Brian Wilson 1974 Interview (audio) [NEW]

[seltaeb1012002]

Finally got around to uploading this one. Thanks to Steve Mayo for sending me the mp3 from his collection. This must be rare, haven't seen it on any of the boots out there. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/smile-a-d/brian-wilson-1974-interview

[bringahorseinhere?]

I love this era of BW interviews....

Thankyou! for uploading this!!  

RickB

fun fun fun..... recorded in Australia??  seriously?

[Rotat]

Much thanks for posting this. This is a great interview. Brian is really lucid and he still sounds like his old self. You can hear his voice changing a bit but it hasn't changed all the way yet. Some interesting insights on this.

Few things I could have sworn Brian said different things about:

-Thought he said Holland was a bad time for him. Here he says everyone including him seemed to like it there. Unless he's just downplaying in this interview the hard times he's had the past few years

-Thought he said in a later 1976 interview that he does Transcendental Meditation occasionally. Maybe it was Landy who encouraged him again. He didn't seem really into TM anyway (except in 1967-1968) so not surprised he said here he's not into it.

- Yeah I second that, Fun Fun Fun in Australia?

- Brian is in great spirits here.. He laughs a lot.. He's very down to earth. He still seems like the Brian of old. What in the hell happened in 1975? Just so confusing.. He didn't seem like this a little later.

[J.G. Dev]

Interviewer: "Do you remember anything about recording 'Good Vibrations'?

Brian: "Ahhh...no, I don't"   

[Jim V.]

Much thanks for posting this. This is a great interview. Brian is really lucid and he still sounds like his old self. You can hear his voice changing a bit but it hasn't changed all the way yet. Some interesting insights on this.

I don't think he sounds lucid at all. He sounds entirely scattered. Like he can't concentrate for more than 10 seconds. It also sounds like maybe he didn't really know the questioner so he was talkative but going off in 20 different directions at once. I know that myself, I've sometimes tried to make conversation with someone I might not really know, and by keeping on talking I start to go in nonsensical directions, or at the very least would just insert meaningless "filler phrases" until I ran out. That's what it sounded like with Brian. I'm sure he might have been using cocaine or some kind of uppers. Which also probably leads to the scattered thoughts.

I will say, however, his voice sounded pretty clear. But it's also evident why he probably wasn't finishing many songs around this time.

[Rotat]

Much thanks for posting this. This is a great interview. Brian is really lucid and he still sounds like his old self. You can hear his voice changing a bit but it hasn't changed all the way yet. Some interesting insights on this.

I don't think he sounds lucid at all. He sounds entirely scattered. Like he can't concentrate for more than 10 seconds. It also sounds like maybe he didn't really know the questioner so he was talkative but going off in 20 different directions at once. I know that myself, I've sometimes tried to make conversation with someone I might not really know, and by keeping on talking I start to go in nonsensical directions, or at the very least would just insert meaningless "filler phrases" until I ran out. That's what it sounded like with Brian. I'm sure he might have been using cocaine or some kind of uppers. Which also probably leads to the scattered thoughts.

I will say, however, his voice sounded pretty clear. But it's also evident why he probably wasn't finishing many songs around this time.

I'm sure he was coked up here but he still sounds slightly more articulate and "with it" then he would later.. I don't know, something still reminds me of the old Brian. He was laughing and giving good answers, sometimes thought out what he was gonna say and gave his best thoughts instead of just say the first thing off the top of his head compared to the 1976 interview on youtube. I don't know what happened in 1975 but he did change for the worse in just a year or 2.

[G.C]

Very interesting.  Thanks.

[rab2591]

Thanks for posting! I love these old interviews.

[pixletwin]

He sounds coked up and fearful to me. He loosens up a bit after a while though.. but wow. What a great document of where Brian's head was in 1974. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Jim V.]

I also gotta say I find it interesting that he seems proud of stuff like "Heroes And Villains", "Catch a Wave", "Good Vibrations" and whatnot, but kinda laughs off stuff like "Be True to Your School" as being stupid sh*t basically. Also interesting that he credited "Surfin' Safari" more to Mike. My guess is that song really didn't make him very proud so he figured he'd blame it on Mike.

[rab2591]

I also gotta say I find it interesting that he seems proud of stuff like "Heroes And Villains", "Catch a Wave", "Good Vibrations" and whatnot, but kinda laughs off stuff like "Be True to Your School" as being stupid sh*t basically. Also interesting that he credited "Surfin' Safari" more to Mike. My guess is that song really didn't make him very proud so he figured he'd blame it on Mike.

That really stuck out at me. Funny he said (paraphrasing) "that's the song that ruined our career" - sounds like he knew how uncool it was, and that was somehow damaging their current image.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I also gotta say I find it interesting that he seems proud of stuff like "Heroes And Villains", "Catch a Wave", "Good Vibrations" and whatnot, but kinda laughs off stuff like "Be True to Your School" as being stupid sh*t basically. Also interesting that he credited "Surfin' Safari" more to Mike. My guess is that song really didn't make him very proud so he figured he'd blame it on Mike.

That really stuck out at me. Funny he said (paraphrasing) "that's the song that ruined our career" - sounds like he knew how uncool it was, and that was somehow damaging their current image.

And yet he (Brian) released two different versions of the song, one as a single, which charted higher (No. 6) than a lot of his other singles.

Brian was a very strange and profane man.

I really appreciate you posting this interview, seltaeb1012002. Fascinating stuff, absolutely fascinating. It continues to be amazing how Brian did change so much - his personality, his look, his voice, his producing skills - in such a seemingly short period of time. I'm beginning to wonder if Landy damaged Brian in early 1976 in much the same way he did in early 1983. Compare the Brian we see in 1976 to the Brian of one or two years earlier. It's frightening, actually. There isn't much, if any, footage of Brian in 1975. But, the Brian Wilson we see in 1976 had "those eyes", he stuttered, he talked more prominently out of the side of his mouth, he produced records differently than previous years (sometimes including/leaving in embarrassing parts), and seemed like a different Brian than the one we/his family/his fans knew. Was this change due to what Brian went through in 1975 with the drugs and mental illness - or - was Landy's treatment in (late 1975?) 1976 already producing disturbing effects?

[bringahorseinhere?]

Yeah Sheriff John........ that seems to be the impression i'm assuming also...

Brian sounds good here all up, a little vague, but still a lot of his former self.....

being openly candid about particular details we would not normally hear from him...

it makes it more disturbing if it is the case, that the Landy treatment had more and incredible threatening effects on

Brian over marijuana and LSD....

RickB

[seltaeb1012002]

No problem, always happy to share the goods. Would love to know if anyone could ID the date on this one. Anyone know who Bill is?

Re: the interview..

BW sounds like the earliest version of his modern-day self to me. The voice is still young Brian (with a little bit of wear and tear, but damn he was only 31/32!), but the random laughter, stuttering, the bizarre answers, etc.. all staples in his modern day interviews. The biggest change from '74 to '76 to me is the voice. I'd even say it seems like he's more with it in the '76 interviews floating around. Maybe because he wasn't coked up and sorta healthy.

Now that we have all of these '74 tapes, I'd love to see some more '75 stuff pop up to really hear the "missing link"!

[KittyKat]

Not to mention the fact that "Be True to Your School" was prominently featured on "Endless Summer," the double LP that gave them a huge hit that year. People loved that "stupid sh*t" and it didn't ruin their career. On the contrary, it revived their career, albeit as an oldies act. Also, yes, Brian personally produced two versions of that song, including one featuring his wife and sister-in-law, two gals he both loved dearly.

[Rotat]

I really appreciate you posting this interview, seltaeb1012002. Fascinating stuff, absolutely fascinating. It continues to be amazing how Brian did change so much - his personality, his look, his voice, his producing skills - in such a seemingly short period of time. I'm beginning to wonder if Landy damaged Brian in early 1976 in much the same way he did in early 1983. Compare the Brian we see in 1976 to the Brian of one or two years earlier. It's frightening, actually. There isn't much, if any, footage of Brian in 1975. But, the Brian Wilson we see in 1976 had "those eyes", he stuttered, he talked more prominently out of the side of his mouth, he produced records differently than previous years (sometimes including/leaving in embarrassing parts), and seemed like a different Brian than the one we/his family/his fans knew. Was this change due to what Brian went through in 1975 with the drugs and mental illness - or - was Landy's treatment in (late 1975?) 1976 already producing disturbing effects?

I was thinking of the same thing Sheriff.. This interview made me ponder whether Landy maybe corrupted Brian earlier than we thought.. I know some people are saying that he seems more out of it here than other places earlier or later on, but to me he seems more like his old-self then he would in 1976. He may be high yes, but he's not really rambling, not giving short answers that don't say much at all and he doesn't sound like something is radically wrong with him. He is very personable, honest, forthcoming with answers here to me.

[Mikie]

This interview is not new and has been circulating for years. So has the one after it, in August '74 with Jim Pewter. Brian's obviously been snortin' hog rails before this one and talks out his butt after half the questions. And laughing about nothing to himself the whole way through. And if you notice, he hasn't changed all that much in the way he conducts interviews today (with exception to the yes/no answers).

Pretty sure "Bill" was a friend of Brian's named Bill Tucker.  Supposedly, he could do real good impersonations of Brian.

[seltaeb1012002]

This interview is not new and has been circulating for years.

Hey Mikie,

I remember you and Steve Mayo talking about this interview in an old thread. Much respect to you guys, the 1st generation of tape/vinyl traders. I can only imagine the excitement of being apart of that. My Dad was apart of that generation, although it was mainly Beatles trading/selling that he partook in.

The reason I said "new", is because I'd say it's probably new to 99.9% of us. A few years ago I was HEAVY in the BB's/BW tape trading circle, booted & unbooted, and never came across this one. The quality is super clean too - I'd imagine it never made it too far past a select few (although I could be wrong).

That said, do you recall if there are any other interviews around that may be under the radar? Any BW stuff from '75?

[pixletwin]

It's like Bob Dylan says "If you're hearing a Beethoven symphony for the first time  then it's 'new' for you!" 

[Rotat]

This interview is not new and has been circulating for years. So has the one after it, in August '74 with Jim Pewter. Brian's obviously been snortin' hog rails before this one and talks out his butt after half the questions. And if you notice, he hasn't changed all that much in the way he conducts interviews today (with exception to the yes/no answers).

Pretty sure "Bill" was a friend of Brian's named Bill Tucker.  Supposedly, he could do real good impersonations of Brian.

Do you or anyone know the source on this? I know that's asking a lot probably. I wonder who the interviewer was. It is surprisingly a really good quality recording. Can hear Brian's voice pretty clearly.

Also, unfortunately it seems to cut off abruptly.. I wonder why it does that. I'm guessing they ran out of tape though.

[Mikie]

Hey Mikie,

I remember you and Steve Mayo talking about this interview in an old thread. Much respect to you guys, the 1st generation of tape/vinyl traders. I can only imagine the excitement of being apart of that.

Apart of it or a part of it?  Two different things.  

That said, do you recall if there are any other interviews around that may be under the radar? Any BW stuff from '75?

I do not. Only a 3 part article on Brian in the New Musical Express in the Summer of '75 called "The Last Beach Movie". I think Brian was really out of commish in 1975. He was writing a little bit, involved very briefly with the California Music singles. He was doing massive amounts of coke and pot and staying in bed a lot and that's the year his voice really changed permanently. You've heard of Lennon's Lost Weekend? Well, that was Brian's lost year.

[guitarfool2002]

What Brian said is exactly how he felt about "Be True To Your School", about 10 years after its release. Simple as that, he didn't consider it a highlight.

We can take this all kinds of ways through Pet Sounds and Today and Smile and beyond, but consider this is one of the conflicts that the guy had been dealing with for years, that age old battle between trying to break new ground without alienating his core group of fans. And even who that core group may have been was a source of contention between Brian and Murry, Brian and Mike, Brian and Capitol, and hell, even Brian and some fans - recall the early 1967 fan letter I posted from a magazine reader criticizing Brian's "new" sound on Pet Sounds, warning him that if the sound changed that much more, he'd lose the fan base.

And make special note of those songs mentioned, like Catch A Wave: They are, in fact, musically challenging and progressive especially coming from the early to mid 60's era, from a musician barely into his 20's, and from a band who a lot of people may have still considered a novelty or fad kind of act cashing in on teen fads.

I think "Be True To Your School" is lightweight, it's hokey and corny, but enjoyable as a glass of chocolate milk might be to an adult, light and nostalgic but not something you'd order with a steak dinner. Did the band take a lot of sh*t for the song? Yes. The same kind of sh*t that had Dennis near tears as he told Van Dyke Parks about the crap they were getting about the matching shirts in late 1966.

So a guy who writes on the emotional level, the deep and transcendent level that a song like Don't Worry Baby or even Catch A Wave had attained both musically and thematically, looking back on rah-rah-rah, high school glory celebratory music may have felt like it was not where he wanted to go with his music, as he had changed and matured from a gung-ho 17-year-old jock and campus prankster to someone trying to explore new ground with his music and especially his records, and hearing it at age 30 it probably felt in retrospect like he had just been to a 5-star restaurant and they offered him a hot dog and chocolate milk, along with a placemat to color in comparison. It's who he used to be, in his teens, not something to define or outline the image and career of the band or the writers. If they had done another "Be True To Your School", they may have been over and done by 1965 as a band. Fact.

Not that it's a bad song, although it can be a bit annoying just the same with the misplaced lyrical swagger and modern "whennnnnnnnnn" routine, but in the context of the era and what would follow in just 2 or 3 years (spearheaded in part by Brian himself), it's lightweight fluff and was probably thought of that way when he did the music. He's entitled to say as much, and content to not play it all that much in subsequent years.

[seltaeb1012002]

Hey Mikie,

I remember you and Steve Mayo talking about this interview in an old thread. Much respect to you guys, the 1st generation of tape/vinyl traders. I can only imagine the excitement of being apart of that.

Apart of it or a part of it?  Two different things.  

That said, do you recall if there are any other interviews around that may be under the radar? Any BW stuff from '75?

I do not. Only a 3 part article on Brian in the New Musical Express in the Summer of '75 called "The Last Beach Movie". I think Brian was really out of commish in 1975. He was writing a little bit, involved very briefly with the California Music singles. He was doing massive amounts of coke and pot and staying in bed a lot and that's the year his voice really changed permanently. You've heard of Lennon's Lost Weekend? Well, that was Brian's lost year.

Oops, my bad. 

That's a shame. Hope some more stuff surfaces from that year in the future.

[Mikie]

He's talking about his and the Beach Boys latest achievement as being the Holland material. He says nothing about any new material being written and nothing about being up at the Caribou Ranch in Colorado yet. So I'm thinking this interview would be in the early part of 1974. He talks of being at McGuinn's house - that's where he spent all night on the piano singing Shortenin' Bread over and over and probably where they wrote Ding Dang after a few lines of coke.

[seltaeb1012002]

Also, unfortunately it seems to cut off abruptly.. I wonder why it does that. I'm guessing they ran out of tape though.

On the mp3 it goes right into a bunch of clips of BB's songs.