The Smiley Smile Message Board

Hey all. I'm going through the boxes in my closet and unearthing all of my mid-90s Brian Wilson material. I've found most of the issues of the newsletter Brian's folks put out from 96-99 or so, as well as some old issues of ESQ and other fan debris. While I know the ESQ stuff is still available by mail order, I wonder if anyone is interested in the Break Away material. I could post some excerpts.

Any takers?

[waves enthusiastically]

I miss Lauri Klobas (he says wistfully).

I would love to read some excerpts from this period...

Break Away with Brian Wilson
No. 1, Summer 1996

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A Word From Brian

Hello everyone!

It's been an eventful few months with the Beach Boys. Our musical missionary work in life has been in full swing for 34 years. Our country album will be coming out in August. Hope everyone will enjoy it.

It's been a good spring. I have discovered sunshine as a source of energy and positivity in life. Sunshine really works on me. It puts energy in my body ... makes me feel like movin' around. I feel very good, very positive. I hope that you will also discover the sun.

Seems as though my life has been a gigantic roller coaster ride but my new wife Melinda has given me new directions to explore. She's helping me a lot. Although I'm 54 years old, I still feel like a kid in my heart. You'll be able to tell in my upcoming work.

And you. Fans mean a lot. It's like there's a cake called Brian Wilson and the fans are the icing on the cake. Very special icing. I want everyone to know that I love them and I consider you people as part of my spiritual responsibility -- to make you happy and instill a semblance of emotional security through the music that I make. Thanks for hangin' in there with me. I hope you will receive a good dose of spiritual love in my upcoming music.

I have utmost respect for the mere fact that you were all hip to my music and it gives me great pleasure to know each of you has your own special way to express your admiration to me. THANKS for writing those wonderful letters. The real drag of it that I can't actually meet you. At least we have a love through fan club endeavors -- and, of course, my records.

Love and Mercy For All --
Brian Wilson

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Wilson Asher Sneak Preview
(this is the sidebar to a piece about the sessions for "Everything I Need")

Brian and Tony have collaborated on a handful of new songs, including the aforementioned "Everything I Need." Songs-in-progress are "Right Before Your Eyes," "Rock 'N Roll Express" and "This Isn't Love."

Tony offers a few words about the pieces. " 'Right Before You Eyes' ... I like the song. It's kind of a bouncy little happy melody. It's not a real serious ballad. 'Everything I Need' ... is a love song that declares 'Everything I Need I find in you.' 'Rock 'N Roll Express' is about a train called the R.R.E. that travels around the country spreading good music (Rock 'n Roll, Rhythm 'n Blues and even a little Country) wherever it goes. So, 'Get on Board!"

" 'This Isn't Love' is a really beautiful melody that Brian wrote It cries out to be a love song. I mean, I couldn't imagine it being anything else. The title does a little of what the opening line of 'God Only Knows' did. That line [in 'God Only Knows'] says 'I may not always love you' -- an unusual way to start a love song. This one says 'This isn't love' but then goes on to say that 'it' is more than just love. It's ecstasy. Destiny. A whole heap of other things."

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Brian Wilson on the movie "Flipper": I liked this because it's about a cute little dolphin. I love dolphins."

I still have every issue...I actually had Brian answer two of my questions also.

I subscribed but only got one issue the fall of 1997 one.

Thanks for posting, Clay. Two typical Brian quotes:


Sort of like "I lived in southern California for 54 years but I only recently discovered that big yellow thing up there".  :) However, nothing beats the fact that he draws parallels between himself and a cake.  :-D

Now... doesn't that sound much more like the real voice of Brian than anything we've heard for years ?

Classic Brian Wilson!

They sent out some autographed promo items to members.
What are your thoughts on if Brian himself signed or someone signed for him?

One I received has a shaky hand look to it while the other is pretty smooth writing (TD vs no TD?) which always made me think "one is for real, the other uncertain".

Brian's writing, even back in the early sixties, could never be described as "smooth" !

Sounds familiar... mine came with a plastic key fob.  If I'd known then what I know now, I'd've assumed Brad was running the club!

Oooo... cute.  ;)

I always assumed (in retrospect) that Brian's enthusiasm about the sun in this message resulted in the song "Sunshine" on Imagination. "Sunshine / Can't get enough sunshine / I'm following the sunshine / Everywhere I go."

"Sunshine" is one of my two favorite BW songs, along with "Sunshine" from KTSA! This new bit of knowledge makes me wish that it had been more foggy/overcast in mid-1990s CA. Now I've got the song stuck in my head. Thanks for that.

You've made a powerless enemy today, my friend...

Here's where AGD steps in to remind us that Joe Thomas actually wrote the hook to Sunshine, or whatever the story is.   :)

No, Joe wrote the ending ballad part, the bit that kind of sounds like a Dennis song. Brian wrote the first two minutes, which include the chorus I mentioned. (I've just been reading the old ESQ issue that goes through Imagination song-by-song. Some meaty stuff in there, including some suggestions that Brian was a teensy bit more involved in tracking the album than he later wanted people to believe.)

Mojo magazine, June 1998

Brian Wilson: The Mojo Interview
Excerpts from his talk with Peter Buck of REM

There's a real feeling on the record that it is kind of a musical rebirth. Were you starting over, in a way?

Yeah, I had to start over because I had no choice. It's been a while since I've had a record with commercial appeal. There's a fine line between commerciality and art -- and sometimes it's confusing which way to go.

-----

Does that still mean something to you, to be on the radio?

Well, I haven't been on the radio since, whew, God so many years, I couldn't even remember. I probably would be out of my head if I heard it on the radio. Yes, it's important to me that people hear what I do. I love to please people with my music.

Are you going to do anything performance-wise, on TV or anywhere?

I might do some television -- everything is sort of up in the air. I would love to do some live stuff.

You're not really planning to tour, are you?

I don't know at this time.

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I like the guys you used for I Just Wasn't Made for These Times.

Oh, you mean Don's guys? Yeah, Yeah. I'd like to put together a special two guys and two girls background group.

Who... me ?  ::)

I believe he was referring to myself, the third engineer/runner for "Imagination." To answer your question, Joe Thomas didn't actually work on the album. He was just a pawn of Melinda's to take the heat off of Brian. That's why they also got him to "come back" for one song on GIOMH (they tried to get him to take producer's credit, but he didn't want any more death threats)

I didn't even get a key! Brad (advance order) Elliott  ::) At least I'd understand why I got ripped off.

.

Nice try.  ;D

Happier Days
Excerpts from 1998 interview with Greg Kot (Request magazine)

You recently gave your first solo concert in St. Charles. What were your feelings about performing for the first time without the Beach Boys?

I took about as many feelings as you could take in. First of all scared, frustrated, some pent-up anger. I was mad about something I couldn't really express. And then, of course, joyous that I could finally do this. And the crowd liking it made it even better.

Were you satisfied with the show?

No. I wasn't as happy when I heard the playback. I thought I could do better than I did. When you're nervous, sometimes you don't sing quite on key.

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Some people consider Smile your lost masterpiece, and they feel like they're missing out on some of the greatest music you ever did. What would you tell them?

That they're not missing much.

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What happens if Imagination isn't a hit?

I was just talking to Melinda about this yesterday. I said, "I don't think it will sell very much," and she says, "What if it did?" And I said, "That would be gravy. We'd be rich." If it doesn't, we'll try something else, an up tempo rock 'n roll record. I'm scared, sometimes so scared of what I'm doing that I can't even think hardly. Because I feel pressure from somewhere.

Is it tough living up to your past?

There are some things going on so deep inside of me. Living up to my name has been hell for me. You have no idea how hard it is to live up to your name, to keep turning up stuff on par with your name. It's so difficult to do that sometimes.

Did it keep you from working?

Yes.

But you're back in the game now. What's next?

I want to start another record in a month or two. It's too awkward to wait a year. You ride a cycle, a rhythm roll, catch a wave. You do an album, get the feeling, make more music. Make a rock 'n roll album. I feel I can push forward. I feel like a baby chick poking out of my shell and doing something good. I just want to do something good.

Wow, he was talking up a rock and roll record way back then!!

Man, this is some great stuff.. some of the best material I have read in a while. It sounds like it is mostly stuff that never made it onto the web in any form, so it is new information for this already-huge repository of Beach Boys information and apocrypha. Thanks so much, Clay.

Break Away with Brian Wilson
No. 3, Spring 1997

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A Word From Brian

Dear fans --

My wife and I have a baby girl! Her name is Delanie Rose Wilson and she's an absolutely contented baby. She doesn't fuss and muss, she's just mellow.

I've been running on my treadmill three times a day. I feel like a new man. And I've been seein' a lot of movies. But most importantly, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the spirituality of my music and how it helps people in their lives.

I was born with a need to bring love to people -- and that's what I've been doing ever since. Now, some of you might not understand that -- it means I took the responsibility on my shoulders to bring love to people through my music. It hasn't been easy but I will not quit because it means too much to me. Sometimes I feel like "I've already done this" and there's nothing left to do. But on second thought, a man's job is never done -- and so, I promise you all good new music! I have about twenty new songs I've written. Out of these twenty, six are going to be on my new solo album so far. I hope that you all will like the sounds!

It's good to be home from what I call "a war." In life, sometimes we have problems ... and it's good to be able to feel again -- even if I thought I never could. This is a happy time. I get to see what's goin' on with music. It's a brand new trip.

Also, I plan to take a vacation sometime this year but I don't know where to go! Maybe Jamaica.. But wherever I go, I'll be happy.

Brian Wilson

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BRIAN ON COMPOSITION

"I'll just plunk and I'll stumble on an idea. I compose in sections -- sometimes Ill have a chord and I'll write a song. There's something that might sound good. It is such an adventure to sit at the piano and plunk and see where i might go with it."

ARRESTING INFORMATION

Internet devotees recently wondered online who was shouting "You're under arrest!" on the so-called "In the cantina" version of "Heroes and Villains" released on the 1993 Good Vibrations box set. Brian: "It was Gene Gaddy -- my ex-wife's little sister Barbara's husband."

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News briefs (my summary)

-- Brian is deep in pre-production for his solo album. Studio in Chicago is nearing completion.
-- Brian recorded dual-piano of "This Isn't Love" for Windham Hill compilation "Songs Without Words."
-- Wilson sisters album with BW on four tracks is readied for summer release.
-- Belinda Carlisle album with BW vocals on "California" is released in Europe.
-- Brian Wilson jazz tribute album update.
-- Pet Sounds Sessions box: "One year and holding ..."

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There's also a longer article on "Guess I'm Dumb" with new interviews from Brian and Glen Campbell -- but that's one for the scanner, not these less-than-accurate typing fingers.

PLEASE scan that "Guess I'm Dumb" article if you can. It sounds very interesting. Everything here is very interesting.