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Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: Mitchell on April 21, 2006, 12:17:35 PM



Title: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: Mitchell on April 21, 2006, 12:17:35 PM
Sometimes I read about Love You and read that it was originally supposed to be called "Brian Loves You" or a Brian solo album of sorts (it's in the allmusic review). Is this actually true, or is it one of those things that just gets assumed as being true without actual proof? I would like to see the proof, if it exists...


Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: Joshilyn Hoisington on April 21, 2006, 12:21:33 PM
It's as provable as a final track order for Smile.  Talked about, perhaps actually existing in Brian's mind, but in the end, who knows?

It certainly would have been possible, if Brian had taken initiative.


Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: Mitchell on April 21, 2006, 12:28:41 PM
It just seems to me that it's such a group effort (lots of songs with many of the boys singing on it) that it doesn't seem solo album enough. In a way, it's like Pet Sounds, only with Brian performing the songs instead of instructing a session crew to do it. Even the extent of his "performing all the songs himself" is up for debate, in terms of who played what, I guess... I don't really know a lot about this period.


Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: Joshilyn Hoisington on April 21, 2006, 12:40:37 PM
Well, people have done solo albums that they don't even sing on, so I guess it depends on our definition of "solo album."



Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: Mitchell on April 21, 2006, 12:43:00 PM
I suppose. I guess my definition would be that it would come out with only Brian Wilson's name on it, despite who played and sang on it, rendering my last point irrelevant.


Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: HeyJude on April 21, 2006, 12:51:16 PM
I think the idea that "Love You" was ever going to be a BW solo album has come from two pieces of information which may have been misunderstood: 1. The fact that Brian is the most prominent member on the recordings, that he performs some songs almost if not completely solo, and 2. The album supposedly was originally titled "Brian Loves You."

Obviously, #1 above has nothing to do with how the album would be billed, as they ended up calling it a BB album. As for #2, it is my understanding that, in fact, the album was at one point going to be titled "Brian Loves You." But it was going to carry that title as a Beach Boys album. It would have been the Beach Boys' new album, titled "Brian Loves You." I haven't a clue why they changed the title. It could have been ego, or just  a way to avoid confusion. In any event, I was one who always assumed that "Brian Loves You" meant it would have or could have been a solo album. But it seems the group considered that title.

I think it was a few years later when Brian started cutting stuff as clearly "solo" material, which he may or may not have had any strong feelings about regarding whether he actually wanted to put out a solo album. That's not to say that Brian didn't think about a solo album earlier. He was cutting stuff on his own all the time. I just get the feeling that it wasn't until the early 80's that a solo album really seemed at all viable. Conversely, the seemingly "solo" stuff he was cutting into the early 80's like "Night Blooming Jasmine", "My Solution", another version of "Shortenin' Bread" (post LA Light Album), etc. could have easily evolved into Beach Boys recordings.


Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: endofposts on April 21, 2006, 01:03:44 PM
So, was the big band album done at that time going to be a solo album, or a Beach Boys album?  What was that going to be called, if anything?  Was "Still I Dream of It" and/or "It's Over" ever sent to Frank Sinatra as demos?



Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: Cabana Boy on April 21, 2006, 01:10:50 PM
What was that going to be called, if anything?

'Adult Child'. The "big-band" concept isn't really sustained for the whole of that sequence, tho'.


Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: Ron on April 21, 2006, 09:53:41 PM
I was under the impression that the record we actually have as "love you" was recorded after they made the decision that it would be a Beach Boys album... i.e., any plans Brian had to do a solo album hadn't made it into the studio.  I always thought of it as, he had WRITTEN the songs, and INTENDED to do a solo album, but before he recorded anything, they all decided to make it a beach boys album instead.  I think that was the extent (if even that far) that it was ever a Brian album, just conceptually and by the time he was in the studio, he was recording with the intent of releasing it with all his brothers. 


Title: Re: Proof that Love You was supposed to be a "Brian solo album"?
Post by: Dancing Bear on April 21, 2006, 10:43:26 PM
Why would Brian present songs for members of the group if it was going to be a solo album? I guess by the time of the 'demos' the concept of a group album with that bunch of songs was already solidified.