The Smiley Smile Message Board

THE place to debunk old BB myths. If this goes the way I expect it to, I may sticky it. In this thread, let's gather all of the misconceptions and such about the BB/BW, and the actual factual information that discredits them. This is perfect for both newbies and long term fans who, well, just didn't know.

I'll start...

Myth: Little Red Book was recorded during the SMiLE sessions.
Fact: In actuality, LRB was recorded in 1968. The multitrack master is on a "Friends" album project reel from 1968. Confirmed by Alan Boyd.

Myth: Brian stayed in bed for three years.
Fact he continued to record and produce sporadically and left the house semi regularly.

On the back of my copy of Heroes & Villains it says, "Brian Wilson: the man who stayed in bed for twenty years."

The Beach Boys never existed. Everyone on this board is part of a mass experiment for the mentally insane. It is all in your head, sonny!

Myth: Mike Love alone killed SMiLE
Fact: It's MUCH more complicated then that.

Myth: There was such an album as "Remember the Zoo."
Fact: No there wasn't.

Myth - Hal Blaine played drums on all the Beach Boys hits
Fact - Dennis Wilson played the drums on...
Surfin Safari
409
Shut Down
Surfer Girl
Catch A Wave
Hawaii
Little Deuce Coupe
In My Room
Fun Fun Fun(partial)
Don't Worry Baby
I Get Around
Wendy
Little Honda
When I Grow Up To Be A Man
Dance Dance Dance
Then I Kissed Her
You're So Good To Me
Wild Honey
Do It Again(basic)
I Can Hear Music
Student Demonstration Time
Rock and Roll Music
Its OK(partial)
Honkin' Down The Highway
Good Timin'

And many many many many more....

Maybe it's a mis-fact but it could fit in...

Myth (widely-spread): "Breakaway" was the final Capitol single
Fact: the second version of "Cottonfields" was actually their last Capitol single of their first signing

Myth: "Sloop John B" was included on Pet Sounds against Brian's wishes as it was the current hit single.
Fact: #1 - "SJB" is included on an early track list Brian handed to Capitol in mid-February. It was his idea.
         #2 - Pet Sounds was mastered April 16th, at which point the single was #13... but when the album was compiled a few days earlier, it
                 was only #35. So unless someone was psychic in the Tower...  ;)

Myth: Brian retreated from the studio and his guiding producer role the instant Smile was shelved.
Fact: Despite the Beach Boys production credits, Brian was the main influence on the three immediate follow-up albums: Smiley Smile, Wild Honey and Friends.

(Folks on the board know this, I think, but the world as a whole sure doesn't.)

Happened to find this old postcard online while looking for something completely different....the card has Brian drowning instead of Dennis, they worded it drawned....take a look see.

http://www.cardcow.com/150038/the-beach-boys-ronald-reagan-presidents-ronald-reagan/

TY for that list, Jon...I didn't know Dennis drummed on I Can Hear Music or Good Timin'.

Myth: 'Kokomo' would have been bigger than 'Good Vibrations' with or without it being included in 'Cocktail'
Fact: :lol

Myth: Brian worked with Mike Love as his exclusive lyricist until Tony Asher came on the scene.
Fact: Multiple talented creators -- Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Jan Berry -- worked with Brian on early BB records and outside projects. Mike was never exclusive.

Myth: Mike contributed only fun and sun lyrics.
Fact: Mike not only wrote the trippy words to Good Vibrations (one of his finest moments as a wordsmith), but he contributed much lyrically to Today! and Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), which include some of Brian's most yearning pre-PS work.

Myth: Brian cancelled a session in May that was to be the final mixing session for SMiLE.

Fact: There is NO proof that this session was intended for any mixing at all.

Myth: 1976- Brian's Back
Fact: "no he's not" said little Nicola

Myth: Dennis had no musical talent
Fact: Dennis was a genius in his own right

Myth: Dennis abused substances pretty much from Charles Manson years to his death.
Fact: Dennis was clean from 1973 - 1976. Probably off and on from 1969 -1973 (?)

Myth: I am the walrus
Fact: The walrus was Paul

that he was   :-D

Fact:  Mike was the big stud of the group with the ladies.

Myth: Dennis would sleep with any female with a pulse.

Fact: Well, they say every myth is based on fact...

Fact 2: There was not a lot of sleeping! ;)

Myth: "The Three Wilson brothers, together for the first time in years, were welcoming Brian Wilson back to the group after a long hiatus. Sadly, he soon was drawned at a California beach similar to the places he had won his fame with car and surf oldies."

Fact: not only was it Dennis who drowned, but he didn't drown on a beach.
Fact: At the time Brian won his fame, those "car and surf oldies" (cos all his car songs revolved around the beach, right?) were actually newies.
FAct: Mike & Bruce are the ones whose fame still revolves around oldies.


Sorry... busy day at the office.

I've got a Readers' Digest various artists box set which includes "Fun, Fun, Fun," the potted biog to which says that CARL drowned in 1983. It was issued years before Carl really died.

Myth: Brian sang God Only Knows on the outtake on the Pet Sounds Box Set.
Fact: It was a mistake, much like Brian singing Be Here In There Morning and that Daddy Dear song. ^-^

Then who sang Daddy Dear if it wasn't Brian?

I'm confused, what was the mistake? Are you saying that Brian did not sing God Only Knows on the outtake on the Pet Sounds Box set?

Yep, that's what he's saying. Here you can listen again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uZ9_MS-n9M (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uZ9_MS-n9M)

Alan. And also, for the record, it *was* Brian on "Walkin'".

Some of these so-called  Facts are more like opinions.

The "Brian sings God Only Knows" myth is such an insidious one that I had to post for the first time in a long time to repudiate it.  It is definitely factual that Carl sings all takes, inasmuch as it is a fact that the sun is hot.  We feel its heat on our backs, and likewise we hear Carl's voice.

Yeah, I noticed that too...which is why I only posted ones for which I have proof! :D

An invaluable list!!!! Thank you!

Some of my favorite Beach Boys drum moments right there! Awesome to know its Dennis!  :)

Myth:  That Dennis played drums on "Denny's Drums."

You are actually the one embracing the myth. I've heard the master tape for Denny's drums, and Dennis is definitely playing drums on it. There is a tom overdub in there, and an edited bit that pastes the second section onto the first, a huge stretch might allow that one or the other of those bits wasn't him...but i seriously doubt it. They recorded a bunch of stuff that day for the Shut Down vol. 2 LP and he's the drummer on all of it.

I've always wondered about Denny's drums - that's why I posted the "myth."  Just to tweak things a bit.

Myth: Brian Wilson used session musicians on virtually all of his records with the BBs.
Fact: The Boys' playing is all over their classic albums, including a track on Pet Sounds.

Myth: Brian is a genius.

Fact : he's just a hard-working guy.

I think he's a genius, and who's this chap that wrote this?:
"A highlight of the 1993 5 CD box set is the instrumental track, an excellent argument for the "Brian Wilson is a genius" theory." ? ;D

Page 54 by the way

LOL...and 'sides, Brian stopped being a hard worker decades ago.

Jon...good to know about Denny's Drums!

Myth: Kokomo was a huge hit that gave the group a massive comeback
Fact: Actually, when the song was first released, it tanked. It was only by dumb luck that a movie picked it up and gave it more exposure. It then became a number one hit...for about one week, I believe. As far as the "comback" is concerned...all I have to say are two words: Full House.

Was it released before being featured in "Cocktail"?  ???

A U.K. reporter asked Brian, in his comeback year 1988, how much money he'd spent on drugs.

Without the slightest sign of doubt, he replied immediately: 'Oh, $ 100,000'.

Something tells me this is not true.

with his drug habits or under Landy's prescript care? or both? 

Are you sure? It sounds like Brian to me, especially when he stops playing and says "sh*t, I forgot how it goes".

Fact: "Kokomo" was released July 18th 1988

Fact: Cocktail was released July 29th 1988

Fact: "Kokomo" charted September 3rd and hit #1 November 5th during a 28-week chart run. 15 of those weeks were spent in the Top 40.

Fact: the song was always set to be in the movie - in fact it was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Song written specifically for a Motion Picture or Television" category.

Listen again - no-one, but no-one, says "gosh darn it" like Alan.

Myth: Little Deuce Coup is a good song

Ok, just an opinion

I just had a quick listen, but the only thing that stuck out to me that was similar to what you said was when Al/Brian says "I forgot the darn song"

Ha, I may be wrong ,but I think that's a Brian quote. I beleive AGD is messin'.

Ummm, put me down as thinking thats more of an opinion than a fact. I still truly believe thats Brian on "Daddy Dear." I don't know who "confirmed" that it was Alan...

On August 14, 1974, when Endless Summer was high on the charts, KGB-FM in San Diego broadcast a two hour program, 'Focus on The Beach Boys,' hosted by KGB-FM dj Bob Coburn.  Coburn stated, "The first album by The Beach Boys was a thing called Surfin' Safari.  Dave Marks was in the band at that time.  He ended up passing away.  I'm not exactly sure how, but I spoke with someone on the phone earlier and we both presumed it had been drowning."

Look at when it was recorded, and Brian's whereabouts at the time. He couldn't have been present.

Actually, it was probably more than that. David Crosby spent $500,000 on freebase in the year 1985 alone. Consider that fact that David was already badly addicted to freebase in 1976. It adds up. I would bet that with Dennis's "help", Brian probably went through about $300,00 on coke/heroin.

Can anyone (P)oint  (M)e in the direction of where to find Daddy Dear? Never heard of it. Maybe it's got another name?

I cant argue with that because I dont know the details on that end. However, I'll trust my ears on this one, its Brian IMO.

The story of "Daddy Dear" for them as don't know: while the band were in Holland in 1972, one of them - who slips my mind now - asked a fan if they could borrow a reel-to-reel recorder, promising to give it back before they left, which they did. Upon playing the tape (the quality of which is not very good), said fan discovered two songs had been recorded on it by someone playing a piano & singing: "Susie Cincinnati" & "Daddy Dear". The fan considered it to be Brian, but this is debatable. One, why would he sing an Alan Jardine song recorded some two years earlier... two, as noted the audio quality isn't at all good, but in places it sounds much more like Alan.

Here's the original thread: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,550.0.html (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,550.0.html)

Never have I heard this.( Course I've missed quite a few other sound bites also)

However, I read and re-read the original thread, and the only person I found debating whether it was Brian, was AGD.

It will take better ears than mine to decide this question.

This is true.  :)

How's that?  It was recorded in Holland in 1972, and Brian was in Holland in 1972.

I'd been under the (mistaken) impression that it was done in late 1971. Then again, Brian didn't do too much in Holland, at least not much productive.

Myth: Brian Wilson wrote most of Jan & Dean's hits.

Fact: Brian co-wrote 6 of Jan & Dean's 16 Top-40 records, as charted by Billboard and Cash Box, (five of which were co-authored with Jan Berry). Of J&D's 7 Top-10 hits, Brian co-wrote 3 of them. In all, Jan and Brian wrote nine songs together (11 counting "Gonna Hustle You," which became "The New Girl In School"). Overall, J&D charted 26 times between '58 and '66 - (28 counting two bubble-unders).

I wasn't aware he'd contributed to that many!

I didn't know that Brian even went to Holland. I've always read/heard on tv that Brian stayed home. I guess that's another myth....or just very shoddy research.

I think the big problem is with the 2000 CATP/Holland 2fer liners, which flat-out states that Brian didn't go to Holland. Shoddy, shoddy research.

I believe that the Brian Wilson Biography special said the same. Or maybe it was in the Endless Harmony documentary. I remember hearing about it through a tv program.

Very much doubt Endless Harmony said that - Boyd knows his BB history.  8)

Most of the Warners/Caribou era two-fer liner notes seem to be poorly written and researched, don't even get me started on the Keepin' The Summer Alive/Beach Boys '85 notes... ;D

I know, who IS that guy ?  :o

Judge not, lest YE shall be judged! 

I'm pretty sure, this was around the time when I stopped buying the reissues, so I wouldn't have to take part in the BBs mis-information campaign....

Myth: 'I Write The Songs' is about Brian.

Fact: Bruce has said it is about all song writers but how did the myth start? ???

Bruce initially said he wrote it about Brian

Myth: Jan Berry wrote all of the Beach Boys' hits.

Fact: It was actually CHUCK Berry who wrote most of them, except for the one's Brian wrote in Holland...

Myth: although a failure in the US, Sunflower was a huge hit in the UK.

Fact: errrrr... no it wasn't. A scant six weeks on the chart, entered at its peak of #29. Both 20/20 and Surf's Up fared significantly better.

?

find some old copies of the newsletter "friends of the beach boys" and you will understand...  :)

Myth: "Friends of the Beach Boys" was an incredibly funny newsletter...

Fact: Take out the words "incredibly funny" and you are spot-on...

But then it would say:

"Friends of the Beach Boys" was an newsletter.

What about all that stuff about Murry abusing brian, shoving his face in a pile of sh*t and hitting him with a 2 x 4?   Myth?  Fact? Exaggeration?  Hype to go along with Brian as mad genius?  (do we all think too much about this sh*t?)

what's the story about the re-writing/ re-recording of the old BB hits in the 70s...is this just another myth? how far were these recordings taken? demos or just ideas written on a piece of paper?

MYTH:  The story of The Fantastic Mr. Fox.  It's a work of fiction by the wonderful Roald Dahl.

FACT:  I loved the book as a kid, just saw the movie (loved that too) AND it has a cool soundtrack with (and this is pertinent to why I am posting this) 3 Beach Boys songs (two of them being extra suede choice-wise!  :smokin)

Those were the so-called "Irving Almo" demos...Brian along with, I think, Tandyn Almer and Stan Shapiro, basically taking the old hits and writing more "modern" lyrics to them. I believe Alan Boyd mentioned that they had discovered a cassette which contained some of these recordings, but that the tape was in very poor condition and needed some restoration after it was transferred to digital tape.

Wow...I wonder how "good" they were.

That's a good question also.

Subscribers would say that was open to debate, too...  ;D

Hitting him round the head/ear with a 2x4/baseball bat, thus causing Brian's deafness in one ear - no

tying him to a tree when he caught him beating off - yes

liberal use of a belt - yes

letting a boat fall on his hands - yes (according to Brian)

Brian crapping on Murry's dinner plate and putting  on the table in front of him - yes

Just your average late 50s/early 60s American family.

Brian was deaf from birth, right?

Can someone confirm or deny this one? I read this in a magazine years ago and it's stuck with me ever since.

Myth: Back in his wilderness years, Brian ate a birthday cake everyday because he liked the frosting.

Sounds like it might be from Gaines, but I've never read that.

They were Cupcakes.

Ol' Man River wasn't even an album track! Is the version in the film extended or a different mix because I didn't recognize some of the parts when I saw the film. Anderson always has a keen ear for music in his films...his seemingly sudden interest in the Boys makes me hope there will be a more widespread reevaluation of their post-Pet Sounds material in the near future. It'd be nice to hear "Yes! Awesome, Beach Boys!" as opposed to "Really?" when I tell someone new they're my favorite band...

The version in the film is just the Hawthorne version welded onto the Twofer version. And nothing in the film is bootlegged, if thats what you mean....

The rest of the soundtrack is also wonderful, i highly recommend picking it up. And, it's simply a great film.

From the mouth of Brian himself - in a Q Magazine "Cash for Questions" feature (roughly 2005). He also said Mike had the best beard during the "hairy" years...

A correspondent of mine told me that, during the Pet Sounds and Smile sessions, Brian Wilson would make tapes of himself singing all the vocal parts in order to provide reference for the rest of the band. He even said that Terry Melcher and Neil Aspinall heard acetates.

Is there any truth to this? If so, do we have any bootlegs? The only thing I've heard resembling this is the Don't Talk thing he recorded for The Wrecking Crew.

Has Alan ever mentioned which songs they redid, what kind of arrangements (piano & vocal demos?), how Brian/Tandyn/Stan sounded, etc?

Myth: Dennis was the only surfer in the group!

Fact: Mike, being older than Dennis actually had swimming lessons years before Dennis, and (according to my sources) actually paddled out into the deep end on a toy surf board for a few seconds before tumbling into the water a soggy, sobbing, prematurely balding mess, therefore making him THE original surfer of the group!

Myth: Brian recorded an album called Pet Sounds!

Fact: (ask Stebbins!) Dennis actually recorded the same album IN ITS ENTIRETY in the same studio with the same musicians (out of Brian's pocket incidentally) and then crept into Brian's room at night and hooked up a tape recorder so he could play the session tapes to Brian via headphones as he slept. Brian would wake up in the morning and pad over to the piano and grab some sad sack (Asher usually) and force him to sit down with the pad of paper and transcribe the Dennis fed poetry as if filtered out of him!

Also of note, the track Kokomo was actually originated by Dennis for inclusion on Pet Sounds but, in another incredible stroke of Dennis genius, was held back because of a charming kid Dennis picked up hitchhiking by the name of Tom Cruise in whom Dennis saw potential. This kid was introduced to Mike Love and a script for a "fun in the sun" themed summer blockbuster script was written and sealed away in ice for the right moment.

Incidentally, Dennis played drums on all of the Cocktail soundtrack songs! Hal Blaine was drafted in early on but could only stand in shock as Dennis (and a young John Stamos) laid out all the drum/percussion tracks in one single magical afternoon at Gold Star.

derp de derp

Myth: We know almost everything of the BB's history.

Fact: According to Bruce, the public know 90% of only 10% of the true BB's history.

Fact II: Erik H hasn't changed those stats... ;D

The "hum-de-dum"s from the Good Vibrations-sessions sound like Brian-only to my ears.

Myth - Brian Wilson is a genius.

Fact - Brian Wilson is a hard-working guy.

Hmm... well if Stebbins said it...  :lol


Marilyn at least is on there also.

Helluva delayed echo in here...  ;)

Andrew...
  Andrew...
     Andrew...
Doe...
  Doe...
     Doe...
 Pure Genius AND a hard-workin' guy...

Delayed echo eh? That's how Imagination's vocals sounded so good.

Nah, that was being stacked 88-high.  :o

Perhaps this is the alt. version of Here Today that's on the PS Boxed set with Brian's vocals only

Myth: The Beach Boys play 150-200 shows a year.

Fact:  Granted, I don't have the figures for the years post-1999, but these are the top 10 touring years 1963-1999 (for all shows, North America & overseas)

1966 - 153
1964 - 144
1987 - 142
1988 - 141
1999 - 139
1963 - 132
1993 - 131
1968 - 119
1983 - 116
1965 - 115

So, never close to 200... and since you asked, the years of the fewest dates 1963-1999 are:

1976 - 48 (yeah, that surprised me too)
1977 - 50
1998 - 51 (not that much of a shock)
1971 - 64
1994 - 66
1996 - 68
1997 - 68
1978 - 73
1980 - 76
1992 - 79

In 1962, the band played 78 dates, but I think we can excuse them.

Point taken but that is still a lot of dates in a year.  I guess. To me anyway.

I suppose individual BBs might have played 150-200 dates a year if you include non-BB ESB, etc. dates.

To be fair: 
78 is the number of pretty much,definite, known dates.  There are countless more that haven't been documented yet (and may never be);
 I've been told they played many many dates where they'd set up in a parking lot and play, then move on to another lot and play again.
Problem being, Murry booked them, Murry's gone. ( unless someone has his diary, or Audrees', to go along with his glasses that were sold on ebay)
We need to find all the people that saw them on those lots, and get them to testify!! 

Too bad Al and Brian don't have  better memories as relates to show dates.
Still, "new" shows pop up now and then; it's likely we'll be up to 150 before you know it.

78 is actually being generous in that Ian & I are according a two or three song set the status of a 'show': check it out -

http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs6162.html (http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs6162.html)

I can't believe that they only played 48 dates in 1976.  :o

It tripped me out that they played more shows in 1998 than they did in 1976, that's for damn sure.

I would post that they where probs busy making 15BO's but that would only account for approx 5hours, 17minutes and 2secs of the year.  ;)

You can look at it that way; but in 1962 that's very often all they played.
The shows at the Broadway Stores are a good example of that, for sure. Or the June shows at Dykstra Hall, UCLA; where they , maybe, played two songs, and the house band laughed at their low level of music ability.( but of course they got better over time)
Still, in the day, many artists only played one or two songs, their hit(s), and then it was on to the next artist on the bill. Everybody starts somewhere, eh?
Personally, I call each and every one a Beach Boys date. And there are more to add, but finding/confirming them...

True - Ian & I found someone who claimed to have valid info for a pep rally date they did as The Pendletones at Hawthorne High in fall 1961, but that unravelled when I contacted people who were students (and cheerleaders) at the time, and they denied it completely. Shame - that would have been a coup !

It's worth pointing out that the stress of a live gig is only partly bout how many songs you play.  The getting to the gig, setting up, tearing down, waiting around to go on, schmoozing...if you play three songs instead of three hours, it's not necessarily that much less physical effort.

Here's one...how many shows DID they play as the Pendletones?

As far as I know... less than one.  ;D

Myth: Pet Sounds is the only Beach Boys album that has had every song played live.

Fact: Pet Sounds and Surf's Up are the only two Beach Boys albums that have had every song played live.

A shame people had to be subjected to a live rendition of "Take A Load Off Your Feet".

Hey, Take A Load Off Your Feet was performed as recently as the 1993 winter "box set" tour!

The real painful one was when A Day In The Life Of A Tree was performed. It was only ever done once, at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, CA in December 1971. The news of this occurrence somehow remained incredibly tight-lipped until around 2004 or so when a fan who attended the concert leaked his recording of the show on the internet, which had never circulated beyond a tight group of fans. The Boys played their usual late 1971 setlist, heavy on material from Pet Sounds, Wild Honey, Sunflower, and Surf's Up, as well as a smattering of the oldies. Dennis performed I've Got A Friend, as well. But the REAL kicker was named Brian Wilson. He was backstage that night and was called onstage to greet the fans. Then, for some inexplicable reason, Jack Rieley came onstage, Brian sat down at Bruce's organ, and they performed (with Rieley on vocals) A Day In The Life Of A Tree. It was by no means planned. Jack forgot words left and right, his singing was even shakier than on the album cut, and the band were damn close to being laughed off the stage. The show also ran way over its scheduled time; at the end of the main set, before an encore was to be played, the local authorities stepped in, saying that the show had to end in ten minutes or the power would be cut. The setlist is on Eric Anniversario's setlist page - even for 1971, the sheer lack of the oldies is shocking, unless you count the post-1965 hits among the "golden oldies".

Think you'll find In Concert had every song played live too.  ::)

*boom tish*

But seriously, when did the BB's play That's Not Me live? Or IJWMFTT? Or Pet Sounds? Or Lets Go Away.... etc.

You'd better not be going from Brian Wilson does Pet Sounds Live or whatever, that's cheating.

Tough crowd.  :lol

The Beach Boys only ever played eight of the thirteen Pet Sounds songs live, That's Not Me, Let's Go Away For Awhile, I Know There's An Answer, I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, and Pet Sounds weren't done live by the band. Obviously Brian did them all live, and yes, it counts. If I was cheating I'd say Smile was the third Beach Boys album that had every song performed live. :)

The original post was poorly worded on my part; it should read -

Myth: Pet Sounds is the only Beach Boys album that has had every song played live by either the band or individual members.

Fact: Pet Sounds and Surf's Up are the only two Beach Boys albums that have had every song played live by either the band or individual members.

Seeing as the track listing was never decided upon in 1967, flag on the play.  ;D

 :lol

That was meant purely to antagonize the blueboarders who might be lurking here. :)

 Alright then, I'll let you off  ;D

You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. But you're still an asshole.  :lol

The cheek! ::)

Speaking of the Surf's Up album being played, was Til I Die ever played by the BB? Not including BW's rendition on his tour.

they played it in 2004. check out eric's set lists for that year.

I figured it was Mike Love's band, not the actual Beach Boys

Ooooooooh, well said!  ;D

haha, yeah, well, I'm really surprised it wasn't performed in the 70s, woulda been amazing, but Mike thought it was such a downer of a song

Myth: Sharon Marie Esparza was a girlfriend of Mike's.
Truth: No she wasn't.

To follow up on this, I now have the set on vinyl and - having found a cheap copy secondhand - CD. The booklet notes in the vinyl box vary wildly from the CD set. Many of the booklet dates are inaccurate (ie Elvis died in 1979) - these have been corrected on the CD issue, but with some mistakes remaining.

Here's the anonymously-penned bio of The Beach Boys ("Fun, Fun, Fun" is in the box set, stereo mix.)

"The group was formed in Los Angeles during 1961 and originally comprised Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardin [sic], Mike Love and David Marks. With their first national hit, "Surfin' USA," they made the public aware of surf music. By the end of the 60s the band was at a low ebb with several members having personal problems. David Marks left the band. However their appearance at the Monterey Festival in 1970 and their jam with Grateful Dead at Fillmore West in 1971 put them back in favour. Their line-up was augmented by Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin after drummer Dennis Wilson lost a hand in an accident. Again the band slumped badly until Brian Wilson got himself together and in 1976 the re-emergence of the Beach Boys as a force in popular music came about. The million-selling "Fun, Fun, Fun" comes from the period when Brian Wilson was going through a beach buggy and hot-rod phase. Carl Wilson, the only surfer in the group, was drowned in the early 80s."

The CD bio is identical, but with cuts to the text: Jardine's name is spelled correctly, Marks isn't mentioned at all and the shock story of Dennis's amputated hand is no longer there ("lost a hand" is, I suppose, true to an extent as he couldn't use it, but the phraseology sounds like something from a bad online translation.) They still maintain that it was Carl that drowned.

The box set, for anybody interested, is a Readers' Digest various-artists set called "The Heart & Soul of Rock 'n' Roll." I've no idea when it was issued: post-1983, obviously, but before Ricky Nelson died at the end of 1985 (he's referred to as a popular live act on the vinyl booklet.) The CD presumably came out much later, has slightly modified artwork, and some attempt has been made at correcting some of the more obvious gaffs in the text, as well as removing some other information probably for space reasons.

So I guess it's a myth that Carl drown while trying to reattach Dennis' hand under water.

True, dat. I interviewed her earlier this year. She's well aware of that myth, and finds it highly amusing.

Can someone address this one about "That's Not Me"?

Myth: Brian used session musicians such as Carol Kaye and Glen Campbell on overdubs to finish up the track instead of using the Beach Boys.

For the Sake Of All things Holy keep this post away from AGD or his head may explode.   ;D ;D ;D

If Michael Crichton were still with us, I would SO read this novel.

I’ve just recently discovered this forum (after doing a web search for info on Brian’s new album).  This info from Jon is very interesting!  I’m a drummer myself, and so I’m always particularly interested in learning “who played drums on what.”  I’ve been a Beach Boys fan for many years, and while I was aware that Dennis played drums on most of the first two or three albums, and on a good portion of some of the “post-Smile” albums, I wasn’t aware the extent to which he played on a lot of the mid-sixties stuff (I was aware, via CD liner notes—by Brad Elliott or David Leaf, I can’t remember which—that Dennis did play on “Girl Don’t Tell Me”, and “That’s Not Me”).  This helps solidify my opinion that Dennis was a very fine drummer, especially for someone who (unless I’m mistaken) had only been playing the drums for a few years when he recorded a lot of these.  I was already of this opinion, though, after seeing live clips of his playing (on the American Band video), and also hearing his drumming on the 1964 and 1969 live albums (especially the latter).  Dennis was probably a better live drummer than studio drummer—in his live recordings, I’ve always been impressed with the amount of drive and energy he was able to create, while still “laying it down.”  At least prior to the 1980’s that is—some of his live playing shortly before his death (at least on the American Band video) seemed very erratic, no doubt at least partly due to his struggles with substance abuse.

Conversely, this information also actually improves my opinion of Hal Blaine a bit.  Some of the tunes above sometimes show some discrepancies in timing and consistency from the drums, and I’ve often been puzzled by it, because I thought Hal was playing drums (one example: the signature drum lick on Wendy--five 16th notes on the snare drum--is a bit shaky when it enters again at the end of the song).  I mean no disrespect to Dennis, because he was a good drummer, and the discrepancies are relatively slight, but Hal Blaine was one of the top studio drummers in the world at the time, and so I’d expect his playing to be more solid than some of what we hear on these tracks.

Thanks for the info!

Ed Pierce

Myth:  The Smiley Smile album was a practical joke played on Capitol because of the way the Boys were being treated.

Fact: Um....okay, I got nothing.

Fact: Smiley Smile is a psychedelic masterpiece that makes Sgt. Pepper and every other so-called "psychedelic" release in the mainstream of that time look like straight-laced conventional stuff. Brian was wayyyyyyyy ahead of his time and that album has never been matched on many levels.

I agree with how you say that Sgt. Pepper was straight-laced 'cause, when you think about it, it was. It's not that much of a forward move from Revolver, but thats just my opinion.

Having read about what songs Dennis played drums on, it leads me to a question: Did Denny ever play drums on any of the sessions for SMiLE? Or was Hal Blaine the main man for those sessions?......oh....wait a minute.........they were touring at the time....so..........crap! That was kind of a dumb question.

I'd actually Sgt. Pepper was a step back in terms of psychedelia. Revolver had "I'm Only Sleeping", "She Said She Said", and "Tomorrow Never Knows". (All, coincidentally, written by Lennon). Pepper had... "Lucy in the Sky"? Maybe? It's not so much wacked out, though. More like a happy, gentle acid trip. The only real trippy song was maybe "A Day in the Life". The rest were more music hall/baroque pop.

Smiley Smile could be compared with The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, really. Both are completely wacked out acid masterpieces. Piper is more... fleshed out, though. Smiley is very underdeveloped, very simple in arrangement. One of the reasons it failed, really. The only minimalist album the Summer of Love would take was John Wesley Harding...

EDIT: Huh. The thread won't show that I posted last. Odd.   

I will never comprehend Sgt. Pepper's mass appeal, can't stand most of it. The only really good song is (reprise) and that's a straight forward rocker.

I'd say Pepper and Smiley are both on opposing ends of two extremes.

One is a collection of poorly written songs overloaded with overdubs and G.Martin's production and arrangement to mask weak material, the other is a collection of brilliant songs let down by zero production and poorly thought out arrangements.

Betcha cant guess which is which?   ;D

The problem with Sgt Pepper as a psychedelic album is basically that it isn't. Paul was the brains behind most of it and do you know what he was on while writing the songs and recording it? Cocaine. Not acid. Sure he was probably using LSD as often as the rest of them, but I've read that the main chemical inspiration was cocaine and whiskey or something ridiculous like that. Apparently Paul was on a real writing high flowing with the idea of it and he kept banging out songs in that state.

Now think about Brian. SMiLE is now scrapped, maybe in doing that he feels a bit relieved that he doesn't have to make 12 more Good Vibrations in one album. He can chill out a bit, lessen his work load, relax. One imagines him at home in sunny California with friends, deconstructing his own songs. In my opinion he made them a thousand times better. SMiLE's Wind Chimes is ok... it's boring as it is, and Carl's vocal is not that good in my opinion. But Smiley's Wind Chimes is a whole other song, much more complex musically and more interesting instrumentally and vocally. It actually sounds like you're tripping listening to it.

Sometimes I really do believe the "beatles heard smile" theory, because Brian was strangely prescient in moving away from the grandness of SMiLE into Smiley territory. I've always wanted to ask Paul, and I will if I meet him, what he thought of Smiley Smile. You KNOW he bought that sh*t as it hit the market, listening to it loud while stoned or tripping. I want to know how it felt knowing his big fancy album had just been topped by a very unassuming but brilliant Wilson masterpiece

And the proof is in the pudding. Find me anything in Pepper as good as the "girls and boys" bit of Heroes and Villains.

Or as friggin' cool as the chorus to that song with the droning organ.

To me, the most iconic statement about Sgt. Pepper and SMiLE(y) is Paul visiting Brian and the two playing (what one assumes to be) their favorite of their newly written songs.

Paul playing She's Leaving Home and Brian playing Wonderful. Now, I like She's Leaving Home, it's a good song, but it's pretty standard stuff compared to Wonderful, which exists in its own universe in music box like perfection. It cycles round and round eternally. And the lyrics are AMAZING. Van Dyke Parks is friggin' brilliant.

Through the recess the chalk and numbers... COME ON, that's amazing

Oh, and - Sgt Pepper has nothing like Fall Breaks, which makes Let's Go Away For A While stink!!!

You know, as I think about this, it really makes me sad knowing that Brian probably thinks Smiley sucks compared to Pepper. I mean, he has cited it as one of his favorite albums, or as good as Pet Sounds. Everyone talks about Pepper, no one talks about Smiley. Things should be different. The story should be : how the Beatles failed to keep up with Brian Wilson's mad genius. The story is : how Brian Wilson lost his cool and the Beatles "won".

fall breaks can't even touch let's go away for a while.  (that's all i got outta that).

actually, if you all want a major major lol, watch this video of this dude saying why sgt peppers is superior to pet sounds. but srsly, DO NOT make this into a beatles flame, cause there's enough beatles fans on that video comments section laughing at this dude too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpH_grmjJxA

gah i love it. so so funny.  i've seen this guy before commenting on beach boys songs. he's reaaally strange.  i almost feel like there's something a bit off about him.

I know, because it's so far above it, it just can't reach down low enough to give old Let's Go Away a tickle

fall breaks can stay up where it is then.  don't bother coming down! 

Debating the two is silly, you guys. They're both completely incomparable as far as tracks go. Made in two periods of Brian's life. Apples and Oranges.

Heh, I'm just kidding around. I love "Let's Go Away For A While", it floats through space. It is, or was, after all, the most satisfying piece of music Brian made, and that says a lot.

Was! He's not dead, you know! Unless you're making some reference to another instrumental that flew way over my head.  8)

Myth: so cold I go burr is a brilliant and knowledgeable newbie here with amazing ideas.

Fact: its a pseudonym for Brian himself, posting without any outside control, and expressing his true, true wishes.

Nah it's Mike, he's been fasting too much again and one of the side effects is posting on BB msg Boards in his sleep.   :lol

Look man, I made Let's Go Away For A While forty years ago and more. I've made a lot of music since then! How about Ding Dang for satisfying?



Haha that's crazy talk!

(http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9171/capturedcran20100702233.png)

But if I WERE Brian, I would most certainly put LSD in Jeff Foskett's morning milk. And then lock him in a room with LOVE YOU playing on repeat for 10 hours. That's real band practice.

What has Jeff said about Love You exactly? Or any of the other insiders who don't like it for that matter.

He just doesn't like how it sounds.

All the more reason to perform it live and get it to sound good, methinks   8) 

I wanna see Nelson Bragg go crazy on percussion (like he did with Vegetables) only this time on Good Time

I wouldn't want to hear the Love You material with faux 1965 production touches. I'm sure it wouldn't work anyway.

Right - it would have to be a zany synth filled show full of good vibes

Obviously I don't think Love You will ever get a single full performance but I could really see Brian doing a few songs from it at least - I'll Bet He's Nice, maybe. I'd rather hear them do the ballads than whimp out on the rockers. That is, unless they each have a serving of cocaine and birthday cake before taking to the stage.

Sgt. Pepper is a fine album of clever songs that well deserved to be popular. Smiley Smile is more of a deconstruction of the SMiLE album. Most songs on it don't even really count as compositions (e.g. "With Me Tonight", "Whistle In", "Little Pad", etc.). More like sketches as opposed to the songs written with Van Dyke Paks. And as much as I love Van's lyrics I don't think any of them are on the same level as George Harrison's "Within You Without You".

Bottom line: I LOVE Smiley Smile but I grew up on Sgt. Pepper and Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Smiley Smile just seems kind of slapped together without much care to my ears. And I notice a lot of anti-Beatles sentiment here but isn't Rubber Soul the album that inspired Brian to make Pet Sounds? I'm sorry but I have a hard time hating the Beatles especially since EVERYBODY I know (including my 9 year old son) love their music. Beach Boys had their era but some of their later stuff quite honestly embarrasses me (especially after Dennis drowned).

I personally love the Beatles. Actually, that was basically the first band I was exposed to, back when I was a kid. Through them I found the Beach Boys and etc, etc.

The problem with comparing the two, is that basically, the two are incomparable. Apples and oranges, as they say. The Beatles were Merseybeat early on, Beach Boys were surf rock. The Beatles delved into psychedelic rock, whist Brian delved into more symphonic related elements. SMiLE, as it originally was intended, is actually much closer to Sgt. Pepper, then, say, Pet Sounds. Emphasizing the "happy" side of acid. And afterwards, the two bands branched off into two completely different directions musically. The Beatles also had two god-tier songwriters who worked with each other quite often. And a producer who was more than willing to help. Brian had himself and maybe a lyricist too. Dennis didn't develop until a bit later, and he peaked and fizzed out too early on to make much of a dent. 

Another problem is the fact that the Beatles didn't last THAT long, which is to their eternal benefit. But, need I remind you, that the early 80's found Paul and George and Ringo struggling. And they found John, dead. In fact, most of the rock dinosaurs were struggling by the 80s. The Stones, the Who, the Kinks, especially Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, etc, etc. They weren't a good time for rock in general.

As a follow up to that, I think one of the reasons that the Beatles are given a bit of a bad rap, is that they were always more popular, always more recognized in the public eye. Just about every single, every album, they released was a number one. Basically, they could release a tape of fart noises and it would still go gold. The Beach Boys had to struggle to make a number one. And the Beatles' popularity never waned until they broke up. The Beach Boys lost most of their fanbase after SMiLE. I also don't think any of their albums went number one...

EDIT: For clarification, I'm referring to studio albums. I know Concert and Endless Summer both went number one.

Tug Of War wasn't to shabby..no. 1 in US and England in 82

Little Pad is not a real composition? Lol wut

BW&band should do that song live... it would bring down the house

Big Jeff with tiny ukulele, BRIAN on organ drones, whole band chimes in on harmonies while wearing Smurf masks... heaven
 
And if you think about it, Brian's current voice is very well suited to low key songs like that... all the more reason why there should be a tour featuring Smiley Smile and Friends, and a few cuts from Wild Honey too! I've never seen Brian live ... don't have money or transportation ... but that would be a show I would find a way of seeing no matter what.

I don't hate the Beatles. "Help!", "Abby Rd" and (an edited to single lp) "White Album" are all fine albums in my opinion. I'm just baffled whenever people claim they are the "greatest group of all time". And to anyone that thinks so my response would be that you haven't listened to enough groups.

Well if you believe that The Beatles weren't just a cutesy band of Liverpudlians and were actually a dubious marketing and mass brainwashing operation led by the powers that be... then it all makes sense. Their popularity was programmed. They were used by the CIA to spread sex and drugs among the youth of the world and to break down old ways of living ready for the new world order. Not to mention, Paul is dead.

Hey, man... Don't let those "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains" get to your head... You might end up in a bathrobe, pacing around your house non-stop

Isn't LSD wonderful?
Glad they banned this sucker, hopefully that will stop others bollocking eachother about acid in the other thread as well.... lets meditate!

I can't believe I missed this thread!

Here's some stuff I posted to my blog a couple of years ago...wonder if any of THIS is true or untrue!

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MYTH: Brian Wilson's near-deafness in his right ear was the result of a beating from his abusive father.

The truth is that we may never get the truth on this one, and it's also not really any of our business as it's a personal matter. But below are a few sources.

When Brian appeared on 20/20 Downtown in 2000, he was asked whether it was true that his deafness was a result of his father's abuse. Brian said no, he was born deaf in his right ear. It should be noted that Brian was very upbeat and positive throughout all his segments on the show and even referred to his father as "my hero."

However, in a European magazine article in 2004, Brian said that when he was a young boy Murry hit him in the head with a 2 x 4, and that's what caused his partial deafness. And you know what? Brian's overall tone in the article was negative and a bit gloomy.

And in Brian's interview with Larry King in the same year, he said that he was born deaf in that ear.

Basically, the various sources don't agree with each other -- and Brian contradicts himself on this issue. Heck, for all we know, Brian doesn't even know for sure.

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MYTH: "Surfer Girl" was the first song Brian Wilson ever wrote.

This is one of those things that I can't confirm. However, according to the late Bob Hanes, Brian's old friends from school roll their eyes whenever he goes on record as saying "Surfer Girl" was his first song. Why? Because they remember several songs he wrote before that one. I guess you can count a song mentioned in David Leaf's book that Brian wrote for a homework assignment when he was ten years old, but to be fair, it wasn't completely original - he rewrote the words of an existing song. Perhaps what's true is that "Surfer Girl" is the first song Brian ever wrote that was actually released.

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MYTH: The Beach Boys formed when Murry and Audree Wilson went on a trip to Mexico on Labor Day Weekend and the Wilson brothers rented instruments with money Murry an Audree left for them to buy food with.

See this link --  http://www.surfermoon.com/essays/aldental.html (http://www.surfermoon.com/essays/aldental.html) -- and scroll down for the details!

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MYTH: Al Jardine left The Beach Boys in 1963 to finish dental school at Ferris State College.

Read the same link above from an online fan discussion for details.

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MYTH: "Girl, Don't Tell Me" was Carl Wilson's first lead vocal.

The back cover of the 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) lists the lead vocalists of nearly all the songs. "Girl Don't Tell Me" is listed as a Carl Wilson lead vocal, leading many fans and insiders to believe that it was Carl's first-ever lead vocal. Even Brian's notes on the back of the album say, "I'm glad I finally wrote a song Carl dug singin'." Note the wording of this quote.

Although it remained unreleased until 1990, Carl Wilson sang lead on the 1964 song "All Dressed Up For School," despite CD liner notes claiming it's Brian. When asked about this, Carl said it was recorded so long ago that he didn't remember whether he or Brian sang lead on it. The vocal on the song has various phrasings that were unique to Carl's voice. A bootleg compilation that includes studio outtakes of this song also reveals that Carl indeed was the lead singer.

And we have at least one song that pre-dates that outtake; however, this song was actually released shortly after it was recorded: "Pom, Pom Playgirl." CD liner notes again incorrectly credit Brian as the lead vocalist, but the same vocal uniquities that distinguish Carl's voice on "All Dressed Up..." also appear in "Pom, Pom Playgirl." Also, as a joke the Beach Boys performed one verse of "Pom, Pom Playgirl" during an Indiana concert in 1971 immediately before "God Only Knows." Carl was introduced as the vocalist, and a bootleg recording of the concert compared to the 1964 studio version is a perfect vocal match.

And on the Beach Boys' debut album, Surfin' Safari, there's a cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues." While Brian was always assumed to be one of the two vocalists, the bootleg CD Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 1 reveals that the person singing the melody was Carl. A voice-over during the session identifies one of the takes as being "with Carl and Ni[c]k," indicating that Carl was one of the vocalists, and someone named Nick -- possibly Nik Venet.

But wait...wouldn't Brian in 1965 when he wrote those notes remember if Carl sang lead on another song? Certainly! Note that he didn't specifically say that GDTM was Carl's first lead vocal; he simply said he was glad that he wrote a song Carl liked to sing. Carl may not have liked singing the album filler "Pom, Pom Playgirl." Brian didn't write "Summertime Blues."

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MYTH: "The Little Girl I Once Knew" stalled at #20 on the Billboard chart because radio stations refused to play the song with its several instances of sudden stops, which would result in dead air.

Yes, it's true that radio stations tend to dislike dead air. Let's say you're surfin' down the radio dial, and you come to a spot that, at that particular moment, is silent. You assume that there's no station there, so you keep surfing until you get to an obvious station.

But fans who remember the November 8, 1965 release of "The Little Girl I Once Knew" remember that the song was riding up the charts just as steadily as any other Beach Boys hit. But why did it suddenly stall at #20?

The answer to that question came on December 20, 1965, with the release of an edited version of "Barbara Ann," an acoustic cover from the album Recorded "live" at a...Beach Boys' Party!. Capitol rush-released this song and promoted the bejeezus out of it. With its tight harmonies, many hooks, and fun sing-along style, "Barbara Ann" had all the trademarks of a hit Beach Boys song that stayed close to the formula -- close enough to reach #2 on Billboard. "The Little Girl I Once Knew" was suddenly forgotten about.

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MYTH: Although highly acclaimed today, Pet Sounds was a flop when it was first released in 1966.

It went to number 10 on the Billboard album chart, which measures from 1 to 200. Yes, number 10. Pet Sounds was a top-ten album, people! Okay, everybody...those of you who would be disappointed if you recorded a top-ten album, raise your hands! For comparison's sake, the album that contained "Fun, Fun, Fun," "The Warmth Of The Sun," and "Don't Worry, Baby" only went to number 13 (which, interestingly, was Smile's peak chart position).

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MYTH: A Theremin is one of the instruments used in the songs "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" and "Good Vibrations."

The instrument actually used is a device that uses technology similar to that of Moog's synthesizer and designed by Paul Tanner, hence the instrument's monicker "Tannerin." It was designed to sound like a Theremin (which is probably why during the recording sessions Brian Wilson kept referring to it as a Theremin), but it doesn't work the same way. While a Theremin is played via hand motions around two sensors, a Tannerin is controlled by a slider and operates similarly to the instrument Mike Love played when the Beach Boys performed "Good Vibrations" on the Ed Sullivan Show.

The sound in each instrument is different as well. While the Tannerin emits a whistle-like and almost siren-like sound, the Theremin produces a buzzing sound.

During Brian's 1999 solo tour, there was a Theremin on stage for "Good Vibrations," and Steve Dahl frenetically waved his arms around it, but apparently he wasn't really playing it -- and Dahl apparently didn't KNOW he wasn't playing it! One fan reports noticing that while Steve was "playing" a Theremin, Probyn Gregory at the same time was playing a Tannerin on stage!

Since 1999, the Tannerin found a home on stage with Brian Wilson's backing band, usually played by Probyn Gregory during the tunes "Good Vibrations," "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times," "Heroes And Villains," and "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow."

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MYTH: Van Dyke Parks was once a child actor, and he played Tommy Manicotti on the TV show The Honeymooners.


Yes, Parks was a child actor, but no, he did not play Tommy Manicotti on the classic Gleason show. That credit goes to Ralph Robertson, who also played a character named Johnny Bennett. Coincidentally, though, Van Dyke Parks and an actor named Ralph Robertson both guest-starred on Campbell Playhouse a few months apart; however, imdb.com lists two different Ralph Robertsons, and it's unclear which Ralph Robertson this was. (Thanks, Aegir!)

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MYTH: Because a corresponding film was planned for Smile, there exists a film clip for "Fire," which features the Beach Boys portraying firemen responding to a call.

While the documentary An American Band shows film of the Beach Boys in firefighter outfits with "Fire" as the background music, the film itself consisted of footage and outtakes from a "Good Vibrations" promo film; the fire theme just happened to match perfectly with the music. The promo film was released in 2006 as part of the Pet Sounds 40th anniversary CD/DVD combo package.

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MYTH: Leonard Bernstein praised Brian Wilson's music during the 1967 TV special Inside Pop.

The TV special had two halves, and Brian appeared in the half that was hosted not by Bernstein but by David Oppenheim. While Brian performs "Surf's Up," a voice-over describes the complexity of the music and how the song requires more than one listening to fully understand. The voice belongs to Oppenheim, who introduces himself at the beginning of his half of the TV special.

A clip of the Inside Pop performance of "Surf's Up," without the voice-over, appears in the documentary An American Band, while a longer clip appears on several bootleg CDs, some of which have the voice-over intact.

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MYTH: Brian Wilson stopped working on the Smile album after hearing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, feeling that he had been beaten by The Beatles.

While many people would like to believe this, it's almost impossible to be true. Brian abandoned Smile in early May 1967; Sgt. Pepper's was released in the States on June 2, 1967. The only finished part of the album that we know for sure Brian heard was "A Day in the Life," as Paul McCartney brought a copy of it for him to listen to in April 1967. Brian may also have heard McCartney perform "She's Leaving Home" on a piano, but that's most likely the extent of what Brian would have heard; one finished track and a solo piano performance is hardly a reason for someone to abandon several months' worth of intense studio recordings.

A short write-up in a 1967 newspaper confirms that it's highly unlikely that Brian gave up Smile thanks to the 1967 Beatles masterpiece. As reproduced in Domenic Priore's book Look! Listen! VIBRATE! SMILE!, here's the writeup in its entirety:



In other words, it's more likely that after hearing "A Day In The Life," Brian felt encouraged to TOP it!

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MYTH: There is profanity in the remake of "I Was Made To Love Her" that appears on the Wild Honey album.

Probably one of the oldest Beach Boys myths, going back to around the time the album came out, is that the background lyrics are, "You son of a bitch, you love her." I heard that it was even the subject of a trivia question that a radio station had as a contest back in the day. ("Which Beach Boys song has profane language?" or something to that effect.) The actual lyric, possibly semi-obscured by percussion: "Yes, I was made to love her."

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MYTH: At the end of a recording session for The Beatles' Get Back album, John Lennon played "The Lonely Sea" on his guitar as people were going home for the night.

This is one of those myths that just won't die. The problem is that it was reported by Doug Sulpy in his book about the Get Back sessions, and because Doug Sulpy is a highly respected author (and deservingly so), many fans want to take his word as gospel. This recording has been bootlegged, notably on Yellow Dog's The Day By Day Series. A listen to the alleged performance of "The Lonely Sea" reveals very few similarities to the Beach Boys' song and what Lennon actually plays. Should you listen to a recording of the session, try to sing "The Lonely Sea" to John's guitar arpeggios -- you can't! The chord changes are an entire measure short. In all honesty, most likely John was just playing some random arpeggios for no apparent reason. It sounds closer to the ending chords of "I Am The Walrus" but played in waltz time. John does vocalize while he plays, but it's simply a high-pitched "EEeeeeeeeeeee!" in no particular key.

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MYTH: Dennis Wilson cowrote "You Are So Beautiful" with Billy Preston but neither received nor asked for credit.

The answer to this one depends on whom you ask!

I believe it was Jon Stebbins' book that recounts a story told by Billy Hinsche, who was at a party and witnessed Dennis and Billy at a piano writing the song. It certainly makes sense -- it's definitely the kind of song Dennis would have written at the time, so it might not be a coincidence that he sang it in concert a lot.

However, when Billy Preston was a guest at the Chicago Beatlefest in 2004, I asked him what parts of "You Are So Beautiful" Dennis actually wrote. Billy laughed and said, "WHO?!?!" I said, "uhhh...Dennis Wilson? From the Beach Boys?" Billy laughed again and reiterated, "WHOOOOO!!??!?? haa haaaaaaa!!! Naw, man, he's trippin'! He didn't write that song!" Hmmmm.

After I posted about how a ballroom of a few thousand people laughed as Billy pretty much shot down my question, several fans said that according to Billy Hinsche, both Dennis and Preston were probably so stoned at the time that neither one of them would probably remember who wrote the song anyway. Others suggested that maybe Preston really did remember Dennis writing some of it but didn't want to go on record admitting it, possibly for fear of legal backlash.

On March 13, 2009, Jon Stebbins, author of Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy, posted the following on the message board at www.brianwilson.com:

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MYTH: The Beach Boys filmed a TV special in 1976 called It's OK.

In Keith Badman's slightly controversial book about The Beach Boys, he pointed out that the NBC TV special didn't have a title other than The Beach Boys. He's right -- check the opening credits on your old VHS or your DVD, or if you can find the original TV Guide listing, you'll have your proof.

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MYTH: Looking Back With Love isn't as bad as everybody says it is.

Okaaaaaaaaaaaay.....whatever.

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MYTH: Brian Wilson spent decades of his life as a recluse on drugs in bed.

That statement is what the media seem to want to believe when trying to sum up the life of Brian Wilson. But it's simply not true, unless "decades" means "a few years in the '70s and a few years in the '80s."

Although his output was very minimal, Brian Wilson certainly did some activity in the '70s. He wrote, produced, and sang many of the songs on the Sunflower album. He attempted a couple of vocal takes on "Surf's Up" on the album of the same name in 1971 and contributed a brand new song. Brian's name appears in both songwriting and production credits on 1972's Carl and the Passions - "So Tough". He produced a Jan Berry single in 1973, and in the same year he both produced and performed on an album by Spring -- and did at least one radio interview of considerable length to promote it. He contributed a handful of songs to the Holland album and sang in the background. Brian did at least one hour-long interview on a radio show in 1974 and performed on the Beach Boys' sole 1974 output, "Child of Winter."

So, it looks like 1975 was Brian's only true inactive year in the '70s. In 1976 he went through a drug rehab program, lost significant weight, and recorded and produced extensively with the Beach Boys, and of course toured regularly with the group. Sadly, he reverted back to his drug habit shortly afterward and regained the weight he lost (and then some), but he still continued to tour with the group into 1982, at which point he went through the rehab program again, this time successfully.

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MYTH: Many years ago Brian Wilson suffered a stroke during surgery, and this accounts for many of his physical habits.

I'm going into some sensitive territory here. Many people cite some occasional slurred speech from Brian as evidence. (Ever think that perhaps he was nervous on camera?) Others cite how he tends to talk toward the side of his mouth. Let me attack the side-of-mouth thing right now. This is noticeable in the I Just Wasn't Made For These Times documentary. Shortly after the movie was released, Brian said in an interview that he noticed he did that and was kind of embarrassed by it and was trying to break that habit. He said he more than likely subconsciously "talks to" his good ear so he can hear himself. Also, if you look closely at early Beach Boys films, you'll see that Brian always talked out of the side of his mouth. (Did he have a stroke when he was 22 years old?!) And you know what? Watch I Just Made For These Times and you'll see Audree talking out of the side of her mouth...Carnie too! So obviously, strokes run in the family, right? Uhhh...no. Besides...if the side-of-mouth habit were the result of a stroke, wouldn't the entire right side of Brian's body, face and all, be paralyzed? (Mind you, I'm no medical expert.)

In the mid-1990s, a fan on the Beach Boys newsgroups took questions from other fans that he was going to ask the Wilson family's attorney, who agreed to do an interview for the fans. A few days later the interview was posted. The stroke-as-a-result-of-surgery issue was mentioned. The lawyer could neither confirm nor deny that Brian had a stroke, but she did eventually say "there was no surgery."

More than likely, the myth about the stroke-from-surgery was fueled by Timothy White's book, The Nearest Faraway Place. But what's interesting is that the book clearly states that there was no surgery, basically concurring with what the lawyer said. Why was there no surgery? Well, apparently Brian was scheduled for some plastic surgery to remove excess skin left over from his extreme weight loss. Brian allegedly was very nervous while waiting for the surgeon, and the story is that Landy gave him a couple of tranquilizers to calm him. When the surgeon found out, he freaked and called off the surgery because the combination of tranqs and the impending anaesthetic could cause a stroke. In other words, no surgery, no anaesthetic, no side effect from a bad drug interaction, no stroke.

Again, my sources on this is the posting from the Wilson family attorney, which is theoretically findable if you do a search through Google Groups, and Timothy White's book.

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MYTH: Mike Love sued Al Jardine over the use of The Beach Boys' name.

Despite what many fans believe, and what has been published on a few occasions, Mike did not sue Al Jardine. It was Brother who sued Jardine for trademark infringement. Details of the court case are public record, so anybody who knows how to access those details can verify that this is true.

---

MYTH: In a move that puzzles many fans, Brian Wilson voted against Al Jardine's use of the Beach Boys' name. As a result, "Beach Boys Family and Friends," whose members included Brian's daughters Carnie and Wendy, couldn't get booked. So essentially, Brian's vote hindered his daughters' careers.

When Brian's current bandmate Jeffrey Foskett was asked about this on April 1, 2001, at a private concert he gave, Foskett said, "You have your information wrong. There was no vote." As I was present, I can give a first-hand account of what Jeff said. He basically said that there was no such thing as a "vote," and the reason that Mike Love has the right to use The Beach Boys' name is that he went through the proper legal channels to get the license of the name from Brother, but Al didn't, and that's why he was forced to stop using the name. He emphasized that Brian had nothing to do with Carnie and Wendy not being able to perform under that name. Jeff added that there are four corporate members of BRI: Mike Love, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, and the estate of Carl Wilson. (Dennis's share was bought out long ago.) All income from the concerts that the corporate members perform -- including both Jardine's group and Brian -- is pooled together and goes toward paying for the everyday operation of BRI, legal fees, etc., and what's left is distributed equally to all members. (Mind you this might have changed since, but I can't confirm for sure that it has changed.)

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MYTH: When Brian Wilson performs the song "Do It Again" in concert, some of the other singers sing "sue it again" at the end of the last verse as a commentary of the seemingly endless lawsuits filed by various current and past members of The Beach Boys over the last couple of decades.

To this day there are some people who religiously believe this to be true. It just ain't. Period. I'm sure Brian's band would be a bit more subtle. At the very least, they'd sing "sue him again" instead of "sue it again." What the hell does "sue it" mean, anyway? You can't sue an object!

At the same private concert mentioned in the previous myth, a fan asked Jeffrey Foskett if this is true. He said absolutely not, and he actually confirmed what I always believed: some of the singers sing "do it again," others sing "surf again." This is very believable, as there's an early take of "Do It Again" on the Endless Harmony compilation in which the last verse ends, "...so let's get back together and surf again." The combination of some singers singing "do" and others singing "surf" gives it the illusion that they're actually singing "sue it again." Brian's band is always throwing in little surprises from obscure variations of Brian's songs; heck, they were even rehearsing the "hum-bee-dah" section from "Good Vibrations" as early as 2001!

Still unconvinced? Then get yourself the DVD of A TNT Tribute to Brian Wilson. One of the extras is Brian's performance of "Do It Again" from that concert. Listen to the center channel of the 5.1 mix -- that's pretty much Foskett's vocal isolated. You will clearly hear Jeff sing "surf again."

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MYTH: Paul McCartney and George Martin were in attendance at the debut of Smile.

Most fans actually are aware that this is not true. However, some editing in the Beautiful Dreamer documentary implies that they were present. Unfortunately, I can't get a straight answer as to which performance they attended. Depending on which fans you ask, it was either the second, third, or fourth performance.

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MYTH: The Good Vibrations CD EP released on June 27, 2006 contains an alternate take of "Good Vibrations" that was never released in the U.S.

Well...not really. Despite what the notes on the CD say, that exact same was released in the U.S. in 1983 on the Rarities compilation put out by Capitol, which contained other then-hard-to-find tracks such as "Land Ahoy," "With A Little Help From My Friends," and the single version of "Cotton Fields."

To be more accurate, the CD notes could have said that the track was never before released on C.D. in the U.S.; Rarities was briefly available on CD but only in Japan -- it is possible, although difficult, to get the CD elsewhere as an import.

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MYTH: That Lucky Old Sun is a round that Brian composed with Van Dyke Parks.

The "round" part comes from an interview or two that Brian gave. By definition, That Lucky Old Sun isn't really a round -- a round is what happens when you have a piece of music in which a melody is performed, then the same melody is performed out of sync with the other melody, like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Brian uses the term "round" loosely, just as he described Smile as a "rock opera," even though it's not an opera by any definition.

As for Van Dyke Parks...his only contributions were the spoken interludes and some of the lyrics to "Live Let Live." Brian's main collaborator on this project was Scott Bennett. (If you read the Chicago Sun-Times, you might remember Jim DeRogatis' bashing of the album, and calling Bennett, and I quote, a "Hollywood hack," despite the fact that Scott is from Chicago.)

Great post, great thread..

Can't believe I missed it too

The second vocalist on "Summertime Blues" is David Marks.

Then who is the "Nick"/"Nik" mentioned on the voice-over? In 14 years, it seems that everybody has turned a deaf ear to that and pretended that it's not there...I'm not saying it's NOT Dave, but what's the deal with that announcement?

Nik Venet.

Now, the next part of that question: why is his name on the announcement if he's not one of the vocalists?

Myth Busssssssters!!!

MYTH: The Beach Boys formed when Murry and Audree Wilson went on a trip to Mexico on Labor Day Weekend and the Wilson brothers rented instruments with money Murry an Audree left for them to buy food with.

There's a LOT of research that's been done subsequent to those Cabinessence board findings 10 years ago. Check out the thread elsewhere on THIS board for another comprehensive investigation on this subject. Good stuff!

Okay, every Beach Boys fan and his duck knows Nik Venet produced the Surfin' Safari album (or, at least, was credited with it). But still....why was his name announced in the voice-over, implying he was the other vocalist besides Carl?

Nik Venet produced the Surfin' Safari album. Or at least took credit for it. I think Brian was more involved in the production of the album than Nik was.

Listen to Nik on SOT Vol. 1. He's in the control booth in the studio at Capitol talking to the other guys. He says David, sporting a little beard, looks like Jesus. Brian can also be heard talking to Nik from the studio floor. This was first heard by collectors/fans back in 1998/1999 when the SOT's first started coming out. It's always been acknowledged that the voice on the talk-back was Nik's.

You know who the girl was on "County Fair", saying "C'mon, Nicky" don't you?

It would be a very little beard - on 9/6/62, David was 13 years and 15 days old. I think the "David" in question is the engineer.

"A voice-over during the session identifies one of the takes as being "with Carl and Ni[c]k,""

Actually the talk-back says "take six with Nick" - no mention of Carl.

I was thinking the same thing when I typed that, AGD. I'm thinking David musta been wearing a fake beard to prompt Nik to say that. Jesus had a much longer, fuller beard than David could have grown at the time!  ;D
Always thought the "David" he was talking to was David Marks.

And there's no mention of Jesus in the AFM session reports for that date

It was David Marks.  He [still] does this thing with a paint brush where he bends the bristles against his chin so it looks like a beard...he was doing it that day. 
 
Nik wasn't there all that often so Chuck was probably trying to get them through it  quickly "with Nik" in the control room before he split.

According to David, Carl joked that Nik took the Surfin' Safari album cover photo while hanging by his ankles from a helicopter because Nik was notorious for stretching  his credits.  Chances are, if he did vocals on a song there would have been record of it.  Besides, the vocal part sounds a lot like David and the way he pops his "B's" when he sings "Blues" And, he remembers standing at the mic with Carl when they sang it.

Not Chuck, Carrie - these tracks were cut at Capitol studio.  ;)

My bad.  When I was grilling David about those other sessions we were talking about earlier, he got annoyed when I asked what studio certain songs were recorded in because 'we did everything in Western 3.'  Of course, the exception would be the very next topic of discussion. 

"The problem is that it was reported by Doug Sulpy in his book about the Get Back sessions, and because Doug Sulpy is a highly respected author (and deservingly so), many fans want to take his word as gospel."

What? Doug Sulpy is a highly respected author? The one book I have of his ("Get Back") is complete garbage. And his message board is full of grumpy old men who complain ad nauseum about the Rock Band game or have discussions about how every solo Beatles album sucked. f*** them. I don't hang out with assholes like those twits!

But I really did enjoy your post!

 ;D

Myth: galotale--a story about a wayward, surfing rooster who loses a wing while attempting to save his brother from drowning and learns to drum
          with his tail feathers.  (it's rumoured that no hens were harmed in filming...if it actually had been filmed)

Fact:  galotale--the story of a young man's journey through the islets of langerhans and sin, featuring the Beach Boys' Kokomo and Weird Al's    
          Pancreas.

What the hell is a galotale/galotail and why does the program  change the proper word?

Buttock -- you liked my post? Good. Then tell me why the voice-over on "Summertime Blues" sez "with Ni[c]k."  :)

That's funny!   ;D

Because he does. That's all. Because... he does.

Charlie's Left Buttock--you nailed it on the head re Sulky! (I mean, Sulpy.) I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that. What a negative place that was.

http://www.popcultureclassics.com/van_dyke_parks.html (http://www.popcultureclassics.com/van_dyke_parks.html)

According to this interview, done just last year, Van Dyke Parks says himself that he was on the show and gives an anecdote about Jackie Gleason picking him for the part.

Okay, then if that's indeed true (remember, Carol Kaye has similar anecdotes for several sessions she, uhh...played...on), then it wasn't one of the "classic 39" episodes (and The Honeymooners isn't listed in his IMDB entry). If he did indeed was on The Honeymooners, it was in the "lost 75" episodes that were part of The Jackie Gleason Show or Cavalcade of Stars...especially because he says he has the "transfers of the kinescopes." The actual stand-alone The Honeymooners series was filmed. The other 75 were on kinescope.

I wish they'd make a sitcom today about a husband that constantly threatens to beat up his wife.

Hal Blaine claims he drummed on "Surfin' USA". However, in his autobiog, the first two lines of the BB chaper are:

"My first session with The Beach Boys was in early '63. We did a record called "Oll Olly Oxen Free".

Which was a Honeys sessions, and took place July 24 1963, a few weeks after the Surfer Girl session he did first play for Brian on.

I believe the phrase is 'hoist by his own petard.'

Myth-Brian Wilson is a genius
Fact - Brian Wilson is a MUSICAL genius.

Thing is, David Marks said that the word "genius" was used in the neighborhood to describe Brian long before he was known for music, so....I dunno. :)

A-HA!!!

Okay, so I finally have an answer to the VDP-as-Tommy Manicotti dispute:

http://mleddy.blogspot.com/2010/10/van-dyke-parks-in-honeymooners.html

The link to the video on YouTube, btw, doesn't work. Copyright police.

However....anybody have some kind of "aging" program and can run this photo through it? This is DEFINITELY not the same kid who played Tommy in the "classic 39" episodes...and he does have a bit of a southern accent...

(http://www.banana-and-louie.org/vdphm.jpg)

That's awesome! Gotta love the internet... :)

Myth- Brian was so happy, he cried when he heard Jack Rieley do the vocals to a day in the Life of a Tree...

is that a myth or fact?

goo-goo-gajoob

Depends who you ask - Mr. Desper strongly refuted this myth, for what it's worth.

Jack Rieley said it was "bullshit", too. He said Brian burst into the room pumping his fists in the air like a football coach when Jack completed the vocal.

is it a myth that Murry made Brian take a poop on newspaper?

what about Brian's "relations" with Tandyn Almer?

I've wondered about that...I was told years ago that it was a one time thing, but it was by someone whose own reputation is a bit 'suspect', so I dunno.

Is this now the consensus re: the GOK outtake? I always thought it was Brian, but now I am not so sure.

I agree with you regarding Dennis's talent, but what is your source that he was clean from 1973 to 1976? The very apparent deterioration of his voice over that period would seem to indicate otherwise.

no way dennis was totally sober. no way no way no way mo way noway mowa, wyamwoan

It is indeed Carl; IIRC Leaf has admitted to being in error on that instance.

Myth: the Boys did SMiLE under the guidance of Brian and VDP.

Fact: the Sunrays and Rick Henn did it, under Murry's baton.

Nope.

Is the whole story about Mike making Brian cry during the 'Redwood sessions' fact or fiction?

Almost certainly fiction. Consider.

In some 44 years, Danny Hutton's not said word one about it, yet he was allegedly there...

Sole source - Chuck Negron...

According to someone who knows this stuff better than I, the session dates don't jibe...

Myth: Brian was not present on So Tough apart from the writing credits.
Fact: This is completely false. He is ALL OVER 'Mess of Help'  and 'He Came Down' vocally, and he did production work on both cuts. He is also present vocally on 'Marcella' and allegedly on 'Cuddle Up'.

You know, there is a somewhat gross -- but reasonable -- explanation to this that could have gotten lost over the years: Brian had pinworms or another fecal infection, and they needed to take a stool sample to the doctor without it coming in contact with water in the loo.

Ironically, one of the more common places for a child to contract pinworms is a public sandbox...

Lee

As I recall, that was Murry's punishment when he stumbled upon a young Brian, ah, pleasuring himself.

And yes, it scares me I remember this stuff.

I thought that his punishment for jacking off was to be tied to a tree?


(http://www.flamewarriors.com/Assets/ent.jpg)

Horrible stuff, isn't it? According to BBs lore, Murry was such an inept and clueless father... I guess his main mode of expression when in doubt was cruelty. Oddly, he reminds me of some descriptions of certain mental disorders. People can veer from aggression and cruel behaviour to a state of utter soft sentimentality within minutes. IIRC Brian said this of Murry numerous times.

Myth - Murry is a genius, too
Fact- No, he's not