The Smiley Smile Message Board

Okay, I'm in a used CD shop. Does this Brian signature look real? It's messy enough I could believe it is! Or so messy as to be easily faked! :lol

(http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sGG776tpDpY/U26QG7ZTJmI/AAAAAAAAADo/7J-QMd_gVXc/s1600/IMG_20140510_134350_820.jpg)

too legible to be real

I've never seen brian write a cursive upper case "s" as is in his last name here.

Fake - if you can read "Wilson", it's not kosher.

I did pass, too expensive for something so iffy, and not priced high enough to seen legit. Also in bad shape to boot.  :lol

The signature is a good one, the s is a bit suspect but Brian did do them pretty clearly in 2004 (I've seen him personally sign something similar).  However, by the time (2010) the Gershwin album came out Brian's signature has usually been no more than a B squiggle then a W squiggle.  So it looks to me as if someone has faked it from an older signature.

Just out of curiosity, how much were they asking for this?

Brian signed a pretty legible one in front of me in 2009, looking much like that one. I'd say it's legit.

I'd say it's legit too. Better to get it in person anyway. It's not that hard to get.

The signature might look a little weird because of how bumpy the cover is.
Probably not the easiest thing to sign.

(https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1530487_10154094228665510_9019395236128509907_n.jpg)

Signed in front of me, September 16th 2011, London.

I have an in-person signature as well, plus an infamous debatable BB group signature from C50, so this wasn't difficult to pass up. It actually photographed well; it didn't jump out as super display-worthy for those into that.

I was 50/50 at best about authenticity. My 2007 autograph is legible, while the 2012 is indeed a B and W with scribbles.

This place marks up rare and OOP discs, so I think they had reason to believe it was fake. Maybe the person trading it in told them it was fake!

Lessee, Jude, there's Vinyl Solution in San Carlos, The Record Man in Redwood City, and Rasputin's in Mountain View. Is it one of those by chance?

There was a limited edition of this CD with t-shirt, mug, etc and the autographs (in gold ink) always looked 2 good B brian-authentic

I lost a bid on one at $79 and glad I lost.  What you got in the pic looks faked too.

Just looked at the full sized image, and the B is all wrong - no downstroke, or any sign of one. I stand by my fake judgement. I've got several of Brian's signatures down the years and one thing they've not gotten is better, more legible.

All I can say is that the actual quality of the signature, as in the hand used to write it, is not the main thing that makes me think it's a fake. I'm very 50/50 on that. All of the other circumstances seem more shady.

My 2007 in-person signature has an upper-case "S", so that's not a deal breaker, but then again, that is a HUGE Brian signature (signed with Al) on a big "Pet Sounds 40th Anniversary Tour" poster for their three west coast gigs in January 2007, so a very large Brian signature may be more likely to be more legible. Al's "J" in Jardine is freaking six or eight inches tall probably.  ;D

I think a used CD shop not at least marking the thing up to double price, and someone trading it in without trying to eBay the thing for a little more than the likely $2 trade-in value, are more suspect factors.

Who knows. A friend of mine at this same store bought a Nick Cave CD, and hidden under the slipcase was a definitely-legit autograph, signed to his big fan "Debbie!"  :lol

It's not one of the usual fakes, that's for sure.  If this one is a fake it's a decent attempt.  There are arguments for and against with his one.  I still think it's too neat to be a 2010 or later signature, unless Brian wasn't busy that day!  Andrew I can see a slight downstroke on the B (top left).  The Brian also has the trademark 'bridge' as well.  I'd say it looks more real than fake, but I'm still not sure.

The one I have is kinda halfway between AGD's and the other one, so ... maybe.

By adjusting the contrast on my monitor I can see the downstroke of the "B" superimposed over the black piano key, so I wouldn't be concerned about that.  I have a number of signatures from around that time period from different situations -- mass promotional signings, where Brian's signature is little more than a straight line; and one-on-one autograph signings, where Brian took more time.  I'm out of town, but when I get home I'll compare this to mine.  But for now I'd say there's a decent chance it's real.

Lee

at a guess.............. real

RickB

I have six Brian Wilson autographs; five of them I obtained in person. 1976 through 2012. No two are the same.

That's what I thought Lee.  If I was pushed to decide I'd now say it's real.

It's real.  Just my opinion.


1. who the hell would fake it?  If it's on the wall and they want 100 bucks, yeah, maybe they faked it, but if it's just mixed in with the other stuff... it's probably legit. 

2. it's on a cd, recently released, he probably signed 10,000 of them around the time the cd came out everywhere he went.  They let everybody and their brother backstage anymore and everybody and their brother wanted his signature on this cd.  If you look through the cd racks at used cd stores, you'll see maybe even 1% of the cd's signed!  I've probably bought 10 over the years, used, signed by somebody or the other... Fiona Apple was the last cool one I saw.

3. Although apparently he signs things differently all the time, look at how the "w" is structured. 

The vast majority of signed memorabilia by rock stars, athletes, movie stars, ect. that you will find for sale are fake. It is a huge business for crooks. Do a little research and you will come to the same conclusion.

For the record, I have 2 signed pieces by Brian that he signed in front of me....as with the images posted by AGD.....they are very nearly identical. There are fakes and bad fakes and that Gershwin cd looks like a bad fake.

Done a little processing and yes, the downstroke of the B is there, so disregard what I said there.

That said, the 'body' of the B is suspect in that the junction between top and bottom loop is itself a small open loop (mine isn't)... and the visible l and s in "Wilson" is questionable, as is the dotted i and the gaps: W il s on. The "Brian" is reasonably convincing, but the "Wilson" looks like someone trying too hard to make sure you can tell who it is. I stand by my original call: forgery.

I'll go call the police.

yeah, you know sometimes it's just a gut feeling. Me, I looked, and it seems fake to me, so I said it.
Others, maybe not; but all the analyzing in the world won't change what I see.( for me)    

I say it looks good. 

Brian signs all different kinds of ways and there is no general "rule of thumb" on what to look for.  There are a few distinctions, yes, but one thing that is prevalent is that he is pretty inconsistent.  Here is a screen shot of the stack of Smile box sets he signed from the video he put up on YouTube.  I'd say the characteristics in these signatures to the one HeyJude posted are there.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Z567AWQ2J48/UfK0QKdgb6I/AAAAAAAASiE/_Js5-fAL3hw/w852-h472-no/bw.JPG)

The only person as far as we know (or can guess) who's been signing for Brian has been Jeff (allegedly).  His (or whomever it is) version of Brian's signature is radically different.

(http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=226353&stc=1&d=1340064946)


We've discussed Brian's signature at length in this thread: which has more pictures and feedback: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,15507.100.html

I have three signatures from the last 10 years that Brian signed in front of me which do have the "S" in Wilson.  His signature can certainly vary quite a bit.   When Jeff forges Brian's signature, it seems like he always gets the "B" wrong.

mebee its Brian and mebee its not

but I can easily do one that you would not be able to distinguish from that stack of Smile sigs.

easy to forge a "Brian" so I wouldnt pay much for that CD.

Based on the autographs above (2011 Long Beach or L.A. record store signing?) look at the "B", look at the "r", and look at the "W", then look at the separate "S" in comparison to Jude's picture. The Gershwin CD was released and probably signed the year before (2010) or in 2011. Didn't Brian sign a lot of these CD's and have them available on his website? If you sign a lot of them at one time, the hand gets tired and the autograph starts to scrawl a little. I still say the autograph on the CD is legit.

Look at the variances here:

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/brian-wilson-beach-boys-signed

At the SMiLE record signing at Amoeba records in S.F., Brian personally signed ALL of the fan's records on the spot. There were no pre-signed Smile Sessions boxes, CD's or vinyl copies available.

P.S. I have Brian's autograph (twice) from 1976 and the dot above the "i" is a tiny little circle. That's the way his autograph was in the 60's. Don't see that anymore. Even my autograph has changed over the years....

Maybe Brian just signed "Brian" and the owner felt gypped for half a signature, so he forged the "Wilson" himself.

I have a Brian autograph from a few years ago, from one of the hits tours,  he used a fat marker we gave him with the LP of PS.  It looks something like that with the B and the W clear with the other letters more distorted and trailing off.  BUT, it doesnt look squiggly with the shaky hand look of this signature.  Maybe someone trying to copy (draw) an actual BW signature?

Sometimes the shakyness of Brian's signature varies based on different factors.  I've gotten smooth ones from him, and I've gotten ones that look like he's in the middle of a siezure.

While we're at it, what do you guys think about this one?
(http://i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj563/paintedteeth/photo1_zps6e80f3eb.jpg)

I bought this for about $3, so I won't be too upset if it ain't legit. Although, I would prefer if it was.

Yup that looks good to me. 

I'll second that too! ;D

Helluva deal.  Can't beat that with a stick (even without the autograph).

The first pic with the stack of Smile boxes was from the video Brian put up of him signing the light up boxes, I assume at home or at an office?  Those weren't for the in-store signings.  Either way, I also think Jude's CD is real..these pics of the signed Smile boxes coincide nicely with it, I think.

I believe Brian's site was selling signed vinyl copies of the Gershwin album--don't recall signed CDs  The vinyl I recieved looked just like sigs on the stack of Smile boxes above.  But there were signed CDs at the shows from that tour.  I saw them first hand and stayed very clear of them when I noticed they looked really off.  They looked exactly like the forgeries in the above pic of the signed C50 tour books.  I'd have to guess the person who obtained the CD in Jude's pic got it in person and not through the site or merch table at shows.

Yep! impossible not unlegit!! looks like a couple of mine from Bri that I witnessed.....

Well Done!

RickB

I've been advised by highly reliable sources that the signature in question is the real deal.  Speculate no more.

I've hidden that CD that I didn't buy in the store. To find it, you'll have to decipher a series of clues, each more fiendish than that last......    ;D

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQcJaXyCpoc/UCAuFQ4HpcI/AAAAAAAAKj0/J94z__uat_M/s1600/DufflessBart.jpg)

I'm gonna find it and buy it.  I know what store it's in - I called 'em and they confirmed it.   ;D

Excellent!

(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/YKUOB8MN4Kc/hqdefault.jpg)

That sig on Los looks more like the one I saw him sign on my ps  lp