The Smiley Smile Message Board

A nice read, people. In all the buzz I decided to post it here:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-brian-wilson8-2009oct08,0,2518188.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-brian-wilson8-2009oct08,0,2518188.story)

 Too bad this couldn't have happened in Brian's prime. These little pieces of music may have been Gershwin's "feels."  I hope if lyrics are put to these, that another lyric writer is brought in - someone who is well respected in that genre. 

I'd be curious to hear the excerpts that are being given to Brian, so that when (if) the collaboration is released, I can obsess over the creative directions it was taken in. It's my opinion that other music collaborators should stay out of this - it should be ALL Brian.

 I'm a music major at college, so I find this very interesting.

Couldn't agree more on the 'Brian Only' aspect. Imagine Diane Warren or Phil Collins being asked in also... the horror, the horror!

What I'm really hoping, is that this will get Brian Wilson playing more piano. I know he usually writes songs with the piano, but I don't think he's really been front and center on records for quite a while. (As far as I know).

Gershwin and Wilson....together?!?!? Oh. My. God.  :happydance :happydance :happydance :happydance :happydance  :thud :thud :thud :thud :thud  :bow :bow :bow :bow :bow  :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot

Excellent read. Thank you very much. So is this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Petomane

 :lol yeah, I know about him. Brilliant... perhaps Brian will produce some gas of his own on the Gershwin thing?

I hope BW knows what he is doin with all this + is up to the task..!

How will anybody know if he isn't? What do you, or almost every other BB/BW fan, know about Gershwin instrumentals?

dont know much about Gershwin..Except for Miles Davis recording + Herbie Hancock recording.... So you see my point..OK

SJS -- Don't condescend, please. I personally own all of Gershwin's classical work in multiple versions, as well as recordings of several of his shows and solo piano music. The Gershwin style -- classical and pop -- is pretty easy to wrap one's head around after some listening.

No condescending intended, claymcc, really. I didn't say ALL BB/BW fans; but I would think a very large percentage do NOT listen to George Gershwin - although they might be scurrying for some stuff now. :-D

Of all Beach Boys fans, I would say less than one in ten actually own or listen to George Gershwin, which means 99% don't. I've been on this board (and others) for awhile now, and I don't remember reading or discussing much about Gershwin. Maybe a lot of Brian fans were secretly listening to George and Ira, but just not talking about it!

OK, I sit back now and wait for all the Gershwin fans to post and tell me I'm wrong. :police:

Stone, I think a lot more own or are familiar with "Rhapsody in Blue", one of the more beautiful pieces of music in ANY genre as far as I'm concerned.

There's a difference between being familiar with a song (a song that many BB/BW fans are familiar with because it's the ONLY one Brian ever mentions), and actually purchasing the music and sitting down and listening to it. Yeah, I'm familiar with "Rhapsody In Blue"; I've heard it, like it, but, honestly, I don't own a Gershwin CD. Frankly, I never even thought about buying one. I'm still digesting Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, and Dylan's new Christmas album. I guess I oughta broaden my horizons, huh? :-[

OK, why does Brian keep changing record labels?!?

It's not easy but that's actually something I try to do constantly. There's a whole world of music to enjoy that one's defense system just rejects---the knee jerk--trust me, it's a miracle I can enjoy the odd Ravi Shankar thing now and again.

Yeah, you're right, Td.

So, what Gershwin CD do you enjoy the most? 

One could justifiably ask "what if?" he had taken on the honor of this assignment during an earlier period when his muse was arguably more unadulterated by age, medications and other factors that may have at this point made him less able to be receptive to the full scope of the considerable talent was his birthright, but that would be pointless.

Let's hope that the supposedly amazing piano noodlings that Melinda reported often hearing late at night in "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" are indicative of the type of effort and originality he is still capable of, and the inspiration
(wasn't that an early rumored Smile song title, in plural?) and honor of being given this commission, and affinity with Gershwin's style, will inspire him to go beyond his comfort zone and produce something great, which will succeed as an organic and appropriate, not to mention brilliant, extension of Gershwin's original concepts. Go Brian Go! :)

I'm guessing, but I doubt Capitol would support this project.

SJS -- No problem.

This is my favorite Gershwin classical CD:
http://www.amazon.com/Gershwin-Rhapsody-Concerto-American-Paris/dp/B0002DD5UM/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255124841&sr=1-18

A lot of people swear by this one, too, which is older and more romantic in approach:
http://www.amazon.com/Gershwin-Rhapsody-Blue-American-Paris/dp/B0000025MH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255124871&sr=1-1

These are both good, too -- piano-only versions of Gershwin's songs, as "recorded" by Gershwin himself on piano rolls:
http://www.amazon.com/Gershwin-Plays-Piano-Rolls/dp/B000005J1I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255123097&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Gershwin-Plays-Piano-Rolls-Vol/dp/B000005J3K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255123097&sr=1-2

There are many other avenues to pursue -- if you want to hear versions with lyrics, for instance, you can find recordings of his shows or many jazz versions (the Ella Fitzgerald songbook is quite good: http://www.amazon.com/Ella-Fitzgerald-Sings-Gershwin-Songbook/dp/B000006P6L/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255125149&sr=1-2).

I'll post some YT links in a follow-up post.

Thanks for the links, claymcc. And guess what, I have some Gershwin! When I pulled up the Ella Fitzgerald link, I noticed that I have a lot of those songs in my Frank Sinatra collection. I especially like his take on "Somebody To Watch Over Me".

And, I have this CD, Ella And Louis, by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, which has some of those songs on it. I didn't know they were by Gershwin; never looked at the credits. One of the all-time greatest recordings period is "Summertime" by Ella & Louis.

Not to continue hammering the issue but....fans will have the smattering of Gershwin tracks in their collection (like I mentioned above), but I'm not sure many fans have those Gershwin instrumentals, or specifically the kind of music that Brian will be working on.

SJS -- Well, not many have heard the actual fragments, so it will be hard to say. But the instrumental pieces are more familiar than you might think, too. And if not, they are a joy to discover. Here are some YT links, only one of them for a song.

This is the recording of Rhapsody in Blue from 1927 -- with Gershwin himself on piano (it's a very cut down version -- the full RIB lasts 15 to 20 minutes). It's a far, far jazzier take than most later versions, which play up the classical aspects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U40xBSz6Dc&feature=related

A performance of Gershwin's three piano preludes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4yLMxaqWIM

Dylan sings "Soon," a George and Ira tune:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrsv8-b2HQQ

And his other cornerstone classical piece, "An American in Paris"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-O4whs-8d8

Ooh, now we're getting there.... :police:

This is actually a more detailed biography:
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~lofty/pujol.htm

Totally off topic, but what a fun read!

The only thing I ask is please, dear God, use REAL imtruments.

Sheriff, probably the seminal collection of Gershwin's songs- and you should have it RIGHT NOW, put everything else aside, this guy is a serious candidate for America's greatest songwriter (along with Brian and a few others)- is Ella Fitzgerald's, with Nelson Riddle from her "songbook" series:

http://www.amazon.com/Ella-Fitzgerald-Sings-Gershwin-Songbook/dp/B000006P6L/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255158036&sr=8-3

Don't get a cut-down version, you need all of it.  As a matter of fact, if you're feeling frisky, go for the whole Ella songbook box set- it's as essential as it gets:

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Ella-Fitzgerald-Song-Books/dp/B0000046RN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255158158&sr=8-1

By far the best deal on this set is at the former BMG/Columbia Record Club- and they're a good deal anyway:

http://www.yourmusic.com/browse/album/Ella-Fitzgerald--The-Complete-Ella-Fitzgerald-Song-Books-22029.html?cname=BROWSE_DISCO_684_ALBUMS

One caveat: Ella is not always at her best in such large doses. Listen to one disc at a time.

Another good selection of Gershwin material, to be had cheaply:

http://www.amazon.com/Fascinatin-Rhythm-Capitol-George-Gershwin/dp/B00000DRCX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255158389&sr=1-1

And you might also consider picking up on the Miles Davis version of "Porgy And Bess".

One last suggestion- Erroll Garner, the guy who wrote "Misty", maybe the greatest jazz pianist who ever lived, turned a number of Gershwin (and Jerome Kern) songs into virtual concert pieces here in just a few minutes each- his impressionistic version of "Love Walked In" will make your toes curl- seriously one of the most spine-tingling, beautiful things I've ever heard in my entire life:

http://www.amazon.com/Magician-Gershwin-Kern-Erroll-Garner/dp/B000003D3Z/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1255155140&sr=1-2

Absolutely stunning. I'd give anything if I could post it for discussion. Hit the link and listen to the samples.

For more help hit me up privately.

Thanks for the links, Surfer Joe. I'm a big Ella fan. In addition to the Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong CD, I also have Ella's Christmas album, which I've already listened to this year! :police:

A little off-topic (just for this one question, I promise.... :), but did you ever see the video/performance of "The Lady Is A Tramp" with Ella and Frank Sinatra from Sinatra's TV special in 1967?

Ella singing The Man I Love with arrangement by Nelson Riddle is my fav.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Lnan4lZ9Y

Didn't say this, but I have one called "Gershwin plays Gershwin" that's darn good...and that's the extent of my Gershwin collection!

I couldn't find an online version, but for goodness' sake, try to listen to the Second Rhapsody. It's one of his least-known orchestral pieces (with piano), and it's also oddly Smile like in places. It's awesome.

Just back from a short trip- I think I have that special on an old VHS tape, along with a lot of other old Sinatra TV stuff.  If I've seen it it's been around ten years.  Do I need to dig it out, or is it on YouTube?

By the way, those aren't suggestions above- I will harangue and harass you and move into your neighborhood and raise smelly livestock upwind of you until you comply with me.  This music belongs in your ears. 

I'll tell a SMiLE story that makes my point when I'm less burned out and tired.

Incidentally, this unfinished Gershwin thing has been done before: when Billy Wilder made his (disastrous flop) film "Kiss Me, Stupid" in 1964 about two struggling songwriters, Ira Gershwin volunteered and supplied (and either finished or reworked) a bunch of stray songs he and his brother had left behind, as the work of the two characters in the film.  I think one I recall was called "You're A Scrambled Egg", or something like that.  Would have fit nicely with Brian's 1967 direction. In the film they get demo'd for Dino.  Just wanted to type that.