Listen to this segment:

Just before take 17, someone is noodling bebop jazz runs on the 12-string. Someone on the studio floor - right channel - around 12 seconds into the tape says "Hey, hold down the noise in the booth!", and after that - in the left channel, Carol Kaye laughs, then a bit later says something that sounds like "it got quiet in here, but...(trails off)". And one of the 12-string players starts clowning around with the intro, deliberately playing it wrong, which makes the musicians on the floor laugh.

Question: If the two 12-strings were direct into the board ready for a take, and Hal needed headphones to hear them play the intro, how were the players on the studio floor hearing the noodling and playing going on in the booth? Were they wearing headphones as well, or was it as simple an answer as the guys in booth were being heard through the playback monitors in the studio between takes? The only thing you'd normally hear without headphones would be Brian or Levine getting on the talkback, which is why Hal needed the headphones to time his entrance after the guitar intro.

Just wondering...

I also listened late last night (free time... ) to the full session tapes. I couldn't get a few things out of my mind, and some have already been touched on by others since last night. Here it goes, bear with me:

Contained in this thread there are people posting who are authorities in the areas we are discussing. C-man is the go to guy and the authority on the session info and the AFM contracts from these dates. Who played what, and when it was recorded, and that information can be clarified to the "Nth" degree by C-man. Josh literally wrote the book on the WIBN session, as detailed and as lovingly researched as any info about any Beach Boys session that has ever been done. Ebb and Flow has a fantastic visual and audio resource, well-researched and fact-based, through the "Behind The Sounds" video on the song. Others - musicians, researchers, studio people, people who have recorded similar parts, have added their 2 cents as well.

After all of this, are we any closer to answering the original question, namely who is playing what and what are they playing on that intro? It felt like it all came around in a loop, and the bottom line remains we still think two 12-string electric guitars played that part. We've looked at AFM sheets, listened to every session tape available, and it feels like we're at the starting gate again. Brian said as much, that two 12-string electrics played that part.

I'm almost confident after hearing from folks who I'd consider authorities or at least very knowledgeable with Gibsons and mandolins in general to say that the instrument in the photo was a custom made instrument done by Gibson, and used by Barney to play and read  mandolin parts using familiar guitar shapes. Just like a 6-string banjo - the sound is there, the notes can be read and played in standard tuning, yet it's not an "authentic" banjo to do Scruggs-style rolls and whatnot. Exactly the vibe of a hybrid mandolin like the one Barney is holding. One post I've read suggested Gibson would go out of their way for Barney to fill requests or make something custom for him: At the time Barney was among the elite of jazz guitarists, and he was a Gibson endorser as well as having his own signature model guitar in Gibson's line.

And I'm also 99% confident that the instrument Barney is holding in the photo was not used to play the WIBN intro, above all because it appears to be an acoustic instrument. I think if we were to ask Barney's sons about this, it might confirm information about that particular instrument rather than the actual session.

I'll have more on Barney in a bit.

My thought is this: Can we make an appeal to those who collect, gather, and research BB's photos and vintage artciles and news clippings for anything related to the studio in this time period, anywhere around early 1966 when Pet Sounds was being recorded? Maybe there is a photo somewhere, a lost photo of something from an obscure fan magazine, that could at least clarify some questions, perhaps a photo of Jerry Cole playing a certain model guitar or Barney playing something that would tie it together. Or even something that went "unused" through the various Pet Sounds reissue projects which might shed some light. I'd like to think something exists which hasn't been widely seen that could help.

Does that sound like a possible "next step" to take in this research?

http://s3.postimage.org/bw5xfxt8a/bw001.jpg

What happens if you cut and paste that?

And there is the photo! Thanks! I agree with the timing of it, obviously Gold Star, Pet Sounds-era to my eyes, and wish there were more like it...

Also notice the headphones lined up in front of the monitor to the right (as Hal wore for WIBN), and a flute and clarinet case on top of the upright piano behind Douglas, if those offer any clues.

Is this a photo from the WIBN session?  If so, why are there so few from it?  It more or less has to be either WIBN or IJWMFTT.  Is that Steve Douglas?  Looks like they're still setting up and learning the parts?




Also interesting side note part 59:  Carl thought that the intro to WIBN was a harp, at least for the interviews quoted in the Box Set booklet.

Thanks for the track info, and please re-post the photo! Nothing appeared in the actual post.

Just for comparison, I listened to the version played in Michigan '66, and whether it was Al or Carl trying the intro, they played it wrong. I thought hearing a live version close to the source - where Brian would have probably taught them the actual part to play live, would be neat to hear but that didn't happen. Now my obsessiveness will lead me to track down all live versions from 66-67 to compare them to the original.

A few later live versions (90's and beyond) doubled the guitar with keyboard. Didn't like that too much.

I think that the info in the liner notes assigning the two mandolins is actually because of Carol Kaye mishearing the accordion triple-bellow shake as Mandolins for her song-by-song commentary.  They took her input very seriously.

As for this:

4. Regular 6 string electric doubling the bass. This part sounds like a Telecaster to me simply doubling the bass, similar to what Don Peake did later on J5's "I Want You Back" with his Tele. Same tone. It's best heard on the arpeggios right near the line "but let's talk about it" just before the drum fill back into the regular groove for the ending.

I believe that this is the Dano bass.  My reason for thinking there's a dano bass on the track at all is based on a very short moment near the end of the session where the player rolls down the open strings, e-b-g-d-a- down to low, bass e.  After I heard that, I wondered what it was doing, and figured that it is the bass that plays the arpeggios.  Then I noticed that the bridge bassline actually really fattens up, so I believe the dano doubles the bassline exactly there, playing exactly what presumably Carol and Lyle are playing.

I understand the time factor - I'm up against that as well - but if you get a chance and could send me an idea of where on the session tapes I can hear this, I'll check it out. I didn't make it through all of them last night, but when I heard those arpeggios being doubled on those tapes of the bridge, it hit me as a Telecaster sound, and I wouldn't say this if I had not spent a great deal of time transcribing Don Peake's Tele double of Wilton Felder on the Jackson 5 cut a few years ago, and that has nearly the same blend of sounds - especially when you hear it isolated from the track. The notes on WIBN aren't as "tic-toc" sounding as a Dano usually is, but I'm definitely not ruling anything out.

Check this out, from a previous PS stereo/mono reissue package:

1. Wouldn't It Be Nice
Gold Star Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA
January 22, 1966, 7pm to 11:30pm
Engineer: Larry Levine

Drums: Hal Blaine
Bells, Tympani, Percussion: Frank Capp
String Bass: Lyle Ritz
Electric Bass: Carole Kaye
Guitars: Jerry Cole, Bill Pittman
Mandolins: Barney Kessel, Ray Pohlman
Piano: Al de Lory
Organ: Larry Knechtal
Accordions: Carl Fortina, Frank Marocco
Saxophones: Steve Douglas, Plas Johnson, Jay Migliori
Trumpet: Roy Caton


Barney and Ray Pohlman credited with mandolin! Where did this session info come from?

So it was Bill Pitman too who made an "easy money" comment about those rhythm gigs? It had to have been Tommy as well, and someone - can't recall which guitarist - said the same thing about Barney Kessel taking those dates where he'd play the archtop acoustic rhythm. I have a great screen shot of Barney doing just that with an old Gibson archtop on the classicstudiosessions blog.

I listened to the sessions last night, and can post specific dates and takes for examples, but there are at least 4 guitars audible, clearly defined, on that session...I'm just clarifying what's already been posted with one correction. Four definites:

1. 12 string electric
2. Acoustic rhythm - it can be heard strumming chords between takes
3. our "mystery" guitar-mandolin-whatever instrument, although I'm now changing my mind a bit and leaning toward a standard 12 string electric after hearing this musician tuning the thing between takes
4. Regular 6 string electric doubling the bass. This part sounds like a Telecaster to me simply doubling the bass, similar to what Don Peake did later on J5's "I Want You Back" with his Tele. Same tone. It's best heard on the arpeggios right near the line "but let's talk about it" just before the drum fill back into the regular groove for the ending.

Is there a Danelectro 6-string bass doubling on top of that? If so point it out and I'll do the same with these because I hear a standard 6-string filling that role clearly on that build-up near the end.

With the audible acoustic rhythm - I'm now thinking Barney was mic'ed up on the studio floor if that was him, and I'm inclined to think that was him for some reason.

Update on that mandolin photo - some early opinions that it was an instrument custom made by Gibson. More to come...

Yeah, I think it was in the '93 Guitar Player article on the BBs where Tommy T. made that comment...said he usually played rhythm on his acoustic or his Tele.  But I still think it's Barney on the main 12-string or mando, probably Pitman on the acoustic.  If there is a Dano, it's Pohlman.

Does the AFM sheet for this session give any clues other than who played bass and who played guitar? I don't think I've ever seen that particular sheet, I'm very curious.

So it was Bill Pitman too who made an "easy money" comment about those rhythm gigs? It had to have been Tommy as well, and someone - can't recall which guitarist - said the same thing about Barney Kessel taking those dates where he'd play the archtop acoustic rhythm. I have a great screen shot of Barney doing just that with an old Gibson archtop on the classicstudiosessions blog.

I listened to the sessions last night, and can post specific dates and takes for examples, but there are at least 4 guitars audible, clearly defined, on that session...I'm just clarifying what's already been posted with one correction. Four definites:

1. 12 string electric
2. Acoustic rhythm - it can be heard strumming chords between takes
3. our "mystery" guitar-mandolin-whatever instrument, although I'm now changing my mind a bit and leaning toward a standard 12 string electric after hearing this musician tuning the thing between takes
4. Regular 6 string electric doubling the bass. This part sounds like a Telecaster to me simply doubling the bass, similar to what Don Peake did later on J5's "I Want You Back" with his Tele. Same tone. It's best heard on the arpeggios right near the line "but let's talk about it" just before the drum fill back into the regular groove for the ending.

Is there a Danelectro 6-string bass doubling on top of that? If so point it out and I'll do the same with these because I hear a standard 6-string filling that role clearly on that build-up near the end.

With the audible acoustic rhythm - I'm now thinking Barney was mic'ed up on the studio floor if that was him, and I'm inclined to think that was him for some reason.

Update on that mandolin photo - some early opinions that it was an instrument custom made by Gibson. More to come...

I do hear the high octave on what would be the G-string of a standard tuned guitar.  I hope this doesn't steal any of your thunder, Craig, but here is what I hear with tab.  I would do it in 4/4 if I were serious and make tuplets, but it's too late for that now.




I have heard both Barney and Jerry be given credit.  Jerry claims it for himself in Granata's book.

I have always noted that, whoever plays the lower part has some pretty impressive chops; during some of the noodling he rips of some very impressive little jazzy runs that would suggest Barney.  Still, Brian himself said when Barney died that "he did a great job on Wouldn't It Be Nice."  But then, it is Brian speaking.  I think Barney sort of gets the nod based on that photo and others attributing it to him, like Brian.  And to be fair, Bill Pitman and Ray Pohlman are also on the sheet, both of whom could play guitar, but I've always put Pitman on Dano or Jazz Box guitar, and likewise Pohlman.  But it could be Barney on the acoustic guitar and Bill Pitman in the booth-seems unlikely but the session offers few clues.

Barney on acoustic archtop rhythm could be a possibility, a definite possibility. So you're hearing that high octave on the G string? Could very well be. I took a shot at playing it today in the middle of the discussions and that high octave G sounded out of place to my ears, almost too high pitched for that part. I tried it in the position you tabbed, then the next higher position where all four initial notes can be held as a chord shape - that's tough.

Kudos writing the shuffle in 12/8 - I took an easy jazz way out and wrote "swing" above the 8th notes. 

I think I mentioned this sometime back, but in the premier issue of "Break Away with Brian Wilson" (Summer 1996), which was the BW fan club newsletter, there was an "Ask Brian" corner.  Someone wrote and asked "What is the instrument that starts 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'?".  Brian's reply was "It's two guitars - one played high up on the neck and the other one played regular".  In issue No. 4 (Fall 1997), he wrote little notes to many of the musicians who played on "Pet Sounds".  For Barney Kessel, he wrote "Thank you for your happy guitar on 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'.  It brought a kind of ring-a-ding sound.  It gives people a boost, a real good boost".  Barney was still alive at the time.  Based on this, I would be inclined to credit Barney with the dominate guitar part in the intro...whatever kind of guitar it may have been!

I've seen that! Other articles too where Brian says something similar. I've also heard from several sources that a lot of the pop sessions Barney played at this time were strictly rhythm played on archtop acoustic, where he'd be strumming a style on something like WIBN with a shuffle/swing bounce that could very well be called a "ring a ding sound". That's a great Brian description for a rhythm, isn't it? I also think Tommy Tedesco, where he did play on Pet Sounds, did archtop rhythm more than anything else.

It was either Barney, Tommy, or someone else who called those rhythm parts "easy money" or something similar. Probably Tommy.

If you look closely at the picture of Barny with the guitar, the body seems to be round. But if you look at the picture of the Mandoguitar, the body dips and then curves...it doesn't seem to be totally round like the instrument Barny is holding. Are there any other models of the Mandoguitar that have a round body?
Don't mind me, I'm just thinking(well, typing lol) out loud.  

Look at page 3, I posted a more full shot of Barney holding what is clearly a Gibson 12-string neck and a Gibson style body for a mandolin, mandola, whatever it may be: I'm still researching that answer. The Mandoguitar photo was just to compare and show what one of them looked like for anyone who hadn't seen one - notice the layout of the pegs and also the configuration of the strings probably matches the instrument Barney is holding, but that's where the similarity ends.

The closest thing to that Vox body shape might be a Fender electric mandolin, they were close to each other in design as a solidbody electric mandolin.

Also, this fellow seems to know what he's talking about...
http://uniqueguitar.blogspot.com/2010/08/to-study-barney-kessels-personal-guitar.html
 Listen to the opening lines of the Beach Boys song, "Woudn't It Be Nice."  The first four bars sound sort of like a calyopy (sic), but it is actually Kessel and another player both on 12 string guitars.  The instrument Kessel played on that track was unusual. It had a mandolin body and a short 12 string neck.

He seems to have based that info on my "Behind The Sounds" video, which was based on the book for The PS Sessions set...which may end up being incorrect.  I did attempt to be ambiguous in my notes at the time.  If guitarfool can verify what exact make and model Kessel has in that photo I can add a note clarifying what exactly he's holding in that photograph.

How did we arrive at the conclusion of who -played-what in the first place? Was it based on that photo of Barney?

I'm not sure it's possible to fully verify this, even by close examination of the session tape since both guitars were DI'd.  I think people have just assumed that if a track featured an esoteric guitar part it must have been Kessel playing it.

I'm currently in the process and waiting for answers on Kessel's Gibson from the photo, and will definitely update as info comes in. At least we may be able to ID that mandolin once and for all, whether or not that can answer the ultimate question about what's on the track.

P.S. Your "Behind The Sounds" videos are stunning, I watch them often and find them very inspiring and even emotional at times when the music blends in with the photos just right. I'm looking forward to more, they're great!

I'd like to ask that another possibility be considered: Going back to the beginnings of this research process, let's clear the slate. How do we know the roles of Jerry Cole and Barney were not reversed, and Cole took the high part while Barney played the more static low 12-string part which we know 100% is an electric 12-string guitar?

I say this because on one of Jerry Cole's albums, a Vox guitar is pictured. Barney was a Gibson man, he had his own Gibson model signature guitar, and for electric we know he played a Telecaster. Cole, on the other hand, was releasing a lot of instrumental albums in the 60's and the possibility may be greater that he, not Barney, may have had a Mandoguitar or Fender or something similar to play the part.

How did we arrive at the conclusion of who -played-what in the first place? Was it based on that photo of Barney?

Two things I'm sure of:

1. There is an electric 12-string being played low, but the part in question is definitely not an electric 12-string. I played the part on my Fender 12-string, and to match that high register you're playing high up around the 14th fret, and the high octave double on the G-string in unavoidable, and it's not a pitch heard on the recording. I'm eliminating that possibility for now, it doesn't work on an actual electric 12-string.

2. The part being played on the recording is amplified. An acoustic, mic'ed mandolin or any other acoustic instrument would not project as the instrument projects on the recording.

The possibilities:

1. A Vox Mandoguitar is tuned like a standard 12-string EADGBE, and the strings are grouped in pairs tuned in the same octave, just like a standard mandolin. *That* is key to the discussion, because that is the sound we're hearing on the recording. The instrument Barney is holding appears to have that same setup, however I still think that is an acoustic instrument. A Mandoguitar was basically designed so a guitarist could play normal guitar fingerings with a mandolin sound.

2. An electric mandolin, with 8-strings, would also produce the same sound with easy fingerings.

I have tablatures for the possibilities, and I've tested them out.

One - the instrument in the BK pic has 12 strings, the color shot has 8.

Two - the neck looks longer in the Kessel pic, plus there's some kind of label above the top nut.

I'd say BK's axe is a custom, maybe self-built, job.

I'm almost certain the instrument Barney is holding came from Gibson, whether it was a custom order or an actual Gibson production-line model will hopefully be addressed shortly. It has all the trademarks of a Gibson mandolin style, and no one if maybe a few master luthiers would be able to craft such a neck as that Gibson outside a shop, and if they did they probably wouldn't label it Gibson unless it was from Gibson's factory. Research is underway!

I posted the two other photos just for comparison after the question was raised about electric mandolins, and the photo was to show the differences. Nothing related to Barney's, just to clarify all that about electric versus acoustic mandolins. Barney's 12-string instrument looks acoustic, again I'm about 99.8% certain on that point.

That has bothered me too, but Barney could have had a pickup thrown on there, and this session whoever it was just wanted the acoustic sound.  But, was there even any such thing as a mandolin with a pickup in those days?  I mean, I'm sure they existed, but who would have wanted that sound?

They existed going back to the 30's, here is an example of a factory-made 30's Gibson electric mandolin:



Anything from the Gibson factory would have had a pickup and knobs on the body. An aftermarket pickup in the 60's, like a DeArmond or something, would have a wire or external control plate hanging on the lower body, looking something like this:

One point to consider: Seeing it full-length, you'll notice what appears to be a boom microphone stand with the microphone placed a few inches under Barney's pickguard, near the F-holes where you'd most likely mic up an acoustic mandolin. If that instrument were electric, chances are with 4 tracks in the mid 60's you would either record it acoustic or electric and not both.

In this case, if it has a mic on it, I doubt it is an electric instrument in that photo. Again, just a guess.

Here is the full-size photo of Barney from the PS booklet, showing more of the instrument. The more common photo got cropped somehow...here's the full deal. Notice the 12 tuning pegs:

All the speculation about the WIBN intro: To those folks thinking it's a nylon-string guitar, a "custom" 12-string, etc...I'll take a few minutes and tab out the intro for mandolin, then post it up. If possible, try to play it on a mandolin, if you don't own one take a trip to your local music store, printed tab in hand, and try it out on one of their mandolins. It may or may not be a revelation when you hear it in person, but it's worth a try. Again, I'm sold on mandolin or MandoGuitar style instrument until further info is revealed.

As far as the idea of custom instruments, I'd advise not thinking too far beyond the obvious answers in this case. Most of these players played the same kind of instruments in the studio. Some had huge collections of exotic instruments, including Hal, Tommy, Mike Deasy, etc. but for the most part in 1966 at least they stuck to the standards: Primarily Fender, Gibson, and Danelectro for most pop sessions. That's from film and photographic evidence.

The modifications might include swapping pickups, putting a more stable bridge on a Danelectro to replace the poor wooden bridge from the factory, changing little elements of the guitar...but nothing too radical in the way of customizing something into a new instrument.

I have looked at that photo of Barney many times, and at this point I think it was  indeed a Gibson version of a 12-string mandolin, like the Vox Mandoguitar. There were some custom 12-string and 10-string mandolins from Gibson through the years, but they're very rare and hard to find.

The idea of them was to get a mandolin sound while playing familiar guitar tuning. It's basically an upper-register 12-string, nothing too exotic. It's the same idea as those 6-string banjos which are played like a guitar, but you get the banjo sound.

Here's the photo we're focusing on with Barney:


And here is a great photo of a Vox Mandoguitar to compare:


And if you play the intro on a standard mandolin, it works just as well. Fascinating stuff, all of this...

7.  Why does there seem to be such a paucity of a photographic record for Beach Boys instrumental tracking sessions?

It does seem strange that there are so few photos out there.  You have to wonder if members of the band (and surviving relatives) have some treasure trove of photographic material not cataloged by BRI.  I also wonder if Diane Rovell has ever been asked if she ever took any photos during tracking sessions.

Wonder where the Jasper Dailey prints and negatives are now ? I know where they used to be and what happened... hopefully they're back there now.

Yes indeed, I posted the same thoughts on page 1:

7.  Why does there seem to be such a paucity of a photographic record for Beach Boys instrumental tracking sessions?

Apart from wanting to preserve the image of a "band" hard at work in the studio, when reality found session players in that role, I'd say this topic #7 is among the most frustrating and there is no quick answer.

If certain people, family members, estates, collections, collectors, et al would open up their archives and collections, we may have more of a record available. The Smile era alone...Guy Webster, Jasper, various friends and family...we know for a fact so many photos were taken of sessions, gatherings, etc, and all we get is a few of the same groups of photos being cropped and published whenever an "official" product comes out. It's frustrating.

Hal Blaine took hundreds if not thousands of photos during his session work. That archive is perhaps the gold mine.

So to sum it up: We know the Jasper negatives exist, we don't know what or how many photos Hal Blaine may still have but we know he had them in the past...putting it all in context, that is still quite a treasure trove, and I'd seriously like to know who can be contacted to facilitate a release of some kind. What is the reason behind keeping these private? Is it a private collectors' show-off kind of thing? Financial?

7.  Why does there seem to be such a paucity of a photographic record for Beach Boys instrumental tracking sessions?

Apart from wanting to preserve the image of a "band" hard at work in the studio, when reality found session players in that role, I'd say this topic #7 is among the most frustrating and there is no quick answer.

If certain people, family members, estates, collections, collectors, et al would open up their archives and collections, we may have more of a record available. The Smile era alone...Guy Webster, Jasper, various friends and family...we know for a fact so many photos were taken of sessions, gatherings, etc, and all we get is a few of the same groups of photos being cropped and published whenever an "official" product comes out. It's frustrating.

Hal Blaine took hundreds if not thousands of photos during his session work. That archive is perhaps the gold mine.

I'm thinking out loud: Would there be any point to having two Fender basses on a session doubling the exact same part? Probably not. Yet, as has been pointed out, we can't really hear the normal setup of one electric bass, doubled by a picked 6-string bass, do we really on those sessions? The possibility exists that it simply got mixed out, or a part was played which went unused, but I doubt that since the session tapes would reveal who was there...is there evidence of two electric basses on those session tapes, or can it be heard between takes when they're noodling around?

In order to understand the reasons and be fair about it, has he ever been asked about this issue? I'm thinking there has to be a reason why he seems to take the recording/filming of Brian's shows by fans, as well as which items Brian is going to sign, so personally. It's as if he's acting as a supervisor or a police officer. How many musicians would love to be on stage *ONE TIME* playing that music with Brian, even for one song, one verse, whatever, and the guy living out that dream comes off like he has a grudge against fans who have cameras...DURING A SHOW!

Like the others who witnessed this past or present, it kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth to see this happen at a BW show where the fans are showing so much love and respect for the guy on stage.

It's still very much a mystery, but what I can say about the WIBN intro is that after trying it on instruments *close* to what those guys would have been playing - a Telecaster, a Fender electric 12-string, a no-name Rickenbacker-style 12-string, and a mandolin - the mandolin gave the closest sound. I do not have a way to film it right now, but I'd like to eventually post a video of this intro played on mandolin. It is a very smooth and natural fingering, it "flows" very nice, and the higher pitch on that first position area of the mandolin is exactly the range we hear on the intro. I think that photo of Barney Kessel in the PS booklet may have thrown us off a bit in assuming the photo was something it was not.

The Vox Mando-Guitar...there were a handful of these bizarre hybrids back in the 60's. Fender made an electric mandolin which could have been a candidate for the intro, too. Vox had their version, Danelectro had a guitar with extremely high upper frets designed to sound like a guitar-mandolin thingy, Danelectro and their offshoots also had a "Bellzouki" which was basically an electric 12-string which Vinny Bell (he of the electric sitar fame) was associated with. Tommy Tedesco is holding a Bellzouki in a photo with Hal Blaine.

It's basically flying blind, just pure speculation, but I'm betting on electric mandolin, again just taking a shot in the dark and based on trying it out for myself on mandolin.

Last week, I attended both The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson concerts.  The thing that surprised me (although I guess nothing in Beach Boys land should be surprising), was that neither act mention SMILE at all.  Brian performed "Heroes And Villains", but no mention of SMILE.

 On a side note, at the Brian Wilson show, Jeff spent the entire concert scanning the small audience for people holding up digital cameras.  When he spoted one, he would motion to the side of the stage and have one of the tour managers go out into the audience and scold the person.  Then during the intermission, Brian sat down in a chair on rollers at the side of the stage in full view of the audience.  He seemed perfectly content, but Jeff went over and pulled the chair with Brian in it back out of view.  It reminded me of the autograph signing I attended for "The Lucky Old Sun".  Somebody handed Brain a pickguard and as he was begining to sign it, Jeff just about jumped over the table to stop him yelling that Brian didn't want to sign musical instruments.  It was a good thing Jeff reminded Brian that he didn't want to sign the pickguard, because Brian had obviously forgoten.  

This kind of thing bothered me too. I've seen the same kind of thing happen at Brian's shows too, with the same level of anger directed to fans by one band member. There's such a thing as being cool to the fans, and in this digital age, I ask the question:

Who the hell is going to profit from a concert video shot by a fan on a fucking cel phone or mini-digi-handi-cam? Why focus so much attention on this to the point of near-obsession? If people record the show with a camera, so what? Seriously, it's 2011, it's not the episode of "What's Happening" when Rerun gets caught up with a group of seedy bootleggers who want him to tape a Doobie Brothers show for profit.

I don't get the level of anger with the camera thing, and it's been happening for years.