American Songwriter: Writer of the week, Brian

[Ang Jones]

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2015/04/writer-week-brian-wilson-2/


"Which one of your songs was the most difficult to write?"

"Probably “Gone Away Ghost.” That one took about a month to write."

That one rings no bells - anyone else familiar with it?

[wantsomecorn]

Could "Gone Away Ghost" just be a really bad transciption of "God Only Knows"?

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Could "Gone Away Ghost" just be a really bad transciption of "God Only Knows"?

Haha. Sounds like it but isn't God Only Knows the song that he usually talks about writing very quickly.

[SMiLE-addict]

Maybe it's a song he never released?

That could be why it was so hard to write.

[JK]

Could it be "Runaway Dancer"? The Yahoo interview of 4/7/2015 begins as follows:

“I take a lot longer to write a song now than I did when I was young,” says Brian Wilson, Beach Boy, musical icon, and current solo artist promoting his brand new album. “I take, like, you know—sometimes a month to write a song.”

[Ovi]

Do you ever think about dabbling into other genres of music?

No. I stick to rock n’ roll.

[Pretty Funky]

He also says about the 'Ghost' song...

What was the hold up on that?

I was trying to get the chords together. It took me about two weeks to get the chords right and another two weeks to get the melody and the words.


I'm wondering if its 'Good Vibrations'?

[JK]

Maybe it's a song he never released?

It does look that way. Nothing else makes sense (particularly "Runaway Dancer" ).

Of course it might be "Go On Away, Goats", a song Brian wanted to tack onto Pet Sounds after the San Diego Zoo photo shoot.

[Bud Shaver]

Maybe it's a song he never released?

It does look that way. Nothing else makes sense (particularly "Runaway Dancer" ).

Of course it might be "Go On Away, Goats", a song Brian wanted to tack onto Pet Sounds after the San Diego Zoo photo shoot.

Was reworked in 1977 by Lindsey Buckingham as "Goat Your Own Way" for Fleetwood Mac's Rumours LP

[JK]

Maybe it's a song he never released?

It does look that way. Nothing else makes sense (particularly "Runaway Dancer" ).

Of course it might be "Go On Away, Goats", a song Brian wanted to tack onto Pet Sounds after the San Diego Zoo photo shoot.

Was reworked in 1977 by Lindsey Buckingham as "Goat Your One Way" for Fleetwood Mac's Rumours LP

Haha. To say nothing of The Police's fourth album...

[Cam Mott]

Congratulations to Brian. I hope we get to hear "GAG".

(first to use acronym, high five)

[rn57]

Congratulations to Brian. I hope we get to hear "GAG".

(first to use acronym, high five)

GAG is about Ghost as in the Japanese noise band that put out some albums here in the '90s and broke up last year. Brian may not know who the hell Kraftwerk are but his collections of early Merzbow cassettes and Cornelius CD singles are as respectable as anybody's.

[KDS]

Or maybe the Sweden hard rock / metal band Ghost (AKA Ghost BC in the United States) that is about to release their 3rd album this summer. 

[JK]

I'm not on Facebook but I noticed this string while trawling the net:

"Where is the song "Go Away Ghost"? Brian said in an"

It's somewhere on Brian's FB page. Maybe it will elicit an answer...   

[Please delete my account]

Congratulations to Brian. I hope we get to hear "GAG".

(first to use acronym, high five)

GAG is about Ghost as in the Japanese noise band that put out some albums here in the '90s and broke up last year. Brian may not know who the hell Kraftwerk are but his collections of early Merzbow cassettes and Cornelius CD singles are as respectable as anybody's.

No, it's about the banned smileysmile.net board member "ghost".

[Joel Goldenberg]

Maybe it was the umpteenth Brian put-on.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Maybe it was the umpteenth Brian put-on.

That's what I'm thinking.

[Wirestone]

It's simply a mishearing of "God Only Knows." The two are too similar in sound for it to be a coincidence.

[JK]

My problem with it being GOK----trying to think straight here----is that since Tony Asher is credited with writing the lyrics, why would these have taken Brian so long? I can imagine him getting forgetful about some things from so long ago but this just seems odd...     

[barto]

My problem with it being GOK----trying to think straight here----is that since Tony Asher is credited with writing the lyrics, why would these have taken Brian so long? I can imagine him getting forgetful about some things from so long ago but this just seems odd...     

The chords are very complex. Brian has said on multiple occasions it is the most complex song he has written in terms of chord progression.

[rogerlancelot]

If you could co-write with anyone living or dead who would it be?

Probably McCartney.

Those 2 guys are my favorite living legends. Could this ever happen???

[kookadams]

Thats hilarious ,songwriter of the "week", hes the writer of the goshdarn last 52 yrs! THE.

[Ang Jones]

'Gone Away Ghost' to 'God Only Knows'? The interviewer might need to get his or her hearing checked.

It's created an opportunity though, hasn't it? If it was a misheard GOK or for that matter a BW put on, he now has the option to write a song called Gone Away Ghost. It has got quite a bit of publicity already. I like the title. It's intriguing. Halloween follows the UK tour. Perfect!

[Fall Breaks]

And then totally screw the fanbase over by making it a simple three chord rock and roll number!

[Dove Nested Towers]

The quasi-legendary "Goat Sessions" took place after the Zoo shoot, after an impromptu inspiration that Brian had to add tinkling tin can sounds to various album tracks after holding one out for the San Diego goat to nibble on, overdubs later erased after reconsidering the sonic merits (or lack thereof) of the gimmick. The song's alternate title was also inspired by a brief conversation with Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, where he told BW about some album titles under consideration, one of which was finally used a few years later, "Goat's Head Soup".