The Smiley Smile Message Board

I know this topic of this Harry-Brian-VDP party photo goes back on this board to 2006, but the local PBS station is running the "Who Is Harry Nilsson..." documentary during a pledge drive tonight, and this candid photo popped up for about half a second during the chapter about Harry's partying in the 70's. For similar shots of some of Harry's cohorts during this time, including the Hollywood Vampires and assorted rock royalty, I posted a bunch of them about a year ago in a separate thread.

But this one caught my eye and shocked me yet again because there just are not that many photos like this in circulation, at least in public circles, and surely not many candids of Brian Wilson during this period.

I'd love to see more like this:

(http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n295/guitarfool2002/brianharry_zps46a04135.jpg)

I saw the documentary the other day on Netflix, incredible

Who's the lady to the left of Brian

....and are they drinking milk?

Those might be brandy alexanders.

How do we date this photo? Somewhere between 1974 and 1976 I guess eh?

I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure that is '74 since Brian looks a bit younger than his other "beard era" photos.

I'd say definitely - Harry's favourite.

I was thinking the same.  A real "missing link photo if ever there was one.

When looking at the glasses, note that the white line in Van Dyke's glass tilts down to the side, matching the tilt of the glass itself, rather than being level with the ground, as gravity would demand if the white represented a liquid inside.  So it appears that these are clear plastic glasses with a white insert which obscures whatever is inside them. 

I gotta say that Harry looks like sh*t in this photo. Just a few years earlier he looked so much younger. He really did damage to himself in the '70s, and unfortunately that is pretty much why he hasn't been around these past twenty to experience the way his music has gained appreciation and popularity. Truly a shame.

True, underneath his beard and weight gain you can clearly see 1970 Brian.

Yeah, whos the blonde? It aint Marilyn

Looks like milk to me, milk does a body good -- look what its done for Brian! (plus pie, etc)

Under the beard I see a 1974 Brian. Same with Nilsson, who looked like that when he and Lennon got thrown outta the Troubador during the "lost weekend". And Van Dyke, who was at the Troubador the same night as Nilsson and Lennon when they hit the sauce too much.

(http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n295/guitarfool2002/brianharry_zps46a04135.jpg)


Brian: You're under Arrest!

Harry: Where's the hashpipe?

Guy on right: pugh. Who Farted?

Note Harry is holding a stemmed glass -- which would be the proper vehicle for a Brandy Alexander, as opposed to the highball glasses that Brian and Van are holding.

Lee

I think Van Dyke and Brian are not holding drinks...just jars of Peruvian flake. ;)

I dunno. Wouldn't there be straws in the glasses if it was flake? 

What kinda pipe is on the album cover of Nilsson Schmilsson?

An outta sight hash pipe.

Hey Punkinhead, do you think you have enough in your signature?  My God, it take up almost half of your posting space!  ;D

I'd guess this pic is from early '75. Had it been from '74, I figure the likelihood is strong Lennon would be in it but he ain't. Nilsson looks about as grizzled as on the Duit On Mon Dei cover. Van Dyke looks like he does on the Yankee Reaper cover to some degree.

Yeah I have mentioned before that Brian looks too young for it to be from anytime after the summer of 1975. Maybe late 1974 when Lennon had gone back to New York, but May Pang remembers John and Brian together.

I never knew that any pictures of Brian from 1974-1975 existed. I thought that was his "lost" period? If anyone has any (besides this picture, obv.) I'd love to see them!

We all would

people determining what year it was based on the absence of John Lennon? maybe he is out of frame or the one taking the picture. maybe he just didn't go out that night. maybe he was in the bathroom.

You've not seen the shot of Brian w/Jim Pewter from 1974 ? In both of the Leaf books. Middle image on page:

(http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k154/dorphas/1976-77Bomp5.jpg)

... and yes, it's reversed.  ;D

Then there is this one from Keith Moon's birthday bash in LA, August 23, 1974:

(http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n295/guitarfool2002/briankeith1.jpg)

Note that John Lennon was not at that party either, but he was definitely in New York that weekend and it was the weekend when he claimed to have seen a UFO over New York. More photos of Keith Moon's bash here: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14544.0.html (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14544.0.html)

Seeing these pictures reminds me of that "lost" period, too, when Brian was supposedly lying in bed all the time.  Is the lying-in-bed thing actually a myth?

I think I remember Danny Hutton said one time that Brian was in bed all day because he partied all night.

Was gonna mention the August '74 picture with Jim Pewter on KRTH radio L.A. but AGD beat me to it. He looks the same as the picture at the top of the thread and the one with Keith Moon.

I think it was in Mickey Dolenz' book where he said he saw Brian and Lennon at the same party in '74 in Malibu. Probably the same party that May Pang talks about in her book (she introduced Brian to Lennon) and that Billy Hinsche has confirmed.

Lennon went back to New York at the end of January '75. I still think the picture at the top of the thread is from '74. Just because Lennon isn't in the picture doesn't mean he wasn't there (or was).

OK all you trivia hounds...here's a tidbit I bet you never noticed before. If you watch the Beach Boys An American Band and fast forward to the very last shot as the band walks on stage where the info text starts, you can clearly see oneHarry Nilsson in a black leather jacket up in the scaffolding rightbehind the band. It is the mid 80's Harry alright. Confirmed by the man himself as recounted in the soon to be released biography.

Then there is this relatively unknown shot of Brian ...

(http://theereatta.8thman.com/images/bri_jim.jpg)

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

Yeah, I'd definitely call it p*ssy Cats era Harry, as it looks exactly like all the photos I've seen of him at the start of his fall. The year also chimes for Van Dyke's look in the early 70's - mustache, although disappointingly not dressed as a cowboy. But yeah, it's possibly easier to date this photo by looking at Harry photos rather than Brian photos, because the former are possibly more abundant? Dude was a, er, socialite...

'73 - early '74??

Thats an interesting interview, whats there anyway.

I never knew, fer instance that Brian was such a huge fan of French Onion dip with Fritos corn chips.

But his love of blue cheese dip is well documented.