Has anyone met Brian Wilson?

[ThyRavenAscend]

(I posted the single on MySpace back when MySpace was cool.  My dad's playing rhythm guitar; I think the song is pretty great: https://myspace.com/sundaysocialmusic/music/song/too-heavy-to-carry-23002308-22803493)

That was nice.  A bit of a surprise swing in the chorus, there, too.  

Is your Dad one of the fellas in the picture, then?

My dad's the one on the left.  I believe he did some bgv's on the track, too.  Evidently David Sandler really liked their vocal blend, so he had them record as the backup band & bgv's (the lead vocal was by some other artist) for a song he wrote called "Alexander Bell".  (It was a love song called about the telephone lol: "Alexander Bell I thank you for taking the time for inventing the line, so I can put the call through to my baby to tell her I'm wrong, it won't be long till I'm home...")

[Generation42]

(I posted the single on MySpace back when MySpace was cool.  My dad's playing rhythm guitar; I think the song is pretty great: https://myspace.com/sundaysocialmusic/music/song/too-heavy-to-carry-23002308-22803493)

That was nice.  A bit of a surprise swing in the chorus, there, too.  

Is your Dad one of the fellas in the picture, then?

My dad's the one on the left.  I believe he did some bgv's on the track, too.  Evidently David Sandler really liked their vocal blend, so he had them record as the backup band & bgv's (the lead vocal was by some other artist) for a song he wrote called "Alexander Bell".  (It was a love song called about the telephone lol: "Alexander Bell I thank you for taking the time for inventing the line, so I can put the call through to my baby to tell her I'm wrong, it won't be long till I'm home...")

That's awesome.  Now I want to hear "Alexander Bell." 

[ThyRavenAscend]

(I posted the single on MySpace back when MySpace was cool.  My dad's playing rhythm guitar; I think the song is pretty great: https://myspace.com/sundaysocialmusic/music/song/too-heavy-to-carry-23002308-22803493)

That was nice.  A bit of a surprise swing in the chorus, there, too.  

Is your Dad one of the fellas in the picture, then?

My dad's the one on the left.  I believe he did some bgv's on the track, too.  Evidently David Sandler really liked their vocal blend, so he had them record as the backup band & bgv's (the lead vocal was by some other artist) for a song he wrote called "Alexander Bell".  (It was a love song called about the telephone lol: "Alexander Bell I thank you for taking the time for inventing the line, so I can put the call through to my baby to tell her I'm wrong, it won't be long till I'm home...")

That's awesome.  Now I want to hear "Alexander Bell." 

Well it's our lucky day, cause I just realized that I posted that song as well on MySpace all these years ago hah!  It's a poppy-er tune with some nice lady-bgv's mixed in--good stuff: https://myspace.com/sundaysocialmusic/music/song/al-bell-23002310-22803495 

[PS]

A partial reprint from an older post:

Late summer, 2004 - I get an email from a friend whom I had not heard from in years, though I was aware that she was producing most of Brian’s DVDs since his move to Chicago. She wrote to me (knowing full well my extensive collection, knowledge and love of the music) saying that they were going to re-film the SMiLE concert in LA (David Leaf did record the full London premieres, but for many reasons, BRI-MEL – especially MEL – were not happy with it. They wanted a happier, more upbeat and polished SMiLE, a smiley-er SMiLE, if you will). Maggie and I (and the director, John Anderson) exchanged lengthy emails (I sent a note by note dream shot list, based on the kind of instrumental coloring and emphasis that classical music DVDs use in their very useful and tasteful direction). I was listening to the Albert Hall concerts for my reference. Turned out that the director already had a 40-page shooting script, with every instrumental and vocal detail accounted for. They invited me to spend a week in LA to attend the rehearsals, to watch the taping of inserts, shoot some hand-held behind the scenes footage, and attend both shows. It was one of the greatest weeks of my life. Stayed at a hotel with the Chicago contingent (Paul, Jim, and Bob) and got to talk to them quite a bit. I was introduced to Brian within five minutes of arriving on the lot, and, as I was ready to tell him just how much his music has touched my soul or "was the soundtrack of my life" (like virtually everyone else who meets him), he quickly shook my hand and said “Thank you” and then walked away for lunch. I had lunch that first day with Darian and Probyn and they were just great, answering every question I had for them. Later in afternoon I walked into a rehearsal room and had a virtual “private screening” of the entirety of PET SOUNDS and some of GIOMH, as they were rehearsing all of it for Nelson, who was a newcomer and still learning his bits. That was incredible, glorious - standing up against the wall and hearing them so close, without any distractions. I kept thinking that someone was going to throw me out, but the atmosphere was so loose and fun and Brian was in great spirits and incredibly patient all week long. Met and talked with all most the people I had read about all those years, including David Anderle (who indeed remembered Brian’s inscription surrounding the Laurel Way pool – you can clearly see these cement squares in the Sloop John B "jumping in the pool" promo), Steve Kalinich (who was overcome with joyful tears after the show), Van Dyke (who, to our great consternation, told my friend that Song Cycle was “a waste of time…a waste of time.”), Tony Asher, and Melinda (who, I must say, seemed to be a remarkably benevolent presence for the crew and the band – and her husband). Left work one day and Brian was walking out by himself at the same time – again, I stumbled something out about how great the rehearsals were going, he said thanks, and then I watched him – rather shockingly – get into his Mercedes sports car and drive himself home on the freeway. So much for "braking for Brian Wilson…"

Well, Brian simply hit it out of the park for the first show, and it was unforgettable – a roomful of 250 of his friends, family, and these people who were all so deeply invested in this music. The whole thing, all of the above, came full circle for me when I turned around to the row behind me and saw Van Dyke Parks, with his head down, cupped in his hands, weeping during Surf’s Up…It truly was a dream come true, that whole experience, and offered me a great deal of closure to the part of my life that began by spinning BREAKAWAY some 35 years earlier. After the first show, I filmed Brian’s exuberance as he came backstage and proclaimed to John, Maggie, Alan (Boyd), and Stephen (Kalinich) that this was the very best performance of SMiLE they’ve ever done. I walked out in the hallway with my head spinning, and saw Van Dyke chatting it up with David Anderle and Jeff. it all seemed so dreamlike and yet so natural and right. The live DVD of SMiLE is it for me, much more alive and dynamic than the CD release. (BTW, I think its one of the best rock DVDs ever done, in terms of John’s detailed and knowing direction, Maggie’s prodding of Brian to be at his best and to stop constantly reading the video prompters, and Mark’s superb surround mix). I spotted myself in the audience in 16 different shots, so its become a great personal keepsake for me. These videos of my shooting of the SMILE DVD can be found on my Vimeo pages: https://vimeo.com/24394172

[mikeddonn]

Excellent footage! Great to see Brian looking so healthy and relaxed.

[KittyKat]

Wait, so the performances on the Smile DVD were taped in LA, and intercut with the British audience? Or did I misunderstand? Does it indicate as such on the DVD? I sold mine years ago (I tend to watch DVD's once and get rid of them), so I can't check.

[urbanite]

Sort of met him at a cocktail party in Washington, D.C., the day before the concert on the mall.  He was walked around the room by E. Landy.

[PS]

Wait, so the performances on the Smile DVD were taped in LA, and intercut with the British audience? Or did I misunderstand? Does it indicate as such on the DVD? I sold mine years ago (I tend to watch DVD's once and get rid of them), so I can't check.

No. You misunderstood. You do see parts of the Leaf directed UK performance on his "Dreamer" documentary, which came in the package as a second disc you might recall. The Smile concert disc is all Burbank friends, family, invited, etc. (about 200?), from two shows in a row, with a short break (that's what you see in my backstage footage - between the two tapings). Taped insert close-up details are sometimes used for cutaways (you couldn't possibly have that level of visual detail from live onstage cameras), but the sound, except for possible sweetening, I imagine, is directly from the the 2 live Burbank performances.

[KittyKat]

The poster did say that David Leaf filmed all the London performances, and the reason they didn't make it on the disc is because they were not happy with the performances. I wasn't sure by that if they meant that the re-filming was going to sub the performing and then cut to the British audience. Which I'm sure would look pretty awkward, which is why I asked. I do remember seeing footage of people in the UK being interviewed and shots of them standing up and applauding, but that was probably on the documentary portion of the disc.

I wonder what happened to David Leaf's footage of the London concerts? I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad. It makes me a little sad that they had a person encouraging Brian to smile more in the Burbank show and look at his teleprompter less. I don't know if Brian not smiling a lot or looking at the prompter is a good reason to deprive the fans of concert footage from Brian't very well received, historic London Smile shows.

[Generation42]

Well it's our lucky day, cause I just realized that I posted that song as well on MySpace all these years ago hah!  It's a poppy-er tune with some nice lady-bgv's mixed in--good stuff: https://myspace.com/sundaysocialmusic/music/song/al-bell-23002310-22803495 

Outstanding!  What a fun tune.  You should tell your Dad that you've been spreading the Gospel of Sunday Social. 

"Alexander Bell I thank you for taking the time for inventing the line, so I can put the call through to my baby to tell her I'm wrong, it won't be long till I'm home."

Man, Bell Systems should have been using that hook for their jingles back in the day!  Catchy as all get-out.  "Reach out and touch someone," my arse!