Carl

[Zander]

Carl is a great puzzle. He also torpedoed the last attempt by Brian to produce a new record for the band (the 95 sessions). The fact that a man who willingly recorded Summer in Paradise turned down the Paley sessions material for being too weak -- well, it boggles the mind.

Well, one, there was the cancer. Two, I believe Carl didn't want to work with Don Was, he was hoping Brian would take the lead with no help, and he'd only heard the vocals with Don Was' tracks, and not Brian's and Paley's. Apparently Carl wasn't digging Was' tracks. The Boys then brought in Sean O'Hagan, but as we all know, Brian and O'Hagan didn't gel...and don't forget the Baywatch/Dancing the Night Away session...complicated.

Well, one, he hadn't been diagnosed with cancer at the time, as far as we know.

The official announcement of his cancer diagnosis was April 1997, but a lot of people who attended shows the previous year will tell you there was something very wrong with him then. I saw him spring 1996, and he looked... just wrong. Prior to that, on the January UK visit to promote the Status Quo collaboration, even on TV he looked out of sorts. I think he knew something was wrong long before it being announced.

Yeah, I've got that GMTV interview with Quo and he just looks - subdued, nervous...

[Autotune]

Carl is a great puzzle. He also torpedoed the last attempt by Brian to produce a new record for the band (the 95 sessions). The fact that a man who willingly recorded Summer in Paradise turned down the Paley sessions material for being too weak -- well, it boggles the mind.

I think we'll never come to realize the full extent of the pain that caused him the WIBN book.

And I would not underestimate the man by saying that he just went along for 20 years.

Or expect that a 50-year-old acts and reacts the same way he did when he was 28.

[Nicko1234]

I don't think it's exactly a big surprise that Carl would go along with all of this stuff.

Under Mike the band were making a stack of money as a live act and had some chart success on and off. After Kokomo went to number one they were always likely to carry on working with Terry Melcher. After Summer in Paradise failed to sell Carl didn't appear on the remade U.K. versions I believe.

Carl was fully capable of doing cheesy crap himself anyway. Some of the TV appearances he did when promoting his solo stuff are fairly embarrassing as are his attempts to dance when performing onstage with the BBs. A lot of the music that Carl made after Holland isn't much to write home about and isn't exactly hard hitting.

[drbeachboy]

You realize he had to do shows like Solid Gold to promote the albums. There weren't that many TV shows on and most were catering to disco and what came after. I'm sure Caribou put some pressure on him to perform on those types of shows. After Holland, Carl didn't write much that much music for the band. The ones he did write we're far from cheesy. I think Good Timin', Angel Come Home, Keepin' The Summer Alive and It's Gettin' Late are pretty good songs and were songs that were needed considering Brian's lack of full participation.

[oldsurferdude]

While I always hoped that we'd hear more of Carl's writing on released product, I'd be interested in what is unreleased, in the vaults, or what the family has under lock and key. Anyone have any info on this rarely discussed topic?

[SMiLE Brian]

While I always hoped that we'd hear more of Carl's writing on released product, I'd be interested in what is unreleased, in the vaults, or what the family has under lock and key. Anyone have any info on this rarely discussed topic?

Good Question, would be interesting to see whats in the vaults from the "surf's up" through "holland" era.

[Smilin Ed H]

The only later Carl song I really like is Angel, Come Home - helped, of course, by a terrific perormance by Dennis.  Heaven's okay, but it has that low-key laid-back feel of a few of his 'later' songs (Full Sail and Goin' South, for example, and Hurry Love, which I prefer). Quite like Hold Me.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

In all this talk of Carl's post-Holland songwriting highs, no one is mentioning Where I Belong. Am I the only one who absolutely adores this song?

[drbeachboy]

Lots of folks here love that song. It's not one of my favorites. That style of music never floated my boat, no matter the singer.

[Emdeeh]

I think we'll never come to realize the full extent of the pain that caused him the WIBN book.

You got that one right! Carl loved his brothers a lot. He was still grieving Denny's loss, dealing with an ageing mother, and then he had the whole Landy mess to deal with. That was a very painful experience for him.

Also, let's not forget that part of Carl's job was keeping the band running smoothly as a performing unit on the road, rehearsing the supporting guys regularly, and trying to mediate the various interests within the group. (FYI, for those who are unaware, the Mike/Al alliance was long gone by the '80s.) He had a LOT to deal with on his plate.

Carl loved performing -- and he was really something special onstage, lots of charisma along with those beautiful, expressive blue eyes and that glorious voice. He was something of a character too, with a wicked sharp (in a good way) sense of humor. If you got a chance to see him onstage in his prime, you were lucky -- I know I was.

P.S. to Disney Boy (1985): Yup, "Where I Belong" is a good one.

[DonnyL]

Carl is a great puzzle. He also torpedoed the last attempt by Brian to produce a new record for the band (the 95 sessions). The fact that a man who willingly recorded Summer in Paradise turned down the Paley sessions material for being too weak -- well, it boggles the mind.

Well, one, there was the cancer. Two, I believe Carl didn't want to work with Don Was, he was hoping Brian would take the lead with no help, and he'd only heard the vocals with Don Was' tracks, and not Brian's and Paley's. Apparently Carl wasn't digging Was' tracks. The Boys then brought in Sean O'Hagan, but as we all know, Brian and O'Hagan didn't gel...and don't forget the Baywatch/Dancing the Night Away session...complicated.

Well, one, he hadn't been diagnosed with cancer at the time, as far as we know.

The official announcement of his cancer diagnosis was April 1997, but a lot of people who attended shows the previous year will tell you there was something very wrong with him then. I saw him spring 1996, and he looked... just wrong. Prior to that, on the January UK visit to promote the Status Quo collaboration, even on TV he looked out of sorts. I think he knew something was wrong long before it being announced.

I saw him in October '96 and remember thinking he didn't seem well also.  The group were flat-out horrible that night, and my friend and myself (teenagers at the time into punk rock, etc.) were baffled by the weird sound and lack of amplifiers.  Although I do recall we made amends with the experience by saying to one another, "we got to see Carl Wilson sing 'God Only Knows'".

[CarlTheVoice]

Reading this makes me feel so sorry for Carl, it seems he had the world on his shoulders and took it very seriously. It's also sad to hear how he seemed to change around 96 - it must have been such a painful time for him. I'm gutted that I will never hear his voice live.

He always took his work seriously, whether it was a bad song or a song he had written. He always put his heart and soul into every performance and that is what will make his voice special forever. He channeled every tear, smile, fear, hope into his singing and that's what really draws me in to his music. For me, Carl is the Beach Boys. 

[drbeachboy]

Except for some shows in 78, as bad as the rest of the band could perform at times, Carl was always just about perfect. In all the live shows that I attended between 1969 and 1995, Carl was always the star of the show. A true professional in every way. It took almost 10 years for me to go see The Beach Boys after Carl passed away, that's how important he was to me.

[tpesky]

I agree with Emdeeh as far as the Mike/Al alliance not lasting much past the 70's. Seems like when Carl went through his rehab, he and Al became closer again which makes you wonder if most of that Mike/Al alliance was lifestyle based (drugs etc) and not as musically based.

One of my favorite Carl moments is not one you would expect..I saw them several times late 80's/early 90's and I think about 91 Carl performed a cover of Dancing in The Street..odd setlist choice but he absolutely ABSOLUTELY rocked it.  The '93 tour was a close second for sure with Caroline No but Al and Matt Jardine stole the show that night but I can still hear him belting out Dancing in The Street.

[Nicko1234]

You realize he had to do shows like Solid Gold to promote the albums. There weren't that many TV shows on and most were catering to disco and what came after. I'm sure Caribou put some pressure on him to perform on those types of shows. After Holland, Carl didn't write much that much music for the band. The ones he did write we're far from cheesy. I think Good Timin', Angel Come Home, Keepin' The Summer Alive and It's Gettin' Late are pretty good songs and were songs that were needed considering Brian's lack of full participation.

Carl did write some good later songs (Where I Belong for example) but things like his solo albums, Maybe I Don't Know and the Beckley, Lamm, Wilson stuff were very safe and inoffensive. And yes he probably did feel like he had to do some bad TV shows as a compromise but there is still a way of doing them.

[Amy B.]

I still can't help but wonder: If Carl were alive in 2004, what would he make of BWPS? Would he be happy for Brian, or would he want the BBs to be involved? How would he feel about Brian working with Darian et al? Again, happy that they were using the original arrangements, or upset that Brian wasn't devoting energy to the BBs? Leaving out Carl's personal beefs with Brian, would he be happy that Brian's band was more "artistic" and holding up that end of the BBs legacy, or upset that there was another band playing BBs music?

[Wirestone]

I still can't help but wonder: If Carl were alive in 2004, what would he make of BWPS? Would he be happy for Brian, or would he want the BBs to be involved? How would he feel about Brian working with Darian et al? Again, happy that they were using the original arrangements, or upset that Brian wasn't devoting energy to the BBs? Leaving out Carl's personal beefs with Brian, would he be happy that Brian's band was more "artistic" and holding up that end of the BBs legacy, or upset that there was another band playing BBs music?

I don't think Brian's career would have developed at all in the same way if Carl were still alive.

Would Brian have felt the need or desire to tour if his brother were still on the road with the band? Would Brian (and his management) have seen a solo career as so important when Carl's voice was still available to sing the songs? Would Brian have revisited Smile at all?

I honestly think that if Carl lived Brian may have conducted a solo tour or two, but his band (and his artier shows) would have been incorporated into the BB band after that. And albums like TLOS would have been group efforts.

[Wirestone]

Carl is a great puzzle. He also torpedoed the last attempt by Brian to produce a new record for the band (the 95 sessions). The fact that a man who willingly recorded Summer in Paradise turned down the Paley sessions material for being too weak -- well, it boggles the mind.

Well, one, there was the cancer. Two, I believe Carl didn't want to work with Don Was, he was hoping Brian would take the lead with no help, and he'd only heard the vocals with Don Was' tracks, and not Brian's and Paley's. Apparently Carl wasn't digging Was' tracks. The Boys then brought in Sean O'Hagan, but as we all know, Brian and O'Hagan didn't gel...and don't forget the Baywatch/Dancing the Night Away session...complicated.

Well, one, he hadn't been diagnosed with cancer at the time, as far as we know.

The official announcement of his cancer diagnosis was April 1997, but a lot of people who attended shows the previous year will tell you there was something very wrong with him then. I saw him spring 1996, and he looked... just wrong. Prior to that, on the January UK visit to promote the Status Quo collaboration, even on TV he looked out of sorts. I think he knew something was wrong long before it being announced.

True enough, but the sessions with Brian were all in 1995. That's a hefty amount of time before the official announcement. It's all well and good to say that an early diagnosis may have changed or clouded his judgment, but Carl then went ahead and recorded most of Stars and Stripes in '96. Oof.

[Andrew G. Doe]

True enough, but the sessions with Brian were all in 1995. That's a hefty amount of time before the official announcement. It's all well and good to say that an early diagnosis may have changed or clouded his judgment, but Carl then went ahead and recorded most of Stars and Stripes in '96. Oof.

True... but just over two months before the UK promo visit where he looked very unwell.

[Newguy562]

Carl is a great puzzle. He also torpedoed the last attempt by Brian to produce a new record for the band (the 95 sessions). The fact that a man who willingly recorded Summer in Paradise turned down the Paley sessions material for being too weak -- well, it boggles the mind.

It makes sense in that "Summer in Paradise" was clearly a Love/Melcher project with no BW involvement ... when Brian became involved w/ new songs, etc., the bar was raised.

but yeh, that has always confused me as well (we're all just guessing here).

Honestly, I am more baffled by "Stars & Stripes" than anything before or after.  That one really didn't make sense, especially with Brian back in the group.  It's the only Beach Boys album I have never owned or listened to all the way through.

in the recording of caroline no for the stars and stripes album brian admittied he cried look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBdPbXcAROs

[MBE]

I asked in 1995 about Carl to a close friend of his. Basically I asked why Carl seemed to have given up in the wake of the fall 1993 tour and they admitted that Carl mostly stopped fighting the situation as he got kind of immune or used to it. I suppose resigned would be the word. Still I don't doubt part of the reason he stayed is because he enjoyed making people happy and he usually did.

The 1977 break up did change things for good and by the eighties Dennis was not respected enough or together enough to shake things up. Carl did try a few times. First he did leave the band for a year and when he first came back the shows were done well. After Dennis died it just seems as if Carl gave up on the whole (Brian stopped touring regularly as a Beach Boy then until now). Frankly "Angel Come Home" and "Heaven" are the only tracks Carl did after Holland that I love without some hesitation.

Carl did seem to be trying to stir it up in 1988 right before "Kokomo" hit and then in 1993 the shows from the last three months of the year (Chicago was indeed an unplugged show though it came a good six weeks before most of the others) were up to the standard The Beach Boys should have maintained. Still sick or not why would he support a remake album instead of a new record? Wouldn't he have rejected the country album too if he was in no shape to work? I think he was the most particular about Brian's post 1974 vocals and material and perhaps he just didn't think Brian could pull it off. Honesty as Carl never did an extensive post early eighties interview it is really hard to say with 100 confidence.

[Nicko1234]

Still sick or not why would he support a remake album instead of a new record?

Because it was safer and caused less tension. Any new album would have been filled with the debates about whose songs were to be included as had happened since the 60s.

[Autotune]

I still can't help but wonder: If Carl were alive in 2004, what would he make of BWPS? Would he be happy for Brian, or would he want the BBs to be involved? How would he feel about Brian working with Darian et al? Again, happy that they were using the original arrangements, or upset that Brian wasn't devoting energy to the BBs? Leaving out Carl's personal beefs with Brian, would he be happy that Brian's band was more "artistic" and holding up that end of the BBs legacy, or upset that there was another band playing BBs music?

I don't think Brian's career would have developed at all in the same way if Carl were still alive.

Would Brian have felt the need or desire to tour if his brother were still on the road with the band? Would Brian (and his management) have seen a solo career as so important when Carl's voice was still available to sing the songs? Would Brian have revisited Smile at all?

I honestly think that if Carl lived Brian may have conducted a solo tour or two, but his band (and his artier shows) would have been incorporated into the BB band after that. And albums like TLOS would have been group efforts.

Maybe. Nevertheless, reportedly Carl was the least enthusiatic and the most skeptical prior to the Fall 1993.

[hypehat]

I think he was the most particular about Brian's post 1974 vocals and material and perhaps he just didn't think Brian could pull it off. Honesty as Carl never did an extensive post early eighties interview it is really hard to say with 100 confidence.

I remember reading this in Carlin's book - Brian apparently wanted back in the touring group (and to play Pet Sounds in it's entirety, natch!) but Carl was against this, and I think it was for vocal reasons. Melinda is the source of this, though, and I know some of you have views. 

[Lowbacca]

I think he was the most particular about Brian's post 1974 vocals and material and perhaps he just didn't think Brian could pull it off. Honesty as Carl never did an extensive post early eighties interview it is really hard to say with 100 confidence.

I remember reading this in Carlin's book - Brian apparently wanted back in the touring group (and to play Pet Sounds in it's entirety, natch!) but Carl was against this, and I think it was for vocal reasons. Melinda is the source of this, though, and I know some of you have views.  

Sounds likely (and reasonable) though. Carl was always the one looking out for the BBs's and the touring band's musical integrity and capacity to deliver good (live) music and individual performances.