The Smiley Smile Message Board

You can listen to the whole thing here
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130376600

NPR says Brian was a guest on it.  haven't found him yet

There's a 14-track version of the album on the NPR site. There's also a 16-track "deluxe" version. I suspect Brian is on one of the two bonus tracks.

Edit: In an interview on his website, Elton says it's "When Love is Dying."

Well, yeah, you can hear him, but it's pretty much a dialled-in contribution. Simple block harmonies. Not even close to his work with, say, Richard Ashcroft, Linda Rondstat or Neil Diamond. But then... it's not in the same class as a song either.

Agree... barely worth the trouble of listening to.

Too bad, because the album's not bad at all -- nicely produced, good to hear Leon R., scads of piano -- but BW seems like a real afterthought. And the song he's on is perhaps the record's worst -- Leon verses and Elton choruses that don't quite jibe.

There was a moment when I asked myself "what's Willie Nelson doing on this song ?"

whoa, didn't know he worked with ashcroft. will check out.

2002 - he did excellent bvs on "Nature Is The Law" on the Human Conditions album.

Anyone wants a rough and ready list of BB guest appearences on other artists records, here's a good place to start:

Guesting (http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/guesting.html)

thanx a bunch. >:(
I'm missing quite a few of those.
Oh well, you'd rather I get myself an xmas present, than you, eh?

Actually, it's kind of a miracle that Brian is audible at all. This is the backing vocal credit for the tune:

Brian Wilson, Bill Cantos, Alfie Silas Durio, Judith Hill, Louis Pardini, Jason Scheff, Rose Stone, Tata Vega, Jean Witherspoon

And "Nature is the Law" has my favorite BW guest vox of the last decade or so. He's pretty amazing -- arranged them himself, too.

Since going 'solo' in 1986, Brian's been a busy boy on the guest bvs circuit:

6/89           Various                        Spirit Of The Forest/Spirit Of the Forest - Brian
8/89           Paul Schaeffer                Coast To Coast  Brian - "Metal Beach"
10/89   Linda Rondstat                  Cry Like A Rainstorm  Brian - "Adios"
11/89   Ryuichi Sakamoto         Beauty Brian - "We Love You", "Calling From Tokyo"

5/92           Ringo Starr                      Time Takes Time  Brian - "In A Heartbeat"
8/95           Various                        Pulp Surfin' Brian - "In My Moondreams" (Andy Paley)
7/96           Belinda Carlisle        A Woman And A Man Brian - "California"
10/96   Collin Raye                Christmas The Gift  The Beach Boys - "Winter Wonderland"
9/97           Steve Dahl & The Dahlfins  Mai-Tai Roa Aé  Brian - "Net Surfin' USA"
9/97     The Wilsons                     The Wilsons  Brian - "Monday Without You",  "Miracle", 'Til I Die"" & "Everything I Need"
6/98    Ringo Starr                Vertical Man  Brian - "Without Understanding"

10/00   Jeff Foskett                Twelve And Twelve  Brian - "Everything I Need"
4/02     Anton Fig                        Figments  Brian - "Head On My Shoulder"
4/02    Nancy Sinatra                California Girl  Brian - "California Girls"
9/02    Wondermints                Mind If We Make Love To You Brian - "Ride" & "So Nice"
10/02   Richard Ashcroft        Human Conditions  Brian - "Nature Is The Law"
2/03           Styx                                     Cyclorama   Brian - "Fooling Yourself (Palm Of Your Hands)"
5/04    Wilson Phillips                California  Brian+ - "In My Room"
7/04    The Dotted Line             The Dotted Line  Brian - "No Wrong Notes In Heaven"
1/05    One World Project             Grief Never Grows Old - Brian
11/05   Neil Diamond                     12 Songs  Brian - "Delirious Love" [bonus version]
5/06    Carnie Wilson                     A Mother's Gift: Lullabyes From The Heart  Brian - "You Are So Beautiful"
10/06   Spongebob Squarepants     The Best Day Ever  Brian - "Doin' The Krabby Patty"
7/07    Taylor Mills                Lullagoodbye  Brian - "Raven" & "Cradle Me"
9/07    Bill Medley                     Damn Near Righteous Brian - "In My Room"

2/10    various                        We Are The World 25: For Haiti - Brian & Alan
6/10    Monica Mancini                I've Loved These Days Brian - "God Only Knows"
6/10    Alan Jardine                    A Postcard From California Brian, Carl & Mike - "Don't  Fight The Sea": Brian - "Drivin'" & "Honkin' Down The Highway"
10/10   Elton John               The Union Brian - "When Love Is Dying"

There's a new one, too -- some Euro-rock guy produced by Don Was.

Zucchero.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q9BKtx6gAQ

Just pre ordered it on vinyl at amazon. What can I say if it's on a record I'll buy it.

Brian's participation hasn't been 100% confirmed, and I don't hear him in there.

Really? Try about 1:14 in the video -- there's an doot-doot-it part that sounds quite BW to me. Agreed that the high stuff doesn't sound like him. But Don Was did another track with BW backing with the same situation -- Ringo's "In a Heartbeat" -- all the Beach Boys-y stuff was done by the Jellyfish guys and Brian had an ultra-simple backing part.

Nothing - not even Brian - could make me listen to anything Elton's done for almost the last 30 years.

The sound's so muddy on that Euro-song YouTube clip that it could be anyone on there. If it IS Brian (and I hope it's not -  it sounds utterly dire), then maybe his vocal has been sped up somewhat.

Really? Some great pop music in there -- and the last 10 years or so of EJ discs have been quite solid. And the new one got the coveted five-star Rolling Stone review.

He hasn't been able to sing for years - except like a pub singer - and his material has (and unfortunately, I've listened to the evidence) been pretty poor almost without exception. Rolling Stone?  Who gives a sh*t any more?

UPDATE: Just saw an interview with Elton where he says when Brian came to the studio to record his part for "When Love is Dying" he met Leon on the sidewalk and they were just standing there hugging for a minute and a half. Very touching.

I think this is going to be an awesome album, I'm buying it on Tuesday, I've already heard "If It Wasn't for Bad," and "Hey Ahab," and loved both.

I've been trying to assemble a collection of songs the Beach Boys have guested on up to around 1980 - it's a bit more difficult than you could imagine!

For example, "Warm Waters", the Charles Lloyd album, is apparently only available on vinyl and none of my usual sources have panned out any sort of vinyl rip.

The early stuff is relatively easy to get, trying to get a good quality version of "Sound of Free" is incredibly hard.

Warm Waters was reissued on CD back in 1989. I've seen one. Just one.  :)

 :afro

Hmm, send me a list of what you want. If my turntable gets up and running( new belt tomorrow, I hope), I can probably do drops for a bunch  of them. 

Yeah, I don't see that one listed anywhere. Waves and Moon Man are available on CD. Wonder why Warm Waters is so scarce? they should make Big Sur Tapestry and Weavings on CD too.

That's rather harsh. His voice isn't what it used to be unfortunately but there's been some real gems. Sadly, you have to weave through a lot of drab to discover them.

Soon as I hear Elton's strangulated pub-singer tones and the THUDDING drum sound, I feel the urge to evacuate.