Why isn't Brian on the 20/20 cover?

[Synth Wash]

Out of all the post Pet Sounds album covers (excluding compilations and the weird cloud faces on the Friends cover), there are 4 that feature some sort of band photo/painting . 20/20, Sunflower, 15 Big Ones, and Keepin' and The Summer Alive. So why is 20/20 the only one without Brian? Wasn't he even superimposed on the Holland photo on the back cover just so he could be in the picture? It seems like if they really wanted him in the picture they could have or just done a different cover, so it seems intentional.

I haven't heard much about this cover and how it was chosen. And is there any significance to Al praying?

[Jon Stebbins]

Easy...the orig. vinyl LP of 20/20 featured a gatefold cover, you opened it and the entire inside gatefold was a giant photo of Brian holding an eye chart. I always thought that was a really cool concept.

[armona]

Brian wouldn't have been on the Smile cover either, even though there would have been a band photo on the back.

[TdHabib]

A better question would be why isn't Brian on "I Can Hear Music," it's a Spector cover!

[Don_Zabu]

A better question would be why isn't Brian on "I Can Hear Music," it's a Spector cover!

Well if Bruce Johnston remembers right, he didn't sing on that one.

[slothrop]

A better question would be why isn't Brian on "I Can Hear Music," it's a Spector cover!

Well if Bruce Johnston remembers right, he didn't sing on that one.

I believe it's apparent that TdHabib knows this. I think he was just commenting how odd it is that the first song that did not include Brian at all was a Spector cover. You figure he would've been pretty hyped to sing even backing on that, considering his love for Spector's music...So what was Brian up to at the time that he couldn't contribute? Clearly his voice is all over the Sunflower tracks that were recorded in early 69, but for the last couple months of 68 he was pretty quiet.

[Jim V.]

I'm pretty sure Brian was institutionalized during the last few months of 68. But the "experts" probably know more than me on that. I'm not to clear on that era.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Out of all the post Pet Sounds album covers (excluding compilations and the weird cloud faces on the Friends cover), there are 4 that feature some sort of band photo/painting . 20/20, Sunflower, 15 Big Ones, and Keepin' and The Summer Alive. So why is 20/20 the only one without Brian? Wasn't he even superimposed on the Holland photo on the back cover just so he could be in the picture? It seems like if they really wanted him in the picture they could have or just done a different cover, so it seems intentional.

I haven't heard much about this cover and how it was chosen. And is there any significance to Al praying?

That's So Tough, you're thinking of. It was REAL obvious too

[Synth Wash]

Easy...the orig. vinyl LP of 20/20 featured a gatefold cover, you opened it and the entire inside gatefold was a giant photo of Brian holding an eye chart. I always thought that was a really cool concept.

Thanks, I haven't seen the original album. Sounds like a good candidate for my vinyl collection!

[Pretty Funky]

http://www.pipeline-operaglass.moonfruit.com/#/2020/4517893879

[Jim V.]

Easy...the orig. vinyl LP of 20/20 featured a gatefold cover, you opened it and the entire inside gatefold was a giant photo of Brian holding an eye chart. I always thought that was a really cool concept.

Most people always say its Brian "holding" an eye chart. I'm pretty sure its just an eye-chart superimposed over his face. I'm pretty sure the original photo is in the Friends/20/20 CD booklet. It was a decent idea, but the execution was kinda goofy. And my opinion is even though the sleeve makes sense, showing that Brian is "always looming", how do you have a Beach Boys cover without Brian Wilson? I mean Al missing on Summer Days is one thing, but on an album with "Do It Again", "Cabinessence", "Our Prayer", and "I Want To Sleep" among others, he should be prominent on the the cover.

[gsmile]

Why isn't Brian on the cover of 20/20?  It was already difficult enough getting Brian to contribute in the studio at this point, I imagine that heaven and earth would have had to been moved to get Brian in a professionally shot group photo.  Of course, the alternative answer is maybe the photo shoot took place while the group was on tour.  Either way, at this point, Brian not appearing on the cover of a Beach Boys album is not that surprising.

[Jim V.]

I don't know though he was all over the promo shots for Sunflower and even quite a few for Surf's Up. Maybe it was the new label deal that got him more involved. That is a good point though. Was there any group shots after the beach shots in 1967 that featured Brian until Sunflower? I guess there was the Stack O Tracks cover (actually really cool) but I guess that's it?

[drbeachboy]

And even harder to get Brian out to Dean Martin's golf course for the cover shoot of Sunflower. Then harder yet to the Warner lot for the gatefold spread. Like Jon stated above, I think the 20/20 cover was shot that way on purpose. The five on the front were the face of The Beach Boys in 68-69. Brian was behind the scenes; the writer and studio guy. I always thought that it was very clever and most probably Brian's idea.

[Paulos]

A better question would be why isn't Brian on "I Can Hear Music," it's a Spector cover!

Well if Bruce Johnston remembers right, he didn't sing on that one.

I believe it's apparent that TdHabib knows this. I think he was just commenting how odd it is that the first song that did not include Brian at all was a Spector cover. You figure he would've been pretty hyped to sing even backing on that, considering his love for Spector's music...So what was Brian up to at the time that he couldn't contribute? Clearly his voice is all over the Sunflower tracks that were recorded in early 69, but for the last couple months of 68 he was pretty quiet.

I thought that 'How She Boogalooed It' was the first song without any Brian involvement?

[A Million Units In Jan!]

Brian wouldn't have been on the Smile cover either, even though there would have been a band photo on the back.

Why wasn't Brian on the back cover picture of SMiLE? That's a good question.

[bossaroo]

And is there any significance to Al praying?

after the way Friends sold... i'd say yes.


didin't realize:
FACT: 20/20 ? Including the 1968 instrumental “Stack O’ Tracks” album, and Capitol’s official 3-volume ‘Best Of’ series, this was the group’s 20th album, in the 20th century, for Capitol Records …

[Andrew G. Doe]

Brian wouldn't have been on the Smile cover either, even though there would have been a band photo on the back.

Why wasn't Brian on the back cover picture of SMiLE? That's a good question.

1 - it's a touring shot...

2 - he's in the middle spread of the booklet.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

Very True. In fact, there are 2 Brians in that picture. Psychedelic, man 

Still, for a band that wanted everybody to think that they were all equal members, doesn't it seem sort of odd that Brian was separated from the others? Is this the first instance of that happening?

[jonathan anderle]

Still, for a band that wanted everybody to think that they were all equal members, doesn't it seem sort of odd that Brian was separated from the others? Is this the first instance of that happening?

Don't know if you're just talking artwork, but there was the Caroline, No single...

[TdHabib]

On the same track, I can't believe "Caroline, No" got to #32 on the charts. I love it, it's probably my favorite ballad Brian's ever written. It's just I can't imagine it getting that much radio play. Did ANYONE ever hear it on the radio?

[runnersdialzero]

A better question would be why isn't Brian on "I Can Hear Music," it's a Spector cover!

Well if Bruce Johnston remembers right, he didn't sing on that one.

I believe it's apparent that TdHabib knows this. I think he was just commenting how odd it is that the first song that did not include Brian at all was a Spector cover. You figure he would've been pretty hyped to sing even backing on that, considering his love for Spector's music...So what was Brian up to at the time that he couldn't contribute? Clearly his voice is all over the Sunflower tracks that were recorded in early 69, but for the last couple months of 68 he was pretty quiet.

I thought that 'How She Boogalooed It' was the first song without any Brian involvement?

First song written without his involvement, although I believe he at least participated in the performance and production. "I Can Hear Music", he had absolutely nothing to do with.

[runnersdialzero]

Also, anyone have a scan of the Brian "eye chart" photo?

[smile-holland]

Also, anyone have a scan of the Brian "eye chart" photo?

check out www.pipeline-operaglass.moonfruit.com/#/2020/4517893879

[A Million Units In Jan!]

Still, for a band that wanted everybody to think that they were all equal members, doesn't it seem sort of odd that Brian was separated from the others? Is this the first instance of that happening?

Don't know if you're just talking artwork, but there was the Caroline, No single...

Yeah, I was talking artwork.