The Smiley Smile Message Board

With all the recent interest in the Wilson-Paley BB tracks (and the recent interband intrigue), I thought I'd set up a thread to direct people to one of the most interesting compilations of material about the abortive mid-90s BB reunion. It's on this site, but not in an easily accessible place.

Here's the link:

http://smileysmile.net/OLDlibrary/timeline.html

Some choice quotes:







And a whole bunch more stuff, going up to 2006.

The lingering question is:

Whatever became of Jerome S. Billet ?

I read this (again) with fascination. Totally bizarre period.

Some favorite bits:

Andy Paley: "We've just been doing what he likes to do – the kind of records he's always liked; I don't try to change anything in any way – his vision of what he wants. When he says 'Do this." in the studio, I do it. I don't question it. If he knows what he wants, I do it or get somebody who can."

Sean O'Hagen: "As far as I can see, Joe Thomas hasn't got a clue about Brian Wilson or his legacy ... He kept referring to Brian's potential as an Adult Contemporary crossover artist. I sad, 'Don't you realise Brian Wilson is essentially a 20th-century avant-garde pop genius?' And he went, 'Avant-garde? Not the Brian Wilson I know'. I don't think Brian really wanted to work with him - but he had no choice, he was being pulled in that direction."

Before the show, Sean found Love meditating in a shower cubicle while the other Boys held a meeting in a changing room. "There was," he says, "something spooky in the air. It was dark, strange."

The Uncut article is kind of a hatchet job. Lots of secondhand accounts from people with agendas. It does seem clear that Brian had less than no desire to collaborate with Sean O'Hagan.

As for Billet, he was replaced when (or shortly before) Brian married Melinda. She was his conservator for a few years, and then Brian regained all of his legal rights.

Billet is still around, just another lawyer in L.A.

http://www.intelius.com/people/Jerome-Billet/08zqxj0f523

sorry man, thanks for the info ... I was joking

good to know his sign is Aries though.

Don't be sorry -- it's a small detail in the life of Brian Wilson. We live for those things!

I do wonder if Brian had people who looked after him day-to-day during those three or four years. That would be the source of some interesting stories.

I vaguely recall someone once talking about running across Brian in a bar in LA during this time -- he was playing Jane's Addiction on the jukebox and clearly very manic.

'Meet me somewhere out in Malibu'...is that a song title?

Does anyone remember where to find the link to the story that Sean O'Hagen told about Carl saying he didn't think the group were capable of making another album on par with Holland (or something to that effect) ?

I've heard Brian started smoking again briefly during the post Landy, pre Melinda period, but what about drugs?

Nope. It's a line in the bridge of the song "Dancin' the Night Away," which has been booted. There are literally like 20 seconds of vocals on the three- or four-minute track.

I'd doubt it. Simply because I expect he had a minder or two around him most of the time. I've been told, within the last few years, that one of the reasons Jeff is with Brian so often is that Brian can wander off in a daze and get lost if someone isn't around to guide him. I'm sure that's not true at all times and in all cases, but still ...

Its a shame that Brian is prone to those "episodes". :(

What's interesting is that the rundown from that link describes two different groups of sessions for "Dancing the Night Away", with a lot of time in between. One initial session with Mike, Carl, and Brian, and then later they supposedly worked on it again during sessions for SS and YSAM. Yet, all that came from all that work was the 20 seconds of vocals? I wonder if more BB vocals exist for that track. I'd guess no since they weren't included at all on MIC.

I think it was one of Carl's collaborators who told a story of accompanying Carl to a "Proud Mary" session of Brian's; I wonder where that fits into this chronology.

Thanks for the link Wirestone.  I remember living through this period as it happened and reading these articles as they came out, even being able to talk to some folks (like Al Jardine) and getting bits of information during the time.  I devoured all of the info I could get,  just waiting for that great reunion album that was sure to come our way.  But, alas...

This isn't true. The sessions for "Baywatch Nights" (a.k.a. "Dancin' The Night Away) were in March. The sessions for "Soul Searchin'" and "You're Still A Mystery" were in November. In between sessions for Stars & Stripes Vol. 1. Which then would also mean that they didn't junk the original material to do the country project. Which is kinda interesting to think about. Apparently they were planning on doing both at the same time.

And then add the fact that Don Was told Brian to go back and write some more stuff. Maybe that's why they didn't do any more original material after November. Perhaps it wasn't Carl who walked away. Especially considered that they still all worked together well into 1996.

Question being, when did the attempt to get a new album together really end? When Carl died? With Imagination? When Brian get Darian, et al in his solo group? If anything I think Brian getting his own group ended it more than anything.

Nah. Brian's group didn't coalesce until 1999, and arguably didn't hit its stride until 2000.

I've got to think that the commercial failure of Stars and Stripes, coupled with the band's attempts to get Brian to work with Sean O'Hagan (which he didn't want to do) sealed the deal. He had befriended Joe Thomas, who also had a record label, so making a solo record seemed easier than navigating the waters of BB land.

Also, around this same time, the band had offers to tour PS live -- with Brian and orchestras. Carl turned it down, saying Brian couldn't handle it. (This is all in the Carlin book.) I have to think this eroded group unity even further.

But even then, even among all this, Brian was still thinking in a collaborative mode. He worked with Carnie and Wendy. Carl was going to be on Imagination. Even Bruce showed up for the Imagination promo show.

All of which goes to show that, however fraught matters were, it was Carl's death that really shut things down.

I wonder though, because if you look at that timeline that you linked, even by '99 Brian was talking of working with The Beach Boys, and then you also have Mike saying Brian was "definitely" gonna play with the band only a few months after Carl died. And most importantly, Brian was apparently still working on material for The Beach Boys during the Imagination sessions and after, possibly into 1999. So I think it i reasonable to say that The Beach Boys were an ongoing concern for Brian 'til when he got his solo group, or when Joe Thomas left, which was just a bit after his solo group was started.

I'm pretty sure that most of the Imagination writing sessions preceded Carl's death ...

Jane's Addiction?! Holy sh*t

"Sometime in September 1995   // The Beach Boys at Studio C at Western, with Don Was producing, record vocals for the Wilson Paley sessions for Soul Searchin' and Still A Mystery. During background vocal sessions for Baywatch Nights AKA Dancing The Night Away, Carl Wilson walks out and the reunion ends."

Nope: Gigs & sessions 1995 (http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs95.html)

Sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseum,  but do we know why Carl walked out?

As far as I can remember, I've never seen a confirmed named source for this.  I find it hard to believe, unless it happened due to the amtosphere and not the material.

Carl was jealous of David Hasselhoff's music success in Germany.

The bit about Jane's Addiction is rather funny I think. Kudos to "oldies guy" Brian for blasting some then-recent music in the 1990s. :-D

True this.  In addition, I had a brief conversation with Elliott Lott in August 1995 and asked him about the Country sessions (had no title at that time) and how it would impact the Don Was sessions. His statement (paraphrased) was that the group was "excited" and "honored" to be working with Don Was; if they were going to use an outside producer , it would have to somebody of Was' stature; the Nashville thing was nice, just something they were doing at the time, but WAS ABSOLUTELY TAKING A BACKSEAT TO THE WAS PROJECT. Further, the group was fully behind and supporting the Was/BW coalition and film and everything was one big happy family...

This is what c-man said about 6 years ago on the board:


http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,4774.0.html

Thank you, Andrew.  It's been a long time since I looked at or worked on that timeline, so that September session entry probably isn't the only thing that is wrong.   I wish I knew were I got that information.

If my memory serves me correctly, didn't Brian say somewhere that a song on the new Beach Boys album was rejected by Carl during some sort of reunion discussion?

You might be thinking of "Lay Down Your Burden" which Carl was going to sing on Imagination, which ultimately turned into "Spring Vacation." Keep in mind, however, that "Lay Down Burden" is not the same "Lay Down Burden" that is actually on Imagination. Confusing, yes, I know.

Reading this, I believe you are correct:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,13297.50.html

I really do need to update that timeline.

Cool topic Wirestone! A fascinating period I think - particularly in light of the release of She's Still A Mystery which for me is the crown jewel of the box set.

It seems so odd that Carl would find those two tracks so musically objectionable, especially considering moving onto the “Stars and Stripes” project afterwards. While the degree of Carl’s distaste for the tracks may be up for debate, it does seem he had issues with them. Can anyone dig up a circa 2000 interview with Al Jardine from “Record Collector”? It was a slightly different edit of the interview Al gave to Goldmine in 2000. There was a bit about the Paley/Was sessions in “Record Collector” that was left out of Goldmine. I don’t recall the exact quote, but my recollection (someone correct me if I’m wrong) was that Al seemed to like the songs fine, but he also said it was Carl that had some sort of issue with the material.

Not sure about that story about Paley replacing all the parts on the songs via new recordings. If he did so, I don’t think that’s what we’re hearing on the recordings we’ve heard. The backing track on every version of “Soul Searchin’” (demo with Paley singing, boot mix with Carl singing, and new “MIC” mix) is the same; they all seem to be Paley’s original track. I had assumed “YSAM” was still mostly the Was backing track though.

Very interesting stuff! Mysterious!

I’d also find it interesting if Don Was told Paley that he felt the original Brian/Paley recordings were of “demo” quality, as I recall an interview on the short-lived “petsounds.com” website with Andy Paley where the interviewer seemed to make passing reference to the recordings as demos, and Paley seemed offended and contended they were fully-produced, ready-to-release tracks.

The Goldmine article was July 2000; do you remember what month the Record Collector article came out?

I'm pretty sure 'You're Still A Mystery' on MIC uses the Paley track. C-man mentioned in the Mellotron thread that Andy said they used elec. piano. I also saw an interview where Andy said he played 6-string bass, and you can hear those surf riffs on the recording.

You bring up an interesting point --

I think the crux of the matter with regard to why this stuff didn't come out originally is that many folks within the BB circle in the mid-'90s probably thought the stuff sounded demo-like, or lo-fi, or not 'professional' enough, too 'retro', etc (compared to things like Stars & Stripes and the Was soundtrack ... both with 'flavor of the day' type production).

The thing is, the material from this era holds up very well, and in my opinion, was actually ahead of it's time in forecasting the trend toward '60s-'70s style productions that has come up within the last few years. The whole set really oughtta be released in it's original form. Truly the only worthwhile stuff (in my opinion) to come from the Beach Boys or BW since 1980 ... and the best material since Love You.

The mid-'90s vocals from Brian are great, totally raw and emotional. He seriously sounds bored on the vocal on the box set. 'It's Not Easy Being Me' and 'I'm Broke' are up there for me in terms of BW songs.

It really seems like some inside folks are against presenting the 'weird' side of BW and the Beach Boys' music.

To each their own, but for me, and less weird or not, I think this box set vocal for YSAMTM is an improvement over the booted one -- irregardless of any production techniques that got it there. Maybe even a vast one. Then again, I don't care for a lot of his '93-'97 vocals...timbre, phrasing, tone, etc. (Do like the original GIOMH vocal though).

I'm really interested in finding out how recently it was done. Soon, C-Man, soon...right? :)

Unfortunately, I'm not sure. It came out after the Goldmine interview, I do know that much. Sometime later in the year.

Interesting points. I’m open to anything when it comes to this crazy band. I still lean toward YSAM being the Was backing track, or at least partly or mostly the Was backing track. The flipped production credits on MIC between YSAM and SS are one clue; I can’t imagine why else the credits would be flipped (other than for no particular reason). While I can’t say the backing we know for YSAM is shockingly different-sounding from the previous Paley sessions, it sounds a bit more robust, and that guitar sound in particular (the sort of flange/delayed riff heard from the beginning) somehow strikes me as more of a Was touch.

I also recall that it was either Boyd or Linett who first recounted online years ago that they had synched Carl’s Was-produced lead up with the Paley backing track, and the story specifically mentioned only “Soul Searchin’”; not “You’re Still a Mystery.”

Song-by-song musician credits for MIC would have been nice; it perhaps would have cleared some of this up.

I don't know why the credits are swapped ...

BUT -- why would Paley get a co-producing credit if they weren't using his track? I just don't imagine Was doing things like using a Leslie'd guitar in 1995, which is a very '60s Beach Boys touch. And the drums are total Paley-style. I feel like the Was tracks would be night-and-day different (like using acoustic guitars on 'Soul Searchin', according to Andy). But maybe not.

It could just be because they wanted both to be given equal billing.

I always got the impression that Paley was involved in both groups of sessions. Was he not involved at all in the Was sessions?

I'm not sure. He might have been.

Well, I can't see his name on the little cover pictures, so I don't know which one to get, sadly.

http://recordcollectormag.com/issues-list/2000

I would like to point out that the reason the Paley sessions didn't come out has nothing to do with the powers that be around Brian or any such nonsense. The fact is, the Beach Boys ultimately rejected the tracks. And Brian and Andy could not get a record label interested in releasing the songs as a solo project. And once some time passes, Brian tends to let projects go and move on to the next thing.

Joe Thomas may have his negative points, but he does manage to get labels to release music by Brian Wilson. Andy Paley failed at that.

Andy rockin' the Bass VI!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG6YHwjTTnc

I don't think that's necessarily true ...

But in any case, I'm not really sure who the 'powers that be' are in this case, but I'm basically saying that these recordings didn't have any support system (from the Beach Boys, Brian's managers, record labels, whomever) because they are a little bit odd (I'd say too legit) for people to know what to do with. I think Love You was the last album where they really just sort of went with the strangeness. Afterward, Adult Child got canned and we got MIU instead. I don't think it's just the Beach Boys, as most of Brian's solo material that has been released is very 'safe' ... i.e., it conforms to commercial standards and/or Pet Sounds/Smile-type idioms (i.e., 'Rio Grande').

I think Carl probably heard the tracks as uncommercial or strange or demo-like and didn't want another 'Love You' kind of album. And there's a story out there somewhere in which Carl says to Sean O'Hagen (during a conversation on a plane flight) that he doesn't believe the Beach Boys are capable of producing an 'artistic' record. Which explains his willingness to go along with Summer in Paradise, Stars & Stripes, etc. but not the Paley stuff. Or maybe he just didn't like the songs. And let's face it -- his solo albums are very much sort of MOR/commercial kinds of affairs, as are all of the projects he was involved with in the '80s-'90s. Kind of just seemed like where he was at at the time.

Regarding Carl's problems with the 1995 sessions and material, bear in mind that, very likely, this was when he realised he had a serious health problem brewing. I know his cancer was publicly announced spring 1997, but from speaking to certain folk and from personal observation, there was patently something amiss late 1995/early 1996.

Wanted to clarify that Carl never rejected what became "Spring Vacation" (that we know of, anyway), Brian simply said Carl was meant to sing the original version but passed away before it could be completed in 1998.

I wonder about this a lot and have a strong suspicion that this is what's been going on for many years now. Like you said, basically since Love You.

We need "free Brian Wilson" t-shirts...

 ::)

So, apparently, an example of Brian being commercial is ... Rio Grande. Really? And an example of him being uncommercial is the ... Paley sessions. Which he wrote and recorded and played with the same guy.

And Brian's people don't want his weird, experimental stuff out. Except that they released and toured Smile for two years.

And these similar, shady people have a vendetta against the Paley songs -- except, I suppose, for the eight or so that have been released on Brian Wilson and Beach Boys records. (Soul Searchin, You're Still A Mystery, GIOMH, Desert Drive, Saturday Morning in the City, This Song Wants to Sleep With You Tonight, In My Moondreams, Where Has Love Been.)

Record companies wouldn't release this stuff because they're trying to stifle Brian. But isn't it also possible they didn't think the songs were that great? Look at the list above: What are the real, enduring classics in there? I'd say maybe two or three, at most. And those ones got released.

I would like to point out, too -- Saturday Morning in the City. That was issued. On a Brian Wilson solo album. And his quirky side is being censored?

The Paley sessions aren't terrible. But because they haven't come out, they've become a symbol of Brian being manipulated or exploited. I think if they're listened to objectively, they're a deeply conservative batch of songs, many of which are heavily influenced by Paley ("I wrote all of Soul Searchin' before Brian even saw it!").

Imagination was arguably a bigger artistic gamble (taking Brian's trademark sound in search f new audiences), and ultimately a successful one (a genuine AC hit and the starting point for his band and touring career). One can understand why he saw it as a more artistically challenging and fulfilling path.

They acknowledge the "weirdness", but only in a very limited, controlled way and occasionally when it suits their needs.

One need only listen to the 2nd verse of the '04 version of "Surf's Up" compared to the original to hear their take on Brian's "weirdness" compared to what Brian used to do. That's just one example on the '04 album (which I do like, don't get me wrong) when compared to the original sessions, really. Again, it's allowed, but only in a controlled and limited manner.

But then a lot of Smile music and stuff like "Saturday Morning In The City" isn't especially weird to me. Also observe how the stuff we're told Brian was most "hands on" with production-wise and the songs that are a slightly (slightly!) more "out there" (in the context of the albums) being designated to bonus tracks etc. in recent years.

Brian repeatedly naming Love You as one of his favorite Beach Boys albums yet barely touching on it live in the last decade coupled with Jeff's known distaste for it and Brian telling a fan "You'd have to ask Jeff" when asked why they're not playing a particular song really speaks volumes, I think.

Hey Wirestone, you forgot that Mike Love is evil.

I think this a bit of a stretch. Even when Brian was in his "least commercial" (which for arguments sake, we'll say is '68 to '73) era, he still wanted hits. I remember reading an interview probably from '76 or so where he reflected upon the fact that he thought that they made some real nice records but that they got "too arty" for the kids buying records or something like that.  Or you can even hear it in the 1973 or 1974 interview where he talks about Spring and other stuff. Or on the signed photo to that guy who leaked some supposed Beach Boys stuff (Don Goldberg, I think his name is) where it says something like "write us a hit!"

I think basically his whole career he has wanted to have hits. Even during the SMiLE era, what ended up handicapping his attempt to get the album done? Trying to make the perfect single with "Heroes And Villains." He's also mentioned the fact that he was disappointed he wasn't on "Kokomo", a number one hit.

The Paley sessions? I don't think they were incredibly avant garde or anything crazy. It was kinda just Brian doing what he does. Honestly, a lot of that stuff has the same kinda vibe as TLOS, where it's just Brian and a thoughtful collaborator. I don't think either collection of songs is especially crazy, nor commercial. And yet one of the collections actually got released, and in my opinion is because it was better. There was some good stuff, and most of it got released. Now sure, you could say that some of the versions that got released were inferior (such as "Gettin' In Over My Head"), but the songs did get out there. And for Imagination, I think he wrote two songs better than most of the Paley sessions material, those being "Lay Down Burden" and "Cry". And as there is a Paley co-authored track on the album, I wouldn't doubt that if Brian really wanted any material from those sessions on that album, he coulda gotten them on there. I just think he was past that material. It had it's time, and didn't really wow the people he was working with. So he moved on. And honestly, I don't think it was just Carl who might've been unimpressed. Don Was apparently didn't think much of it was great either, as he told Brian to go back and write some more songs for a the prospective mid-to-late '90s Beach Boys album.

And with O'Hagen saying that Brian is an "avant garde artist" or whatever is wrong because Brian Wilson isn't an avant garde artist . It's a small part of what Brian has done. And during his most "avant garde" period, he was searching for that "pop single", just as I was saying earlier.

^ Exactly, because back then pop WAS the avant-garde. Or vice versa.

Still. Joe Thomas' "Brian's potential as an Adult Contemporary artist" makes me want to heave.

And when have I ever said that? He's done some things I didn't like, but I have always expressed admiration for his talents. Y'see, I don't believe that someone has to lose in order for someone else to win. I like both Andy Paley and Joe Thomas. They've each done good and bad things with Brian. No one is a hero or villain -- but everyone is capable of villainous or heroic actions.

I do hate Dream Angel. Neat horn arrangement, but a shame about the song.

I like 'Dream Angel' :(

Thomas's comment, though...grr.

I think the only problem with Brian and Andy Paley was bad timing.  Brian was still getting his shit together at that point.  I remember hearing an interview during the time when Smile came out and he said that he thought everything he did with Andy Paley was good and that he'd be interested in getting more of it out there.  Of course that was nearly a decade ago when he said that but I think that shows that it had nothing to do with Brian not liking the material.  And I don't think he necessarily ditched him for Joe Thomas either.  It kind of goes like this.  Brian records with Paley and Don Was and it's all good, tries to get the Beach Boys involved and then that falls apart.  The Stars and Stripes idea comes about, enter Joe Thomas.  Thomas works well with Brian, Brian and Melinda like him.  And that segues into Imagination.  It was a very gradual series of events.  They just decided to move forward.

What was Grace of My Heart?

I mean, I know it was a movie with a pseudo BW characater, but were the BB going to record music for it?  Did the track become something else?

Like letting him tour with notedly conservative Adult Contemporary artist Jeff Beck?

And no, I really don't think the finished version of "Smile" actually stands as an example of them reining in his weirdo artistic tendencies.  Honestly, this whole "Brian as creative weirdo who has to be kept in check by his managers" bit really doesn't rest on anything, except peoples' fantasies about the True Brian...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I was kidding. When did i say the things you said in your previous response to me?  ;)

While thinking about this topic last night, I found this interesting quote by Bruce Johnston about the 1995 reunion, courtesy of Howie Edelson:

"That was a courtesy to Brian for us to be there. Brian certainly wasn't at any kind of peak in those days, but we respected his history and achievements for us to go and record with him and see what it might sound like. We were just trying to support someone who had been successful and good for us. I think if you use your ears, you'll hear that those tapes don't really lift off. It's fine -- but not fine enough."

What this kind of quote signifies to me was that by the '90s, the core group was Mike, Bruce, Carl and to an extent Al. It had been 30 years since Brian's heyday, and nearly 20 years since the "Brian's Back" era. And besides  "Sail On, Sailor", "It's OK" and "Good Timin'", Brian hadn't penned a hit single for them since the '60s, whereas they still probably felt they'd been proven on their own with "Kokomo", while Brian was off doing a solo album that, while critically successful, performed nowhere close to "Kokomo" commercially.

And then all of the sudden Brian decides that he wants the group back. After slamming them in his book (so they thought) and barely appearing with them for like 10 years, they probably felt like "who the sh*t does he think he is coming in here taking over our group?"

But regardless, he wants to produce them again, just like the old days. Like Pet Sounds and the early material. But as you can sense from Bruce's quote, it definitely seems like they thought of him as an outsider. And even if he did wanna do this, they definitely weren't of the opinion that he could pull if off. It seems like they thought he was more damaged than he truly was, as Melinda mentioned that during the Stars & Stripes sessions and shows, they treated him like an "invalid", always asking him if he was ok, but apparently being scared he might sing and embarrass them. What they didn't know was that usually they did a great job of embarrassing themselves without Brian, and that even a workmanlike, somewhat return to form type album like McCartney's Flowers In The Dirt would have definitely gave them much more credibility and likely a whole lot more sales than Summer In Paradise or Stars & Stripes. And the reason I think it would have probably been the equivalent of that McCartney album is that it wouldn't have been a return to Pet Sounds Brian, it just wouldn't have. But like Flowers In The Dirt and Dylan's Oh Mercy, it would have been a strong return with a few highlights from a classic artist after they had been in the wilderness for a while.

And despite Bruce later saying it was a mistake that Brian and his people decided to do the solo deal instead of the Beach Boys album in the late '90s, I think it was probably Mike, Bruce and Carl's attitudes that probably made it easier for Brian and company to decide which way to go. Basically, "if it's gonna be this tough to try to do something, why don't we just deal with a more mellow, easier to create situation." Which yes, led to Brian with Joe Thomas. But in the long run, also led to Brian's work with Darian, Scott, et al. And I think that because Brian got his own group, and his own support system, that is ultimately why C50 worked. Because unlike the '90s reunion sessions, Brian had a lot of people on his side to help him achieve his goals and not get bogged down with Beach Boys intra-group nonsense. And I also think heading his own group for over a decade probably gave him self confidence that he may have been lacking in the mid-'90s when dealing with The Beach Boys.

And lastly, I don't think we can underestimate what the lack of Carl meant. In my opinion, he was probably the only group member that really would be able to influence Brian's opinion one way or the other. These days, it's obvious that there can only be one leader in the studio. Mike just doesn't have the musical chops, Bruce apparently has no motivation (and is not an original member), Al understands that working with Brian Wilson is a wonderful opportunity and cherishes it, and Dave, well...let's be honest. The last time he was in a creatively functional Beach Boys was 1963. So he's lucky to even be in the room. And that's why I think TWGMTR turned out well. Brian got to do his thing without any other cooks trying to spoil the soup.



Oh absolutely. That is as much off base as Sean O'Hagen's remarks.

That was unclear, and I'm sorry. Most of that post was directed to Donny, actually.

Has anybody actually directly asked Carl's family if he had cancer or some kind of health problem that was kept private for some time before being announced publicly in 1997?

I doubt you'd get a response - they're very private people - but there's no real need: too many reliable people have noted that Carl was looking less than healthy fup to some 18 months before his official diagnosis for it to be a coincidence. I saw him twice in the first half of 1996, in the UK and the US, and he looked just plain... wrong. My US friend's wife, no big BB fan, took one look and said "what is wrong with him ?"

At the time his cancer was publicly announced, it was stage IV.  That means he had it awhile (possibly as long as several years) before it was officially announced, regardless of when it was diagnosed.

I missed "This Song Wants to Sleep With You Tonight" being released - on what record is that?



What quote?

I saw a video on You Tube recently; an interview with Carl and Bruce and the guys from Status Quo, so it was around 1995-1996, I don't recall exactly. There were a few close ups of Carl; he doesn't look right...hard to explain why, but if you see the video I think you'll see what I mean.

I've always felt that if the 1st song worked on during the Was/Paley sessions would have been "Desert Drive" things would have gone much differently.  The song was and is a made to order hit single with a Mike Love lead vocal.

The b-side to Brian's Do It Again single.

the one about Brian being an AC artist

what

I see what happened here.  Micha asked about a quote in the same post he asked about where "This Song Wants to Sleep With You Tonight" appears.   Nicko answered the latter but accidentally cited the former.

Even though that is technically an official release, it seems like a shame for it only to be available in such an obscure place when it's better (in my view) than much of what has appeared on Brian's solo albums.

Yes, a dumb mistake on my part.

You're welcome! :-D