The Smiley Smile Message Board

Lately, my favorite Wilson to study is not the amazing Carl, not the 1+only Denny, & not even BRIAN...  My latest fascination in B-Boy Land has been one MURRY GAGE WILSON!
 
Can we start a Murry thread, please?  Mostly, I'm interested in photos of Murry, because they seem rare, but also any quotes from him -- or about him would be great...
 
Thanks in advance -- I'll start by listing some basic data & posting a photo to get the beach ball bouncin'...
 
Murry Gage Wilson was born in Hutchinson, Kansas, on July 2nd, 1917...
 
& here's a picture of Murry & Dennis...

(http://denniswilsonforever.wg-net.com/wilsons/wilsons7.jpg)

Thanks again,
--Mr. Pong

Here he is with the Sunrays:

(http://sunrays718.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/eddymurryrecording.jpg)

"Murry Wilson telling Eddy to treble up. Western Recorders studio 3"

(http://sunrays718.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/sunrays7.jpg)

(http://sunrays718.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/murryroadwiththesunrays.gif)

Interesting site, that (http://sunrays718.tripod.com/id2.html).

(http://bedazzled.blogs.com/bedazzled/images/about_show_1.gif)

"Dennis, you're flatting dear"  :)

(http://www.threemoviebuffs.com/miscreview/scott_lifeaquatic1.jpg)

Murray...Wilson.

I love Murry.

He's quite the loveable character.

It's interesting to note how many people will scoff at this, yet, while addicted to TV sitcoms where a semi-abusive Dad is often the most beloved character on the show.

(http://vinylfreakmusicstore.com/img/lps/MurryWilsonManyMoods.jpg)

How many different moods can y'all count here?  And Murry never seemed to be in any of 'em.

I'd have hated to catch him in that second mood from the left, bottom row.

Murry looks like a stereotypical 50s/60s father.

Erm, important to note the difference between a sitcom and real life.

[i]"My darling uncle didn't die soon enough. But I didn't resent Murry anymore than I'd resent anyone who stole from his kids, beat them unnecessarily, intimidated them, and screwed them up emotionally."
[/i]
--Mike Love

(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000066ACN.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2005/10/im_a_genius_too.html

Where's that 'famous' photo of Murry with glasses & pipe that I've seen in all those documentaries?  I can't find it online...  anyone have it??

THANX!

Name: Anita () on Friday, July 22, 2005 at 22:29:49 
Email: anita.m.bell@erac.com
City and State: Fair Oaks, Ca
Maiden: Harmon
Class: 1969
Message: First to Raymond.....off the top of my head I can't say for sure when it was that Brian, Dennis and Carl moved from 119th, but early in 1965 Murry Wilson (who knew nothing of his son's drug use) was living in Whittier in a new, expensively decorated house with a circular driveway and an expansive view of the valley, purchased with the enormous publishing royalities that continued to flow in. The new house had a large music room, with an organ and piano, and a huge stained-glass window with a visual depiction of a "Sea of Tunes". Renovations on different areas of the house were continuous, just as they had been in Hawthorne. Curiously, Murry had bought his wife Audree, her own home just around the corner from his. This was a kind of stalemate seperation; Audree and Murry loved each other, but they could no longer live together. Even after spending the day with Murry, Audree would go to her own house to sleep. After a trip to Japan, Murry hired a Japanese secretary, which raised a few eyebrows ~ friends referred to her as his "geisha."
And to Penny.....I totally agree with you. I wonder how many of us can actually say that we DON'T live in glass houses?

http://cougartown.com/feedback736.html

birth name: MURRY GAGE WILSON
 
known aliases: REGGIE DUNBAR
 
... any others?

What was printing on the pinback buttons Murry used to hand out at the early shows? 

Something like, "I Met The Beach Boys' Dad?"

"I know Brian's Dad"   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Anybody got such a button or a pic of it?

I'd LOVE to see an example of that button...  meanwhile, here's that photo I was looking for:

(http://myspace-191.vo.llnwd.net/00555/19/18/555588191_l.jpg)

I have the entire Sea Of Tunes/Unsurpassed Masters series...  Aside from the notorious "Rhonda" session, which volumes contain interesting examples of Murry dialog in the studio?
 
THANX!

A fake-Murry, played by Kevin Dunn:

(http://viasat.live.noname4us.com/images/archive/0010/m_001036.jpg)

To hate Murry is to hate Brian.

We love to jump on Murry's back for doing what he may have done to his children, yet we keep what Brian may have done to his very hush hush.

When Brian aged he gained weight, stayed in bed, didn't shower or keep clean. These are all traits that dear old Dad had. They weren't so much forced into him as they were inherited from Murry to Brian.

I think you're right...  Brian also seemed to adopt some of Murry's studio habits as well... 
 
Like when Brian told the boys to sing "With Me Tonight" with a smile -- that's not unlike Murry insisting that they "BE HAPPY!"
 
Or when Brian was explaining how the drums in the intro to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" should be -- he kinda sounds like Murry scatting "Rhonda"...
 
And, I think it's in the BW DVD, "On Tour," where Brain tells Jeff he's sharp, then he's "flatting"...  I dunno -- just seems to me Brian sorta became Murry to an extent...

Exactly!

Like father like son.

If Brian's voice was rough and insistant, then his studio instruction would be identical to Murry's. But, Brian's voice always had that innocent tone, even when angry.

(http://www.lottsapaper.com/rmmurry.JPG)

I don't understand how anyone can think of Murry as a likeable person. That guy should've been locked up.

Well then so should Brian for trying to give his daughter's drugs. For being a very irresponsible father. For making shocking financial risks with his company. For cheating on his wife and ignoring her.

See what I mean? We're all human and make bad mistakes.

Like everyone in the Beach Boys Saga... can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

Sorry guy, but beating your kids isnt a mistake.

I dunno. My Grandma used to whack her kids with frying pans. They have a totally normal, loving, respectful relationship now.

I'm a child of the early 60s.  My dad beat the crap out of us growing....that was "normal" then.  By the standards of the day Murry was a "strict diciplinarian".  Twisted yes....but obviously nobody would have looked twice.

Which sparks the obvious question; Why have times changed? Why are Mother's now becoming the national disgrace when caught on video tape giving their kid a smack for being a pain? If at some point discipline was once accepted and encouraged, where did the line cross to cause some to reconsider?

One day if i have children I often wonder how I will discipline them. How will I teach them whichever lesson I hope to teach them? I am not a violent person by any means, but words sometimes simply do not work with people. Believe me, i'm not a Murry sympathizer but I wonder if we are turning into a generation of people who will pamper their children. Rarely do I hear of people getting strict punishments from their parents, more like a quick grounding, later forgotten about.

I think it may have something to do with our far superior understanding of psychology and how experiences at certain ages impact young children.  I'm sure there are countless studies out there about the difference between people who grew up in abusive homes vs. people who didnt.  Just look at the Wilson brothers, particularly Brian.  Murry's childhood treatment of him had several lasting effects.  True, they weren't all bad...Murry tought Brian to work hard and be competitive, but he also screwed him up emotionally and made him very fragile.  Like Mark said, this was far more the norm back in those days.  But I don't think the change has anything to do with pampering the children of today...maybe it is just a shift in society that believes that there are more productive ways to discipline children.  I'm sure these old ways still happen in some households, but I for one cannot fathom intentionally inflicting pain on my own child.  I come from a family where calmly talking out problems was the best way to go, not beatings and tying kids to trees.  Murry was screwed up in the head, but in a much different way than Brian.  You use the example of Brian offering his kids drugs...the thing is, he was not what you would call sane when he did that.  Murry, on the other hand, beat his kids knowing full well what he was doing. 

When you do things on a regular base, they're not mistakes anymore. Murry was just a bad person.

And you can say a whole lot of negative things about Brian, but not that he's a bad person.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/orangest/murry2.jpg)

this cost me $1 at a flea market. someone later told me that i overpaid.

Your apologia for Murry is outrageous.  Do you not think that Brian's problems as a an adult may not be in some way linked to his treatment by his father?  Also, if Brian's 'autobiography' is to be believed (and I know it's misleading in some respects but in this I think there might be more than a grain of truth) Murry himself was subject to brutal treatment by his own father.  That's not to excuse Murry's (or Brian's) behaviour, (as everyone ultimately has to take responsibility for their own actions), but it shows that ill treatment can be passed down the generations.  And what of Brian's behaviour to his own kids?  Yes, he was probably a poor father in many ways but despite, as you point out, inheriting some of his father's character traits, violence towards his children was one he had seemed to have made a conscious decision never to repeat.  As to the 'drugs' incident I just have to imagine the guy was completely out of his mind and didn't know what he was doing.  I don't think the same could be said for Murry's behaviour.

nice find johnathan!

Whoa -- is someone reading my mind?  Or my email?  I just got an invite on MySpace from MURRY himself!!

Check him out!

http://myspace.com/murrywilson
 

Brian surely has some profound neurosis as a result of his childhood....we all do to one degree or another.  But Brian also suffers from Bipolar D/O and Major Depressive D/O which is nothing that can be "put" on someone anymore that can diabetes or cancer.  Murry is the archtype for Archie Bunker in many ways.  Can you imagine this square dude as the boys manager?  IMO the most abusive act Murry commited was selling the SOT catalog out from under Brian.  Clearly that did affect Brian in a deep way.

Murray selling the SOT catalog is his f*** you to Brian.

(http://myspace-182.vo.llnwd.net/00557/28/19/557669182_l.jpg)

(http://myspace-901.vo.llnwd.net/00557/10/99/557709901_l.jpg)

(http://myspace-673.vo.llnwd.net/00557/37/68/557708673_l.jpg)

(http://myspace-091.vo.llnwd.net/00561/19/09/561009091_l.jpg)

 PongHit, I think you've captured all of his known moods.

I actually know a Murry in real life. My friend Joe's father is exactly like him. Same build, hair, voice, attitude as the guy. It's sad because he's ran my friend into the ground somewhat now that we're all growing up. As a younger kid Joe was always beaming and always smiling. Now with pressures from his dear old Dad to grow up he never smiles.

A few years ago, there was an e-Bay auction for a promo kit from "Many Moods Of Murry Wilson."  It included a contact sheet-style promo picture with a couple of dozen small photos of Murry, each with a different facial expression.  I've never seen anything like it since, and didn't save the picture from the auction item (it was kind of small, so you couldn't really get a good view of the "many moods").  I think it went for around $100.  Anyone else ever see this item, either online or otherwise?

(http://www.spectropop.com/gallery/d/961-2/Murry+Wilson.jpg?g2_GALLERYSID=f0da1b74e05d99edce1560b33a6a8f96)

He's a genius too, you know.

Thursday, March 23, 2006     

My new book

Mar 18, 2006

Subject: My new book

Body: I'm currently working on a Murry Wilson biography that is tentatively titled, "I'm a Genius, Too" that will include many revelations. Right now its looking like a release date of November, 2006.

Domenic Priore, from his "myspace" blog

Geez I hope I don't scoop Dom on any of those "Murry revelations" in the Dave Marks book due out in a few months. Maybe I have different ones than him.

I suspect there may be enough Murry revelations to write 66 books.

The Dom Priore profile isn't actually Domenic.  It's an imposter.

What is the world coming to where someone would want to impersonate Domenic Priore?

Another reason to not like MySpace.

Hahaha, I don't know why, but that made me laugh.

But yeah, something seemed off just from the title.. and the fact that he's still "working on [it]" and it's going to be released so soon.. doesn't book publishing have tons of red tape?

Are you sure it's not him?!  WHY would anyone bother imersonating HIM!?

it's a joke....

He sent out a message from the Dumb Angel magazine Myspace name saying the Domenic Priore profile was not him.

I still think this is appropriate:

(http://www.channel4.com/film/media/film/4x/L/life_aquatic_xl_02.jpg)

Thanks for all the support.