's A Blue World." A song written by Chet Forrest and Bob Wright for the movie Music In My Heart in 1940. Seventy-two years ago.

The man who sang it in that movie - a performance good enough to make it to #2 in the charts when it went on 78 - was Tony Martin.

Who died just four days ago at the age of ninety-eight, outliving all his generation of crooners. Outliving the Four Freshmen (the ones who recorded IABW anyway), even.

He was one of those guys who had been around long before I was born. Years before the Wilsons or Bruce or Al or Dave or even Mike were born. Had a professional career that stretched from the Hoover to Obama presidencies.

So I thought he would be around forever, even after his two wives (Alice Faye and Cyd Charisse - the guy batted two-for-two there) passed away. 

But he's gone.

Which makes me remember that I'd better cherish those five guys asleep in their hotel in Europe while they're still here.

Great post. Soulful.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I have always wondered if 'Let Him Run Wild' was at all inspired by 'Lonesome Polecat' from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Especially "guess you know I waited for you girl"

[Banana]

I have always wondered if 'Let Him Run Wild' was at all inspired by 'Lonesome Polecat' from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Especially "guess you know I waited for you girl"

Slightly off topic (and I can't remember where I read this) but I read that Brian was partially inspired to write that song in regards to Murry's infidelities.  Anyone else ever heard that?? 

[Rocker]

Brian was a huge fan of Rosemary Clooney.
Audree exposed Brian to her, and he used to do a perfect impression.

Whoa! Then Brian was a Rosemary's fan? Didn't know that! Coz I used to listen to her at age of 15-16. Very good smoothing voice she had! Also, needless to say he was a Gershwin admirer or 2 Gershwin brothers.

Yes, check out almost every interview Brian gave in the last years where he's asked what music inspired him. He always mentions Rosemary Clooney, Chuck Berry and Gershwin

[Don Malcolm]

Rosemary Clooney had a kind of effortless purity of tone that the young BW tried hard to emulate...she could soar without making too much of it, a quality that he intensely admired. Listen to "Barbee" and the lineage is pretty much right there. She sang with a relaxed affection that still had an interesting muscular quality underneath it--something that has remained in the bedrock of BW's vocals no matter what shape his voice happened to be in at the time.

Mike Love has mentioned on countless occasions how the family was aware of Brian's special talents as a singer from a very early age. It was clearly a special source of pride for the family, and it was nurtured (Audree in particular, and Murry in those moments of "spastic nuture" familiar to many male offspring of a WWII generation father will recognize).