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I don't watch the Walking Dead, but I was just told by a friend that the final episode played "Love and Mercy" in order to lure zombies.

How cool is that? Must be a big marketing plan for the upcoming album and biopic, and L&M is pretty obscure outside of the BB fandom. Maybe a producer is a fan.

I watched the episode, and when it came on, I freaked out  ;D. Unfortunately it wasn't used in a big way, just faint in the background. But it was obviously noticeable enough!

Glad to see Brian having such a big year.

That is awesome!

They had established earlier in the season that music attracts the dead, but the irony of using Love And Mercy was a brilliant touch and of course I was incredibly excited to hear it!

I was half paying attention to the scene, (I'm not a huge WD fan), but my girlfriend jokingly said, "It would be funny if they were playing The Beach Boys to lure the zombies." Moments later she looked at me and said, "It's Love And Mercy!". Honestly, I didn't even recognize it. Again, half paying attention. Which version was it?

The "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" version would be so spooky!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMEiggGt9hg

Look at some of the comments! Sounds like the show is bringing in an array of new fans. This is great!

I believe it was the BW88 version.

Because of the scene the music was muffled. It wasn't very clear. They were trying to lure the dead back into the trucks. I got to see and hear it a second time and it almost sounded like a cover version. I'm probably wrong. Someone will figure it out. Either way, hats off to Brian!! You made the zombie apocalypse!!!  :p
I can't wait to hear Brian's reaction! This is my favorite TV show right now.

It sounded like a female singing. Cool version.

It was a recording by another artist. Female singer. Not sure whose recording, though from the few seconds they aired it sounded like a modern rerecording modeled on the '88 version.

just posted this video (posted on here) on my facebook and people are already sharing it...cool... this may give him a HUGE boost,,,

Really cool that a show as popular as The Walking Dead used a song as relatively unknown as Love & Mercy for the soundtrack.


Looking forward to the new wave of zombies that are about to join our ranks....

Here's an article on the cover version of "Love and Mercy", which apparently was created specifically for this episode by an "avant garde electronic artist" named Elizabeth Bernholz:

http://radio.com/2015/03/30/walking-dead-finale-brian-wilsons-love-and-mercy/

It will be interested to see how much interest this garners for Brian. It can't do anything but grab him some extra attention. I have to say, it was difficult to discern that it was "Love and Mercy" at first (once you know what you're listening for, it sounds very obvious), and the song didn't play for very long. Also, during the "Talking Dead" "aftershow" talk show, they mentioned that the episode used "Brian Wilson's 'Love & Mercy'", but didn't mention that it was a cover nor who the cover artist was.

Don't have much time to Google it at the moment, but a very quick search isn't showing me any venues to purchase the track or listen to the entire thing. Sometimes I believe they do "Walking Dead" soundtrack albums which tracks from the show. It'll be interesting to see if "Love and Mercy" ends up on one of those.

Quote from article:

Thomas Golubic tells Radio.com, “For our season finale, we found another custom music creation opportunity in the music playing from the walker booby-trap that the Wolves set-up. It’s a clever idea, and we wanted to put something unusual and surprising together which has been a running theme in season five. [Walking Dead writer/producer] Scott Gimple had the idea of doing a cover of ‘Love and Mercy,’ and we reached out to avant garde electronic artist Elizabeth Bernholz, who records under the artist name Gazelle Twin. Elizabeth is based in London and we worked together via Skype sessions.”

Wilson’s songs often cover a darkness under a bright and sweet exterior; Ms. Bernholz went right for that darkness. “The sunniness of Brian Wilson’s song dovetails so nicely with Elizabeth’s darker production aesthetic to create what we think is another compelling and surprising music moment to close the season finale.”

I watched the show live and didn't even notice the song, although I clearly noticed and remember the scene.  I know they were playing music but didn't recognize it, that's crazy. 

Nice!



To be honest the first time I saw and herd it I thought I recognized it but I wasn't sure. If it was the Brian 88 version I think it would have been more obvious. Still on a second listening you can hear that it is Love and Mercy. In the scene I think the music was coming from inside of the trailer trucks or the loading dock making the music a little muffled and hard to clearly hear. Still it worked really well for that scene. Nice that Scott Gimple is aware of Brian and that he is a fan.

They are already putting videos of Brian's version on youtube as from "The Waking Dead." (not the cover tune)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NkFYEFj-TY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9yESabfS-k

It appears the cover track has not been released in full yet. From the article:

In the more immediate future, Golubic tells Radio.com that Gazelle Twin’s “Love and Mercy” will be available on iTunes soon, and will be included on the next Walking Dead soundtrack.

I’m guessing some of the people posting the song on YouTube who aren’t otherwise familiar with the song are just grabbing a BW version because the “Talking Dead” talk show simply referred to it as “Brian Wilson’s ‘Love and Mercy’.”

This comment from the first video I just posted above made me laugh,,,,

"So these guys play a version of a song in the zombie apocalypse that is impossible to find on the internet..."     :lol


time to respond and tell this person that THIS is the original version not some cover version of a song from the show,,,lol

and of course there are these quotes from the second video that I just posted...


"Dam this isn't it. The walking dead version was better."

and

"Not version used in actual scene vocals are of a female singer !"   

well let's get going and respond to their comments let them know who the real genius is here,,Brian, not someone doing a cover tune of one of his songs,,,  ;D they need to be educated  :p

That was super cool. It took a second to recognize it.

wow there is a jerk giving me a hard time just because I responded to this with saying that Brian is the original singer of it and that the version on WD is a cover tune...so unless I'm misreading what he meant it, to me, sounds like he's saying.. "These Guys (in this video that features Brian) play a version of A song in the Zombie Apocalypse that is impossible to find on the internet" that, to me, sounds like he's (or she's)  saying that Brian's version is the cover version..below is the original quote...


"So these guys play a version of a song in the zombie apocalypse that is impossible to find on the internet..."   

I think what the guy means is that the characters are playing a version of the song that isn't available anywhere, that's my read of it. He probably is aware that Brian made the original.

here's this dudes latest quote

"Funny these assholes can play a song I can't even find on the internet. I don't mean this version, I mean the one with the female covering this song that sounds much better."

does this NOT sound like he/she's saying that Brian is an a-hole for playing a song that he/she can't find on the internet? or am I misreading this.. if he/she's saying it's the zombies than he/she should SAY it is the zombies that way there is no confusion.."These people" and "these assholes" seem too vague..

Nah man, he's saying the assholes (characters) are playing a song that isn't on the internet. He's not calling out Brian. I see where your coming from, but I think you're misreading it a tad.

okay... this individual should be more specific as to who these "assholes" are  :lol

I took off all my responses because I obviously misunderstood what the person was saying and I don't want to get into an argument over some silly misunderstanding... ;D but still I will stick up for Brian if I feel like he needs it..which in this case I may have been wrong... lol

Good man!  ;D

Thank you  ;D

No no no.  He's saying it's in the future, in the zombie apocolypse, and they're playing a song to lure the Zombies into the trailer.  However, the song they're playing is available anywhere right now, so how did they find it to play it in the trailer?

The whole thing's a stupid argument, let them be ignorant hopefully it'll bring some new ears to Brian's music.

Edit: DOH! I was ignorant myself because I didn't see the second page of comments :)

C'mon, that "a**holes" dude is awesome. It's almost performance art in terms of irony. "Who are these mother***king a**holes who won't just make it easier for me to track down this g**damn f***in' song about Love and Mercy?"

To say nothing of the fact that, as of a few hours ago, when you Google "Love and Mercy", the top hit (above the original song OR the movie) is an article about the Walking Dead inclusion of the song, an article in which it is explicitly stated that they commissioned the song especially for the show and that it will be available to purchase at some point.

Here's a clip of the scene w/Love & Mercy:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9QNR_HfBbE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9QNR_HfBbE)

Nice thank you,,,,,

Gazelle Twin's version is now on iTunes and Spotify...

Spooky Brian Wilson covers in genre tv dept:

Hey, did anyone catch the season 3 opener for ORPHAN BLACK over the weekend? It kicked off with a nice eastern european-ish cover of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" as a prelude to the scorpion fun!

I can´t find. Got link?

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/love-mercy-from-walking-dead/id984075046

https://play.spotify.com/album/0YVxBwDOuHO3p1zoBA2uXc

oh, i fucking luv this. Something real majestic about these gothic, lo-fi, slow burn female cover songs used in a horror context. Rob Zombie may have started this trend w/ his 2 Halloween films, which featured covers of 'Love Hurts' & 'Mr. Sandman' by Nan Vernon.

I like how Gazelle Twin's 'Love & Mercy' is faithful to Brian's 1988 version. Hell, Brian's original version isn't actually all that different.  Kinda caries that same, idk, melodramatic & somewhat sparse vibe. Whatwith the synths, big drums, & distorted "ahhh" backings vocals.

MP3 can be bought here for those w/out itunes https://us.7digital.com/artist/gazelle-twin/release/love-and-mercy-from-the-walking-dead/

Oh, you know what this reminds me of? those covers of Stevie and Rainbow Eyes on Caroline Now!

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